I'm going to make an apology, I was originally going to make a small series of chapters set to be filler, starting with an MMO Game chapter, but I eventually decide to put those filler chapters on hold, so I can further advance the plot. Eventually, when I reach a writer's block, I'll consider putting up those filler chapters to help pass the time.
There's actually a new introduction this chapter, and who it is might surprise you...
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.
Summer passes by, and everyone enjoys the memories they made.
The girls have gotten more acquainted with both Thomas and Ichika, had wonderful little adventures, and discovered more about the boys than they thought they would.
It's nearing the end of summer, and Laura goes to Ichika with a proposal for Ichika...
Ichika laid back in water.
Where was he?
From the looks of it, he was laying in a liquid so reflective, it was like a complete mirror of the sunny sky, with a scarce amount of trees placed randomly.
Why was he here?
Did he die? What happened? What series of events brought Ichika to this strange place?
He didn't remember dying.
The memories began to flow freely back to Ichika as he recollected.
The enemy's IS evaded the girls with utmost ease.
Lingyin continued to fire with her Shock Cannons, but was unable to hit the Black Knight.
Charlotte deployed both PDWs, and quickly assisted Lingyin.
Laura did her best to do the same.
Houki laid by Ichika's side, trying to provide power to the Byakushki.
"Ichika..." She whispered, with tears in her eyes.
Thomas was nowhere in sight.
What happened to him?
Ichika quickly sat up.
He had to find Thomas!
The boy turned around, only to find what appeared to be Thomas, towering over him in his Revive.
Oddly enough, Thomas actually had the Revive's tactical helmet on.
"Thomas-?!"
Suddenly, the Revive sent out a pulse, and the lovely blue sky had began to turn to a purple night.
Thomas's Revive began to change color as well, turning from green to a shadowy black. A dark aura emanated from the now-obscured Thomas, his eyes became to beady crimson dots.
It was Ichika's nightmare.
Without warning, Thomas lashed out at Ichika, wringing him by his neck and effortlessly picking him up with one arm. The boy's grip tightened, which confirmed Ichika's worst fear.
Thomas was now killing him.
"Don't struggle...It makes me hate you even more." Thomas's voice had distorted to a raspy, terrifying hiss.
Ichika kicked and fought hard, but was trying to win a losing battle.
Thomas tightened his grip further.
"You left me behind!" Thomas snapped, his hiss turning to a hateful emphasis.
"W-What...?" Ichika spat.
"We were kids! I promised to never leave you behind! But you went and left ME behind! You never included me with everyone else! You all just fucked off and did your own thing! We were friends! They never cared for me like they did for you, and you forgot all about me! In fact, I can fucking count all the times where they forgot I was even there! Do you have any idea what it's like?! Despite being far worse off, always being on the last of everyone's priorities!"
"I'm...sorry..."
"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!" Roared Thomas as he brought in his other hand, and further strangled Ichika.
"I've struggled all my life! Being tormented for dreaming too big, suffering because I never had the comforts of having a whole family! Everyone lied to me! I'm so fucking sick of being left out to dry with no-one else! I'm jealous of you, dammit!"
"I didn't..."
"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Ichika struggled.
He fought as hard as he could.
But it was all for naught.
Ichika's eyes shot open with panic.
What sort of nightmare was that?!
Ichika slowly recollected himself.
Would Thomas really be capable of doing such things in real life, like in that nightmare? Did Thomas really feel that way?
Ichika looked to the window, seeing the bright summer morning. He'd recently gone back to the IS Academy, seeing as summer vacation was nearly over. He and Thomas had fun bunking at the house, but now was the time to get himself back into his routine at school.
Out of nowhere, a girl's leg landed right on his face.
He shoved the leg off, only to have it come back and kick the side of his head.
"What the-?!" Ichika started as he finally sat up.
There was a girl wrapping herself in his blanket.
There was only one girl Ichika knew who'd be willing to do such a thing.
Laura's head raised up on the other side of the bed.
"Ish it morning now?" She yawned.
"Laura?!" Cried Ichika, "You again?!"
Laura giggled mischievously as she stood up, wrapping the blanket around her like a cloak.
"But zis time..."
Laura threw off the blanket, and Ichika covered his eyes before he saw anything.
Ichika slowly opened his eyes to make sure.
"...I'm not naked!"
True enough, Laura was wearing her school-issue swimsuit.
"The heck're you wearing that for?"
"Do you like? My XO gave me the recommendation!" Laura declared as she displayed herself pridefully.
