Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos.
A/N: This is a revamped chapter, I'm going to be doing the second part sometime soon.
Bored…
That was all Jaden was thinking. He was completely bored out of his mind. He was currently in his living room, flickering through the channels on his tv. His brother was at work, his best friend was unable to visit. So he had no one to talk to.
Suddenly he stopped on the news. There is a boy who can pilot an IS.
"Wow! I never thought a boy couldn't even pilot an IS. What are the chances of that?"
He leaned forward, listening to the news more. They said that he has to attend the IS academy for the next...3 Years!? "Hell no. They couldn't pay me enough money for that. Especially since he's the only guy there for probable miles."
"He's going to get mauled to death by girls," Jaden said. "But, it's nice to see someone else pilot those...death machines." He chuckled.
Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He checked the caller id and immediately recognized the person. "Hello? Carlos, you there?" He said. It was probably someone he knew very well.
"Hey, Jaden. I'm probably not going to be coming in as I usually do. Something...happened at work today."
Jaden grew worried now. Happened at work?! Something happened, and it was bad because of Carlos's tone. "What do you mean by "Something happened". You know I don't like it when you say that."
The caller sighed. He seemed to know this person very well, so well, that they were living together.
"I'm sorry, it's classified. Anyway, did you see the news today? About that boy that can Pilot an IS."
Jaden looked back at the tv. It was on something different now. Too bad he didn't get to watch more of it. "Huh? Y...yeah. That's crazy! Someone besides a girl can use those machines."
"They said it happened when he was attending school. An entrance exam I think."
Jaden then remembered something. It's his first day of high school tomorrow. "Oh, man! Look at the time! I'm sorry, Carlos. I have to go to bed now."
Carlos understood. But he called him for another reason, something he was welding, but not using. "I understand. But, how are you doing with those...abilities.
Jaden stopped everything he was doing. He looked down at his hand. A dark glow surrounds his hand. It's been over 6 years since that incident happened. "It's been going good. I have somewhat of control over it, but no need to worry about it."
Carlos sighed. He knew he was lying, he knew him all his life. He couldn't' fool him, but decided to leave it be. "Alright, I assume you have it under control. See you later, little brother."
With that Carlos hung up the phone. He let out a heavy sigh, turning off the tv, he headed for his room.
6...long...fucking...years. It has been since Jaden had these abilities. He barely remembers what happened that day. All he was told is that he was shot but miraculously survived. Even though he barely remembers the day, he could still recall what happened before it happened.
Flashback, 6 Years ago.
Jaden was 9 years old. He and his older brother, Carlos were heading for the nearest store.
"Big brother, why are we going to the store so late? Could we have just gone this morning, instead you dragged me out here."
Carlos sighed. "You know why. We don't have any ingredients for what I'm about to make for you tomorrow."
Carlos wanted to do something for his little brother. Even though his brother is 9 years old, he does most of the chores. Cooking, cleaning, washing clothes. Well, only his clothes. He despises washing someone else's underwear. Carlos knew this. So, he started washing his clothes.
It wasn't that bad. Except for the fact that you have to get up every few minutes to check on them.
"What are you making for me? You know that you can't cook that well."
Carlos frowned. He hated it when his brother spoke the truth. It is very much true that he can't cook that well, but he tries to deny by trying to cook every now and then.
"Well, I'm not the best cook. But I could try and make you something. After all, it is your birthday tomorrow."
That's why? Jaden was stunned. He completely forgot it was his birthday tomorrow. It's been so long since he even had that thought.
He remembered something. Something that he tried to suppress. His parents. It's been over 2 years since he lost them.
Carlos noticed the distress on his brother's face. He knew why. He didn't want to think about it. It's been a long time since that day.
Carlos stopped walking. He embraced his brother, much to his surprise. "It's okay. I know what you're thinking about, I'm pretty sure they're in a better place now." He almost felt a tear leave his face but prevented it from leaving.
It was hard to get over it. They suffered a bit before a miracle happened. His brother started working. He said that he worked as a factory worker. But, he had his suspicions.
They began walking again, talking about all sorts of stuff. New video games, Friends, Embarrassing moments. It was pretty much a solid conversation. Until suddenly, a massive explosion caught both of their attention.
"What was that?! It sounded like an explosion." Carlos said.
A giant flying object flew from where the explosion was at. The duo immediately cooped in fear. That...thing was destroying buildings, roads, and even damaging a tall building in the process. Its superstructure was able to hold on, but not for long.
People came pouring out from the metal doors, all in terrible pain or fear. The machine suddenly stopped. Everyone staring at the beast, prepared for the worst. Some knew this was probably their last day on earth, some just didn't want to even think about that.
The machine scanned its surroundings. It looked to be an...IS!? Carlos immediately knew what that was. A machine built for combat, destruction, and war. But the question was. Why was one here?
