Here we go! Thanks for everyone who supports this story, I never really saw myself actually writing it. Oddly enough, this story hasn't been around as long, and yet it's far more popular than most of my other stories!
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.
The School Beach-trip is underway!
The students and teachers alike are all excited to attend, and start a summer vacation!
But for Thomas, this beach trip will be anything but peaceful.
What starts out as an average trip of good times memories turns to mysteries, potential danger, and suspicion. But at least he gets to do something he never really got too many chances to do before: Have fun with friends!
But why is his dad staying at the same hotel as the IS Academy? Why is Chifuyu making a call to an anonymous receiver? Why is Houki acting so distant? And most importantly, why does everyone try keeping secrets from Thomas?
It's seriously annoying when people pretend nothing is happening, but it's very obvious they're lying!
The trip will not only test Thomas for what he's made of, but leave him wishing he never got out of bed in the morning.
Thomas stared out the window as he sat in the bus.
While everyone else made plans, ideas for activities-some of which included stalking him and Ichika, for some reason.-Thomas was mentally preparing himself, making himself as chaste as he could.
Things would go south so fast if he didn't mentally prepare for the beach.
The thought of very attractive girls in all sorts of swimsuits suddenly crept into his mind.
He was going to get beat up so hard.
Miss Yamada and Chifuyu stared at him while he wasn't paying attention.
"He's seems so lonely," Observed Yamada, "You should give him company. You were childhood friends, after all."
"As if." Said Chifuyu, "The only reason he's not talking is because he wants to be alone."
"Hm?"
"Although Thomas had a habit of acting a little clingy to friends, to the point of putting himself in situations he really didn't operate well in. But there were times he just wanted to be left alone."
"I see."
"Besides. I still have to come up with a proper punishment for totaling an IS Unit."
"Wouldn't something normal be enough?"
"For Thomas, not really. It'd be little more than a minor inconvenience. He's also at the age where he can get extremely annoyed, which can get worse than it sounds. Besides, every time he got punished for something as a kid, he's been able to twist them back and give people a hard time. Besides, he's recently gotten better at annoying people with snarky contradictions, all because he claims people are, 'Too predictable,' when it comes to discipline. If I just hit him, or make him do something like PT, it really won't matter."
"Oh."
"I'll have to be creative to properly discipline him."
"It's so strange. He acts like most sociable boys his age, despite being raised without a mother. Without knowing him, a normal person wouldn't be able to tell."
"Yeah..." Chifuyu trailed off. She then glanced at her phone before writing a quick text to Alex Scott. She then made another text to an unknown number.
"Then again," Observed Chifuyu, "You can argue to best came from the worst."
Ichika finally took notice of his friend's distance.
"Hey, Thomas!"
"Hm?"
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah. It's nothing." Thomas muttered, turning back to the window with a sudden interest.
"What's going on?"
"That car..." Thomas said, pointing out the window at a certain black car. The car was positioned moderately behind the bus, in the next lane over.
"What about it?"
"It's been on the same road with us almost the whole time. I noticed it turn onto the road with us. But it's been maintaining that speed, lane, and distance from us ever since we started on the mainland."
"Weird..."
"And the strangest thing isn't even that."
"What is it?"
"To me, the strangest thing is..." Thomas lowered his voice to a faint whisper.
Ichika opened up his ears, leaning in, as though Thomas was about the reveal a secret of the universe itself.
"The strangest thing is that you haven't picked up on the fact that I've been punking you this whole time."
"Huh!?" Yelped Ichika in surprise.
"Ha! Got eem!" Declared Thomas, his voice filled with triumph, as though he'd just won the Olympics.
"You serious!?"
"I've been messing with this whole time!" Thomas then pointed back to the car, "See? It's shifting into another lane."
"Oh. That was a dirty trick! I'll get you back when we're at the beach!"
"I'll be waiting!"
"Oh yeah? I bet you can't last longer than me in a sauna!"
"Bet I can!"
"You'll never see me coming!"
"Try me! I am the PRANK GOD!"
"Then I'll just get some assistance in pranking you!"
"You couldn't prank me to save your life!"
"I'm gonna prank you so hard, you won't even see your future pranks as real pranks!"
The other passengers, save the driver, Yamada, and Chifuyu, all began to spectate Ichika and Thomas challenging one another with great interest. Chifuyu hid her amusement with disinterest, and an exhausted sigh. Yamada simply blew up her cheeks like a puffer-fish in a desperate attempt to keep herself from laughing, but still gave off a muffled giggle.
Thomas thought to himself, "That was close."
In truth, Thomas hadn't pranked anyone. The supposed "joke" was quite true. The car really had been following them the entire trip so far, and had maintained a relatively uncomfortably close proximity to them.
If it was attackers, they had yet to actually provoke anything.
Thomas just didn't want to ruin the beach trip for anyone.
The bus stopped, and the students all flooded out.
Everyone was ready for a very fun day under the bright, warm sun.
Wow, that was a lot of girls in swimsuits...
Be still, beast of the night." Thomas thought to himself.
