INFINITE STRATOS belongs to Izuru Yumizuru.
TRON belongs to Stephen Lisberger and The Walt Disney Company.
Chifuyu Orimura was confused.
Now, if you were to tell anyone that knew her this, they would have laughed in your face. Actually, laughing might be an understatement. Chuckled, guffawed, roared, hell, maybe even suffocating with laughter would be the much more accurate reaction. No one would ever expect someone as collected, firm, and demanding as the legendary Brunhilde to ever have her mind thrown off by something…and yet that was just what was happening. And it was all because of one name.
The man called Rinzler was, without a shadow of a doubt, an anomaly. Chifuyu knew this from the moment she hoisted the covers of the bed she found him in over his head and caught a glimpse of some of the most advanced armor she had ever seen. The story he then told of his world; a digital utopia, humans converting themselves into pure data, a technological landscape that freed humans of the burdens a flesh and bone body could bring, it was unbelievable. But as with more and more time spent with and observing him, it would seem that nearly every piece of evidence the former Mondo Grosso champion had pointed in the direction of "he is telling the truth."
Despite what she said to him earlier, she did not want to believe what he said. But what with the unseen-before technology and the mysterious circumstances of his sudden arrival, he looked as though he was not lying whatsoever. However, Chifuyu was not a woman who gave in and gave up easily. She scoured the digital world searching for anything and everything Zach Stray-related and found zilch. Every person she found with the last name of Stray looked nothing like him. Every place of authority she talked to in Japan and even outside of it had relayed the information to her that they had absolutely no records of one Zach Stray, nor had they ever heard the name Rinzler before in their lives. She grew irritated, but eventually decided that she had to give in. Maybe his records were completely wiped? She thought about that, but it didn't add up as to why that would need to be done. Not only that, but he ended up in the infirmary, which would trigger multiple security alarms that would alert the entire school to an intruder, and yet not a single beep was heard throughout the night preceding his appearance. There was also no evidence of any alarms being tampered with when she ordered maintenance to check up on them.
He was telling the truth, as unbelievable as it seemed, and that was that.
She had to do something. She knew he had nowhere to go, so she pulled some strings and secured him a place in the academy. He wasn't technically a student there, but he more or less was by a social standpoint. His technology looked somewhat correlated to an IS, but she had to confiscate and examine it to properly determine if it meant the requirements to be considered one. Not only this, but believe it or not, she was aware of the hard time her brother was being given by the colorful cast of girls chasing his heart around. She stayed out of it for a while, but she eventually decided one day during their trip to the beach to egg on the flames of love-is-war and told them specifically that they had to do whatever they can to nuke their rivals. She sincerely regretted saying that ever since that day. Maybe another man was just what Ichika needs to whip him back into shape and force him to focus on becoming the best pilot he can. Chifuyu was no stranger to just how helpful a true friend can be to becoming the best version of yourself. After all, despite all her accomplishments, she didn't have much of an idea where she'd be without her best friend Maya Yamada. And even if she did, she didn't want to expand upon it.
So what to do now? The origins of this mysterious program was nearly taking over her life. His mere existence here was a scientific breakthrough in and of itself. One man just inadvertently threw the biggest wrench possible in the gears of the IS Academy, and it wasn't even on purpose. She did one last DNA scan check on a stray hair he left on the bed he woke up on in the infirmary. The machine clicked and whirred, but again, nothing came up. She stared at the glowing blue screen, that flashed a big, fat [NO RESULTS FOUND]. Chifuyu gritted her teeth at the piece of tech, as if it was taunting her for the rare instance of her being unable to solve a problem.
"Rinzler…" she half-whispered irritably. "Just who the hell are you?"
"A security program? I think this is like, my 5th time saying it." Rinzler laughed as he walked alongside his new friend. He had just been explaining to Ichika his "origin story" so to speak, and it couldn't have been more obvious that the Japanese boy was the most confused he had ever been in weeks.
"You're a program? As in, programmed by humans?" He exclaimed indignantly.
"For the last time, no! I'm a human but I convert myself into coded programming every time I enter the Grid! If you wanna go by Grid terminology, I'd technically be a User."
"User?"
"A human. You know how some video games have usernames and stuff? That's what it refers to, since the Grid is basically one giant video game." Ichika simply stared at him in bewilderment. Rinzler had to admit, he was a little proud he shocked his new friend that much, even thought it was practically guaranteed he would surprise someone during his time here.
"Wait, so then why do you call yourself a program?"
"Because it sounds cooler. Obviously." Rinzler bluntly replied. Ichika looked even more confused now. Rinzler just gave him another smile. He looked ahead to see the multitude of girls in front of him. Little did the two boys know that ahead of them, that the girls that one knew so well and the other only just met, were having a very curious conversation about the two of them.
