Welcome back! It's nice to be back, it's been a good hiatus, but I've got writing to do, and stories to tell! I'm challenging myself to get back the time I wasted, let's get going!
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos.
"My God..." Elias was absolutely dumbstruck.
Shoto was slightly confused, but watching the other boys act so utterly dumbstruck...It was pretty concerning. Had Shoto done something wrong? What exactly did they mean by IS-Compatible?
"What...I mean...Jeez...He's just a kid..." Tyrone was appalled.
"We don't even know what Phantom Task's end goal for taking our DNA is..." Said Thomas, "To be honest, as unexpected as it is...I see them doing this."
"That means..." Ichika realized.
"What?"
"...That means there's others like us out there, naturally IS-compatible guys!"
"Well...It certainly seems that way, for better or worse." Tyrone concurred.
"So...We're not alone..." Elias sighed in relief, "We have to find them!"
"Hate to burst everyone's bubble," Thomas quickly brought the group back to reality, "But Phantom Task knows this as well...As much as we can all raise a cup to toast to this amazing little discovery, Phantom Task knows what to look for, we don't even know how long they've had Shoto...There's probably a thousand more abductees in peril."
"But-"
"We're too late..." Thomas hit his point home, "We don't even know why we're all IS-Compatible, you really think we'll be able to stop Phantom Task if we don't know what we're doing?"
"...But we have to do something..."
"Just because we know something game-changing doesn't mean we should up and go." Thomas said, "Think about it, we'll be on our own, blind as bats and lost as a GPS...I don't wanna be the killjoy, but we need to think this through."
"...Yeah..." Ichika sighed, "As much as I hate to say it, he's right."
"I...Yeah..." Tyrone sighed, "To be fair, we might be wrong, Phantom Task could've just gotten lucky."
"Fine..." Elias concurred, "C-Can...Should we switch topics? This has placed something of a mood-damper on things..."
"Mmm." Shoto grunted.
The boys all looked to Shoto, who was pointing at the fridge.
"Oh right...We should get some drinks." Tyrone chuckled dryly.
"Yeah...S-So I guess we get back to trying to have fun?"
"Of course, we're all worked up...Maybe that little bit was just symptomatic."
"Heh, yeah..." Thomas chuckled.
"Well, anyway," Said Ichika, "Shoto goes next on Smash, let's see how he does."
"Yeah!"
For the next few hours, the boys had introduced Shoto to video games, letting him explore the wonderful escapism of the digital world. Ichika was absolutely certain to force Thomas to go easy on the young boy, much to Thomas's dismay.
"You're doing it Shoto!" Encouraged Ichika, watching Shoto reach the end of another stage.
Shoto nodded and grunted, before moving forward with the stage.
Meanwhile, outside of the room...Chifuyu had listened to the bulk of the boys' little get-together.
It seemed that the boys welcomed Shoto with open arms...Just as expected. The revelation of someone so young being IS-Compatible...They seemed to be taking it in stride, almost too easily.
Perhaps they just were desperate, for even the slimmest sign they weren't alone...
Understandably so, they were still young...Just because they were in a teenage boy's fever dream, doesn't mean they would be okay without people they could relate to, role models, even...They were a bizarre phenomenon in an already-bizarre world, they needed someone to help guide them.
Perhaps...Someone like a father.
Chifuyu took her ear off the door, and began to silently walk away.
She knew the perfect man for the job.
Back in the dorm room...
"You did it! Great job!" Ichika cheered and praised Shoto as the young boy cleared the stage.
"Magnificent!" Elias added on.
"Let's get this bread!" Chuckled Tyrone.
"We got ourselves a wunderkind here!" Thomas laughed boisterously.
Shoto even began to smile a little...He didn't feel scared, even though the boys were noisy and almost fawning over him. If anything, their praises and cheers were...Quite welcome, they were different...Just like him.
Were they different in the same way?
It felt that way, at least...
"Hey, Shoto?" Ichika asked the boy.
"M-Mm?"
"Do you...Like us?"
Shoto paused to think of his answer for a moment...Before giving a warm smile and nodding.
"Well how 'bout that?" Thomas chuckled, "Not to worry, little man, you'll make a fine friend yet!"
Shoto looked confused by Thomas's words.
"...I-Ignore him, he's a bit loopy." Ichika sighed.