The students had all quickly gotten changed into swim-wear. Thomas himself wore a pair of trunks, and a pair of jammers underneath.
He had to be extra-prepared for any unforeseen situations.
Ichika had just gotten out of the changing stall, and saw Thomas facing towards the shore.
"Wait! Thomas isn't paying attention! I've totally got him off-guard!" Ichika noted.
"Ichika thinks he's totally got me off-guard." Thomas observed. Thomas could hear Ichika's movements, and see his classmate's shadow behind him.
This was almost too easy.
Ichika lunged for Thomas as quietly as he could, hoping to jump-scare his childhood friend good.
Suddenly, Thomas spun around, kicking up into a roll, and dodging Ichika's attempt at a prank. Ichika was so distracted by Thomas's lightning-speed reaction, that he didn't realize he was falling flat onto the sandy ground.
He grunted as he flopped.
"You honestly thought a jump-scare was gonna get me?" taunted Thomas, "Jump-scares are but mere basic for a true prankster!"
"Where'd you learn to move like that!?"
"Hm? Oh, I just watched a Spider-Man cartoon, and decided to try it myself."
"Seriously!?"
"Yeah."
All throughout his life, Thomas had the uncanny ability to imitate others' movements. More often than not, this has led him to not only mimic, but eventually flawlessly duplicate several actions with his body. Even is he wasn't able to perfect it, he was still able to perform flashy feats of fictional nature. Alex tried signing him up for things like karate, only to have Thomas eventually quit out of boredom.
He had much required gaming to attend to, anything else would cut into that.
Thomas began an aimless walk on the beach, zoning out while other students all began to play around. Ichika had gone off himself, conversing with classmates. Thomas, however, was currently lost in thought.
From afar, Thomas began to eye Ichika's IS gauntlet.
"Strange," Thought Thomas, "I think I saw that gizmo somewhere before."
Thomas recalled right then what he was thinking of.
It was back in America, it was when Thomas was still around the age of 6 to 8. He'd become quite curious about his mother, and began to conduct a little investigation of his own. He'd sneak around, search every inch, and not tell anyone.
So far, Thomas had searched almost all of the house, and found nothing. The only place he hadn't searched was his dad's room.
One of Thomas's peculiar traits was that he was somehow very good at leading people on. If he didn't tell anyone he was doing anything, if he was never seen doing something, nobody ever suspected him of doing anything.
Young Thomas had burning questions about his heritage. The most he knew about his mysterious mother was that she was a famous IS Pilot. However, every time he asked a question about his mother's personal identity, his father simply refused to give him a straight answer.
The only answer that held any meaning was, "When you're older. I'll tell you when you're old enough to understand."
What kind of crap did he mean? "Old enough to understand?" Understand what!?
Thomas didn't even know his mother's name.
His dad went to work one day during the summer. Nana had things to do, and was unable to come over that day.
This was as good a chance as any.
Thomas raced from the couch and burst into his dad's room.
Time to get searching.
Thomas looked around the room. There was a bed built for one. A bookshelf, and a regular shelf, and a couple sets of drawers. The room came with a closet, which was designed a little too small, obviously built for one person. There was a TV that sat on top of drawers, a gaming console, a chair, a bedside table, and a small desk to tie the room together.
Thomas quickly searched everything, taking care to leave everything exactly as he found it. If even one object was out of the most precise alignment, he risked his investigation being discovered. He rummaged through the desk, bedside table, the TV stand drawers, under the bed, under the desk, behind the TV, under everything else and over everything else.
Thomas had been a childhood fan of Batman, and eventually picked up basic detective skills. Whenever he was in a game of hide and seek, he was able to quickly discover the hiders when he was the seeker. If there was anything to find, Thomas would find it.
All he could find were dad's things.
He found no evidence that there was ever a woman in his father's life. Nothing that would belong to a woman could be found anywhere.
He couldn't even find a photo.
Normally, the love-child of a sports celebrity who never got to meet their parents could simply look up the name, and find them. Thomas, however, didn't know his mother's name, let alone could confirm what she actually looked like.
Thomas stopped searching, disappointed, but not ready to give up.
He still had one place left to look.
The closet.
Who knows? He might even find a skeleton prop lying inside...
Thomas opened the closet door.
He found a metric ton of his dad's clothes, shoes, and a large safe, buried in the furthest back of the closet. The safe was buried by clothes, strung up on hangers.
Jackpot!
This was the only place he had yet to search. If there was any shred of evidence that could help Thomas wrap up one end of this mystery, it was here.
If only he knew the combination!
How could he figure it out? It was a dial lock, he couldn't pick the lock. He determined the lock to be a three-number combination. But how to get past it...
Suddenly, Thomas got an idea.
The boy raced to the kitchen, and grabbed a pair of scissors and a plastic cup. He then cut out the bottom of the cup with one of the scissor blades. The hole was no bigger than his eardrum.
All that time spent watching Burn Notice finally paid off.
