A/N: I have decided to take a break from my Harry Potter fanfic and start working on this little idea set in the Infinite Stratos universe. It's been banging around in my head for a while now, and after much deliberation I have decided to put fingers to keyboard and start typing this out. This particular story was inspired by my inability to suspend disbelief while watching certain media. For example, when I saw the Jurassic World trailer, my only thought was 'Who the fuck sends in infantry, without air or armored support, to fight creatures better adapted to the terrain than we are?' While I haven't seen the actual movie, that sentence sums up my thoughts on the trailer.

The anime Infinite Stratos left several similar questions in my head after I finished watching it. Questions like "Why do IS suits only accept women as pilots (excluding our hyper-dense protagonist, of course)?" or "What happened to the original IS prototypes, namely the ones designed for space exploration?" and of course "Given how far up their asses their heads are located, can the world's governments and militaries see daylight?"

My personal answers to these questions helped shape this fic which, with a slight dash of AU, takes a more realistic, at least in my opinion, view of the ISverse. And now, without further rambling on my part, on with the show!

Chapter 1

The sun was already high in the sky by the time the strike team arrived at its destination. Composed of thirty-six men and women, the team took stock of the situation approximately two and a half kilometers away from the compound that held their target.

"This is it. I am sure all of you know what we have to do already, but let me re-iterate it one last time. Our job is to move in, save the kid, and eliminate all hostiles in the area. We are then to search the area for important files pertaining to both this particular terrorist cell, and the organization Phantom Task as a whole." The leader of the team, a middle-aged Russian man by the name of Giorgi Stukanov addressed his subordinates.

"I'm not going to bore you with some fancy speech on how if we fail this mission, our organization will fall apart before it has even began, or how if any harm comes to the boy, his older sister will find a way to bring us back from the dead so that she could kill us a second time before moving on to the Japanese government once she finds out. Instead, let us get down to business. Yukari, what kind of defenses should we expect?"

The Russian spoke to a young Japanese woman encased in a bulky mech suit, an Infinite Stratos, or more specifically, an Uchigane, which was the Japanese government's cutting edge second generation Mass-Production IS (MPIS).

The MPIS' pilot, Yukari Fujimura responded a few seconds later after using her suit's hyper-sensor to investigate the terrorist compound.

"I see about twenty or so guards, four on watchtowers, likely snipers, and the rest patrolling the surroundings. There are also two IS suits, an Uchigane and what I believe to be a Raphael Revive."

"Good, that means our intel was correct. Yuri, David, do you have a line of fire on that Raphael?" The two named operatives knelt down and took out their scopes, sans weapon. After a few moments, they nodded. They had a line of fire. The two soldiers were the key to the strike team's success, as they were the only two trained in the operation of the Japanese-supplied experimental Anti-IS rifles. The two weapons bore a passing resemblance to the World War 2 era Solothurn S-18/100 Anti-Tank rifles, having a similar caliber of 20mm and a tripod support. What the Solothurn did not have, however, was a pair of thick cables, that were quickly connected to a large and heavy looking box. This box was the weapon's power source, as while the Solothurn was a gunpowder based rifle, the Type-2 AIS Rifle was a railgun, powered by the same large battery that fueled the Uchigane MPIS. This in turn made the experimental rifle easily capable of punching through a tank's armor, or several feet of concrete with a single shot. It would take three to five hits to bring down the defensive shield of a Mass Production IS, and at least one more to kill the pilot or destroy the vehicle.

The weapon system was also riddled with flaws due to its experimental status. It was large and heavy, making it almost impossible to fire accurately without it being propped against the ground. In addition to its bulk, it was also extremely loud and visible when it fired, with the heavy Tungsten shot being accelerated to hypersonic speeds, going so fast that the very air around it was ignited. Finally, the most pressing flaw of the weapon was the immense amount of heat generated from each shot, coupled with an inadequate cooling system. The weapon's magazine carried fifteen rounds, and the battery that powered it easily held enough for twice as many shots. However, each shot heated up the barrel to an immense degree, with the barrel easily reaching 500 degrees Celsius from a single shot. To prevent the barrel from melting, the cooling jacket around the barrel would be flooded with liquid nitrogen, allowing for next to no delay between shots. The only problem with this was that the constant cycle of heating and cooling would quickly warp the barrel and render the weapon unusable. The Type-2's users would be lucky to get off ten shots, let alone empty the magazine, before needing to change out the weapon's barrel, a long and complex process that could easily break the weapon if done incorrectly. The gun had never been fired outside of a testing range for this particular reason, as the JSDF had deemed the weapon too unreliable for combat use.

"Good. Set up your guns here, then keep them trained on the Raphael, that thing can take out our force in seconds if we're not careful. Yukari, keep them covered, those IS suits will almost certainly charge at their position once the shooting starts. The rest of you, on me. Once I give the signal and the Raphael is down, we'll move in. Understood?" Giorgi asked. The rest of the squad murmured their assent, and the team departed from the vantage point, while the two Type-2 operators set up their weapons.

"How the hell did Phantom Task get their hands on a goddamn Raphael Revive, of all things?" David Goldberg said after a few seconds, keeping the French MPIS in his sights.

"The French have sold export models of the Revive to damn near half the countries in the world. They probably stole it from one of those." Yuri Kelberg replied.

"And the Uchigane? The Japanese haven't been exporting those."

"Japan's a hotspot of Phantom Task activity, there's twice as many cells of them there as there are in any other country in the world. They have the numbers to attempt and succeed at a raid on a Japanese facility."

"Damn." The American muttered, his eyes never leaving the French IS over two kilometers away.

The silence between the two men stretched on for several long minutes. Then, their earpieces buzzed, and the voice of Giorgi Stukanov rang in their ears.

"We're in position. Take out the Raphael, then target the Uchigane, if able." Orders recieved.

Almost simultaneously, two triggers were depressed, and two equally loud 'CRACK's echoed across the Kamchatka peninsula. Two flaming streaks flew through the air and, less than a second after being fired, the two 20mm tungsten shells struck home. The French MPIS' shields glowed a bright blue for a few moments, while the two railguns hissed, releasing clouds of vapor into the air as their cooling systems engaged.

'CRACK!'

'Hissss.'

Two more shells streaked through the air, and the French IS' shields flickered and died, shocking the pilot into action. Flying into the air, the terrorist piloted mech suit turned towards the pair, and even from more than two thousand meters away, David knew the IS had spotted him. Then, a bullet punched through the terrorist's chest, the woman's heart being replaced by a bloody hole as a .50 caliber bullet fired by a sniper closer to the compound took her life. The now pilotless IS plummeted to the ground, and David zoomed out, and began searching for the other hostile IS.

