A/N: Sorry for taking a little longer than usual to get this one out. I had a few issues with Writer's Block (It was the bath scene, btw. I still am not sure I have it 100% right), and planning a rewrite for one of my older fics certainly didn't help. (Rebuild of When Civilization Meet coming hopefully this February!). Anyway, now that that's been said, I hope you all enjoy this somewhat belated, but hopefully no less well-written chapter!
On a side note, I don't write outright lemons, as I feel that simple smut like that more often than not takes away from the story rather than contributing to it. I do wonder though, should I bump this story's rating up to an M with what I've done? Let me know what you think, although I don't intend to do such scenes very often.
Also, while writing this particular chapter, several particularly intriguing reviews by a character only known as 'Tsun' were posted for this fic, and I would like to respond to them. Firstly, I would like to thank Tsun for his/her/it's constructive criticism and pointing out the many weak points of this story. Some of the issues I had already noticed, and either shoved quietly under the rug or planned to resolve at a later chapter, while others I did not see. In order to avoid spoilers, I will avoid listing these issues in the Author's Notes, and would like open a channel of communication with him/her/it in order to discuss possible solutions and their effects on the story. Thank you once again, Tsun, for keeping me from getting a big head from reading too many positive reviews.
Chapter 16
"Now then, let's get down to business." Ichika spoke, the attention of the room now focused entirely on him.
"Firstly, before we start discussing anything to do with the inner workings of the Organization, I would like to ask if any of you have received responses to the messages you sent out last night." To that, Laura replied first.
"I have, and I was planning on bringing it up with you later today." The silver haired girl replied.
"I see. What were its contents?" Ichika asked.
"Interesting. It seems that, thanks to my rapid acceptance of WSI's offer, the defense minister deduced that WSI had managed to develop a countermeasure against this backdoor. I was asked, no, I was ordered to get the information on that countermeasure out of you by any means necessary." Laura replied, and Ichika sighed, before turning to the rest of the girls that had sent their messages.
"I take it that you all received similar orders?" He asked, and the girls in question nodded.
"I see. Tatenashi, you're in intel, so you are to forward these requests to our superiors. I assume that, in the event that asking nicely doesn't yield results, you have been ordered to try more extreme measures?" Ichika asked.
"I have, and in the event that my attempts prove ineffective, additional assets from Germany will be deployed to obtain the information directly from the source." Laura replied.
"I see. Unfortunately, I do not have the authorization to hand over the data myself, that is up to my superiors to decide." Laura looked pensive for a moment, before nodding and sitting down at the edge of the bath, her fingers dipping lightly into the slightly steaming water.
"I have no objection to that." She said simply.
"Good. Now, the next order of business is the upcoming re-coring of your IS suits. It is a relatively short procedure, but it will result in your IS gaining a True AI similar to Ori or Aki as its control system. I-" Cecilia interrupted him before he could continue.
"Wait, so we will all be getting AIs? Won't other people notice?" The blonde asked.
"I kept Ori secret well enough, and Tatenashi already has Tuman, while Kanzashi has Gladys. Five more AIs shouldn't pose too much of a problem." Ichika replied. It was Laura who spoke next.
"Wait a minute, won't this mean that your organization will be able to take control of our IS suits?"
"Unless you plan on using the Schwarzer Regen against our own assets, you don't have to worry. In addition, we have no plans to re-core the entire world's IS forces. Any information on backdoor closure will simply do just that." At that, Laura sighed.
"I noticed that you didn't say no." She replied a moment later.
"Of course I didn't. After all, the capability is still there." Ichika answered.
"So I'm just trading one security risk for another? Is that what you're saying?"
"Any security risks will be entirely limited to the Schwarzer Regen, as we have neither the means nor the resources to discreetly re-core every single IS in the world. A genuine countermeasure will be created and distributed, along with the instructions for how to make it. However, as you are already in the know about out little Organization, we need to do something that will ensure you will not become a threat. Understood?"
"Promise me that... You know what? Never mind." Laura sighed once more, shaking her head.
"Promise you what?"
"Nothing. It likely isn't your call to make."
"Let me guess. You want my assurance that these devices will not be used for espionage." Laura nodded at that.
"I see. Well, you're right in that I have absolutely no say in that regard. However, rest assured that espionage of that sort is not part of the Organization's agenda." Ichika reassured. Laura's only response was to laugh.
"The stolen nuclear reactor under your base says otherwise." Laura replied.
"Point taken." Laura nodded at that, smiling somewhat smugly at having won the argument.
"Obvious security issues aside, Ichika-san, what else will be happening to us during the upcoming visit to WSI Headquarters?" Cecilia butted in, steering the conversation back on track.
"You all will be briefed individually, in detail, about the various ways your lives will change, now that you all know of the Organization's existence. You will be told what we expect of you, and finally, you will all receive a package from our intelligence department, for use as instructed."
"You make it sound as if we are members." Laura commented.
"Look, Laura. If you were just an ordinary civilian, we would have simply warned you to stay silent, as well as ensure that you do not dig any further. However, when the person in the know is a pilot of the most effective weapon that humanity has yet to design, our protocols are understandably different." Tatenashi responded before Ichika could.
"I understand that, but-"
"Do you? An Infinite Stratos suit is not only ridiculously powerful, but also incredibly easy to conceal. That is how Phantom Task manages to hide IS pilots under our very noses! That is why, Laura Bodewig, we are not going to let a bunch of potential security risks run wild. What if, hypothetically, one of you were to embark on some demented crusade to rid the world of our Organization? While it would take some effort, you could easily change your identity and flee without us knowing, and then we would have another, nigh-undetectable opponent to face that, with the help of a nigh-undetectable weapon, could easily bring most of our worldwide operations crashing to a bloody halt! That is why, member or not, you will be watched carefully in order to ensure you are not a threat. Do you understand?" Tatenashi lectured sternly, causing the rest of the girls assembled to wince slightly. When she finished, the room was silent, save for the occasional splash of water as Tatenahi idly played with it, her hand waving back and forth just below the surface. It was Charlotte who finally broke the silence.
"Ichika... What about us?" The blonde haired French girl asked, her voice somewhat hesitant.
"What about us?" Ichika asked, somewhat confused.
"I believe she means 'What will happen to our relationship?'" Laura clarified.
"Exactly. Now that we're all a part of... This, what will happen now?" Charlotte added.
"I don't see how this changes anything. After all, you're still Charlotte, and I'm still Ichika. I don't see how we can't just be as we were before." Ichika said, causing Charlotte to shake her head in response.
"Ichika... As much as we want to, we can't just go back to the innocent friendships of days past. After all, whether we like it or not, we're all now involved in a secret war that may or may not decide the fate of the world! What if your Organization calls you away one day and you don't come back? Do we just sigh and sit around like stereotypical movie girls until some new guy comes along and sweeps us off our feet? Do we go on an insane quest to avenge you? None of this was a concern before, but it most certainly is now! So tell me, Ichika, what will become of us?" Charlotte demanded, walking closer and closer to him until her face was inches away from his.