Thomas raced back to the safe, and placed the top rim of the plastic cup against the safe. He placed his ear up against the cup as he began to slowly turn the dial. He twisted the dial until he could hear a faint click. He noted the number, and quickly grabbed a pencil and note card to write it down. He then restarted, quickly returning to the magic number, after hearing the click, he then began to slowly turn the dial in the opposite direction than the original. He observed carefully until he finally heard another click. Quickly, Thomas scribbled down the second number in the combination.
Thomas quickly abandoned his process, and raced around the house. By his calculations, his dad would return from work soon. He'd wasted all that time with the rest of the room, and had significantly less time to unlock the safe.
He quick analysis not only proved fortunately fruitless, but very risky. He now had less time to open the safe, trying to check if his dad was near.
Thomas quickly returned to the closet, ready to unlock the safe and finally confirm if he could answer the questions that were on his mind for so long.
Thomas carefully turned the dial to the first number, and picked up the pace while still keeping gentle hands. Thomas heard the click of the second number, and paused. He breathed in, he breathed out. He needed to slow down.
Thomas slowly but surely turned the dial for the third time. His heart began to race, his breathing was becoming sharp and tense, and he became unhealthily anxious. He began to debate with himself on whether or not he should do the deed.
Thomas analyzed the situation.
He had no idea this safe even existed, let alone was present in this very household. His dad did not tell him about it. It was obvious to Thomas right then and there that this safe held something Alexander Scott didn't want his son to see.
If he went through with this, he risked being caught. Besides, the odds that his little gamble actually being successful were dangerously low. He'd most likely not find what he was looking for. In fact, if there really was a secret within the confines of the safe, it was probably for a very good reason it was locked in there to begin with.
However, if he backed out now, he'd still be able to come back later without the risk of being caught. He'd have more time, if he had the patience to wait until tomorrow. But this also posed the risk of tipping his hand too early. His dad would have the time to discover Thomas had been trying to open the safe he obviously didn't tell Thomas about for a reason. If that happened, dad would have the chance to reset the combination, and all the trick he was using now would most likely not yield the same results twice.
Thomas finally reached a verdict; No time like the present.
It was quite obvious that he'd have no better chance than now to find the secrets within the hidden safe.
Thomas twisted the dial further and further, until he finally heard the third and final click.
Thankfully, it was a three-number combination all along.
Thomas threw open the door of the safe, and bore witness to what lied inside.
On the top rack, there was a gun, and a few mags full of bullets. There was a lot of money all neatly stacked. Thomas had expected to see it. There were lots of papers lying scattered on all the racks, papers of all kinds, including newspaper clips, files, even photography paper. However, he didn't expect an old shoe-box, clearly positioned to be obscured from normal view.
Thomas picked up the shoe-box, and slowly opened it up, the tension thicker than frozen butter.
Would he finally have the answers he sought?
Perhaps. Only one way to see.
Thomas pulled off the lid, and gazed upon a very weird object. This left him confused.
The object looked like a crossbreed between an armored gauntlet, and a bulky wristwatch, which covered the entire wrist, judging from the size. It was pure white, and looked far more advanced than an average watch. He grabbed it with a free hand. It felt cold, and was made of metal. Thomas observed the object for a few seconds.
Suddenly, the young boy was hit with a strange sensation that rippled through his body.
It felt like every cell of his body was being tickled heavily all at once. Oddly, his mind suddenly felt bigger, more vast in space. It felt as though the entire Internet was running through his brain in a single second.
Thomas could then hear the sound of the front door being opened. The sudden disturbance snapped Thomas right out of his trance.
"Hey, Tommy!" His dad called, "I'm home!"
Thomas's face flushed white with terror. He quickly put the device back in the box, and shoved it back into the safe, and closed the door as quietly as possible. He then zipped out of the closet, closing the door, and finally burst out of the room before his dad could catch him.
There was bound to be more than some strange gizmo lying in that safe. Perhaps, if Thomas was quicker and opened the safe sooner, he could've had time to examine the rest of the safe's contents.
But it was the last time Thomas would open the safe for a long, long time.
He still had yet to open the safe a second time.
So, why was he thinking of that moment now?
He'd only ever seen the object once, but the memory was simply so vivid. Try as he might, he could never forget every detail of the device. The grooves, the shape, the color, he'd even remembered the style, exact in every detail.
Why did Ichika's IS gauntlet remind him of some random toy he saw years ago?
Perhaps the object he saw wasn't actually a toy?
That's when Thomas began to realize something he'd never before considered.
Was his life truly as it seemed? Thinking back upon that random day, at that random moment, it didn't really seem random. He found no traces of his mother's existence, no belongings, ID, name, or even a picture.
Thinking back, it seemed as though his father was actually trying to whitewash any traces of Thomas's mother.
Thomas then began to recount anything else he might've written off along with the memory.
"Come to think of it," Noted Thomas, "Chifuyu was secretive as well."
Thomas was one of Ichika's childhood friends. He also became good friends with Chifuyu, and found something of a big sister in her. For some reason, she took quite a shine upon Thomas when he was little. But there were times when Chifuyu seemed to act strange.
