Disclaimer: All properties are owned by Izuru Yumizuru and Sunrise respectively.
Love and Iron: The Iron-Blooded Devil of IS Academy
Chapter 2: Lost and Found
My name is Tabane Shinonono. I have been referred to as many titles in my short time in life: the greatest genius to ever live. The perfect being that nature has ever conceived. The ultimate human, Renürion…
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… what a fucking joke!
Ever since I was young, I could understand things most people couldn't. What stumped people ten times my age that spent their lives searching for answers, I figured out in moments. I was a genius in every sense of the word, mentally and physically. Many praised my ability, calling me the superior human. I soaked up everything I could get my hands on, things that would take others decades took me only days if not weeks at the most. And when it felt like I had studied everything on Earth, I looked to the stars. I knew there was only so much on this little blue planet before there was nothing left that I didn't know but out there, in the vastness of space, the possibilities were innumerable.
That's where I had to go.
Of course, there was one small problem: space travel research and development had been going at a snail's pace for decades. But a genius like me should have no problem speeding things up. At first, I only told one person of my goal and that was my little sister Houki. When I told her, the way her eyes lit up and the smile grew on her face; how she called me the coolest and the greatest sister ever. I had heard this all before but when Houki said it, it felt different, greater than when total strangers said it to me. She then asked me if she could go to space one day. I told her that she could and will go there and I was going to make sure of it.
Despite my already high intelligence, my parents had me go to school, if not for learning then to at least socialize. I didn't see the merit in it since I felt no one would be able to keep up with me physically or mentally. It was no surprise that I was proven right after about a week… or so I thought.
There was one person.
While she wasn't on the same level as me in terms of pure knowledge, that didn't mean she couldn't grasp whatever I was talking about; a quick study some would say. In terms of physical ability, she was practically my equal from the get go. My equal… to call her that at first felt strange yet exciting.
Her name was Chifuyu Orimura. She came from a 'broken family' as it was just her and her little brother, at least, that's what she told me before I did a little research. As for her little brother, whose name I found out was Ichika, he was studying Kendo along with Houki under my father. Over time, we managed to form a friendship to the point she became the second person I told my goals to make it into the far reaches of space. Through her, I met Ichika and like Houki, he was thrilled at the idea of traveling through space. Now I was more determined than ever to make sure they would get to see beyond the stars.
It was around this time that I put my goals into motion . My first task was a new form of space exploration exosuit, one that would allow the user to maneuver around in zero gravity with ease but also protect them from the hazards of space. I spent weeks working out all the details: a compact maneuvering system that didn't rely on fossil fuels, an absolute defense shield to protect the pilot from hazards like debris and a power source/main computer to run everything but small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. After securing funding for materials, I immediately went to work.
I toiled away for four years, through extensive trial and error, countless experimenting but I finally had a working prototype. The machine that would lead into a sky without limits.
My Infinite Stratos or IS for short.
I wasted no time presenting it to corporations and governments, showcasing its capabilities and potential to further space exploration… and they all practically blew me off. Barely anyone showed interest while the majority didn't care. I remember the words of one man in particular.
"Cute toy but no one is really interested in space exploration, little girl. It's a dying enterprise. The real engineering business is in weapons development."
I hated that smug condescending attitude. I poured four years worth of my blood sweat and tears into the IS and they won't even give it a chance? Do they not see the genius behind it all?
Fine!
They want weapons technology so bad, I'll give them the best one ever. I'll show them what my "cute toy" can really do!
Over the next month, I was busy building and modifying the initial design into something more combat oriented; I had to make due with whatever I had since my funding got cut. When it was finished, I managed to convince Chifuyu to be the test pilot. There were a few stumbles but she managed to get the hang of it. Once she was sure that she was ready, all we needed now was an opportunity for a demonstration.
Oh? Over 2000 nuclear missiles were hacked and launched and they're all heading for Japan? Now who could've done that?
I had Chifuyu suited up and ready to launch, I knew it wouldn't take her long. Of course, I was proven right after she shot them all down in a matter of minutes. After she was done with that, the military was her next opponent after they sent out forces to capture her…ha! Well that day ended with Chifuyu's tally being 2,341 missiles, 207 fighter jets, 7 cruisers, 5 aircraft carriers, and 8 satellites; damn, I'm good! And the cherry on top of it all, total human casualties were a big fat…0.
