We've reached 40 Chapters! I can hardly believe it! Thanks to everyone who showed some support while I was stuck with writer's block, it's really good to know there really are people that care! But I'm back and feeling better than ever! I'll try to get back to routine, hope your all doing well!
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.
With all that's happened over the years, Thomas never expected to uncover so many secrets of his mysterious life in the IS Academy.
But he's about to find more answers by leaving it.
On a day-trip to the mainland, things go horribly awry! Phantom Task is lurking about, and they've got Thomas in their cross-hairs! Can Thomas find a way to call for help? Or is he going to have to fend for himself?
Whatever the case, this is one encounter he can't walk away from.
It was a bright and sunny day on the IS Academy.
The air was warm, the grass was soft, and everything felt wonderful. It was the perfect day, as it was the weekend. The students of the IS Academy were leaving the school in droves for the mainland, eager for a relaxing day off.
Our heroes were no exception.
Elias and Cecelia were off on their own as they went about for the classy and finer parts of the city. Tyrone and Kanzashi, meeting prior to that morning, were currently having a day-long anime marathon.
Ichika and Thomas were out with the rest of the girls, mainly chaperoning everyone due to the size of their group. They were once again in a group outing due to none of the girls wanting to let the others get ahead of them in trying to romance Ichika.
"Let's go to the arcade again!" Suggested Charlotte, "Laura wants another stuffed animal!"
"Nein! Zhat ish not true!" Laura denied, blushing with embarrassment.
"Sure!" Ichika said.
"Vell...Maybe just eins..."
"Then we're off for the arcade!" Ichika marched on.
"Tommy?" Said Nana, "Can I get a stuffed animal too?"
Thomas knew Nana was just looking for an excuse to play with Thomas. Sure, they had something of a small date after the big event on Valentine's Day, but they still weren't in an official relationship.
Thomas resolved to finally pop the question this very day.
If only he could find the right time to...
The group had reached the arcade, and began to pair up as they broke off to begin playing games. Laura and Charlotte went to the crane game to acquire more plushies and stuffed animals. Nana managed to persuade Houki and Lingyin to join her, leaving Ichika and Thomas to themselves.
Ichika and Thomas went to a food court next to the arcade, discussing topics of males would understand. Thomas and Ichika sat and talked, and the girls played in the arcade as time went by. Sure, it seemed strange that Ichika and Thomas weren't joining in. However, Thomas pulled Ichika aside for their very secretive conversation.
"You sure about this?" Said Ichika, "I mean, aren't you worried you're rushing things?"
"I know." Said Thomas, "But I missed out once, I can't let this opportunity go to waste."
"Only if you're absolutely sure," Said Ichika, "Whatever happens, I'm here for you."
"...Thanks." Said Thomas.
"Wonder how Chifuyu's gonna react..." Muttered Ichika.
"She's probably gonna be really rough on Nana."
"Knowing her, probably."
"Ichika?"
"Yeah?"
"D-Do you...Think this is gonna work?"
Ichika smiled, and placed his hand on Thomas's shoulder.
"Knowing you," Ichika chuckled, "The worst that'll happen is you wet yourself right when you say it."
"Sh-Shut up!" Thomas blushed, "I've...Never had experience with...Talking to girls like that."
"Pfft!" Ichika laughed, "The ultimate prodigy is out of his depth?"
"Fuck you!"
Ichika had a very good laugh.
"Well," Thomas smirked, "How's things with Houki?"
Thomas almost shouted the sentence, Ichika froze.
"Sssh! Not so loud! Jesus..." Ichika grumbled, his cheeks turning red.
"Gotcha." Thomas grinned, turning the tables on Ichika.
Ichika sighed, Thomas had him good.
The boys sat in silence as they tried to think of other topics to discuss.
"Hey Ichika?" Inquired Thomas, "Does shrimp count as meat?"
"What d'you mean?" Said Ichika, "Of course it-Oh my God..."
The boys began to realize they'd never actually thought about such a matter before. Was shrimp regarded as meat? Or was it its own kind of thing? It'd be so easy to say it counted, but did it really? Was it like fish, in that it was probably light meat?
Meanwhile, Nana and the girls were beginning to wonder what the boys were talking about.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Pondered Houki.
"Maybe they're talking about tag-team attacks..." Said Nana.
"I say they're talking about something like current events." Said Lingyin.
"Perhaps they're discussing more events with the other boys." Proposed Charlotte.