Whenever Thomas was at some sort of event, he'd sometimes find strange things lying around. Sometimes it would be a hidden camera, other times it would be a person in the distance, and other things seemingly out of place. It was strange, but Thomas eventually reasoned they were just random. After all, it takes all kinds to run a world.
Chifuyu also had a habit of taking lots of pictures of Thomas. Sometimes, she'd shoot photos out of the blue, other times she would give a heads-up she was taking a picture. However, Thomas took notice of the sheer number of photos Chifuyu would take of him specifically.
Thomas had also taken notice that the number of photos she'd take of any other things combined didn't equate to the number of photos she took of him.
It seemed strange at the time, but Thomas chose to ignore it. When he thought about it, it seemed as though Chifuyu was trying to make a whole documentary on Thomas's life.
Thomas then began to think on his whole childhood. Instead of searching for what was supposed there, he began to search for what wasn't. He delved a little, and began to notice strange occurrences that didn't even seem normal then or now.
Thomas then reminded himself, he didn't want to ruin the beach trip.
Time to go mingle.
Thomas strolled up, putting on his best "Game face." He smiled, waved, and brought his incredible vocal talents. To others, he seemed to shine like the sun, with comical arrogance and goofy nature to spare.
Thomas was just facsimileing to not only conceal his true thoughts, but to help maintain his image as well as keep others happy.
There was much more at play, and he wanted to know what kind of game he was playing, and who else was playing it.
Thomas walked through the more popular areas of the beach, playing up as much sociability as he could. That way, he could draw a different kind of attention to himself, the unsuspecting kind. He then saw Ichika applying sun tan-lotion to Cecelia's back.
This had just turned into a very interesting situation.
Ichika was clearly unnerved, seeing as he was making physical contact with a girl.
"Well well, Ichika." Taunted Thomas, "Finally getting the chance to feel up, huh?"
"S-Shut up!" Returned Ichika, flustered from the situation. Although Thomas's jest was in good fun, it still managed to disgust a few people. Thomas, however, chuckled at his own joke, confident in his comedy.
Cecelia suddenly twisted into a sitting position, clearly flustered by Thomas. She then realized her chest was on display, and screamed as she promptly deployed Blue Tears's right arm to smash Ichika right in the head as she wrapped her arm over herself.
She would've smashed Thomas as well, but Thomas narrowly jumped back.
"It's just a joke! I didn't mean anything by it!"
"Hmph! You should know better than to say such things! It's proper for a boy to hold his tongue over something so lewd!"
"Gotcha! You're the boss! Never doing that again!"
Thomas then jogged away to avoid Cecelia's mechanized fist.
After several minutes of walking through some of the woods, he suddenly chanced to see Houki.
"Houki? What're you doing here?"
"Hm!? Oh, it's nothing."
"Uh-huh." Deadpanned Thomas, unconvinced, "You're an awful long way from everyone else."
"I guess."
Thomas instantly could tell something was distracting Houki. She was usually able to respond quickly, and confidently. She was acting quite different from normal, that much was obvious.
But what could possibly make Houki, the woman who's mind was as sharp as her sword?
Thomas weighed the situation in his mind, and took in the possibilities. Her birthday was coming up, it could probably involve her sister, or maybe her Kendo sword broke recently.
The last one had indeed happened before.
"Well, when your ready to rejoin humanity, I think we might be playing volleyball soon."
"Uh-huh."
Thomas would've pursued the topic, but found it best to wait for a better opportunity. If he pressured her, it wouldn't end well for him. He turned to leave.
"Akatsubaki..." Houki whispered.
"Hm?"
"Oh?! It's...It's nothing."
Thomas paused with an unconvinced look on his face, "Alright then."
Thomas not only had a knack for detective skills, but interrogation skills as well. His most effective and used tactic was to simply stare, without speaking, without blinking, without even breaking eye contact.
He got more confessions than a lie detector.
He'd figure things out later. Right now, Thomas decided to check up on the other classmates.
When he returned, he found Cecelia and Shizune dragging Lingyin as she was kicking and screaming back to the hotel.
Thomas walked next to Ichika.
"Mind telling me what happened?"
"Maybe later."
"Fine."
Thomas suddenly blinked, a twinge in the back off his head suddenly turned into a killer headache. He groaned as he place his hand on his head and faced down. His body stumbled, as he momentarily lost balance.
"Woah! Are you okay?! You're debilitated! Too much sun?"
"S'fine." Said Thomas, "Forgot to take my medication yesterday and today, that's all. Just withdrawal symptoms, nothing life-threatening."
"Really?"
"At least I'm not blubbering about like my old autistic self."
"You weren't that bad as a kid."
"I know, jus' feels like I acted like a big jackass way back when. Anyway, headache's gone, see? All good now!"
Thomas then stretched to confirm his statement, and put Ichika at ease. It was then that Thomas remembered Ichika had either forgotten he was trying to prank Thomas, or still trying to prank Thomas.
Either way, Thomas wouldn't be surprised.
Thomas then got that feeling he was being watched. Normally, it'd be easy to say that Ichika was the reason why.