The sound of a thousand bullwhips indicated that Yuri had found the target, and David watched the trail of fire left behind by his partner's shot, following it to his target. Said bullet punched through one of the concrete walls surrounding the compound and hit the IS hiding behind it.

As the mech-suit's pilot was startled into the air, David took aim and fired, and through the scope he saw the pilot's face contorted in panic as the shot just barely missed her. That was to be expected, as she had just witnessed a supposedly invincible weapon shot out of the sky in a matter of seconds by unknown assailants. That was when the woman's fight-or-flight response was triggered, and her brain chose to fight, the Uchigane starting a beeline towards the two railgun operators' position.

Another crack indicated that Yuri had fired his fourth shot, the streak of fire missing the IS and impacting the supports of one of the compound's watchtowers, sending the structure tumbling to the ground. David's next shot hit the mark, and he was greeted with a flash of blue as the Uchigane's shields absorbed the shot.

'CRACK!'

Another shell hit the Japanese IS, courtesy of Yuri. At that point, the IS had already closed two kilometers' worth of distance. David would have time for one more shot, which he fired. At that range, it was impossible to miss and the Uchigane's shields glowed blue again. Being a melee oriented IS, the Uchigane's shields were easily the strongest of all second-generation Mass-Production models, as the Japanese IS needed to be able to withstand incoming fire as it closed with the enemy. Thus, while it had only taken four hits to take down the Raphael's shields, the Uchigane's defenses were still up, even after Yuri landed a fifth hit on the suit, which was now at point-blank range. That was when Yukari shot into the air from her concealed position behind the two men, her IS' rail pistol blazing. The Uchigane's rail pistol was included into the design as an afterthought, and as such was a very poor weapon for use against other IS suits. However, with her opponent's shields already weakened by the Type-2 rifles, it only took two hits for Yukari to drop her panicking opponent's shields, giving her the opportunity to drive her suit's sword into the terrorist's body.

"The IS suits are down, I repeat, the IS suits are down." David reported, before he put his eye back to his scope and began looking for targets. While the Type-2 was designed for use against IS suits, it also made a very powerful anti-materiel rifle.


The room was pitch-black, so much so that even without the blindfold, Orimura Ichika wasn't sure if he could see his fingers. That is, he wasn't sure if he could see them had they not been tied behind his back. However, the ten-year old Japanese boy's thoughts were surprisingly not focused on his current situation. Instead, he was thinking of his sister, Chifuyu Orimura, who was in Germany at the moment, participating in the Second Mondo Grosso IS tournament. He paid no heed to the fact that he was bound, gagged and blindfolded, nor did he even seem to care that he was even kidnapped in the first place. His only thought was 'I hope Chifuyu-nee wins again.'

A distant rattle and the sound of voices snapped him out of his thoughts. The rattle seemed somewhat familiar to him, but he couldn't figure out from where...

The sounds continued for a few long minutes, then slowly began to peter out. Then, Ichika heard the voices growing louder, as if the speaker was right outside the room. He heard the doorknob rattle. Evidently, the locked door displeased the speaker, as the voice barked something out. Then, three loud reports sounded out, and even through the blindfold, Ichika saw light enter the room.

"He's in here!" Ichika heard a man call out in Russian, one of the many languages Chifuyu had made sure to drill into him.

The man approached him, and Ichika instinctively curled away even further into the corner where he had been sitting.

"Don't worry, we're here to rescue you. You're safe now." The man spoke in accented Japanese. Then, a hand grabbed and removed the blindfold. Ichika squinted in pain as his eyes were exposed to light for the first time in hours. The gag was removed next, and finally the bindings were cut loose, allowing Ichika to stand shakily to his feet.

"Come with me. We're going to get you out of here." The man said, before turning and heading out of the room. As he reached the exit, he saw Ichika still standing in the corner.

"Come on, we haven't got all day!" The man urged.

"Did... did Chifuyu-nee win?" Ichika asked hesitantly in Russian.

"From what I heard, the finals are later today and she's made it in. If we hurry, we can get you home with plenty of time to spare for you to see her win." That was all it took for Ichika to follow the man out of the room where he had been kept for the past few hours.

The pair made their way out of the compound, passing by several men clad in military gear and toting rifles. A few times, Ichika saw men carrying large bags. Something big seemed to be contained within.

At one point, Ichika stopped walking. When his rescuer turned around to see what was holding him up, he saw the boy staring at a red stain against a wall.

"Come on Ichika, if we don't hurry, your sister might realize you are missing and forfeit the tournament." That got the boy moving again, but at a much more sedate pace.

Soon, the pair exited the main building and watched a giant twin-rotor helicopter, a CH-47 Chinook, landed outside the compound.

"That's our ride home." The man said, as he and Ichika exited the compound before boarding the helicopter. As the vehicle lifted off the ground, Ichika looked out the window and caught a glimpse of the building that he had been held in. It was a simple concrete structure, surrounded by a low concrete wall topped with barbed wire. Four watchtowers, one of which had collapsed, were placed at the corners of the wall, and another section of the wall had collapsed, likely the way through which his rescuers had entered. As Ichika looked on, two more helicopters descended on the compound. Soon however, the helicopter turned away and the compound began to fade into the distance, and was soon gone from view. He looked around, and saw that he was alone in the helicopter. He wondered where his rescuer had gone.


"Are you crazy?" Was the first word out of Giorgi Stukanov's mouth as he stood in the passage between the transport compartment and the cockpit of the Chinook helicopter.

"I assure you that I am perfectly sane." The voice of his superior officer in the Organization replied over the radio.

"Then explain to me exactly why you want to bring a ten year old boy into this!" Giorgi replied.

"The boy is young, impressionable, and likely has a favorable opinion of us. In short, he is perfect recruit material."

"You are asking me to help you bring a ten year old into a covert military organization!"

"Need I remind you that our organization is not purely military? I have no intention of violating international law and turning him into a child soldier, I simply want a pair of ears in the Orimura family, a family that, I must remind you, is very close to the Doctor. Should he accept, the boy will not even touch a gun until he is old enough to undergo mandatory firearm training."

"I still don't like this. We're taking his future away from him, after all. Kids his age should be playing and studying, not being groomed into the next generation of secret operatives!"

"Normally I would agree with you, but look at him. He has already been kidnapped by a terrorist organization, plus he is the only sibling of the Brunhilde! He already has a target painted on his back! The way I see it, we're giving him a way to protect himself should someone try to get at his sister through him."

The Russian Ex-military officer grumbled for a few moments before speaking again.

"And if he refuses?"

"Then we shall proceed as normal."

"Fine. I'll go tell him about the coming detour."

"See to it. Command out."

At that, Giorgi lowered the speaker and, after a few choice curses, walked back into the transport compartment. The boy startled at his entrance, but soon calmed down after seeing who it was.