"I have been told be Clarissa zhat vhat boys speak of in private ish never meant to be determined." Said Laura.
Meanwhile, Ichika and Thomas...
"I'm just saying!" Said Ichika, "Shrimp might count as meat, I can't disclaim that!"
"But that raises the issue of if fish counts as meat! Hell, does lobster count?"
"I don't know!"
...Were discussing very strange conundrums.
"I think it counts..."
"Should we consult the internet?"
"No man, we're grown, capable young men! We can figure this out ourselves!"
"I'd assume it's considered meat...But the thing is that most people never actually think about that stuff!"
"Darn people! Never asking the relevant questions!"
"I say meat!"
"I say we can't discount it as otherwise!"
"Gaah! We can't get anywhere!"
"Dammit!"
"Should we ask the girls?" Suggested Ichika.
"Oh naw!" Said Thomas, "That'd be a right laugh for them!"
"True..."
As the boys were conversing with each other, they failed to notice a figure observing them from afar. She wore a pair of shades, and a fashionable gray trench coat with a matching hat, with luxurious blonde hair.
She eyed the boys, making a sly smile.
It was time.
"-And then he turned himself into a pickle!" Laughed Thomas, "Funniest shit I've ever seen!"
"Really?!" Ichika boomed with laughter, "Western cartoons can be so hilarious!"
"I know?! And people use that to push stupid agendas and nonsense!"
"That's so dumb! Why not just make a good show, and leave the agenda for something else that could use it!"
"That'll be the day!"
Ichika and Thomas then had a long time to laugh things out.
"Alright then," Said Ichika, "I'm gonna check on the girls real quick, be back soon!"
Thomas now sat by himself.
He looked around himself, surveying the shoppers at the mall as he waited for Ichika to come back. Everyone was bustling about their own business, whether it be to unwind to enjoy the weekend, or to stock up for the coming week.
All seemed normal.
That is, until...
Thomas noticed a woman with blonde curly hair walking nearby. Her right arm was limp, her height and figure were quite familiar to Thomas. Her hairstyle was awfully familiar. The way she moved was something Thomas had seen before.
No doubt...It was none other than Squall trying to get his attention.
As if on cue, Squall glanced back with a sly smirk at Thomas.
What should he do? Were something to go wrong, there'd be a brawl right in the center of the mall with too many people to count in harm's way. If he went to go get the others, however, there was no telling what Squall would do.
How? How did she know? Was she surveying him?
No, that wouldn't make sense...There was an insider, but who?
If he went to get Ichika, Squall would either vanish, or cause a scene.
What to do? What to do?
Squall gave what looked to be a single huff in mockery at Thomas, and continued on her way.
Thomas did the only thing he could think of...A very horrible idea it was.
Thomas pulled out a pen and swiped a napkin, quickly scribbling a message down for Ichika once he returned. He then placed the napkin down on the table began to tail Squall, obviously knowing Squall knew what he was doing.
Sure, it was the absolute worst idea imaginable, and it was most likely not going to work...But if the worst came, Thomas could still text Ichika in the moment to signal for help if he got in too over his head.
Right now, he was tailing Squall, he'd call for help at the slightest sign of a problem.
This was a good plan, right?
Meanwhile, Ichika had no idea of the situation they were in.
"Ichika!" called Lingyin, "Check it! The Gundam Kizuna pods are open!"
"Oh! Let's go play!"
"Hold it right there!" Said Houki, "I-I'd...Like to...Challenge you to a one-on-one battle in Gundam Kizuna, Ichika!"
"Huh? Okay then..."
"I vould like to play zhis game as vell!" Laura piped up.
"But of course!" Charlotte chuckled, throwing her hand into the lot as well.
"A-Ah...Okay then..Ah, well..." Ichika was already overwhelmed.
"Hey! I know!" Suggested Nana, "Let's have a Gundam Kizuna tournament! Ichika, go get Tommy and I'll set things up!"
"Sure thing!" Ichika happily agreed.
Nana gave Ichika a knowing look, and winked. She was a really good friend.
Thomas definitely found a keeper.
The young boy remembered how Thomas told him of his vow to finally confess his feelings to Nana sometime today. Thomas hadn't specified when or where he'd pull Nana aside to confess, but he promised it would be today.
Ichika left the arcade to get Thomas...
...Only to find Thomas was nowhere in sight.