It didn't seem like the case this time, since Ichika had just jogged off to converse with other people.
Thomas suddenly saw something shift in the bushes in his furthest peripheral vision. Thomas began a set of stretches, as though he was limbering up for more activities. However, he was using the stretching as a means of subtly looking around.
Nothing else shifted. Someone was most likely in hiding, and waiting for him to leave. Thomas finished stretching, and looked around the beach. No-one was looking his way, good.
He could investigate.
Thomas carefully entered the trees, and kept his eyes and ears open. He walked calmly, taking good measure to watch the forested floor upon which he walked. He was probably being stupid for not telling anyone about the strange happenings, but felt a gut instinct to keep his observations hidden.
Was he having trust issues?
That's stupid! Why would he have trust issues? He had no reason to...to...doubt anyone.
That was the worst lie of all time.
His dad, and Chifuyu were obviously keeping secrets from him. Was that why he never told them what he was doing? Was it because they'd tell him to stop? Or the chance that they'd lie to him to keep him docile? Was he being paranoid? He had to be! Chifuyu was like a big sister to him! And his dad did his best to raise him right! So why did he feel nothing but doubt?
Was all of this because he never had a mother? That he was never even able to confidently recall anything about her? That he couldn't even find any evidence of her existence? The only two things he knew was that she was an IS Pilot, and that she was an old friend of Chifuyu's.
Those two details were the only evidence he had to go on for nearly 11 years of his life.
He would've requested to look at documents, like his birth records. But he felt that would jeopardize the secrecy of his search.
Thomas walked and walked through the forest. Though he could not confirm nor deny it, he felt that there was someone else here. However, he continued acting as though he did not know any better.
He then came across a clearing.
In the clearing was a very familiar black car. It didn't take a genius to figure out why.
Someone was following them, for whatever reason, he did not know. Thomas focused his eyes, trying to see the inside of the car, as to help deduce what kind of stalker he was dealing with. The glare of the sun, however, obscured the hidden contents of the interior. Thomas lifted his hands, and masked the sunlight, casting a shadow over the car windows. Thus, he was able to glimpse inside.
The interior had an installed computer setup, like a police patrol car. Perhaps the car was an old patrol car. He checked license plates, which the car did not have. He looked at the tires, which were custom-marked, and potentially bulletproofed.
There was some sort of duffel bag-potentially a body bag-in the backseat. The door was locked with a remote key, and could not be lock-picked. Thomas then noticed a strange object in the passenger seat.
It was a book. Although one would guess it could've any book, Thomas tried to narrow it down. Judging by the spine, it was some sort of journalistic book. The cover material was a leather-like substance, with silver plating one the corners. Thomas reasoned his options. It could be a journal, schedule book, a dairy, or even a photo album.
Thomas really wanted to open the car and find some answers. However, no-one leaves this sort of car without doing something to it. He had to assume the driver was a couldn't just break into the car. There were most likely booby traps of some kind. Such as an alarm, a trigger bomb, or other things.
Besides, it could be locked.
Whoever was driving this, terrorist or agent, did not want him opening this car. He had to think smart if he wanted to find things out. Perhaps the owner was watching him as he looked over the car, watching and waiting. Thomas then turned to leave, making one last look at the car as he walked.
Thomas got one last good look at the car, knowing that was most likely the last time he'd ever see it.
He faced forward, on guard in case someone was waiting for him to walk blindly into a trap. Thankfully, he was wrong. No-one was there, nor any traps. Thomas calmly walked back the way he came, both curious and learned.
When he was out of earshot of the clearing, the bushes opposite to his direction shuffled. A costumed woman stepped out of the shadows. She faced Thomas's general direction, as though she was attempting to catch a fleeting glimpse of the young boy.
Her outfit consisted of a padded black and white spandex suit, covered in tactical gear and compact armor plating. Her entire face was obscured by a carbon-fiber tactical mask, her hair, snow-white in color, was tied into a basic bun.
She inhaled, and exhaled with a barely-audible sigh.
She then turned back, disinterested in pursuing, and pulled out her phone.
Thomas slipped back in as though nothing had happened.
"Thomas! Where have you been?"
"Places."
"Where?"
"Taking a stroll through the woods."
"We've been looking for you, y'know!"
"Sorry, I just wanted some alone time."
"To do what? Oh wait! I get it! You are a boy, after all! You must be at that age where you need to release, huh?"
"Release what?"
The question shot the female listeners right through the heart. He was too pure! His innocence had to be protected! He knew nothing of how guys release pent-up stress! They were so blessed to be in the presence of such a saint!
"By the way," Said Thomas, "Anyone drown yet? I hope not."
"Yeah! Rin nearly drowned from getting a cramp! But she was so lucky Ichika dashed right in to save her! I'm so jealous!"
"I see."
"Hey, Thomas!" Called Ichika. Suddenly, a volleyball streaked into Thomas's vision. Reacting with lightning speed, Thomas evaded and caught the ball flying for his head. His movements made him look like an anime hero.
"Who doth dares this trickery?" He demanded, shooting a competitive glare at Ichika.