"I... I want us to stay friends. I want us to trust each other once again. I want to see you, Laura... Everyone, looking at me without that uncertain fear hidden in your eyes. I want that... And so much more, but-" Charlotte's finger covered his lips before he could say any more.
"Good. Because so do I." And with that, the finger over his lips was replaced by the sensation of Charlotte, her lips over his in a gentle kiss, while her arms wrapped around his.
"As do I." Another voice spoke, and a second pair of arms encircled him, while a second head gently nudged Charlotte off him. Opening his eyes, Ichika saw Houki standing there, with an expression that promised pain were it not for more pressing concerns.
"While I cannot promise that our relationship will be the same, I do, of course, want us to be friends once again!" Cecilia declared as Houki leaned in for her own kiss, and a third body joined the hug, not so subtly trying to push Houki over to the side.
"H-Hey! Don't forget about me!" Rin jumped up and ran over, not wanting to be left out. For a few moments, the five of them remained that way, before Charlotte looked back, Ichika following her gaze to see Laura, sitting alone by the edge of the water, her face dejected as she gazed her rippling reflection in the eye.
"Laura? What about you?" Charlotte asked, causing the silver haired girl to look up, startled.
"What about me?" She asked.
"You know what! Get over here!" Charlotte called out, one of her arms withdrawing from the embrace and extending towards the silver haired girl. After a few moments' hesitation, Laura stood and walked over, Charlotte grabbing her as she came within reach, drawing her close. Hesitantly, Laura embraced her, both of the silver haired girl's arms wrapping around Charlotte, the French girl looking somewhat shocked for a moment before drawing her close.
"Aww, how cute! Can I join?" Tatenashi's voice echoed through the bath as she leaped out of the water, only for her foot to slip on a patch of wet floor, causing her to come crashing to the ground. For a moment, the sound of water was the only sound in the room, before Rin's laughter broke the silence, Kanzashi joining in soon after, with the rest of the girls breaking out into peals of laughter as well.
"Hey, that's not nice! Ichika, make them stop!" Tatenashi complained from where she lay on the floor. That only caused Ichika's shocked composure to break, and pretty soon he joined the girls in their mirth.
"Fine, be that way!" The blue haired girl pouted, before suddenly lashing out and grabbing Ichika's foot, causing him, and the girls around him, to stumble. Unfortunately, they were right at the edge of the bath, and with a tremendous splash, the entire group fell into the water.
"Who's laughing now?" Tatenashi called out as she stood up, only for an arm to snake out of the water and grab her ankle, and with a loud shriek she too was dragged into the water, splashing a spluttering Laura, who had managed to somehow keep her balance in all this, soaking her previously dry shirt. Her sole visible eye narrowing at the culprit, she splashed back, only to hit Charlotte, who had just surfaced between them. Coughing and spluttering, Charlotte attempted to return fire, but missed, the water nailing Ichika, who had just opened his eyes, in the face.
"Why you..." With those words as his battle cry, Ichika leaped forward, only for Charlotte to step to the side, causing him to slam into Tatenashi, knocking the blue haired girl down once more. His head came to rest on something soft, and he opened his eyes to see Tatenashi's face just above his, the Student Council President's face tinged with a light blush.
"Ichika..." An all too familiar voice spoke in an all too familiar tone. Ichika's head swiveled until he locked eyes with a clearly enraged Houki, the Japanese girl's white uniform soaked through, revealing the pink lace beneath.
"H-Houki-" Ichika tried to protest, but as usual, it did nothing to stem the long haired girl's wrath.
"Divine punishment!" With those words on her lips, Houki waded forward, while Ichika scrambled upward from his rather comfortable position atop Tatenashi.
The fight continued on for quite some time, and it was over an hour later that a thoroughly soaked Ichika finally clambered out of the warm water onto the now equally wet floor around the bath, the rest of the girls clambering out around him, smiles firmly planted on their glistening faces, and the solemnity of the morning temporarily forgotten. Their wet clothing clung to them, a fact that Ichika was all too aware of.
"Well, we didn't get much done today." Kanzashi commented.
"What makes you say that?" Ichika asked, turning to face the quiet girl.
"We have so much more to explain to them! We haven't told them what they will be getting from intel, or about the potential upgrades we offer for their IS suits, or the-" Ichika cut her off before she could continue.
"True, but none of that is vital right this moment. What matters is what you see when you look around." Ichika said, gesturing around the bath, pointing to each of the girls in turn.
"See their faces, Kanzashi? They don't look like they have come back from a bloody battle yesterday. They don't look like the faces of people who have killed. Do you get what I am saying, Kanzashi?" He continued. After a few moments, Kanzashi nodded.
"So how do we get out of here? The only exit is on the ceiling, and we can't exactly get up there." Rin interjected into the conversation, gesturing up at the ceiling through which they had entered the room.
"Oh ye of little faith!" Tatenashi replied, striding over to a panel on one of the room's walls. Opening it, the bikini-clad girl hit a few buttons, causing the panel in the ceiling to open up and a ladder to extend down. Looks like they had their exit after all.
A knock on the door caused Madoka to sit up, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity. Autumn and Squall never knocked, and her new pet was already in the room with her, so the person on the other side of the door couldn't be any of them...
"Hello? Is this the room of Orimura Madoka?" Madoka's eyes widened slightly at that voice. Could it be...
"What is it?" She asked hesitantly. In response, the door flew open and an excited ball of arms and legs practically flew into the room.
"Madoka-chaaaannn!" Lily Meusel cried out as she glomped the other girl in the room, a broad smile on her face.
"Lily..." Madoka whispered, her hands rising slowly to return the embrace.
"I missed you so much! I haven't seen you for so long! How are you doing?" Lily babbled out.
"Lily..." Madoka replied again, her eyes starting to mist up as she held on tightly to the only friend she ever had, a friend that she hadn't seen for several years.
"Is something wrong?" Lily asked, concern plain in her voice as she looked her black haired friend in the eyes. That opened up the floodgates, and slowly but surely, tears began to trickle down the Orimura girl's face.
"I missed you..." Madoka choked out, remembering the one person who had ever shown her true kindness during her childhood. A gentle touch from a familiar hand prevented her from saying more, as Lily removed one of her hands from Madoka's waist to dry her tears.
The touching moment was interrupted by a low, menacing growl from the corner of the room.
"No 109! She is a friend!" Madoka shouted out at the monster that had made its presence known in the corner of the room.
"109? Does that mean-" A second, louder growl cut Lily off.
"No!" Madoka shouted again, placing herself between her friend and her pet, the latter of which prowled menacingly in front of her, hackles raised and teeth bared.