Ichika looked left and right, the table he and Thomas shared at the food court was empty, save for some napkin Thomas probably left. There was no trace of Thomas anywhere nearby, which was quite concerning.
Ichika then realized he'd left Thomas unattended.
"OH SHIT!" Cried Ichika.
The boy burst back into the arcade.
"Guys!" Ichika wailed, "I messed up!"
"Huh?" Said Nana, "Where's Thomas?"
"I left him unattended for five seconds!"
"You WHAT?!" Cried Houki, "He hasn't grown out of getting lost?!"
"Aw, no..." Nana looked quite sad.
"Oh for the luvva..." Lingyin sighed, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Oh no!" Cried Charlotte, "We can wait for the gaming tournament later, we need to find Thomas first!"
"Jah!" Concurred Laura, "Zhis behavior ish unbecoming of him!"
"Let's split up!" Said Ichika, "We'll cover more ground, send a text to everyone else if you find Thomas first!"
"Right!" Everyone agreed.
The group went outside the arcade, and dispersed as they set out to locate Thomas.
However, had Ichika paid attention and picked up the napkin on the table he and Thomas were sitting at, he might've noticed a very clear message and explanation on what happened to Thomas.
A worker at the food court found the napkin not very long after the group split up, and disposed of the napkin without a second thought.
No one but Thomas understood the gravity of the situation.
Elsewhere...
Each time Squall rounded a corner, Thomas would peek around it until she moved further.
Questions...So many questions...Too many questions.
Who was Kana? Why was Phantom Task so obsessed with catching Thomas? Where was Thomas's mother? Who was Yin? What was the thing Chifuyu and Alex didn't want Thomas to go and look for?
More to the point...Why was he really doing this?
He should've gone and gotten everyone else...He should've told them what was going on.
All because he was thinking it would be okay...He knew it was a horrible plan, he just didn't want to get the others involved! Who was he trying to fool, himself? He really just left a note because he was being arrogant, wasn't he?
If he didn't think rationally...He wouldn't be risking himself like this.
But no. He just had to do something foolish like this, didn't he?
Squall suddenly stopped.
Thomas observed her from afar.
She looked back at Thomas from the corner of her eye, making eye contact with him for a single moment.
It was like she was taunting him, daring him to follow her.
This was a trap...It was just screamingly obviously a trap...
So why was he willingly playing Squall's tune?
Did he feel no other alternative?
There were so many rational alternatives to this...Literally everyone would be furious with him for doing this...So why was he doing this? This would no doubt end in badly, it was far too obvious.
He was just being selfish.
No wonder Chifuyu and Alex never told him about him mom...Because he was an irresponsible, arrogant idiot who went and did stunts like this.
He hadn't changed at all...He could never be in a relationship with Nana if he kept doing this.
Old habits truly do die hard.
Squall subtly motioned for Thomas to continue following her...Wherever her destination would be. She was gunning for him again, that much was clear: But the questions were how, and why
How did Squall know he would be here?
And why? Why him?
Why was Thomas refusing to see what was right in front of him?
Whatever devious scheme Squall had planned...Whatever trap she had laid...Thomas chose not to fear it.
As the tailing continued, Squall was leading Thomas around slowly diminishing numbers of civilians...She was isolating him, and yet he simply felt far too engaged to pull away! The hunter was soon to be the hunted, and yet Thomas was going through with it anyway!
The pair were long gone from the mall.
Squall sauntered down an alleyway, Thomas stopped.
They had to have been coming to the end of their trip, right? Squall was leading him off and isolating him by trying to lead him into a corner. This entire thing just reeked of an attempt to kidnap Thomas.
Was he curious? Was he about to seal his fate solely because it'd be disrespectful to say "no?"
Thomas stopped.
Chifuyu was so gonna kill him if she finds out he was doing this...
With a reluctant heart, Thomas ventured into the alleyway after Squall.
Whatever Squall had in store...
His fate was sealed.
Elsewhere...
"S'like looking for a lost dog..." Growled Houki.
"Nothing on my end!" Charlotte piped up.
"Zhis ish a vild-goose chase!" Laura pouted.
"On the bright side," Offered Ichika, "At least we can to play hide and seek!"
The girls groaned, a little upset how Thomas shot down their opportunity to get cozier with Ichika simply by disappearing. Sure, they were told this was normal, but it was still infuriating due to the fact of how easily Thomas up and left.
Either he was doing it on purpose or he was just that free a spirit.
