Prologue - Three Strays

"Another string of attacks..."

"Mhmm! And the most recent of them are within European borders too."

Chifuyu Orimura, former Brunhilde of the Mondo Grosso, narrowed her eyes at the holographic world map. Red dots in several countries were highlighted, with the most being in Europe. The reports were almost always the same, with first responders only finding wreckage and bodies of criminals or insurgents. They described it as a miniature warzone and had explicitly noted the telltale marks of energy weapons from the melted gouges in the surroundings.

"Tabane, do you know where the culprits could go now?"

"Nope~! Those naughty boys are making it quite difficult to pinpoint just when they'll strike next!" 'The Professor' tittered, her face ever the mask of joviality.

"..?! Boys?" Chifuyu whirled around to glare at the screen which displayed her friend. "Explain."

"I've been compiling camera footage in the areas near the attacks and found a few familiar faces. So, with me being the ever Amazing Super Genius Tabane-sama, I went 'Detective Mode'!" The rabbit-eared woman gave her a peace sign, an utterly smug grin on her lips that caused her friend to scowl heavily.

They stared at each other for a near dozen seconds.

...

Tabane pouted.

"Why won't you praise me, Chi-chan~?" She whined, crocodile tears spilling down her cheeks. "I even found dirt on them!"

"Their backgrounds?"

"Better." The waterworks stopped, replaced with the sharp, inquisitive look that the Brunhilde was terribly familiar with. "What they are."

"...Huh?" Chifuyu's eyes shrank minutely as multiple holographic screens popped up around her. They displayed documents and scanned documents that were typed professionally.

So professional that it was utterly cold.

One, in particular, popped up before her, displaying the words...

Project: Neo-Type.

"Subject Sigma-66, otherwise known as 'Hound' within the facility records." Tabane read off as she showed a series of pictures of a young man with blonde hair and purple eyes. "He is considered a 'perfect' result of a rigorous and admittedly lethal martial training regiment. Duels to the death were not uncommon, and so were free-for-alls. So far, from what I've found, he's the best product that they had. Even gotten praises for being a 'good doll'."

A short, grainy video played depicting a younger 'Hound' sparring with other blonde-haired teens. A bō staff was in his hands, and he spun it in perfect circles around himself to deflect the simultaneous attacks from knives, swords, and axes. Then came his counterattack in the form of a storm of blows. Each blow was brutal, opening welts on flesh and visibly breaking limbs, and the purple-eyed teen's body was akin to a flowing river with how he dodged in between strikes.

Through it all, the teen's expression was indifferent and apathetic, nary the light of life shining in his eyes. It was as if watching a machine move.

"While not lacking in other fields, he specialized in combat first and foremost. Tactical aptitude is said to rival that of seasoned warriors, and his skill with weapons was stated to 'be of an equal match to Mondo Grosso finalists'." The rabbit professor chuckled, an unreadable light in her eyes. "I do wonder where he is right now, this little killing machine~"

"Lee, here's the order for table 9!"

Taking the tray with a slice of cake and a piping hot cup of Earl Grey, the blonde boy affixed a genial smile as he balanced it in one hand as he navigated through the café. While he was more used to the general hustle and bustle of a main city, a place such as Bristol was a welcome middle-ground between town and metropolis, especially when it meant there weren't that many customers that would accidentally bump into him.

He glanced out of the cafe's windows, at the bustling city street as the sun's rays bathed the city in its noon warmth. Then, his eyes wandered to the table by one of the large windows, where its sole occupant sat coolly with her eyes closed.

She was a regal beauty, with features that could only be described as 'noble'. Her light blonde hair was long, almost running down like a river, with a royal blue headband neatly keeping it in place. Her hair ended in gentle curls, some ends of it looking more like drills, but it merely gave her an added look of sophistication.

She was dressed in a rather eye-catching ensemble, only furthered by her rather voluptuous figure. A white blouse with bishop sleeves was tucked into a navy blue A-line skirt, a pair of blue high heels peeking from underneath the table.

"A slice of chocolate cake and your Earl Grey, madam." He announced as he placed the food items before her.

With a small huff, she opened her eyes and her royal blues stared into his lavender eyes with a disdain he was far too familiar with lately.