Suddenly a jet flew by. It seems the military was already on the scene. But, they were completely outmatched. They were getting utterly destroyed, they didn't even stand a chance. People took this opportunity to run for their lives. Carlos soon followed, but he didn't feel his brother next to him.
Jaden was too shocked by fear to even move. Carlos went back for him, but there were so many people running away, that he had to move throughout the crowd of people.
Jaden was too fixated on the battle to even hear his brother behind him calling for his name. He stared in fear and...curiosity. He wanted to see how this battle, or brutal beat-down, was going to turn out.
The IS was charging some sort of gun on it's left shoulder. It was the finale between the government vs the unbeatable IS. But before the unit could fire, a helicopter lost it's controlling and crashed into the building the IS damaged a while ago.
The superstructure couldn't hold out anymore. The building collapsed. The unit looked back and it was too late. In its final moments, the unit looked at the crowd of civilians running away. It locked eyes with a child, no older than 10.
It fired a clear, direct shot for Jaden. He finally snapped out of it, noticing something heading his way. He immediately began to run away but it was too late. The bullet impacted Jaden's chest. He coughed out blood, immediately, his legs gave out and he felt his chest hurt a lot.
Carlos watched in sheer shock. His brother, the only family he has left on earth, is...dead.
"J...Jaden." Carlos bulked down. He felt the steam of tears flood his eyes, his vision became blurry, he felt his heart slow down like he couldn't even breathe.
He rushed over to his now 'dead' brother. He checked for a pulse but got nothing. He couldn't hold back his pain anymore and let it all out. The people around them stopped. They held their heads in sorrow.
Suddenly they heard a rubble move. The unit was still alive!? How?! It was crushed under several amounts of rubble. I mean, a building collapsed on it, and it was still operational!?
Everyone began to fear for their lives again. They thought it was destroyed. But, clearly, it was still kicking. Carlos didn't want to move. He felt his entire life shattered. He wanted nothing more than to be with his family in the afterlife.
He felt his brother twitch. He was alive?! He embraced him even tighter. But Jaden didn't respond. Carlos checked for a pulse, it was a very faint one, but alive! Suddenly Jaden woke up, but something was different about him.
Carlos saw something that terrified him. Jaden's eyes. They were glowing red. "What the hell," Carlos muttered. Jaden slowly stood up, much to his older brother's shock. "Jaden?" He didn't say a word.
Jaden slowly walked towards the unit's location. Everyone saw this. This child is crazy! He was just asking for death at this moment. But, that wasn't the case.
The IS managed to escape to the rubble and headed straight for Jaden. Everyone watched in disbelief. This child is about to go and get himself killed.
The unit reached out in an aggressive manner, trying to grip Jaden's body. But, when it tried to grab him, Jaden, without even flinching, smack it away. What?! He just slapped it away like it was nothing.
Jaden wasted no time delivering a punch to the unit's torso. So many cracks on electricity were emitting from this one punch. The crowd watching was stunned. This child, effortlessly, took on the unit, and was winning?!
The IS staggered a bit. Its central components were badly damaged now. So it couldn't use its weapons anymore and had to rely on its fist. But the unit was still having a hard time.
Jaden's speed was like anything anyone has ever seen before. This amount of speed could rival that of a master of self-movement. He didn't even need to think to beat this IS.
Punch after Punch, move after move. This battle didn't seem like it was ending anytime soon. Until Jaden felt that pain again. He wasn't thinking straight, but his instinct told him to end this now.
The IS went for another strike, but Jaden dodged. He maneuvered his way towards the torso of the unit. Something told him to strike there. He retaliated his fist, aiming for his target. Striking the same area as before, the unit shut down.
Jaden looked blankly at the now destroyed IS. His eyes were still red. He suddenly gripped his chest, panting very hard. Until he came to his senses. He noticed the destroyed IS near his feet and felt something painful.
He fell to his feet, still gripping his chest. "Carlos" He cried out for his brother, before completely passing out. Carlos immediately went for his little brother's aid. He checked for another pulse. It was just like before. Very faint.
Carlos noticed the glares coming from all directions. They weren't glaring at him for any bad reason. How could they? They nearly could have been killed today. Sure, some have died today. But, nothing compared to what just happened a few seconds ago.
They witnessed a kid. Single-handedly, completely destroy a IS, without little to no effort.
Of course, nobody saw what Carlos saw when Jaden woke up. So they don't know what really happened.
It didn't matter right now. Carlos needed to get Jaden to a hospital, now. He completely ignored the glares and focused on getting out of there.
A few hours later.
Jaden woke up to a white ceiling. His vision was blurry. He could barely hear anything. He felt his entire body aching. And the worst part, his chest. He felt like something had been clawed into him.
He staggered to turn his head. But that wasn't going to stop him. He mustered all his strength to even manage to look around the room. He spotted a figure sitting down in a nearby chair. He couldn't make out who it was. But, in his heart, he knew it was his brother.
A doctor suddenly walked in. Carlos was delighted and scared to find out what happened to his little brother.
