Prologue 4 - ...and Bagged
Date: Past Midnight, Early January.
(BGM Start: Cyberpunk 2077 Soundtrack - Scavenger Hunt Techno [EurocorpFx Remake])
"Here you go, Graham! One 'Jackie Welles'!"
The drink slid across the counter into the waiting hand of a sunglasses wearing green-eyed blonde, who was leaning back against the counter as he looked at the dance floor.
"Thanks, Claire." The man smiled at her as he lifted the glass to his lips, taking a sip as he nodded along slightly to the beat of the music. "So, how's Tokyo been treating you lately?"
"I'm getting the hang of things." The black-haired woman with red dyed tips shrugged as she leaned against the bar counter. "A bit surprised that the Japanese can be just as wild as Californians, that's for sure."
"You'd be surprised at how wild they can really be behind closed doors." Graham grinned as he lowered his sunglasses and sent a wink towards a passing rave girl, who giggled and sent him a kiss as she and her friend disappeared into the crowd of dancing bodies.
"It's always the quiet ones." Claire shook her head with a small smile before she turned her head. "Oh, excuse me, got someone on the other end…"
The blonde nodded her way as he continued to watch the crowd, his green eyes having adjusted well to the strobe-lights and the dimness of the club. His head bobbed to the song, appreciating the beats as the revelry kicked up a notch when he witnessed a few topless girls begin to make a scene in the middle of the dance floor.
"So this is where you go off to after work, 'Graham'. "
He paused mid-sip and looked over to his left, over the rim of his sunglasses, and right into the carmine orbs of a short and black haired woman.
She was wearing a white crop top tank top over a visible black sports bra, leaving much of her shoulders and midriff exposed. She also wore a black leather jacket, but it had been shrugged off and was now simply hanging on her elbows. A pair of dark techwear-style pants covered her legs, and stopped just a bit past halfway down her shin, where black socks served to cover her skin, and were topped off with a pair of black Converse low tops.
"I'm…sorry?" Graham pulled the glass away from his lips as he turned his head to her. "Have we met before?"
The woman rolled her eyes as she sat on the bar stool next to him, and she boldly reached out to cup his chin.
"You have a nice disguise, almost threw me off a while back." She whispered as she leaned close to him, her middle finger tracing the flesh underneath his jawline. "But…"
With a small tug, she ripped a small piece of 'skin' away from his flesh. By now, Graham's expression had lost its friendly aura, though one needed to be very perceptive in the migraine-inducing light show that was the nightclub.
"I'm a bit more familiar with these types of things that you expect."
"Oh, for fuck's sakes." The blonde growled under his breath but he knew he couldn't make a scene, not when there were so many people with their phones out. He had even seen a few people live streaming in a private booth earlier. "After all these months of silence…What is it now?"
The disguised Chifuyu leaned against the bar, motioning for him to do the same. With a quiet grunt, he swiveled his chair around so that the two of them were facing the wall that displayed an impressive series of shelves that had premium bottles of liquor. "We agreed on what to do with you and your friends."
'Graham', or rather, a disguised Ephraim, took a sip of his drink, his earlier comfort now dashed away by her presence. "And? I doubt you came here to tell me that you're going to off us."
"How'd you feel about going back to highschool?"
"I'd rather die." The blonde deadpanned, looking at her with dull eyes. "Like hell I'm…" He trailed off, looking away as he frowned. "I've already graduated college, I'm not going back to highschool."
Chifuyu rolled her eyes as she took his shot glass, ignoring his glower as she took a sip. "Mm, nice mix. Anyway, you could pass off as teacher's assistants, and I'd rather have you three close than risk any of you disappearing on me."
Ephraim played dumb as he looked at her with a raised brow. "Teachers assistants? Why would we…Oh, for the love of…" He grumbled as he caught Claire's attention with a wave of his hand. "Claire, give me a Tequila Old Fashioned with a shot of cerveza and a chili garnish."
The woman raised a brow as she walked over to them, her lips quirked as she looked between the two. "Well now, who's this? Friend of yours, Graham?"
"Never met this woman before in my life." The blonde adopted his 'Graham' mask once more, smiling as he smirked at the disguised teacher beside him. "But she is quite cute."
Chifuyu gave him a discreet side-eye before snorting. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, big boy."
The red-tipped, black haired woman chuckled before turning back to him. "So, a Silverhand, huh? That drink's got a bit of a kick, you know."
"What can I say?" Ephraim shrugged with an easy-going smile. "I'm thinkin' of taking a few risks tonight."
Claire glanced at the disguised teacher before smirking at him. "Alright, tiger, one Silverhand comin' up."
As the two watched the bartender do their magic, Chifuyu took a sip of her pilfered Jackie Welles. "So, you in?"
Ephraim stayed silent until he got his Silverhand. Nodding at Claire, the woman left the two to tend to another customer. Taking a sip, he licked the chili powder from his lips before he glanced at her. "That it?"
"You're in no position to negotiate, Aznable." The former Brunhilde muttered loudly enough for him to pick up over the thudding bass of the electro music. "That's the best deal you can get that won't involve the government closing in."
"On the contrary, I'm absolutely at a position where I can negotiate." The blonde huffed as he took another sip of his drink. "I've got stuff that you need, while you don't have anything that I want."
Chifuyu frowned at him. "Don't make me threaten you, Aznable. I'm giving you an olive branch here, I want to have a good working relationship with you and the other two."
"What, you gonna expose me? Enough money passing through greasy hands can make my friends and I disappear."
"And I can make that process a living hell for you three." She put a hand on his shoulder, fingers tightening their grip. "Don't be stubborn, it's not cute."
"You're the stubborn one here, Orimura-san." Ephraim muttered, frowning at her as he glared through his sunglasses. "Why do you want us to join up with the IS Academy so badly anyway?"