Now, while Laura and Cecilia may have made impressions on Rinzler, the duo of Houki Shinonono and Charlotte Dunois were still a little in the dark when it came to talking to the security program. But from what Houki inferred, she believed Rinzler was an arrogant jerk who was all ego and no action. She had seen these types of people before, and she didn't like them. In Houki's usual nature, she normally wouldn't think to acknowledge that Laura had tried to quite literally kill Rinzler for something as trivial as a small insult. However, she did notice that the boy wasn't targeting Laura or Cecilia, but merely stating the countries that began World War 1. But this didn't excuse him from how rudely he spoke to Laura and how he had held her neck to his strange glowing disc. To Charlotte, on the other hand, she still wasn't fond of Rinzler's apparent rudeness, but she somewhat sympathized with him, as he was merely making a small joke that he was unaware was accurate in a way. Besides, she could tell he and Ichika were getting along well, and she was willing to put aside her personal thoughts and feelings if it meant that the man she loved had another reason to smile in life.
"Girls, I know that you may not have gotten off on the right foot with him, but I'm bien sur he's really a nice guy, n'est-ce pas?" asked the French blonde, who was trying to reason with the other three on behalf of the security program.
"I simply can't understand how you continue to defend him, Charlotte. He is clearly a rude, arrogant, child who should not be here in the slightest." Snapped Cecilia, clearly contrasting Charlotte's comments on Rinzler.
"I concur wholeheartedly. He is so full of himself he barely flinched when I stabbed his desk. He very obviously underestimates my abilities." Laura said, as Charlotte simply sighed in return.
"Not that I don't think he isn't a prick, because he is," Houki began. "But you realize he wasn't going after the two of you, right? He was naming the countries that started the first World War; Germany, Britain, and Russia. And even then, he had no idea you're both in love with Ichika." she slightly growled before continuing. "Ichika would have had to tell him, and we all know he would never do something like that."
The 4 girls all gave a collective grunt at the stupidity of their person of affection.
"Guys, that's precisely why I'm telling you all this. Ichika has been très heureux ever since Rinzler appeared! Would it kill us to put our egos aside to see Ichika enjoy himself for once? After all, if we all truly loved him, we would put his happiness over ours." Charlotte said. All the girls looked at each other with slight nervousness. While they all agreed Charlotte was right, their disdain for the young program was still burning bright.
"Fine. But if he pulls another stunt like earlier again, I'm beating his ass, and I don't care what Ichika says." Houki grunted, crossing her arms.
"I could not agree with you more. After all, we know what's best for Ichika. We've known him far longer then he has, regardless of whether or not they're both males. And besides, Ichika dear is nowhere near as rude and brash as Rinzler is." Cecilia said, earning a look from Charlotte and nods from the other two.
"So...do the others know about this?" Charlotte asked. Laura tapped her finger to her chin in contemplation.
"I am sure that Tatenashi knows. She is the student council president, after all. Kanzashi most likely does not, as she is in Class 4, and same with Rin, who is in Class 2. However, since our training is with Class 2, she'll get to know him soon enough." She said, listing out all of the usual love rivals who weren't in their same class. Charlotte gulped when Laura mentioned Rin's name. She certainly wasn't the type of girl who would get along with someone like Rinzler. She had an eerie feeling the security program would be scheduled to face the Chinese girl in combat fresh off the heels of his fight with Laura by the end of the period.
Sooner or later, the class would make their way to Arena 1, the biggest arena of the 5 that were present in the Academy. The two classes oohed and aahed at the sight of brand new training robots. They were about as tall as the average Japanese male, and looked like an average android. Their faces were emotionless and stoic, with their stance being stiff and firm, ready to receive and carry out orders. They were lined up across the arena in 8 rows of 5. Laura, Cecilia, Charlotte, and Houki spotted a striking Chinese girl bound over to their spot, a grin on her face and a pep in her step. Charlotte braced herself. She knew what was coming.
"Hey! You guys ready for training? Where's Ichika? And why do you guys look so-" She then caught sight of Ichika and Rinzler conversing. Ichika appeared to have told Rinzler something to make him burst out into raucous laughter. Suddenly, Rin's body began to change. Her arms started to shake, her eyes started to twitch, and her head started to heat up considerably. All logic, reasoning, and critical thinking went out the window. Her brain was completely out of commission and her body was the one in control. And it was telling her one thing.
ATTACK.
Rin rushed forward with the speed of a peregrine falcon, her IS partially deploying into one of her long, red, schimitars. She was seeing red. Her eyes were bloodshot and her heart and head were both pounding. Her legs ran on their own. She ignored every stare, every call to stop, and she jumped into the air, preparing to land the ultimate killing blow to her childhood friend-
Until she was stopped. She noticed she was floating in mid-air...held by a mysterious blue light. She looked around to check the source of this new development, and there he was. The man called Rinzler outstretching his hand towards her, holding her in place with a well-timed Light Barrier. Ichika was watching the whole thing with abject horror, and so was the surrounding class. Charlotte, Houki, and Cecilia were struck with fear, but Laura was carefully analyzing her upcoming opponent. She made a mental note that he possessed a similar ability to her AIC, and now that she knew what the weakness of hers was, to test if his had the same flaw.