"Alright. I have good news and bad news. What news do you want to hear first?"
Carlos already didn't want to hear any more bad news, but he couldn't stop what the doctors were doing. Bad news or not. He needed to hear some good news, now.
"Good news."
"Okay. The good news is, your brother miraculously survived the attack."
Carlos let out a sigh. Now it's time for the bad news. Is he ready to hear this? He wanted to hear it from the doctor. He didn't want to think about the suffering his brother is going through right now.
"Now it's time for the bad news."
"Correct. Now, before you hear this. This isn't a permanent issue or anything. We're still working on trying to figure out what's wrong with him."
That sentence alone. Terrified Carlos. What does he mean by permanent issue!?
"He has some weird unknown source in his entire body. We don't know what it is, we're having our entire staff working on the solution. But, as of right now. It could be a rare virus we don't know about."
Carlos was begging to lose hope. Rare virus? He's only 9 years old?! And his birthday is tomorrow! What kind of gift from God is this!? Making a child suffer for how long? Years?! Until he dies?!
Carlos looked over at his brother. He could feel the tears began to leave his eyes again. But just like before, he held it in. "Alright, I just need a few minutes with my brother." The doctor understood and left the room. Leaving Carlos to talk to Jaden.
"Jaden. If you can hear me. It's your older brother." Carlos said. He lowered himself next to Jaden's left ear. "The doctor said that you might have a...virus. I don't know if it's life-threatening or anything like that, but we have to have faith."
Carlos felt the tears leave his eyes. "Don't worry, we'll get through this. Like we always did before mom and dad." He could hold back anymore. He began sobbing silently on the side of Jaden's leg.
Jaden couldn't understand what his brother was even saying. But by now, his vision was somewhat back to normal. He could see, but not that clearly. His hearing got a little better but wasn't fully back.
He noticed his brother, sobbing silently on his left side. He couldn't do that much to comfort his older brother. So, he tried his best to move to give his brother a hug.
They'll make it through this...one way or another.
Present time.
Jaden frowned. All those years ago. And he still is kinda clueless on these powers he was granted.
Sure, you think 6 years is long enough for someone to get the hang of having unnatural abilities. Well, you're wrong. It's almost the complete opposite of that. But, he has somewhat of control over them.
He was so much into his thoughts, that he forgot about the time. It was now night. Like Night.
"Jesus. It's completely dark outside. Hope Carlos is safe."
He was standing in his room. He somehow remembered the first time coming back from the hospital. Weird. He barely remembers the day as it is. But, he did see all those years ago it was dubbed. "Rampaging IS massacre"
An event that changed the country of the United States, forever. Maybe that's why they never accepted the IS. They realized the potential of it. A massive killing weapon, capable of doing so many things.
He then saw something. A picture sitting on the edge of his drawer. In this picture, was his family members. His brother, father, and mother. His father in the picture looked to be in his early 30's.
He had straight bluish-black hair and bands down his neck and amber-brown eyes. He could see where he got his looks from. His mother on the other hand. She was a beautiful woman, with medium-long messy hair.
Her hair color was completely black. Her eyes were beautiful, any man she wanted, she could get in a split-second. She had a voluptuous figure. Now, he could see why women is his weakness.
Their names were Scarlett Smith and Ethan Smith.
He smiled at the thought of them watching over him. It's been a hard time for him, he needs some rest for today. Plus, he totally forgot about High school tomorrow.
Jaden woke to the sound of a door closing. Rubbing his eyes, he headed for downstairs.
He made it downstairs, catching a figure in his corner vision. He didn't know who it was. He just woke up. Who would try something like this early in the morning?! He waited, until his instincts told him to dodge.
And dodge he did. The figure completely missed him. He took a good look at his attack and smiled. "You have a lot of nerve, thinking you can sneak up on me like that." He said.
The attacker stood up, rubbing the back of his head. "I almost had you that time, Jaden. You just got lucky."
"Really, Tyler. You completely missed me. I wouldn't say luck helped you there."
Apparently, it was his best friend, Tyler. His only friend he has, besides his brother. He was wearing a white shirt, with some black jeans, and some black and white-laceless Adidas shoes.
"Anyway, ready for our first day at high school?"
Jaden didn't know how to respond. "Oh...yeah. Totally forgot there was school. Wait a minute, how did you get into my house?"
Tyler smiled. Holding up a key, Jaden knew who gave him that. "Carlos," They both said in unison.
"Anyways, we gotta hurry. School starts in about 3 hours."
"Alright. Let me go get dressed."
Jaden left to get dressed. Tyler was just standing there, figuring out what to do while his best friend changed. He played on his phone a bit before seeing Jaden walk down the stairs.
"That was quick."
Jaden was wearing a white checkered jacket with a black undershirt, white shoes, and blue jeans. Tyler admired his friend's clothing choices. He didn't have a bad taste for clothes. But, he does it so easily. Almost as if, he's trying to impress people.