"If I were you, I'd fire that XO..." Muttered Ichika.
Ichika looked to his left, only to find that there was no trace of Thomas in sight.
"Shoot," Thought Ichika, "I could really use a hand here..."
"Now," Said Laura, "I'll share zhe reason I've voken you up zis morning."
She pulled a folded paper out from behind the chest of her swimsuit.
"Look!" She encouraged.
Ichika unfolded the paper, and looked at what Laura was so eager about.
"An End of the Summer Festival? For your dating pleasure?" Muttered Ichika as though he were disinterested.
Laura began to worry.
"Hey wait!" Said Ichika, "Is this at that new waterpark that opened up this year? I've been wanting to go for a while!"
"Really? You really want to go?"
"Yeah!"
"Oh sweet! You can even rent a Yukata at the festival square!"
"I vould love to vhere a Yukata...together vith you~!" Swooned Laura.
"Then let's get the gang together and-?!"
Laura quickly lodged a combat knife into the wall next to Ichika's head.
"Hmph!" Pouted Laura as she marched right out of the room.
"Why'd she get so mad all of the sudden?" Ichika mumbled.
Thomas, who'd just returned to the Academy, and was moving his things back to the room he and Ichika shared, had felt as though he'd just seen everything.
He witnessed Laura stomping out of his room in her swimsuit.
Thomas sighed as he moved aside to let Laura pass, and walked into the room.
"Let me take a wild guess." He said to Ichika, "Laura came to you with a plan for an activity together, and when you wanted to bring everyone along, she stuck the knife in the wall and left."
"Yeah...How'd you know?"
"Believe me," Groaned Thomas, "You won't understand."
Thomas set down a bag.
"Just letting you know now," Explained Thomas, "I'm going to move the Star Convoy stuff into the room soon, so I apologize in advance if it gets a little crowded in here. I want to dust it off as soon as possible."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know."
"Your plans today?"
"I'm gonna go around and get the others, I have an idea for tomorrow!"
"Fine then, I'm gonna take a break and actually look at my Revive's data."
"What for?"
"Something weird happened during the whole Gospel Incident." Said Thomas, "Besides, I think it's best if I actually take a solid look at the data, so I'm not pulling things outta my ass like that fight with Cecelia and Laura. Which reminds me...still gotta get that rematch..."
Thomas had begun to rummage through his haul as he started unpacking.
Ichika put on his uniform, and set out for the day.
Thomas had just finished putting away his clothes before he sat down on his bed.
Time to start reviewing that data.
Thomas clasped the Revive pendant hanging from his neck.
He then pulled up a holographic screen, with a dossier of his Revive.
He decided to start with the different Shifts.
Thomas briefly scrolled the list, finding names that quickly snatched his interest.
He found labels such as: The Pursuit Shift, the Compact Shift, the EVA Shift, the Stealth Shift, and the Close-Quarters Shift.
So far, those were the names he actually read.
What if he decided to try them out?
Thomas smirked. There'd be no way he'd be able to deploy his IS in the dorms without breaking things. The arena itself was too far away for Thomas to feel motivated to actually go there and test out his Shifts.
Thomas opened the door to the room's balcony.
He could test out the Shifts on the way to the arena.
Thomas climbed over the railing, and jumped off.
"Deploy! Compact Shift!" He said.
Suddenly, his Revive deployed. However, instead of the default 1st Shift, the Revive that Thomas received was far smaller than the actual, full-sized Unit. Thomas flew up to the roof of the dorm rooms, and examined his Unit.
It was no bigger than an average Iron Man suit.
"Sweet!" He said to himself.
The Compact Shift was designed to increase agility, reduce the risk of being targeted, and allow for the pilot to more in much more enclosed spaces. Although this meant that some of the weapons were locked, due to the Unit's small size being unable to deploy such a large device.
Thomas launched, and flew for the arena.
"Pursuit Shift!"
The IS changed once again. This time, the Unit shifted back to it's large size, but unlike the Default Shift, there were more thrusters built onto the IS frame. The wings were gone, replaced with three thrusters and two missile racks on the back. There were two smaller thrusters around Thomas's midsection.
The Pursuit Shift, despite the notion that it was similar to the Hypervelocity Shift, was actually very different. The Pursuit Shift was designed so the Unit had more maneuverability control, and was built to chase down targets. The extra thrusters were added for quick movements, such as dodging.
Thomas chuckled, it reminded him of the Batmobile from Batman: Arkham Knight.
