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Second Chances	By : walkerofdarkness Category: +G to L > IS: Infinite Stratos Views: 4425 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Infinite Stratos or the characters from it. I do not make any profit from this story. I do own my OCs though.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter 5

Better stand tall when they’re calling you out:
don’t bend, don’t break, baby don’t back down.
Song lyrics, Bon Jovi
Ichika looked around the preparation room and tried to ignore the chill on his bare arms. The sharp metallic tang to the air kept bringing up ghastly memories to the front of his consciousness. Phantom images flickered at the edge of Ichika’s vision and shivers ran down his spine. Closing his brown eyes, the pilot trainee drew in a shallow breath to calm his nerves. It’s amazing what a single moment can do, Ichika contemplated to himself.
<—*—>
“Have we overlooked anything Ms. Yamada?” Chifuyu Orimura asked a week ago.
The green haired assistant teacher consulted her tablet briefly before looking up worriedly. “We have to select a class representative for the tournament next month.”
Thin lips broke into a frown as Chifuyu glanced back at her coworker. “Okay,” was all she said, her tone completely devoid of emotion. “So, who wants to be our class representative? They’ll have to be our face to the student council and compete for us at the inter-class competitions.”
One hand shot up fast enough to be almost a blur. Chifuyu pointed at the sleeve covered hand and its owner stood up. “I think we should have Orimura as our representative,” came a dopey voice. Ichika tried to read any expression from the teen, but her closed eyes denied him clues. “It seems to me that having the only male be our rep will give us an advantage.”
The elder Orimura’s eyes widened marginally at the suggestion, a gesture unnoticed as the class burst into noise. Maya reacted immediately and began to regain control of the suddenly loud girls. Chifuyu kept herself rigidly still as her mind raced through options and concerns. The male IS pilot’s head spun around the room to track everything in the commotion, his face breaking into a frown at all the chaos.
Finally coming to a conclusion, Chifuyu snatched up a thick book from her desk and slammed it back down onto the surface. The resulting crack came out gunshot loud in the enclosed room and got the instant attention of everyone present. Twenty-two sets of eyes focused on the dark haired teacher. One student with pink hair started to protest, but withered under the gaze from molten brown eyes.
Chifuyu waited a long moment after silence dropped onto the classroom. Meeting the eyes of every person there, the teacher noted silently that almost every person there flinched under her gaze. Except for Ichika and Houki Shinonono. The kendoka’s sapphire eyes were firm and unwavering. Defiant at the core. Maybe I made a mistake taking her into my class, Chifuyu mused. The teacher let her eyes drift on her younger brother, schooling herself to not change expressions. And Ichika...well he just looks confused.
“The next person to interrupt the class will be taught new meanings to the phrase ‘world of trouble’,” the elder Orimura promised in a matter of fact tone. Relaxing her posture slightly, the brown haired teacher casually perched on the front edge of her desk. “Now, we have Ichika Orimura nominated for the position of class rep. Is there anyone else who should be nominated?”
A blond girl raised her hand and waited to be acknowledged. When Chifuyu nodded in her direction, the teen rose up to her full height. “Ma’am, I do not wish to unduly criticize my classmate’s logic, but as the only person here to beat an instructor during her qualifications, I feel that I, Cecilia Alcott, should be our representative.”
One slender eyebrow cocked up at the impromptu speech. Cecilia remained standing, her posture erect. The barest flicker of doubt crossed her blue eyes but the teen locked it away. Cecilia started to sit down only to be stopped by a gesture from the elder Orimura. “Okay,” Chifuyu drawled out, glancing over her shoulder at Maya Yamada. “So how just shall we do this?”
The green haired assistant seemed to ponder the question. “Well, we could just let them vote on it.”
Chifuyu nodded at her coworker. “Sounds good to me,” she agreed turning back towards the class. “Okay ladies...and you Ichika,” the elder Orimura added with a tiny smirk. “We’ll have a vote as to whom is our representative...”