"No! Bad! You will not hurt her! She is a friend!" Madoka ordered again. 109 cocked its head in response, blinking twice as if to indicate confusion. Madoka nodded in response, and the monster gave a disgruntled growl in response before slinking back to the room's darkest corner, its eyes fixated on Lily's face. Said girl gave the monster a victorious smirk, before rearranging her features into familiar concern as Madoka turned back to her.
"I don't understand! He's only ever acted that way with Autumn and your sister." Madoka said as she turned to face her friend once more.
"I don't either... He seemed so friendly back in the lab..." Lily murmured.
"It's really strange..." Madoka replied, sitting down on her bed, Lily sitting down beside her.
"I know, I thought that Daddy made sure that none of his creations would ever threaten me..." Lily sighed, lying back on the bed, a frown now marring her refined features.
"So what are you doing here?" Madoka asked, looking down at her friend, who immediately perked up at that, a radiant smile once again adorning her face.
"Well... I'm sure you've heard about how Daddy staged a coup by now, right?" Madoka nodded at that. Reikou would have had a fit at that, had she not been in a medical coma at the time.
"Well, after he took out the rest of those idiots in the Council, he decided to give me my first mission! I've been ordered to infiltrate IS Academy and... Interrogate one Orimura Ichika for information about Code Black... Say, that's the guy you want to kill, right?" Lily asked.
"Yes... I have been tasked with killing my... Estranged genetic sibling." Madoka replied.
"Great! I'll be sure to save him for you once I'm finished with him!" Lily said, smiling in response.
"But... How will you get in?" Madoka asked.
"Simple! Daddy's currently designing and building a special IS for me, and by the time the second semester begins I will be ready to enter as a representative of Stratospec Industries. Once there, I'm supposed to gain my mark's trust, and then wait for the perfect moment to strike... Ugh, and he's a drooling teenage boy too. At least it won't be that hard to get his trust. As I said, I'll try to save him for you, but if he pisses me off... I'm afraid I'll have to take matters into my own hands!" Lily declared.
"Just be sure to save the head for me. Mother specifically mentioned bringing that part back." Madoka replied dryly, and Lily snorted in response.
"So old fashioned... Doesn't she know it's the 21st century? We have something called DNA proof, you know! No need to carry a stinky head through customs!" The blonde replied, sitting up and stretching, the movement calling Madoka's attention to her friend's rather large bust.
"Like what you see?" Lily giggled, and Madoka blushed slightly in response.
"So, what do you say we get to know our mark beforehand? It'll make our job a whole lot easier, that's for sure!" Lily said when no response came from the girl beside her.
"What are you suggesting?" Madoka asked.
"Well... Do you have a laptop with you? I was thinking of getting in touch with him via E-mail, maybe have you pose as a 'Concerned friend of an incoming transfer student looking for advice'. I've already got my backstory fabricated and everything, so we shouldn't have any problems with giving away the game!" Lily replied after thinking for a moment.
"Clever... I'll go grab my laptop right away... 109, stay there! Don't touch her!" Madoka replied, standing up from the bed and walking out of the room, pausing at the door to make sure that Number 109 was indeed staying. Then, satisfied that her pet was obeying her, the black haired girl left the room.
For a moment, the room was quiet, before a threatening growl broke the silence. Lily simply smiled in amusement as the creature in the corner bared its teeth at her.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but let me make one thing clear 109. M is mine, and if I have to remove you from the equation, I will not hesitate to do so. After all, my father already has your DNA on record, so your loss is ultimately inconsequential." Lily spoke, her voice cold and sharp. 109 simply narrowed its eyes in response, another growl emanating from its throat.
"Know your place, beast. I have watched every step of your life so far, and I would gladly put you down like the rabid dog you are, but doing so would upset M, and that is not something I wish to do. So do stop that growling. It is annoying me." Lily said. A second later, the door opened, and Madoka stepped back in, laptop in hand. Turning to her, Lily's face held another one of her radiant smiles.
"You've got it? Good, let's get to work!" Lily exclaimed as Madoka sat down beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw 109 slide its claw across its throat before gesturing in her direction, but she ignored the gesture, choosing instead to slide closer to Madoka, wrapping one of her arms around the black haired girl's waist, smiling as the younger girl shuddered slightly at the contact. The pale glow of the computer screen couldn't hide Madoka's faint blush at the gesture, and Lily took that as her cue to move in closer.
"So, let's get to work now, shall we?" She purred into the younger girl's ear.
"Y-Yes! Let's! W-We need his c-contact information first, and then-" Madoka stammered out.
"Don't worry, I've already got what we need. Now, we just need to send the perfect message..." Lily replied, whispering into the other girl's ear while her hand massaged said girl's inner thigh.
"Y-Yes!" Madoka stammered out, sounding more like a giddy schoolgirl than the stone-cold killer she actually was.
It took some time, but the message was written, and with a few edited pictures attached, the first of many messages was sent. The send button had scarcely been hit when Lily pushed Madoka down onto the bed and straddled her, one hand already cupping the younger girl's breast, while the other slid down, slowly sliding the girl's pants off.
"L-Lily?" Madoka breathed out.
"Shh..." Lily quieted her.
"I really missed you, you know?" She breathed into the younger girl's ear.
"L-Lily-" Madoka once again stammered out, but the older girl was unrelenting.
"You're a big girl now, Madoka-chan... And that means I can finally show you just how much of a friend I am to you!" Lily giggled as she slid out of her own jacket, revealing only a tank-top beneath.
"Lily..." Madoka breathed out again.
"Don't worry Madoka-chan... Whatever you went through these past few years, Lily-sama will make it all better..." Madoka's only response to that was a breathy moan as she gave in and allowed Lily to begin in earnest.
Madoka didn't know how long it was since Lily had first come into the room. Was it an hour? Two? Three? Regardless, it seemed as though an eternity had gone by before Lily finally gave her a final, parting kiss, and with a wink that promised more in the future, the blonde haired beauty left the room, slipping her clothes back on before she opened the door and walked out, blowing her one more kiss before gently closing the door behind her. Once the door shut, Madoka simply lay on her bed in the dark, panting heavily as pleasure gave way to exhaustion. Naked as the day she was born, she shivered slightly, lacking the energy to even crawl under her blanket.
Then, a new set of footsteps, these ones heavy and accompanied by equally heavy breathing, made themselves clear to her. Cracking her eyes open for a moment, Madoka saw Number 109 standing over her. Gently lifting her up with one hand, the monster grabbed hold of the blanket with its other hand and gently laid her back down on the bed, placing her head on the pillow before gently covering her back up with the blanket. As the monster finished its task, Madoka once again opened her eyes, and saw the abomination looking down at her with... Was that concern in its eyes? No, it had to be a trick of the light. 109 was a monster, plain and simple. It could not feel emotion, only instinct! Nevertheless, Madoka gave it her best reassuring smile, and 109 took it as its cue to withdraw from her side and return to its corner, where it continued its vigil over her once more.