"Took you long enough." She turned her nose up at him before she shooed him away. "Now, let me be so I can enjoy this treat peacefully."

The corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly as he bowed. "Of course, madam."

"It's Lady Alcott to you, cur."

'Lee's' brows twitched.

The screens changed, this time displaying a brown-haired boy with steel gray eyes and an indifferent line on his lips.

"Subject Alpha-207, otherwise known as 'Tinker'."

Several screens displayed pictures and videos of the young boy fiddling with machines, some of them working perfectly and the others outright exploding after he got his hands on them.

"Considered 'perfect' by the doctor he was under, Tinker could innovate and create various mechanical constructs that weren't even possible to do at the time."

One screen, in particular, displayed the young boy shoving his hand inside a robotic arm, moving freely as if it were his own a second later. He punched a nearby wall with it, creating a large hole through what seemed to be a 2-meter-deep wall of concrete and metal.

"Reportedly a quiet boy, only roused when talks of engineering were involved. He's obedient, and...'understands the weight of punishments'." The rabbit-eared Professor's tone darkened briefly, returning to being bubbly the moment after. "He apparently found solace with Hound and the last of our trio..."

Tabane's eyes glinted on her screen. "I'm particularly interested in the little genius, Chi-chan~ Oooh, I can't wait to find him so I can smother him and take him under my wing~!"

Chifuyu barely held back her grimace. The rabbit-eared Professor was not allowed to get her hands on this 'Tinker' boy, wherever or whoever he was.

"Oof!"

"Ah, sorry, I was too distracted by—"

"No no, it's my fault—"

Gray eyes stared into red.

The brown-haired boy blushed minutely as he knelt beside her, picking up the model kits she dropped. "I'm so so sorry. I saw the Perfect Grade Bicorn GunGirl over there and got distracted."

The masked girl blinked as she also started to gather her kits. "I-It's alright. I don't blame you for getting distracted by such a beautiful piece."

"Judging from these High Grades, you're a model kit enthusiast too?" The gray-eyed boy grinned, excited at the prospect of talking shop about one of his hobbies.

She nodded, her eyes crinkling in a smile. "Yup. One of my pieces was displayed here a month ago."

"No way..!" They both stood up, with the older boy helping her. He was obviously taller than her by almost a foot and was clearly well-muscled, even through his plain black hoodie. "Which one was it?"

"Oh, it was the Custom Revive..."

Amidst the shelves of the hobbyist store, the two's conversation was lost as they formed a bond...

"Ah, yeah, my name's Davion Guele. I mean, Guele Davion, in Japanese nomenclature. Nice to meet you..?"

"Oh! Um...Yamada...Maiko. Yes, Yamada Maiko." She tucked a strand of blue hair into her beanie. Behind her mask, her lips curled up in a nervous smile, one that reflected in how her ruby eyes crinkled. "Pleased to meet you, Guele-san."

"And...the last?" Chifuyu's throat was dry, her composure a mix of wariness and hostility.

The mere mention of these... designer children brought back dark memories of her past...

Photos of a dark-haired boy with soulful green eyes and a bright smile on his lips popped up on the screens. He looked almost androgynous with how…soft his face seemed to be. The former Brunhilde would blame it on his age, but she felt that he would retain some of that near-girlish flair when he was older.

"Subject Delta-444, otherwise known as 'Songbird' in the records. Quite an adorable name for an equally adorable child~" Tabane gushed as she switched all the photos for audio and video logs of Songbird singing.

"To the town of Agua Fria, rode a stranger once fine day~!"

A rather peculiar choice of song that someone so young was singing gleefully, Chifuyu maintained her frown, even if the boy had a particularly good singing voice. "Get on with it, Tabane." She growled.

"Stingy! But okay~"

The screens were replaced with various reports, psychological, observational, etc. The pictures displayed Songbird with other children, obviously with him being the eldest. They crowded around him as he sang, and the dark-haired teacher suppressed a shudder at the medical gowns all of them were sporting. Around their wrists and necks were tags, and she could faintly see through the old photos the curves and lines of numbers.

"His doctor allegedly built him up as the 'perfect' negotiator. Being able to get out of tense situations with words alone, as well as being able to read the room in an instant. Apparently, very cooperative in helping the doctors with their daily routines."

