"Say what?! Ichika's been missing for weeks and none of you know where he is?!" Davis practically screamed. After having the ability to pilot I.S. units be restored to him, Davis wondered where Ichika was. The upperclassmen came clean about their situation for none of them really knows where Ichika is. "What happened? How could none of you know where he is?"

"It's like we said, dummy. If we don't know, we don't know!" Rin shouted.

"Lita, Sierra, any of you know where Ichika is?" Davis asked.

"I'm afraid not." Serene admitted. "No one has seen him in days and we don't have a clue as to where he might be."

"But how can that be? What happened the last time you all saw him?" Davis questioned. "Didn't any of you notice something strange or suspicious?"

"Well, there were a couple things." Lita said as she thought it over. "He was acting weird before he disappeared on us. It was like he was keeping his distance from everyone, which is weird since he always likes to include others. On top of that, he hasn't been as cheery or joyful as he usually is."

"If we're being honest, Davis, he has been rather upset since you left the academy." Sierra admitted, which made Davis feel a bit guilty. "Then, he just disappeared on us one day. No note, no farewell letter, no anything. It's not like him, but no one knows where he could be or why he even left."

"Houki, you're his closest friend. He must have said something to you." Davis said.

"We keep telling you that no one knows anything!" Houki shouted.

"Come on! A school like this and no one knows one thing as to where he could be?!" Davis said as he was getting annoyed.

"Hey, take it easy on them." Lita said as she pulled Davis back a little. "They're all worried about him. They all want to go searching for him, but there's not much point without a clue or something." He took a look at all the upperclassmen and saw all five of the girls worried about Ichika. Davis wasn't liking this at all. No really knows anything about Ichika's whereabouts.

"That was until now." All of them looked to the door and saw Chifuyu entering Wade's mobile lab. "Excuse me, Professor Fangshin. Do you mind if I use your systems?"

"No. Go right ahead." Wade said as he allowed Chifuyu to use his computers. When she had access, she input a few keys and uploaded a map of Japan and was getting a signal. "We tried tracking down Byakushiki, and we might have just found it."

"Looks like he's still in Japan." Davis said with him ready to go. "Let's go get him. He could be in trouble."

"Wait a minute, Motomiya." Chifuyu said. "You're not going anywhere. You haven't used and I.S. in a long time, you're out of practice. It would be best if you just stay here." She was insistent on that and treated it like it was the end of discussion, but Davis daringly grabbed her arm to get her attention.

"With some respect, you're technically not my teacher anymore. You can't really tell me what I can and can't do." Davis said. "I'm going out there to get my friend back." Davis wasn't backing down on this and Chifuyu was glad to see he was still as determined as ever.

...

The Base

The strange forces that Ichika was with is using an abandoned military base as their hideout. They fixed the place up and it looked operational again. Whoever they were, and whatever they're planning, they were going to do it soon.

"How long are we going to keep waiting?" Mako questioned. "If we're ready to go, let's get going already."

"Patience Mako, we're talking about doing something big." Vestor reminded. "Something like this is going to take a little finesse. Can't really do that if you just charge in recklessly."

"I find it hard to believe that the likes of you cares about finesse." Shiroshi said.

"What I do is an art in it's own way." Vestor said. "Besides, we've got Orimura here to help us out. The enemy won't see the likes of him coming." All of them turned to Ichika as it seemed like he was the ace up their sleeve, but Shiroshi appeared to be the only one that actually glared at him.

"Is there something you like to say, Shiroshi?" Ichika questioned.

"I just don't like that we're putting so much faith in the likes of you. You haven't exactly been here for very long." Shiroshi said. "You might be the only male I.S. pilot in the world, but you know what we stand for."

"In other words, don't trust the outsider." Ichika said. "Well, you said the reason as to why I'm here. I'm the only male I.S. pilot in the world. There was one more, but he's long gone. Being the only one, it can't be quite troublesome. Since you guys are about equality, I decided to join forces with you."

"I would have figured that being surrounded by so many girls would be a dream come true." Vestor teased.

"Either way, Shiroshi, we should at least give him a chance. His abilities and resources could be real helpful to us." Mako claimed, but Shiroshi wasn't so sure.

"You don't have to worry. I'm all in." Ichika said as he turned around and got himself ready for what's to come, but Shiroshi still doesn't trust him. Just what is it that's become of Ichika?

...

The Mobile Lab

After picking up on Ichika's location, Wade stayed behind. Chifuyu had use of his mobile lab and got it moving over the water and land. Now that they have his location, they have to go and get him back. With eleven personal I.S. users to help, it can't go wrong entierly.

"Ichika is in some sort of government lab?" Kimi questioned as they were getting the lowdown of their mission.