Thomas noticed that the Pursuit Shift was also designed to move faster over time, allowing for quicker travel in a straight line. But now that he'd started experimenting with Unit, what could he do to prove what the Unit was capable of?
He then noticed a white car, Ichika, and Cecelia.
Thomas grinned from ear-to-ear.
He knew exactly what he was going to do.
"Ichika darling! How wonderful to see you!" Cecelia greeted.
She imagined the reason why Ichika would come all the way from his dorm just to greet her upon her return.
Ichika held a bouquet of lovely roses.
"Cecelia! My love!" He cried out in joy, "I just couldn't sit still, waiting for you to return to me!"
He then embraced Cecelia, and quickly began to play with her.
"No Ichika, please!" Cecelia pleaded happily, "We can't do that here!"
"Cecelia? Cecelia?" Ichika waved his hand over her face to get the heiress's attention.
"Everything okay?"
"I'm splendid! Just a bit dizzy, no need to get frantic."
"Well alright then." Ichika said.
He pulled out a paper.
"By the way," He asked, "Would you like to go here with me tomorrow?"
Cecelia took the paper and looked over carefully.
"Oh my word!" She cheered, "You're asking me out? Of course, darling! I, Cecelia, Alcott, will make all the necessary preparations!"
Thomas was in the Compact Shift, hiding in the bushes nearby, watching the entire scene.
He was doing his best not to laugh, knowing full well the truth of the situation.
Thomas knew he was going to die of laughter tomorrow.
Thomas decided to move on, and go to the cafeteria.
He picked up a bowl of ramen, as a light snack, and came across Laura and Charlotte.
He quickly noticed Laura's face. She was distracted, most likely a little sad about her attempt early that morning. Charlotte smiled and waved to Thomas, he waved back, and Charlotte scoot further into the booth, allowing Thomas a space to sit down.
"You look down, what's eatin' at you?" Said Thomas, and he sat down at the booth.
"Nothing." Said Laura.
Thomas gave her a blank stare, knowing she was lying.
"Oh! I have an idea!" Suggested Charlotte, "How about we go buy some new clothes if either of you have time today?"
Thomas turned.
"Never expected you inviting me on a shopping trip."
"Well, you're here, no? Might as well."
"Vhat are you talking about?" Said Laura, confused, "The German Military provides me vith all of my clothes."
"But Laura," Corrected Charlotte, "That's just a military uniform! Summer is almost over, why not come along?"
"Vell," Said Laura, "I suppose you're right."
"Great! How about we leave around 10?"
"O-okay then..." Muttered Laura, realizing what she'd agreed to.
Thomas, considering the pros and cons of coming along, decided to finish his bowl quickly. He took the bowl and drank the ramen, broth, contents, noodles and all straight down.
In the process, he both amazed and disgusted the girls.
"Vhat do you think?! Zhis is my Going-Out attire!" Presented Laura with pride.
Laura simply changed from her military uniform, to her school uniform.
The only difference to Thomas was the color.
"That's just your school uniform!" Teased Charlotte.
The trio then heard a group of girls talking amongst themselves.
"Did you hear the rumor? The one about the crepe stand at the seaside park?"
"Yeah! I heard if you eat a mixed berries crepe with your crush, you'll fall in love with them!"
"Same! But I heard they're always sold out..."
Thomas shrugged off the rumor, Charlotte and Laura listened intently.
Thomas took notice.
"Heh, young and impressionable. Bunch a' lovable idiots." Thought Thomas.
The train arrived, and Thomas had to usher Charlotte and Laura into the train car to make sure they didn't miss the train.
A few minutes later on the train...
Thomas had plugged in his earbuds, and began to listen to his Jojo playlist.
Currently, he was bopping his head to Great Days.
Had the young boy been paying more attention, he would've taken a trip down memory lane.
There was another passenger with them in the same train car. She had snow white hair tied into a long ponytail. She had big, lovely crimson eyes. She was sitting in the corner of the train car, sneaking glances at Thomas, unbeknownst to the girls.
Thomas barely noticed her out of the corner of his eye.
He would've gone to her. Asked her the one question, "Are you my mother?"
But he didn't.
Thomas, despite the burning desire to find his mother's face, refused to let the urge consume him.
Besides, he'd never gotten close before...
...What if he was wrong?
Thomas's urge to talk to the stranger kept building, however.
This chance was one in a million. The similarities were just uncanny.
He gave in.
Thomas paused his music, pulled out his earbuds, and put them away. He stood up, and went to the end of the train car, and sat down in front of the woman. Laura and Charlotte were both confused by Thomas's sudden shift in behavior.