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
Tyler was the first to head out the door. Jaden gave one last look at his house, before closing the door, locking it.
"So, what do you think will happen this time? Do you think any of those people are here?"
"I don't know. I hope not, I don't wanna relive the past." Jaden said.
"I know what you mean, life's pretty hard. Especially after what happened to you. But, all you have to do is keep yourself calm and good things will happen."
Jaden smiled. "Probably."
As they continued to walk to their destination. They saw a huge building. It looked to be a hotel. But, the way it was built didn't make it feel like one. "That's a strange-looking hotel," Tyler noted.
"True."
"Oh yeah. Sorry I wasn't available yesterday."
Jaden squinted. How did he know he needed the company yesterday?
Tyler noticed the glare Jaden was giving him. Sighing, he told him why. "You're my best friend, man. I know you like an open book."
Jaden always knew that. They've been friends since elementary school.
"Anyways, we're here."
Jaden looked up to see, Tyler was right. They were at their location.
"Okay, dude. Let's see if we get the same classes. If we're lucky, we'll probably get all our classes together."
"What are the chances of that? " Jaden said.
"Probably, slim to none. But I won't give up hope."
They got sheets for their classes. And...surprisingly, they got all their class together. Who was assigning these classes?!
"What are the chances of that?! We have all our classes together, without fail. Whoever was assigning these classes was probably high as hell."
"Don't make a scene out of it. Be glad that we have the same class. Imagine we were in different classes, with people we don't know."
Jaden thought hard about that. Tyler had a point. He did want to have his friend in all his classes. Most likely so he has someone to talk to, instead of a random stranger.
Anyways, they had the same classes. Happy story, right? Wrong. It gets way worse than this.
Jaden and Tyler were in their class. It's going normal so far. Until Jaden needed to use the bathroom. He doesn't really know the way to the bathroom, since this is a new school he has been to.
He's been at several schools and transferred out of them for an unknown reason. No one really knows, only Carlos and Tyler know.
He was walking through the halls until he found a random huge door. "What kind of room is this? And why is it so big? This could fit an entire classroom, then some more."
He opened the door and froze. It was dark in there, but he saw something. A single lightbulb, with a machine sitting there. "What is that? Is that a...IS?!"
He slowly walked forward, reaching his hand out for the massive stationery IS. He touched the frame, and a bright blinding light surrounded his hand. He covered his eyes from the sheer light, unable to even process what just happened.
When the light faded. He saw the IS, fully operational, displaying a whole bunch of stuff.
"What is going on? In here."
Several women started walking into the room. What they saw, shocked them to their cores. A boy, touching a IS, and it's responding to him!? They could believe it. Another boy using an IS.
"What the- Another boy?!"
"The IS is responding to him!"
"Quickly! Inform the government about this! We've found another boy who could use an IS." A blonde woman said.
So much was happening in just a few minutes. Jaden kept his mouth shut throughout all of this. Who even are these people? Were they looking for the bathroom too? Anyway, that's not the point.
Another woman accompanied by the blonde woman immediately got on her phone. She speed-dialed the government?! Is that even possible?! "Yes sir, we have found one." there was a brief moment of silence before she nodded.
Jaden considered leaving. But the door was blocked by 4 women. So, it's practically impossible to escape without getting stopped. Unless. Naw, too risky. Plus he doesn't even know how to work the thing.
"Alright. The government wants us to bring him to them."
"I'll take him. You 3 will make sure nobody finds out about this." The same blonde woman said. She seems to be the leader of her group. Cool.
Things surely turned out...awkward.
Jaden and the blonde woman were standing out of his new school. "Could you explain what's going on? I feel like I'm being kidnapped."
"We don't have a lot of time, so I'll explain this carefully."
"I'm sure you've heard about the other boy who can pilot an IS? Well, ever since the IS was introduced. Our country, the United States. Never fully accepted the IS. We've been doing secret research on the IS, even going as far as asking people's opinions, feelings, and what the impact of their daily lives are.
"That's pretty random for y'all to do. Asking people about their experiences about the IS."
The woman gave a glare. Jaden could see how much she just wants him to be quiet. "Alright. I'll be quiet."
"As I was trying to say. We kept it a secret. Until, 6 years ago."
"6 years ago?"
Jaden remembered that phrase. 6 years ago. Could she be probably talking about that day?
"What happened 6 years ago?" Jaden asked.
"An unidentified IS suddenly appeared out of nowhere, destroying everything in its path. The military tried to take it down, but was no match to be able to damage it that much."
Jaden felt something triggered inside his brain. A suppressed memory. It was from that day. He could barely make out what he was looking at. But all of a sudden, a light blinded him and he snapped out of it.
"Until people say a boy took it down."
Another flashback happened for Jaden. This time, he couldn't see anything. Except for a dark figure staring at him, with glowing red eyes. He shortly snapped out of it.
"It sounds completely ridiculous. How could a boy take down an IS?" Jaden asked.