Tabane idly looked off to the side at what Chifuyu assumed to be another screen. "Do you think he'd accept being my assistant?"

"Muteki no egao de arasu media

Shiritai sono himitsu misuteriasu."

Dismounting his bike, the delivery boy retrieved the heat pack and checked his phone. The AirPods in his ears were playing one of the popular songs, and while he wasn't really into idol culture, he could admit that this Ai Hoshino had something going for her.

He swore that her voice sounded familiar, though…

"Nuketeru toko sae kanojo no eria

Kanpeki de usotsuki na kimi wa

Tensaitekina aidoru sama."

"This is the place..."

Looking back up, he gazed at the rather tall and luxurious-looking skyscraper and then back at his phone. His gut told him that he was being watched, and in the corner of his eyes, he caught the glints of security cameras turning towards him.

'Don't know why a rich person's ordering pizza but…'

Walking into the lobby, he politely asked the receptionist on which floor his delivery instructions told him, more for the sake of propriety than anything else. The floor and room number were already there, but it didn't hurt to inform the receptionist so that she could note down his presence.

Once that was done and over with, he bowed to her and quickly walked over to the elevators, slipping into one just about to close. He gave a courteous smile to the surprised woman, the other occupant of the elevator, before selecting the penthouse suite.

"Sou tantan to, dakedo sansan to

Miesou de mienai himitsu wa mitsu no aji

Are mo nai, nai, nai

Kore mo nai, nai, nai

Suki na taipu wa? Aite wa?

Saa kotaete."

He swore that her voice was eerily familiar. Not in the sense that he heard it in passing, but more that he's listened to her voice more often than expected. The lyrics were also depressing despite the upbeat tune. He was surprised that the production company even let this air, but fortune favors the bold, he supposed.

"'Dareka wo suki ni naru koto nante (Hey! Hey!)

Watashi wakaranakute sa' (Hey! Hey!)

Uso ka hontou ka shirienai (Hey! Hey! Hey! Hеy!)

Sonna kotoba ni mata hitori ochiru (Hey! Hey! Hey! Hеy!)

Mata suki ni saseru."

Ding!

Glancing up at the floor indicator, he saw that he was at the penthouse suite. Looking around, he found that he was alone and that the young woman had long since left, with him not noticing. Shaking his head, he stepped out once the doors opened and walked over to the sole door at the end of a short hallway.

Bzzzzz!

He waited for a few seconds before the intercom the doorbell was above crackled to life.

"Yes?"

"Pizza Delivery, ma'am!" He announced with cheer the pizza company had hammered into him as their delivery boy.

"Oh! The order from Dominoes! I'll be right there~!"

"..."

For some reason, he felt as if the owner of the voice was going to be a bit…troublesome to deal with.

The door opened, and a short girl with blue hair and red eyes stood just beyond. She was wearing a light blue shirt and burgundy boy shorts and looked up at him with a light smile. She was attractive. He could admit to that.

'Better that than someone answering in a towel fresh from the bath… again.'

"That was quick. Not even 10 minutes." She commented as he opened the heat pack and took out her order of pizza.

"I wouldn't get used to it. That's just how I operate, Ma'am. Arriving on time is always paramount to me." He gave her his best customer-winning smile, stowing his bag and handing her the receipt. The girl, he couldn't tell if she was older or younger than him, took it and gave him an unidentifiable look.

"Is that so?" Her lips curled into a small grin as she leaned against the doorway. "I bet your employer must love you." Ruby eyes then twinkled with restrained mirth as she pulled out a thin wallet. "How much?"

His brow twitched slightly at the mischievous tone that crept into her words. "That'll be 1,200 yen."

"1,200 yen..." She hummed an amused smile, handing him the money with a wink. Her eyes landed on the name tag attached to his right chest. "Here you go, Murakumo-san. Next time I order from your restaurant, I'll ask for their cutest delivery boy~"

"I see... thank you." He took the money somewhat hesitantly, as if wary that she was another one of those who might grab him and do...something. He's had enough shenanigans of that nature to deal with in the past months, he'd rather not break his clean streak.

