Episode 5 - Boy meets Boys
Ryo took a sip of his Jamaican Blue Mountain, relishing the...
'Wait, why do I feel like we've done this before?'
"Alright, so uh...I may have gone a little bit overboard on the upgrades..." Davion scratched the back of his head as he led them down the hall to their hangar. Unlike last time, he actually had a proper night's sleep and was as fresh as ever. He wore a casual white shirt underneath a hooded black leather vest, and a pair of ripped jeans that were tucked into work boots.
"We leave you alone with our suits for a week, I dread what you've done with them." Ephraim grumbled, though there wasn't much heat to his words. He was clad in a cream dress shirt, with the collar button undone, and khakis that brushed against his brown leather loafers. The bags under his eyes were clear against his pale skin, and attracted the concerned gazes of the girls that passed by them on the way.
The moment he was fully recovered from his injuries, Chifuyu had laid into him for their unauthorized entry and access of the Launch Bays during the Golem Attack. Saved the day they may have, she still reprimanded him as per protocol in the rulebook for their overriding of the Launch Bays. He asked her to punish him and only him, as he didn't like the prospect of the other two being bogged down by whatever punishment she had in mind. She had no qualms at his request, even both insulting and complimenting his manner of shielding the younger Neo-Types.
"You're a glutton for punishment, you know that? Someday this'll bite you in the ass. You can't coddle them forever, Ephraim."
Thus, his nights were spent writing and documenting the damage during said attack. It was in the second day that he realized that he was practically writing After-Action Reports and he swore quietly into the night because of it. On top of the AAR's, he, his fellow Neo-Types, and the Astrays themselves were endlessly pestered online. Tabane's reveal of 'Project: Astray' took the world by storm and in doing so, pushed them into the harsh spotlight that was public critique.
And it didn't bode well.
They were being labeled as 'catalysts' for the attack, that their mere presence caused all the damage and all the stress upon the students. They couldn't even spend their free time in the mainland without being harassed or mobbed, and the school had to assign more guards in the monorail stations whenever they informed them of their plans to go to the city. Their actions during the 'Test Machine Ramage' incident, which was the official cover-up for the Golem Attack, brought more negative outcry that positives. So much so that even Tabane was surprised, or so it seemed, at the amount of shit-talking her boys were taking online.
It seems as if society, or the more vocal female part of it, didn't want them to rock the boat.
"You'd probably like yours though." The mechanic shrugged as they stopped before the locked doors of their hangar. Punching in the code, he stepped inside, beckoning them in.
"...You sure you don't need coffee?" Ryo turned his head to his roommate, squinting his eyes as the darkness engulfed them. "You were up all night..."
Ephraim sighed as the door closed behind them, cutting off the last source of light. "I'm done with the AAR's, so it was Winslet insisting on a meeting as soon as possible that kept me up. I'm still trying to look for an open slot in my schedule, but I'll tell Orimura-sensei about it. Hopefully by this Saturday, I'll be heading to Okinawa to settle the inheritance case between the two of us. "
Clap clap!
The lights went on, and the two shielded their eyes from the sudden flash.
"Davion, what the fuck..." Ephraim muttered as Ryo hissed an indecipherable curse.
"Sorry! The lights keep turning off when no one's in the room after 15 minutes. I can't disable that feature." The mechanic apologized as the sound of cloth fluttered.
"Alright, I've pulled the tarps off, you can open your eyes."
Purple eyes looked over and saw..!
"Wait, is that...?"
The Astray Gold Frame...relatively looked the same. It had a new Flight Pack, a new shield, and new foam metal armor to replace the ones he'd lost during the Golem fight. The calves were a bit more armored now to protect the new thrusters Davion had attached. The Flight Pack itself looked more akin to the Aile Strike's than the M1 Astray's.
"Assault Shroud-style calf thrusters that you can detach once their high-octane propellant is empty and an Aile Pack? Yes."
"...Oi, why does mine still look the same?" Ryo voiced out in an accusatory tone as he slowly turned to fix a suspicious look at Davion. "Because the way I see it, you're leaving me in the dust."
The Astray Red Frame appeared untouched. It had a new shield, yes, but aside from replaced armor, nothing changed.
Davion's suit, however...
It definitely changed.
Sporting bulkier armor, the Astray Blue Frame was the only one that looked entirely different. Its upper body armor had been revamped, new white foam metal armor covering the previously black armored torso. The shoulder armor had been replaced with bigger versions, and Ephraim knew that there were hidden engines in those orange and white pieces. Two Armor Schneider knives were attached to its upper thighs, and the leg structure seemed to be more robust now with more solid-looking feet molding. Where the Serpent Tail logo would have been, a red flower replaced the snake.
"You get the Second G armor? And you put the Tekkadan logo on, of-fucking-course you fanboy." The blonde groused as he crossed his arms. "Alright, what the hell man? You tryna one-up us or something?"
"I'm just trying to make stopgap measures that adhere to our fighting styles. I couldn't really find any other armor upgrades for your suits cause uh...well..." Davion scratched the back of his head, glancing over to the laptop's dark screen with an unsure gaze. "While I was decrypting your suit's Black Box, it apparently unlocked a formula for a thing called 'Mirage Colloid'-"
"Mirage Colloid?!"
Ryo fixed a glare at his shocked roommate, having almost done a spit-take at his outburst. Spit-taking coffee was just a waste and he considered it almost heresy!
"Is it special?" The mechanic asked, somewhat getting hyped up from how feral the blonde was getting.
"Special?!" Whatever tiredness was gone from the blonde as he began to animatedly move his hands. "It's a colloid that grants all sorts of boons! Stealth systems, an I-Field like effect, energy sapping, afterimages, and even the ability to manipulate air! That's how the Red Dragon could fly in the atmosphere, due to the Mirage Colloid!"
"Oh no..." The green eyed courier realized that he stumbled into the talk of two turbo-nerds. He pinched the bridge of his nose, already taking a few steps away from all the craziness.
"Really?! Shit, I'm going to focus on Mirage Colloid then!" Davion rubbed his hands together, a wild grin on his lips. "And afterimages too right? Was it Mirage Colloid that caused that effect on the Destiny Gundam?"
"Yeah." Ephraim calmed down from his tirade. "It was, why?" Purple eyes flashed in realization as he narrowed them. "Don't tell me you're going to install those wings on our suits."
"No no, not on our suits-"
"It's for Kanzashi, isn't it?" Ryo huffed, taking a long sip of his coffee. "Dude, you've been rushing here at the end of each day and Tatenashi's been talking about how her sister seems to be very focused on upgrading her suit. I can connect the dots, man."
"Ah...okay, fine." The mechanic sighed, not really able to hide anything from his friends. "Yeah, I was planning to give her those wings of light and the afterimage effect. She's keen on ranged combat, but when she moves with that active, it'll disorientate her opponent enough for her to close in for the kill. Hell, it could throw off even the IS' Hyper Sensors and make any future fights-"
"Don't jinx us." The courier snapped, rightfully worried at such an occurrence.
Knowing their collective luck? Shit was going to hit the fan for them the moment any advantage was gained.