It was impossible to determine which was the case.
"Oh dear..." Nana mumbled, "I hope he's okay...It'd be really bad if he wandered into a red-light district..."
"He's responsible enough to stay away from that!" Ichika assured.
"Is he really?" Nana asked rhetorically.
"...We can hope he is at least..." Ichika stood corrected.
"We could make this so much easier with our IS units!" Lingyin complained.
"Do you wanna deal with Chifuyu?"
"I see your point."
"Should we call Miss Orimura?" Inquired Charlotte.
"This is probably nothing," Said Nana, "Just Thomas being Thomas again, she'd probably get a little annoyed if we bug her about it."
"Perhaps so..."
"Don't worry, we'll call her if we find any danger, and Thomas can look after himself for the most part!"
"Let's split up again, holler if you find anything!" Nana walked off.
The students once again split up.
Little did they know they were being watched.
All in out-of-the-way corners of the mall, Madoka, Autumn, and Kana were monitoring the students. Kana was upset as she was unable to go with Squall to abduct Thomas, but she quickly grew up and did her given task.
Madoka eyed Ichika in particular. Like Kana, Squall made certain Madoka was obedient and exercised restraint for her more personal goals. Madoka wanted to take Chifuyu, and cut Ichika out of the equation for stealing her place.
All because of him...
But Madoka was forced to curb her thirst for vengeance for now. With the success of this very operation...Phantom Task would finally have the long-awaited opportunity to set their worldwide plot in motion.
The imbalance of the masses that took root within society, the world's current most-powerful war machine, and the world at such a delicate position...
...It was almost too perfect for Phantom Task to pass up.
All Madoka had to do was be a good girl and do what she was told, and good things would come.
The only piece of the puzzle was a walking contradiction.
Ichika played a hunch, and went back to the arcade and food court. Perhaps Thomas left a note. The idea was crazy enough it just might work, considering Thomas's rather unique methods and tendencies.
Sadly, there was no trace of Thomas, not even a note.
Nana searched another end of the mall, looking around for perhaps another arcade or even a storefront that would match Thomas's demographic. Thomas would most likely be at such a place, but the arcade was even more likely, despite the arcade already checked.
Or...Was it?
Despite starting in the arcade, Nana realized they'd never actually searched the arcade for Thomas. Perhaps he'd slipped past everyone unannounced? But that would mean they'd gone on this fool's errand for nothing!
For Thomas's sake, Nana hoped he wasn't at the arcade.
Elsewhere...
"Fancy meeting you here, Thomas." Chuckled Squall.
"You'd knew I'd be here." Thomas spat.
"Well," Squall turned to face the boy, "I was at least trying to start an innocuous conversation."
"How'd you know?"
"Why should I tell you? It'd be more fun to let you figure it out on your own..."
"What's your game, Squall? Talk me into submission?"
Thomas was on the sharpest edge, any number of things could happen at any moment. Potentially, Squall had the rest of her entourage ready to jump out at him. However, they were probably busy making certain Squall and Thomas were alone...
"You're probably wondering where everyone else is," Squall saw right through Thomas, "Don't worry, personal vendettas have been put aside, no harm should befall any of your friends as long as you cooperate."
Thomas remained silent.
"Honestly," Squall sighed, "Can't you see they're squandering your potential? Your so-called 'friends' have been taking advantage and profiting off of your suffering, it's...Just too tragic. I don't know what's worse; Them taking advantage of you, or you doing nothing to stop them!"
It was clear that Squall had Thomas right where she wanted him.
"But once the dust settles," Squall concluded, "I'll bring you back home, right where you belong."
"I already am where I belong." Thomas retorted, "You're the ones exploiting people and profiting offa them!"
"I see..." Squall groaned, "You're really never going to come quietly, are you?"
In the blink of an eye, Thomas and Squall were already in their respective IS Units.
"You're faster." Squall observed, "You've certainly took the whole Kyoto fiasco to heart, haven't you?"
Thomas had nothing he wanted to say.
Squall was getting tired of being stuck with one-sided conversations.
"While we're busy," Squall suggested, "Why don't I bring you up to speed on the family? I think you'll be happy to know everything that's been happening."
Just then, the two engaged in combat.
Thomas swung repeatedly at Squall, only to have each blow blocked and dodged.
"As I was saying..." Squall continued, "Madoka's been able to open up to everyone just a little bit more, that's always a plus. Autumn and Madoka have been getting along a bit better as well! Slowly but surely, we're all becoming closer! The only missing piece is you, it seems."