"Pardon me," Said Thomas, "It's just...you remind me of this one woman I saw once."
"Hm?! Oh, I see." Said the woman.
Thomas got a better look at the woman.
Judging by her looks, she was no older than early twenties. Thomas remembered that dream vividly, and memorized his concept of his mother to the exact detail. However, there were a few facial differences between this woman and that image.
"Sorry," He apologized, "I'm probably pretty weird right now."
"It's fine! Absolutely fine!" Said the woman.
"You work at the IS Academy?"
"No, I was just visiting a family member."
"How are they?"
"Looks to me like they've grown a lot since I last saw them. And that was a few weeks ago!"
"Wow, she must be incredible then."
"Yeah...'she' is."
Thomas quickly caught onto the pause.
The woman wasn't telling him something.
"So...What's your name, miss?"
"I'm Kana. I'm so happy I finally got to meet you!"
"...Why?"
"Well, I mean, you look like you're one of the two boys who can pilot an IS! I always knew that they'd look so cute, but you're simply adorable!"
"I've gotten that a lot. Alongside being called 'Muscular Tedddy Bear.'"
"Really?!"
"Yeah."
"Um...I know this may seem weird..."
"What?"
"Can I shake your hand?"
"Sure..."
Thomas shook hands with Kana. Kana absolutely enjoyed herself, as though she was getting...a little aroused. Laura and Charlotte watched quietly, interested, confused, and a little off-put.
It seemed as though Kana was swooning over Thomas giving her the time of day.
When the trio reached their destination, Kana waved them off profusely.
Thomas had a very bad gut feeling.
He only hoped that was the last time he'd have that.
The trio went all the way to a shopping mall.
Currently, Thomas accompanied Charlotte and Laura to a female clothing store.
Thomas didn't see anything wrong with it.
And yet, he kept receiving stares as he was in the store.
"Is he a pervert?"
"I don't think so, he looks like a cutie."
"Maybe he's one of those cute guys who gets lost?"
"Knock it off! He's probably just helping the platinum and the blonde."
"Oh my," Said a clerk, "a platinum and a blonde...I mean, would you like to try on some items from our newest collection?"
The clerk gestured to some of the items on display.
"Looks a little scanty to me, your thoughts, Charlotte?" Said Thomas.
"Oui," Agreed Charlotte, "It looks so thin you can see what's underneath. Laura, what do you think?"
"Vell, I..."
Laura was fumbling for words.
Charlotte and the clerk were grabbing pieces off the racks, Thomas was looking them over and nodding his head in approval for each piece. As Laura turned her attention inward, she didn't notice what the others were up to.
She turned around, and saw the clerk and Charlotte with clothes in hand.
"Try these on!" Encouraged Charlotte.
"I...think it vould be a bother..."
"You don't have a choice in the matter!" Thomas said with a terrifyingly gleeful expression.
Laura pouted, knowing she was trapped, and gave in.
She went into the changing stall.
After a few minutes, she popped her head out.
"Well?" Said Charlotte, "Did you try it on?"
"I..." Mumbled Laura, her face covered in blush, "I'd like to vear something...cuter."
Laura and Thomas looked to each other, and perked up with mischievous grins.
Minutes later...
Laura opened the curtain to the dressing stall.
She wore a very cute black dress, with a short skirt and white frills as a trim.
"Perfecto..." Judged Thomas.
"Oui! How lovely!" Agreed Charlotte, as she pulled out a shoebox, "And now for the icing on the cake!"
Inside were a pair of high heels that matched the dress.
"Shoes as vell? You've zhought of everything..." Marveled Laura.
"Try them on!" Urged Charlotte.
Laura carefully put on the high heels. She wasn't used to wearing such apparel. Although she certainly felt taller, she nearly immediately fell over while standing still. Her balance was reduced greatly by wearing the high heels.
Thomas could she her legs tremble as she tried to stand straight.
Laura took her first step in high heels...
...Only to have her legs instantly buckle, and cause her to fall.
Thomas moved without thinking, almost as though he was faster than time itself. As Laura stumbled forward, Thomas quickly caught her by her arms, providing ample support for Laura to safely fall on her knees, and regain stability.
"Well," Reconsidered Thomas, "High heels actually shorten the Achilles Tendons, so it's best if we practice a little before you go running around. For now, a good tip would be to find the flat of the shoes, and try to land each step on the flat."
Thomas helped Laura to her feet.
Other patrons watched from a distance. They didn't see Thomas just doing something nice. To them, Thomas was aglow, like a bright sun. He seemed so kind and cute, and yet he still had a hint of masculinity about him.