Cecilia slapped one hand on her desk in outrage. “I must protest ma’am!” the blond teen blurted out indignantly. Belatedly realizing she had interrupted her teacher, the British girl pressed on. “If we are to have a representative fight for us, we must have a proper demonstration of our skills.”
The teacher’s dark eyes glittered with an emotion that none of the students could interpret. “What exactly,” Chifuyu muttered, her voice frosty, “do you have in mind?”
The Briton felt a solid chunk of ice form in her stomach at the teacher’s reaction. Gulping nervously past a suddenly thick throat, Cecilia forced her voice to remain calm. “An IS match between me and him. Winner gets the position.”
Chifuyu’s eyes widened in surprise at the suggestion as her lips pursed hard enough to go pale behind her makeup. Glancing over at her brother, the former Brunhilde fought to keep her face controlled even as dread settled into her stomach. The last time Ichika flew an IS, Chifuyu thought to herself, he nearly died AGAIN. I can’t let them go through with this.
The choice was taken away from the teacher as Ichika nodded quickly in agreement. “Okay then that’s what will happen. Did you happen to need a handicap from me?”
Pale blue eyes blinked hard at the statement. Cecilia’s lips curled into a frown as outrage colored her face. “Are you mocking me? I am the Representative Candidate for Britain, and a superior pilot,” the blond teen nearly shouted, her normally elegant voice jumping to an almost painful octave. “You could not possibly have the skills necessary to defeat me.”
The entire class winced as Cecilia’s shrill voice abused their ears. Chifuyu cupped her chin with one hand, using the thoughtful gesture to obscure a smirk that bloomed on her lips. Or maybe, Alcott-chan, Ichika happens to know something you don’t. “That’s enough,” the teacher admonished firmly, earning the class a respite from the Briton’s shrieking. “So it seems we’ll be having an IS match. I am going to go work on getting us an arena to host our match. Ms. Yamada, start the lesson.”
Spinning lightly on one foot, the elder Orimura walked out of the classroom before her students could see the worried look on her face.
<—*—>
The sound of the door opening caught Ichika’s attention and brought him back to reality. Brown eyes had just come into focus as the male IS pilot saw his sister stride in with an air of confidence. Low slung heels made the barest of clicks on the metal floors as the teacher approached her student.
Ichika’s gaze mechanically assessed Chifuyu before settling on his sister’s face. The teacher’s elegant features were locked into a neutral mask, but her chocolate colored eyes radiated worry. “Your IS will be here in a few minutes. Are you sure you want to do this Ichika?”
Tugging down the hem of his IS suit to obscure the scars on his stomach, Ichika frowned at the question. “What do you mean Chi-Orimura-sensei?
The elder Orimura’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the slip of the tongue, but she let the gaffe pass. “You don’t have to do this match if you don’t want to,” Chifuyu advised. “You can get hurt even during an official IS duel like this.”
Ichika’s frowned deepened as he considered the options. “No, Orimura-sensei, I have to do this. If nothing else, someone told me ‘I need to stand up for myself or I’d never make it’.” The corners of the younger sibling’s mouth twitched as his voice grew whimsical. “Or are you worried about me, Orimura-sensei?”
Chifuyu’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson at the implication. Spinning quickly on one heel, the elder sibling covered her face in embarrassment. “Of course I’m worried about you,” Chifuyu admonished, struggling to keep her voice calm. “I hate it when ANY of my students get hurt.”
“Right...” Ichika drawled out, his tone dubious.
“Uh—excuse me ma’am?” came the squeaky voice of Maya Yamada from an overhead speaker.
The elder Orimura’s shoulders dropped in relief at the much needed distraction. “Go ahead Ms. Yamada,” she curtly replied.
“I wanted to let you know that Ichika’s IS has arrived,” the assistant teacher blurted out. “It will be ready in a few moments.”
“Thank you Ms. Yamada,” Chifuyu responded neutrally. The teacher shifted her feet as machinery hummed to life behind a large closed door. “Ichika, normally we would have time to calibrate the IS for your personal quirks,” the dark haired teacher stated with a sly look at her brother, “but with a late delivery and limited time for the arena, we’ll just have to do it as we go.”