"Do you know THIS person? You probably do if she's trying to kill you." Rinzler said, half-humored and half-determined to take down whoever was threatening his friend. Ichika merely scratched his head and shot a shifty grin at the still immobile Rin, who was glaring at him with a thousand daggers.
"She's...um...LingYin Huang. But just call her Rin. She's...uh..my childhood friend." he muttered. Rinzler looked at him like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, because shit, man. He couldn't.
"The girl who just tried turning you into Brazilian steakhouse meat is your childhood friend?" he asked with indignance. He glanced at Rin, who gave him a frown, then back at Ichika. "You might need some new friends, bud."
"Uh..."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" yelled an arriving and already irate Ms. Orimura, startling both classes. "Huang, pull a stunt like that again and you'll be running laps around the island with one of those schimitars stuck up your ass. Do you understand?!"
"Y-yes, ma'am!" squeaked the frightened broad, as Rinzler called back the Light Barrier. Rin quickly put away her IS, stomped up to Ichika, and jabbed a finger in his chest. Rinzler watched in slight amusement as Ichika's face flooded with sudden panic. Jesus Christ, what was with the people of this world?
"You. Are. Explaining. EVERYTHING. The second lunch starts. Understand?" she demanded, before storming off to join the rest of Class 2.
"For once, I agree with her. What the hell was that?" Rinzler asked. Ichika sighed deeply and told him the whole story; how she was his childhood friend since 5th grade, how she had made him make a promise that he couldn't remember, how she challenged him to a battle which got interrupted by an unmanned IS, and from then he detailed nearly everything that happened to him up to the current day. When Ichika finished, he found that Rinzler was looking at him with a cornucopia of emotions.
"You have a weird life, dude."
Understatement of the century.
"Yeah..."
Meanwhile, Chifuyu had made her way up to the front of the classes and signaled for everyone's attention. Sure enough, nearly 40 pairs of eyes diverted their gaze to her current position. She then stepped aside and motioned towards the training bots.
"Everyone listen up! Today's lesson will be one of immense importance, especially considering the attacks that have been launched on this school the past few months. Sometimes, using a whole IS in battle can be impractical, inefficient, or endangering to yourself or bystanders. That is why today, we will be starting a unit based wholly around fighting using Partial Deployment. The Japanese government have been hard at work creating these brand new training robots specifically for this purpose. They are fitted with self-repair to allow combatants to execute and hone their skills at full force, with no need to hold back. After all, battle is unpredictable, and if you truly want to win, you're going to have to give it your all, physically AND mentally."
Before she could go further, a student had raised their hand already. Chifuyu pointed at her, signaling her freedom to speak.
"Will we have time to get changed into our PE clothes, ma'am?
"No. Like I said, battle is unpredictable. You won't always be wearing clothing that's prepped and battle-ready, so get used to being able to fight in whatever you're currently wearing."
The student put her hand down and her face fell a little. Whispers broke out amongst the class, most concerning the mention of attacks.
"Now, we shall begin with a little demonstration by our newest student." Chifuyu said. Rinzler suddenly shot up, realizing she was talking about him. He pointed to himself and gave her a questioning look, and she nodded, confirming Rinzler's fear. The last thing he needed was Laura having a brief outline of his abilities, especially when even he was unfamiliar with how they were used.
"Uh...Ms. Orimura? Can it...not be me? Because I kind of have a thing tomorrow and-"
Chifuyu quickly shot a glare at him, telling him everything he needed to know. It was perform or else, no questions or exceptions. He looked to the side to see the 5 girls he encountered today looking at him with a mix of great anticipation and smugness. Soon, nearly every student in both classes began looking at him eagerly. Hellooo peer pressure. Well, the jig was up. Rinzler cracked his neck.
"Ugh...fine."
He activated his helmet and stepped up in front of the robots. Chifuyu unveiled a remote control from her blazer pocket and pressed it. Suddenly, the androids began to whirr and click, until all of them assumed a fighting stance. Some of them materialized guns and swords. A few even had jetpacks.
Alright, Rinzler. This is it. This is your moment. Own it.
Remember your training.
Remember the movies.
Remember the shows.
Don't think about how unfamiliar you are to your powers. Just own it.
Don't think.
Just fight.
Fight.
Fight!
FIGHT!
