Hoshigumi - Watashi Ni!

The team sprinted towards the Mech Bay and clambered into their respective units.

"Okay everyone, check in!" shouted Sarah.

"Kaede – Rouko –Check!"

"Dave – Phoenix – Check!"

"Johanna – Tepes – Check!"

"Gendo – Oniisama – Check!"

"Sarah – Ranger – Check!"

"Maria – Malaga – Check!"

"Vlad – Lenin – Check!"

"Jenny – Falcon – Check!"

"Jess – White Tiger – Check!"

"Becky – White Panther – Check!"

"Reiko – Windblade – Check."

"Hoshigumi – GEKI!"  Each Mech took off, crashing through the roof of the shed, which had not been provided with an opening, and followed Kaede.

"Where are we headed, Kaede?" asked Dave.

"An island off the coast of Madagascar.  It's right in the demon's path towards Africa.  Watch out, they're flying!"  The team flew for about half an hour in almost total silence, interrupted periodically by Sarah and Gendo giving ETAs for themselves and the demon horde.

"I see them!" called Reiko excitedly, before remembering her façade of complete boredom.

"Well done," commented Gendo sardonically.  "Twenty feet long and right in front of us, and you spot them.  Your powers of observation rival those of Sherlock Holmes."  Kaede mentally glared at him, as did Jennifer.

"Right, get ready!" shouted Dave as the first demon approached.  Wasting no time, the team got stuck in, smeeting, smiting and smoting demons right left and centre.  Many of them landed on the island.  Dave turned to see a large group of them flying in formation towards him, and knew what he had to do.  Levelling his shoulder cannons, he spread his arms slightly.

"FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK!" he screamed in a bizarrely squeaky voice.  A huge volley of missiles streaked towards the demons, and when the smoke cleared, they saw another five corpses land on the island.

"Where getting adverse weather conditions – heavy fog!  Switch to IR lens," instructed Sarah.  Before she had a chance to ask how, Jenny realised she already had done, just by thinking about it.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at a white object floating above the island.  A voice made itself heard in all their minds:

"Chaos…THEORY!"  The fog cleared, revealing the demons hovering in a line.  Their mouths started moving, and more voices were heard, apparently singing "You Are The Sunshine In My Life," in a passable impression of Bing Crosby.

"If I told you I saw demons singing," asked Dave levelly, "What would you do?"  No-one answered.  Then,

"Agree?" asked Kaede.

"That was a Surekill attack," Gendo informed them.  "Powerful.  From the attack line, I'm guessing it causes unlikely things to happen to the target or targets.  And that floating white thing is a human.  I'll try to make contact."

"No need," said a voice in his head.  He recognised it as the one that had performed the Surekill attack. 

"Who are you?"

"Maikeru Raichi.  What about you?"

"Gendo Kamijin.  Where are you from?"

"My parents were killed in a plane crash on this island six years ago.  My cat and I were the only survivors."

"And before that?"

"My parents were British.  I was born in Osaka."

"And what triggered your Surekill attack?" Gendo asked, remembering his training for situations when a potentially friendly Spirit-talented person was encountered.

"A corpse just killed my cat, and destroyed my parents' graves."

"Well, stay where you are, and I'll come and get you," Gendo said, relaying the conversation to his team-mates.

Back at the Dome, Maiku related his story to the team.

"…And the rest you know.  But could you explain about the demons?"

"I want to know about that, as well.  I thought they were defeated once and for all, seventy odd years ago," said Jennifer.

"Well, last year's terrorist attacks on America…when they finally cleared away all the rubble and dug the planes out, they discovered that the bodies of the hijackers…weren't human.  Once a full autopsy was performed, it was found that they were definitely demons.  Then, in March, a fighter plane was detected heading towards Washington DC.  US aircraft sent to intercept it were…"

"Eaten," finished Dave.  "The UN dug out all its old Armour Units from the Cold War, when they believed that Communism was related with demons-"

"That's just stupid!" burst out Jenny.

"Not so.  Who benefited when Russia pulled out of the first Inter-World War because of the revolution?  The demons.  Anyway, they contacted Kaede and the rest of the survivors and descendants of the Imperial Floral Assault Team, who set about building this base.  Unfortunately, they haven't finished yet, although, thankfully, Kouran's team managed to finish the new-model Armour Units.  Not bad for a 100-odd year old woman, eh?  They had to keep her away from the labs in case she killed herself, like, but still.."

"Maikeru," said Wilhelmina, entering the room, "I have a place in the local school's Sixth Form.  From what you said, I think you should to handle A-level work.

"Which reminds me – you, you, you, you, you, you, and you," gesturing to the seven under-18 year olds, "– bed.  It's ten o'clock, and you have school in the morning."

"But-" began Maiku.

"Don't bother," Vlad informed him.  "I'm a year older than you, and if she won't let me off she won't let you off – and she won't let you off."  Taking the hint, they left.

___________________________________________________________________

And there is Chapter two for you.  Short I know, but I have certain points where I'll change chapter, and I didn't write as much as I thought I would need to.