Episode 3:
Enter Dragon
This chapter written by Mavrick-17
501st Joint Fighter Wing "Strike Witches" Base (Frontlines Allied Airbase)
Folkestone, Britannia
1000 Hours
December 13th 1944
501st were on edge. Last night at about 10:30pm a strange long haired man fell from the sky and landed on their runway. Now a long haired man was not that uncommon, but usually the men with that long of hair were ragged and poor.
However, this man however was not ragged or poor looking. If anything, the clothes he wore seemed to be made of a high quality and durable material. What was strange though was the white shirt he wore. It had a strange graphic design to the front of it. In a strange font style "All hail the Emperor" on the top and on the bottom it said "Nikki Hashimoto - World Tour" and beneath that it said 2010. The man on the shirt seemed to be either trying to pay homage to the Emperor of Fuso or insult him, as his face was painted to look like a Fuso doll and in his hands was a very strange looking guitar.
"Mio, you can't be serious," Minna sighed in an annoyed tone.
"Minna, you know I don't joke," Mio said looking at her commanding officer.
"This man... I can sense his magic power, and I know you can too."
Minna was caught off guard by that statement. While it was true that she could feel the powerful magical aura this man was emitting, she still couldn't believe it.
"Regardless, he can't stay here. You know the regulations Mio!" Minna said, beginning to lose her patients.
"I don't even know why you have that stupid rule Minna," Ember interjected slightly annoyed.
"You know as well as I do, we need witches. We need all the help we can get. If this guy can be a strong witch, we may be able to turn the tide of the war."
"We can still restrict him. When he eats, where he showers, we can control that but we seriously need to take all the help we can get Minna," Mio said looking at Minna with a pleading look in her eye.
Minna growled, which was something she didn't do often. She hated to admit it but Mio did have a point. Witches were few and far between and those strong and good enough to actually fight were even harder to find. It didn't help that their careers were often shortened due to magic loss or in very rare cases, severe injuries.
Steve could feel his head was pounding. Sitting up from his bed, he reached up stretching his back and arms. Getting out of the bed, he walked over to the covered window. Pulling the blinds apart, he was greeted with a view of the ocean. Not too far off in the distance he could see land.
Steve stretched, popping his back. He sighed as he closed his eyes and turned around walking back toward his bed.
"Just a bad dream..." he said out loud.
"What was the dream?" he heard a female voice ask.
"I dreamed that I was on my way back from the recording studio and I was hit by an eighteen wheeler." Steve said with a slight chuckle as he started to fall back asleep.
Steve's eyes opened wide suddenly as he shot up. He knew that voice. Steve lived alone and he had a fence all around his property along with a rather nice security system to prevent unwanted guests. He slowly turned to his left from where he heard the voice.
There sitting on a chair looking intently at him with her hands on her knees was none other than Mio Sakamoto. Behind her to her left was Minna Dietrinde Wilcke, who did not look happy to see him. To Minna's right was… a new witch. One Steve had not previously seen in the Strike Witches anime or manga. She had red shoulder length hair and eyes to match. Steve wondered if maybe she was a night witch with night vision.
He glanced between the three women. He was unsure of how to proceed. He knew that Minna did not like men interacting with the witches of the 501st. So the fact that Minna was here and apparently looking at him with an annoyed look told him one of two things.
Either: a) half the stuff in the anime and manga was bullsh*t and Minna didn't have a limited interaction with men rule, or b) she somehow got outvoted or outspoken by Mio and this new witch.
"So why am I here still?" Steve asked.
"What do you mean?" The new witch asked.
"Why am I still on this base? Don't you have that stupid rule about limited interaction between Males and Witches, Colonel Wickle?"
The three witches looked a little stunned. How did he know that?
Mio furrowed her brow.
"How do you know that? No one told you who we are. It seems strange that you apparently know our names but do we do not know yours," she stated, her hand moving slightly toward her katana.
Steve had anticipated something like this happening. He could play it smart and tell the true, or he could lie. He decided he should probably tell the truth.
"My name is Steve Clark," he said looking at the witches. Steve sighed and looked toward the window "I'm from a parallel dimension."
The statement made by the man caught the witches off guard.
"What do you mean 'parallel dimension'?" Ember asked.
Steve thought for a moment, and seemed deep in thought as if trying to remember something. After a moment, he snapped his fingers.