"I'd like to get to know you more, cutie~"

"Good day, ma'am, enjoy your pizza~" Murakumo gave her a smile, or at least an eye smile and a polite bow. Stepping back, he closed the heat pack and quickly made his way to the elevator.

Tatenashi Sarashiki watched him leave, an intrigued glint in her eyes as those piercing green eyes were etched in her mind.

"Murakumo..." She quietly mused as she closed the door. "Didn't know that someone could manage to look like an honest liar."

"So this...Project: Neo-Type, what was its end goal?" Chifuyu gritted out as she glared at Tabane, knowing that her friend was keeping some secrets from her as she always did.

"Why, they were meant to counter something called Project Mosaica...or rather, any succeeding projects like Mosaica." Tabane leaned back on her carrot-themed chair, tapping her cheek as she glanced to the side. "But a decade ago, Project: Neo-Type simply vanished from all records. Luckily, I found these remnants from some random conspiracy theorist in a shack in Nevada."

"To counter..?" The former Brunhilde's fingers twitched at the mere mention of her past. With a subtle gulp, she recomposed herself as she straightened her tie. "Why would they need to counter something?"

"No clue~!" The rabbit Professor sang as she typed. "They have enhanced reflexes, heightened senses, some regenerative abilities, and apparently were all trained in handling weapons. Some simply have an affinity for certain types more than others. Purposefully designed for their specific roles too~!"

"Damn it..!" Chifuyu's brown eyes narrowed as she snarled. "Tabane, I want you to find these boys now!"

"Eeeeh~? But Chi-chan, what will you do to them when I do find the trio?"

The teacher was already walking away from the screens, jaw tense as she waved the question off. "That will remain to be seen. Just find and track them. I'll hunt them down myself when the time comes."

Tabane grinned, none of her earlier friendliness present.

"Okaaay~!"

A shooting star streaked across the night sky.

'Lee' looked up at the comet as he exited a bar, an older woman dragging him with a triumphant smile on her lips. At her eager tugging, he focused back on her and returned her excited curl with a suave one of his own, and the two disappeared into the nightlife of Easton, ready for another round of pub stomping.

In the Chiba ward, Davion looked out his window at the distant shooting star. Having just woken up at the crack of dawn, with the night sky quickly pulling away, he spied the bright red streak as it sailed in the inky darkness. Hissing slightly, he glanced down at all the bruises on his torso and arms.

The door creaking open caused him to look over his shoulder at his roommate, who was already dressed and ready to move out of the country for yet another working scouting trip.

"You going already?" He called out, and the older teen's, by a year, green eyes looked into his gray.

"Yeah, the flight's early, and I already booked a lot of jobs to do in France."

The brunette pushed himself off the windowsill, an eager look on his face. "Wait, let me throw on a jacket. I want to see you off safely, at least. Might also buy some salmon and mayo onigiri to start off my day."

The dark-haired teen's lips stretched into a small smile as he zipped up his delivery jacket. As the more muscled roommate quickly disappeared into his room, he glanced out the window at the shooting star above.

They've been here for a while already, and still no news of Ichika being able to activate an IS.

Did they somehow change it through butterflies?

Did meeting Tatenashi earlier cause that change?

What would happen now?

Sighing to himself, he let his worry ebb away as Davion returned, wearing a plain dark jacket that somehow hid his built frame.

He shouldn't worry about it this much. While it was his and their wayward friend's job, wherever he was now, to pay attention to any core events happening, he honestly wouldn't bat an eye if nothing did happen throughout their stay there.

But nothing happening usually means something big is going to soon...

AN:

Hopefully I got the characters' personalities right.

[Rewrite Date 5/31/23]

Second one down, plenty more to go…

Right, so, I'm starting to read the LN from the very beginning. I have all 12 volumes now and I'll muster the courage to read in about…a few days or so. So you can say that this fic now has proper LN elements within it, finally. My cowardly side that has been preventing me from reading the Light Novel has been suppressed. Also, some of the more keen-eyed of you may have noticed a fair few new additions to the story…

And as expected of this being a Crossover, there will be elements of Gundam SEED and SEED Destiny in the mix.

And an update on my little break somewhere in Tokyo; I caught my dad listening to a certain anime's OP and I don't know what to feel about that.

This is Cipher, signing out