Infinite Stratos Plot Bunnies Collection
Chapter 24: Butterfly Effect
Upload date: February 21, 2022
AN: This plot is another take on my older plot bunny where Ichika joins Phantom Task. It is sort of a pseudo crossover with Gundam Seed by a tiny margin as a lot of concepts from Gundam Seed were used to flesh out this plot bunny. Gundam Seed is my favorite of all the Gundam titles. Its story may not be that great and it may be flawed compared to other Gundam titles, but it's designs for mobile weapons and ships are some of the best in the Gundam series. It also has some of the best music and OST compared to other Gundam titles. I wish Gundam Seed had a more active community on FFN with frequent updates to what few fanfics that don't use OC protagonist and OC cast and does not focus on AU non-Gundam settings. Kinda sad to see that Gundam Seed fanfics are largely dead fics on FFN with no new stories. As always, feel free to adapt this story as long as Ichika maintains his protagonist role.
Story Concept:
The plot would change settings as instead of the story taking place at ISA mostly, it would be from the POV of Phantom Task. The beginning part of the story would seem more like a "prequel arc" before you get to the present time of when IS canon starts. Phantom Task succeeds in kidnapping Ichika and instead of just using him as a hostage to force Chifuyu to forfeit the 2nd Mondo Gross, they instead opted to make him a member of the organization. They successfully fake his death so that Chifuyu would not look for him. Ichika's presumed death would drive greater wedges between Chifuyu, Tabane, and Houki. Both Chifuyu and Houki blame Tabane, but Chifuyu will also treat Houki very coldy by proxy.
As a child, Ichika would be easily broken down as Squall uses his own guilt he felt causing Chifuyu to forfeit and with the revelations of Madoka as his twin sister. While Madoka wouldn't get along with Ichika at the start and only intended to use him as a tool, eventually she would come to love Ichika as not only her twin sibling but her lover in the bedroom as well. Squall encouraged the twincest bond as it would help PT develop their prototype tech known as the Twin Soul System. Ichika would eventually be discovered to be able to pilot an IS while helping Madoka test the Twin Soul System. Squall would protect him in his early years from the whilms of PT higher echelon both because Ichika was a very valuable as the only male IS pilot in existence, but also because she sees the Orimura twins as her adopted children given the aspect of her that always wanted to be a mother. Because Ichika grew up in PT his outward personality resembles those of Sven Cal Bayang (Gundam Seed Stargazer male protagonist), while he only showed her softer gentle side to those within PT who are closer to him such as Madoka, Squall who is a mother figure to him, and Autumn who is an auntie figure to him. He is very emotional and would break his outward stoic persona when things involve Madoka as Ichika deeply cares for Madoka since she is the only family he has left. Their close twin bond allows them to communicate and feel their emotions without need of words akin to Newtypes from Gundam.
Unlike in canon, this version of PT would have its own R&D branch and manufacturing facilities to design weapons and vehicle systems for the organization as the PT had very deep pockets, their total wealth equivalent to the combined number of some of the G20 nations. This makes PT more like an actual global military organization than a mere terrorist organization, advanced enough to field air/sea supercarrier warships and even build original designed IS units equipped with Pseudo-Cores. Ichika originally served as a test pilot for experimental IS units, but eventually he would become an active PT agent taking part in missions. His mainstay IS would be the Strike Gundam, PT's Gen 3.5 Prototype Multi-Mode IS - equipped with Core 105 and comes with the unique Instant Striker Pack Install System technology.
Instant Striker Pack Install System (ISPIS) - Allows the Strike Gundam (and its numerous variants) to use and switch between the various Striker Packs which had already been installed into the Strike. Since each Striker Pack contains its own internal battery unit, the Strike can just simply switch out Striker Packs when the current one in use is running low on energy, allowing the Strike to remain and engage in a prolonged firefight with enemy IS units, who do not have the unique advantages the Strike has. Plus, this special feature eliminates the need to reserve or contain numerous Equalizers for each weapon, since one Strike Pack contains numerous weapons and equipment at a time, making the time-consuming process of changing and equipping individual Equalizers outdated and inefficient. Battery energy from unused Striker Packs and be diverted to give additional power to a Striker Pack that is currently being used. Prior to Tabane's creation of Fold Out Armor, this was PT's attempt to overcome the limitations of Equalizers to allow their IS units to be more flexible and versatile in changing combat situations and environments. While similar to Fold-Out Armor in concept, the ISPIS is slower than Fold-Out Armor in switching Striker Packs as the tech was designed in mind to help IS pilots manage and conserve battery power amongst their weapons and equipment for their IS.