"Oi oi!" Thomas retorted, "Says the densest object in the universe!"
"You know that's not true!" Ichika bickered.
"Oh reaaaally~?" Thomas smirked and teased, having quickly gained the upper hand.
"I'll make you eat those words! One-on-one!" Ichika grabbed a controller.
"Fine by me, fool!" Thomas grabbed one as well.
Shoto looked quite dumbstruck, Thomas and Ichika were arguing...And yet, they didn't seem angry at each other...Was this how they played? It felt as if the young boy was a spectator in life right now.
Tyrone and Elias noticed this, and gently pulled Shoto aside to let Thomas and Ichika duel.
"They're quite close..." Elias sighed, "Very brotherly to one another, don't mind them."
"I swear, they're brothers from a different mother, and the same dad..." Tyrone pointed at Thomas and Ichika, "Just saying, there's NO way they're that in sync and not related."
"If I didn't know any better I'd have agreed with you...They're just that bonded with each other."
Shoto eyed Thomas and Ichika...So they were butting heads out of friendship? That sounded backwards...If they were so close, why were they so discordant? Shoto didn't have any siblings...He didn't know how long he'd been captive by the evil lady, but he did remember his family...Just his mother and father.
Is this how siblings acted? Or was this because they were like brothers, but not actual brothers?
It was...Strange.
The thoughts of sibling relationships slowly brought Shoto to think about his parents...Where were they? Were they safe? Did those bad people take them too? Did his parents even still remember him...?
Such things weighed heavily in Shoto's mind, he began to look a little sad.
Were his parents even alive...?
"...Hey, Shoto? You alright, buddy...?" Tyrone was the first to notice Shoto's despression.
Shoto shook his head...He couldn't lie, not with such weight on his shoulders.
"Hey, guys?" Tyrone clapped his hands to get the other three boys' attention.
"Hm?" Thomas, Elias, and Ichika all paused, before noticing Shoto's somber face.
"The little man could use some friendship..." Tyrone confirmed as he pat Shoto's shoulder.
"Oh...Hey, Shoto..." Ichika went over, and began to pat Shoto's other shoulder.
Shoto sniffled a little...He'd killed the mood...
"C'mon, don't cry..." Thomas and Elias then joined in with supporting Shoto, patting his head and shoulders to give him assurance.
"I can't imagine what you've gone through..." Elias said, "But for certain, we're all here to help you, no matter what."
"Yeah, don't cry..." Said Thomas, "Well, you can, but you don't need to..."
Shoto sniffled some more, and nodded, he wouldn't cry...Not in front of the others, he'd be strong, just like them...Each of the boys around Shoto were strong, but what Shoto didn't understand is what made them strong...Was it their ability to move past their struggles? Strength? He'd have to find out for himself...
"...Say..." Thomas piped up, "How's about we get you to fly a giant robot, eh, Shoto?"
"Thomas, are you-?!" Ichika realized what Thomas was implying, "Are you nuts?! He's...I mean..."
"Hey, hey!" Thomas defended, "Think about it...We can help Shoto...As long as we keep it on the down-low."
"I...I'm with Ichika, man," Said Tyrone, "That is a disaster waiting to happen!"
"C'mon, c'mon, think about it...If Shoto's not compatible, we just slink away and forget we ever were curious...But if he is...We could teach him how to use an IS...Ehh? Ehhhhh?!"
"...This is a horrible idea, but..." Ichika sighed, knowing that Thomas had a point, "It's possible, but...I dunno..."
"Personally I feel we should prioritize Shoto's comfort, rather than pushing him to do things he may not be comfortable with..."
Shoto then tugged at Elias sleeve.
"Hm? Is something wrong-" Elias looked to Shoto and paused.
Shoto was giving him pleading eyes...The kind a child would give to their parents whenever they really wanted something desperately, like a new toy. Elias would find Shoto was staring right into his eyes, the eye contact piercing right through Elias!
"U-Uh...A-Are you saying you want to...Learn to use an IS?" Elias inquired, stuttering.
"M-Mmm." Shoto nodded, maximizing his adorableness.
Ichika and Tyrone froze as well, they didn't know a means to counter such a psychological attack! Shoto didn't know what he was getting into, and yet, this was probably the most initiative he'd shown since coming here! If they continued to refuse, they'd have to witness Shoto crying...