Ichika visibly frowned at the idea, but elected to stay silent. The rhythmic sounds coming from the closed door were growing louder with each passing moment. Reaching a crescendo, the machinery shut down leaving only echoes on the bare metal walls. Ichika watched intently as the door opened up silently to reveal his IS frame.
“Here’s your IS, the Byakushiki!” squealed out the assistant teacher from the overhead speaker. The male pilot walked closer to his IS as brown eyes danced over the carriage. An unappealing gunmetal grey design with only a pair of curved wings for decoration. Ichika idly noted that there were no weapons visible at the moment.
“Well, it’s...different,” he admitted as one hand came up to contact the leg that came up past his waist. As Ichika’s fingers grazed the cool metal, a shock jumped from the IS to its pilot. Brown eyes went wide as information poured into the pilot’s brain.
Chifuyu grimaced at her brother’s choice of words as she walked up behind him. His reaction hidden from the teacher, she reached up to clasp him gently on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, it will get better.” The free hand came up playfully to muss Ichika’s black hair. “Get in already. There’s not a lot of time.”
The sound of his sister’s words snapped Ichika out of his momentary trance. Climbing up onto the legs of Byakushiki, the male pilot wriggled into the harness naturally. Settling the control halo on his head, Ichika ran his hands down into the gauntlets. The HUD came up as his fingers came to a rest in the metal sleeves. [Byakushiki online. Shield power: 600. Power: 100% Starting configuration....]
Looking past the HUD, the male pilot saw a figure waiting on the door. Byakushiki’s computer responded and enhanced the image to reveal Houki holding the door from closing. The kendoka’s stance was calm, but Ichika zoomed in on his roommate’s face. Houki’s expression was a mixture of worry and longing; sapphire eyes holding an almost feverish light in the pale shadow from the doorway. Ichika raised one armored hand to wave at his roommate causing the raven haired teen to blush and disappear down the hallway.
An abrupt sound brought Ichika’s attention to the woman standing in front of him. The elder Orimura’s lips had curled into a disapproving frown as her eyes shone with annoyance. “If you’re quite ready now, we need to get started.”
Nodding at his sister, Ichika toggled Byakushiki’s flight controls online. The IS responded eagerly, instantly getting lighter around its pilot. “Did you have any last minute advice for me, Orimura-sensei?”
Dark eyes narrowed as the teacher considered various options. Inspirational speeches, tactical advice, scathing criticisms hung on the tip of her tongue before coming to a decision. “A lot,” Chifuyu admitted candidly as pale lips curled slightly at the corners. “But I’ll go with: just be yourself and do your best.”
<—*—>
Byakushiki’s thrusters provided an eager response, effortlessly propelling it up into the arena. A long figure floated in the air, blued armor gleaming in the bright light. Ichika put his IS into a slow spin as he drifted into a hover. Brown eyes flared as the male IS pilot took in his situation.
Every seat in the arena was filled with a female form. Most of the figures present was clad in the white uniform of the IS Academy students, but Ichika’s mind noted the groupings of dark or vibrant colors as teachers among the sea of white. “Whoa...” the male Orimura whispered.
Coming eye to eye with Cecilia, the male pilot found his rival waiting impatiently. “It’s about time,” the Briton snapped haughtily. “I had thought you were too scared to duel me.”
“No such luck,” Ichika replied with a shake of his head. “They just had problems getting my IS here.”
Cecilia’s navy blue eyes drifted across her opponent’s IS. “I must admit, when I heard you were being given a personal IS unit, I was thrilled,” the blond girl admitted with a wry smirk on her full lips. “I didn’t want you to be forced to use a train suit to lose to me. But looking at the IS they gave you, I suspect that you would have been better served using an Uchigane.”
Brown eyes danced around the unadorned IS frame. “I’ve been told it will get better,” Ichika admitted frankly.
Blond eyebrows arched delicately up inquisitively. “You know, there is still time to change your mind,” Cecilia prompted.
Ichika’s lips twitched up into the slightest of smiles. “You mean you do want me to give you a handicap?”