"I must apologize, but someone important wishes to speak with you. We will be making a short detour before we take you home." Giorgi said as he sat down across from his charge.

"Will I still get to see my sister win?" The boy asked.

"You really have a one-track mind now, don't you? Hopefully this won't take too long, and we will have you home before the finals start."

The rest of the short flight passed in silence. After what seemed like hours, the helicopter began to descend. Looking out the window, Giorgi saw a now familiar island come into view.

The Organization's headquarters were being constructed on the island of Urup just south of the Urup strait. Lying between the Kamchatka peninsula and the northernmost islands of Japan, the island wasn't much to look at from the air. A small fleet of freighters sat offshore, ferrying construction supplies to the crews ashore, who carried them into one of the many hidden tunnels dotting the coastline.

On the very northernmost tip of the island, an old runway was visible, and that was where the helicopter descended to. The northernmost tip of the runway ended in an octagonal pad, upon which the helicopter touched down inside a white square, clearly a new addition.

As soon as the rotors had stopped moving, they were quickly folded back into a compact position, after which an elevator, similar to the ones used on aircraft carriers, activated. Soon, the helicopter was completely underground, hidden away from the world in a dimly lit subterranean hangar, one that was still clearly under construction.

The ramp at the rear of the helicopter was dropped, and Giorgi stepped out, motioning for his charge to follow.

They were met by a pair of guards, who waited just outside the boundaries of the elevator.

"We'll take care of him from here." One of the men spoke.

"Come on kid, go with them. They won't bite." Giorgi said when the boy hesitated. Somewhat reluctantly, the ten-year old followed the pair of guards deeper into the facility. Giorgi stared after them, his face impassive.


Ichika tried hard to ignore the presence of the two soldiers around him as he looked around at the underground base he had found himself in. It was clearly still under construction, with exposed wiring being lit by incandescent bulbs present all around him. He didn't know how far he walked, only that at one point he found himself on a catwalk running around the rim of a giant cavern. Construction crews suspended on cables worked on erecting new catwalks, or were excavating into the surrounding rock.

"In here." One of the guards spoke, gesturing to a small door built into the side of the cavern. One guard opened the door, allowing him entry, and Ichika found himself alone in a small room, lit by a single incandescent bulb. Looking around, he saw that the two guards had remained outside.

"Orimura Ichika, I presume?" The voice came from a speaker sitting on a desk in the center of the room.

"Y-yes! That's me!" Ichika stuttered out a reply in English as he sat down.

"Good. Now, I was told that you want to be home on time to watch your sister win, so I will make this quick. What do you know about the organization that kidnapped you?" The voice asked.

"Nothing." Ichika replied, somewhat despondently.

"I see. You were kidnapped by a terrorist organization known as Phantom Task. They did so in an attempt to get to your sister, Orimura Chifuyu, for reasons that remain unknown to us. Perhaps they were hoping to use you as bait to lure her into some form of disadvantageous engagement, but that is not important for now."

"Chifuyu-nee! Does she know I was kidnapped?" Ichika panicked.

"No, the Japanese government acted quickly and suppressed the information while mounting this rescue attempt. They wanted her to win as much as you do, after all, and had she found out, she would have forfeited the match to come and save you." At that, Ichika's face fell.

"So she would have given up in order to save me?"

"Yes, exactly."

"I'm so weak..." Ichika muttered, more to himself than to the speaker, but his words were caught anyway. On the other end of the line, a smile formed upon the Organization leader's face.

"So you think you're weak now, do you?" The man asked.

"I am... I let myself get kidnapped and almost cost Chifuyu-nee the Mondo Grosso finals."

"Well then, I believe I have a business proposition for you. After all, while Phantom Task has failed in this attempt, what is to stop them from trying again? I would like to offer you the Organization's protection."

"What do you mean?"

"It is simple. Our organization protects its own, so by becoming a member you automatically receive our protection."

"So you want me to become a member of your organization?"

"Exactly."

"But why? I'm just a ten-year old boy, I have no special skills whatsoever. I can't fight, and I can't pilot an IS."

A few seconds passed, then a screen on the wall of the room lit up.

"These are your most recent grades in school, are they not? Tell me what you see." And indeed, the screen showed Ichika's latest report card.

"Straight A's. Chifuyu-nee wouldn't settle for anything less!" Ichika said with a small amount of pride.

"There you have it. Our organization is not all military, so you simply need to offer your mind, and strength will come in time." The man said.

"Then I will do it." Ichika said with conviction. On the other end of the line, the man's smile grew. 'Hook, Line, and Sinker.'

"Good. Now, I assume you still wish to see your sister win? Then we will take you home for now. She will not return to Japan until three days from now though, so we shall hold your orientation tomorrow. Be ready by six in the morning, as that is when we shall arrive to collect you. Do not be late."

Ichika nodded, and turned to leave the room.

"Oh, and one more thing before you go..." The voice said.

"Yes?" Ichika replied.

"Much of our organization's strength comes from secrecy. If our enemies knew we existed, we would be vulnerable. As such, you are not to speak of this organization to anyone, understood? Failure to comply will result in expulsion from the organization, as well as further punishment depending on the scale of the breach." The voice said.

"I understand." Ichika gulped. What had he gotten himself into now?

"Glad to hear it. Now, Ops Commander Giorgi Stukanov is waiting outside the room. I understand that you are already acquainted with him, so he will be the one to pick you up tomorrow. You are dismissed, Recruit Orimura."

At that, the door swung open, revealing the man who had gotten him out of the Phantom Task compound. Ichika followed him out across the catwalk and into the helicopter hangar.

The pair boarded the Chinook, the ramp closing behind them, after which the elevator engaged, slowly lifting the pair towards the surface, revealing a sun that had just started to set. The helicopter's rotors unfolded, and soon the island was fading into the distance.

The transport compartment was silent for what seemed like hours. Then, the Ex-Spetsnaz Officer broke the silence, addressing Ichika in Russian.

"Why did you accept?" The Russian asked.

"Because I wanted to become strong. I don't want to be a burden on my sister any more." Ichika replied without hesitation. The man sighed.

"You really do respect your sister, don't you."

"Of course I do!" Ichika said, outraged that someone would think otherwise.

"I see. I hope you realize what you have done, Orimura Ichika. This isn't like some school club, that you can quit if you don't like it, or some James Bond film, full of high-tech gadgets and action." Giorgi paused, "Well, the high-tech part might be true eventually." The Russian admitted.

"I know." Ichika replied.

"No, I don't think you do. You have to understand that death is now much closer to you than it ever has been, save perhaps when you were in that compound, and it will remain your close companion for the rest of your time here. While not all of the Organization is military, its primary method of accomplishing tasks is through armed force. If you decide to join our combat branch, you must be prepared to take lives. If you become an engineer, then the things you build will be used to take lives. If you become a researcher, then the things you discover will be used to invent better ways of taking lives. Are you prepared to shoulder that burden?" Giorgi asked as shellshocked Ichika. Nearly a minute passed in silence.