"You're such a simp for her, dude." Ephraim chuckled as he looked at the three suits in their berths.
"Says the Chifuyu simp." Davion countered in a heartbeat.
"Never said that it was bad." Purple eyes didn't look at grey as he cracked his neck. "So what else did you do to our suits?" He gestured at the Gold and Red Frame, more specifically at the visible upgrade of his suit. "I have extra vernier thrusters basically, but what about Ryo's suit?"
"Oh," The mechanic put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a pen. "I unlocked the forging technique of the Gerbera Straight. Here, I call it Tiger Pierce. Please don't lose it, the forging process was expensive and I had to use some of my underground contacts to get some of the materials."
Ryo caught the pen, staring at his friend with wide disbelieving eyes. "Dude, you can't just..." He looked down at the pen, at the casing nearly identical with the Gerbera Straight save for a kanji of 'Tiger' on the cap. "You can't just brush off a revelation like that!"
He was insulted, even!
"It's literally the only thing I could decrypt from your suit though." Davion sighed with a shrug. "I mean, I did use that technique to replace my Armor Schneider's knives with those similar to your sword. So they're both sharp, beam deflecting, and even more deadly!" Grey eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers. "Oh right!"
"What? Did you also discover the schematic for full Phase Shift armor that's super energy efficient which you installed in the Blue Frame?" Ephraim asked, a bit of snark entering his tone.
"Better! I got the recipe for the suit-version of anti-beam coating the night of the Golem attack!" His grin was wide as he gestured to the Astrays. "I did a light coat all three. Now we finally have some measure of defense against beams!"
"Thank. God." The blonde groaned out loud, fully aware of the irony of his statement. There was no God to him, not when there was an even bigger and more eldritch presence that had them on a leash. "Some peace of mind."
"I mean, it's not as bad really..."
"You shut up, Mr. 'I can deflect beams with my katana'." Purple glared into smug green. "Just because you have two now, doesn't mean you have the high ground."
"Don't exchange Prequel memes with me, I excel at them."
"Oh yeah, as thanks for giving me polearm data, I made you a Gerbera-metal spear." Davion ignored the banter and bent down, lifting up an all metal pole from underneath one of the few worktables that did not have papers or blueprints on them. "This cost me a few favors, so like with Tiger Pierce, please don't throw it around like crazy and lose it."
The word 'spear' immediately caught the blonde's attention, his purple eyes gleaming as he saw his preferred weapon.
"Give."
The grey-eyed mechanic tossed it to him, and Ephraim caught it, using the momentum to turn and spin it around. It was a blur, almost akin to a helicopter rotor, as the spearman executed clean swinging motions before his new weapon eventually settled over his shoulder.
It was heavily inspired by the Type-Moon Gae Bolg, with the shaft being primarily of black metal. The 'thorns' that wrapped around the shaft were made of a golden alloy, etched with depictions of flowers and fauna. The head of the spear itself was a normal steel color, but the edges of the blade had hints of gold. At the base of it, there was a sunburst detailing, with the rays of the sun reaching the whole head and the center ray stretching to the tip.
"It's bloody beautiful, Davion." Ephraim whispered, a slasher smile forming on his lips. "I can't wait to cut through shields with this..!"
"About...that..."
Ryo's brows rose as his lips curled up in a smug smirk. He knew that he was different!
Purple eyes shrank.
"...No..."
Grey eyes looked at him apologetically, hints of empathic pain within. "Only Ryo has that effect. My knives and your spear can cut through anything thrown at us like butter, but IS Shields?" The mechanic shook his head. "Nuh-uh. We can heavily damage them, but not cut through them like they weren't there unlike Ryo."
Ephraim fell to his knees, cradling the spear against his chest. His eyes were hollow as he stared blankly at the floor.
"Don't be so overdramatic." Said swordsman grinned, walking over and patting his friend's shoulder. "At least you have a spear now."
"I was on the verge of greatness." The blonde mumbled, his voice full of despair. "I was this close..!"
.
.
.
Later that night...
Chifuyu walked down the hall of the 2nd floor of the 1st Year Dormitory with a frown on her face. Aside from the usual annoyance of outsider interference such as public outcry or the prodding of annoying governments, her most recent troubles revolved around that of the shield breaking capabilities of Murakumo's Gerbera Straight. The only other weapon that could be of the same level was her Yukihira.
Her sword was different, in the sense that it was an energy blade that was contacting the shield and creating an energy-nullifying effect. A physical weapon like that sword had no rights to simply bypass the Absolute Defense of an IS that easily...
'And now Tabane is fully aware of its ability...' She cursed as she stopped before the Astray pilots' dorm room.
78
Knocking on it, she waited for the two boys to answer. However, through the door, she could make out muffled...
"...can't get it!"
"...coming...way!"
...Screaming?
Pounding on the door this time, she grumbled as the girls from neighboring rooms peeked out to check the commotion.
"Hey! The hell are you two doing in there?!"
Crash!
Her eyes widened briefly before she quickly punched in the override code for the door. Instincts screaming, she quickly backed away just as the doors burst open.
The Red and Gold Frame pilots ran out, with Ephraim actually doing a forward combat roll as he snarled at whatever was inside their room. Ryo stumbled forward before righting himself, pulling out the pen form of the Gerbera Straight as it quickly changed into its sword form.
They were clad in their sleepwear, a long sleeved top and pajama pants combo for the blonde and a shirt and shorts combo for the brunette. Ephraim's neck scars were openly displayed for all to see, as the top wasn't buttoned up entirely and a small slip of it revealed the mitsudomoe tattoo on his upper left scapular.
"What the hell happened?" Chifuyu demanded, her patience quickly becoming shorter. "Why all the noise-?"
Bzzz...
In the sudden silence of the hall, the rapid wing beats were audible to everyone's ears. Ryo's green eyes narrowed as he pushed the Gerbera Straight out of its sheath slightly.
A dark brown object flew out, and Ephraim ducked underneath it, rolling away and recovering in a crouch just by her feet. His expression was one of deep-seeded fear, a total 180 of his usual calm veneer.
Chifuyu's brown eyes tracked it, widening ever so slightly as her breath got caught in her throat. It was-!
"A COCKROACH!" One of the girls watching screeched.
Then everything went to hell.
The hall was filled with screams, as doors were slammed closed and people ran away in a panic. The whole floor seemed to shake as the crowd of girls that had gathered were all in a rout, dozens of footfalls stomping in a unified retreat.
"Ryo, slice it!" The blonde roared, glaring at the flying insect as it circled and hovered around them.
"Gokiburi..!" The green-eyed swordsman hissed, trying his best to not move as it suddenly dove towards his hunched form.
"GAESH-"
CRUNCH!
He gaped at the fist that utterly decimated the foul insect. Following the arm, he looked up to see Chifuyu's infernal glower. Ephraim made a choking noise as she turned her head to give him the same.
"This is what you were making all that racket for?" She threw the broken remains of the roach down, stomping on it for good measure. "You're grown men and you got scared by a tiny insect?!"
"I didn't know that it would go in!" The blonde backed away, hands up before his chest. He created distance between him and his superior, both from the fact that she touched the insect and of an instinctive fear. "I just wanted some fresh air after taking a shower, I had no idea there was a roach flying around outside!"