Madoka would initially pilot the Blitz Gundam with its Mirage Colloid stealth tech and using Core 207, before it became too damaged on missions to continue using. She would be issued the improved version of the Strike known as the Strike E Gundam which Madoka for the most part equips the Noir Striker Pack and upgrades the Strike E with Mirage Colloid stealth tech salvaged from the Blitz Gundam. The fact that the twins have IS units with the Gundam title is no coincidence, as PT only issues the "Gundam" moniker to IS units they have designed in mind to eventually be equipped with ultra-compact nuclear reactors to increase operational time and provide near unlimited power for Gundam-named IS. PT would use the Gundam-named IS prototype units as a basis for their mass-produced IS units such as the 105 Dagger, Slaughter Dagger, Duel Dagger, Buster Dagger, and N Dagger N. The Orimura twins are a formidable and deadly duo nicknamed the "Twin Strike Siblings" who co-lead the "Gundam Team" and have partaken in countless missions from Squall and Autumn, their eventual primary home being supercarrier warship "Archangel". They are typically backed in combat operations by 105 Daggers/Slaughter Daggers, fighter aircraft (drone and manned), and if necessary commando troops and even fire support from their supercarrier warship. Their constant enemy is the Sarashiki clan and the German spec-ops group Schwarzer Hase. Ichika would develop a special hatred for Schwarzer Hase soldiers after the pilot of the Blu Duel Gundam who happens to be Rain Meusel's previous girlfriend died horribly in battle at the hands of Schwarzer Hase. Even though Madoka doesn't show it, she is also be affected by Blu Duel pilot's death due to the twins mental link connection and the two would avenge their comrade's death by killing those Schwarzer Hase pilots who killed the Blu Duel. Autumn would have to break the news to her niece that her girlfriend was dead.
Eventually, Ichika's luck would run out as the twins would inevitably face down Chifuyu some time before the start of IS canon. The UN had become so desperate against the militarily powerful PT that they allowed Chifuyu to pilot the IS again after she had been banned from using IS following the conclusion of the 2nd Mondo Grosso. Chifuyu would be given the Byakushiki which makes sense as that IS unit was designed with her in mind as its intended pilot. After a long absence, Tabane would communicate to Chifuyu that Ichika was alive and give her his location. Chifuyu would encounter the Orimura twins while Squall's forces are battling UN forces led by American IS pilots, Iris Calling and Natasha Fairs. The Orimura twins would not go down easily.; Their major advantage against Chifuyu was that now their Perfect Strike and Strike Noir Gundams have finally been fitted with ultracompact nuclear reactors to give their IS units near-unlimited power while Chifuyu's Byakushiki has its default defect of being energy-inefficient. Their other advantage was their Newtype connection as twins that allowed them to fight Chifuyu in perfect coordination and sync. The Orimura twins would put up an unrelenting assault on Chifuyu, refusing to give her any chance to rest and the fights were so close that there were several times where the twins almost got the upper hand on Chifuyu. While battling the two IS Strike Gundams, Chifuyu was in for a shock when she shattered the face mask of the Strike Gundam and thus revealed Ichika's face to her. This served as a turning point as Chifuyu snapped and proceeded to thrash and bloody the twins to end the fight as quickly as possible. Chifuyu would leave Madoka severely wounded while she drags Ichika away with her, both twins being emotionally distraught over their forced separation.
Time skip to the start of IS canon in the timeline as Ichika is made a student/prisoner at IS. Recognizing his worth and with counsel from ISA staff, the UN gave Ichika a blank check amnesty for all crimes and acts of terrorism he committed as a PT member and sentenced him to ISA for "education and rehabilitation". His damaged Strike Gundam IS would be examined by Tabane who after collecting all data from the Strike, rebuilt it as the prototype 4th Gen IS Build Strike Gundam for Ichika to use at ISA. Ichika would be miserable at ISA as he can't bear being separated from Madoka and other ISA students looking at him like a piece of delicious meat. He could sporadically communicate with Madoka via their Newtype twin connection, begging Madoka to break him out of ISA. Ichika would also be irate with having to deal with Tatenashi and Laura on a constant basis - leaders of the two enemy factions of PT and both of whom were shocked that the infamous Strike pilot is a male and the younger brother of Chifuyu thought to be dead. In his IS matches, Ichika would routinely equip the Build Strike with the Noir Striker Pack just to piss off Chifuyu and remind her of his bond and love for Madoka. Chifuyu would struggle to try to rebuild her relationship with Ichika which would be her greatest challenge as Ichika only wants to go back to PT and be with Madoka. Ichika at one point even offered to try to rebuild their relationship together if only Chifuyu would free him and defect over to PT with him, a deal that Chifuyu soundly rejects.