"Volleyball match, you and me on opposite teams!" Proposed Ichika.
"I see. I will oblige your request! But know that it is you who shall taste defeat, Ignorant Ichika!"
"Bold words, Twit Thomas! But they are empty, right down to the syllable!"
Thomas fired the volleyball back at Ichika, who caught it without even flinching. The girls who spectated the challenging boys could fell the immense, rippling tension emanating from them.
Ichika, currently holding the ball, had a smug, overconfident smile on his face. Thomas had a serious scowl on his face. Their eyes locked. It was then that the girls could tell this wasn't a game...
...It was a war.
Thomas began a march towards Ichika.
"Oh?" Sneered Ichika, "You're approaching? Instead of pulling back and preparing for my serve, you're coming closer?"
"I can't play Rock-Paper-Scissors to get the first serve if I don't come closer." Returned Thomas.
"Then by all means," Encouraged Ichika, "Come closer!"
The two then began to walk towards each other. A tense aura came about them both, as they strutted up to meet their opponent halfway. It looked more epic than it should have been, but the girls weren't about to complain.
Suddenly, Ichika shot the ball right for Thomas, who countered just as abruptly with a simple backhand.
The ball bounced off to the side with enough speed to knock a person down. Thomas and Ichika then took fighting positions, and prepared to play Rock-Paper-Scissors. Suddenly, they started their contest with unrivaled intensity.
"Best two out of three!"
"We're tied!"
"Hah hah!"
"Dammit!"
Ichika had left their pointlessly intense battle victorious, Thomas had left defeated.
"Ha ha! A metaphor for our little game!"
"I'll make you eat those words!"
The girls quickly drew boundaries and set up a volleyball net. Each team was 4 players, with Thomas and Ichika the unwritten captains of both. Ichika's team consisted of Charlotte, Laura, and Kiyoka. Thomas's team was made up from Honne, Yuzu, and Sayuka. The boys stared into each other's eyes, one trying to mentally gain the upper hand by intimidating the other.
Ichika raised his arm, preparing a serve that would end the game the moment it started.
Thomas stepped back, in order to get a full view of his opponent's body. He wanted to see everything, actions, movements, and that eventual tell that would help him discover his foe's one weakness.
"Do your best, Orimura!"
"Kick his butt, Scott!"
Time seemed to slow for Thomas and Ichika as they locked eyes once more. Their fighting spirits were unbending, each with his own set of secret techniques on standby. It felt as though time suddenly stopped as it slowed.
At the same time, they both shed a single droplet of sweat.
The Volleyball Battle had begun.
"I'll end this here and now!" Shouted Ichika, "Take this! FINAL SERVE!"
Ichika was shouting as though he was an Anime Hero announcing his attack move. The ball was sent high into the air, at an angle.
Thomas could see everything, right down to the molecules floating in the air. Ichika was attempting to send the ball too far back for him to return. By serving at an increasing angle, he could easily catch Thomas off-guard, and safely score out of Thomas's reach.
The volleyball didn't have the chance to slip by.
Thomas quickly anticipated and countered accordingly. He jumped into the air, ready to return Ichika's favor in kind.
"Oh!? Alright then! SPIKE MAUL!"
It was then that everyone was spectating realized just what exactly they were watching.
Thomas spiked the ball off his fingers. That way, the ball wouldn't go straight over the net, but arch high over it, back to Ichika's side. Instead of smashing down with the bottom of his fist, like a hammer, he used the angle of his fist to punch up and out.
"I got it!" Said Charlotte. Charlotte dove for the boundary line, and narrowly sent the ball back to Ichika.
"Nice save, Charl!" He cheered as Ichika made a spike of his own. This time, Thomas purposely let the ball slip past, in order to let his teammates actually play the game as well.
The ball flew past Thomas, and straight to Honne. Honne, who had no idea what she was doing, quickly began to panic until she stuck out her arm while cowering in fear. The ball bounced right off her over-sized sleeve and flew to Yuzu. And Yuzu sent the ball sailing over the net and straight to Laura.
Laura was still distracted by Ichika's praise, and ended up getting smashed in the face by the volleyball. She fell back without any struggle.
"He...Said...I'm...Cute..." She muttered, and passed out peacefully. This left Thomas conflicted on whether he should get Laura some medical attention, or bust his guts with laughter and keel over. Either way, Thomas still felt like laughing.
"Hey hey hey!" Called a familiar male voice, "Who brought out the volleyball?"
Thomas and Ichika turned their attention to Maya Yamada, Chifuyu Orimura, and Alexander Scott.
"DAD!?"
"Hey Son!" Declared Alex cheerfully.
"W-What're you doing here?!"
"Chifuyu gave me a text to come along!"
"Seriously?"
"Yup!"
Thomas was dumbfounded. Why was his dad here? His dad wasn't a faculty member! Was he secretly working for the IS Academy or something? Wouldn't it be weird for his dad, who was officially employed, to be hanging out with the IS Academy?
"So, Thomas." Said Alex, "Father-Son team-up?"