When the world began to ask who made such a machine, it didn't take long for me to step forward. Now, every country in the world wanted an IS of their own, including those high and mighty jerks who looked down on it before. I made sure to mention the little caveat that only females could pilot the IS due to some strange glitch in the system… a "glitch" I may or may not have installed just to spite those assholes who not only dismissed my project as pointless but were the ones who convinced my backers to cut my funding.
The United Nations wasted no time in passing what they call 'The Alaska Treaty,' which forbade the use of the IS in military operations. I was okay with that since it was never originally intended to be a weapon, anyway. They instead decided to create a new sport, one even Chifuyu got interested in. Naturally, I offered to make a custom one but she declined, saying she didn't want to be seen as getting favoritism, fair enough.
Within a year, I had completed and distributed 467 IS cores across the globe. Houki and my family had to be relocated for their safety. She's probably upset with me but I was sure it would all settle down. Chifuyu went on to compete in the newly established Mondo Grosso, the IS world championship, and became the first champion. And now, it was time for the second Mondo Grosso and Chifuyu was the easy pick to take home the gold for the second time…
…And then it happened.
Ichika had been kidnapped in an effort to force Chifuyu to forfeit the finals. She essentially had to either way as she went to rescue Ichika, guns blazing. However, when it was over, Ichika was declared dead. In the chaos, Chifuyu had damaged an enemy IS core; even I don't know what will happen if someone does that, and Ichika got caught in the blast. His body was never found and to me, that doesn't mean he's dead; not until I see a body with my own eyes.
… But I couldn't find anything.
I wasn't invited to the funeral but I had to see Chifuyu; but she didn't want to see me.
"Chi-chan… I-"
"Don't… This…all of it was because of the IS. Because of you!"
"But Chi-chan, I didn't-"
"If you EVER show your face around me again…I'll kill you!"
I know she was hurting but those words cut deep… but nowhere near as deep as what Houki said to me.
"She's right. Ever since you made that thing, I was ripped away from everything I knew. I was ripped away from Ichika."
I stared at her in shock at what she was saying.
"Girls in school are just laughing that he's gone. They even say that Chifuyu is better off without him… I wish you never made that thing. I hate the IS! I HATE YOU!"
She then ran off as her tears became too much. I felt as if someone shot a cannonball through my stomach.
I figured I must not have looked hard enough so I resumed my search for Ichika. During which, I kept up to date with news regarding the IS and the world's stance on it. While a good deal of the female population loved it, most of the male population did not. There had been a major shift in society where women were favored more and men were being treated as borderline second-class citizens. Reports of men being assaulted by women with and without IS units began to surge and the newly formed Infinite Stratos Regulatory Committee has repeatedly done little to nothing about it.
This isn't what I wanted.
I wanted to spread awareness and interest in the IS for space exploration, not cause a rift in the sexes. This wasn't supposed to happen. This is all wrong. This isn't my fault!
This is…
…
This is my fault.
I put that 'women-only glitch' in the system because I felt slighted against a man. A single man slighted me and now they're all suffering because of my wounded pride. And I can't believe I was so foolish as to think humanity wouldn't abuse this power that I practically handed to them on a silver plate; a power they weren't ready for.
And now here we are 5 years later and my search turned up nothing, things within the world look like they calmed down but in reality it's still the same as it had been since it first started, the difference is that the public has pretty much normalized it. And then there's me, a false idol to some for granting a power many didn't deserve, a pariah to those who had to endure the torment from those who praise me yet hunted by those who desire more of that same power.
How ironic, for the longest time, I thought myself akin to the modern day Leonardo da Vinci but it turns out I'm a real-life Victor Frankenstein and the IS had become my monster. At least Victor had the courage to hunt down and face his creation. I dared not to touch anything IS related again; I feared I would only make things worse. Now, what I was about to do next may also seem cowardly but after everything I've done and the pain I caused, this was probably a suitable punishment.
I leaned back in my chair as I held up the .22 magnum in my hand. I didn't cry, I had no right to. I cocked back the hammer as the chamber rotated, there was only one bullet in it… it was all I was going to need. I pressed the barrel against my temple then tilted it until the muzzle was flat against my skin and I closed my eyes as I braced for what was to come…
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…Come on…
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…Pull the trigger…
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…Pull it!
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…Haven't you done enough damage?
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…Do it!
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… DO IT!
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…do it…
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BZZT
Huh?
BZZZZAZZZ
What's that sound?