"...W-Well...M-Maybe just a little..." Ichika caved.
"Seriously?! C'mon, man, grow a backbone..." Tyrone folded soon after, "...Alright fine, so long as we're quiet about it..."
Thomas grinned smugly, victorious, patting Shoto's head in triumph.
"So...We have the weekend tomorrow...School starts up again after, right? Plenty of time~" Thomas nodded to Shoto.
"...Fine..." Ichika groaned, "But if things get even REMOTELY dangerous, I'm calling it off, got it?!"
"It's gonna be fiiiiine~" Thomas waved dismissively with his free hand.
Such free-spirited nature only made the other boys feel a looming sense of dread overhead.
Later that evening...
"Alexander?" Chifuyu raised her phone to her ear, "It's me."
"Naturally...What did Thomas do this time?"
"Not something he did...But something he needs..." Chifuyu paused for effect, "Something him, and all the boys need."
"...You're serious..." Alex replied after a few moments, "...I'm guessing this is over the abduction..."
"Correct," Chifuyu took a breath, "Ichika's never had parents, Elias's parents seem to not have done enough, and Tyrone only has a mother...Those boys need someone to guide them, somebody to look up to."
"Are you seriously I take up a job as a foster-dad?" Alex inquired.
"Not exactly that...Just that you come to the IS Academy, and strive to be a role model...You're already a father, I'm certain you can fill the void for these boys."
"Ahh c'mon! The place is full of girls their age! Can't they just live it up or something?"
"...You of all people should know that, for boys to grow, they need father figures." Chifuyu was confused...Did Alex simply not want to be there?
"..I know..." Alex sighed, "It's just...I feel like I failed him."
Chifuyu flinched.
"Come again?"
"I dunno, it's just...Thomas, I confronted him on the incident, and yet...He refused to talk too much about it, I know he hasn't been very forthcoming to anyone else, but...It still feels like I failed as his father in some way...What if that happens with the others?"
Chifuyu was surprised, she'd never seen Alex in such a state...Sure, he had his somber moments, especially when drunk, but to hear him soberly and seriously second-guess himself like this was completely new...
"Even so, we have to do something...I can't imagine what will happen if they graduate without learning to handle their problems...They won't grow at all without someone to help push them in the right direction."
"...Are you sure I should be that someone?"
"I can't think of anyone better for the role."
Mostly because Chifuyu quite literally didn't know anyone else on such a personal level to make that kind of judgement, however, Alex didn't need to hear that.
"...I'll give it a shot." Alex said after an uncomfortably long silence.
"Thank you...This will work, I promise." Chifuyu affirmed.
Chifuyu hung up the phone, and sighed.
She truly didn't know what would work, she'd be lying if she said Thomas being kidnapped didn't rock her even a little...
All she, or even anyone, could do was make a choice, and pray it was the right one.
The next day...
It was just the break of dawn as the boys had enacted their antics.
"Coast is clear, c'mon." Thomas motioned for the boys to follow, sneaking down the halls of the dorm building and checking every corner. The other boys all looked quite tired, but, Shoto still seemed to be plenty energetic, almost bounding with each step he took.
"Mmmm..." Tyrone quietly yawned, "Why'd we do this so early...?"
"Shoto couldn't sleep, my prediction is that he's all-too-eager to pilot an IS suit..." Elias groaned, "Still...Such enthusiasm could be tempered with patience, at least..."
"Sssshh!" Ichika cautioned, "Not so loud, we could attract some of the girls who like to be up at this hour."
"Whoever actually gets up at this hour is a weirdo...Nobody should even have to get up this early..." Tyrone sighed.
"Very lonely people and health nutcases, now c'mon!" Thomas whispered.
"Why couldn't we have agreed to do this in the evening...?" Elias questioned, "Given how restless Shoto was, I'm certain he'd have agreed..."
"Curfew, you want Chifuyu to catch us? She'd break our spines!" Thomas answered.
"...Y'know, suddenly doing this so early is about the most perfect time." Tyrone answered...He hadn't experienced Chifuyu's full wrath, but he could tell she was quite scary.
Shoto then stopped right in his tracks.
"...Shoto?" Ichika was the first to notice, "Something wrong?"
Shoto looked like a deer caught in the headlights, standing still like a statue...Something was wrong.
"He's frozen in place...He's breathing...Shoto, what's wrong?"