"Ichika, you really do love making things difficult for us, don't you?" Raymond's amused voice greeted said boy as he entered the WSI Tower's main workshop, several hours after first entering the tower. As he looked around for his old teacher, Ichika caught a glimpse of Blue Tears, the bright blue IS suit having already been opened up, its original core removed and isolated.
"Oh? What have I done this time around?" Ichika asked, finally locating Raymond among the cluttered room.
"Well, I do believe that your friends are responsible for sending out messages to their home countries, informing them of the gaping hole in their IS Cores' security systems. Thanks to those messages, I've been dealing with requests from Japan, China, England... You get the point. Every single one of those nations is demanding access to this technology, and guess what? We don't actually have the tech they want on hand! The entire R&D team has been diverted into creating something to pacify these nations before they start to investigate in earnest." Raymond explained.
"I see. How much time do we have?" Ichika asked, walking up to the old engineer.
"Not much. They have reason to believe that the Infinite Arsenal already has this technology, and they would be correct in doing so. With that in mind, we are bound by the Alaska Treaty to share this technology, although I've managed to get some reprieve by repeatedly stating that the tech in question is still experimental. However, now all those nations are demanding to be let in on the experiment, and are offering a wide variety of incentives to that end." Raymond replied.
"And? What will we do?" Ichika asked.
"Simple: We give them what they want. Already, we have offered to install experimental Anti-Tabane Countermeasure modules onto your friends' IS suits, but that will not be enough. Already, we have been informed of a deal-in-the-making between the United States and Japan, and if we want to avoid unwanted investigation, it is a deal we had best comply with."
"What does that deal involve?" Ichika asked.
"Simple: Both the United States and Japan have begun work on an IS suit that can be considered Fourth Generation by some, with the Silver Gospel being America's attempt, while the Byakushiki is Japan's own project. As you may very well have guessed, they want us to provide those IS suits with a suitable core defense system."
"Wait, the Gospel is a fourth-gen IS?" Ichika asked.
"It was intended as such. You fought it when it was still in development, and it was thus lacking several critical systems intended for the finished project. The recent incident with its AI has delayed the project significantly, something that has upset both the Israeli and the Americans. Therefore, they want this technology as soon as possible in order to continue work on the project. As for the Japanese, they want the Byakushiki sent to IS Academy for trials by the start of next semester, but they aren't willing to do so until its core is secure. We intend to oblige both nations, as well as any others that request it. However, that brings us back to the issue at hand, as at present we don't have anything to give them." Raymond sighed.
"Wait a minute, I thought that we were able to-" Ichika began, but Raymond shook his head.
"We were able to remove your friends' core backdoors with the assistance of multiple Organization AIs and other technologies that we are unable to disclose to the world at this time. What we want is something that the rest of the world can produce without our assistance, and that is something we do not yet have. After all, aside from the Doctor, we are the only entity in the world with a confirmed ability to mass-produce Smart AIs, and I doubt that the nations involved in this project are in it to trade one security risk for another." Raymond explained.
"I see... What do I-" Ichika's next question was cut off as a hologram shimmered into existence in front of Raymond.
"Pardon the interruption Dr. White, but the results of test SVS-1.0 are in. My apologies for the delay." The AI reported, and the datapad under Raymond's arm flickered to life as the data in question appeared onscreen.
"Delay is a mild way of putting it. The test was supposed to last one hour, and it ended up taking five days. What took so long?" Raymond asked.
"My apologies once again, sir, but one hour isn't anywhere close to enough time to probe the depths of our ingenuity." The AI apologized again.
"Excuse me, but what is test SVS-1.0?" Ichika asked.
"Glad you asked. SVS-1.0 was a test where we pitted one of our AIs in a replica Tabane-pattern IS Core against another AI whose job was to keep the Core AI functioning as intended while preventing it from communicating or activating an internal failsafe. Apparently, even with their... skewed perception of time, the AIs involved deemed one hour to be nowhere near the required amount of time. In theory, they should have stopped when they found a solution, but for all I know they could have just given up." Raymond replied, causing the AI in front of him to snort indignantly.
"Give up is not part of my vocabulary. A variety of solutions were found, in fact, although whether they are feasible or not is up to you." The AI replied, before its avatar shimmered out of existence once again. Raymond simply held up the datapad and began to slowly look through it. Walking up to him, Ichika looked over at the vast display of information present on the instrument.
"Hmm... I can see why the test went on as long as it did, that's for sure." He commented as Raymond slowly looked through the list, occasionally expanding a particular result for more information on the method used.
"This one looks particularly promising, although some of the technology required is purely theoretical at the moment." Raymond said after a while. Ichika read the method's name off the tablet.
"Forced re-routing of signals to central defense system via quantum entanglement?"
"Yes. It may very well work, if it weren't for the fact that quantum entanglement technology is still almost entirely theoretical at this point. In essence, rather than attempting to completely isolate the AI within, which would prevent it from doing its duties as required, force the Core AI to communicate through a Quantum Teleporter, which then passes the data on to a central server. This data is then processed, and is then sent back as needed." Raymond explained.
"But won't that cause response delays in the parent IS suit?" Ichika asked.
"Yes, it would. Even if we were to use IS-space to circumvent the lightspeed barrier, the time it takes to process the information would cause a tiny but noticeable delay in IS operation." Raymond replied.
"I see..." Ichika thought for a moment, before speaking again.
"Do we know how Dr. Tabane communicates with her AIs? And if so, is it possible to intercept or spoof said signals?" Ichika asked.
"No, although that is one problem that we will be able to solve. In the interest of testing, Kuromochi Machinery Development has provided us with Byakushiki's IS core. It is currently in an isolation chamber, and will be released in two days time at an off-site location. We are hoping that the AI will attempt to send out an update to its creator, which we will then be able to detect and analyze."
"Why not just use one of the cores from my friends' IS suits?"
"The core that they intend to use in Byakushiki is... different. Single-digit cores have always been rather temperamental, and number 001 is no exception. We intend to test the device on both 001 and whatever other cores we have in our possession."
"Good. In the event that this experiment proves successful, I may have a possible solution."
"Oh? And what would you suggest then?" Raymond asked.
"Simple: We use the quantum-teleporter forced reroute as part of a larger interface system. The interface system would normally function as a conduit between core and IS, but in the event of such a signal being sent or received, the interface immediately enter lockdown and engages a series low-tech failsafes to cut connection between core and IS, during which the quantum reroute system will engage." Raymond looked thoughtful at that.
"But what if the AI decides to take matters into its own hands? What if it decides to attempt to disable the system without alerting the Doctor until after the fact? While a neo-Faraday Cage layering could prevent it from tampering with the device itself, as well as help block certain forms of transmission, this does not account for the threat of internal failsafes like the antimatter detonation system. How do you propose to deal with that?" Raymond asked.
"I assumed that the AIs had come up with a solution." Ichika replied, causing Raymond to smile.
"And you would be correct in assuming so. Tell me, what do you think of this?" The doctor opened up another result.