"Is there no other way?" Ichika asked softly.

"After you accepted that offer, it became the only way."

"What... what would have happened if I refused?" Ichika asked.

"They would have injected you with a drug that would put you to sleep and cause short-term memory loss, thus erasing all knowledge you have of us as an organization. We would have then taken you back home, with the sedatives wearing off en-route. I would have told you that you simply fell asleep on the ride home, and we would have likely never seen each other again after I dropped you off in Tokyo. You would have been able to live a normal life, without this burden. Now however..." The man trailed off.

"How do you deal with it then?" Ichika asked.

"We all have our own way of rationalizing things. Personally, I think of those I've saved rather than those I've killed. The smiles of those I've rescued helps hide the blood staining my hands red. If it means saving the world, I would kill anyone, do anything, just to see the world continue living... even if it sees me as nothing but a monster. Why deny what I am..." The man trailed off again, lost in thought.

"I'm sorry." Ichika said softly.

"What for?"

"For taking the offer." Ichika murmured.

"It's too late to change the past, Ichika. The best you can do now is to focus on the best future you can possibly have."

With those words, the man was silent for the rest of the ride.

The sun was low in the sky by the time the helicopter arrived over Tokyo, and Ichika soon spotted his home, a large, traditional style building located some distance away from the main urban sprawl. The Chinook flew low over the building, making a wide circle as it came down just outside the house. As the ramp opened, Ichika immediately saw a young girl, about his age, standing in front of the house, a red haired boy by her side.

"Ichika-kun!" Rin, the twin tailed girl shouted as he exited the helicopter, the ramp closing up behind him. As the flying machine slowly ascended into the air, Ichika was hit by a brown-haired, Chinese cannonball wrapping her arms around him.

"I saw those men dragging you out of the house when I came to visit..." Huang Lingyin, or Rin as Ichika had nicknamed her, said as she cried into his shoulder.

"What happened to you man?" Dan Gotanda, the red haired boy, asked as he too walked over, "Rin comes up and calls me early in the morning saying that you've been kidnapped! We were so worried about you!"

"Well, it's nothing now. I'm alright, nothing bad happen-" 'WHACK!' Ichika's speech was interrupted as Rin smacked him over the head.

"Don't talk as if it was nothing! I thought that they had k-k-killed you! How could I marry you when you're dead!" Rin shouted, still crying.

"M-marry?" Ichika stuttered.

"You promised, didn't you?" Rin looked up at him, eyes wide and still glistening with tears.

Fortunately for Ichika, Dan chose that moment to butt in.

"Hey Rin? The finals for the second Mondo Grosso are starting soon, and I doubt your future husband wants to miss his sister flatten the opposition!" While his choice of words was poor, Dan succeeded in snapping Ichika out of his stupor.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Chifuyu-nee is still in the finals!"

At that, the trio ran into the house, and were soon watching Orimura Chifuyu reduce her opponent to a nervous wreck on the arena floor. It was well into the night that the pair departed, leaving Ichika alone in the house. Remembering how early he would need to wake up the following morning, as well as realizing just how tired he was, Ichika didn't even bother finding a bed. Barely remembering to set an alarm to wake him up early, he collapsed on the couch, already asleep before he hit the cushions.


The sky was still dark when Ichika dragged himself off the couch and shut off the obscenely early alarm. A quick breakfast followed by a hasty shower completed Ichika's time at home for the day, as he had barely finished dressing himself after said shower when he heard a knock at the door. Opening it, he saw Giorgi waiting for him.

"It is good to see that you are awake. Let's get going, our transport is waiting." At that, the Russian man turned and left, the Organization's newest recruit following.

"Um... Mr. Stukanov? What is our organization called anyway?" Ichika asked.

"Don't Mr. Stukanov me, that makes me feel older than I already am. As to our organization's name, it doesn't really have one. We just call it 'The Organization', or when the situation calls for it, we refer to one of our fronts."

"I see." Ichika said, entering the taxi that awaited them. The ride was quiet, and was soon over, the taxi parking beside a tall skyscraper.

"This is the White-Sakamoto Innovations Headquarters, the site of our front company in Japan." Giorgi explained as the pair entered the building.

"Officially, this is a company dealing in IS research and development, but it also serves as our primary source of material requisitions in Japan. For example, yesterday morning the company was sold an Uchigane Mass Production IS unit for 'Testing Purposes'. That IS participated in your rescue. Same thing occurred with a pair of Type-2 Experimental Anti-IS Rifles."

"Anti-IS Rifles?" Ichika asked, curious.

"The name is self explanatory, but I'm sure you want a bit more than that. As you know, the IS changed the face of modern warfare as we know it. Conventional infantry weapons may as well be shooting paper wads, tanks are too slow to match it, and aircraft can't sustain a prolonged engagement against one, and while warships can hurt them, the weapons that can do so are either too slow to aim properly or are too easily dodged. However, saying that all the money governments dumped into the military was suddenly wasted does not make for good re-election prospects for various world politicians, so countries took action. Many, like Russia, began to covertly downsize their conventional militaries, and used the freed up funds to jump-start their IS programs, while others, most notably America, began to research ways to close the 'IS Gap' with new technology, although this caused their IS programs to start off slower. The American 1st gen MPIS 'Mayfly', for example, was so riddled with flaws that its firepower was made useless by it's ridiculously small combat time of 5 minutes. However, this allowed their conventional militaries to get a large scale technological upgrade. Somewhat ironically, much of that technology came from the IS. After all, a plasma cannon is still a plasma cannon, regardless of whether it's on an IS or a tank." Giorgi said.

"So they took IS technology and gave it to their regular militaries?" Ichika asked.

"Exactly." The pair entered an elevator.

"I think it was the American M2 Eisenhower MBT that convinced the world that it was a viable use of the military budget. The Eisenhower was, and still is, the most advanced tank in the world. Using several batteries designed for MPIS units, the Eisenhower mounted a hypersensor suite linked directly to state-of-the-art targeting systems, which allowed it to use its main cannon to shoot down several supersonic drones during trial runs. Speaking of which, its main armament is a powerful plasma cannon that fires at .1% light speed, which means that although the shots lose cohesion after about a second's flight, the sheer speed at which they fly makes that short time irrelevant. A turret mounted point-defense laser system makes it almost impossible to hit it with a missile or rocket, even at point blank range, and the munitions that do make it through impact a full coverage energy barrier. It can hold its own against most first gen MPIS units, and even second gen units may find it a challenge to destroy. Of course, true IS units, as in the units that contain one of the 467 cores, can easily destroy it, but the M2 performed so well that it has convinced the nations of the world that the IS gap can and eventually will be closed. The Type-2 AIS Gun was Japan's first attempt at producing a man-portable anti-IS weapon. The result was a powerful, but extremely fragile and high-maintenance weapon. Should you decide to work in Engineering or R&D you'll learn more about this, but for now, we're almost at the roof."