What they saw was a humble prince helping a maiden in a time of need.
At least, they envisioned it.
Thomas looked to his right, only to find the flashes of cameras.
Ichika was definitely not going to let him live this one down.
"We should go." Suggested Thomas.
"Oui! Let's...take a look at some men's clothing stores!"
"Jah Whol." Mumbled Laura.
The trio ended up agreeing on a maid cafe.
Laura changed back to her school uniform.
"So," Asked Charlotte, "Why did you change back you to your uniform?"
"Zat ish because I didn't...vant to get it dirty."
"Or you just want Ichika to be the first to see you wear it?"
"Nein! Zat ish not true!" Laura cried defensively, standing up from her chair.
"Um...Excuse me?"
The trio turned to see whom Thomas quickly deduced as the manager.
"Could I interest you three in a part-time job here?"
Minutes later...
Charlotte and Laura put on french maid outfits.
Thomas put on a butler outfit.
"Dang," He marveled, "I look sick!"
"You look like a super-cute butler!" Complimented the manager, "You look even cuter than the rest of the butlers here!"
Laura and Charlotte had already gotten to work.
Thomas straightened his collar, and breathed.
He was going to ace this.
Thomas greeted a group of four young women.
"I bid you all welcome," He spoke in his best "elegant British butler" voice, "Please, take your seats, I will serve you posthaste."
"I-I'll have the Tea!" Stuttered one woman.
"Of course, milady."
"I'll have a slice of the Banana-Cream Pie!"
"Excellent selection, mistress."
"I'll take the Coffee!"
"Right away, miss."
"And I'll...I think I'll just have the Dark Chocolate Pie."
"Lovely, madam."
Thomas quickly set about his task. He took two trays, one with the pie slices, and another with the coffee and tea. He diligently returned to the table, and prepared to dazzle and amaze the women.
"Do forgive me," He apologized, "But who was it that commissioned for tea?"
"M-Me!" Piped up the lady.
Thomas set down the trays, handed the two ladies their pies, and prepared the tea set for the first woman's order.
He moved with grace and ease, his hands seemed so light, moving quickly, and yet not making a single mistake. He'd almost instantly enraptured the group's audience. He took a teaspoon of sugar, no more and no less.
"And now, I'll cast a spell upon this unction to make it even more enjoyable."
He held his hands a few inches above the teacup.
"Fieri dalectamentum...Fieri delectamentum..." He recited.
He then gently placed the teacup in the woman's hands, making her heart race.
"So...Handsome..." She was at a loss for words.
"Do not think I was careless enough to forget the coffee." He reminded.
"Oh, right! You have to serve me as well! Don't leave me out of this!"
"I never did, miss."
Thomas did the same process as he did with the tea, winning over the hearts of the women without so much as a quarrel.
Laura and Charlotte simply stared from behind the counter.
"He seems so different..."
"Jah..."
"They seem to love him."
"Hmph! He ish not my preference, but he does have a charm zat Ichika sorely lacks."
"And don't ever forget." Reminded Thomas, "If you ever need me, know that I will race to you side at the beck and call."
"Thank you so much!" The group said in cheerful unison.
Thomas had made his way back to the counter, and let out a sigh.
"That just happened." He mumbled.
"That was lovely!" Complimented the manager.
"Well, this is a nice change of pace from schoolwork." He said.
"What school do you go to-!"
The door of the cafe bust open.
All Thomas saw was a group of masked and armed men pile in, and fire two shots in the air.
"Nobody move!"
The patrons all screamed, but the waving of guns shut them up quickly.
"Shut up!"
Thomas's mind moved faster than a computer, and analyzed the situation.
Three men in front. They had random pieces of clothing on. They wore ski masks. They weren't wearing gloves. They're clothes weren't uniform, being random jackets that anyone could purchase at a store. They most likely bought the masks at a gas station.
They were operating on a short budget. They were street punks.
Most likely, they were poor and wanted money.
Not having gloves made anything they touched traceable to them.
They were all armed. Thomas quickly deduced the weaponry to be street legal, available for purchase in gun stores. The majority only had small-arms, being pistols and smgs. Only one of them had an M16.
One way, they'd managed to purchase the firearms from stores. Another way, they'd gotten their hands on weaponry distributed by dealers.
They'd most likely purchased the guns on impulse for their current heist.
Each of them had a tote bag full of cash. Seeing as they actually held onto the tote bags, it was safe to assume they'd disabled the dye packs as they robbed the location, most likely a bank.