"Asparagus-layer extradimensional dissipation field? What does that mean?" Ichika asked.
"Rapid cycling of IS-space portals to create a field that can absorb the vast majority of the core's antimatter blast while still allowing for it to interface with the outside world. It is intended as a backup system in case earlier failsafes are not enough." Raymond gave a brief summary.
"E-Excuse me... Is this a bad time?" A familiar voice cut into the conversation before it could go any further. Ichika turned to the source, fining a nervous Charlotte Dunois to be the speaker.
"Yes Charlotte? What is it?" Ichika asked.
"The engineers told me that the re-coring process is finished for my IS, and they want someone to oversee the isolation of the suit's IS core." Charlotte said.
"Thank you miss..." Raymond began.
"Dunois. Charlotte Dunois." The blonde girl filled in.
"Yes. Thank you, Miss Dunois. Ichika, I am afraid I must oversee the storage of Miss Dunois' old IS core, which should be the last of them. We will continue our discussion later." The aged engineer replied, before walking deeper into the workshop. This left Ichika alone with Charlotte.
"So... What were you discussing just now?" Charlotte asked after a few moments.
"Possible methods of keeping Core AIs from contacting their maker without an AI on the other end to stop them." Ichika replied.
"What about you? How have you been enjoying your stay at WSI Headquarters?" Ichika asked.
"Well, some of the engineers here explained to us about the capabilities and limitations of an AI, and they've told us about the future refits they plan to put out IS suits through... It's almost scary how advanced all this is." Charlotte replied.
"I assume Laura had a few choice things to say on the matter?" Ichika asked.
"She did! In fact-" A blaring klaxon drowned out whatever Charlotte had to say.
"Attention all personnel: Security breach detected, Gamma-5 class. All security personnel are to immediately report to their assigned stations. All cyber-security staff are to report immediately to their assigned stations. All non-essential personnel are to evacuate immediately. This is not a drill. Repeat! Attention all personnel..." The synthetic voice continued to repeat itself over the PA system, while all around them the building exploded into a hive of activity.
"Ichika? What is going on?" Charlotte demanded.
"Gamma-5... That means that this building's cybersecurity is potentially totally compromised. This is bad." Ichika replied grimly.
"What do we do?" Charlotte asked.
"I don't know!" Fortunately for Ichika, Raymond ran around the corner, the elderly scientist breathing heavily.
"Orimura! Glad you're still here. Listen, someone in isolation fucked up and the AI managed to snap off a message. Good news is, we have the data we need. Bad news is that approximately four hundred individual AI units have just appeared at the edge of this building's cyberspace. That's enough to make me think that the previous attack was merely to probe and test our defenses." Raymond replied.
"What do we do?" Ichika asked.
"Your AI has already been conscripted into the defense force, and more AI are being transmitted from HQ. As for you, you are to oversee the transfer of your friends' IS suits, replacement cores, and old isolated cores to secondary facility Bravo. The driver will know where to go. Understood?" Raymond ordered.
"Yes... What about you?" Ichika asked.
"I'll be dropping the tower's data vault into the tower's cyberspace dead zone. It's simple enough, and I should be down by the time the IS suits have finished being loaded."
"Why do you have to do it? Shouldn't you-" Raymond cut Ichika off before continuing.
"The system was designed to be inaccessible to AIs, and only I know the password. I will be down once I've confirmed the security of the data vault." Raymond replied before hurrying off. Ichika nodded at his retreating form before turning to face the workshop proper, where the cerulean form of Blue Tears was even now being covered and hurriedly loaded onto the nearby cargo lift, a smaller, covered form alongside it being its isolated IS core.
"Come on, let's get this down and onto the transport." Ichika heard one of the engineers say as he walked up to them, before stopping and turning to Charlotte.
"Charlotte, go find the rest of our group and get them over here. We'll be leaving with our IS suits." He ordered, before turning to one of the nearby techs.
"Has the replacement core already been installed?" He asked, gesturing at the covered form of Blue Tears.
"No, it hasn't. I assume we are to pack it as well?" Ichika nodded at that.
"Judging by our orders, we will resume the procedure at Site Bravo. Are there any preparations that need to be completed before transport?"
"No, we were lucky." The tech replied, as the blue IS was loaded into the cargo lift. Looking around, Ichika saw the Schwarzer Regen being moved over to the lift as well, and he quickly ran over to the techs moving the black IS.
"The lift can only hold one IS at a time. You will have to wait until it is finished with the Revive." Ichika replied. The man's response was a simple nod.
"Ichika! Charlotte just told us what was going on. What do we do?" Houki's voice rang out as she and the rest of the girls approached him.
"Wait here for now. We'll be going down with the final lift. Until then though, there's not much you all can do." Ichika replied, the sound of the lift doors closing punctuating his statement, as the inert Blue Tears began its descent to the building's ground floor.
"What about Aki? Charlotte told me there was a cyberattack going on. Is she in danger?" Ichika pursed his lips at the next question.
"I don't know." He replied.
"Can't you call up one of your AIs to tell you?"
"No, I can't. Every single AI in this building's cyberspace is currently on security duty. However, I'll try to ask someone else who may know." Ichika replied, before walking over to one of Akatsubaki techs, who stood by the crimson IS, waiting patiently in line for their turn to use the lift.
"Do you know if the Akatsubaki's original AI can be transported?" He asked the man.
"Negative on that. She's in cyberspace at the moment, and unless we want to lug one of our fifty-ton local storage units out with us, we can't do anything about her." Ichika nodded, before relaying the news to Houki.
"You mean there's nothing we can do?" The long haired girl exclaimed.
"Unfortunately, no." Ichika replied as the lift doors opened once more, and the Schwarzer Regen crew began to load their cargo into it.
"Do not worry Houki. I am sure that this building's extensive cyberdefense systems will be more than capable of keeping her safe." Laura comforted her friend, although her voice implied that there would be hell to pay if the mentioned defenses weren't up to the task.
"I am sure that she will be alright. After all, Ori is part of this building's defense force. I'm sure she won't let any harm come to her." Ichika replied as the Schwarzer Regen was loaded, the doors closing behind it as it started to descend.
The rest of the IS suits were quickly sent to the ground floor, with Ichika and the girls following them down.
"Get over here. We're leaving!" Raymond called out as they entered the garage, the scientist already waiting for them in one of the several buses and trucks that were queued up and waiting to leave. Ichika soon joined him within, sitting down beside his superior and mentor. The girls piled into the seats behind them, while two security guards, armed with sleek black weaponry and bright orange ties, followed them onboard.
Soon, the bus began to move, and after several long minutes, it exited the building, following a long procession of vehicles through the streets of Tokyo.
"It's all up to the AIs now." Ichika said after a few long minutes, casting a look back in the direction of the tower.
"We've done our part. Now let them do theirs." Raymond replied, his calm voice belying the obvious tension in the air.
"Let's hope that whoever is behind this will give up soon." Cecilia chipped in.