Suddenly, Rinzler shot out like a cannonball at the first android he saw, Identity Disc firmly in hand. The android had no time to process what it was going on until a bright ridge slashed through its chest and it was reduced to nothing but scrap metal. Gasps filled the arena. All the androids quickly realized that it was time to fight. They gripped their weapons harder. Two androids wielding swords attempted to swipe at him, but Rinzler split his Identity Disc into two separate ones, threw one with all his might into the head of one android, then with the same hand, unveiling his Light Sword. He then stabs the second android with the sword, drags the sword up, and cuts the second android clean in two. Three more androids rush towards him, but Rinzler was too fast- he was like a blur. He didn't give a damn about what was happening around him- all that was on his mind was violence. He quickly called back his second disc and got into an intense fight with two of the androids, who were wielding wrist blades. Despite being bruised multiple times, he won the bout by throwing one of the Discs off the nearby wall, which ricocheted into one of the their heads. He grabbed the recently ricocheted disc and sliced down the second android. The third had a gun and quickly shot at him, but Rinzler dodged, and threw two of his Light Conduits onto the androids arms. He created cables from his hands and pulled down with all his strength, ripping the arms, and by extension, the gun, clean off the android's body. He then unveiled one of his two Rods, a PRod. He ran towards the quite literally disarmed android, broke the PRod in two, and stabbed it into the robot's neck, short-circuiting it. It quickly began to spaz out, its eyes moving around and its mouth spurting out gibberish such as "Sending...error...message!"
As Rinzler continued his mechanical massacre, the peanut gallery were watching with a large jumble of emotions. Most of the class was struck with a mix of fear and awe, seeing how easily he could take down robots, and by extension, humans as well. Ichika was thanking whatever god that was out there that Rinzler was his friend for the second time that day, Cecilia was watching in horrified disgust at how brutal Rinzler was being, Houki was struck by the clean yet blunt brutality of his fighting style, Rin was shaking in anger, and Charlotte's mind had gone blank in order to truly process what she was seeing. Laura, on the other hand, was watching with great anticipation. She knew that whatever was going to happen during their match was going to be bloody. Not just bloody, but bloody amazing. Initially, she saw this as a repeat of the first ever time her and Ichika squared off, which was stopped by a teacher. It was basically a one-sided battle, and Laura had most certainly been bored out of her mind with her now-love interest's level of skill with the IS. Meanwhile, here comes Rinzler, who was taking down combat-designed androids in seconds with not an IS in sight. She watched eagerly as Rinzler threw his discs at the legs of an android, cutting them off, and then leaping on the android to use as a stairway to get to three flying androids with jetpacks, who were charging at him. He avoided each attack, then planted what looked like bombs on each of them. By the time he landed in a superhero-esque stance on the ground, his discs were back in his hands, with the large explosions of the robots echoing and bursting behind him. It looked like a scene straight out of an action movie.
Chifuyu watched the carnage go on. She wasn't going to lie at all, she was enjoying every second of this. It had been an extremely long time since she saw a fighter this capable, this streamlined, and this downright epic since her Mondo Grosso days. She was a little concerned at how awfully he was messing up the robots, but that was partially because she didn't wholly trust the Japanese government on whether the bots were truly up to code. She glanced around and watched the horrified yet inspired faces of all the students and cracked a smile. Maybe, just maybe, this will get their heads in the game. Now that there was a new apex predator at the top of the food chain, a great white shark in a water full of fish, she was very sure at least one of these girls were gonna get their act together and start performing as beautifully as the security program was right now. The former champion watched as Rinzler dispatched the very last of the robots by pulling it with a Light Cable straight into a helicopter spin strike with his Light Staff right to the head. With all the things Chifuyu still didn't know about Rinzler, she was extremely glad to be able to cross one thing off that long list.
He was more then capable of taking care of himself.
However, to the man of the hour, everything was a blur. When he finished off the last of the androids, it was like waking up from a year long coma. All that had been on his mind was one, repeating, word. Fight. Extremely glad his helmet was on, his face morphed into one of shock and awe as he gazed upon the bloodshed he just committed. Did he do all this? He quickly picked up one of the severed heads of the robots and looked at it curiously. To the other students, it looked like a horror movie slasher staring at the head of his latest victim, but to him, he was just as confused as he assumed everyone else was. Why did these things look...off? He decided he would ponder that later. Just play it cool for now and pretend you had even the slightest idea what you were doing. He dropped the head to the side, walked back over, and detracted his helmet.
"WOOOOOO!" He yelled, to his stunned classmates, wondering how in the hell he could be so nonchalant after what he just did. "That's today's workout done! Sorry about that, Ms. Orimura. If these things didn't pull themselves back together, only God knows how much paperwork you'd have to do."
Chifuyu stifled a chuckle at his remark. "Indeed, you are very lucky in that aspect, Rinzler. Anyway, since we only have 5 minutes left, I'll let all of you out early since we need some time to clean this up. Go get some lunch. DISMISSED!"
"It seems I may have underestimated my opponent a little."
"Yeah, no shit, dumbass!" said a still recoiling Rin, as her and the other 4 girls sat atop the grass of an ISA building's roof. They were still waiting for Ichika, but to all of them, it was obvious that he was chumming it up with the newest superstar on the block. "Not only did he manage to stop me effortlessly, but also took down all 40 of those things in record time, no IS needed. What the heck do you think he's gonna do WITH one? I'm this close to planning your funeral."