"Hey, Ichika," Said Chifuyu, "Sibling duo?"
Thomas and Ichika were going to have the best volleyball game ever.
"Join me, father!" Thomas belted out, "And together, we will crush the Orimuras!"
"Good thing you're in on this, son!" Confessed Alex, "I don't wanna lose another bet to Chifuyu!"
"Alright then, little brother." Said Chifuyu, "When we're done with them, they're gonna wish they were never born!"
The two adults then took their respected places as the game switched from 4v4 to 2v2. The girls quickly understood what was happening, and didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.
They found it safer to spectate, rather than get destroyed by the volleyball.
The spectators were all in awe, as the battle between families ensued.
Chifuyu served, firing the volleyball like a cannon. Alex jumped up and bumped the ball to Thomas, who raced up and spiked the ball over the net. Ichika managed to save the ball, and return it back over.
It was nearly impossible for one team to gain a point.
It took them almost all daylight.
Eventually, Alex and Chifuyu wound up wearing themselves out, being even more competitive than the students. Alex wound up toppling over, out of breath. Chifuyu fell to her knees, panting with an audible wheeze in her voice. However, Thomas and Ichika still found the strength to press onward.
After what seemed like hours of an enticing fight, the scores were still 0 to 0.
During a time-out, everyone had taken a unanimous vote that whoever made a single point would be declared the winner.
Ichika and Thomas were both tired out, but not ready to give up.
The ball was handed off to Ichika to serve, and begin the final round.
"It's over, Thomas!" Said Ichika, "I have the serve!"
Thomas, with a determined look on his face, said, "You underestimate my power!"
"POWER SERVE!"
Ichika fired the volleyball, not aiming to move past Thomas, but rather to knock him down. If he could get Thomas down, the point would be his!
Time slowed to a standstill as Thomas calculated.
The ball was traveling right for his face. Any normal person would do everything to protect their face. There wasn't enough time to evade, or even counter. At best case scenario, he'd come out with a head injury. He needed to hit the ball back head-on.
After all, Thomas was far from being any normal person.
Thomas, instead of bringing up his arms, pushed his head forward.
The crowd was in awe of his stunt. For none of them saw it coming. Alex smirked, Chifuyu's eyes bulged.
The ball struck Thomas straight on the top of his forehead. The impact sent the volleyball flying back over the net. Thomas wound up falling backwards, shocked and dazed. He quickly recovered, and regained balance before he fell.
Ichika was stunned, and nearly let the ball slip past him.
Thomas's vision was a little fuzzy, still reeling from the devastating blow from before.
"That does it! I'm going to finish this with my ultimate volleyball technique!" Shouted Ichika.
Thomas braced himself.
"Ultimate move! METEOR MISSILE!"
Ichika spiked the ball harder than ever before. If it were a volleyball anime, the ball would've been set ablaze by such power and speed. The audience all watched in suspense, waiting for the end to come.
Thomas, however, was unfazed.
"That's your best?" He sneered. The young boy then pointed his arms to the right, "Try mine!"
The ball came within range, and Thomas countered.
"Ultimate counter!" He belted out with immense pride, "COUNTER DAB!"
Suddenly, Thomas swung his arms to the left, facing a lower angle. Thomas's fingertips struck the ball's bottom, and the projectile higher than ever before. As Thomas moved his arms even further left, it seemed as though the ball would reach the sky!
As the ball began to slow its descent, Thomas struck a dab.
Finally, the ball hit the arch, and came back down to Earth.
Ichika kept his eyes on the ball, ready to counter. However, he was unable to receive the ball with his hands, but rather was struck in the head. Being struck at such an angle caused the boy to fall on his back, dazed and confused.
Gravity had pulled the ball and made it hit harder. Unlike Ichika, Thomas was much better at keeping balance, and was able to stay on his feet during recovery. He was also hitting the ball head-on, and at an angle where the risk of falling was much less and issue. Ichika wasn't so lucky, being struck directly from above, and fell.
Thomas got the point, and won the game.
"Lemme guess." Taunted Thomas, "'How did you pull it off?'"
"How did you-!" Ichika groaned, quickly realizing the reference.
"No fair!" He followed up.
"I'm not gonna lie; I was only thinking of keeping the ball off the ground. It was pure chance that smashing the ball face-first was gonna win the game."
"That...Blows..." Ichika mumbled.
"Eat it!" Declared Thomas, acknowledging his victory.
The students all changed into robes, provided by the hotel, and prepared to eat dinner.
Thomas quickly noted the image of the students, and found several oddities.
1, Chifuyu was missing.
2, Houki was missing.
3, His dad was supervising.
Thomas still had not gotten over his dad supposedly being here on the off-chance Chifuyu had invited him. It was quite telling, and insightful to Thomas. If Chifuyu called in Alex, then could she have called in the Black Car driver?
Mysteries were abundant. The only reason Thomas wasn't diving headfirst into the was because he was receiving constant attention from all manner of girls. Some were lustful, others in awe, curiosity, and many more.
It wasn't bad, quite the opposite. Thomas just wanted to do some old-fashioned snooping.