The boys quickly converged on Shoto.
"...Shoto?"
"Is he having some kind of flashback?"
"Let's hope not..."
Shoto's lips moved, a tiny, indiscernible sound, almost like a squeak, came from his mouth.
"...What did you say?" Ichika flinched...It'd been so rare to hear Shoto talk...
"...P-P..." Shoto tried to annunciate.
"P...Okay, you're getting it...Slowly, take it slow..." Ichika urged.
"...P-P...P-Potty..." Shoto grimaced.
The boys all were momentarily frozen with shock.
It was instantly clear what was wrong.
Moments later, the sounds of thundering footsteps echoed through the halls of the dorms as the boys were carrying a very uncomfortable and distressed Shoto to the nearest bathroom, not stopping for anyone!
With moments to spare, they'd managed to get Shoto to the bathroom at the end of the hall, to which he sprinted inside and did his business. After a minute of waiting, the boys would hear a flush, and Shoto soon exited the restroom after washing his hands.
"Close one..." Tyrone sighed, "Let's get going."
"Right!" The boys declared in unison.
Some time later...
"...Okay, coast is clear." The boys had reached the training arena at last.
Currently, they were in one of the hangars, which stored some of the training Uchigane suits. Normally, they wouldn't be here, as they didn't need a school-owned IS to train...Today, however, was different.
"...Wait...What if somebody asks about the logs?" Tyrone piped up, "We can't just erase data on the IS if we use it..."
"Uh...Uhm..." Ichika mumbled.
"...We really need to think things through more..." Sighed Elias.
"...Oh! We can just say that I was the one using it! Most of the maintenance students would shrug it off!" Thomas piped up, "And then that just leaves us with...The staff..."
"...I know we're all in agreement, but I feel like nobody's stupid enough to challenge Chifuyu-Nee..." Ichika sighed.
"I mean...We've come this far already...It'd be a waste to throw in the towel..."
Shoto simply sat, looking between the other boys.
"...I uh...Feel I should I apologize for dragging you guys here." Thomas sighed.
"Nah nah," Tyrone waved dismissively, "Gives us something to do...And it's a little fun to break the rules every once in a while..."
"You're serious?! This is insanity!" Elias protested, "If Miss Orimura discovers what we're up to, she'll turn us to mincemeat, even more so for Ichika and you, Thomas!"
"Oi, oi!" Ichika retorted, "A-Actually...Yeah no, you're kinda right."
"It'll be fiiiiine~" Thomas shrugged, "I'm used to taking the heat from Chifuyu, anything goes wrong, I'll own up...It's sorta-kinda my fault we're here in the first place."
"Well at least you're honest about it..." Ichika trailed off...The situation reminded him of how Tatenashi would try to get the boys caught up in some hair-brained scheme.
In fact it wasn't entirely impossible that Tatenashi had gotten Thomas to do this...
"Ugh...Fine, but only today!" Ichika said, "One time, and then we never discuss this again!"
"Aw yeah! C'mon Shoto!" Thomas motioned for the child to follow.
Shoto nodded, and trotted over to Thomas as the boys all gathered around one of the Uchiganes currently standing in the drydocks. Shoto stopped, realizing just how in over his head he was...The IS was pretty big and tall...
"Huh? What's wro-Oh right, he can't climb the thing..." Thomas realized incredibly quickly.
The boys all sighed, save Shoto.
"Alright, alright, let's help him up." Ichika nodded.
"We're gonna lift you, is that cool, Shoto?" Tyrone asked the young boy.
Shoto nodded.
"Sweet! Alright, you guys unlock the thing, me an' Elias will help him up!"
"Right!" Ichika and Thomas got up on the top of the Uchigane to help Shoto get in as Elias and Tyrone took Shoto's hands and pushed him up the drydocks. Shoto shivered a little, trying to hide his nervousness at being lifted up.
"It's alright, we've got you." Elias assured the boy.
"M-Mmm." Shoto grunted, hesitantly reaching out to Ichika and Thomas as Elias and Tyrone lifted him up as high as they could. Thomas and Ichika carefully took his hands and lifted him on top of the Uchigane.
"And now we slip you into the cockpit..." Thomas said.
The boys moved Shoto to the top of the cockpit, and slowly lowered the young boy in, Shoto dangled a little as he lowered into the controls, but, with some effort, was able to reach the pedals...