"Yeah, honestly Laura, things are looking a little grim." Houki chimed in. She was more then faithful in Laura's ability to win her upcoming bout, but the level of faith she had significantly dropped after earlier. This was gonna be an extremely down to the wire fight.
"Do any of us even know what his IS looks like? If his handheld weapons are that affective, there's no doubt his IS' will be beaucoup mieux." added Charlotte.
Laura's singular visible eye twitched at her friends' presumed lack of faith in her ability to win against Rinzler. So he did a cool flashy moves with his glowy frisbees and his glorified laser broomstick, big whoop. He did not have nearly as much IS experience as she did. And which one out of the two of them was trained for a year by one of the strongest and most powerful women to ever grace this Earth? Which of the two of them endured years worth of military-level training when normal kids her age were taking selfies and watching trashy romance shows? Which of the two of them was quite literally born to kill? Oh, right. Her.
"The lack of belief that you all are currently demonstrating in me is disheartening to say the least. However, I will not let it get to me."
"Not let what get to you?" asked a just-now reappearing Ichika, who was walking towards them with a tray of food. The girls glared at him. Ichika simply sighed and wondered what he did this time.
"I take it you were hanging out with your new little friend." Houki snarled, venom clearly present in her tone.
"Well, yeah. We had a lot of fun conversations. If I'm being honest, another guy might be just what I needed!" Ichika happily responded.
"And what's THAT supposed to mean?" Rin spat.
"That I've just been lacking in interactions with males? What's so wrong about being happy I get to talk to another boy? I don't understand you guys sometimes."
Sometimes was an understatement. The girls simply closed their eyes in silent fury.
"Uh...ok then."
"So where exactly did Rinzler go?" Charlotte asked, after they had all opened their eyes again.
"Oh, he and Ms. Yamada had to discuss something real quick." His voice then dropped to a low whisper. "Can I let you guys in on something?"
The girls suddenly shot up and stared at their love interest with their full attention.
"Something is...off about Rinzler. His suit, his weapons, how he got here...it screams abnormal. I don't think he's a bad person per se, but the puzzle pieces don't fully fit together when it comes to him. And I intend on finding out why." The girls' eyes widened as he spoke.
"How are you going to do that?" asked Cecilia.
"Simple. I'm going to ask Chifuyu."
"What?!" Rin exclaimed. "Don't you think she's just gonna hide it from you or lie or something? She's not exactly against doing that if past experiences are to account for anything."
"Well, she can't hide something she doesn't fully understand, either. Rinzler is truly an exceptional case. I don't think anyone else in the Academy has even an idea about what might be going on with him. She's my best and possibly only bet."
"Well, whatever it is, tell us. Especially if it's something important." Houki demanded, and the other girls gave a collective nod of agreement.
"Will do..."
As night fell on the IS Academy, leagues of students were getting ready to go to bed. Some were changing, some were brushing their teeth, some were having a last-minute dinner, and others...were sitting in Ms. Orimura's office, still waiting for her to show up. Except that 'others' was Rinzler. And he was not happy about it. In fact, he was growing very bored. He knew Ms. Orimura had a lot on her plate to deal with before he unceremoniously appeared at her school, but the security program couldn't help but be annoyed at the fact that he still had no idea why he was even here. He could be somewhere else, catching some Z's in a warm bed. Hell, maybe he'll even somehow wake up in his home universe, seeing as he supposedly got here during his sleep the previous night. But then he remembered one crucial detail.
He didn't have a place to sleep.
Just then, Ms. Orimura entered the room with a few papers and very ticked off expression on her face. Rinzler felt slightly intimidated.
"You asked to see me, Professor?"
"Yes I did, Rinzler. You see, since we do not know how long you are going to be here, I am currently attempting to implement a semi-permanent living arrangement for you. Ideally, you would be rooming with my brother, but his current roommate is being...uncooperative."
Rinzler scoffed. "That shouldn't be a problem for you. Your laser-eye gaze can pierce even the most rebellious of hearts."
Chifuyu brushed off the compliment and sighed. "True, but Ichika's current roommate has something many don't. Authority."
"What place of authority could a student possibly have?"
"Student council president?"
"Oh. Fair enough."
"So thanks to the horrors of bureaucracy, until we get these papers stamped, signed, and submitted, you'll be moving into the one empty bed there is left."
Chifuyu then beckoned for him to follow her. He stand up and followed suit. They walked down multiple halls until finally reaching a dorm next to a window overlooking a few of the arenas. She looked at him with what Rinzler could swear on whatever god existed was a little bit of concern. There was one thing the young program knew he could commemorate Chifuyu for- she was damn good at hiding how she feels.
"Now, a few things before you enter the room. Your roommate is very interesting."
Rinzler's interest suddenly piqued. The way Chifuyu said 'interesting' meant he was either in for a horror show or a great new friend. "Why exactly is that?"
"Well, for one, she has the highest IS compatibility rating that a pilot could possibly have, S."