"It was flying, Orimura-sensei." Ryo breathed out, quickly turning his sword back into its pen form. His hands shook as panicked eyes looked around in paranoid caution. "Everything is different when its disgusting wings flap about." He shuddered at the mere thought of it.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, thankfully not with the hand that crushed the insect, as she growled. "You know what? Whatever I was coming up here for can wait later. Clean up your damn room and shut up. People are trying to sleep and your damn racket might as well have woken everyone in the dorm building."
"A-Ah, right. By the way, Orimura-sensei, may I have this Saturday off?" Ephraim broached his request, buttoning up his top since everything was cooling down now. "Lath Winslet wants me to come over to the Sahaku Estate to talk about the inheritance of my...my mother." He cleared his throat, gathering what dignity he had left after the rather embarrassing display earlier.
Chifuyu narrowed her eyes at him.
A day without him was going to be...difficult. He was the one that helped arrange her documents, the one that gave her the coffee with enough kick to put her in a good mood for the day, and the one that cooked her dinner for her. Her mind briefly wandered to the mouthwatering Wakayama Ramen that he gave her just a few hours before.
Shaking her head slightly, she sighed and crossed her arms.
Going to the Sahaku Estate was going to be deeply personal for her assistant. She had met Lath Winslet before, and the young girl was as determined and regal as her foster mother.
It would be good for the two to finally meet...
"...Fine."
Ephraim let out a sigh of relief.
"But not this Saturday. The Class League Match occurs on a Friday, so after that you're free to go. However, you have leave your minibar in my office, stocked with both coffee and whiskey." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You know how I like it."
Ryo snorted as he walked back inside, having calmed down a great deal as his eyes warily looked around in case another got in.
"I...okay, I'll tell Winslet-san about the arrangement." The blonde bartender then pleaded with his hands pressed together. "And please, don't drink all of my liquor. I can't replace most of them now that I'm outed as an 18 year old."
Chifuyu smirked.
"Tough luck then."
.
.
.
The next morning...
"H-Hey, Ryo! Hold up!"
The green-eyed courier turned around, pausing 'La Vie en Rose' as he pulled his headphones off his ears. Davion was running towards him, a look of absolute urgency on his face.
Ephraim patted his shoulder, the lollipop stick between his lips moving to the right. "I'll go ahead."
With that, the blonde continued on, reviewing his notes on the notepad and leaving the two younger Neo-Types to converse.
"What is it, Davion? Something about the Astrays?" He asked the mechanic as he stopped before him, catching his breath. Holding up a finger, he then pointed it towards where he just came from.
"Dude, there's a new IS that just came into the Engineering Bay." The grey-eyed teen fixed him a serious look at this. A serious Davion usually meant something big was happening or about to happen.
"...Okay?"
"It's Orange and the crew were French."
..!
Green eyes widened, and he took an involuntary step back in shock. His phone fumbled out from his numb hands, and Davion had to catch it before it fell.
"Ryo! Dude!"
His heart skipped a beat.
Soft purple eyes gazed at him as she gave a beatific smile.
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur le livreur!"
"...Reverse trap."
Davion winced as an awed and giddy expression spread on his friend's face. While Ephraim was pretty open about his interest in mature and powerful women, Ryo kept his interests on the down low.
Well, most of them.
"Reverse. Trap." Ryo chanted to himself, as his look turned to one of pure joy. He raised his arms in the air, much to the confusion of the other students that were watching or passing by.
"VICTORYYY!"
Ephraim glanced over at his friend worriedly. Ryo was practically vibrating in his seat, his lenses reflecting light as it hid his eyes. The blonde turned to Davion, who was doing some last minute cramming for the upcoming quiz. The mechanic's face was set in panic, as the lesson the quiz was about was not one of his strong suits. That and his grades have been lagging lately, since he's been upgrading and decrypting the suits more than doing his homework.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the latest rumor?"
Purple eyes glanced over to his side, where some of the more gossip-centric girls were talking amongst themselves.
"Yeah! Something about the tournament this month right?"
He sighed minutely, shaking his head. Due to the Golem attack, the Inter-Class Tournament was cancelled and the school had to make up for it with the 'Class League Match'. It was in two weeks' time, and the Astrays were still going to be the 'Gatekeepers' of each bracket once more. He took the lollipop stick from between his lips, its candy long gone.
"Mhmm! Whoever wins the tournament gets to go on a date with Orimura!"
Pausing from wrapping a napkin sheet around the litter, he took a glance at Houki. She was looking at the girls in confusion, which was shared by Cecilia who she was previously talking with.
'Huh. When did they get along..?'
"The story's distorted, it's spreading like crazy now..!"
His sharp hearing picked up the telltale voice of Mayuri Todaka as she harshly whispered with Honne and one of her friends.
"You must have said something to the wrong person, Honne!"
"No way~! That couldn't have been what happened at all!" The sleepy girl tried to deny the accusation, but to little effect.
"Hey, what about the Astray pilots?" One of the gossiping girls gushed. "Do you think they'd also go on a date with you if you beat them as some sort of reward?"
Davion and Ephraim grimaced.
Ryo remained Ryo.
'As if they'd beat us.' The blonde scoffed as he stood up and walked over to the trash can in the corner of the room.
"Good morning!" Ichika greeted as he stepped inside, waving back at those that returned his greetings before looking around curiously. "What's with all the excitement?"
"Oh, no reason~!" Several of the girls all said at once, smiling at him as Ephraim returned to his seat. The blonde looked at them with a perturbed expression, wholly disturbed at the synchronous answer.
As in, perfectly synchronized with no lag between each of them.
...It was actually eerie enough to snap Ryo out of whatever trance he was in, causing the green-eyed courier to stare at the girls in trepidation.
"O...kay...?"
Chifuyu stepped up behind him, pushing the male IS pilot inside with little hesitation. "Get in your seats now. Homeroom is starting immediately." The teacher ordered, Maya walking in right behind her. She grabbed the thermos on her table and removed the cap, pouring herself some of the coffee before taking a sip.
Being her assistant for more than a month already, Ephraim could tell by the way her shoulders minutely sagged that she enjoyed his brew. He smirked, fist pumping to himself before sitting up straight when she narrowed her eyes at him. The blonde sent an innocent smile at his superior, one that she obviously didn't buy.
"Guess what class!" Maya began, an excited smile on her face. Her jolly tone, more happy than usual, caught their attention and the class looked at her in question and anticipation.
Ryo, at this point, was vibrating in his seat.
Davion merely pressed his hands together, praying that the next series of words contained "quiz" and "cancelled".
Ephraim narrowed his eyes, sensing that something big was gonna drop. Something was itching in his mind, in his memories, but he just couldn't put a finger on it...
"We're about to meet yet another new transfer student!"
The Gold Frame pilot blinked.
It was then and there that he remembered what Episode they were in.
'...Oh...fuck.'
The girls gasped, whispering among themselves as the new arrival stepped inside.
"Huh..?!" Ichika let out, his eyes widening in surprise.
The newest transfer student stood in front of the class, the holoboard behind him displaying his name.