"...Don't fit in your stupid jigsaw puzzle..."
"Ah! Gotcha to talk!" Squall teased.
Thomas threw a punch with one Shield Pierce, only to have Squall block and counter smoothly.
How? Why? What was keeping Thomas from beating Squall?
It was like being a bully who just found a bigger bully.
"This'll be hard on us both!" Said Squall as she flipped Thomas onto his back.
"Tch!" Thomas grunted.
Squall's mind games were very effective on Thomas, they both knew that quite well. It was working most effectively since Squall clearly knew more than Thomas about his own life and was using it as a bargaining chip.
Something was jamming Thomas's comm, he couldn't call for help.
Dammit...He just kept falling for the exact same trick, didn't he?
Despite having less armaments than Thomas's Revive, the Golden Dawn was a lot bigger and stronger, combined with a super-powered bubble energy shield. Now matter what Thomas did, the only way to crack that shield was with the Reiraku Byakuya.
And seeing as Squall most likely knew that...
Thomas was going to be here a while, if he would be able to leave at all.
There just wasn't any beating Squall...Thomas needed an edge.
Thomas swung again.
Squall countered with...Her right.
Her right arm was usually more limp outside of the Golden Dawn...Was it a prosthetic?
Thomas couldn't risk shooting away, despite being isolated it was still within a populated area.
If he went willy-nilly, someone was gonna get hurt.
Squall was planning this from the start...
She had Thomas in the palm of her hand since square 1.
Elsewhere...
"Find him?" Houki grouped with Lingyin.
"Still nothing..." Growled Lingyin, "Just when I thought we'd have a chance to have fun with Ichika too..."
"You know them," Said Houki, "When one's in one thing, the other just has to screw it up."
"They're so good at it it's like they rehearsed it!" Lingyin whined.
"No sign of zhe target!" Laura reported.
"Rien on my part..." Charlotte sighed.
The girls all agreed they were going to punish Thomas accordingly for wasting away their time. And, depending on where he was and why they'd either be more angry or concerned for Thomas.
There was no way he was doing this by coincidence.
He was being Ichika's cock-blocker!
If that was the case, then Thomas was a criminal mastermind in all but name! He so easily fooled the girls into thinking he wasn't interfering with their pursuits of romance, but he so clearly was!
Had Thomas been throwing them off the ball to keep them from winning Ichika's heart all along?
"I just checked the arcade." Said Nana, "Still nothing..."
"Why check the arcade?" Inquired Houki.
"He could've slipped past us..."
"I really don't think he's that stealthy-?" Houki looked past Nana, something had piqued her attention.
"What? What is it?" Nana turned around.
"Is that...?" Houki muttered, squinting.
Houki stared from afar as she watched a woman with long, carrot-colored hair walked around the corner and out of the group's line of sight. While none of the other girls had seen such a sight, Houki had one particular memory of a woman with the hair she'd just seen.
Could it be that crazy woman who was holding Thomas hostage?
Houki remembered the situation quite well.
There was some strange, offsetting woman who was sitting next to Thomas, and it was quite obvious she was a dangerous person. Wouldn't the police be looking for her in that case? Unless...
The woman cornered Thomas once, it was fair to assume she'd try doing so again.
"Get Ichika," Said Houki, "The sooner we find Thomas, the better."
"Hm? What's up, Houki?"
"I'll explain later, c'mon!" Houki marched off to locate Ichika and Thomas.
If it was that same woman...
...The boys were in a lot of danger.
Elsewhere...
"If you're not giving up I'm going to have to force you out of your IS!" Squall warned.
True to her word, Squall began to throw punches.
Her right arm...
It hit harder than her left arm, Thomas could feel it.
If he timed things correctly...
Squall knocked Thomas back with a haymaker, giving him precious seconds to deploy his Yukihira Nagata. Even while he was being winded, he could still focus enough to pull out a weapon.
Squall quickly closed the gap and resumed punching got his bearings and attempted to retaliate.
Thomas begun a series of slashes, only to have Squall counter each with her arms. Thomas completed the set with a swing down upon Squall's head, only to have her tank the blow and headbutt Thomas directly to knock him off-balance.
Squall marched to Thomas, and Thomas attempted to stop her with another series of sword attacks.
No matter what Thomas did, Squall was simply too quick for him to land a successful strike.