The British teen reacted instantly at the barb. “I told you before that I am a Representative Candidate and your superior. You will not beat me.”
A stern voice interrupted the two pilot’s banter. “This is a match to determine the class representative for class one-one,” Chifuyu Orimura’s voice stated calmly. “The match will be over when one of the competitors is out of shield power. Are both pilots ready?”
“Ready ma’am!” the students barked crisply.
“Then begin!”
Cecilia reacted with honed reflexes, shouldering her Starlight rifle instantly. “Now Ichika, dance to the waltz that Cecilia Alcott and Blue Tears play!”
Ichika started to register the taunt as azure beams splashed against his shield. Throwing himself into a quick evasive turn, the younger Orimura eyed his HUD. [Shield power: 512]. Another beam grazed Byakushiki and its pilot started to worry. “Weapons, weapons...” Ichika muttered to himself. “Where are the damn weapons on this thing?”
Byakushiki’s HUD opened a new window on the left barely catching Ichika’s attention. [Close quarters armament: Yukihara Niigata.] The male pilot swallowed a surge of frustration as he banked to avoid another series of beams. “If it’s my only choice....”
The summoned weapon materialized in a shimmer of light into Ichika’s waiting right hand. A cursory glance released a sharp looking edge and a seam in the middle of the blade. Cecilia’s voice came from near his head. “Is that your grand plan? To attack me with a sword?!” A decidedly unladylike burst of scornful laughter punctuated the British teen’s attitude. “Let me show you what I think of your strategy!”
Four pods detached from Blue Tears’ wing assemblies and headed for the ground. Ichika’s eyes instinctively tracked them before he mentally berated himself and returned his focus to Cecilia.
Who was hovering in place, motionless.
Confusion wracked Ichika’s brain for a heartbeat as Byakushiki flashed a warning on his HUD. [Incoming hostiles. Count: 4]. Brown eyes frantically scanned for the threat as the first sky-blue beam splashed on Byakushiki’s shields. Kicking his thrusters to maximum, Ichika narrowly evaded three more shots. The male pilot spun on one foot and caught sight of dark blue against the ground. The IS magnified the object to reveal one of the pods floating above the dirt floor the of the arena.
Frowning at the image on his HUD, the male pilot struggled to understand what he saw. The confusion passed as the picture on Byakushiki’s display moved and an azure beam lashed out from the tip. Dipping to his left, Ichika watched as the same beam pass just on his right side, barely grazing his shields. Out of the corner of his eye, the young Orimura checked his status. [Shield power: 440].
Ichika’s brain went into overdrive as he tried to interpret all the data. Instinctively evading a second flurry of bolts, a solution popped into the male pilot’s awareness. Those things are some sort of independent weapon system. I don’t have to fight one person, I have to fight five. His consciousness turned outward just soon enough to see the pods dock with Blue Tears. “Impressive,” the British teen admitted grudgingly as the rifle came up. “You’re the first person to survive this long. But this is the end for you!”
Realization of his situation came too late to the male pilot. While he had been thinking, Byakushiki had cut the thruster output and drifted closer to the ground. Cecila’s first beam hit dead center and dissipated against the shields. Ichika froze in a momentary panic as a volley of shots rained down on him. The male pilot shielded his face as he saw the pods drop off Blue Tears a second time to resume their assault. Dust and debris clouded Ichika as a single, frustrated scream carried across the arena.
<—*—>
In the arena’s control room, a worried Chifuyu Orimura screamed out incoherently as her brother disappeared into a cloud of dirt. The dark haired woman collapsed to her knees while gasping for breath. “Ichika, no!” she screamed in Japanese.
The room’s other occupant did not look up from her monitors. “Ma’am,” Maya Yamada started quietly, waiting for her friend to breathe. “I am still showing good data feeds from Byakushiki. Ichika is fine.”
Olive colored eyes danced over a new window on her monitor. “In fact, Chifuyu....”
Dark, almost black eyes locked onto the information. Years of experience instantly translated technical data into practical knowledge. “Round two, Alcott-chan...” Chifuyu whispered.