"There are an infinite number of universes coexisting with ours on parallel dimensional planes. Now in each of these alternate universes, the reality is different than our own. Sometimes only slightly, sometimes quite radically. The point is every possible eventuality exists." Steve explained.
"So you're saying you're from an alternate universe?" Mio said, sounding intrigued.
"Yes I am Major Sakamoto."
"Prove it."
"I'm not sure how I can. I have no idea what I brought into this world."
Minna lifted a light gray satchel.
"We found this next to you when you landed on our runway last night."
She threw the bag. Although she was not aiming, the bag managed to land right on Steve crotch, whose eyes opened wide in a brief moment of pain.
"Chara!" he cursed weakly.
Minna flushed pink, as Mio snickered and Ember tried to contain her laughter.
"I'm so sorry."
"Bitte sagen Sie mir nicht, das wird eine Gewohnheit Minna geworden," Steve groaned as he started to look through his satchel. This caught the girls off guard.
"Sie sprechen-" Minna started.
"Ya, I can speak German, I can also speak Japanese, and Hebrew." Steve interrupted as he brought out items from within the satchel: a case of reading glasses, a strange silver looking block with a white glowing Apple with a bite taken out of it, and three various cigarette cartons and numerous lighters.
"Ah ha!" Steve said as he apparently had found what he was looking for. He held it up for the girls to see. It was a manga. Now this did not surprise the girls, as they had seen Yoshika reading some on occasion. What surprised them was the title and the character they saw on the cover, It was Lynnette's sister Wilma and above her head read the title: Strike Witches: One-Winged Witches with someone by name Humikane Shimada and Projekt Kagonish for the story and Atsuto Shinozuka for art.
Mio reached out, indicating she wanted to see it. Steve let her take the book. Mio opened it and started to read silently. The new witch also looked over curious as to its content. About five minutes later, the pair looked up at Steve, eyes wide. Most of the events in this manga had accorded, and much of the details and events that happened in this story were classified on a need to know basis.
Mio was puzzled, granted she believed him in saying that he was from a parallel Earth, but him showing her this took the cake. While it was true Wilma was a part of the Wing depicted in the book and her personality was very much apparent. She had a much higher kill count than what the book had said.
"Ok, let's say that I don't believe you," Mio said, trying to sound hypnotically.
"What else do you have that could prove you are from an Alternate Universe?"
Steve simply placed his hand on the silver object and the witches watched with curiosity as he opened the object like a book. It looked like he was typing on it and a moment later the witches were greeted with a sound unlike anything else they had ever heard before. It sounded like music, music no-one had heard before.
The audio was clear, no pops from the record or static of a radio.
"Let's go Crazy on the Crazy Train!" they heard someone shout to a screaming audience.
The song continued and then that same voice came back in.
"Crazy, but that's how it goes. Millions of people living as foes. Maybe. it's not too late. To learn how to love, and forget how to hate." From there it sounded like the song was going into a chorus. "Mental wounds not healing. Life's a bitter shame. I'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train. I'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train."
Steve stopped the music.
Mio, Minna and the new witch looked at him with wide eyes. Before them, was a human, from a parallel universe, with a very powerful magic aura.
"So how long have you been practicing magic?" Ember asked.
Steve looked at the new witch with a questioning look.
"What was that about practicing magic, Ms...?"
"Vermilion. Ember Vermilion."
"Right, so what do you mean practice magic? I'm not magical at all," Steve said, raising an eyebrow at Ember.
"Steve, Minna and I can both feel the magic in you. Its powerful, maybe just as powerful as Yoshika's,"
Steve frowned looking at Mio.
"Mio is not like I can snap fingers and make something happen," Steve said, snapping his fingers, to which a nearby candle lit itself with a loud flicker. Steve, Minna, and Ember eyes open wide looking at the source of the sound.
"Did either of you three light that?"
"No," Minna said.
"And I'm guessing it was not lite before?"
"Correct," Ember said.
Steve looked at his hands and then back to the candle. He snapped his fingers and the fire went out.
"Ok, that's new," Steve said.
"So, I'm guessing you want to start training me on operating Strikers?"
"And shooting a gun," Minna said.
Steve looked at Minna with an annoyed look.
"I may be a complete newbie like Yoshika, but I know how to shoot."