"It would seem so, but it was deserted some time ago." Chifuyu said. "However, Miss Yamada has detected some activity going on in the area. Any vital data the government had in there must be gone, but someone is using that facility for something."

"What could Ichika be doing in a place like that?" Cecilia questioned.

"We'll ask him when we get there." Davis said. "However, I get the feeling there's something you're not telling us, Miss Orimura." He called her out and it looks like Chifuyu can't really hide it from her brother's closest friends.

"I am worried, not just for Ichika, but also for Byakushiki." Chifuyu explained. "It's a valuable I.S. It could be sold on the black market, or could be a key to our school's network. That's why I wanted to run the simulation in the first place."

"You think that if Byakushik fell into the wrong hands, someone could use it to hack their way into our network?" Charlotte questioned.

"That's a theory at least." Chifuyu said. "I don't know if Ichika himself will be there or if it's just Byakushiki. Either way, we need to get them out. That's why this is going to be an infiltration mission. Motomiya and his group will go in first, followed by Shinonono and her group. You'll all search the entire facility to try and find Byakushiki and get out without the enemy spotting you. As for Ichika himself, we'll just have to hope for the best."

"He'll be there." Davis claimed. "I just know it."

"Davis is right. He'll be there." Houki said as they all want to believe that.

"We'll find out soon enough. We're arriving at the destination." Chifuyu said as they could see the facility coming up. Docking out of sight from the base, Davis and the girls went in on foot and tried to sneak their way into the base. Seeing no security system, Davis and his grouped hurried and climbed up the fence. Seeing that everything was clear, Fria signaled Houki and the others with them making it over.

"Weird. No guards or anything. What is this place?" Kimi questioned.

"I'm not sure. Remember that we don't know what we're dealing with." Lita said while Davis went on ahead and was moving to the front. ""Let's split-up and cover more ground. Remember to keep quiet and..." Davis wasn't really listening, but what he did do was take a deep breath in.

"Ichika! Where the hell are you, you bastard!" Davis shouted and practically alerted everyone about their arrival, especially Ichika. For what he did, Lita hit him right in the head.

"You idiot! Do you not know what infiltration means?!" Lita snapped. "Are you trying to let everyone know we're here?! We're suppose to be stealthy!"

"I know, but this way is fast. Besides, compared to what we've all been through, how tough can these guys be?" Davis said as he was confident, but everyone else just got easily annoyed.

"You're about to find out." All of them turned around and spotted Mako was there. All of them were forced to come out into the open.

"What do we have here?" They all looked and spotted Vestor was there as well. "Judging from those outfits, you're all I.S. users, plus a male tagalong. This could e fun."

"In a way." Shiroshi said as he stepped out as well. When he did, he pulled out his sword-like weapon and went straight for the attack. "Your kind isn't welcome here! I suggest you leave now or pay the price!" He jumped and went straight to attack them, but Davis acted fast as he pulled out Sutapisa and blocked him. Seeing Davis with an I.S. was a shock to the enemy. "It can't be! Another male I.S. user?! I thought Orimura was the only one!"

"So Ichika is here. Tell us where he is!" Davis said as he pushed back and was able to force Shiroshi to move back. He looked more than ready for a fight.

"Back off, Shiroshi." The last one arriving was a surprise to the girls. "I know them. Let me take care of this." Houki and the others shocked to see Ichika the way he is. Few differences, but he doesn't even look the same.

"Hey." Davis said as he acted like it was a friendly greeting. "Like the new look." Davis wasn't taking this serious, but Ichika was about to change that. Meanwhile, Gerome stood at the top of a building and looked upon what was happening.

"Interesting..." Gerome said as he was unaware of a second male pilot and enjoyed what was about to happen. Ichika and Davis surely didn't waste any time. Ichika just pulled out his own sword and started his fight with Davis. The two of them went at each other like a could swordsmen with fast and strong movements. The others just stood by and watch with the enemy wanting to see how this was going to turn out.

"What's the big idea man? What are you doing in a place like this?" Davis questioned as the two held back the other's sword.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Ichika said.

"Isn't it obvious? We're here for you. You surely don't belong here." Davis said.

"I can do whatever the hell I want!" Ichika said as he just kept the attacks going. He swung his sword at Davis, but Davis was able to jump back. Davis hasn't really lost his touched.

"Stop it! Will you both stop?!" Sierra said.

"Indeed. What are you two even fighting about?" Fria said.

"Talk to him. He started it." Davis said.

"Ichika, what is going on? This is not you." Laura said.

"That's really none of your business." Ichika said. This attitude of his is so unlike Ichika and it was freaking his friends out. "I'm just tired of being somewhere I'm out of place, and you all made a big mistake even coming here."