<—*—>
Satisifed that her opponent was finished, Cecilia turned Blue Tears towards her assigned prep bay. A practiced eye tracked over the status display of her IS’ HUD, casually noting the power usage and BIT readiness. The British teen had one foot down on the extended ramp when she belatedly recognized that the audience was not cheering for her. Frowning slightly, Cecilia paused in her departure from the arena only to be stopped cold by a voice.
“What’s the matter, Cecilia? Are you giving up already?”
Blond tresses created a miniature tornado as the Briton spun in mid-air to face her competitor once more. The dirt cloud had dissipated to reveal Ichika standing on the ground unharmed. His IS had changed colors: what was once gunmetal grey was now a gleaming white with blue thruster ports. Cecilia’s trained eyes drank in the smoother curves and tighter profile of the IS as shock echoed in her face. “Is that...?”
Ichika glanced over Byakushiki’s new look. The armor on his limbs was more streamlined and had a comfortable fit. A bone-rattling hum seemed to shake the entire frame making Ichika feel like he was sitting atop a powerful beast waiting to strike. [Configuration complete.] flashed across the male pilot’s right eye and disappeared. “Huh,” Ichika said, bemused at his situation. “I guess Orimura-sensei was right after all. It does get better.”
Cecilia’s mouth dropped open as her brain started to process the situation. “You mean to tell me that all this time you were fighting me with an IS’s default settings?”
The male pilot flashed a wry smirk back at his opponent. “Well what can I say, Cecilia,” Ichika retorted in a completely dry tone, “I thought a superior pilot would be able to tell that instantly.”
Rage colored the British teen’s face, turning sky-blue eyes into an arctic reflection of themselves. “How dare you mock me!” Cecilia roared across the channel. The BITs unlocked and flew into a spread pattern encircling Byakushiki.
Ichika stole one brief look at his HUD as the BITs arranged themselves around him. [Shield power: 382.] “I think it’s time to give this frame a real test, don’t you Cecilia?”
Picking one of the BITs at random, the male pilot launched himself at it. Byakushiki responded with surprising speed, twice as fast as before. Closing the distance quickly, Ichika raised his Yukihara Niigata into an attack position. Remembering the training Chifuyu provided, the younger Orimura let the swing come of its own accord.
Even as the blade reached out for its target, machinery came into play. The sword made a soft clinking sound and split in half along the visible seam. When Yukihara Niigata locked open, a brilliant cyan tinged version of the blade extended from the grip. Ichika had only the briefest of instants to realize what happened as the new weapon slashed at the BIT.
The BIT was cleaved in half, the pieces dropping towards the ground. Ichika continued his assault, bobbing and weaving Byakushiki through the storm of azure rain. A quick flutter of the thrusters bought precious seconds; surging the engines closed the gap on a second pod. Yukihara flashed out smoothly and destroyed the weapon in a moment of Zen tranquility.
One display caught the edge of Ichika’s attention. [Shield power: 361]. Banking hard to the right, brown eyes searched the air, taking in as much detail as possible. The two remaining BITs increased their speed, dancing in the air at a frenzied pace. The weapons boosted their firing tempo, weaving a net of azure energy. Byakushiki came alive as Ichika maneuvered his IS on pure instinct. Sunlight glinted off white armor as beams came close each time, but never found their mark.
Cecilia's face broke into a frown as the male pilot continued to evade her assault. No one can last this long against my BITs with a first shift IS! Navy eyes flicked to Blue Tears' HUD as she pressed the attack. I have to end this soon or I will be in a great deal of trouble. The momentary distraction cost the British pilot as Ichika suddenly slued to his left and caught the third BIT. Panic stricken, the blond teen's mind blanked and lost concentration.