Indeed, as those words were said, the elevator reached the roof and opened, revealing a Chinook with its ramp down, ready for takeoff. Soon, the pair boarded and were en-route to the Kuril islands. The helicopter landed on Urup in the same place as before, and was lowered down. As the pair stepped out of the helicopter, they were met by a man wearing a green sweater with a patch on his right shoulder.

"I assume you are our new recruit?" The man asked.

"I am." Ichika replied.

"Good. My name is Jason Weiss, and I will be your guide for orientation procedures." The man extended his hand, and Ichika shook it.

"Once the tour is complete, you will receive a complimentary sweater and coffee mug, and given your age, you will be given the opportunity to apply for an apprenticeship in one of our departments." Jason said.

"Apprenticeship?"

"Since you lack experience due to your age, one of our more experienced members will show you the ropes. Now, come along, time is money." Jason turned and began to leave the room, while Ichika hurried to follow him.

"As you can see, most of our base is still under construction, but we've got several areas up and running, and you will be visiting most of them today."

"Most of them?"

"Yes. As you are living off-site, you will not be visiting the barracks, while your age prohibits you from joining our military branch, so the armory will only be given a cursory visit. Finally, our base's power plant is currently closed to all unauthorized personnel, so we will not be visiting it."

"Power plant?"

"Yes. Our base is currently powered by what was once the SSV-33 Ural, an old Soviet command and control nuclear cruiser. Of course, while it was very advanced for its time, the high operating costs and the fact that there wasn't a large enough pier to support it at its home port meant that it was reduced to being a glorified barracks and power plant. With the IS coming out, the ship was decommissioned, along with a good portion of the Russian navy, so we could acquire it for a rather cheap cost. However, most of the equipment onboard was obsolete and in poor condition, so we removed it. In addition, the ship's armaments were stripped off, essentially giving us a rusty, nuclear powered hull. We removed the reactor and scrapped the rest for materials, and that nuclear reactor now powers the base, along with a geothermal generator down below."

"Nuclear reactor? Isn't that against some treaty?" Ichika asked.

"Yes. That is another reason why secrecy is important, Ichika. Some of the things we do here are illegal by international law, despite the fact that we do it for a good cause, namely preserving the balance of power in the world, preventing armed conflict, and performing counter-terrorist operations."

"But how did you get your hands on the Ural?"

"Officially, the ship sprung a leak and sunk while en-route to a facility that could properly decommission it. Unofficially, it's captain is a couple thousand Rubles richer, and we have a Cold War era nuclear cruiser. Of course, the official that sold the ship to us was arrested almost as soon as he got into port, and the Russian government believes that he sold it to a private company that wished to scrap it, which I guess is somewhat accurate."

"I see..." Ichika said, trying to hide his discomfort.

"Good. Now, on with the tour." The man said, just as they entered a cavernous room packed to bursting with machinery and engineers.

"This is the main engineering bay. The people here work closely with the Research and Development department to build the various technologies that will eventually run this base. Right now, it's assembling the various materials needed to get this base up and running as fast as possible. In addition, as you can see over there, they are building the vertical launch catapults that will eventually allow us to rapidly launch the aircraft that we will eventually field here. You know that big cavern that they're excavating? That will eventually be our hangar bay." Jason said as he pointed towards one of the corners of the workshop, where the engineers were working on what, at a glance, seemed to be a giant launch rail.

"Now, as I said before, the people here work very closely with our R&D department. In fact, quite a few of the engineers here are actually R&D boys who have nothing to do at the moment, so they're helping out here as best they can. Speaking of which, the R&D bay is right next door." Jason said as he led Ichika across the room via a catwalk on the ceiling. Soon, they arrived at another, similarly sized room. However, this room was clearly subdivided into several sections. The vast majority of the room seemed empty, while another, smaller area was walled off from the rest and was clearly full of computers. Finally, a third section was a small, or at least small compared to the engineering bay, fabrication center. The area was still quite large though, as was evidenced by the Mitsubishi F-3 fighter craft lying disassembled within. The F-3 was a cutting-edge Japanese fighter craft based off the American F-22 Raptor, and was the pride and joy of the JSDF Air force, at least until the IS was released not even a year after the fighter began being mass produced, thus rendering the fighter obsolete.

"What are they doing with that fighter craft?" Ichika asked, pointing.

"Oh that? Remember how I mentioned the Vertical Launch Catapults? Well, they have one simple problem in that the launch process puts an immense amount of stress on the airframe, thus destroying the craft. The F-3 was one of the few fighters that could even be launched in a pilotable condition, and even then it would have taken severe damage. This is compounded by the fact that the immense amount of G-forces exerted during the launch process would actually cause the pilot to pass out during takeoff, which is highly dangerous for obvious reasons. What they're doing down there is attempting to find a fix for that problem."

"Wait, aren't IS suits capable of pulling extreme-G maneuvers without negatively impacting the pilot or the suit?" Ichika asked.

"Exactly. That is due to the IS's Passive Inertia Canceler, or PIC. What the people down there are trying to do is fit a PIC and its power source into the fighter craft without negatively impacting its performance." Jason paused for a few seconds. "You're a sharp kid, you know."

"W-well, Chifuyu-nee always said that she wouldn't settle for an idiot brother..." Ichika laughed.

"Ha. Anyway, on with the show. Next stop is the Armory/IS bay. We won't be spending a large amount of time there, as the IS bay is mostly empty, while the armory is not an area you will be using often." Jason steered the conversation back on track as he led Ichika to his next destination.

The pair proceeded into the armory, which was comparatively small compared to the previous two rooms they had visited. What the armory did have, however, was a large amount of firearms. Most of them looked familiar to Ichika, but there were two particularly large guns laid out on a table that caught his eye.

"What are those?" Ichika asked.

"Ah, those are our Type-2 AIS Rifles. Powerful, but they were rejected by the JSDF for being too impractical for battlefield use. They are what allowed us to eliminate both hostile IS units that were guarding you during our rescue operation."

"Oh, so that's what Giorgi was talking about." Ichika said.

"Giorgi? You mean Old Stukanov actually lets you call him that?" The man laughed. "He must have taken a liking to you kid!" However, Ichika wasn't paying attention to him, as he had run up to the large window on one edge of the room, which gave him a view overlooking the IS bay. There were three IS suits contained within, with one that he recognized as an Uchigane being stored in an alcove, while another Uchigane and what looked like a Raphael Revive were undergoing repairs, as technicians swarmed around the two suits, which were suspended just above the floor in special rotating racks.