"Oh shit, awesome!" Rinzler said. He was extremely interested in knowing all the ins and outs of this new technology. Grid tech was something he was very familiar with, but the IS was a whole 'nother sandbox to play in. If someone with top compatibility with their own was rooming with him, it would give him oodles of opportunities to study and gather data on his potentially newest toy.
"But the other thing is that she is extremely...underdeveloped."
"Phrasing?"
"Mentally underdeveloped, Rinzler." She clarified with a facepalm.
"I know. So what exactly is she suffering from? Autism? ADHD? ADD? Shit, that's a lot of A's..."
"When I say mentally underdeveloped, I mean it literally. This girl behaves nearly identically to that of a small child. She even has an imaginary friend that she steadfastly believes is real and she will lash out at people who don't acknowledge this friend's existence."
"Oh." Rinzler felt a bit of sweat coming on. He was aiming to be an actor, though, right? This was just another way to polish his skills...right? "Wonderful."
"With all that said and done..." Chifuyu began, as she opened the door. "Meet your new roommate."
Rinzler's eyes widened as he saw a very familiar face sitting on one of the two beds. A very, familiar, childlike face, filled with wonder and surprise, topped with light green hair.
"TEDDY BEAR GIRL?!"
"Puu-chan...look! It's the boy from earlier!"
Chifuyu looked at Rinzler with a raised brow. "You have met Ms. Currier before, I see. You know she has a name, right?"
"I do. And I also don't want to have to twist my tongue into a Boy Scout-level knot attempting to say it."
Suddenly, the two were caught off guard by Currier scurrying up to Rinzler and giving him a soft hug, like that of a little sisters. Rinzler was stunned, but played along.
"Nice to see you too, I guess." He said as he patted her head.
Chifuyu gave the slightest grin a human could give. "Well, I'll leave you two be. I hope you get along. I'll notify you when you can move in with Ichika permanently." She said before closing the door. Rinzler could hear her footsteps shrink in volume as she stepped through the hall. Currier let go of his hug and smiled warmly at him.
"Well, Teddy Bear Girl, it seems I'm gonna be bunking with you for a few days."
"Ooooh..."
"So which bed do you sleep in?"
"The one that Ruu-chan is sitting on!"
"Um..who?"
"Oh, I don't think you two...met. This is Ruu-chan! She's my very bestest friend forever!" She eagerly pointed at the second bed closest to the window.
"Uh...hi, Ms. Ruu, ma'am." He murmured, as Currier gave a small squeal of delight.
"She says she likes you!"
"Woah, really?" He felt like he was teaching a kindergarten class. "That's awesome! I hope...we get along?"
"And this is...what was your name, mister?"
"Um...Rinzler."
"Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion. Rinzler decided to help her pronounce it himself.
"Rin."
"Reen..."
"Zler."
"Zer?"
"Rinzler."
"Reenzer!"
"Good enough. We'll work on it."
Without warning, Currier gave out a huge yawn. Rinzler looked at her with a bit of pseudo-brotherly concern. The Russian certainly reminded him a lot of Misako's little sister, Konomi, especially in the way they talked. It was either slow, mystifying muttering, or fast-paced and excitable yapping. Her eyes had bags under them. Rinzler again debated within his head whether she either never slept or always sleeps.
"...tired.." she muttered in a low voice, as if she was trying to see how quietly she could say it. Rinzler quickly grabbed her arm and guided her to her bed.
"Well...let's tuck you in, yeah?"
He motioned for her to lie down, which she did. He then pulled the covers up on top of her, lifted her head and slipped two pillows underneath it. Currier settled into her new position well. She looked up at the man who tucked her in and gave him a warm yet sleepy smile. Rinzler then walked off to the bathroom. He looked inside to see his own basic kit of amenities- slippers, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some body wash, shampoo, face cream, deodorant, and conditioner. Now it was his turn to smile. He made a mental note to thank Chifuyu for the things. He then realized he was going to have to sleep in his suit since he had no clothes, something he was somewhat ok with thanks to the inside. He peeked his head out of the bathroom one last time.
"Hey, I'm gonna go brush my teeth a-"
Before he could continue, he saw that the adorable Russian girl was already knocked out, sleeping soundly and slightly snoring. Rinzler smiled again.
"Good night...Currier."
The lush jungles of the remote Philippine island of Mindoro were truly a sight to behold. Everywhere you looked, you were met with stunningly beautiful foliage, wet leaves and flowing trees, beautiful flowers and the serene, peaceful feeling of the gaping ocean that lay nearby. And yet, Squall Meusel was not enjoying it in the slightest. As she sat on the soft couch of the main control room in Phantom Task's top secret remote headquarters, she swore she could feel something brush across her skin. She instinctively checked to look if there were any winged termites, or as the Filipino natives called it, gamu-gamo. The woman was very used to the first world country cleanliness of Japan, but after their past few operations being spoiled by that blasted Ichika Orimura and his gaggle of girls, it was decided that going into hiding in a remote area with a population that was dwarfed by Japan's own, that had little to no idea who they even were thus allowing them to traverse the public, would be the ideal move to make. However, Squall seemed to forget that above all, this was nature, the world of the wild, and she was merely making sanctuary in the home of nearly millions of animals.