The tote bags themselves were a dead giveaway.
They were in a hurry; a standard smash-and-grab. They'd only had time to fill one bag each. Their heist went awry, seeing as a few tote bags of money was easily a bare minimum in a bank robbery.
They were wearing jackets.
Most likely, they weren't just trying to further conceal identity. Had they cared about getting away without being identified, they would've worn gloves to reduce risk of being identified with fingerprints. A far more likely answer was that they were carrying further equipment in the jackets.
Possible accessories were: burner phones-if they were working for someone else. There was also the possibilities of extra weaponry in case of an emergency in a worst-case scenario.
They'd broken into the maid cafe, making a hostage situation. Most likely, they were too dumb to figure out an escape route. They'd took the money, and started running without a real plan. The police had caught up, and the crooks were near the maid cafe. Attempting to bide for time, they broke into the cafe and took it hostage in order to lock down and think of a way to escape. There was no way a handful of them would be able to fend off the cops, and needed time for an answer.
Now that Thomas had deduced they were just common crooks, rather than actual professionals, he knew just how to deal with the situation.
The police had arrived outside.
There were sirens, and the squealing of tires. Although, the continuous sounds revealed the truth. Most likely, the heist crew had warranted enough of a response.
Thomas couldn't just beat them down.
He had to strike surgically due to this development.
"Give up!" The police boomed, "We have you surrounded!"
One of the criminals shot down a window.
"If you want the hostages without any trouble," Announced the crook, "Then bring us a car and an escape route! And don't even think about putting in a tracking device, or trying to follow us!"
The crook with the M16 went to the window, and opened fire upon to police.
Thomas could see the gun had managed to shoot holes through a patrol car.
He now knew everything.
The crooks had gotten their firearms from illegal dealers. The M16 must've had armor-piercing bullets, seeing as it broke through the patrol car's outer plating.
The situation had just gotten worse.
However, seeing as the crook with the rifle opened fire, it was fair to assume the other crooks didn't have powerful guns.
Most likely, they had regular ammo.
Perfect.
He wouldn't have to do anything too rash.
"Hey you!" Snapped a crook, "Maid with the silver hair! I'm thirsty, bring me a menu!"
Laura glared at the man, but Thomas stepped in front of Laura.
"Milady, worry not." He said, as though this wasn't a life-or-death situation, "I will deal with these...uncivilized amateurs, do take a moment's rest..."
He glared right through the gunman.
"...And watch how well this butler serves his patrons."
"The hell're you babbling about, prick?! Get outta the way, you dumb shit!"
"Is that what I am to you?" Thomas spoke calmly, internally laughing at what was about to happen.
"Damn straight! I'm the one holding the gun, so get the fuck out of the way-"
The crook snatched one of the ladies that Thomas served minutes ago. The crook wrapped his free hand around the girl in a headlock, and trained his pistol at her head.
"-Or she's dead!"
Thomas closed his eyes and sighed, exhausted.
"If that's how you wish to be, then I apologize-!"
"You better! Now bring out the maids!"
Thomas opened his eyes with a bigger glare.
"I. Wasn't. Finished. Talking." Thomas's voice had changed from his butler voice to his natural.
"Oh really?" The gunman smirked, like a bully mistreating a victim.
"You see...I was planning on resolving this without hurting anyone...But now?"
He threatened the heist crew ever so casually.
"Now I'm going to hurt you in ways the Devil would disapprove of."
"Is that so?!" Laughed the crooks.
Taking distance and position into account, Thomas had less than a millisecond to act if the gunman decided to shoot him.
The odds were very much against him.
However, Thomas smirked, and put his hands in his pockets, and laughed.
"What's the joke?" Said the crook, offset by Thomas's unconventional deed.
"You."
Thomas's laughter slowed to a chuckle.
"You are the joke. And the joke is you."
The gunman threw the woman aside, and trained the gun at Thomas's face.
Point-blank range.
"Y'see...This entire time, you're not holding back..."
Thomas sprang into action, almost faster than the eye could see.
"...And I HAVE!"
Thomas threw his hands out of his pockets, spraying salt and sugar into the gunman's eyes.
The gunman pulled the trigger.
Thomas narrowly made an upward block, and knocked the barrel of the gun away from his head just before the bullet launched.
And Thomas then proceeded in defeating the entire heist crew.