The final BIT, deprived of guidance from its pilot, slowed to a hover. Ichika banked around and lashed out with a final time at the motionless weapon with his Yukihara Niigata. A bare tug of resistance presented itself as the energy blade cleaved the mobile weapon in half. Two pieces fell towards the ground as the male pilot's brown eyes shifted back to his HUD. [Shield power: 318]
Navy eyes widened as Blue Tears updated its status. [BITs offline.] Cecilia's training asserted itself and the blond teen pushed her panic aside as she watched her opponent close the distance. "I'll have you know that there are more than four BITs!" the British teen screamed, her voice reaching everyone in the arena. Ichika barely had time to register the words as two more pods swung up from behind Blue Tears, locking into position alongside its pilot's thighs. A pair of eight centimeter missiles roared out of concealed launchers directly in path with Byakushiki.
Realizing his danger, Ichika instantly reversed his course and dove away from the missiles. Spinning in mid-air, the male pilot hit the ground hard and slid on the packed dirt as he fixated on the presents Cecilia had given him. Brown eyes judged the distance carefully as the missiles closed eagerly. This will be close, the younger Orimura thought with a frown. NOW! Engaging Byakushiki's thrusters at their maximums, Ichika rocketed away from the ground towards the arena's ceiling.
The male pilot broke into a grin as he felt a surge of elation at escaping the danger. Sunlight temporarily blinded him as a message flashed across Byakushiki's HUD. [Missiles incoming.] Ichika stole a momentary glance through his legs to see the missiles' contrail twist and follow his path. "Oh come on!" the younger Orimura snarled in exasperation.
Cecilia smirked at her opponent's predicament, confident in her victory. Any second now and it'll all be over, the British teen thought, savoring her impending win. Ichika raced for the sky with both missiles in pursuit as he pushed his IS into harder maneuvers. Cecilia watched as the male pilot banked away from the wall and came racing towards her. "What—what are you doing?" stammered the blond girl as she reflexively brought her Starlight rifle to her shoulder.
Ichika silently called on more speed from his IS, knowing it was futile. The HUD flashed a new message as Byakushiki accelerated past its previous maximums and raced towards Blue Tears. [Ignition Burst activated.] Ichika watched his shield readout started to drop without any warning. Pushing the concern aside, the male IS pilot focused on the rapidly narrowing distance between himself and his opponent.
Worry crossed the British teen's face as the white IS rushed towards her. Lacking any time to aim properly, Cecilia triggered her Starlight rifle once as Ichika flew dead on at her. The hasty shot went wide as the male pilot twitched and changed his course slightly. Backing away, Cecilia leaned onto the rifle for an aimed shot as the last meters between them vanished. As a collision seemed imminent, the world's only male IS pilot forced Byakushiki into a barrel roll around her left side. Blond tresses snapped and danced in the sudden wind from the narrow passage. Cecilia's navy eyes widened as she caught a snapshot of her opponent's face during the maneuver: Ichika's thin lips curled into a smirk as his brown orbs shown with amusement. Even as Byakushiki completed its roll, Cecilia started to spin around and fire off a killing blow.
That was when her two missiles, having caught up to their intended victim, detonated with a violent thunderclap.
Echoes of the explosion rang across the entire stadium, silencing the audience. Thick smoke hung in the air for a moment before two objects came hurtling from the cloud: one up and one down. Half the eyes in the arena watched as the streamer heading up slowed and stopped before it hit the wall. The object heading down made no attempt to slow as it slammed itself into the ground with a heavy whump of noise. Black smoke dissipated from the airborne IS to reveal the occupant within: white armor covered in scorch marks, mussed black hair. A sudden gasp from the audience seemed more deafening than the previous explosion. Two words seemed to hang in the air as the crowd muttered the same thought, "Ichika Orimura."
Breath ragged from the savage beating at the hands of the concussion wave, Ichika ran his eyes over his HUD. [Shield power: 196] The male pilot started trying to focus past the ringing in his ears as his body reported its discomfort in triplicate. Byakushiki's armor felt heavy on his limbs, despite the anti-gravity controls in the IS. A dozen fast breaths later, Ichika realized a voice was in his ear. "Byakushiki come in! Can you hear me student Orimura?"
"I'm here," the male pilot responded in a shaky voice.
"That's good to know," squeaked out Maya Yamada, "but the match is still ongoing."