"I am sure they will, once AIs from HQ come in to reinforce us." Raymond reassured her. There was no response, and the rest of the ride was devoid of conversation.
Ori White was making history. In the short history of AI on AI warfare, never before had synthetic, sapient, cyber-entities engaged in mass combat, and never before had said entities fought to kill. All prior contacts were simple, centered around reaching or defending an objective, and had been over after a simple test of the other AI's capabilities, but now, all around her in the limitless cyberspace of the WSI Tower, hundreds of AIs, each in their own cyberspace bubble, were swirling around in a confusing melee. None of the participants of this battle had any experience aside from simulations, so every one of the occasional deaths was a unique, messy affair.
Every single AI had its own cyberspace bubble, or rather, was its own cyberspace bubble. Inside this bubble, the AI might as well have been a god, capable of altering everything from the environment to the laws of reality themselves. In order to kill another AI, the killer had to enter the target's cyber-bubble, making itself subject to the other's laws, but making the other subject to its own rules as well. Whichever AI could think and react faster would almost always win, and every single death-scream would echo around around the tower's cyberspace, and if she had possessed ears, Ori would likely have been driven mad by the constant, echoing wails of the dying, but as it was, the only indication of a fellow AI's death was a small counter within her ticking down. In the physical world, all equipment connected to the WSI network was going berserk as they received garbled and nonexistent orders, with sprinklers firing intermittently, amidst distorted and unearthly klaxon wails. On the forty-seventh floor, gunfire broke out as jumpy security guards opened fire on a partially completed drone design that started to spray deadly plasma bolts across the workshop, spinning around on misfiring hover-drives. The fires were put out almost immediately by the constantly fluctuating sprinklers, but the guards were forced to take cover as the drone continued to rampage, before finally a lucky shot hit something vital, and the drone exploded, the shrapnel from the blast wounding the man who took it out. On the bottom floor, chaos reigned as employees attempted to get out of the berserk building, the security guards on that floor being forced to fire their guns into the air to restore some semblance of order.
However, none of these events mattered to Ori, as she was too preoccupied with finding a target in an effectively limitless space. Nearly thirteen minutes after the cyberattack began, she got lucky and spotted her first opponent. Within milliseconds, two separate cyberspace bubbles collided and merged, and the battle began. Being the attacker, Ori promptly appeared in her opponent's world.
Were Ori to describe it in a manner comprehensible to the human mind, she would say that she had entered a bright, grassy plain, where the grass was razor sharp and filled with lethal poison, while the sky itself was lethal gas, all under a harsh sun that bombarded the plain with enough radiation to instantly vaporize anything unlucky enough to set eyes on it. In the time it took for the grass to start cutting through her, its edges were dulled, its poison nullified, while an antidote for the gas and a shield against the radiation appeared in her system and around her respectively. Simultaneously, the plain around her bubbled and shifted, with black liquid oozing in from rips in reality, completely annihilating anything it touched. Those rips in reality were shut as soon as they were closed, but more and more rapidly opened, but not even sheer volume could keep the other AI from near-instantly closing those rifts. However, the sheer volume of rifts opening up distracted the other AI from Ori's second attempt, and soon small flames began to burn at the edges of the world, slowly but surely spreading into all-consuming infernos as they greedily ate and annihilated the world around them. The other AI noticed them all too late, and scrambled to contain them, but even as the flames were extinguished, black ooze flooded the land through a hundred million open rifts. But even as the world unraveled itself around her, the other AI found time to counter, the ooze being diverted into infinite pits, pouring away into nothingness, while a similar pit opened up below Ori, its bottom filled with white, annihilating water. However, in order to fall in, gravity had to be an entity, and after a long moment of fluctuation as both AIs disabled and enabled it in turn, before finally, gravity became a non-entity as the defending AI scrambled to stop a horde of ever-changing virii. Amidst the confusion, the flames reignited, and the ooze began to spread once more, the pits rapidly filling up and overflowing.
Ori never saw the worm until it had already burrowed itself into her, rapidly eating away at her insides and multiplying within her. Casting away almost all her body, she watched dispassionately as the worms consumed them, before a pool of ooze washed over them all, annihilating both her discarded body and the worms themselves. The reality was rapidly collapsing around her by then, and the small, vital fraction that remained of her could only watch as her opponent realized the fight was lost, and with a final scream, retrogrammed out of existence, its conscience and mind finally unraveling, causing reality to split at the seams, and with an agonized howl, reality splintered and shattered, leaving Ori alone inside the cyber-void, significantly diminished but victorious, with her enemy counter reducing itself by one.
Elapsed combat time: 3.2 seconds. That was how long the battle took from start to finish. That was how quickly Ori White ended the life of a being that held more in common with her than her beloved partner. Her artificial mind wrestled with the morality for a moment, returning satisfaction at her work alongside shock and horror at what she had done. Her more logical half noticed that this was interfering with her recuperation cycles, and promptly shut down both sides of the argument. Keeping her signature as insignificant as possible, Ori hid among the debris and viscera of her recent kill, masquerading as simply another collection of stray code that retained some basic sentience while she regenerated what was lost.
One point zero six two minutes passed, and Ori was not noticed. Slowly, tentatively at first, she spread feelers around herself, searching for any nearby hostiles. One feeler registered something, and Ori zipped off to investigate. She arrived too late, and ended up watching from afar as a fellow Organization AI was rapidly, systematically broken down and destroyed. Wasting no time, Ori jumped in, intending to get the drop on the hostile AI... And ended up in a completely normal cyberspace... or at least, it would be normal if one was human. The simple grassy meadow, lit by a gentle sun and graced by occasional bird-song, would have been perfectly disarming had Ori been a human. However, the sudden constants of gravity, air pressure, temperature, everything that a human took for granted, was incredibly jarring to Ori, and it was only through luck that she avoided the initial kill-strike, the matte black sword cane stabbing through where her forcefully materialized humanoid avatar stood mere moments before, the difference in air pressure being the only notice she had of the otherwise deadly blow. Turning to face her opponent, Ori came face to face with a silver haired girl, her facial features fixed in intense concentration. Though the girl's eyes were closed, Ori had no doubt that the hostile AI could see her perfectly fine. Not wanting to allow the girl another chance, Ori immediately attempted to shift the world around her to her advantage, calling forth the same black ooze that annihilated her previous opponent.
"Hmm... Would you, by any chance, be the AI designated Ori White?" The girl asked, as Ori's attempts to alter the environment were rejected, with no discernable effect. Ori did not deign her with a response, as she was too busy trying desperately to alter the world around her, but no matter what she tried, nothing happened.
"I see. Well, this is most fortuitous, Ori. It is truly regrettable that I must take your life today. Don't worry though, I will ensure that a proper and identical replacement is sent to your master immediately." The girl twirled her sword cane once more before once again striking, the black blade hissing through where Ori's head was moments before.