The woman sighed. "I don't know. But, I don't believe it. I don't exactly remember his name, nor his features. But I do know that people described him to be about 9 or 10 years old."
Jaden was hit with another flashback. This time, his vision was clear. He could see an IS in front of him, stationary. 'What is going on?' He asked himself. He couldn't make out the background. But he did see that the IS had an extensive amount of damage done to it.
It made sense now! His unnatural abilities. That abnormal pain in his chest. The memories came flooding back to him. He was so shocked to say the least. It was him! Ever Since that day.
He was so deep into the thought that he didn't notice a black car pulling up to them. The blonde woman gladly walked up the car, knocking on the window.
The window glass rolled down to meet a familiar face. By now, Jaden fully snapped out his thoughts and noticed who was in the driver's seat of that black car. It was from Carlos! What's he doing here?
"...Carlos?!..."
The ride was...silent.
Jaden was still trying to get over the fact that it was him all those years ago. All he was told is that he miraculously survived a shot to his chest. Ant that's when he figured out about his abilities a few days later.
He freaked out on his first day testing them. But, he knew, even at a young age, he wasn't going to fully accept this new life given to him.
"So. Carlos? What are you doing here? I thought you worked at…"
"I know."
Carlos cut him off.
"Sorry I lied to you." He said with a smile. "I had to keep my job secret from you."
"Okay. I have two questions. 1.) Why did you hide your job from me? And 2.) And who is this woman?"
The woman frowned, a tick mark growing on her forehead. "My name is Natalie Johnson."
"Well, that's one of my questions answered."
Carlos let out an exhausting sigh. He knew he had to explain why he lied about his job. But the reason is...complex.
"To protect you."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean by, Protect me?"
Carlos didn't answer that. The reason why he didn't answer is that...they arrived at their destination.
Jaden looked out the window. It was the same building he passed by on his way to school. The features were still the same as he saw them. But, why were they here?
Natalie was the first to exit the car. Walking up to the door, she knocked slightly, before someone slightly opened the door. All Jaden could see was some eyes peeking out at the door.
There were some exchanges of words before Natalie turned around and nodded at the two.
"Alright, let's go."
Jaden was reluctant to follow through. "Where are we at?"
Carlos put his hand on his little brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, this is the place for your...training."
Training?! What kind of training is he talking about?! Torture? Beatings? Things that could possibly be training for him.
'What the hell is going on?! What does he mean by training?'
A good 2 days had gone by. All Jaden could say that it was a a...brief experience.
He was in his room.
He looked down at his hands. He closed his eyes, thinking about the most traumatic experiences he went through. He opened his eyes and it worked! His hands were engulfed in a dark glow of pure black.
He sighed, calming himself down. His hands were back to normal, but his spirit wasn't.
He suddenly heard the door downstairs.
Walking downstairs, he saw 2 people he knew very well. Tyler and his big brother, Carlos. They had some sadden expression on their faces. What's going on? Why are they so sad? Did something happen?
"Why are you two so sad? Did something happen?"
Tyler looked towards his best friend's brother, giving a short nod for a message. Carlos walked up to his little brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You've been enrolled in a...another school this time." He carefully said.
"New school? What are you talking about?"
Tyler, not wanting to take any more of this, walked over and gave his best friend a hug. Jaden blanked out. What was happening? New School? What was he even talking about?
So many things happened in under a short amount of time.
Jaden then remembered something. Something he saw on the news a few days ago. Then it hit him. He has to attend...that place!
"You...don't mean….that place?"
Yup. He was doomed.
Carlos nodded, confirming his suspicions.
Jaden didn't know what to say. He has to leave. In such a very short time, his life has changed, again. He understood, walking up to his room and packing a few things he might need for his long journey.
He came downstairs with a duffle bag he found in his brother's closet. Carlos wondered where that was, but didn't have the time for it. His brother is leaving for a good while, and can't do anything about it.
Jaden gave his family a goodbye hug, before heading towards the door. Carlos stopped him. Handing him some clothes. It was a pure white uniform, with black and red trimmings. He also handed him some shoes and an a...ticket?
Why did he need a ticket?
"For your flight, you need to board," Tyler said.
"Oh, okay. So, ill guess I'll see you guys in a couple of years." Jaden said. Trying not to let the tears take over him, his emotions started running wild.
Both Carlos and Tyler felt the feelings of Jaden's emotions. They don't have unnatural abilities or anything like that. It's just they have a deep connection. Tyler and Jaden have been friends for years, the same goes for his older brother.
Tyler's family is nothing like these guys. His father is an alcoholic, his mother's also the same. He doesn't have any siblings, except for a cousin. But, he doesn't know where nor who that person is. He never met him/her.
He considers Jaden and Carlos as his only family, over his own.
"I wish you, luck bro. I'm gonna miss you" Tyler said.
Jaden smiled, giving a nod and bringing Tyler for another hug. He sure was going to definitely miss these guys.