However...
Thomas kept his attacks from a left slash to right slash, subtly training Squall to anticipate and counter.
As long as he kept up that pattern...
In a shocking twist, Thomas attempted to strike from the left twice!
But unfortunately...
Squall seemed to know Thomas's plan, and quickly countered with a left hook to Thomas's head.
Thomas was once again off-balance, and Squall was at point-blank.
She quickly seized the advantage.
Squall immediately followed up with a right cross, followed by a left cross, and a right overhand.
The woman began to pummel Thomas with a blow to the center of his chest, and an uppercut to his right shoulder. Soon after, she quickly drilled Thomas's midsection with a barrage of punches to the torso, and swung with a left hook to his face.
Thomas was sent spinning back.
Squall raised her right fist for a finishing haymaker.
Time seemed to slow down.
The single instance in time...
Thomas held the Yukihira Nagata with his right arm, holding it as though it were sheathed on his left.
This strike would seriously turn the tide...
Squall's fist began to move for the blow...
Thomas only had nanoseconds to act!
It was like that of a boxing match, such snap-speed actions were absolutely crucial.
Squall's shoulder moved forward...
Suddenly, in that very singular moment, Thomas activated the Reiraku Byakuya!
With a lightning-fast slash upwards, Thomas sliced half of Squall's arm right off!
The attack cut right through the Golden Dawn's arm, as well as Squall's! The Absolute Defense was powerless against the Reiraku Byakuya! artificial blood sprayed from Squall's severed arm as Thomas could see he cut right into the prosthetic!
Squall was taken completely by surprise!
Thomas felt a confident grin slip onto his face as he glanced at the HUD's power readout.
Yeah...He still had enough power after that to go for 1 or 2 more tries.
"Now then," Thomas chuckled, "Let's wrap this up, I've got some friends waiting on me."
Squall's surprise soon dissipated as she began to laugh like she was being entertained.
"I admit," She spoke up, "That was a little irksome...But don't worry, I think a proper beating will settle our accounts quite nicely."
Thomas had a moment, and quickly switched to the Compact Shift.
The smaller size was now a perfect advantage at the cost of several weapons due to size.
The Golden Dawn's tail came to life as it hovered around Squall's now-severed right arm.
"Come on!" Challenged Squall.
"Okay." Thomas took a fighting stance.
"Let's dance."
Elsewhere...
Ichika began to panic.
Houki had just informed him of the situation.
"Crap crap crap!" He cried, "This just went from okay to WORST POSSIBLE CASE!"
Nana was hyperventilating, with Laura and Charlotte staying by her side until she calmed down.
"That's it!" Said Lingyin, "Get your IS Units ready!"
"No!" Affirmed Ichika, "We can't resort to that just yet!"
"Then what d'you think we should do?!" Argued Lingyin.
"Ah...Well...Charlotte, Laura, make sure Nana calms down! Uh...Lingyin! Call Chifuyu-Nee! Houki, follow me! We're going to find Thomas!"
As much as the girls wanted to bicker over their assigned roles, They reluctantly acknowledged.
Houki and Ichika ran through the mall as Ichika pulled out his phone.
"How are we going to find him?" Piped up Houki, "We have no idea where to look!"
"...Should've done this sooner..." Ichika grumbled.
"What're you doing?"
"Using the 'Find my Phone' App to locate Thomas's phone."
"You didn't think to do that BEFORE?!"
"Didn't think it was this urgent!"
"Well, well well..." Sneered an all-too-familiar voice.
Ichika and Houki looked only to find...Kana?!
"You're...Kana..." Noted Houki, "From the summer festival!"
"That's me!" Cheered Kana, "And I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to kill you now!"
"...Come again?" Inquired Ichika.
"You heard me!" Kana was enveloped in a flash of light.
In the blink of an eye, Kana was towering above the pair in the White Wolf. However, it appeared that the White Wolf had been modified. It was taller, with monstrous, claw-like arms, and a massive tail jutting the back.
"Remember me yet?" Kana giggled.
"Wait...You're...You're one of the Phantom Task pilots we fought back in Kyoto!" Realized Houki.
"Mhm!" Kana confirmed, "And Mama's having some bonding-time with Tommy, so I'm afraid I can't let you find him now!"
It appeared Kana was not one for stealth, seeing as people were beginning to look and cluster around to observe Kana's IS. They didn't know any better, most likely they believed it was some kind of publicity stunt.