"Would you rather work directly under Tabane Shinonono?"
The glass of Silverhand cocktail was millimeters away from his lips when he stopped, his eyes having grown wide in disbelief. He looked at her, his brows having risen, only to have a serious stare returned. Scowling, he set his glass down and massaged his temples.
"Oh, for fuck's…"
"Listen," She removed her hand from his shoulder and instead placed it on the other side, pulling him in close so they could properly talk in a hushed tone. "I remembered how you reacted when you pieced together that it was her that pinpointed you three. Work with me and I'll mitigate whatever she'll do to the three of you as best I can."
Ephraim was silent, his face set in stone, for almost 5 whole minutes before he made a low growl.
"...Fine. I'll take your deal. I'll talk with the other two to see if they'll also take it."
(BGM End: Cyberpunk 2077 Soundtrack - Scavenger Hunt Techno [EurocorpFx Remake])
Date: Sunday Evening, One week after Ephraim's encounter with Chifuyu.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Murakumo-kun. Stay safe heading home."
"I will. Thank you, Manager-san."
"Just call me C.C., please."
Ryo gave the green-haired woman a wry smile as he got on his motorcycle. It was one that Davion had won in his pit fighting, as part of a bet that the brunette had obviously powered through and won.
The Honda Rebel 500 that his roommate had won was obviously customized, if the gold dragon decal on the gas tank was of any indication. The bike itself was a factory matte black, something that he quietly approved of, with a dark leather covering for the unusually comfortable seat. The only addition that he added to it was a pair of bike bags that held his essentials.
Putting on his helmet and gloves, he started the ignition and peeled away from the Pizza Hut parking lot with a quiet rumble.
The cold Winter winds had been settling in, which warranted him wearing a dark leather bomber vest with wool lining. It kept him at a comfortable warmth, while also providing sufficient protection in case he would fall off of his bike for one reason or another. Underneath that was a black thermal turtleneck, which was tucked into a pair of navy blue cordura jeans, which themselves were tucked into his black Stylmartin motorcycle boots.
As he drove into the night, his thoughts wandered to his and his friends' situation.
Ephraim had told them of the deal Chifuyu had given him, and that he had accepted it. Firstly, he wanted to whack the blonde's head in for choosing without consulting them first. Second, everything was going to hell in a handbasket.
They were like caged mice now that Chifuyu had found them. Most likely, she had Tabane on her side, and from what his muddled memories of the anime could tell him, the rabbit-eared inventor was their biggest headache yet.
The creator of the Infinite Stratos, the machines that run on bullshit which only allow girls to pilot it, leading to the near upheaval of society and societal standards in less than a generation. Someone who didn't even do anything about the consequences of her actions, instead hiding away to do God knows what.
She was, by far, going to be their biggest obstacle yet. He was familiar with characters like her, those who play God just because they were exceedingly good at one thing that no other could reach their level. But he was sure that there was a way to topple her from her tower, to bring her low so that there would be one less threat to the world.
Bzzt. Bzzt.
Ryo glanced at his pocket and frowned. Signaling then slowing down towards the left, he drove into the sidewalk and then stopped his bike in an open bike parking space in front of a FamilyMart-Nanzando and removed his helmet. Fishing his phone out from his pocket, he looked at the caller.
Dumbass 1
Withholding a sigh, he answered the call and brought the phone up to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hey, what's up?" He answered as he watched the cars drive by. "Need a pick up?"
"No, I won't be coming home tonight anyway. Got myself an ONS at the mixer I'm in."
"Okay, I have two questions…" Ryo's brow twitched as he kicked the bike's stand. His roommate's promiscuity was always a grating thing to hear about, more so at his lack of self-respect. "One, why are you at a mixer when I thought you hated them? Two, why'd you call me then?"
"In order: I went with a coworker as his wingman because I can't help but pity the guy. And I'm reminding you that it's going to rain in about half an hour or so."
The courier looked up at the night sky and at the clouds hiding away the stars on what would have been a normally clear autumn night.
"...Alright, thanks for that. Is that it?"
"Pretty much. Said the same thing to Davion. Don't want either of you two getting sick."
'...Wait for it…'
"Because it's going to be a pain to explain to my bosses that my two roommates need me to take care of them because they decided to be dumbasses and get sick from the rain like last time."
'And there it is. The tsundere…'
Lips curling up into a slight smile, Ryo shook his head.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll make sure to come home before the rain comes."
"Good. Now, I won't be able to cook breakfast for you two, so you and Davion better get a proper meal instead of cup noodles or onigiri, or I swear I'll whack you both upside the head."
"Mhmm, mhmm. Whatever you say, mom. Remember to use protection."
"Oh, shut up."
With that, the call ended.
The courier let out a small chuckle as he pocketed his phone. He glanced at the FamilyMart-Nanzando and then at his watch.
"...Eh, I have time for some coffee."
Turning the engine off and dismounting from the bike, he left his helmet on the right handlebar grip and walked into the convenience store.
"Welcome!"
He nodded at the employee behind the counter and walked over to the back of the store, where the drinks were stored in the clear fridges. A small part of him wondered if he'll encounter the legendary drink this time that, so far, hasn't crossed his path ever since he arrived in Japan.
His eyes scanned the fridges and he found himself a bit disappointed.
'Not this time…'
With a quiet sigh and a small shake of his head, he took a can of Boss Iced Latte and another can of Boss Iced Long Black. Cans in hand, he made his way to the cashier, idly looking around for anything else that might interest him.
"So this is what a convenience store in Japan looks like…" A gentle voice noted in English, immediately catching his attention. "Certainly looks more well-kept than the ones back home…"
As he stepped closer to the counter, he saw a girl enter the store. She was wearing a facemask and a hoodie with the hood up, with her blue eyes the only visible feature he could see of her face. They looked around in curiosity that he'd seen only in tourists before.