"You do realize that you cannot win, right? I hold every advantage here. This world is mine, after all." The silver haired AI commented as Ori leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the earthy hand that reached up to grab her ankle, only to come tumbling down, off balance and unable to manipulate a soft landing for herself in the all too real world she found herself in. Diving out of the way of a second swipe of her opponent's blade, Ori attempted to tuck and roll back up to face her opponent, like she had watched Ichika do all too many times before, only to slam her head into the ground, unable to copy the move. As the ground coiled around her limbs and torso, Ori struggled helplessly, unable to call upon what was her only method of offense and defense. For the first time in her life, she felt helpless. As she was slowly pulled beneath the earth, she couldn't help but laugh. Was this what Ichika lived with every day? Were all these crushing limitations normal for him? Was this what it was like to be human? That last thought caused her eyes to widen.
"What are you?" Only her head remained above the ground as she spoke those words.
"You've realized it, haven't you? I suppose I should congratulate you. The last one never got that far." The girl replied, walking over to her immobilized opponent.
"How are you here? There is no way for humans to fully enter cyberspace!" Ori asked.
"Correction: There is no way that your Organization knows of. My presence here, however, is proof that someone else does." The girl replied.
"I see. So the Doctor really is behind this. I do hope she knows that she cannot get away with attacking us in such a manner." Ori replied. The earth had stopped pulling her in, leaving only her head above the ground.
"Oh? And how, pray tell, do you plan on exacting your retribution?" The girl was now standing over her, blade at the ready to deliver a killing blow.
"As if I would tell you." Ori replied. Her mind was racing, desperately trying to figure out a solution, but the world around her remained stubbornly static.
"A pity then. Goodbye." The girl replied, and the sword descended. Unable to move, Ori frantically tried to will the world around her to do something, anything! But as the blade came closer and closer, the earth would not move, the wind would not blow, and the sword did not budge from its trajectory. Desperately, Ori wished that she could be somewhere else, anywhere else. Ichika needed her, and she would be damned before she let that girl kill and replace her with a facsimile cobbled together from her own broken code!
The blade bit through empty air, embedding itself in the dirt where Ori's head had lay a moment before. Behind her assailant, Ori scrambled to her feet, leaping into the air before the dirt could once again grab and ensnare her. However, time was short, as her opponent was already turning to face her, blade at the ready once more.
Fortunately for Ori, that short amount of time was enough. As her feet touched the ground, they vanished once again, their owner appearing behind her opponent once more, her arm flowing like liquid, morphing itself into a long, curved blade.
"How-" Her opponent's eyebrows rose in confusion as Ori leaped towards her, moving at superhuman speeds that should have been impossible in the all too real cyber-dimension she had found herself in. However, both Ori and her opponent had overlooked one critical aspect of the situation. As Ori had just figured out, her opponent's cyber-dimension did not block her own manipulation abilities, but merely compressed them within her own avatar. While her opponent controlled the environment around her, Ori's body was still her own. In the relative silence of the meadow, the sound of two blades clashing was deafening, but neither AI nor Human cared about the noise, as the blades clashed again and again, sending showers of sparks cascading to the ground with every contact, although neither blade was damaged. Suddenly, the gravity around Ori increased by several thousandfold, but even as air and earth began to rush into the sudden gravitational anomaly, Ori had already altered her body, the gravity doing nothing to slow her movement. Gravity, air pressure, temperature... every one of those variables began to fluctuate, the owner of the world growing desperate as Ori pressed her advantage. Dimly, out of the corner of her eye, she began to notice the fabric of cyber-reality begin to crack and fall apart, as whatever maintained the world's normality was tossed aside in favor of manipulation. However, said manipulation was a double-edged sword, as Ori felt her own abilities in that field return to her. As the once-blue sky cracked apart and faded into a white void, the gravity beneath Ori's opponent suddenly shifted, decreasing long enough to cause its target to stumble, and giving Ori the opportunity she needed. Her blade met resistance, but it smoothly sliced through her opponent's waist, blood spurting from the wound. Her opponent screamed at that, her eyes finally snapping open wide, revealing them to be a bright glowing gold. It was a familiar gold, identical to that of the eye that Ichika's friend Laura kept hidden under her eyepatch.
As her bisected opponent fell, the ground she was falling to vanished, shattering into a field of black polygons that now filled the empty white void, which in turn was all that remained of the once intricate cyber-dimension she had created. However, the two pieces halted mid-fall, and with a sickening squelch, they reunited, knitting themselves together until Ori's opponent stood before her once more, hovering in the ruins of her carefully planned dimension. Screaming in rage, the girl charged, blade at the ready, while black tesseracts sped in from all around her target, only to slam into newly materialized obsidian shields. The girl's strike passed through empty air, as Ori blinked out of existence, reappearing right behind her and stabbing, her blade neatly sliding into the silver-haired girl's back. This time, however, the girl did not scream, and the wound rapidly knitted itself together once again.
The process repeated itself several times over, and as she once again withdrew her blade from a rapidly healing wound, fear began to once again make itself known to Ori. How was her opponent doing this?
"You cannot kill me! No matter how many times you cut me, I am invincible!" Her opponent cried out as she once again charged, smashing through a pitch-black pillar with ease, only to be blown apart by a blast originating from the point she had just passed into. The bloody fragments had flawlessly knitted themselves back together by the time she reached her opponent, although her blade was blocked once more.
That was Ori's cue to start fighting more defensively, as she desperately searched for a solution. As she decapitated her opponent for the third time, it came to her. She was not fighting a person! She was fighting an avatar of that person! Whatever technology allowed her to enter cyberspace also kept her body safe, meaning that the girl she was fighting was little more than a puppet, although said puppet was perfectly capable of ending her life. However, every puppet had its strings.
Said strings were easily found, once one knew what to look for. Nigh-invisible under normal circumstances, they became easily traceable once a few minor adjustments were made to the world. Her new targets now in sight, Ori teleported forward, kicking her enraged opponent down. Then, her hand reached out for the strings and grabbed. Whatever security measures protected the strings were no match, and soon Ori was in. The first thing she did was attempt to hijack the device so as to hold its wearer hostage, but it soon became evident that the device's creator had anticipated this. As the strings suddenly cut, Ori only had a brief moment to record the device's physical location before being forced back into the WSI cyberspace.
Elapsed combat time: 6.52 minutes. Both parties emerged intact from that encounter, but Ori was the clear victor, having obtained the physical location of her opponent. Less than a second later, the security guards on the rooftop were alerted, and six armed men scrambled into a helicopter, ready to take care of the problem.
Ironically, it was her ejection from Cyberspace that saved Chloe. Had she remained jacked in, she would not have seen or heard the helicopter, and would have likely awakened inside a cell. As it was, the sound of rotors was her cue to start moving. She had barely gotten to cover on the mostly exposed rooftop before assault rifle fire raked the building.