"Good morning everyone!" The new arrival greeted with a friendly smile. "I am Charles Dunois and I have come from France." Purple eyes looked at his new classmates with a hint of nervousness. "It is nice to meet all of you."
"Dude, you're a boy..?" One of the more bold girls asked, snapping Ephraim from his shock. He honestly didn't expect for the plot to advance this fast...
The Neo-Type stared at the 'boy' with a polite smile, noting the golden wheat-like shade of his hair and the almost identical shade of purple in their eyes.
...He silently thanked their Boss that they looked nothing alike. The last thing he needed was to be mistaken as a Dunois.
"Oui." Charles nodded, momentarily flinching upon seeing the rather heavy stare of the glasses-clad Ryo. "I've heard about a male IS pilot in the same situation as I am, and those of the Astrays, so I decided to transfer here."
'Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap.' The courier rambled in his mind, thankful for the decision to wear a scarf today. It totally hid the rather dorky smile on his lips.
Totally.
The girls immediately cheered and squealed, prompting Davion to pull his hood down to cover his grimace.
"The fifth male student!"
"And he's in our class!"
"He's the cute-type that we want to protect~!"
Ryo's hand immediately went to his jacket pocket, where both the Gerbera Straight and Tiger Pierce were. If there was someone that was going to protect the newcomer, it would be him!
"Silence, damn it!" Chifuyu roared, fixing a stern glare to the class. "That's quite enough!"
And as abruptly as it started, the noises stopped.
Ephraim had to restrain a snicker from escaping his lips. Davion peeked out from underneath the hood, pulling it up as he sat back straight.
'Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap. Reverse trap-'
Shaking her head, she took a sip from her cup. "Today we're conducting joint practical training with Class 2. I want everyone changed and assembled at Training Ground 2, ASAP." Looking over at the 4 boys that were seated down, she huffed slightly. "Murakumo, Guele, Orimura, and Sahaku."
"Y-Yes?" Ichika stuttered, while the three Astray pilots gave their own acknowledgements.
Ephraim inclined his head, a smirk forming on his lips.
Davion smiled at her nervously.
Ryo's eyes shone.
"Since you're boys, I want you four to keep an eye on Dunois. Head over to the Locker Rooms." She turned to the rest of the class. "Let's get moving girls!"
The Astray pilots quickly stood up, approaching the two male IS pilots.
"H-Hello, it's nice to meet fellow boys-" Charles started but Ephraim raised a hand to stop him. The Frenchman actually had to crane his head up just to look into his eyes.
The taller blonde gave him an apologetic smile. "Pleasantries later. The ladies are changing here, we must head over to the locker room."
Ryo placed a hand on Charles' shoulder, giving him a bright grin as he gestured to the door with a nod of his head. "C'mon, we're gonna have to head to the Arenas, that's where the locker room is."
Davion merely snickered as he passed by them.
"Right, let's go guys!" Ichika nodded as he ran ahead of Davion. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of his sister's ire, no way!
Ephraim followed, his long strides easily allowing him to catch up.
Ryo gave the Frenchman a soft push forward, taking a step ahead of him with a small thumbs up. "Let's go."
Charles kept the blush down as he ran ahead of Ryo, unaware of the victorious grin now hidden by the scarf.
The group of boys quickly caught up to each other, fast-walking their way to the arena.
"You're gonna have to get used to changing there every time we have practical training." Ryo explained, pulling his scarf up further to hide the grin. "Also, try not to hold back just because your opponents will be girls. Ephraim here squared off with the British Representative Candidate and came out on top."
"She didn't know what I was capable of. I baited her and took advantage of her misstep." The taller blonde sighed as they turned a corner. "If she saw through my tactics, I doubt I would've won."
It was something he thought of occasionally following their duel. If Cecilia had been of more sound of mind, had been more cautious and composed, she would have given him a pretty hard time. She could have used her Optical Bits to destroy his weapons, he didn't have the luxury of energy shields to deny that avenue of attack, and doing so would have practically caused him to yield due to being unarmed.
He guessed that he was just lucky that she made it obvious with her inflated ego, as he knew just how to unbalance people who thought of themselves high and mighty.
It took one to know one, after all.
"Hey, I see the new transfer student!"
The Astray pilots turned their heads, paling at the crowd of girls that suddenly materialized behind them.
"The hell?!" Ichika cried out ahead of them before he stopped in his tracks, spreading his arms out to stop the rest of the pilots from going forward.
A few meters before them, two girls blocked their path, with more joining them and quickly becoming a crowd.
"And he's with the other boys!"
"What is wrong with these girls?!" Davion growled as they formed a defensive circle around Charles. The shorter blonde looked around them in slight panic and no small amount of embarrassment. He was boxed in and needed to be protected as if he was some damsel in distress, it was emasculating!
Clap!
The loud sound caught the girls' attention, and they found themselves shrinking underneath the stern glare of Chifuyu's assistant.
Ephraim took a deep, calming breath as his eyes seemed to glow with restrained anger. "We are on our way to the Training Grounds for JPT, if any of you are wondering." He rumbled, turning his head to look at all of them in disappointment. "Not because we wanted to run somewhere. We are in a hurry, as per Orimura-sensei's instructions we were to 'assemble at Training Ground 2 ASAP'."
A few of the girls flinched at his cold look.
"You wouldn't want me to report all of you to her, would you? I recognize all of you. I know your names." He hissed, eyes narrowed as some of them were already getting out of their way.
It was all lies, of course.
He didn't really recognize all of them nor know their names.
But they didn't know that, and with enough confidence, a bold-faced lie would be construed as truth.
"N-No..."
"Ugh, what a spoilsport..."
"The way he looked at me though..~"
"Come on girls, it's best not to upset Chifuyu-sama..."
'Stupid fucking cliché, stupid fucking repressed girls-'
Sighing to himself, and to stop his thoughts from growing more malicious, the tall blonde glanced at Ichika and the others. "Come on. Before she beats us black and blue for being late."
That seemed to kickstart their gears as the younger Orimura visibly paled. "Crap, she would totally do that in full-view of the girls too. Come on!" They ran past the crowd, ignoring the whispers and murmurs as they went. When they were a fair distance away, Charles looked at all of them in confusion. "What were they making such a big racket for?"
"Well, it's probably because you're another male that can pilot their vaunted IS." Davion shrugged, sharing an unreadable look with the tall blonde.
"That and they're rather imaginative when they see a bunch of boys together." Ryo sighed before muttering darkly. "Damn Fujoshis."
"O-Oh yes!" The shorter blonde agreed. "Right! I forgot that you three piloted the Astrays and not the IS..."
"No way I'm piloting that death trap." Ephraim grumbled, letting a hint of irritation slip into his words. The Gold Frame pilot saw one too many flaws when it comes to the IS, the over-reliance on a sentience not your own being the primary cause. The mind needed to be sharp and focused during battle, not warring with another part just because you disagreed with a decision.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
Ichika peered up and down the hallway before slipping back inside the locker room with a relieved sigh. "Phew...Alright, I didn't see any tails."