"Excuse me." He lied, "I gotta use the bathroom!"
He then jumped to his feet, and raced out of the room.
Clean getaway.
Thomas's face changed from happy-go-lucky to inquisitive somber. He slowed down, and began to walk quietly through the halls when he knew he was out of sight from public eyes.
He opened his ears, and listened.
He heard hushed whispers. The kind that a person makes when they want to talk in private. Thomas followed the quiet sounds to their source, slowly. If he rushed, he'd be heard, and his cover would be blown to kingdom come.
Strange, the average person wouldn't be as aware as Thomas was. He had the strange knack of finding anything, by sound, sight, or smell. He usually played it off as him exaggerating himself, but there were times that simply weren't the case.
"You're here?"
Thomas instantly identified the speaker. It was Chifuyu, talking with someone. When there was no response from another person, Thomas figured she was on the phone.
"He's bound to find you."
Who's "He?"
"He already found what?! This is too risky!"
Theories began to form in Thomas's mind as he listened further. He held his breath calmly. If he tried to suppress breathing, he'd only have so much air time before he breathed, any generated noise.
"He's already had enough of that to last several lifetimes!"
Again, who's "He?" And enough of what?
"I'm sorry...I just...Feel like we're treading on thin ice right now."
What for? A poorly-executed task of some sort?
"I'm doing everything I can, you know that. It's just..."
Just what?
"Yeah. He is. A little too much if you ask me."
Who?
After a few seconds of silence, presumably since the caller was making a long speech to Chifuyu for whatever, She finally left the call with something most intriguing.
"I'll do what I can. But your proximity is bound to get you caught. He doesn't know what we're doing, and if you get caught, it's going to backfire. However, if we tell him now, I can bet that the outcome will be the same. Good luck, he's bound to see you one time or another."
Thomas began to string along all of his details.
Chifuyu and Mystery Person were doing a secret operation. They were also being handled by this "He" character. They were currently doing something "He" didn't like, and are trying to keep it secret from him. Currently, the Mystery Person was also in the area, most likely, the person had followed the IS Academy to the beach.
At least, he now knew the car belonged to someone who had greater potential of ally than foe.
Thomas backed away, doing his best to make sure Chifuyu wasn't about to see him, and there was no-one tailing him.
Thomas returned to the dining hall, and quickly finished dinner.
He then changed into casual apparel, consisting of a camo jacket, long-sleeve shirt, and gray shorts. He left the hotel to take a stroll under the night sky. He needed time alone to think.
He walked, and walked. His trip had taken all the way to a cliff nearby. He stood in the chilly, summer night. He eyed the horizon, brooding. His mind weighed heavily with the hidden events of the day. He was just happy he didn't ruin anyone's vacation. However...
...He was being watched.
"I don't know who you are," He started, "I don't know what you want. But, I know you're working with Chifuyu. I found your car, and got a look inside from the outside. I want to talk to you, so..."
He turned around. He blinked. The nanoseconds before he blinked, he could've sworn he saw someone lurking in the shadows. He saw no signs of a living thing after he blinked. Perhaps he was paranoid, or crazy.
"...Never mind."
He felt so blessed there was no-one else around. That would've been very awkward.
She zipped through the dark forest, hyperventilating.
That was too close.
When she figured she was a safe distance away, she propped herself up against a tree as she caught her breath. For such a young boy, he was already quite well-skilled in several ways.
Chifuyu was right, she was getting too close to endangering the mission, and other things.
She hated it. She hated not being able to come close. It was the worst thing for her to ever feel.
When it was all over, she could finally come back.
But now? She had a job to do.
It was for his safety, after all.
A/N: Done! Wow, this chapter is actually a bit longer than the normal.
I just wanted to take this time to apologize, since I promised Thomas getting an IS in the previous chapter. There was so much I wanted to do with this chapter, I feel that it's best if Thomas gets his personal unit next chapter.
I got a question on what I decided Thomas would get as his personal unit. I'm going to apologize now if my decision is a little disappointing, but I decided to go with something that could be a little overused.
Thomas's Personal IS Unit is a Custom Rafale-Revive. The IS Unit has been modified, so it can keep up with Thomas in combat. However, it still retains the color scheme of the Basic Rafale-Revive. It's overwhelming arsenal is similar the Charlotte's Revive.
For those of you who are disappointed in my choices, don't despair! The Revive isn't the only IS Unit Thomas is going to receive...
In time, he will pilot one, maybe even more IS Units other than the Revive. Only time will tell.
The reason I chose the Rafale-Revive is because it's my favorite IS Unit. I'll explain why that is next time!
Edit: I got a message that I fudged up the names of the girls in the volleyball teams, I quickly fixed that, enjoy.
But who was that mysterious woman? Was she really working with Chifuyu? Why is Alex suddenly appearing out of nowhere? What was the strange device Thomas found in that safe as a kid?
There's shadowy forces at play, and Thomas is about to be put through a dangerous gauntlet to find answers.
Next Time: The Worst Summer Ever, Part 2.
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