As she eyed the ceiling, she spotted a gecko chilling on the top. She smiled. Squall was always fond of reptiles. They were cunning, fast, and would do anything to get their hands on their prey. Whether they crawled, slithered, or swam, reptiles would always go the extra mile to get their way, no matter what stood in front of them. Being a former member of the US Special Forces, she would know a thing or two about playing dirty to get the job done. And this was just what she was doing now. Herself, her lover Autumn, and one of their top agents, Madoka Orimura, codenamed M, had just finished a successful mission of stealing a revolutionary computer program invented in Singapore. The National IS Embassy of Singapore worked around the clock for months to create a brilliant new system that would administer all the computers, IS', and miscellaneous electronic devices, such as phones and tablets, all by itself, no human intuition needed. It was originally created as a chess program for some bored employees, but with multiple modifications across months, it soon became one of the most advanced and internationally renowned systems anywhere on Earth. Some may even call it the perfect system.
Squall smiled again as she sipped her wine, a Domaine Peirière Sauvignon Blanc, some French white wine she found in the provinces of the island, and watched the gecko slither through the cracks and out of sight, just like Phantom Task did when they stole the system, or as it was referred to by the entire world-
"The Master Control Program. You must be the ones who retrieved it." Said a robotic-sounding voice from behind Squall. She shot up, ready to partially deploy her IS in case of any threats, but her eyes widened in surprise as she saw the face of a grizzled man, with white hair and stubble, staring back at her, a sinister smile etched across his wizened face. Squall recognized him immediately.
"Mr. James Maxwell. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance." Said the villainess, smoothly. She wondered how Mr. Maxwell somehow managed to hack into their computer systems, bypass the alarms, and avoid attracting the attention of Autumn, M, or any of her other operatives, but she would save those questions for later. Right now, all Squall wanted to know was why the CEO of Egeria Pharmaceuticals and founder of Project MOSAICA was standing in front of her, arms behind his back, looking as if he was eagerly awaiting something. She went to shake his hand- and hers went right through it.
"Hologram." Squall inwardly sighed with relief, now knowing he didn't get in.
"Indubitably." Mr. Maxwell said, with an aura of sinister yet refined elegance. "You're a sharp one, aren't you?"
Now sounded like a great time to ask the burning question. "Why exactly are you here?"
"Oh, nothing." Said Maxwell, as he began to pace up and down the room. Squall looked at him with a raised eyebrow, indicating doubt. Maxwell noticed this and began to explain. "I am merely here to check up on the MCP. After all, a good father should always be aware of his child's whereabouts."
This shocked Squall. "YOU created the MCP?" asked the villainess in complete indignance. Maxwell merely chuckled and continued to elaborate.
"Yes. Yes, I did. You see, the entire chess program thing was simply a ruse by the NISES to use it under the terms of our deal. I would give them the code to the MCP, and they would give me access to Singapore's most renowned IS research labs, as well as some side payment, of course. I demanded that they whip up a cover story to avoid mentioning my name. Credit is not something that will help me in my pursuits."
This man only continued to confuse Squall. The MCP was a revolutionary of technology, perhaps even beyond the Infinite Stratos itself. Why would he not want the acclaim for something so game-changing, especially when it's his magnum opus?
"Why did you refuse the credit for something so revolutionary? You would've gained international fame and riches beyond what you already have."
Maxwell simply laughed again and folded his hands together. "You see, the reason for this is because of something that not many people know. It's a shocker, so if you're going to sit down, do it now." Squall decided that it might be ideal to follow. She softly sunk into her couch again, all ears.
"Dr. Tabane wasn't alone in creating the IS."
Squall's mouth nearly fell open. It took all her composure to not look aghast, but it worked, and Maxwell didn't look like he noticed. Even if he did, he didn't seem to care.
"The suit itself? Yes, that was all her. But the IS Core Network? The Hyper Sensor? Utilization of hammerspace? That was yours truly. Did you really think that Tabane made EVERYTHING herself? That would be simply preposterous. The human mind is a crazy one, but limits still exist in it. Which is exactly why I politely requested for her to not accredit me with any of these creations when she found the "glitch" in the device that rendered it unable to be piloted by anyone with an XY chromosome, with the exception of Mr. Orimura, of course. Though that might have been an oversight on my end. When this happened, I thought ahead, and quickly decided to distance myself from the project. It ended up being the right decision. After all, rates of men being victims of things like rape, loss of child custody, domestic abuse, homicides, and suicides all skyrocketed ever since the creation of the machine. It would not be a good look for me if the males of the world discovered that the supposed source of their newfound oppression ended up being one of their own."