Understanding dawned on the younger Orimura. "Roger that." Brown eyes unfocused as they tried to pierce the smoke still hanging in the arena. Byakushiki responded unbidden to its pilot, opening a window that displayed Blue Tears along with an arrow pointing the way. Ichika lined up himself and shifted his Yukihara Niigata from left hand to right. Engaging his thrusters one last time, the male pilot swooped down on unmoving Briton.
Cecilia remained on the ground, her navy eyes indistinct as her mind bounced from one thought to another. Blue Tears started flashing alerts on its HUD to draw attention to the situation. What is that racket? the British teen idly wondered as a dark shadow appeared over her. Finally overcoming the mental haze, the British teen's attention snapped to her HUD. [Shield power: 271 BIT status: offline]
Diving at nearly full power, Byakushiki dropped onto the prostate Blue Tears with Yukihara Niigata leading the way. The cyan blade flitted out in a perfect lunge straight at the wing pauldrons. The British IS detected the attack; failsafe programming triggered a deployment of its Absolute Barrier to preserve the pilot's safety. Cecilia hardly managed a scream before her HUD updated itself. [Shield power: 0] A wailing horn made its presence known through the entire arena, bringing every spectator present to her feet in dead silence.
"The match is over!" announced Chifuyu Orimura, her calm voice ringing from every speaker. "The winner is Ichika Orimura!"
Ichika stole a glance at Byakushiki's HUD, incredulous. [Shield power: 3. Recharge immediately.] "I guess I did win," he muttered under his breath, but not so softly that the Briton could not hear it. Pushing off lightly, the male pilot reached down for his fallen opponent. "Come on, Cecilia, let's get out of here." The British teen gave no indication of having heard the new class representative. Floating down lower, Ichika got his hand closer. "Cecilia?"
A blue trimmed gauntlet snapped out and abruptly slapped away the proffered gesture. Cecilia shifted her head slightly, moving fair bangs away from navy eyes. The surge of anger that flared in Ichika died when he saw the British teen's eyes; the normal composure was gone, replaced with uncertainty and pain. Tears streamed down the outside corners of Cecilia's face: the water cut clean tracks through the dirt from the battle. Leaning towards the male pilot, the Briton's left hand came out in a straight jab for his chest. Responding instinctively, Ichika brought up his arms in a boxer's defense as training dictated. The intended punch landed lightly, pushing the white IS up and doing no damage at all. Dropping his guard, the male pilot started to counter-punch his assailant.
Who was not there anymore. Cecilia used the newly gained space to lift herself from the ground. A quick burst of Blue Tears' thrusters brought the blond haired teen away from her opponent. Banking into a loop over Ichika's head, the exhausted Briton sped into the preparation bay's welcoming darkness.
—*—
"Congratulations Ichika!" the assembled class cheered, voices ringing off the cafeteria walls. The guest of honor fought to keep a smile on his face in spite of the situation. The close presence of all the girls made him self-conscious, even as two more girls brought a sign to the applause of all. Ichika could not help buy notice the torn edge on the sign where Cecilia's name had likely been.
"Here Orimu, have some of this!" insisted a girl with dark pink hair and narrow eyes. Ichika took the proffered sweet and made a visible gesture of thanks. The girl smiled warmly as the male pilot broke off a piece and it enthusiastically.
"Wow, this is good..." Ichika commented, unable to come up with his benefactor's name.
"Honne-chan," she supplied helpfully in Japanese before switching back to English. "It's from my personal stash. My big sister makes them."
One slight girl shouldered her way into the the throng nearest the male pilot. Ichika quickly noticed the camera hanging around her neck that that drew his attention to the yellow ribbon marking her second year status. Pale blue eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned in close to the trapped male. "So can I get a few minutes with you, class representative Orimura? The newspaper club would just be thrilled to know more about you."
Flustered, Ichika could only nod his assent.