"Good." Davion sighed, running a hand through his slightly sweaty hair. "I don't think I'd be able to keep myself cool if they decide to go over the line and peep on us."
"Don't even joke about that." Ephraim rumbled, unbuttoning his suit jacket and removing his tie. "For all we know, there are cameras here in the locker room."
"Dude." Ryo fixed his friend with a somewhat scared look as his eyes looked around the ceiling's corners. "You don't joke about that." He then turned to Charles with a bright smile, somewhat startling the shorter blonde at the sudden change of expression. "Oh yeah, we haven't introduced ourselves properly yet, huh?"
Extending a hand, the green-eyed courier winked at the Frenchman.
"I'm Murakumo Ryo, but you can just call me Ryo. If you need anything delivered, don't hesitate to ask."
Charles took the offered limb, idly noting the familiarity of it as they shook hands. "Charles Dunois, nice to meet you!" He didn't know whether to introduce himself by Japanese standards or Western, so he stuck with what he knew.
"Orimura Ichika." The other male IS pilot greeted the transfer student with a friendly grin. "But like Ryo, just call me Ichika."
The Frenchman smiled at him, nodding as he turned to the last two...
And promptly blushed.
"Sahaku Ephraim. I'd prefer it if you called me by my last name. Until we got to know each other better, that is." The taller purple-eyed blonde sighed, having stripped down to his boxer briefs and was currently pulling out his black and purple Orb pilot suit from what was most likely his locker. The uniform did its job in hiding his build very well, as firm muscles decorated his body, all of them stretching and relaxing as he opened the g-suit that he would slip into. His build was at the peak of fitness, a perfect balance of strength, endurance, and speed. He was facing away from all of them, and Charles couldn't help but eye the amount of skin damage said build had.
Fire and ice burn scars littered his torso and extremities, the most obvious being those that circled around his wrists, ankles, and around his neck. It wasn't revolting, per say, but the sight of such damage brought a sense of unease for the Frenchman. Those looked deliberate and not something out of an accident, which only made the unease even worse. There was also a curious tattoo on his upper left scapular, something that looked like three commas converging on each other...
"Guele...uh, Davion Guele. Feel free to call me Davion, my last name is a bit hard to properly pronounce." The mechanic waved, just having pulled down a compression shirt over his torso. He already had the white and blue Earth Alliance pilot suit on but not the upper portion. It was currently hanging around his waist as he did a few upper body stretches.
His form was one of power, with larger muscles on the arms and shoulders. There were a few scars that littered his body, visible prior to pulling down the shirt, the most prominent being what looked like a jagged cut that went from his right pectoral to his collar bone. There were clear tan lines on him too, with the skin past half of his biceps a bit more darker than the skin on his torso. Aside from that, it was clear that he preferred hand to hand combat, if what the videos of the rampaging test machines had divulged about the mechanic.
Finished with his stretching, Davion then pulled out a box from his locker.
"Ryo, here, catch." Davion tossed it to his friend, who caught it and gave him the stink eye. Opening the container, his brows shot up at the sight of a red pilot suit. "Wait, why are you changing by the way? Can't we just switch to the Astrays in an instant?"
"In order to calibrate the new G-force and inertia dampeners for the Astrays, I had to temporarily separate the flight suits from the system to upgrade them. Had to ask Arzenal for some help, and let me tell you, the girls there are crazier than I am." The grey-eyed mechanic explained as he zipped his pilot suit up. "So that means no more casual Fridays for you if you want your organs whole in the future."
"Aw man." The courier then stripped, pulling down the zipper of his jacket and shrugging it off. The hoodie easily came off next, and he folded them neatly inside his locker.
While not as muscular as his two other friends, what he lacked in strength was made up for by his cardio endurance. His school pants hugged his legs comfortably, and when he pulled them down, did he reveal the cut musculature of his thighs and calves. Compared to the other two, his skin was unblemished, with nary a scar or pock-mark from pimples. It looked smooth, soft, almost feminine. If the courier was to cross-dress and had proper makeup applied, someone would have a hard time distinguishing their real sex.
Charles watched as the three Astray pilots suited up, purple eyes tracing the hard-cut muscles of the three older men.
Ephraim's clear warrior-like being...
Davion's more muscular, brawler build...
And then at Ryo's lean, runner-type body...
Ichika chuckled as he patted his shoulder, snapping the younger blonde from his trance. "I envy their muscles too. Come on," He took his jacket off. "We better get changed. Chi...Orimura-sensei is very insistent on punctuality."
Compared to the other three, the IS pilot's body wasn't as built or cut. It was fairly average, though there were hints of developing muscles. It was thanks to the training regimen his older sister had devised that he follow. His body may have screamed in pain, but she assured him that the gains would be worth all the agony. A part of him knows that she was partly doing this out of her own sadistic pleasure.
"Don't I know it." The pilot of the Gold Frame groaned with a half-chuckle as he slipped an arm through a sleeve. "I've got it drilled into my head on what time to deliver her coffee."
The younger brother gave him an apologetic smile. "I...kinda feel sorry for you. I heard that you also cook her dinner now? Is she eating healthy? Are you cooking according to nutritional needs or her own demands?"
The taller blonde blinked, zipping up his own pilot suit as he made to answer the boy's deluge of questions.
Face red and thankful that the other boys were having their own discussion, the Frenchman slipped away to another row to change.
"By the way Davion, do you think you can also make me a custom pilot suit like what you guys have? These things are a pain to put on since I can't wear underwear underneath 'em."
"What the hell?!" Davion's voice exclaimed in genuine shock. "Don't you get chaffed?"
"Ooooh yeah. Definitely. My uh...thing also gets caught almost all the time."
"Who the hell gave you those then?" Ryo grumbled as he, from the sounds of it, zipped up his own red suit.
"The school." Ichika sighed as Charles quickly pulled down the elastic top of his pilot suit. "These were originally made for girls but...y'know."
"Wait, so the girls also don't..?"
Charles blushed heavily.
Smack!
"Ow! Ephraim, the heck?"
"Nothing of that sort shall be discussed here." The older teen muttered audibly, a stern undertone in his voice. "This is the worst place to talk about it."
"...Technically, isn't it the Locker Room the best place though?"
Walking around from the other row, the Frenchman interrupted whatever argument may have ensued. "Done!"
Four sets of eyes turned to him in varying states of surprise.
"Whoa, you got changed real quick!" Ichika blinked, looking at his fellow IS pilot's outfit. "What's your secret? A special technique? Some newfangled fiber that wraps around you by itself?" The male IS pilot paused, looking up and down at the Frenchman's pilot suit. "Wait, it looks different from mine though."
"It's...an original made by Dunois!" Charles replied, glancing at the other three whose pilot suits were far more concealing and practical looking compared to the IS'. Full body g-suits with armor protecting the vital parts of the torso and of the neck. Oddly, they looked incomplete without a helmet...perhaps it was just their preference?
"It's the biggest IS-centric Corporation in France, yes?" Ryo smiled as he...spun a pen in each hand? "I remember delivering a few packages while I was under their contract sometime last year."
The Frenchman's heart skipped a beat.
Green eyes accompanied by a welcoming grin...
"Voici votre livraison! Passe une bonne journée!"