"Recruit Orimura? We're moving on!" Jason called out, causing Ichika to scramble away from the window and into the wake of his guide. After a few moments of walking, the pair came to an intersection.

"Down there are the Barracks. Should you decide to live on-site, you will be assigned a room there. However, we will not be visiting there for the time being. Instead, we will now head to the final area of the tour, namely the command center. That is where I work by the way."

After nearly a minute of walking, the pair came to a large room, full of computers. A large screen displayed a map of the world, while technicians and officers dressed similarly to Jason moved around. Unlike the R&D room or Main Engineering, the atmosphere was quiet, with the quiet buzz of computers being the loudest noise present.

"This is the nerve center of our organization. Here we sift through intel, manage operations, and co-ordinate with our other cells across the globe... or at least that's what we eventually hope to do here. Right now, all we're doing here is managing construction and acquisitions, although yesterday we did command our first operation from here."

"I see. So now that the tour is over, does that mean I have to decide on an apprenticeship?" Ichika asked.

"It would be preferable for you to decide as soon as possible, yes, but there is no rush. Now, about your complimentary coffee mug and sweater..." Jason led Ichika down another hallway, which eventually led to the large open cavern. Soon, they reached a small door, one that Ichika realized was the same one he had been led to the day before. The door opened, and Ichika saw that on the desk lay a folded green sweater wrapped in plastic, and a simple white coffee mug with the Organization logo on the side. Closer inspection revealed his name printed under the logo on the coffee cup, while he also saw that the sweater was missing the logo that Jason's had on its right shoulder.

That was when the door closed, leaving Ichika alone inside the room again.

"Hello again, Recruit Orimura. I trust you are already considering your apprenticeship?" The voice of the Organization's leader rang over the intercom.

"Well, I was interested in the Research and Development department, and-" Ichika began but was cut off.

"And you were wondering if there was anyone there willing to accept you?" The commander finished.

"Y-yes. Exactly."

"Hmm. Well, there are several openings available. However, in order to better use your time, most of your training will be taking place at the White-Sakamoto Innovations Tower, as it is easier for you to go there on weekdays. Weekends will be spent here, with the exception of every other Sunday, which you have to yourself." Ichika blanched at that.

"But my schoolwork-"

"We will make time for it. Now, are there any other concerns you wish to voice, or shall I arrange for an apprenticeship with one of the R&D department's staff?"

"N-no sir."

"Good. Wait there, and put the uniform on while you're at it. A patch denoting your department will be given to you by the end of the day." At that, the voice went silent. Having nothing better to do, Ichika quickly donned the shirt, and quickly found that it was significantly heavier than it looked.

There was a knock on the door.

"Are you dressed?" A male voice sounded out.

"I am."

"Good." The door opened, and an aged man walked in.

"My name is Raymond White. I'm one of the three R&D leaders in the department, with my specialty being the IS. I assume you are Orimura Ichika?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. Let's go." Ichika followed Raymond out of the room and in the direction of the R&D room, Ichika somewhat uncomfortable in his new clothing.

"Why is this shirt so heavy?" Ichika asked.

"Simple: It's bullet resistant. It'll stop low caliber rounds at close range, and medium caliber ones at long range, although if someone decided to shoot an AK-47 at you at close range it won't protect you. It'll stop a 9mm pistol round, but the more high powered ones will punch through it. Oh, and don't even think about stress-testing it. Even though it will stop the bullet itself, the force is still enough to break bones and cause serious injury."

"Ah, I understand." Ichika said.

"I hope you do, because that's what R&D is about. If you don't understand anything, you'll just be a detriment to your co-workers."

"I'll try not to be."

"I guess that's the most I can hope for. Now, do you know what we're doing down in the R&D room?" Raymond asked.

"You're trying to fit a PIC into an F-3 fighter airframe." Ichika answered, getting a raised eyebrow.

"Good, so you actually paid attention during the tour. At least you're not a complete idiot."

"I'm curious though, I thought your specialization was the IS? Why are you working on a fighter jet?"

"I'm working on the fighter jet because the PIC is IS technology... that and I kind of laid down the theory behind it."

"What do you mean? I thought Dr. Shinonono-"

"Don't say that woman's name around me. Ever."

"Wha?"

"Ah well, I suppose we've still got time, so I'll explain to you. Remember all of it, because I won't tell this story to you again." Raymond leaned against a wall before starting to speak.

"I am sure you have heard the tale about how That Woman invented the IS and ushered in a new age of prosperity and peace for all, right?"

"Well... yes."

"Lies. All of it. Do you really think any government would invest billions into what turned out to be glorified sports' equipment? No, the IS was originally designed for space exploration, and I was part of the team that worked on the project. It was originally supposed to be a type of one-man spacecraft that would replace the bulky and cumbersome space suits that astronauts still wear. We had the theory down pat, everything checked out. We knew exactly how to repeatedly violate every single law of physics by the time we were done. We even built several mock-ups, one of which was even tested in space. The only problem was the power supply. There simply did not exist a source of power capable of generating enough juice to perform the physics violations we needed. So, due to this, the project was put on the back burner, our funding was reduced, et cetera et cetera. Then, one day a hacker comes along and before we knew what was going on, the data on the IS was stolen. Two years pass without incident, and then along comes That Woman with the IS core. At the time, we considered her a godsend. How could we not? The IS core was a solution to all our problems regarding power! Hell, the White Knight incident showed that our theory was perfect! We studied that IS's performance thoroughly, and it checked out with all our calculations! So, we approached the Doctor and offered her a place on our team. Our offer was declined, as she already had her own agenda regarding the IS, and I am sure you know what that agenda was."

"She turned our greatest work into a goddamn soccer ball, that's what she did! She held the world by the balls using the White Knight, and forced it to accept the Alaska treaty, and then, as if she was giving out treats to good little dogs, she distributed the IS cores, and then after only 467, she cut production and went into hiding. Now, thanks to the limited amount of IS cores, all R&D regarding the IS is pseudo-military based, as diverting even one core from military matters means either violating the treaty or deliberately weakening your nation. These days, the IS is used as glorified sports equipment and to give little girls an ego boost. Had That Woman shared the secret of the cores, or at least continued making them, I guarantee you that we would have established a true base on the moon, and that the American flag would be flying over Mars, if not further! Now, all that technology has come to is a fucking sport."

"What about the Mass Production IS units? Aren't those battery powered?" Ichika asked.

"Ah, those? Well the Doctor gave the nations of the world the plans to build two things when they asked her for core fabrication secrets. The first was the blueprints for a ridiculously powerful battery, and the second was a control system, containing a copy-paste 'Dumb' AI for controlling the IS. That control system is what locks men out of the IS, and if my theory is correct, it's for a truly idiotic reason."