Perhaps she was one?
"Welcome!" The employee behind the counter greeted her in Japanese, to which she responded with a respectful nod.
She didn't say anything after, instead opting to wander around the store.
Ryo's eyes followed her for a few more seconds before he placed the two cans on the counter. "Just these two, no bag, please."
"Of course!"
It only took a few seconds for his purchase to go through, and he left the convenience store shortly after. Opening the black coffee can, he took a few sips of the drink as he sat down on his bike.
He watched as cars and people passed by, the sounds of engines and chatter mixing into the night air.
Chaka-chaka-chaka…
A train passed by on the nearby elevated railway, contributing to the familiar din of the metropolis of Tokyo. It was starting to feel…homey, in a sense. Having spent more than a few months here, he had long since acclimatized to the hustle and bustle of daily life.
However…
"I can't believe that only Asuna-chan passed the test out of all of us!"
"I know, right? What does she have that we don't? Now she gets to advance to the IS Academy while we're just supposed to move on. Aaah, I'm so jealous!"
He watched as two highschool girls walked past, pausing mid-sip as their words bounced around in his head.
'Ah, that's right…'
He shouldn't become too attached to this life. He and his friends were placed here for a reason, though he wasn't sure what it exactly was.
No, that would be incorrect.
They knew the reason but refused to face it. Why else would they have convened in Japan? They could have stayed away from all the drama, away from the chaos that was the story, but instead the three of them came here. And that led to them being discovered, entangling themselves with the characters of said story.
Was it too late to back out?
He particularly didn't want to deal with the bigotry of the female-dominated society that surrounded him nowadays. Much less the culture of the IS Academy and their elitism and sexism.
They could very much simply work in the shadows, letting the lead characters remain unaware of their existence. It would save him plenty of headaches, and hopefully spare him from any incidents that Ephraim would create with his tendency to aggravate those that annoy him.
"You look troubled."
Brought out of his musings, he quickly looked over to his left. It was the hooded girl from the store, and in her hand was a plastic bag that held whatever she purchased. Her blue eyes were looking at him in concern, so genuine and pure that he almost did a double-take, mistaking it for something else entirely.
"Troubled? I…" Realizing that staring at her would have been rude, he looked away from her eyes and back down at his now empty can. He didn't even realize that he had emptied it while he was lost in thought. "Well, I guess you can say that."
"Would you be willing to talk about it with a stranger?" She asked, and he could somehow hear the smile in her voice.
The courier looked at her again, this time in a more scrutinizing way, though his expression didn't change.
She didn't look like a threat, but perhaps that was the angle that she was using. There were no obvious bulges in her hoodie to indicate a concealed weapon, and she was wearing a short skirt with socks and sneakers so that meant no hidden knife holster. Still, she was dressed somewhat shadily with her facemask and pulled up hood.
"I wouldn't want to bother you." He answered with a small smile.
"Oh, I wouldn't be bothered about it at all." The girl hummed with a small head tilt. "Talking about one's problems with someone willing to listen is sometimes all that is needed to achieve an answer."
Ryo blinked at her words, both wary and nonplussed. She wasn't wrong, in a way. Sometimes talking can lead to someone finding the answer. But the way this whole situation was presented to him made him understandably wary.
'Then again, I'm not Ephraim.' He thought, looking her over once more. Even if she was going to be a threat, he could handle her. Though, he wouldn't want that to happen if he could help it. 'I'm not constantly on edge about whether or not the next person is going to stab me in the back.'
"Even if said 'trouble' may be life-changing, for better or worse?" He decided to ask her this one last question, on alert for any signs of falsehoods or ulterior motives.
"Especially so." The girl nodded resolutely, her friendly voice hardened to one of seriousness, to one of surety. "The human heart needs to be clear of conflict to make good decisions. Bottling up all that negativity can lead to bad things happening later down the road, things that one may greatly regret. So it's better to prevent all of that from happening in the first place."
'This girl…'
Pure.
She was pure.
Genuine.
Surprisingly so.
"Well," Ryo's lips curled unconsciously as he stood up from his bike, tossing the empty can in his hand into the trash bin near them. "I accept your offer. But maybe we'll need a change of venue. It's hardly going to be proper to air out my dirty laundry in front of a convenience store."
The girl's eyes visibly crinkled in a smile.
"I know just the place."
The 'place' that she led him to was literally just across the street, at the New Takeshiba Pier.
Or more specifically, and scenically, its Boardwalk.
There were few people around, which made it all the more atmospheric as the two of them walked further down, to where an observation deck was with mounted binoculars.
The cool ocean wind, already cold from the approaching winter, furthered by the coming rain, washed over them both. Opening the canned latte, he stood beside the girl as she took out a can of melon soda. They both gazed out towards Tokyo Bay, watching the night skyline and at the distant Rainbow Bridge.
They spent a few minutes in silence before he broke it with a quiet hum.
"...Can I ask you about something first?"
The girl gave her own hum as she opened her can, but not drinking out of it just yet.
"Of course. I'm not just here to listen, but to also give my own thoughts to aid you."
Ryo rolled the canned latte in his hand.
"What do you think of society as it is right now?"
She stayed silent as, from the corner of his eye, she tucked a stray strand of pink hair back into the shadow of her hood.
"Society…there's a growing rift." The girl started, lowering her face mask to reveal soft lips set into a gentle frown. "Most people can't see it, as it was a slow, subtle thing but once you do, it gets harder to not notice the pattern."