"I'll be the judge of that," Mio said.
Steve got up and looked at the three witches in front of him. He leaned on the nearby dresser, his arm just touching a small dragon-looking statue. Said statue then started pulsing very quickly with a red glow. Mio caught this, but no one else seemed to notice.
"Well, which one of you lovely ladies is gonna teach me how to fly?"
"Well, I think Major-"
"Lieutenant Vermilion will show you the ropes." Mio said quickly, cutting off Minna, who frowned looking at Mio with an annoyed look, while Ember looked at Mio with a questionable look, a slight blush on her face.
"Ok then," Steve said, completely oblivious to the sudden change. "Lead the way Ember,"
Taking a few steps forward, Ember came back to her senses and walked out of the room with Steve.
"So tell me a little about yourself," Steve asked as he closed the doors behind him.
Minna looked at Mio with an enraged look on her face, just at that moment Gertrud entered.
"What the hell are you doing Mio?" Minna nearly shouted. "That is the third time today you have gone over my head. What the hell is going on?"
Mio didn't reply. She just walked over to the dragon statue, which now seemed to give a more steady beat.
"Can't you see it?" Mio asked.
"See what?" Minna growled.
Now Mio was annoyed. She knew she wasn't going crazy. She held out the dragon statue in her hand. Now both Minna and an arrived Gertrud could see the red heartbeat like pulsing aura surrounding the statue.
"Am I seeing things?" Minna asked.
"It's beating, like a heart," Gertrud said. Minna noticed Gertrud's presence.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
"You know, there's an ancient Fuso Legends about Dragons that is tied to this statue."
"What legend?" Gertrud asked.
"Long ago, dragons ruled the world, and they sought after riches of all sorts."
"Really Mio, you are gonna tell us some child's bedtime story?" Minna groaned.
"Hush Minna," Mio hushed.
"But in a sense, yes. Dragons like this Sea Serpent you see before you, were known for sinking ships loaded with gold and other treasures to the ocean floor, where the dragon would then bring the treasure to it's keep."
"Interesting."
"That's not all. If another dragon stumbled upon another keep or hunting grounds, the two beasts would fight to claim dominance. The loser would have to bring its most prized position to the victor."
"Where are all dragons like this?" Minna asked, rolling her eyes.
"Some were like the Ice Dragons of the North. Some were more passive, such as the Sky Marshalls. But the most well known and feared were the Red Fire Dragons, also called Blutjägers."
"Blood Hunters? Why such a fearsome title?" Gertrud asked
"Blood Hunters were a European Dragon, more or less found in what is now Karlsland. These dragons were among the most dangerous. They were especially vicious and brutal. An entire town and castle could be whipped of all life within hours."
Minna and Gertrud paled.
"They especially did not like Sea Serpents. There's a legend of a Sea Serpent, a large alpha male fought a female Blood Hunter. Now legends says Sea Serpents were usually smaller than a Blood Hunter, but this one was just as big as male Blood Hunter."
"What happened?" Minna asked now intrigued.
"The Legend says that the Blood Hunter and Sea Serpent fought for five sun rises and five sunsets, and on the morning of the six day, the Blood Hunter blinded the Sea Serpent and lured it into a trap where the Blood Hunter crushed the beast with a rock slide. The female succumbing to her mortal wounds died afterwards but not before she laid a single egg."
"Five days and nights of continuous fighting, only to die afterwards. How sad, Wait! What happened to the egg?"
"Minna, it's only a legend." Gertrud said
"Still, what does the legend say of the egg."
"No one knows. Some say the dragon hatched and starved to death. Some say it was found by a king and took it to raise the dragon as a pet. Some say the dragon that came from that egg had magic properties and learned how to change into a human and live for the rest of its long life as a human."
"Well that would be something."
"Minna..." Gertrud groaned lightly as she approached her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's only a legend, a story, nothing more."
"I guess so... Wait a minute! Mio what the hell does that Legend have to do with this glowing statue."
"It was foretold that one day the Sea Serpent and the Red Fire Dragon would come back to life to finish the fight in new vessels. And when that time was approaching, this statue, which has been in my family for generations, would show a sign that a dragon is near."
"So, that statue is like a metal detector?" Gertrud asked.
"In a way, yes."
"The faster and brighter it glows, the closer the dragon is. Legend says the aura color will change based on the dragon species."