It was then that the boys had another realization.
"Shoto...Can you reach the controls?" Ichika was the first to point it out.
Just like that, everyone, including Shoto, were dumbstruck as they realized Shoto was too short to drive the IS! He could barely reach the bottom of the legs, let alone reach the controls in the arms!
"...How did we not think of this?!" Thomas felt quite stupid.
"Goodness..." Elias sighed.
Tyrone snickered, gaining the attention of the other older boys.
"What? C'mon it's a little funny." Tyrone defended himself.
"He's got a point." Thomas agreed, "It's not comedy if it's safe."
"You two are incorrigible..." Elias sighed.
Shoto was still trying to grab the controls, fascinated by the fact he was in a giant mecha...It was a childish dream from watching too many Super Robots cartoons before he was abducted. Dreams that'd long since slipped from his fingers as he was used as a lab rat...They were all coming back, he wanted to be the hero of his dreams, to rocket punch his way to victory!
Perhaps the IS was just the thing to make that happen...
"...Hey, Shoto? You alright, little guy?" Ichika noticed Shoto's awe.
"Mmm!" Shoto grunted.
"Okay...Uh...Something simple." Elias piped up, "We're really doing this, so something simple is best...Hopefully Shoto hasn't a fear of heights."
Shoto tried reaching again...Only to lose patience a little, and shift in the cockpit. Little did anyone expect, but doing so had caused the IS to shift weight as well! Shoto flinched and gasped as the IS toppled over and hit facedown on the floor with a massive thud!
"Wo-Ow!" Thomas grunted, grimacing, "H-Holy...WOW that was loud..."
"Oh my..." Tyrone's face was frozen, "That startled me..."
"Sh-Shoto?! Are you okay?!" Ichika and Thomas hopped down from the drydocks.
"The IS's design would've taken most of the impact..." Elias pointed out, "Still, that must've frightened him..."
"Shoto? You alright lil' guy?" Tyrone looked to the cockpit.
"...Mmm..." Shoto grunted quietly.
"Hey! You alright?" Tyrone tried lifting the Uchigane...For all the effort he could lift a machine that could flatten a human with one hand.
Shoto, being facedown, now had the ability to crawl and shift around easier. The small boy was currently shaking about in the cockpit, and with some effort, managed to reach the controls in the arms!
"...Shoto...? Give us a grunt at least..." Thomas asked, quite concerned that Shoto somehow knocked himself out.
Whrrrrrr!
Shoto tried getting up...The controls seemed simple, if he put his hands in the arms, the arms move, and there were controls in accordance with each joint...It was almost like his actual arms.
"Whup-!" The other boys stumbled back, falling on their bottoms as they bore witness to Shoto getting up.
"He's...He's doing it!" Ichika gawked.
"I...I would be lying if I said I didn't have a doubt..." Elias gulped.
"Let's go! There's our boy!" Tyrone cheered.
Thomas, for once, was speechless.
"He's IS-compatible! Ain't that great, Thomas?" Ichika nudged Thomas.
"O-Oh yeah! Yeah! That's the spirit!" Thomas joined in as soon as Ichika prompted him.
Shoto slowly lifted the Uchigane to its feet...It was light as a feather! As Shoto turned upright, he felt the IS suddenly start to shift around his body!
"Eep!" Shoto trembled, causing the IS to stumble around.
"Hey! It's alright! I...Think." Ichika tried to soothe the young boy.
"...Oh! The Uchigane!" Elias piped up, "It's adapting to Shoto's size, it's nothing to fear!"
Tyrone, Thomas, and Ichika all started looking at Elias.
"...W-What?" Elias was dumbfounded.
"...You are such a nerd." Thomas chuckled, "I-In a good way! Nothing wrong with being a nerd!"
Thomas started laughing a little, Ichika and Tyrone simply chuckled quietly and shook their heads, trying to expel Thomas's mildly-contagious laughter.
"...You're mean." Elias pouted a little.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, it's just...How do you know so much about the IS? You shoulda come sooner..."
"My father had me running about, conducting batteries of tests for IS-Compatibility when we'd discovered my talents...I was somewhat involved with the development process, and I guess the notes stuck with me."
"Huh...Well I know who we're all turning to for homework!" Thomas joked, "Kidding, kidding! Mostly..."