'Oh no.'
"R-Really?" He ran a hand through his hair to hide its nervous twitching. "I must have missed you then, Father always lets me meet the new workers..."
"Oh, that must mean you're the CEO's son huh?" Ichika spoke up as he unbuckled his belt. "I knew there was something unique to you-"
Ephraim slapped his back lightly. "Less talking more changing. We can all hang out and get to know each other at lunch. Orimura-sensei is waiting."
"Ah, right!"
Charles quickly turned around when the boxers dropped.
"Yoooo-"
"Davion, can you not?!" / "Ryo, come on man!" Both Ephraim and Ichika expressed their displeasure and embarrassment respectively.
They were arranged in lines in Training Ground 2.
The girls stared and whispered at their attire, noting that they weren't revealing like Ichika's. This was the first time they had a close look at the pilot suits, after all.
Ephraim ignored the whispers, standing straight with eyes forward. The sunburst logo of Orb, which was practically now his emblem within the student body, was the subject of many pointed stares. Nobody really used emblems in the first place, as their IS' weren't personally owned by them or their sponsors simply didn't allow for that level of freedom of customization. So him having a personal logo was the subject of both judgmental and curious looks.
Ryo tried to mimic his friend, but he couldn't help but look at the sleeves of his red suit. This was his first time wearing something this hugging, after all. His freedom of movement was somewhat limited, as the gorget-like plastic fiber armor didn't really allow him to look down that much nor even tilt his head to the sides all that well. A hand grasped the collar of said gorget, his lips frowning as he tried to pull it to give him a little more breathing space.
'Stupid fucking main character high collars-'
Davion fidgeted in his own suit, opening and closing his hand as he stared at the elastic material. It wasn't often that they wore these out in public, after all. They preferred to change into the Frames outright rather than display the g-suits. Technically, the pilot suits were the Astrays, they were a manifestation of the inner workings of the suit. It made them connect to the Astray systems and control it like a second skin as well have some sort of neural connection. Truthfully, Davion doesn't even know how the suits themselves mimicked the IS' with their Closed forms.
Far as he knew, this was all just a form of Quantum Shift or something.
...He blamed their boss for making things complicated just for the sake of plot convenience.
"Your practical training begins now." Chifuyu announced from the front and the three Astray pilots straightened up. This was the first time Davion and Ryo were going to participate in a practical class. This was to be their trial by fire via public critique.
"Right!"
"First, we'll need to demonstrate a real battle."
The grey eyed mechanic could see Ephraim's form perk up in anticipation beside him.
"Huang, Alcott!"
"Aw.."
Ryo snickered as he heard his battle junkie of a friend's disappointed sigh. It was clear that the blonde Neo-Type wanted to test the new thrusters and backpack, and what better way to test than a live-fire exercise?
...That was probably Ephraim's line of thinking right now.
"Step forward girls."
The two pilots sighed as they did, muttering to themselves as to why they were always picked when the Astray pilots were there. The Neo-Types' sharp hearing could easily pick up their hushed words, however.
"What a nuisance, why is it always me?"
"Oh my, what a vulgar spectacle, do I really have to do this?"
As they passed Chifuyu, she seemed to whisper in response to their complaints.
"Show a little more enthusiasm. This is your chance to show off for the boys."
Davion and Ryo both looked at Ephraim, who looked back at them, insulted. He may have preened and strut his stuff about in all the female attention, but even he knew to not be drunk on said attention! He may be a blonde bastard, but he wasn't a blonde bastard.
"Flags." Ryo mouthed out with a smug grin.
The tall Neo-Type glared at him.
The two girls seemed to visibly perk up and Cecilia flicked the Blue Tears, which was in its Closed Form, with a proud smirk.
"It looks like it's time for Cecilia Alcott, England's Representative Candidate to step up and take charge!" The drill-haired blonde huffed, puffing her chest out as she stood straight.
"Yeah, and I can show the difference between those who have personal IS' and those that don't!" Rin grinned, showing the bracelet fashioned closed form of the Shenlong.
The Astray pilots merely stared at them flatly.
"...What did the teacher just say to those girls?" Charles asked from behind them.
"How on Earth would I know that?" Ichika whispered back.
Davion snorted.
"So, who shall be my opponent?" Cecilia continued to preen herself, turning her head to look at the other girl with all the airs of nobility. "I wouldn't mind facing another Representative Candidate, Miss Huang."
"Heh, maybe it'll be fun wiping you on the floor." Rin grinned.
Chifuyu clicked her tongue. "Don't get too ahead of yourselves. You haven't met your opponent."
..!
The three Astray pilots suddenly looked up, squinting as their enhanced sight spotted a shining green object falling towards-!
"Aaaaaaah! Get out of the way!"
"Oi!" Davion let out as he jumped high into the air, white motes of light quickly surrounding him.
The Blue Frame Second G flew up, the added engines on its shoulder armor powerful enough to act in place of the Flight Pack as he rocketed up to catch the falling IS.
"Get clear!" Ephraim ordered as he and Ryo pulled and shoved those away in the landing zone. Ichika dumbly stared up in shock before the green-eyed courier tackled him out of the way.
"Gotcha!"
Maya found herself smushed against the white chest plating of the Astray as its engines roared to slow their speed and momentum.
Crash!
...It wasn't enough, sadly. They were far too close to the ground at that point, unable to make any meanwhile distance to slow them down.
Chifuyu merely sighed.
Sea-green optics flashed in the dust cloud and Davion's volume enhanced voice echoed throughout the field. "Yamada-sensei, are you alright?"
"Y-Yes, thank you for slowing and breaking my fall, Guele-kun..."
Ephraim and Ryo looked at each other with a raised brow as they changed into their Astrays. Both Gold and Red Frame ignited their Flight Packs, spinning into the air and letting the force of the jet blast of their thrusters blow away the cloud of dust.
What they found was...
"...Pfft!" Ryo broke his composure as he began to laugh, Ephraim joining in shortly after.
"Heheheh...Fuhahahahaha!"
"Oh, shut up you two!" Davion growled from his position under their assistant homeroom teacher. Maya blushed as she struggled to get up, the large legs of the Rafale not helping in the slightest as the teacher straddled the Astray.
"Um...I may need some help getting it up, Guele-kun..."
The Gold Frame pilot merely laughed harder, occasionally wheezing as he tried to catch his breath. The two Astrays floated next to each other, an arm over their shoulders as they shook in response to their chortling.
Cecilia and the other students looked on in shock and wonder. They have never heard both pilots laugh so...unrestricted-like. Sure, they may have heard the blonde give polite chuckles or even sinister hums, and the courier short bursts of laughter, but nothing uproarious like this. It was...refreshing, to hear them break into youthful laughter.
"Sahaku! Murakumo! Stop laughing and help your teacher and friend out of that crater before I give you two demerits!"
Ephraim flinched, the Gold Frame separating from the other before quickly landing besides the two downed pilots. Ryo landed on the other side, and together they helped both up.
Clearing his throat, he bowed slightly towards Maya. "Forgive me, Yamada-sensei, for my rather improper behavior."