Minna thought for a moment and after a moment came to a very alarming conclusion.
"So, that means…Steve is…" Minna started putting things together.
"A Blutjäger," Mio said. She walked over to the window, feeling the pulse grow stronger. She looked down to see Steve and Ember down below discussing strikers.
Gertrud and Minna walked over and looked down. It seemed Steve and Ember were getting along very well, they appeared to be laughing.
Steve and Ember were laughing, it turns out Steve had much more in common with this girl than he had previously thought while Ember was quite impressed with Steve. He had just discovered his power and already he was able to keep an extreme amount of focus and control over this power.
"So tell me a little about yourself," Ember asked Steve.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Tell me about you, Steve Clark. What makes you, well you?"
"Well I was born in a small town in the proud state of Texas. However, due to my parents divorce, I followed my mom and her new husband to Connecticut. There I grew up, traveled the world and met a few friends that would eventually become my band mates."
"Oh, you're in a band?" Ember asked.
"Was. I think myself being transported into a new world could count as me leaving the band," Steve said with a smirk.
Ember giggled. Steve smiled. He found her giggle very cute for some reason and loved hearing it. But there was also something about this girl that he instantly liked. He didn't know what it was, but he knew if he ever had the chance, and if there was a promise of Minna not killing him, he'd ask her out on a nice little date. Go see a movie, go dancing and take her to dinner, maybe not in that order, but something to show her a good time. He just hoped and prayed to God she would not be like his previous girlfriend. But she was out of his life and he was happy for it.
"Anyway," Steve continued, "I grew up in Connecticut playing Saxophone and listening to Jazz, It was not until Middle School that I picked up an Alice Cooper Album and my world was forever changed. I went out and bought a guitar and taught myself to play. From there I joined some of my friends in a band where we would become pretty well known and popular in the region. In fact a few times we were asked to open for a number of different Major Mainstream Bands."
"Mainstream bands?" Ember asked.
"Bands that were making millions just for making music. World famous," he explained while Ember let out a low whistle.
"But that was not to last, The band I was in broke up and after my junior year. Most of the band went our separate ways. But I started college and kept into touch with a close friend of mine and together he and I created a new band. After one record we were mega hits. Suddenly we had bands wanting us to tour with them, money came really fast and so did a few other things. So after a few years, I'm leaving the studio one night and I wake up here with you pretty ladies," he finished. His last statement caused a blush to form on Ember's cheeks which Steve noticed.
"Something I say sweetie?" He said as he positioned himself in a hovering position.
"No, it's just uh… Wow, you're a natural at this."
"Thank you," Steve said.
Suddenly the left striker Steve sputtered and died causing Steve to almost lose his balance. Ember frowned. Being the mechanic she was she knew almost immediately what was wrong.
"What's wrong?"
"Mmm… Maybe injector ports are clogging on? I will need to tear it apart to find out the problem," she said as she examined the Striker a bit more.
"You think it could be… I don't know, a transformer?"
"What are you talking-" Ember was then cut off as she was blinded by a bright light.
"What just happened?" a new female voice asked.
"So, what do we do with him?" Gertrud asked.
"What can we do?" Mio thought out loud curling a finger around her chin..
Both Karlslanders looked at Mio.
"We can't do anything to him. There is a prophecy he must fulfill. Otherwise all Hell will break lose."
"Mio…" Minna said softly. "Hell has already broken loose. Mankind is fighting for our lives," Minna grunted as her fist tightened
"That's not the kind of hell, I meant Minna. I meant the Hell. The kind where demons and other hellish creatures would walk the world unchecked and unchallenged."
"Mio…". Minna sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose..
"YOU CAN'T KILL A DRAGON MINNA, IT JUST ISN'T POSSIBLE!" Mio shouted, her face turning red with anger.
Minna was taken aback. Mio never lost her temper like this.
"Mio…?" Minna questioned.
Mio stopped and took a deep breath, the redness from her face slowly disappearing.
"Minna, if you were raised the way I was, you'd know you can not kill a deity. Steve is a dragon and to the Fuso Culture somewhat of a deity. We need Steve alive."
"I never said we have to kill him," Minna said.
"But you know what would happen to him if we informed the Air Chief Marshall about him. We would essentially give Steve a death sentence."