"Orimura, get back!" All of them spotted Gerome as he dived down and threw a few metal balls at all of them with his comrades moving away. Those metal balls detonated and unleashed flashes and static in the air. It blinded Davis and the girls for a moment, but it caused other problems. Davis' I.S. went back to lock mode and he didn't caused it.

"What the hell just happened?" Davis questioned.

"Those were EMP grenades." Ichika explained. "You see, we have weapons that help fight against I.S. units." A facility designed to fight I.S. and Ichika is a part of it? "As powerful as the I.S. is, it's still a machine. An EMP, electro magnetic pulse, temporarily shuts and I.S. down."

"Ichika, what is the meaning of this?! We're your friends!" Charlotte cried.

"She's right, you big idiot! Why are you acting like this?!" Rin said. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing. It's not my fault you were all stupid enough to come here." Ichika said. He snapped his fingers and that's when the doors opened. A series of soldiers with guns came out and surrounded all of them. Without their I.S., there was nothing they could do.

"Take them to the holding cells." Gerome ordered.

"Ichika!" Davis called as he tried to reach him, but Vestor pulled out a whip. He used it like a lasso and grabbed a hold of him, but Davis kept trying to fight.

"Don't you get it yet, Davis? I'm not the same Ichika you remember." Ichika claimed.

"Enough playing around, Ichika! The joke's over!" Davis called as he wasn't buying the act.

"This isn't an act." Ichika said. "We're not friends anymore, Davis. I'm not friends with any of you anymore." He claimed to all of them with his friends getting a little hurt from that. "This organization opposes female pilots, but I found refuge in it. Davis, you leaving was a hard time for me. I was the only male in the world to operate I.S. again, and it was rather lonely, but I feel like I found where I really belong." All of them were shocked to hear such a thing from Ichika. None of them saw this coming.

"Do you see?" Gerome questioned with glee as he placed his hand on Ichika. "He's one of us now."

"Ichika!" Davis said with great anger. Has Ichika really turned against them?

...

The Holding Cells

Now that they all have been taken prisoner, they are being kept in some holding cells. Houki and the others were shocked and rather devastated that Ichika turned against them like this. None of them could understand, but that doesn't mean the fight is over. Davis kept banging himself against the bars and tried to break them free.

"I can't believe this. Has Ichika really turned against us?" Cecilia questioned.

"No. It just can't be true." Houki said.

"Ichika... I will cut him open for this!" Laura claimed.

"Was Ichika really this upset the whole time? It's quite a game changer." Kimi said, but it was hard to think about it as Davis kept smashing the bars. "Will you quit banging against the bars?! You're driving me crazy!"

"I've got to try something. Ichika has a lot to answer for." Davis said.

"Agreed. There must be a way out." Fria said as she looked around, but there wasn't enough time. Someone was on his way down.

"Lucky me. I have so many new people to play with." Vestor said as he walked down the hall.

"Where's Ichika?!" Davis asked with demand.

"He went on ahead with everyone else, but I stayed behind for all of you." Vestor claimed. He looked towards Davis with fascination. "We thought Orimura was the only male in the world that could operate and I.S. Imagine our surprise when we met you. Why don't you side with us. Do that and I'll spare you."

"Not a chance." Davis said without a second thought.

"What are you going to do to us?" Serene questioned.

"Well, seeing as how you're all women, I have a lot of delicious ideas." Vestor said with enthusiasm as he thwipped his whip and licked his lips. All of them were feeling creeped out by him as he laughed like a maniac for what he has planned for all of them. Fortunately, he didn't get the chance to do anything as something blasted him and knocked him out. All of them looked and were surprised when they saw it was Ichika after claiming all that stuff earlier.

"You guys have some lousy timing." Ichika said. He opened up all the cells with all of them shocked that he's doing this. "You guys had to show up now of all times." He said as he fixed his hair to normal and the tattoo was rubbing off. To add to the strangeness, he pulled out his phone.

"Ichika? What the hell?" Davis said, but Ichika just ignored him.

"It's me. There's a bit of a complication, but he's actually here." Ichika said. None of them understood this. Ichika just tossed his phone over to Davis. "It's for you."

"Who is this?" Davis said as he talked into the phone.

"Davis, is that really you?" Davis was shocked to hear that voice because it was from someone he hasn't hear from in a while.

"Marinda?" Davis said as he was hearing from his twin sister.

Nice going. You blew Ichika's undercover mission." Marinda claimed.

...

Davis: What the hell? Ichika was working for my sister this whole time? I never new he was a good actor, he seemed convincing. On top of things, some crazy organization is rebelling against the I.S., want to put an end to them. This whole thing is crazy, and it's far from over.

Next Time: Rogue Nirvana

At least Ichika and I will be fighting and flying together once again.