He grabbed the crook's wrist, and brought it down on his shoulder, nearly breaking the man's arm in the process. He then spun around counter-clockwise to the man's back, delivering a jab with his fingertips to the man's neck, he grabbed the arm once more, and brought it down on his other shoulder. This time, he forced the man to drop his pistol, which he grabbed before it hit the ground.
He then spun around clockwise, delivering a pistol-whip to the man's nose.
"Don't try bein' a hero with us, dumbass!" Snapped the second crook, training it at Thomas.
Thomas then pulled up the pistol, and fired.
The bullet struck the barrel of the pistol, causing the slide to blow to pieces, nearly making the gun itself explode in the man's hand. The pistol was now utterly useless, seeing as Thomas had just shot through one of the important components.
Thomas would've fired at an angle to make the latter happen, but wanted to resolve the conflict without making too much of a mess.
What no-one else noticed as the criminals entered beforehand, the moment Thomas saw them, he secretly began to turn the contents of the room into strategically placed advantages before he intervened.
He then raced up, and made a diagonal spin. as he spun, he brought his heel down upon the pressure point on the crook's neck.
The crook dropped to the floor like a bag sand.
Halfway done.
The third crook brought up his pistol...
...Only to receive a tray to the face, courtesy of Thomas.
The gunman stumbled back to regain his bearings.
Once he did, he panicked.
Thomas was nowhere to be seen.
The crook waved his gun in all directions, sweating profusely in terror.
"Where the hell are ya, huh?! Come out! Or one the hostages die!"
"Right behind you."
The crook spun around, only to receive a blow to his left leg, forcing him to take a knee in pain. Thomas then shoved the older man to the floor, ready to give the criminals a little scare for the minor inconvenience they put him through.
Thomas stomped hard on the man's chest, aiming his gun at the crook's head.
"Give up. Or..."
Thomas moved his gun away from the crook's head to his right hand.
"...I'll start with your fingers. I'm asking nicely."
"Okay okay! You win!" Cried the man.
"You're too kind." Growled Thomas, right before delivering a knee to the man's chest, effectively knocking him out cold.
The fourth criminal was currently hiding behind a pillar, waiting to strike Thomas down.
Thomas turned his back, and sighed.
The crook leapt out from behind the pillar, and rushed Thomas.
Without warning, Thomas spun around, grabbed the man with both hands, and threw him over his shoulder...
...And out the open window.
The crook screamed as he crashed right on the hood of a police car.
"Damn..." Thomas muttered to himself.
If Chifuyu found out, he was dead for sure, since he was still in trouble for disobeying orders and totaling a Training IS.
The patrons all came out, relieved.
"We're saved!"
"My hero!"
"Thank you, Mr. Butler!"
"Can I get a picture?"
"So cute!"
To the patrons, Thomas was not only a dreamy butler that every woman would love to have, but he was also a true gentleman that would be their champion. He, despite being a butler, was like a lovely prince, who'd stand alongside knights in shining armor to rescue a lovely maiden.
The manager secretly took a picture of Thomas when he wasn't paying attention. He may have only worked for less than a few hours, but he was certainly going on the wall of fame at the maid cafe.
Laura and Charlotte came up to Thomas.
"Good vork." Congratulated Laura.
"We should go," Suggested Charlotte, "If they find out we're Representative Candidates at the IS Academy, we'll get in trouble."
"No argument here." Said Thomas, "This little episode gets to Chifuyu, I'd be dead in a heartbeat."
"Correct. Ve vill go now." Said Laura.
The trio turned to change out of their uniforms.
Thomas realized he wasn't as thorough as he thought.
One of the crooks got to his feet.
"I ain't going to prison! You'll never take me alive! I'd rather blow it all up than get caught!"
The crook threw open his jacket, confirming another one of Thomas's assumptions.
He had a bomb vest wired on the inside of the jacket and on a vest. There were two detonators on the coat, and six beige bricks on the vest. The bomb must've been homemade, meaning it was easier to disarm. The bricks were most likely plastic explosives, or containers of nitro glycerin. There were three bundles of cables connecting three bricks to both detonators.
The patrons screamed.
Thomas acted.
There were currently two metal trays, one of either side of the bomber. Judging from the visible depth of either tray, Thomas could use them to help disarm the detonators before the crook could touch them.
Thomas, who still held the gun in his left hand, fired to the tray on his right.
He'd angled the shot to reflect off the tray, and hit the detonator on the crook's right.
He then spun counter-clockwise, shooting the left tray from the hip to hit the crook's left detonator.
The devices fizzled the moment the criminal pressed them.
Nothing happened.
Thomas had shot through the detonators' circuitry, rendering them useless.