I peek my eyes open to see arcs of electricity dancing around a singular point in open air. I lean forward wondering what the hell is going on only to hit with a strong wind and a blinding flash of light, the electricity now arcing wildly. And just quickly as it came, it stopped. After blinking the spots out of my eyes, I looked to where the sudden indoor light show had been only to find around near a dozen… mechs? IS? I wasn't sure, these looked nothing like anything the world was producing and they all looked like they got into a fight with a wrecking ball. The one closest to me, a white one with horns that was missing its left arm, looked like it was struggling to stand. I could see the human arm hanging out the unarmored side while the right hand was buried in the chest of a green machine. It then fell to its knees, the shock causing the chest armor to fall off, revealing the pilot to be a shirtless male.
But that was impossible. The IS can't be operated by males.
The horned helmet fell off next, I followed its path briefly before looking back up to the male. He had a good deal of shrapnel in his body and looked to be bleeding pretty badly. He then lifted his head a little to allow me a decent look at his face…
…His face…
… it couldn't be.
The pilot began to fall out of the machine, I saw a cable disconnect from his back but that wasn't important. I immediately bolted out of the chair and caught him. I tilted his head up to get a better look, I had to have been imagining it, right?
No
Even after five years, I'd know that face anywhere.
"Ichika?"
"…Houki…" he muttered before he went limp in my arms.
I checked his pulse, still alive but he's fading. Oh no, you are NOT dying on me twice.
"Robots, medical emergency!"
The door opened as several drones came rushing in only to drop dead after crossing the threshold… the hell?
/Apologies, mistress but there is an anomaly similar to a strong magnetic storm in the area. The standard units cannot progress further without shutting down./
What? That made no sense, I had designed this place to shield from any outside mag- and then it hit me. I turned to the wrecked machines, this magnetic field was coming from them. Damnit! Fine, I'll do it myself. I then moved one of Ichika's arms behind my neck and lifted him into a fireman's carry. I gotta be careful, who knows what other injuries he might have sustained. I hauled ass to the door and looked at the few still functioning drones.
"Get the special hazard drones, they're equipped with shields that should protect them from the magnetic field! Search for any more survivors, I need answers! Then move those machines into bay 7, that should isolate them from the rest of the place!"
/Yes mistress/
I kept rushing to the infirmary, passing more drones on the way. As soon as I arrived, I immediately went to work, ordering numerous packs of artificial blood, removing shrapnel, injecting medical nanomachines, etc. One of the drones told me there were two other survivors but they were in critical condition; I told them to move them to the med-pods, that should keep them alive long enough for me to finish with Ichika. The hours blurred together after that, I lost count how many times Ichika nearly died but I managed to get him stabilized. Discarding my gloves, I leaned against the wall before slumping to the ground, I was exhausted.
One of the med drones came up to me with a full report from what the nanomachines were able to find out about him… multiple contusions, lacerations, bone fractures (it was wonder nothing was broken,) hemorrhaging, nerve damage in the brain and… foreign objects grafted to his Central Nervous System? I skipped ahead to that part where it showed a diagram of Ichika's brain and spine. The most obvious things that stood out were the three rod-like objects that splintered off into little wire-like connections that snaked between the spine discs to the spinal cord. What wasn't so easily noticeable was a small node on the brain stem, just under his medulla oblongata; that might explain the nerve damage. Judging from the bone growth around the rods, he's had them for some time.
Who could have done this to him… and why?
I then remembered that cable that came out of his back when he fell out of the mech, maybe that has something to do with it. I'll have to put it on the back burner for now, I still have two more patients to take care of… right after I catch my breath. I handed the report back to the drone and ordered for Ichika to be monitored while the nanomachines repair the damage to his nerves and other organs and those other two to be kept alive, I'll see to them soon. The drone went on to carry out my instructions while I leaned against the wall again. I then felt a hard lump in one of my pockets, a quick search revealed it to be the gun that I had earlier…
the one I was going to…
…
… is this some kind of sign?
I never put much stock in religion or spirituality or any of that "higher power" talk, I was a woman of science. The irony of my coming from a family of shrine keepers was not lost on me.
But…
I steal a glance at Ichika in the bed then back to the gun, my thumb running over the grip.
Is this someone's way of telling me… that… I can fix what I've done to the world… that I can patch things with Houki and Chifuyu… that I…
… I can make things right?
A/N: A bit shorter than what I was hoping for but I wanted something done before I go on vacation in three days of this posting.
One more thing, this is now being cross-posted on AO3. That version has a small addition compared to this one.