Prologue - Three Strays
"Another string of attacks..."
"Mhmm! And the most recent of them are within European borders too."
Chifuyu Orimura, former Brunhilde of the Mondo Grosso, narrowed her eyes at the holographic world map. Red dots in several countries were highlighted, with the most being Europe. The reports were almost always the same, with first responders only finding wreckage and bodies of criminals or insurgents. They described it as a miniature warzone, and had specifically noted the telltale marks of energy weapons from the melted gouges in the surroundings.
"Tabane, do you know where the culprits could go now?"
"Nope~! Those naughty boys are making it quite difficult to pinpoint just when they'll strike next!" 'The Professor' tittered, her face ever the mask of joviality.
"..?! Boys?" Chifuyu whirled around to glare at the screen which displayed her friend. "Explain."
"I've been compiling camera footage in the areas near the attacks, and found a few familiar faces. So, with me being the ever Amazing Super Genius Tabane-sama, I went 'Detective Mode'!" The rabbit-eared woman gave her a peace sign, an utterly smug grin on her lips that caused her friend to scowl heavily.
They stared at each other for a near dozen seconds.
...
Tabane pouted.
"Why won't you praise me, Chi-chan~?" She whined, crocodile tears spilling down her cheeks. "I even found dirt on them!"
"Their backgrounds?"
"Better." The waterworks stopped, replaced with the sharp and inquisitive look that the Brunhilde was terribly familiar with. "What they are."
"...Huh?" Chifuyu's eyes shrank minutely as multiple holographic screens popped up around her. They displayed documents, scanned documents that were typed in a professional manner.
So professional that it was utterly cold.
One in particular popped up before her, displaying the words...
Neo-Type Project
"Subject Sigma-66, otherwise known as 'Cu' within the facility records." Tabane showed a series of pictures of a young man with blonde hair and purple eyes. "He is considered a 'perfect' result of a particularly strict and admittedly lethal martial training regiment. The only one to have survived said regiment, might I add."
A short, grainy, video played depicting a younger Cu sparring with other boys. A bō staff was in his hands, and he spun it in perfect circles around himself to deflect the simultaneous attacks from knives, swords, and axes.
"While not lacking in other fields, he specialized in combat first and foremost. Tactical aptitude said to rival that of veteran generals, and his skill with polearms was stated rival you with your sword, Chi-chan." The rabbit professor chuckled, an unreadable light in her eyes.
Elsewhere, in one of the many cafes of London, Ephraim paused.
Purple eyes glanced out at the windows with veiled suspicion, but he quickly shook it off when the younger woman before him cleared her throat with a frown on her lips.
"Forgive me for the delay, Madam. Here is your tea and cake, please do enjoy." he apologized with a genial smile and a slight bow.
Cecilia Alcott huffed, waving him off as she turned her nose up at the waiter.
The screens changed, this time displaying a dark haired boy with steel grey eyes and an indifferent line on his lips.
"Subject Alpha-207, otherwise known as 'Tinker'."
Several screens displayed pictures and videos of the young boy fiddling with machines, some of them working perfectly and the others outright exploding after he got his hands on them.
"Considered 'perfect' by the doctor he was under, Tinker was able to innovate and create various mechanical constructs that weren't even possible to do."
One screen in particular displayed the young boy shoving his hand inside a robotic arm, with it moving freely as if it was his own a second later. He punched a nearby wall with it, creating a large hole through what seemed to be a 2-meter deep wall of concrete and metal.
"Reportedly a quiet boy, only roused when talks of engineering were involved. He apparently found solace with Cu and the last of our trio..."
Tabane's eyes glinted on her screen. "I'm particularly interested in the little genius, Chi-chan~"
"Oof!"
"Ah, sorry, I was too distracted by—"
"No no, it's my fault—"
Grey eyes stared into red.
Davion blushed minutely as he knelt down by her, picking up the model kits she dropped. "I'm so so sorry. I saw the Perfect Grade Bicorn GunGirl over there and got distracted."
The masked girl blinked as she also started to gather her kits. "I-It's alright. I don't blame you for getting distracted by such a beautiful piece."
"Judging from these High Grades, you're a model kit enthusiast too?" The grey eyed boy grinned, excited at the prospect of talking shop about one of his hobbies.
She nodded, her eyes crinkling in a smile. "Yup. One of my pieces was displayed here a month ago."
"No way..!" They both stood up, with the older boy helping her. "Which one was it?"
"Oh, it was the Custom Revive..."
Amidst the shelves of the hobbyist store, the two's conversation was lost as they formed a bond...
"Ah, yeah, my name's Davion Guele. I mean, Guele Davion. Nice to meet you..?"
"Oh! Um...Yamada...Maiko. Yes, Yamada Maiko." She tucked a strand of blue hair into her beanie. "Pleased to meet you, Guele-san."
"And...the last?" Chifuyu's throat was dry, her composure a mix of wariness and hostility.
The mere mention of these...designer children brought back dark memories of her past...
Photos of a dark haired boy with soulful green eyes and a bright smile on his lips, popped up on the screens.
"Subject Delta-444, otherwise known as 'Songbird' in the records. Quite an adorable name for an equally adorable child~" Tabane gushed as she switched all the photos for audio and video logs of Songbird singing.
"To the town of Agua Fria, rode a stranger one fine day~!"
Chifuyu maintained her frown. "Get on with it, Tabane." She growled.
"Stingy~! But okay~"
The screens were replaced with various reports, psychological, observational, etc. The pictures displayed Songbird with other children, obviously with him being the eldest. They crowded around him as he sang, and the dark haired teacher suppressed a shudder at the medical gowns all of them were sporting. Around their wrists and necks were tags, and she could faintly see through the old photos the curves and lines of numbers.