"Nah, nah, I was thinking the same thing." Tyrone admitted.
"I was thinking that, but, I wasn't gonna say it..." Ichika didn't want to admit that Thomas's lack of filter was rubbing off on him, "S-So uh...Hey Shoto! How's it going up there?"
"Mmm?" Shoto grunted from the cockpit, realizing that he wasn't struggling to reach the controls anymore...His movements were faster, just as fast as his own body!
"W-Well uh...Try moving around!" Ichika instructed, "Get familiar with moving, but slowly!"
"Mmm!" Shoto took a step...Very slowly, wary of if the IS would snap like a twig if it so much as shifted its weight.
The Uchigane thudded step after step as Shoto tried to get a feel for it...Even if the IS felt easy to move in, that didn't mean Shoto's spatial awareness was as easy to work out. It was as if he was strong an ox trying to get adjusted to the light limbs of a cheetah.
Fwoosh!
"Woah-?!" Thomas took Ichika and ducked as Shoto nearly kicked them in their heads, "Watch out!"
"A-Aaaah-!" Shoto panicked, realizing just now how hard using an IS could be.
"It's fine! We're okay! Just be mindful of your surroundings!" Ichika tried to calm Shoto down, "Just remember, one foot after the other!"
Tyrone kept an eye out...They couldn't back out now, as such, he kept watch for anyone else in the hangar bay.
"Remember not to make too much noise...Otherwise the entire campus will be on us like ugly on an ape!" Tyrone cautioned.
"R-Right right...Uh...Well..." Elias deployed his own IS, and in a flash of light, the Knight Gunner stood at the ready, "I think it's best if I have my IS out, that way we'll be able to help if you fall over!"
"M-Mm!" Shoto nodded.
"So...Whadda we do?" Thomas turned to Ichika.
"...I think we can sit back, maybe help Tyrone..." Ichika shrugged.
"Alright, yeah, sure!" Thomas nodded.
The air was awkward between the two best friends...Thomas wanted to prove he was perfectly fine, and Ichika wanted Thomas to be more open about himself. Neither were in the wrong, and yet, it was clear something had come between them ever since the abduction.
To Ichika, Thomas seemed to be...Forcing himself to act like usual, like he was actively pushing himself to do things normally despite it being clear he was shaken up.
For Thomas, it felt more that everyone was pressuring him, treating him like he couldn't adjust to being normal, that he was unable to help himself anymore.
Since the two of them were removed from the others' earshot briefly...
"...The abduction...-"
"-Aaaaand here we go!" Thomas's mood changed from jovial and casual to irritated.
"Thomas...Just...I know, alright?" Ichika sighed, "I get it, you don't wanna talk about it...But will you at least let me ask why that is?"
"You can...Just don't expect an answer." Thomas grumbled.
"Okay...Do you not want to talk about it because..." Ichika paused briefly to choose his words, "Because you don't understand it yourself?"
Fortunately, in the time Ichika knew Thomas, they didn't need to fuse in order for Ichika to read Thomas.
"..." Thomas looked away, not answering...But the silence spoke perfectly clear for him.
"Tommy, buddy..." Ichika tried resting a hand on Thomas's shoulder, "I sorta get it...You don't wanna talk about it because it was that bizarre, right?"
"What's it to you?"
"You're one of my best friends! You can't expect me to just ignore it! I know everyone's going in circles about it, but we care about you!"
"I know...It's just...It's nothing, really." Thomas sighed, "Let's not spoil the moment, okay? Just this once? This is for Shoto! Think of the kid!"
"Alright, alright..." Ichika concurred, "But you owe it to everyone to actually work with us, okay?"
"Fine, fine..." Thomas waved dismissively.
Meanwhile, Shoto had been taking baby steps in the Uchigane, with Elias assisting him each step.
"Left, right, left, right...You're doing great!" Elias rewarded Shoto with compliments.
"Mmm!" Shoto nodded happily.
Shoto's desire to use the IS was growing...He remembered something about flying...He wanted to, he wanted to so badly...It was like that one Western film he watched with his family.
"Sometimes you have to fly before you can walk."
The awe in Shoto's eyes intensified...He was getting impatient, he wanted to fly!
"Left...Shoto? What's on your mind?" Elias noticed Shoto's expression turn to a mischievous smile.