If they didn't do something fast...The IS Academy was going to have a huge PR mess on their hands.
"D'aw...Look! We have an audience!" Kana cheered, turning towards the bystanders.
Houki did the one thing she could think of.
"AKATSUBAKI!"
Within seconds, Houki had Kana in a headlock within the safety of her own IS.
"Ichika! Go, find Thomas! Hurry!" She called back to the boy.
"R-Right!" Ichika looked down at his phone screen and hustled away.
"Oh? You wanna play?" Kana smirked.
Suddenly, the tail-like weapon shot out from Kana's back, attached by a wire.
Houki was too slow to react, and was nailed to the floor by the White Wolf's Tail-Blade, releasing Kana in the process. The bystanders all screamed and scattered as they began to understand the reality of the situation.
"Heh heh heh!" Chuckled Kana, "Let's play!"
Houki groaned as she got to her feet.
Thomas was going to owe her big-time.
Elsewhere...
Ichika ran as fast as he could.
What was Thomas's phone doing in an alleyway?
Could it be that he was already...?
No. Ichika couldn't think that way! He had to stay optimistic if there was any hope of finding Thomas! They were too relaxed, Phantom Task had caught them completely off-guard! They still had no idea why Phantom Task wanted Thomas...
The signal was close, Ichika was growing nearer and nearer to Thomas's phone...
This day...It was just turning awful.
It was supposed to be a day off! A day they would have to relax and have fun...Act their age and be teenagers! So...Why? Why would some stupid evil organization just come in and rain on their parade? It just wasn't fair!
Why was it so unfair?! Why'd everyone always have to suffer because of some stupid bad guys?!
All they wanted was to have fun...
Ichika stopped, seeing Thomas's phone was right around the corner.
The boy prepared to unleash the Byakushiki as he rounded the corner to find...
"Ghk!" Thomas grunted.
Ichika gasped.
Squall had Thomas pinned to the wall with the Golden Dawn's tail. Somehow, Squall had managed to finally force Thomas's Revive to go back into Standby Mode after depleting all of his shield energy. Thomas was struggling with only one free arm, he was trapped.
"Now that that's over," Said Squall, "I not only have you, but your Revive as well."
This...This just couldn't be!
Ichika had to be in a nightmare, this just wasn't possible!
Thomas glanced to see Ichika staring in horror.
"Ichika!" Thomas shouted over.
What was he doing?
With his free arm, Thomas slipped the Revive Pendant off his neck and threw it with everything he had at Ichika.
Even if Squall had captured Thomas...Under no circumstance could Thomas allow Phantom Task to get their hands on the power within that single Rafale-Revive. Thomas was doing the only thing he could think of, and making sure the enemy got as little profit as possible.
Squall watched the pendant fly into Ichika's hands.
"Well," Squall turned back to Thomas, "I still have the primary objective."
With that, the Squall snatched up her severed arm and took flight with Thomas in tow.
"NO!" Cried Ichika, deploying the Byakushiki on the dime as he rocketed after them.
In a matter of seconds, Ichika had nearly caught up.
Ichika was almost able to touch Thomas...
Without warning, Ichika was knocked out of flight by a sudden particle beam.
The boy spiraled to the ground as he watched his best friend get taken away before his very eyes.
And there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Ichika hit the ground hard.
It was already too late, Squall was too far away for Ichika to catch up to.
Ichika smashed his fist into the ground in vengeful anger.
"THOMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!" He screamed.
It was then that Ichika and his friends knew what it was like to lose badly.
It was fast, too fast for them to react.
They'd lost, and Thomas paid the price.
A/N: I'M BACK! After all the time I've spent reflecting on everything, I've finally found my creativity and motivation! I'm back and this chapter is bigger than ever! Thanks to all the support you've given during my absence.
Y'see, this chapter was always planned, I just never figured out where to put it.
In other news, this chapter is also the debut of the Full-Package White Wolf.
The Full-Package White Wolf was an overhaul to the original prototype after the battle in Kyoto. Using data from the Golden Dawn, the White Wolf was rebuilt into a similar IS, complete with a Wire-Guided Tail-Blade for combat.
I'll do the write-up another time, however, seeing as the new IS has only just been introduced for a second.
But dang...This Chapter has just unleashed a huge event.
Hope you all are staying safe out there during these trying times in the world!
Next Time: Blood is thicker
Leave a review, they're much appreciated and show that you care!