Now that the courier could see her whole face, he could admit that she was beautiful, almost angelic, dare he say. She was young, younger than him– or rather, younger than this de-aged body of his– by perhaps a year or two. There was also a strange familiarity to her that he couldn't place a finger on…
"Yeah." He pushed those thoughts aside as he focused back on the conversation, letting out a quiet sigh as he opened his can. "The world's changing, and not for the better."
"Is that what troubles you so?"
"In a way, yes." Ryo admitted as he took a sip of his now not-so-cooled iced coffee. "People are too quick to judge, too quick to assume, even quicker than they were a while back. I understand that the times change and so do people, but what they are now is…unfair. A friend of mine would even call it an injustice."
"'Injustice'…" The girl glanced at him with a curious glint in her eyes. "That is quite a word to use."
"But not an entirely untrue one." He shrugged. "It's what he sees while he works, it's what he experiences."
"And you?"
The courier thought back to the few times he had been discriminated against, insulted for the barest mistakes, and looked down on just because of his sex. He all took it with an apologetic smile, keeping his mask of the ever passive deliveryman, but…
"...I learned to deal with it." He muttered against the rim of the can, the iced latte tasting a smidge more bitter. "Their words hold no meaning, no authority over me."
The girl's lips curled into a small smile. "That's good. You don't let it take a hold over you. But will you keep doing so in silence? To not make a stand for yourself?"
Ryo turned his head to look at her fully this time, one of his brows raised in question. She still retained her smile, serene and genuine in its conveyance of her emotions.
'This girl…'
Woosh..!
A strong gust of wind washed over them, ruffling their clothes and hair, and interrupting what would have been his answer. The girl's hood had been blown back, revealing her long pink hair and the golden overlapped parallelogram-shaped hair clip on her left fringe.
Rumble…
They both looked up just as the first pitter-patter of rain began to fall on them.
"It arrived faster than anticipated." Ryo muttered as the two of them quickly ran to a nearby gazebo, taking shelter underneath the roof as the drizzle became a full shower.
"Oh dear, my hair is wet…" The girl sighed as she ran a hand through the wet strands. He glanced at her hoodie, at the various dark spots, and the way it seemed to cling to her frame. What was she doing dressed up that lightly in Autumn? Did she want to get sick?
With a shrug, he removed his bomber jacket and placed it over her shoulders.
The pinkette looked up at him with flushed cheeks, both from the cold and from his sudden action. "I…Thank you, but it's quite-"
"Alright." He held a gloved hand up. "It's alright. I have another jacket back home. You can keep that so that you won't get cold from both the rain and the winds."
"But what about you?"
He huffed, finishing his canned latte and tossing it into the convenient trash can nearby. "Won't be my first run in the rain. Definitely won't be my last." With a small smile, he patted her shoulder as he walked past.
"Thanks for the talk, young miss. You gave me quite a bit to think about."
"Wait!" She turned to him just as he was a step away from walking into the rain. "May I have your name, at least, sir?"
The courier looked at her over his shoulder, his smile widening into a friendly grin. "Just call me Ryo."
"Then," The pinkette placed a hand over her heart, bowing to him slightly with a thankful smile. "I hope we can cross paths again, Ryo-san."
Giving her a wordless two-fingered salute, he dashed through the rain, until his figure was lost in the darkness of the night. She looked at the direction that he went through for a few more minutes before her phone began to vibrate in her hoodie's pocket. Pulling it out, she then held it up to her ear.
"Miss Clyne, have you returned to the InterContinental? It has begun raining."
"I am nearby, just by the pier behind the hotel."
"I see. I shall be there shortly with an umbrella and a coat for you, madam."
Lacus Clyne smiled as she adjusted the jacket on her shoulders.
"Just the umbrella, please. I'm feeling quite satisfied after having a chance encounter earlier…"
Date: Late Afternoon, End of January
"Okay, remind me again as to why we need to dress up as maintenance workers?"
"Do you want to be mobbed because you were obvious as hell? No. Now put your masks on."
Ryo rolled his eyes and zipped up his dark blue overall. The three of them were on a transport ship heading towards the artificial island that was known as the IS Academy. Around them were steel shipping crates on flatbed trucks, hiding them from prying eyes, save those of the crew who were already in the know of their reason being onboard.
Ephraim finished adjusting his gas mask, the full-face protection hiding his face from outside view. Complete with his safety helmet, he looked the part of one of the maintenance personnel for the deeper parts of the island. Through the tinted glass of the mask, royal purple eyes were narrowed as he picked up the tools given to him to complete his disguise: a backpack mounted canister and the nozzle connected via hose.
Next to him, Davion put on his safety helmet and then strapped on the welding mask. "Will these disguises even work? I mean, I'm not exactly what you can call 'feminine'." He gestured to the still obvious muscular build that his overalls seemed to almost hug. He carried a similar canister backpack like his blonde roommate, but instead of a nozzle at the end of the hose, it was a welding torch.
"So as long as we don't show our faces, they'll assume we're a bunch of old men that they are 'too good for'." It didn't take a genius to know of the blonde's view of the IS Academy students. "Besides, Chifuyu said that we'll be seen as potential new hires for the staff. It's why we were let on board this ship and given the uniforms."
"Would've thought that the men simply weren't allowed on the island." Ryo spoke his thoughts out loud as he put on his visor hat and face mask. Unlike the other two, who looked more akin to maintenance workers, his disguise had him look like one of the janitors. "Something about their presence being a distraction, I assumed."
"No, some of the staff, even the teaching staff, are males. I looked it up." The mechanic shrugged, drumming his fingers against the handle of his welding torch. "They have a math teacher from Canada, one…uh what was it…" He looked to the side, trying to remember the name. "Oh, Edwards Franchee. Then they have a bunch of guys manning the docks, driving the trucks, some of them are janitors…"
"Still doesn't change the fact that we're going into an all-gIrls institution." Ryo's eyes were half-lid in deadpan. "It's gonna be a headache and a half…"
"Well, we all agreed to take her deal." Ephraim grumbled as the IS Academy grew larger and larger as the ship sailed closer. "Speaking of, why did you choose so quickly, Davion? Ryo here had to take a whole week of thinking."