Shoto then began to play with the Uchigane's controls, eager to figure out the flying mechanisms. He played with the buttons and handles inside the IS's arms, the pedals in the legs, and looking around the HUD.
"...Shoto...What are you doing...?" Elias hadn't caught on yet, but he could tell Shoto was up to something.
Shoto squeezed the handles simultaneously.
THOOOOOOOOOOM!
"SHOTO-!" Elias didn't have time to react as he watched Shoto fly DIRECTLY into the ceiling of the hangar!
Fortunately, Shoto didn't punch a hole in the ceiling with the IS, as the hangar was designed to withstand an IS trying to ram through, however, it caused Shoto to bounce right off and start flying all over the hangar!
"OHMAHGAWD-!" Elias cried, "HELP! SHOTO'S ALL OVER THE WALLS!"
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Shoto wailed, unable to control the Uchigane.
The other three boys ran back to find the chaos unfold, much to their shock and dismay. The sounds of Shoto bouncing off the walls almost like a cartoon character echoed throughout the hangar...And beyond.
"OH SHIIIIIOOOO-dles! Shiooodles!" Thomas narrowly covered a swear word, covering his own ears, "What happened?!"
"I think he hit the thrusters!" Elias cried, "We need to stop him!"
"Yeah! Together!" Ichika deployed his IS, "We group up and catch him until the thrusters burn out!"
"Genius! Let's do it!" Tyrone deployed as well.
"IT'S SO LOUD!" Thomas shouted, deploying and keeping his ears covered.
"WAAAAAAAH!" Shoto cried, now barreling right for the four boys!
"On three!" Ichika said as the boys scooted together, their hands out, "One, two...!"
CRASH!
Ichika didn't get to finish his countdown as Shoto collided with the boys, sending them into the wall! With the added weight of all four IS suits, they were able to hold Shoto's IS down, saving the young boy from constantly hitting the hangar walls!
"We got yah! Don't worry, it's okay!" Ichika assured Shoto.
"Waaaaah...!" Shoto looked ready to start sobbing.
"H-Hey, don't cry...Look! Smile!" Ichika tried giving Shoto a bright, happy smile.
"...Aaaaah..." Shoto slowly calmed down, taking deep breaths.
After a few minutes, the Uchigane eventually shut down on its own after Shoto relaxed on the controls. The older boys were able to extricate Shoto from the IS soon after, letting him cry a little over the scary experience.
"Ow...That was way too loud! I think we should just do it out in the arena next time..." Groaned Thomas, nursing his ears.
"Wasn't that bad for me...It was pretty loud...I hope nobody heard us..." Ichika murmured.
"C'mon! Let's clean this mess up! We needa pack up before-" Tyrone froze as he looked at Thomas.
"Tyrone? Are you alright?" Elias asked, looking in the same direction as Tyrone before freezing just like Tyrone.
"Before what? What's...?" Thomas flinched, "...Someone's standing right behind me?"
"You got that right." An all-too-familiar, anger-twisted, blood-boiled, rage-fueled woman's voice spoke up.
"..." Thomas's eyes widened as he slowly turned around to find...
...Chifuyu, looking very, very angry.
"...M-Miss Orimura...I know what this looks like..." Thomas gulped after a few moments.
"You all have some explaining to do," Chifuyu's unforgiving death-stare pierced the souls of the boys, save Shoto.
"And you'll be doing it in my office...NOW!"
A/N: Thank you all for reading! I'm terribly sorry! I meant to get this done by New Year's, but I procrastinated and got sidetracked with real life issues...I've had quite a few issues to take care of, but I aim to get back into the swing of things, even if I keep making that promise despite not keeping it very well...
I'll try to get into monthly releases, wish me luck!
Thomas seems to be rather touchy about being so vulnerable...After all, who wouldn't be? I'd imagine most would want to act tough and say that everything's alright in order to keep people at ease...But there are times when that's not always the case.
Hopefully Thomas can learn to open up again!
I've been thinking about doing other stories as well, hopefully I can get to those as well!
my birthday's coming up soon as well...It's surprising when I really think about how long I've been writing, even if it's just a hobby!
Hope you've all had a happy New Year/Valentines Day/Saint Patrick's Day (To all whom may apply)
I hope you all had as much fun reading this as I did writing!
Next time: Higher Learning
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