"Wait, what do you mean? How does the control system prevent men from using the IS?" Ichika asked.

"Oh that? Well, your's truly's home nation decided to experiment one day, and found that when the control system was removed, the IS would respond to both men and women. The only problem is that it also turned the IS into a goddamn deathtrap. One of the test pilots died, and the rest were all crippled for life, after all. Turns out that without an AI to control the suit, the IS looks for another control system, which ends up being the pilot's brain. That's how the U.S. lost its test pilot, the IS attempted to hijack his brain and ended up burning out his central nervous system. That problem was quickly fixed, but the result was an IS that was impossible to control. Every single prototype was destroyed in a crash after spending the entirety of its short flight time trying its best to kill its pilot. No fix for that problem was found, and the U.S. is understandably reluctant at trying again. Oh, and before you ask, all attempts at making a separate control system have ended in failure."

"Ok... What was that truly idiotic reason you mentioned earlier?" Ichika asked.

"Oh that is simple. A true IS core contains both a true 'Smart' AI and a power supply with damn near infinite yield. It's the AI that prevents men from using the damn things, and if I am right, it's simply because it wasn't exposed to men until it was already an 'adult' with its mind fully developed! Had the Doctor simply gotten a goddamn boyfriend, the IS would be a unisex killer mechsuit instead of a women only killer mechsuit! Stupid, right?"

"Wait, you said the core had an infinite yield?"

"As close as you can possibly get to infinite, yes. Hell, the Americans, in an attempt to see exactly how much power the IS core held, hooked one up to their nation's power grid, and as a result eliminated their nation's electric bill overnight! There isn't a single power plant left in the U.S. and that core can run an IS IN ADDITION to powering the nation! The U.S. is even making a quick buck selling electricity to Canada and Mexico! There's even talk of using the IS core to break the light-speed barrier, although the Alaska treaty means these talks will remain theoretical."

By then, the pair had made it's way to the R&D bay, and soon they were inside, Ichika taking in the sights once again, this time from the ground floor instead of a catwalk high above the ground. The bits of fighter looked so much larger from down below...

"Orimura, as you are too young and not knowledgeable enough at the moment to truly develop your ideas in a way that we can use, I'll simply stick you in with the rest of the kids for now in the brainstorming department."

"There are other kids here?"

"You'll see." Raymond led Ichika to the small, computer filled section that was walled off from the rest of the area. Opening the door, Raymond began to speak.

"Allright you monkeys, listen up! This is Orimura Ichika, my newest recruit. As he is unable to work with the rest of us real men and women, I'll stick him in with you for the moment so that you can show him the ropes! By the end of next week, I want that fighter reassembled and ready for testing, understood?" The man shouted. Then, he gently pushed Ichika into the room and shut the door. Ichika thought he heard a lock click, but he hoped that it was just his imagination.

The occupants of the room all stared at him. He stared back.

"HE'S SO CUUUTTEEEE!" The silence was broken by one of the room's female occupants leaping up from her chair and running over to him. Before Ichika knew what was going on, his face was smashed deep into the red haired woman's rather bountiful chest.

"Lucky bastard." He thought he heard one of the male occupants grumble.

"He even has a little uniform! D'aww, who's a secret super-engineer? You are, oh yes you are!" The woman continued to squeal, now pinching his cheeks.

Click! The flash of a camera caused Ichika's assailant to pause in her ministrations. In front of the pair stood a blonde woman, a passive expression on her face as she held up the camera.

"Allright everyone, settle down and let's get the new recruit settled in." Another voice cut through the room. Most of the room's occupants turned to listen, with the exception of the two women, who were busy negotiating a price on the picture. Ichika was beginning to understand why these people were referred to as kids. The speaker, a tall man with a head full of light grey hair, then walked up to Ichika.

"So you're the new kid, and quite literally at that! Welcome to the Brainstorming department. We're getting paid here to have ideas and to prove that they're worth building. Given your lack of practical experience and your over-active child's imagination, you will probably fit right in here, at least until Grandpa Ray decides you've suffered enough of our company. Now, our job is to figure out a feasible way to fit a PIC and an MPIS battery to power it into a Mitsubishi F-3 airframe. We have a week to figure out a way and to prove that it can be done. Then the job goes over to the boys in fabrication to build a prototype, you will likely work there once you're old enough to handle the equipment. Until then though, you're stuck with us." The man said.

The man walked Ichika over to an empty computer, which showed an exploded view of the fighter jet. Each component was separated from the rest, from the smallest bolt to the engines themselves. A PIC and a box representing the battery lay off to the side.

"So what's stopping us from just stuffing this inside?" Ichika asked, pointing to the items in question.

"Well, pretty much every bit of space inside is already either used for storing fuel, the payload, or the engines. The wings are too thin, and just bolting it onto the exterior would negatively effect the performance of the plane." The man explained.

"Well why don't we just swap out the fuel tanks and engines for more batteries and IS impulse drives? We're already using IS technology, so why not use a little more? Impulse Drives are smaller than jet engines, so that should free up more room for the PIC, and all the space taken up by fuel tanks would be replaced by batteries." Ichika said. That caused the man to pause.

"I'll get back to you on that." The man said and ran to his computer, leaving Ichika alone.

"Would you like to pose for another picture?" Or maybe not so alone. Looking up, Ichika saw the red haired woman that he had met when he had first been pushed into the room.

"Hey, leave the kid alone, at least he's contributing, if Chen's reaction to whatever he said was anything to go by." The man sitting next to Ichika said. He must have been someone important, as the two women simply grumbled and left to their work stations. Ichika turned to thank his neighbor, but the man had already stood and left as well, leaving Ichika alone again. Then, after what seemed like hours but turned out to be barely 30 minutes according to his computer's clock, Dr. Chen, the tall, grey haired man ran back.

"It works! Or at least, everything fits in with some space to spare. We'll have to design a bigger, more powerful version of the IS engine, but other than that everything works! If my preliminary estimates are correct, this could even improve the craft's overall performance, at least in combat. Effective range might suffer a bit, but I think it will work! Nice job Ichika, we'll design the expanded Impulse Drive, you just watch and learn."

That sentence summed up what Ichika did for the rest of the day. He simply watched the team slowly work on, and succeed at, designing a larger, more powerful version of the IS impulse drive, which was an engine that manipulated gravity in order to propel the IS suit. The final design ended up placing the PIC directly in front of the two impulse drives, which, while they were larger than the ones used in the IS, they were still much smaller than the IHI XF5-1 engines that used to power the craft. The space taken up by fuel tanks was now filled with IS batteries, while the two air intakes had been streamlined and converted into small munitions bays. By the end of the day, the file had been submitted, although work could not begin until the Organization could obtain more IS batteries from the Japanese government, as they lacked the capability to manufacture their own... at least for the moment, as Ichika learned. After all, the Japanese were far from the only government with the ability to manufacture IS batteries, and some governments were more loose lipped when it came to the process.