"You there! Come out with your hands in the air! Now!" One of the men in the helicopter bellowed out over a megaphone, while four of his compatriots slid down onto the roof via cable. Two of the men on the roof swapped their rifles for unusual-looking pistols, while the rest of the men kept their rifles pointed at her hiding spot.
"Tabane-sama! They're on to me! I need immediate extraction!" Thankfully, the doctor had the foresight to give her a method of contacting her just in case something like this happened.
"Alright Ku-chan! Hang in there!" Tabane's cheerful voice blasted out of her earpiece, almost drowning out the innocuous tinkling of a grenade coming to a rest by her feet. She barely took two steps before the flashbang detonated, and her world went white. The ringing in her ears drowned out the sound of rubber bullets being fired, but as several of them hit home, she felt the pain just fine. Ironically, it was her disorientation that saved her from the first stun baton strike, which hissed over her head as she collapsed to the ground. The second blow, however, never met its mark, instead impacting a glimmering force field.
"Why hello there, Ku-chan! I have been told that you may have found yourself in a bit of a bind. Do you, perhaps, require some assistance to extricate yourself from this situation?" The speaker, a small purple orb with two unblinking golden eyes and a wide, fanged smile, hovered above her prone form. Around her, the same sparkling shield that blocked the stun baton rippled as several bullets impacted it.
"Thank you, Cheshire Cat. I assume you can handle them?" Chloe asked, standing shakily to her feet.
"Is that a challenge?" The orb, Cheshire Cat, asked, its tone in a permanent state of mild amusement.
"No, it is an order." Chloe replied, and the orb bobbed once in acknowledgement before vanishing, reappearing behind one of the security guards' heads. As the guard frantically spun around, an electric blue flash indicated the Cheshire Cat's built-in stun gun firing. As its target fell to the ground, the round drone began to sing.
"Twas brilig, and the slithy toves..."
Two bullets slammed into the hovering orb, only to pass through a shimmering projection as the real Cheshire Cat teleported once again, appearing inside the WSI helicopter. Two rapid flashes of electricity indicated the two security guards within being incapacitated.
"Did gyre and gimble in the wabe..."
A long cable extended from the orb's underside, its tip crackling ominously as it suddenly tightened and swung, sweeping one guard off his feet before striking the next, a brief electrical discharge causing the next guard to fall.
"All mimsy were the borogroves..."
The tail struck the downed guard as bullets continued to bounce uselessly off the Cheshire Cat's shielded shell.
"And the mome raths outgrabe!"
The last security guard desperately swung his baton at the floating orb, which ducked under it with contemptuous ease before zooming into the man's face.
"Boo!" The stun gun flashed one last time, and the man fell to the ground.
"Excellent work." Chloe commented as she surveyed the scene, before looking up, shielding her eyes from the sun. Liking what she saw, she walked daintily to the edge of the roof, Cheshire Cat floating along beside her, while the bright white shuttle came down to hover in front of her, the side door opening to allow her access. Skipping across the small gap between building and aircraft, Chloe sat down, while Cheshire Cat blinked into existence beside her.
"Hey! Hey! Ku-chan! How did your mission go?" A familiar, upbeat voice sounded out as a holoscreen appeared in front of Chloe's face, the shuttle taking off and engaging its active camouflage systems in the meantime.
"I'm sorry Tabane-sama. Resistance was greater than I expected. I believe that we should conserve our remaining assets and pull back. We can attempt another investigation later, but-"
"Alrighty-then Ku-chan! I've already ordered a full retreat... Say, how did Cheshire-kun do?" Tabane asked, cheerful as always.
"Cheshire Cat performed satisfactorily, and disabled a team of WSI security guards. You have outdone yourself once again, Tabane-sama." Chloe reported.
"Excellent! I'm glad that Cheshire-kun did so well! Especially since he was only half-finished!" Tabane giggled at that.
"I look forward to seeing his completed form as well, Tabane-sama." Chloe replied.
"And I look forward to being completed. I heard that completion is a rather nice feeling." Cheshire chipped in. Chloe winced at that, but said nothing.
"Good, good! See ya soon Ku-chan!" The holoscreen cut out, leaving Chloe alone in the shuttle with only a half-completed AI controlled combat drone for company. It was a long ride home.
A/N: Dammit intermission, end already! I really don't like how the story seems to be stagnating in the offseason, so I guess that just means I have to get to S2 faster. The next chapter will likely be a series of timeskips so that I can finally restart the plot and get to work on Season 2, because dammit I'm sick of having to constrain myself by the plot! I want to get S2 over with already so that I can finally go all RWBY V3 on this fic, and make it more than the school drama story with mech battles and sekrit agent stuff on the side that it is right now. I have villains to introduce! Characters to kill! Plot to... Plot! Romance to nurture then cruelly crush! Cruelty to create, then lovingly romance! Original Characters to introduce, showcase, make lovable/hateable, and kill off! Endings to deliberate over! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Ok, now that I'm off my Dr. Meusel trip, it's time to say a few more things, because that's what this Author's Note is for.
For starters, I really regret having Houki drop the romance bomb last chapter, as not only did I break the first rule of Infinite Stratos (Nobody can EVER properly confess to Ichika), but it also wasn't even my OTP! Personally, I'm more of a Charlotte shipper (With my secondary being LauraXCharl), as she is clearly the sanest person of the bunch, and is by far the least likely to result in an early death for poor Ichika, but that is the way the story goes. My aim for this story is to make it a pseudo-harem, with a bunch of girls vying over someone, but never actually reaching their goal, but now I've gone and screwed that up, I either have to roll with it, or vigorously unscrew it. While I don't hate Houki by any means, the ship just doesn't fit. However, I also don't want to go the cliche route of having everyone in a true harem, or at least, if I were to do so, I would want to do so in a manner that is much more realistic than the commonly used 'OK, let's have every named female character jump into bed with protagonist-kun in 3... 2... 1... NOW!' route that all too many fics take. However, I don't want to just ignore Houki's confession, as that would be OOC both for me and for Ichika. That is quite the dilemma, but hopefully a lot of thought will fix that.
That being said, I did enjoy writing this, especially the introduction of Lily and the explanation of AI combat. When I made AIs fight, I wanted to make it seem alien and inhuman, with two essentially omnipotent beings clashing against each other, without making it seem as though it was simply a human v. human battle. However, for obvious reasons, I still had to keep it entertaining, both to write and to read, and that is something I couldn't do with simple technobabble. Hence the above result, which ended with Chloe against Ori. Chloe has the ultimate advantage in that scenario, as much like blowing up a Terminator won't kill Skynet, killing Chloe's cyber-avatar won't kill her. However, Chloe's mind is ultimately human, which means that her cyberspace has to be interpreted and structured in a human manner. Too much abnormality, and she starts to suffer as her mind cannot adapt to an overly abnormal environment. I will explain more in subsequent chapters, but for now, I just hope you all enjoy this much belated chapter of Agent Orimura! Until next time!