"I mean," The brunette slid his welding mask down to hide his face, muffling his voice. "We're running out of physical ammo for our guns and any further resupplying while in Japan is going to tip off the big G. Not to mention that starting a workshop for armor repairs is too costly and requires proper licensing and regular inspections."
"So you accepted her deal because being on the island would mean access to their facilities?"
"Yeah, basically."
Shaking his head, Ephraim let out a short, amused laugh. "Lords below."
The three stopped their conversation when they felt the ship slow down. With a crackling screech, the ship's intercom began issuing orders, instructions, and updates for the crew.
"...containers need to be unloaded and the trucks disembarked. New staff members are to disembark and await their guide at Dock 3's Warehouse. Supplies for…"
"And that's our cue." The disguised blonde nodded at them as Ryo put on his backpack. It was a simple empty backpack, only worn so that he would fit the look of a potential new hire. "C'mon, let's head up."
Chifuyu crossed her arms as she waited for the three Neo-Types to arrive.
The Academy was in its third semester and many of the students were busy with their studying or their project-making, and she hoped that none of them would be perceptive enough to notice the three new arrivals. The last thing that she wanted was someone freaking out about how random boys were in the Academy, which in turn would have whipped the whole damn island into a frenzy.
"Orimura-sensei, the guide reports that they're on their way here." Maya reported beside her, looking up from her tablet that displayed the camera feeds.
They were waiting in one of the vacant multi-purpose buildings on the island, with hidden security agents watching over the two. Not that Chifuyu needed it, she was confident that she could take the three on if it came to blows. Though, she had to be cautious either way, as the boys were made to be specialized super soldiers. They may have a sense of teamwork that could overpower even her should everything break down.
One of the side doors opened and an old man walked in while carrying a mop.
"And here you are, you three. I hope you'll get hired, this old man needs all the help he can get." She heard their guide speak as he arched his back.
"Just take it easy, sir." The muffled voice of Aznable came out of a gas mask wearing figure as he walked in, staying close to the janitor almost fretting-like. He was waved away by the chuckling elder.
"They all say that. Go on, now. Better not keep those ladies waiting."
The three disguised super soldiers looked at her and Maya and then at each other. As the old man left, the three approached the two and removed their mask, letting Chifuyu and Maya finally meet their 'guests of honor' in all their entirety.
The trio were taller than the teachers, but were almost of the same height amongst themselves. They were young and clean-shaven, with proper postures as they stood. There was an air of caution around them, understandable given the fact that they were in unknown territory.
Ephraim was in the middle, and was the tallest. He ran his hand through his dirty blonde hair, fixing it from the helmet hair and into a semi-formal sweep. Royal purple eyes locked on to dark brown, narrowing briefly as they looked around with clear suspicion. In a rather unprecedented move, he pulled out a lollipop from his pocket, opened it, and popped it into his mouth, the stick moving side to side occasionally.
Ryo was to the right of the blonde, a plain white shirt peeking underneath his overalls as he unzipped it. Pulling down his facemask, he briefly turned away to lick his lips and scratch his nose. He had well-groomed, healthy looking black hair that had some similarity to Chifuyu, and his verdant green eyes were half-lid as he removed his visor hat.
Davion, trailing a bit to the left, shook his head when he removed both the welding mask and helmet, letting his helmet hair be tousled by the action. Gray eyes squinted as they adjusted to the light, and he reached up to gingerly touch the band-aid on his cheek. He unzipped his overalls half-way down his chest, revealing his muscular torso underneath the black tank top. Chifuyu could see telltale signs of bruising and healed cuts on his skin, and she immediately deduced that they were wounds inflicted from fighting. Maya, however, stared with reddening cheeks at his pecs.
"Well..." Ephraim brought his hand to the side, in a slightly mocking display, as his expression twisted to one of mild annoyance. "We're here. Got insulted on the way, but we're here, Orimura-san."
Maya's expression twisted into a slight grimace.
While most of the student body were more curious than anything when it came to men, a fair few girls were far more…hostile when it came to the opposite sex. Some of the essays she had read during her own time in school had been downright misandric, and she found it distasteful that it carried on to the newer generation of IS Pilots.
The dark haired teacher frowned, noting down to check the cameras later to see who exactly insulted them. "On this island, on this campus, I am Orimura-sensei. And if you three are going to be fellow staff, I think it's best that you remember that." She then nudged her head to the side. "Now, follow me so we can start the formal interviews. Procedures must still be followed."
The blonde sighed as he idly looked around. "I'm assuming that we're going to have to quit our current jobs because of this?"
"Unfortunately for you, yes." The teacher began walking away. "You have until April to do so."
The three men made a dissatisfied sound each.
"And here I was hoping that we could just pop in every now and again while still retaining our jobs." Davion shook his head with an annoyed sigh. "The boys are not gonna like this…"
"I just got a job at Pizza Hut too." Ryo muttered with a small frown. "Impressed the manager, even."
"I was close to getting a raise." Ephraim deadpanned.
The green-eyed teacher winced, turning away to hide her pitying and sympathetic expression.
With another huff, the blonde looked out a nearby window as they passed by, taking in the sight of the IS Academy and at the few Infinite Stratos' that were flying about doing maneuvers or sparring. He eyed the holographic signs, all the projectors, and the seamless combination of traditional and futuristic aesthetics when it came to the island's buildings.