Ichika's thoughts were filled with fighter planes by the time Raymond pulled him out of the room, and handed him a thick book, easily the size of a phone directory.

"Congratulations on the well placed comment kid." Raymond said, before pointing to the book. "Memorize that, and you'll get to start working on IS frames. Until then, you'll help out on other projects. I believe that once the fighters are done, our orders are to improve on the Type-2."

"Um, Dr. White?" Ichika asked.

"Yes? Make it quick."

"Why do we not have the ability to make our own MPIS batteries?"

"The Japanese government was unwilling to give that capability to us. They still see us as little more than an R&D think-tank that so happens to do military jobs every once in a while. However, regarding the battery situation, we can obtain the specifics from the Americans. One of my old colleagues works in the American IS business, specifically with Mass Production models. He is the chief designer behind what could be the second generation American MPIS, after all. We'll have the capability to build both batteries and control modules by the end of the month, I am sure of it."

The pair walked to one of the room's exits, near which Giorgi was waiting.

"Oh, and before I forget..." Raymond reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge. It contained the Organization insignia, a Lion standing atop a shield, with the words 'Tueri Umbra' written below. On the shield was the insignia of the Organization's R&D department, namely a blueprint of a cog.

The doctor pressed the badge to Ichika's right shoulder, and with a soft hiss, the adherents took hold, anchoring the patch to the sweater. Then, the patch seemed to slowly sink into the fabric itself, until it was flush with the surrounding fabric of the sweater.

"Welcome to the R&D corps, Junior Apprentice Orimura Ichika. Press the badge before you leave." With those words, the scientist turned and headed back into the R&D room, while Ichika followed Giorgi towards the helicopter hangar. Soon, the pair were alone inside the helicopter as it flew towards Japan. That was when Ichika remembered the second half of Raymond's parting words. Pressing the badge with one of his fingers, his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets as the patch assumed the same color and texture of the surrounding cloth. Pressing the area again caused the badge to shift back into view.

"Convenient, isn't it?" Giorgi spoke.

"That it is." Ichika replied.

"Eliminates the need for hidden changing rooms to get rid of incriminating insignia. I heard that there are plans to extend the color changing effects to the entire shirt, although that won't be happening for a while."

"That would be nice." Ichika said offhandedly as he hid the badge once again.

"So, I heard you helped fix the issues with the F-3."

"I didn't really help, I just said something that got other people thinking."

"Heh. That's the best kind of help there is. A simple suggestion here, a bit of helpful advice there... You simply helped them help themselves."

"Mhm." Ichika yawned.

"Today is your last chance, you know. You still have one hour in which to say no and swear to secrecy. Do that, and you lose the shirt and badge, but you regain your childhood. So long as you tell no-one, you can still be a child." Giorgi said.

"I am sorry then, I'm staying. I may still have time to leave, but I have already accepted this path." Ichika replied.

"I'm sure that young girlfriend of yours would beg to differ."

"Who, Rin? She's not my girlfriend, she's just a girl who is my friend. I'm sure she will understand." Ichika smiled.

"Ha!" The older man laughed.

"What?" Ichika exclaimed.

"Nothing..." The man laughed again.

"Come on, please tell me!"

"Sorry, but it is a secret all men must learn on their own! If you try to tell it to someone else, they'll never take you seriously."

"Aww, please tell me!" Ichika pouted.

"Actually, I do have something to tell you, namely your cover story. Should anyone ask, simply tell them that you are studying IS design under Dr. Raymond White at White-Sakamoto Innovations. It's close enough to the truth that you can answer any questions that people ask you, without raising too many flags, and given where you will be spending most of your time, it is the perfect alibi. Should anyone ask for paperwork, tell them it will be ready by tomorrow. We'll get everything done on our end."

"Understood." Ichika replied.

"Good. We're almost there." Ichika looked out of the window and saw the Tokyo skyline approaching fast. Soon, the Chinook had landed, and Ichika stepped out, Giorgi following behind him. The sun had already set, but the city below glowed bright as day.

"Come on, let's get you home." Soon, the pair had boarded a taxi and Ichika was heading home. By the time he had arrived, he was already half asleep. He exited the car, intending on returning home, when Giorgi suddenly stood and stopped him.

"Someone's been here." He said simply, startling Ichika into wakefulness.

"How do you know?" Ichika asked.

"Simple- When I approached your house, I placed down a newspaper bag over here, with a rock on top to weigh it down and prevent it from being blown away." The man indicated an empty spot on the ground.

"That particular spot is always underfoot- were someone to attempt entry, they would have hit it with their foot, thus disturbing it." At that, the ex-Spetsnaz pointed to where the newspaper lay, several feet away.

"The rock is further in that direction. Someone was here."

"It's probably just Rin or Dan, not a kidnapper." Ichika said.

"Better safe than sorry. Here, take this." Ichika looked down at the combat knife being handed to him. Hesitantly, he picked it up.

"Hold it like this. Much better." The Russian said as he adjusted Ichika's grip on the weapon, before drawing a gun himself.

"Stay behind me." Ichika nodded, and followed Giorgi up to the door. The Russian knocked with one hand, while keeping the gun ready.

The door swung open, the gun was raised... and a partially deployed Yukihira Nigata came to rest underneath Giorgi's chin.

"There are three things I would like you to explain: First: who are you. Second: why are you with my brother. Third: Please tell me why you are pointing a Stechkin APS at my head." The owner of the IS blade, a beautiful, black haired woman asked, seemingly unconcerned with the gun barrel barely a centimeter from her head.

From behind the pair, Ichika could only stare.

"Ch-Chifuyu-nee!"


A/N: And the first chapter is out! I know that quite a lot of my readers are demanding updates to my older works, but quite honestly, I really can't stand to look at some of my oldest stories without cringing at the obvious Sues present. In fact, a certain guest review for Secrets of the Void perfectly summed up my feelings on the matter. The oldest story I really do want to update is Unity, Duty, RWBY, but my muse for it has sadly withered and died, much to my displeasure. I'll probably write more about my feelings on updates on my profile, should anyone care enough to read it. (Currently my profile is almost a year out of date, although I'll be updating soon)

Regarding this story, I hope you readers like how it has started, and that the 'Second Chapter' effect will not kick in. (I did everything right this time! I left a suitable cliffhanger, and have much of the following chapter planned out already!) A Warhammer 40k fic that has also been bouncing around in my head will be released shortly as well, and I will be concentrating on updating these two until my muse for some of my older stories returns.

See ya! Read and Review, and if you see any glaring flaws/inconsistencies, don't hesitate to point them out so I can fix them!