"No no, it's perfectly fine to have a good laugh once and a while." The green-haired teacher sent a beatific smile at the Gold Frame before she turned towards the Blue Frame. "Thank you again for catching me, Guele-kun. I would have hurt myself pretty badly if you didn't."
"You're welcome, Yamada-sensei. Though, the TPS armor would have negated any structural damage to the Frame-"
"Alright, that's enough." Chifuyu clapped her hands, gaining their attention. "Despite her most recent...blunder, Yamada-sensei used to be a Representative Candidate. She's a crack shot with a rifle."
Davion looked at Ephraim as she said that, and the blonde Neo-Type gave him an imperceptible nod. Ryo whistled from beside them, pleasantly surprised that their assistant homeroom teacher was a badass.
"That was a long time ago, Orimura-sensei!" Maya waved her off with a shy smile. "And I could never get out of the Candidate brackets."
"But you're still more than a match for these two." The former Brunhilde sent a smirk towards the Blue Tears and the Shenlong. "You'll face her together."
Cecilia blinked. "What? You mean it's going to be 2 on 1!?"
"I don't think that's a good idea..." Rin floated beside her. "We both have 3rd Gens while Yamada-sensei has a Revive..."
"Oh, don't worry." Chifuyu said confidently, a small smirk on her lips. "I'm sure your embarrassment won't last very long."
"Spicy today, huh, aren't we..?" Ephraim muttered as he licked his lips, which was followed by snickering from his fellow Astray pilots.
"Bruh, you realize that you said that in our private channel right?" Davion chortled from said private radio channel, the Blue Frame's shoulders shaking as the mechanic restrained his laughter.
"Siiiiimp!" Ryo cackled on his end, the head of the Red Frame tilting slightly to send a mocking glance at the Gold Frame.
"Shut the fuck up." The blonde grit his teeth as he watched the upcoming match. An embarrassed blush spread through his cheeks which he tried to push down. It wasn't wholly his fault that his passion sometimes ran too hot for him to control!
"And let the carnage...BEGIN!"
'Carnage?' Were the simultaneous thoughts of the Astray pilots.
They watched as the three IS flew up into the sky, their vision aided by both their enhanced senses and the Astray's sensor suites.
"...Fuckin' DRAGOONs..." Ephraim grumbled as he watched the Blue Tears' Optical Bits detach and fire at the teacher. It wasn't that he had a distaste for remote guided weapons, no, he just didn't like how the UK's 3rd Generation IS was clearly an homage to the Strike Freedom of SEED Destiny. Seeing those wings absolutely ruffled his feathers, the mere thought of just how plot armor heavy the protagonist was in that series causing his blood to boil.
'If we ever get dumped into that universe, I fucking swear I'm gonna rip that plot armor off of him. I won't care if I end up being a La Flaga clone or some stupid human experiment, I will make Kira Yamato logical.'
"You know, I'm just wondering why they're fighting so far away from us...?"
...
Ryo turned to the Blue Frame in confusion. "...Dude, you're asking why three people in machines capable of making craters just by crashing are fighting at a distance from the nearest gathering of squishy humans."
"...Ah."
"Dunois!" Chifuyu looked over her shoulder at the shocked blonde. "I'd like you to tell us about the IS that Yamada-sensei is using."
Charles blinked before nodding. "B-But of course. Yamada-sensei is using a Rafale Revive, made by the Dunois Corporation. It was created at the end of the 2nd Generation's development, however its specs are not inferior to the early 3rd Generation model."
The Astray pilots weren't listening, however, as they watched the battle play out in the sky.
Ephraim narrowed his eyes, watching the teacher dodge both the Blue Tears' laser shots and the Shenlong's attempts to strike with its melee weapons.
"Sloppy." He grumbled, watching as Cecilia dodge the solid rifle shots. "Again, she let her pride blind her."
"Where the hell is Huang looking?" Ryo wondered, crossing his arms as he squinted. "One should always pay attention to their surroundings."
"She's tunnel visioned." Davion sighed with a shake of his head. "She's a melee type, so she's tunnel-visioned against Yamada-sensei's ranged type. So much so that she's about to get hit by the Blue Tears-"
The pink and blue IS' crashed into each other.
"Ouch."
"Yup."
Maya then materialized a grenade launcher.
The three boys' brows rose.
Boom!
Beep beep beep!
"Sunnuva-!" Ryo swore as the Astrays' sensors detected a speeding projectile heading towards them. He materialized his shield, the Gold Frame doing the same and the Blue Frame simply bracing for impact.
"Incoming!"
A blue and black blur passed, luckily, over them and crashed into the ground several meters back. Dirt and debris were thrown up into the air at the impact, and many of the girls covered their faces to shield themselves.
Chifuyu merely watched with her arms crossed as the dust cloud slowly cleared.
"I can't believe this is happening to me!"
"Couldn't you tell that she knew where you'd go?!"
"And what about you?! You were taking unnecessary shots like an idiot!"
Maya landed before them, smiling apologetically as Chifuyu walked between the two parties. "I hope you all now understand what your instructor is capable of." Her eyes narrowed at the pile of tangled limbs. "And upon knowing that, show her the proper respect."
She turned back to the rest of the class as the two Representative Candidates untangled themselves. Their IS' returned to their Closed forms as they walked back in line, ashamed and indignant at their embarrassing defeat in front of everyone. "For the first phase of Practical Training, you will all form teams as you get the basics of moving down to a T. Those who have personal IS' will be group leaders, so get to it already!"
Immediately, the girls began to crowd Ichika and Charles. The two boys seemed surprised, looking around at a loss at the sudden mob that formed around them.
"Um, Orimura-sensei." Davion raised his hand as the Astray trio approached. "What...exactly will we be doing? I mean, we're not IS pilots so we couldn't really help them with this test..."
Chifuyu gave them an evil smirk.
Ephraim's eyes widened. He knew that smirk.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes. You'll be helping this test alright." She chuckled, a sadistic glint in her eyes. "You three will be...targets. Once the girls get the basics of movement down, we'll go ahead with the 2nd phase: Combat."
"So...will we just stand around?" Ryo looked at all the Uchigane frames being crowded by the pilots. "Because we don't have the luxury of energy shields."
"You have physical shields, do you not?"
The Red Frame raised a finger, paused, and then lowered it.
"You three will be fine." She half-heartedly reassured them. "Besides, you've got that failsafe armor that nullifies physical attacks."
"It's underneath our foam metal." The Blue Frame tapped its white chest armor. "And it won't nullify the kinetic energy of solid rounds." He then glanced at the Blue Tears' pilot before keeping quiet. Why ruin the surprise for the Anti-Beam Coating anyway?
"Then be a man and take it."
"...That's sort of sexist, Orimura-sensei." Ephraim mumbled, inwardly surprised at his superior's casual disregard of their worries. Though, he also wasn't that surprised.
They were made of sterner stuff, after all.
The teacher groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with an irritated snarl. "Look, I doubt they'll be able to seriously hurt you. You won't be standing around like scarecrows, we have hard light targets for that. You'll be a living, breathing, thinking, and adapting target. In short, you get to make their combat experience hell." She looked at them with annoyance clear in her eyes. "Is that good enough?"