IS Academy was an international institution, after all. The world sent its IS Pilots here to study and learn, to do battle and formulate plans, and to grow as future beacons of hope for the world. Japan may have shouldered the cost and maintenance of the Academy itself, but they spared no expenses in promoting it as a way to show off to the world that 'yes, the IS originated from Japan, and that yes, we're petty enough to rub it in your faces after you dropped the responsibility on our laps without warning.'
In a way, that kind of pettiness was respectable to him.
Eventually, after some close calls with a few students that led to the boys hiding their faces again, they entered the secured sector that kept all the training Uchiganes and Personal IS'. This was one of the most secure locations of the island, heavy on security and automated turrets. Teachers and seniors were on-call to equip the Rafale-Revives that were part of the security outfit, and had authorization to shoot first and ask questions later should they encounter any intruders.
The Engineering Bay was busy, the students and maintenance crews buzzing around like busy bees. Some of them went to and fro the maintenance rooms for the Personal IS' so they could analyze the data they had gathered since their last sortie. They were so busy, in fact, that, aside from a few students who looked up from their datapads or glanced at them for longer than a few seconds, nobody really confronted the presence of the five.
"In here." Chifuyu stopped beside a large entryway that Maya recognized as one of the many empty maintenance rooms, far enough from the hustle and bustle of the IS pilots and their maintenance crews. Typing in one of the general override codes the faculty were issued to, the reinforced doors slid open to reveal a relatively empty room with some rudimentary furniture such as tables with holographic interfaces on them, mobile workbenches pressed against a wall, a large open space for what seemed like the IS, and more.
"Get in." The teacher ordered and shared a short staredown with the blonde. Rolling his eyes, he went inside first with a guarded pace. He stood in full-view of the group, looking around with narrowed eyes before gesturing with a head tilt.
"Well, if he says that it's safe..." The courier in their midst smirked mirthlessly as he wandered in. Davion merely shrugged and went inside, popping his knuckles as he did so.
Chifuyu and Maya then followed them in, with the door closing behind them not too soon. With a snap of the former's fingers, the latter brought the suitcase that she was carrying forward.
"Alright, I'll need to let you three fill out these forms first." The former Brunhilde instructed them as she laid out three sets of paper on a nearby table. "Just write down your names, where you lived, where you graduated from, etcetera, etcetera. The basic things."
"Question," Ephraim raised a hand as he raised a brow. "Does it have to be the real ones or the 'real' ones on our curriculum vitae?"
Click!
All of a sudden, the lights went out. Maya let out a surprised and panicked scream as she dropped the open suitcase, the sounds of papers falling to the ground following after. Then, after a second or two of total darkness, the red emergency lights activated.
Chifuyu looked around, her expression set into a glare, as her fists clenched. Maya stuck close to her, her own fists raised in an unsure combat stance that she quickly solidified, her panic quickly leaving her as she regained her composure. The three Neo-Types had quickly formed themselves into a triangular formation, back to back, as their heads swiveled to and fro. Each had pulled out a hidden weapon on their person that either teacher had somehow missed or didn't notice. Ephraim had a silenced pistol out with a combat knife in his other hand, Ryo had a combat knife in one hand and three throwing knives in the other, and Davion had only his fists raised, his stance having lowered to that of a brawler.
Poof!
Suddenly, confetti began to rain around them. A sole spotlight shone down the middle of the room as a flurry of colorful holographic shapes spread out from the ground. Then, with a loud clang, the vent grate fell as a figure dropped to its center with arms wide and a bright grin on their face.
"Surprise~!"
"What the-?" Ephraim growled and turned to Chifuyu, his expression one of righteous anger. "What is she doing here?!"
Professor Tabane excitedly waved at them, ignoring the venom in his voice. The rabbit-eared woman carried with her a briefcase, but one could never know what was contained within. She began to skip over to them as the lights in the room turned on, her speed gradually increasing the closer she got.
"Hello, boys~! Hello, Chi-chaaaan~!"
Chifuyu quickly stepped to the side, dodging a tackle-hug from Tabane. "Tabane, I am in no mood for your games. Answer his question because it's the same as mine. What the hell are you doing here?" The former Mondo Grosso champion growled as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Mean~!" The eccentric inventor whined from her position on the ground, voice muffled by the metal flooring.
"Professor Tabane Shinonono." Davion muttered, his face set in a look of...well, Maya wasn't sure what to exactly call it, but it sure was negative. "Creator of the Infinite Stratos..."
Ryo placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a veiled look before giving a smile to the rabbit-eared woman as he helped her up. "It's an honor to meet you, ma'am. May I ask why you wanted to see us?" The courier greeted her with politeness that more than made up for the vehemence in his blonde friend's tone.
Standing up, Tabane placed a hand on her cheek bashfully, actually blushing as she smiled up at him. "My, you're quite the gentleman Murakumo-kun~!" Her plum eyes looked over to each of the boys, a smug grin on her face as she placed a hand on her hip. "As for why I'm here..!"
She pointed at each of them, her earlier elegance having been replaced with a playful air.
"I want to be your sugar momma!"
The three boys looked at her in deadpan.
Maya's face erupted in a fierce blush.
"You can't maintain it all by yourselves, you know! It needs the tender love and care of a mother!" The Professor cooed, bringing her lips together and making smooching sounds at the boys. Somehow, the three of them kept a straight face despite the...whiplash-inducing turn of events.
Chifuyu facepalmed.
"I assume..." Ryo merely kept his smile, as if what she just said didn't bother him in the slightest. "...that you know of our...suits, then?"
"Of course!" Tabane nodded seriously, though the pout on her lips somewhat broke that air. "They're my creations after all."
"What." Davion almost snarled, staring at her in incredulity. "Hold on—"
"Mine~!" The rabbit-eared woman repeated, her pitch a bit higher.