"His doctor built him up as the 'perfect' negotiator. Being able to get out of tense situations with words alone, as well as being able to read the room in an instant. Apparently very cooperative in helping the doctors with their daily routines."
The Russian cold was as unforgiving as ever, but he needed to get used to it.
Dismounting his bike, Ryo retrieved the heat pack and checked his phone.
"This is the place..."
Looking back up, he gazed at the rather luxurious manor and then back at the distant gates. His gut told him that he was being watched, and in the corner of his eyes, he caught the glints of security cameras turning towards him.
'Man...why do I always get the weird orders...'
Walking up to the door, he balanced the heat pack that held two large pizzas and rang the doorbell.
Bzzzzz!
"Pizza Delivery!" He announced in perfect Russian, his accent inflecting in a way that made him out to be a Moscow native.
A cold wind cut across his cheeks and he wrapped his scarf around the lower half of his face in response. Yellow and orange leaves floated down to the ground around him, and he shook his head when a few landed on his hair.
The door opened and a short girl with blue hair and red eyes stood just beyond. She was wearing fairly light clothes for the Fall season, and she looked up at him with a light smile. He envied the Russian's natural resistance to the cold.
"That was quick. Not even 10 minutes." She commented as he passed the pizzas to her.
"That's just how I operate, Ma'am. Customer satisfaction is always paramount to me." He shrugged, stowing his bag and handing her the receipt. The girl, he couldn't tell if she was older or younger than him, took it and gave him an unidentifiable look.
"Is that so?" Her lips curled into a small grin as she leaned against the doorway. "I bet your employer must love you." Ruby eyes then twinkled with restrained mirth as she pulled out a thin wallet.
"How much?"
His brow twitched lightly at the mischievous tone that crept into her words. "That'll be 1,600 Rubles, ma'am."
"2,600 Rubles." She tittered, handing him the money with a wink. "A 1k tip for your speed and manners. Next time I order from your restaurant, I'll ask for their cutest delivery boy~"
"I...see...thank you." He took the money somewhat hesitantly, as if wary that she might grab him and do...something.
"I'd like to get to know you more, Яркие глаза~"
"...Good day, ma'am." Ryo gave her a smile, or at least an eye smile, and turned back to his scooter. Putting on the helmet, he quickly drove off without looking back.
Tatenashi Sarashiki watched him leave, an intrigued glint in her eyes as those piercing green eyes were etched in her mind.
"Those eyes can't be normal..." She quietly mused as she closed the door.
"No way they could be that honest yet closed-off..."
"So this...Neo-Type Project, what was its end goal?" Chifuyu gritted out, glaring at Tabane, knowing that her friend was keeping some secrets from her as she always did.
"Why, they were meant to counter something called Project Mosaica...or rather, any succeeding projects like Mosaica." Tabane leaned back on her carrot-themed chair, tapping her cheek as she glanced to the side. "But a decade ago, the Neo-Type Project simply seemed to vanish from all records. It was only by luck that I found these remnants from some random conspiracy theorist in a shack in Nevada."
"To counter..?" The former Brunhilde's fingers twitched at the mere mention of her past. With a subtle gulp, she recomposed herself as she straightened her tie. "Why would they need to counter something?"
"No clue~!" The rabbit Professor sang as she typed. "They have enhanced reflexes, heightened senses, some regenerative abilities, and apparently were all trained in handling weapons. Some simply have an affinity for certain types more than others. All of them were made with the genes of the world's best humans, apparently~"
"Damn it..!" Chifuyu's brown eyes narrowed as she snarled. "Tabane, I want you to find these boys now!"
"Eeeeh~? But Chi-chan, what will you do to them when I do find the trio?"
The teacher was already walking away from the screens, jaw tense as she waved the question off. "That will remain to be seen. Just find and track them, I'll hunt them down myself when the time comes."
Tabane grinned, none of her earlier friendliness present.
"Okaaay~!"
A shooting star streaked across the night sky.
In Northern England, Ephraim looked up at the comet as he exited a bar. Placing a hand on his golden choker, he quietly disappeared in a nearby alley, trailing a pair of unscrupulous individuals he heard boasting in his workplace earlier.
In Chiba ward, Davion looked out his window at the distant shooting star. Having just woken up at the crack of dawn, with the night sky quickly pulling away, he spied the bright red streak as it sailed in the inky darkness. Hissing slightly, he glanced down at all the bruises on his torso and arms.
High above the Siberian Taiga, Ryo looked out of the plane's window at the shooting star just above them. Glancing down at his phone, his eyes narrowed at the date before he simply laid back in his chair.
They've been here for more than half a year already, and still no news of Ichika being able to activate an IS.
Did they somehow change it through butterflies?
Did meeting Tatenashi earlier cause that change?
What would happen now?
Sighing to himself, he merely let sleep slowly take him as the plane neared its destination.
Japan.
And high above still, the shooting star streaked across the sky.
AN:
Hopefully I got the characters' personalities right.
Яркие глаза = 'bright eyes' according to Google Translate.
For further context, the fic takes place in the Infinite Stratos Anime. There will be some Light Novel elements incorporated within, mostly just characters because I can't be asked to read the damn thing to incorporate events. I've got too many LN's and Mangas that I've put on the backburner that I need to read up just so I could clear up my list. And the less said about the reboot/rewrite, the better. My friends and I suffered through Seasons 1 and 2 of the anime, I'll suffer that pain again while writing this.
And as expected of this being a Crossover, there will be elements of Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny in the mix.
Updates on Saturday or Sunday, but will be somewhat inconsistent later on. The pseudo-rp is ongoing with all the chaos that surrounds it.
This is Cipher, signing out.
...Also is the formatting alright? This is different from using Word...