The three Astrays looked at each other, and Chifuyu could almost feel the smugness radiating from her assistant's suit.
"So, that means we get to show off?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Yes."
Charles tried to keep a straight face as he helped instruct the girls in his group. All he had to do was to maintain his cover for a bit longer..!
A flash of green eyes and hardened muscle-
Shaking his head, he pressed his hands on his cheeks in an effort to physically push the blush down.
'Mon dieu! If he realizes just who I am, then..!'
"Alright!" Chifuyu clapped her hands to gain their attention. "Now that most of you know how to move, it's time we move on to phase 2 of the Practical Training: Combat." She then turned, nodding her head at the three Astrays.
The Blue Frame waved, while the Gold Frame and Red Frame had their arms crossed.
"They will be your opponents. Come at them with what you've learned in Sparring Class." Her brown eyes gleamed with amusement when she glanced at the ashen faced students, smirking to those who have faced the Gold Frame's pilot in the ring before.
"N-No way..!"
"They're the ones that took down those rampant test machines last week!"
Cecilia raised her hand, looking a bit shocked at the decision. "Orimura-sensei, are you sure that is wise? Aren't the boys a bit too...overqualified for such an exercise?"
Rin, however, merely grinned. "Ha! I don't know about you, but I'm definitely itching for a scrap with them!"
Ichika gulped, and Charles looked at his classmates in confusion.
"Then do your best to overcome them." The former Mondo Grosso Champion shrugged with a nonchalant expression. "Don't think that just because they lack energy shields, they're automatically weaker than an IS. The Astrays have their own tricks up their sleeves that put them on the same level as a 3rd Generation, and they are constantly being upgraded thanks to their mechanic."
The Frenchman walked over to the other male IS pilot, a curious expression on his face. "I've seen the videos about them fighting the rampant test machines online, but I'm curious as to what they're like. Can you tell me more about them?"
"Each group will fight the Astray of their choice." Chifuyu announced with a smug grin on her face. "That means the group leader and the Uchigane will face their chosen opponent. It will be a 2 versus 1, and you better make sure to heed the instruction of your leader!"
"Then my group shall face the Gold Frame!" The British Representative Candidate immediately raised her hand, a competitive flare in her eyes. "I've faced him once before, girls, I'm the most experienced in combating Sir Sahaku. Just follow my instructions and we'll overcome him." The noblewoman humbly bragged as she turned to her group.
Ichika frowned slightly as he cupped his chin, glancing down at the ground to better recall his own memories of the three in battle.
"Sahaku-san is a very formidable fighter, that's for sure." He started, with Charles nodding along. "During the...uh, rampant test machine's attack, his suit is as nimble, if not more so than an IS unit, although it certainly has its limits. That Flight Pack of his tends to overheat quickly due to how much he maneuvers, so if you lead him around long enough, you'll cut his mobility for sure."
Clang!
They turned their heads to see Ryo rub the back of his helmet, the Frame's shoulders shaking in what seemed to be laughter. Ephraim's hand slowly came down, from apparently smacking his friend upside the head.
Ichika narrowed his eyes at the up-armored calves of the Gold Frame, tapping his chin as he spied the telltale ports of thrusters. "But it seems that he'll be far faster this time with that new backpack of his..." Brown eyes glanced at the new backpack and the way the thrusters seemed to move this way and that.
'Those things must be...what was it called...Thrust Vectoring?'
"I think I'll go for the Blue Frame." Rin smirked, quickly equipping the Shenlong. "That thing's got some new fancy armor that I want to baptize! Class 2'll knock you out of the park, blue boy!" Her group cheered with her, the inter-class competitiveness kicking in.
"How about Davion?" The Frenchman asked, to which Ichika hummed to himself.
"Aside from apparently being a heavy weapons guy, I'm just as in the dark as you." He shrugged, glancing at the upgraded Astray. "And with his new look, who knows what he has."
"Then that leaves Dunois' and Orimura's groups." Chifuyu turned to the two boys. "You'll be facing Murakumo. Don't be afraid to go full out, he can take it."
Purple eyes glanced over to the Red Frame, whose hands were still crossed. The cold optics locked on to his with a menacing flicker.
'...Merde.'
AN:
Translate:
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur le livreur!" = "Thank you very much, Mr. Delivery Man!"
"Voici votre livraison! Passe une bonne journée!" = "Here is your delivery! Have a great day!"
This Episode 5 will be a two parter because the entire thing is probably in the 20k word range. The second half of Episode 5 will probably be uploaded either in a few days or next week. The internet is pretty whack in my area, and prior to the publishing of this chapter, it's been 2 days without internet. The whole city was dead and people went out of their homes, crowding streets and parks and...yeah, I was cooped up because of it. Ain't going outside and risking infection cause some dumbass probably cut the cables or something somewhere, causing this surge of people totally ignoring social distancing.
Axccel: Thanks for the review, my guy! You bring up some points that makes one think and I do have an answer (I think?) to some of 'em.
Conventional small arm calibers (such as 9mm or 5.56mm) can't penetrate the shielding of an IS, at least that's what it says in the wiki (which is...very dubious at best but hey, where else am I gonna get info?). The weapons of Charlotte's IS, and what I assume is the standard for the Revive's, are of larger calibers and probably of a higher internal pressure per round. What the Astrays have are in the same level as vehicle mounted weaponry (example being the 35mm Gae Bulg Rail Bazooka and the 50mm Cattus Recoilless Rifle). The 75mm Igelstellungs are downsized here to be 7.62mm, because those 75mm are built for a 17 meter tall giant humanoid mech, not a 7 foot tall power armor-like suit. So far, the only anti-infantry weapons Mobile Suits in SEED that I know of are their CIWS, mainly because of that one scene in Stargazer with the uh...Slaughter Daggers (which I not-so-fondly call 'War Crime Time Machines').
Also, these are Tabane's Golems, which she most likely made to be tougher and stronger than her run of the mill IS'. The Golems themselves have an AI controlling them, and those things have far faster reaction speeds than a standard human. And don't forget that with her knowing of the Neo-Types and having witnessed some of their capabilities, she most definitely spec'd up those Golems even further to contend with the new arrivals.
For the IS' speed and tracking...well, most IS can only go at Subsonic speeds, and at those same speeds our unaided eyes can track them with little difficulty. So far, the only Supersonic IS that I know of are the Silver Gospel and the Akatsubaki, which may require me to further my research (though I doubt I'd be able to find much since the world building and IS lore is really damn scattered). Them standing around...I personally chalk it up to it being anime logic, or arrogance in the whole "they can't possibly touch me if I shoot them enough" line of thought.
The White Knight Incident...yeah, apparently it sliced and diced more than half of the 2341 missiles sent to Japan with a broadsword. Uh...okay...even I'm baffled by that and can't really think of a good way to make it seem logical other than "the 'mysterious hacker' simply controlled and slowed down the missiles enough for the Shirokishi to take them down. Either that, or the Shirokishi simply has far higher specs than the other IS'.
...The world building in this series man, I swear...
This is Cipher, still lamenting my broken FGO log-in streak, signing off...
There's a damn Christmas event going on too...