"I'm pretty sure that there's no IS Co—" Ephraim tried to speak his mind-
"MIIINE~!"
"Er..." Ryo cleared his throat, glancing at each of his friends worriedly. They merely stared at the rabbit-eared woman with varying states of disbelief and annoyance. "What do you exactly mean by 'yours'? Do you mean to tell us that you made the Astrays?"
"That's their name? Oh— YES!" The Professor cleared her throat, puffing her chest out as she placed her hands on her hips. "Yes! I made the Astrays! Me! Tabane the Genius! Wahahahaha!" She belted out a proud laugh, mixing in a bit of the mad genius she played herself up to be.
Bonk!
Chifuyu removed her tablet from on top of the eccentric woman's head. Tabane wilted, clutching her head as she sank to her knees. "Quit stalling and get it over with! You're confusing Yamada-sensei!"
Said woman was looking at the two parties in pure confusion.
"Owie! I just wanted to play with them a little bit, Chi-chan!" The Professor whined as she stood up, her rabbit ears twitching and glitching from the impact. The teacher did not deign to give her a glance, crossing her arms and closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. The three boys looked at each other with unreadable expressions, and Maya could only hope that this meeting wouldn't blow up into violence.
Ephraim huffed, crossing his arms as the vibrant purple of his eyes gleamed with clear annoyance. "You know, claiming something that isn't yours is bad. I mean, are you sure that you made the Astrays? Plagiarism is a crime, is it not? I'm pretty sure that both the IS and the Astrays share little to no tech between them." He snarked, brow twitching in restrained anger as his two friends shared a cautious look.
"Ara~?" Tabane turned to him, her suddenly hollow plum eyes staring right into his. "So you mean to tell me that you don't want the umbrella of protection I'll give you~?"
"Wait wait wait," Davion pulled the blonde back from the glaring contest, ignoring the growl of the taller boy. "Can you elaborate on the protection bit?"
The blue dressed woman skipped around them, swinging the briefcase carelessly as she hummed a jolly tune. "Weeell, if it isn't obvious, once word of the existence of your suits and their male pilots get around the world, think of all the countries that will lust over your tech! Think of always being hunted down, of all the chaos!" She then tittered in a gleeful tone, her eyes practically sparkling as she smiled at them.
"And that's not to mention my own criminal charges that I'll pin on you~"
The three boys stared at her with barely disguised anger and hostility. Maya herself was looking at the Professor in open shock, and her fellow teacher clenched a fist. It was a tense moment of silence between the two parties, one broken by the courier as his expression hardened.
Ryo's lips curled down into a stern frown. "You think we haven't thought of that already? That we don't have plans when it comes to that?"
Ephraim particularly looked like he bit down on a very sour lemon. "...So you're going to claim our suits as your creations, thus bringing us under your 'umbrella of protection' as you so aptly put it. Or else, we get treated as criminals, our bodies dissected after we get incarcerated, and the suits torn apart by either you or the damned governments..."
"Mhmm~! I've been covering for you, by the way~ Who else would have been able to erase any videos of your suits in action from the internet?" Tabane leaned forward, smiling up at him 'innocently'. There was naught a glimmer of kindness in those eyes, and the blonde saw a glimpse of the true Tabane.
The three boys paled visibly.
"We got filmed?!" Davion yelped, almost settling into a combat stance as he looked around them in panic.
"Yes, you did." The Professor waggled her finger at him, like...well, a professor to an unruly student. "But I erased them, so you're safe and sound!"
"And...that means we owe you a favor." Ryo's smile grew increasingly strained as the mechanic barely calmed down.
"Yup yup~!" Her eyes widened as she brought the briefcase forward, sending a smug smirk up at him. "Actually three favors! One for your enrollment, one for the videos, and one from that naughty boy over there!" She pointed at the confused courier. "Don't think I missed you destroying one of my IS Cores, Murakumo-kun!"
"You what?!" Both Chifuyu and Maya screamed, and the other two boys stared at their friend in shock. The green-eyed boy merely looked away, a bead of sweat trailing down the side of his head.
"OUR WHAT?!" Davion let out in surprise. He thought that they were going to get hired, not enrolled!
"Oh...Lords below..." Ephraim sighed, palming his face as he leaned against a worktable. This whole deal was going sour on their end, and the last thing he wanted was to be indebted to the rabbit-eared woman!
She opened the briefcase and pulled out three folders. "Tutururuuu~! Your identity papers~!"
The former Brunhilde snatched the folders away from the rabbit-eared Professor and looked at the names on them.
"...The hell are these names?"
"It's a comprehensive set of official documents that will fully establish you as having existed outside of the Neo-Type Program." Tabane provided the explanation with a smug and self-satisfied grin. Once more, the boys shared an unreadable look at the mention of said Program. "It wasn't hard to legitimize those false identities you've created for yourselves." She sent a wary leer at her friend, who merely bounced on her feet with a carefree smile.
"Ephraim Sahaku. Son of the last 'pure' Sahaku, the late Rondo Mina Sahaku and an unknown German father. A dual citizen of Germany and Japan if only due to circumstances." Chifuyu read the first folder, raising a brow at the italicized word before turning to the plum-haired woman. "I'm going to assume that 'circumstances' are not to be investigated?"
"Yup!"
Ephraim blinked in confusion and took the folder from her, reading through the documents with furrowed brows as he walked away to process them in peace.
"Davion Guele. Real surname unknown, but adopted by one Lowe Guele in Brandenburg, Germany. Officially, however, you are an Italian Citizen."
Davion's gray eyes were wide as he took his folder, taking a few steps away from the group so he could read uninterrupted.
"And finally, Ryo Murakumo. Orphan of unknown lineage but now officially a Japanese Citizen. You have the cleanest slate out of the three."