The crook fell to his knees in defeat.
Thomas grabbed his own gun with both hands, and ripped off the slide, disarming the gun.
He then stomped down on the rest of the firearms, destroying them.
"Most uncivilized..." He muttered, adjusting his collar and returning to his butler voice.
He turned to the patrons.
"I must apologize," He said, "Seeing as I've caused such a ruckus, I fear that it is time I took my leave. Despite how short I was allowed to spend time with you, know that I'll cherish every moment of it."
"Wait! You can't go!"
"Don't leave us!"
"You're so cute, don't leave now!"
"Will we ever see you again?"
"Within the realm of your dreams, milady."
"So...dreamy..."
"And now, I must bid to you all: Adieu, adieu, farewell."
With that, Laura, Thomas, and Charlotte began to leave.
"Wait!" Called the manager.
She raced up to Thomas.
"Whenever you're in town," She offered, "Remember you're always welcome here. I'll give you a discount when you come as a customer!"
"A gift I take with me most lovingly, good bye."
"So long!"
"We'll miss you!"
"Stay cute forever!"
The trio had snatched their clothes, and left the scene before the police stormed the building.
After Laura and Charlotte insisted endlessly, Thomas agreed to tag along to the crepe stand at the seaside park.
"Not gonna lie," He said, "I never actually had crepes before."
"I'm more interested in you're butler persona!" Said Charlotte.
"That? Oh, I just did what felt natural...Well...that and think about poses from fashion magazines."
"Really?"
"Pretty much."
"You make a wunderbar butler."
"I guess so."
"And how were you able to pull all of that off? Fighting those criminals?"
"I planned ahead. I'd laid several countermeasures around while no-one noticed."
"I see..."
"Anyway, enough about all that, I wanna try a crepe for once!"
The three walked up to the crepe stand.
"Can we have three crepes with mixed berries?" Charlotte asked.
"Oh, sorry." Apologized the vendor, "We're all out of mixed berry crepes! That's a bummer."
"Oh, I see..." Said Charlotte.
Laura gasped, as though she'd just realized something.
"What's up?" Asked Thomas.
"May I have a crepe vith strawberries and blueberries?"
"Sure!" Said the vendor.
"I'll just take a plain crepe, nothing fancy. Not yet, at least." Said Thomas.
"Ah, I see you're looking to try your options, coming right up!"
"I will have the same as her." Said Charlotte.
"Gotcha!"
The three sat down on a bench, and ate their crepes as they became satisfied with their adventure that day.
"Wunderbar!" Cheered Laura.
"Magnifique!" Swooned Charlotte.
"Maybe I should've gotten the banana...Eh, this'll do." Said Thomas.
"I think that today was a fun day!" Said Charlotte.
Thomas slowly inhaled and exhaled, tired yet content.
"I feel a little happy the manager let me keep the butler uniform...love long coats." He muttered.
"Why ish zhat?"
"Because I can look epic with my coat bellowing heroically in the wind."
"How ish your crepe?"
"It's nice."
"I like mine."
"Y'know..." Started Thomas.
"Vhat?"
"Never mind, it's nothing. Anyway, let's wrap this up, put a bow on it, and start heading home.
"Jah..."
"Okay then..."
The three of them were home just before nightfall.
Charlotte and Laura went to their room, and Thomas took his haul back to his.
Thomas then fell back and laid back in his bed, and sighed.
"I should do that more often...Come to think of it, there's a lot of stuff I should do more often."
He yawned.
Today really wiped him out.
Ichika then entered the room.
"Oh, hey Thomas! I've been looking for you all day!"
"What's up?"
Ichika pulled out the flyer for the waterpark.
"You wanna come with everyone here tomorrow?"
Thomas paused.
"Eh, sure. Why not?"
Thomas knew for a fact he was going to had a fun time tomorrow, the last day of summer vacation.
"Let's get to bed."
"A bit early for that, but okay then." Said Ichika.
The boys set about preparing to sleep the night away.
There so much that would happen tomorrow, Thomas knew that for a fact.
But he didn't know he'd be in danger.
A/N: Done! For those of you who wanted a few filler chapters, sorry. However, I did introduce a new character, Kana. It may not seem that way now, but she has quite the role to play in the near future...
I never expected to make another chapter so soon, after the last chapter took a lot longer to come out.
I've been trying to map out the next few chapters, and I'm trying to introduce another male oc sometime soon, but I don't know who I want to introduce first!
I just wanted to say, thanks to everyone who supported this story, I'm really happy you like it!
Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!