Squall was dumbfounded but didn't let it show. Like Phantom Task, Mr. Maxwell was well aware of the horrors the IS unleashed on the world since its creation. Only difference is that Phantom Task took it upon themselves to decide who was worthy to wield one. However, none of this new knowledge gave her any of the information she needed and wanted. Particularly the question of-
"Why are you actually here? I know you said you wanted to…check on the MCP, but you give off the aura of someone who wants something." She said, eyeing him with suspicion. Mr. Maxwell briefly took on a surprised expression. Knowing the jig was up, he sighed and gave a slight smile.
"I am here to request that I join your ranks." He said bluntly. Squall almost laughed but decided to let him continue.
"Is that so? Do go on." She said, unfortunately unable to stifle the clear humor in her voice. Maxwell's eyebrows raised a little upon noticing this peculiar sight. However, he knew that without him, the MCP would cause nothing but trouble for Phantom Task.
"Well, if you can confidently answer this question, then I will take my leave and you can continue to sip your what I assume is French white wine." Maxwell glanced over at the glass on the table behind Squall. "What exactly will you do should the MCP ever betray you?"
"What exactly do you mean?"
"Huh. You really don't know the true power of what you own." He snickered. Squall was starting to grow annoyed, but decided to let him keep talking, should he let slip anything that would help her understand the MCP more.
"You see, the MCP was designed to think for itself. It makes decisions purely based on logic, reasoning, and preservation of itself and the people it is assigned to look after. So what will you do if the MCP ever decides that working for you is illogical? Perhaps it concludes that destroying Phantom Task from the inside would be the most reasonable course of action? Maybe it will even align itself with Mr. and Ms. Orimura? You would not want that, would you?" Maxwell explained. Squall took in everything he said. She had severely underestimated the MCP, and apparently so did the NISES. A part of her was secretly pleased that they retrieved something much more powerful than they initially believed, but the other was horrified that Maxwell was right. If the MCP ever decided to turn on them, Phantom Task was finished. All the info, records, stolen IS', dossiers of past, present, and future operations, will be exposed to the public. Governments would shut down bases and imprison members. Everything would go straight to hell.
"However, I am the only one that can control the MCP. It follows me, and only me, because that's how it was programmed. Despite how much sentience it obtains, it's also sentient enough to know I created it, and I can destroy it just as easily. And even then, you need the MCP. You may deny it, but you do. All your future operations; the Image Origis, the raid on the Excalibur, the MCP will be instrumental in making sure all of those go down without a hitch. Regardless of the connections you may have with Dr. Shinonono and Ms. Chronicle, the MCP is a far more useful ally. At the end of the day, it's the only thing you can rely on besides yourselves if you want to continue your underground existence." Maxwell finished. He then looked to her with an expression that screamed "it's all up to you, now". Squall thought long and hard, even though after everything Maxwell told her, it should be a no-brainer. How would she know that he isn't lying? What if he was secretly working for or with Orimura or the Japanese government? But at the same time, the MCP was their planned trump card. With it on their side, they could practically do wonders. Not only that, but Maxwell would no doubt be able to make Egeria Pharmaceuticals an asset. They were a very large company across much of the Western world, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, much of South America, Australia, and New Zealand, which would make Phantom Task missions in those areas run much smoother.
"Well, if you really meant everything you said…welcome to Phantom Task." She said, picking up her wine glass and raising in the air as a small pseudo-toast to the organization's newest member. Mr. Maxwell then gave a very suspicious smile, which caused Squall to half-reconsider. Did she just screw this up?
"What are you smiling about?
Maxwell turned around. "Now that I am a new member of your organization, I must tell you the truth. Please look up my name."
Squall pulled out her phone and Googled "James Maxwell". What she saw made her blood freeze. Headlines upon headlines upon headlines all reporting the same thing- Mr. James Maxwell, CEO of Egeria, dead at 76. James Maxwell passes away from brain cancer. Mr. James Maxwell has died at 76 years old. All from 3 weeks earlier. Squall partially deploys Golden Dawn, ready for whatever comes next.
"What. Are. You." She growled angrily. Maxwell only gave yet another laugh. Squall was getting fed up, but she couldn't attack just yet. She needed to inform M and Autumn that-
"Calm down. I am not a double agent. See, why exactly do you think I am a hologram? Mr. James Maxwell died weeks ago. I am his failsafe. His backup plan. His foolproof way of ensuring his vision is executed without a single mistake.
Squall only scowled farther. "I meant literally."
"Oh, in a literal sense? I am merely an imitation of James Cornelius Maxwell made purely out of data. A coded clone meant to be utilized in and as his likeness. A codified likeness utility, if you will. But Maxwell always called me..."
"CLU."
Next time on End of Line: Friday Night Fights!
It's finally time for the matchup everyone's been waiting for! Bodewig vs Rinzler, 1-on-1! Who will end up the winner of this battle for the ages? And just where do Ichika's loyalties lie?