Ryo raised a brow as he took his folder, opening it and skimming the papers within.
"Lowe Guele is a recent false identity that I've created~!" Tabane chirped beside Chifuyu, ducking underneath a backhand with a giggle. "I did it so us genius mechanics can stick together!" Her eyes glinted with mischief as she hopped in place, alternating on one foot then the other.
"You can call me Papa or Mama~!"
"Ugh..." The mechanic grumbled, sparing her a single, withering glance before going back to reading.
"...Your Sahaku parentage will need to be verified via a blood test, Aznable." Chifuyu looked up at the blonde, whose brows were increasingly furrowed as he flipped through the pages. "You may very well be the last of a long line of royalty, defunct royalty, but royalty nonetheless. Not to mention-"
"Er..." Ryo cleared his throat to gain their attention, having looked at the opened folders of his friends to compare with his own. "Did you put in the correct ages?"
Maya tilted her head, while Tabane's grin turned vulpine. "Is there something wrong~?" The rabbit woman asked in a sing-song tone.
"Yeah, uh...we're not in our teens?" The green-eyed courier clarified with a strained smile, glancing at the plum-haired woman. "We graduated college and-"
"Nope! Objection! Nuh-uh! No lying to me, mister!" Tabane's smile was almost ear-to-ear as she pointed at him. "I know your real ages!
"What." Chifuyu ground out, fixing a glare to Ephraim who was looking at a blank wall in what seemed to be shock.
"Sahaku-kun is 18, Murakumo-kun 17, and my adorable Guele-kun is about to turn 17 in April!" The rabbit-eared professor barely could hold in her excited squeal. "Oh, this is going to be so perfect! I don't have to actually change my plans much!"
"I dread to ask but..." Davion grimaced as he walked back into the conversation. By now, Ephraim had snapped out of his shock and was in the middle of stomping towards the Professor. "'Plans'?"
"Why, your enrollment to the IS Academy of course~!"
The two boys shared an unidentifiable look, as Ephraim was in the process of catching himself from almost tripping in shock, as the former Brunhilde erupted.
"And that's what I hoped you wouldn't say, Tabane!" Chifuyu growled, pinching the bridge of her nose. "How would that even work anyway? They aren't Infinite Stratos pilots! There'll be snakes slithering in trying to take their tech!"
"Relaaax~! We're inside the IS Academy aren't we~? The most secure place they can be! There was also this one little loophole in a certain piece of paper thaaat~!" The rabbit-eared woman's grin was wide as she trailed off, glancing at the trio of boys who looked increasingly uncomfortable. They nudged each other, daring one of them to step up. With great reluctance, the blonde did.
"...According to the Alaska Treaty, any new technology tested within the premises of the IS Academy can be kept confidential by their researchers and or developers." Ephraim picked up after the professor, a sharp glint in his eyes despite his grimace.
"Bingo, my bright student~!"
"Don't call me that."
"So..." Davion hummed, tapping his chin as his trouble gray eyes stared off at nothing to the side. "We have protection due to the Alaska Treaty...and with you practically sponsoring us, by claiming the Astrays as 'yours', we're virtually untouchable from the world governments?"
"Yes yes! Oh, you're so sharp! Give mommy a hug!" She squealed and clapped, skipping towards him afterwards with an affectionate smile.
"Eugh! Get away!"
"I'll be counting on you, Chi-chan~! Give these three strays a good home!" Tabane laughed as she chased after the panicking mechanic.
Ryo released a hybrid of a sigh and a laugh. "God…this is going downhill…" he shook his head, his lips set in a troubled smile. The tall blonde merely pinched the bridge of his nose, a vein visibly throbbing on his temple.
Chifuyu grit her teeth, sharing the blonde's pain as a migraine made itself known.
Throughout all this, Maya's eyes swirled as she made sense of nothing.
AN:
[Rewrite Finish Date: 6/26/23]
*Sticks the Hero Landing after a lightning strike*
Alright, this one took a bit since there were a bunch of new additions and some much needed edits here and there. Made it a bit less hammy, and more grounded-ish. Also, you might have noticed that the old 'Bagged' chapter has been divided. Well, it's better for the pacing, in a sense. I'll also be doing that to some of the coming Episodes so that the story doesn't feel rushed with each chapter.
Tokyo Vacation Update: I went to Akihabara today! Aaaand I almost got lost when I got out of the station because Akihabara Station is a bit of a walk away from the Akihabara Street we all know and love. But when I got there, boy was it a trip! My goal there was to head to Mandarake to check out what they had in stock but before I got there, I stopped by a few hobby shops along the way.
I don't want to make this too long, but at the end of the day, I had:
Figurines of the IS Cast (I bought Cecilia and Chifuyu)
Two Scathach Figurines (One by Furyu and the other the big Bunny Girl Scathach that's hella expensive [rest in peace, my salary])
A Nightmare Weiss from RWBY (Best girl, don't even try to dissuade me)
A 'Relaxtime' figurine of Noel from Hololive (Don't ask)
Aaaand what I wished to have was the Armored Girls Project Blue Tears x Cecilia Alcott [Strike Gunner] set. It burns me that I didn't buy it, nor was I able to. I could have posed my 1/100th Gold Frame and her together in so many couple poses…
And that's about it!
*Gets struck by lightning and dies*
[Vacation Update Over, back to the regularly scheduled AN]
And so, the trio are enrolled into the IS Academy. Not of their full free will, of course, but it's better than the alternative of being hunted down. Canon is fast approaching for the Neo-Types and with it comes the troubles of being in a Mecha-Harem anime.
Dense Protagonists.
Volatile Tsunderes.
Ecchi Moments.
Aneurysm-inducing logic.
And so...much...more.
May Lord Hokusai show mercy on the three poor, lost sheep.
Cipher, out.