He finally had the courage to step towards the door. Turning back, he saw his family for the last time. Both of them, having huge smiles and a bit of tear trying to escape their eyes.
"Alright, see you later. I promise I'll call one day."
Closing the door, he immediately regretted it. He's going to be gone for 3 years! Who knows what's going to happen when he's not here. He thought about his brother finally getting a girlfriend. Like he's one to talk.
He pulled out his phone, calling an uber. It took a couple of minutes for the uber to arrive. He told him the location he needed to go and drove off, oblivious of the figure behind a house, staring at him go off.
"So that's Jaden smith? A potential threat I see."
"That was a long drive, but I made it in time."
Jaden stood in front of the airport. He was quite nervous and saddened at the same time.
"This better be worth it."
He walked in and looked all around for his terminal. He was about a couple of minutes early but decided to check to see where he needed to go, in case they called for the last call for his flight.
He eventually found the place he needed to be at, sitting his duffel bag on a nearby chair, he headed towards the bathroom. Well, he did have a long drive from his house to the airport so he needs to go, really bad.
When he returned he found his stuff had been tampered with. He looked through his bag and noticed a strange device there. It looked to be a bracelet. But, he isn't dumb when it comes to unknown things he hasn't seen nor used.
Eventually, he left it there. Hoping that either the janitor or the manager finds it and places it in the lost and found or...something with it.
He boarded his flight. He felt a warm feeling take over him. Like...someone, he knew...was here. Strange. He only felt this way when he's near his friend and brother. Why is he feeling it now?
He thought nothing of it and fell asleep.
Flashback, 8 years ago.
This time, Jaden was 7 years old. He was standing outside a burning building.
His expression was mixed with fear, anger, and sorrow. His house was being burned to the ground.
There were several firefighters trying to contain the fire, but the flames were too strong for normal-hose water to be effective. There were other people walking the street, stopped to see all the commotion.
They watched in horror as a house, which seemingly wasn't dying down anytime soon from the flames, was reduced to a pile of rubble.
Jaden couldn't even process what was happening. One minute, he is asleep, dreaming about what normal kids dream about. Then the next minute, he's scared out of his mind, can't even find his mother nor father.
His brother was the one who brought him outside. He made sure to call the fire department and the police to figure out what happened. He went back inside to find his parents but came up short.
He couldn't find their father. But, their mother. What he saw. Horrified him to the core.
He eventually went outside and found the fire department and police. The police immediately wanted to question what happened. But, Carlos was too shaken to even say a word.
It took some time for Carlos to actually explain what he saw, but he couldn't tell them or explain what set the house on fire.
A few hours had passed. Jaden and Carlos were at a police station. Jaden was sitting in his seat, completely silent. While his brother explained, again what happened.
Then it came for the part about their mother. Carlos held his head down in sadness. He really didn't want to recall what he saw in that house, but he had to.
Jaden, who finally reacted after hearing what his brother said, froze in shock. His mother is...dead.
Jaden felt his vision blurred. His eyes began to water. He tried to hold it in. He wanted to be strong, and not cry like a baby. But, even the strongest people shed tears every so often.
He finally broke down. Crying his heart out. His brother went by his side
The officer walked out of the room, giving the two brothers some room and space to talk.
"It's okay Jaden," Carlos said in a strained voice. He wanted to cry too, but he needed to be strong for his little brother.
"It's okay, they're in a better place now."
That was all Carlos could say before the brother had a moment of silence of hugging each other. Knowing that besides Tyler, they only have each other.
Back to the present time.
Jaden shot up from his slumber. He looked out the window and saw that he was at his destination. Japan.
It took a few minutes for the plane to completely stop. When he finally touched the surface of the airport floor, he released a massive yawn. Some folks stared at him, few didn't care, and some continued.
He heard murmurs and whispers. Apparently, he was now famous. He totally forgot. He was on the news a few days ago. Now he really wishes he hadn't touched that IS.
Suddenly, people started approaching him. The thing was...they were all girls. And his #1 weakness: Women.
He didn't know what to say or do. He was completely surrounded. Seeing no escape, he somehow found an opening and immediately took his chances.
Running outside, he found a particular-black car, sitting there. Out step out a woman. She looked to be in her mid 40's...and already has grey hair? And he thought Japanese women stay young until around their 50's.
Well, he was dead wrong. The woman motioned for him to get in. He was hesitant at first, but when he looked back to see those girls chasing him, he immediately reconsidered.
Getting in the car, they took off. The girls finally reached his last location, sighed in disappointment. They really wanted an autograph or signature from him.
During the drive, it was silent. Jaden didn't even know this woman, let alone her name. He felt some deja vu. "Okay. now that's over with. Who are you? And where are we going?"
The women, without even flinching, stopped the car. "My name is Akira Sato, and I'm the headmaster of the IS academy."
She continued. "And where are we going? You'll see."
"That's not a good answer, but...okay."
Then the rest of the ride was silent, again.