Minna was about to speak but changed her mind. Mio was right, while most of the 501st knew that their superior officer didn't like the idea of "little girls" as he had called them fighting a man's war, if he discovered Steve and the power he possessed, there was no telling what the man might do to Steve, even though he was male.
Minna sighed. Although she didn't want to just hand Steve over, he seemed like a very nice guy and having watched him training with Ember, and seeing the level of focus and determination, she knew that if somehow their superior officer found out they were hiding a powerful male witch in their wing, the consequences could be devastating.
"Mio, as much as I hate to say it, Steve-"
The three witches heard a female scream and a few moments later, the door slammed open, startling the three witches. They looked to see a girl in Steve clothing standing before them. It looked as if Steve had suddenly changed his form into that of a female.
"Steve?" Mio questioned.
"What the hell is going on here?" The now apparently female Steve questioned the three witches.
Mio looked amused while Gertrud had a stunned questioning look on her face.
"Who are you?" she asked.
Minna looked to her countryman.
"I believe that is the male who we found on our runway last night. Although clearly now you're a girl Steve."
"You're damn straight! How the hell do I fix this?" Steve asked starting to show more of his anger while Mio burst into laughter
Steve growled in annoyance and glared at the Fusojin.
"What's so funny…?" Steve questioned.
"It's funny seeing you in this state! It seems you don't have a full grasp on your powers! HAAHAAHAAHA!" Mio announced as she gave off her hearty laugh while Steve's palm found itself trying to burrow through his face.
"I'll be back. I have a phone call to make," Mio said as she calmed down. Leaving the room, she composed herself before making haste towards the radio room to place a very important phone call back home.
"So what do I do know?" Steve asked, looking at Minna.
"I mean I can't go around being a girl. I'm supposed to be a guy for Christ's sake!" Minna smirked and Steve had a look of fear on his face.
"This can not end well." He groaned.
In Minna's Office
A few minuets later
Steve was filling out a recruitment form for being a witch, while Ember and Minna watched.
"So why am I doing this again?" Steve groaned.
"Because if you want to stay on this base you have to stay a female," Minna grinned, loving every moment of seeing him squirm.
"And if I don't?"
"You'll be placed on standby as a fighter pilot and I would expect you to live in the hangar with your plane and have no contact with anyone except, me and Mio."
"Thanks for leaving me with so many amazing options, Colonel..." Steve grumbled in defeat. He looked down at the forms and began filling in the blanks aloud.
"Name: Steve Clark… How about Stephanie Clark."
"That works," Minna commented.
"Age: 18. Birthday August 26."
"Same as Mio's?" Minna asked
"Yup. Not kidding about that either. Height: 5 feet 4 inches. Weight: little personal don't you think?"
Minna shrugged.
"I do not know if my weight even changed now that I am a girl."
"Hold on a second." Minna said. Steve watched her activate her magic.
"You currently weigh 136 pounds and 15 ounces."
"Slightly heavier than average." Steve grumbled.
Minna giggled.
"Bust: oh crap!" Steve groaned
"We can measure." Ember said holding out a tape measure grinning.
"Fine." Steve sighed. Minna seemed to glare at Ember, while she wrapped the tape around his chest.
"Well it's ah…um." Ember stuttered as she looked into his eyes. This was the first time she had seen Steve this close. His eyes were like the clear blue sky.
"36 inches," she said as she pulled away blushing. Steve was also blushing, he noticed Minna's death glare and put his hands up in the "calm yo' tits" manner. He sat down and continued to fill out the form reading allowed.
"Ok, next thing on the list: Virgin?…"
Minna's face turned pink, while Ember snickered as she was on the brink of bursting out into laughter
"What?" Minna muttered in disbelief.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS AN OFFICIAL QUEST-… Eh? Wait a minute! THIS WAS HANDWRITTEN IN!" Steve shouted as his chair fell backwards as she shot up in anger.
There was laughing heard from outside. No one would know who it was except for Steve and his excellent sense of smell, which told him a sneaky little fox was laying around.
"Pay back will be a bitch, you little-" Steve started but was cut of by Ember.
"One last thing," Ember said.
She looked to Stephanie and shook her hand.
"Welcome to the team, Steph," she said while her face was contorted with concentration as she held the laughter in.
Steve face palmed. He must have somehow died and gone to hell.