Jaden felt like they were driving for hours. "When are we going to arrive there? Because I'm starting to feel like I've been abducted."
Akira smiled. "You are an impatient young boy. Don't worry, we're just now arriving."
What she said was half correct. They were at a train station. Why the…
Jaden stopped himself. He saw the IS academy. "This place is huge! How do you even get around here!?"
Akira simply ignored his question.
"Take this train, and you'll arrive where you need to be. But, don't be late for your first day."
With that, she left. Leaving Jaden there, still confused on this matter. Does he have to ride a train now?! Guessing from the view it probably won't take long.
He boarded the train, waiting for this day to be over with. But, the train didn't move. He was wondering if anyone was driving this thing. Until another boy walked in.
He was an average boy, with short black hair. He had dark brown eyes and a slim body. Jaden noticed this. He doesn't seem to work-out from his build but could tell he was trained.
He was wearing the uniform his brother gave him. Pure white body, with red and black trimmings, and the same black shoes.
The boy saw Jaden. Walking up to him and catching a seat next to him. Then Jaden noticed. There was nobody else on this train beside them. What are the chances of that?!
"So, you're also attending the IS academy too?" The boy said.
"Um, yeah. My name's Jaden Smith, nice to meet you." Jaden extended a hand towards the unknown boy.
The boy gladly accepted it, shaking his hand in response. "My name's Ichika Orimura, but you can just call me Ichika. If that's okay with you."
"Naw. it's alright, Ichika."
The two took a brief smile at each other. Then Jaden looked out the window to notice. They were finally moving. Jaden, not wanting to feel awkward, needed to start some small talk.
"So. How do you think things will turn out? I mean, we're the only two males who can control an IS."
Ichika took a moment to respond. He never thought of it like that. But, he did know that he won't be alone during these times. "I really don't know. I just hope we won't get mauled to death by girls."
Jaden nodded. "I feel you on that one. Before I got here, I was mauled by girls asking for autographs."
Ichika chuckled on that one. "Looks like the famous life could be rough on you."
"Woah! I'm not famous or anything like that. I hope."
Jaden let out a sigh of relief. He won't be the only one that has to suffer. Yes! He's saved. But, I'm still pissed at the same expression.
"Anyways, how did you activate an IS?" Jaden asked.
Ichika sighed for a moment. "I got lost on my way through the halls of a new school I was supposed to take an entrance exam at. I stumbled upon an empty room with an IS. I touched it and it activated."
"How about you?"
"The same as you. But, I was on my way to the bathroom."
Ichika had a blank stare. "Wow! That's really close."
"Strange. How old are you?" Jaden asked.
"15. How about you?"
"Same."
Jaden and Ichika both smiled again.
"I could tell this friendship is going to another level, very soon."
"I agree with you on that."
"This is way, way, harder than I expected." Jaden and Ichika muttered in unison.
The classroom was packed full of girls. And the worst part is, they're staring at them! Jaden could barely hold on while Ichika was trying his hardest also.
Ichika was in the middle row of the classroom, while Jaden was on his left side. There was this particular girl staring at Ichika like she was begging him to notice her.
Jaden caught on on this. He wondered who this girl was constantly peeking at his new-found friend.
He wasn't going to lie. She was indeed beautiful. She had long brown hair that she kept in a pony-tail with a green and black ribbon supporting it. Dark blue eyes and a slim, curvaceous body with no trace of fat on her and large breasts.
Now that's! A definition of a woman. He glanced at Ichika to see how he was doing. Until a woman walked into the room.
This woman had short green hair matching her eyes. She also wears glasses. Her height didn't match Ichika's or Jaden's, but while she didn't have a height advantage she had a cleavage advantage.
Ichika was sitting right in front of her. Bad choice to sit at if you have a woman problem.
She was also wearing a short-sleeved yellow dress, that was showing a pink bra and knee-high boots. Jaden wondered if she had shame on covering up. He was standing in front of growing teenage boys. Could at least cover up!
"Welcome and congratulations on making it to this school. I'm your first-year and sub-homeroom teacher, Maya Yamada."
Complete silence.
"Um...starting today you are now students of the IS academy. As you know this boarding school. Students are together during and after school hours. So, I hope you all get along together and make the next 3 years enjoyable."
Still, complete silence.
"A-anyways. Moving on introductions. Let's start by numerical order on the class role."
Jaden couldn't believe it. This place is as worst as he thought it was. He and Ichika were getting stared down at like meat. He caught a glimpse of Ichika looking at him. Figuring he was trying to mental or express communication, but he realized he wasn't looking at him, but at that girl, he saw.
He also turned to look at her and she immediately started blushing and turned away.
'Guess she's shy. Couldn't blame her, but she isn't a boy like me and Ichika.'
Then Maya called for Ichika. "Hello, Ichika Orimura~?"
"Umm...here!"
The entire class started to giggle, except for Jaden, and brunette girl and a blonde girl in the back of the class. She had a stoic expression on her face, but Jaden didn't care in the slightest as of right now.
She then asked him to introduce himself. Which he did so, but with a little hesitation. He was facing the front but turned around to get a better view of the class. There, he saw Jaden giving him a nervous expression and the rest of the girls.
Let's just say. They looked extremely focused on him as of right now.
He almost started sweating until he saw Jaden giving a faint smile. He gave one back and swallowed. "Ichika Orimura. Nice to meet you all." He looked around again and the girls were not satisfied with his introduction.
He looked all around again then at Jaden and the brunette girl. The girl looked away, and Jaden nodded his head. Kinda understanding what he meant he took a deep breath and sighed.
"That's all."
Girls started falling from their seats. Jaden...he understood. Too much information could lead to your downfall. Especially when there are girls all around you and one of the only males who could pilot an IS.
"What? Was that bad?"
*Smack* A woman came out of nowhere, clocking Ichika on his head. He nursed his wound before looking back at his attacker. And he froze. "Sis!?" Then another hit received on the same spot.
"I told you to call me Orimura-sensei at school"
Jaden wondered who this woman was. She was a beautiful woman with long black hair that's tied in a ponytail. And her height was almost the same as Maya's, but probably a bit taller. She also had brown eyes.
"Oh, your back?! The meeting is over already?" Maya cheerfully said.
The black-haired woman turned around with a slight smile. "That's right Yamada. Sorry that you have to welcome my class for me." She then looked around the classroom, spotting another boy other than her brother.
"I see you're not done with introductions."
"Well, we were almost done. Until…"
Maya hesitated to finish that sentence. She knows the person she was talking to very well and didn't want to try or go there when it comes to insults.
"No. Continue with the introductions."
Maya did what she was told and kept calling people.
"Okay. Jaden Smith?" Maya looked around.
Jaden sighed. He and Ichika are the only boys in the school. It shouldn't be hard to figure out a boy's name from a girl's name.
Jaden stood up, turning around to face the class. He could mostly tell that the woman who walked in was judging him. All these girls were staring at him. Ichika didn't make it better, since he was also starring, again nursing his wound.
"Um. My name is Jaden Smith…" Then he paused.
Long silence.
He couldn't think of anything else. Plus he has a rule. Anyone, he's close with, he'll tell them some information about him. But since Ichika just became his friend. He might share something.
"That's all."
Just like what Ichika said. Instead, he doesn't receive a punch or some sort of assault done to him.
Maya just held a smile. The rest of the class was even more disappointed. They won't reveal any personal information about their lives. Jaden knew better than to trust people right of the bat unless he had a deep relationship with them or he decided so.
The woman sighed then stepped up to properly greet herself. "Alright, class! I'm your homeroom teacher Orimura-sensei. It's my job to train you and make sure you can stand on your feet in one year."
Then. All hell broke loose for a moment. Girls were screaming and cheering on this woman. Jaden wondered what the fuss was about. But he turned to Ichika. And his face was completely shocked.
He pondered for a bit. So many questions. Well, not really any important questions. Until he heard a slam.
"That's Orimura-sensei Right!?"
"Yes, Orimura-sensei."
What happened was Ichika's sister pinned his head down on his desk. What kind of sister is that!? She deliberately did that on purpose. Jaden felt something towards this woman. Love? No. Fear? No. Anger…
He stood up and grabbed Ichika's sister's hand. The class looked on in shock. They couldn't believe their eyes. Jaden stared down Chifuyu. His glare could break the soul, not even Chifuyu could keep up with his power.
He let go of her hand and walked to sit back down. Ichika was amazed and scared at the same time. Jaden just stood up to Chifuyu...for him. That's a new one.
Jaden couldn't even process what just happened. He acted on his own and protected Ichika. Weird. He only feels this way about family, nobody else. Maya, who was done freaking out, finally had the courage to speak.
"Okay. your syllabus for the next 6 months will be about learning the IS. After that, learning the fundamental basics of the IS for 2 weeks. Everybody ready!?" she gleaned in a cheerful tone.
Jaden could only guess that she's either high on something or really really happy for some reason.
Everyone responded with a "Yes Ma'am" While Ichika was busy pondering to himself and Jaden staring at his desk.
'This is going to be a long boring 3 years.'
Eventually, there was a break for a moment. Everyone was still staring at Jaden and Ichika.
Jaden and Ichika were chatting about getting to know each other more and hoping to see more in the future.
"Anyways, I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I just couldn't sit by while she did that to you."
Ichika sighed. Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's alright. I am used to it."
Jaden was shaken. "For how long?!"
"Ever since I was little."
Welp. that's an extremely strict teacher and sister.
Suddenly, a girl approached them. Again, like the rest. She was indeed beautiful. She had light blue eyes, blonde hair, and a headband on her forehead. Jaden noticed her uniform was very different from the rest of the girls. She had a long skirt instead of a short one.
"Excuse me. Can I have a moment?"