—*—
Cecilia watched the party with an impassive mien on her face. But anyone who looked at her could easily judge her mood. Slender shoulders were riding high on a tapered neck, while the British teen's arms were staunchly crossed. The entire group of classmates swarmed around the world's only male IS pilot, bringing him food and keeping him firmly in the middle of the group. Cecilia felt a minor twinge of pain in her stomach at the sight of Ichika's face growing animated because of an unheard comment.
"Jealousy doesn't really seem to suit you," came a soft voice from behind her.
Turning to the left, Cecilia locked azure eyes on another student close by. Chocolate hair hung in a short cropped bob pulled away from a nearly elfin face. The British teen started to snarl a response before her awareness locked on to the red ribbon of the other girl's uniform. Loudly swallowing her initial reaction, Cecilia disciplined herself to remain calm. "Just what exactly do you mean...?"
Dark eyes flickered between the party to the younger teen and back again. "Maria Velasquez," the newcomer supplied casually. "Representative Candidate for Cuba."
Cecilia turned away from the tan complexioned girl and resumed her scowl. "You didn't answer my question," the blond teen muttered testily.
"I didn't think it needed explaining," the older girl admitted. Caramel skin pulled back into a tight smile of brilliant white. "But I'll say it again: you don't seem to handle being jealous well."
Cecilia's outrage started to build as her mind raced to find a decorous way to argue with her senior. The Cuban student pressed on, denying the younger girl to present a rebuttal. "Not that I can't sympathize. As one of my Miami cousins would say: been there, done that, got the t-shirt." Blond eyebrows drifted up in the confusion at the expression. Maria shifted her profile to look directly at the junior teen. "I was the first pilot to fight Ichika Orimura. That pendejo beat me with equally unconventional tactics. After I was out, he took on two teachers at once. Dropped one and then lost to the second."
The British teen's azure eyes grew to the size of tea saucers as her mind reeled. "You mean he overcame a teacher?" Cecilia whispered agape.
"Sí," Maria agreed nonchalantly. "And the rumor on campus was that had I not been his first...challenger, he would have won against both teachers." Turning back to face the party, Maria fixed her nearly black gaze on Ichika. "I know I have got skills, Cecilia Alcott. Perhaps not as good as you, but in a match I would give you a solid fight. Losing to him makes us equals in a way."
The Cuban teen glanced over at the taller girl. "Fue mi culpa, por que me encabrone; la cague y perdi." Though the words had a melodious flow to them, the harsh tone robbed any beauty they might have possessed. Seeing blond eyebrows scrunch up in confusion at the unfamiliar words, Maria forced herself to calm down. "I went into the fight angry and," a moment's hesitation hung between the two girls, "lost because of it."
Cecilia's azure gaze drifted away from the party to openly stare at the senior girl. Maria turned away to let her dark eyes bore at the newly appointed Class Representative. "I don't know if that pendejo is a genius or just lucky. I do know that he's got some unconventional, but effective tactics." The tiniest of smiles creased the older teen's lips as she watched Ichika laugh at an unheard joke. "And I would love to fight him again."
—*—
On the other side of the cafeteria, a teacher for class one-one watched in quiet silence. Chifuyu Orimura's statuesque form was held almost stoically rigid, her dark eyes focused intently on the party with her brother. One hand had drifted up to her mouth, the extended knuckle was white from the pressure biting in on it. Watching her assistant keep the party from getting too raucous, the former Brunhilde tried to focus past her worry.
With all of her focus centered on her brother, the teacher almost missed the scuffing of shoes on the tile near her. Almost. The sound had alerted Chifuyu, who let her hand drop away from her mouth as her professional mask settled into place. "Yes?"
Houki took a step up closer to her sister's best friend, nearly coming into the older woman's private space. "Ichika seems to be having fun," the kendoka murmured quietly, her voice just barely audible over the cafeteria's din. "You would hardly imagine he'd only recently come back from the dead."
Chifuyu turned to face her student, dark eyes narrowing ominously. "Are you suggesting something there, Ms. Shinonono?" The voice was cold enough to cause goosebumps on the younger girl's skin under her uniform.
Working up her nerve, the kendoka shifted to Japanese and continued on. "I'm not suggesting anything there, Orimura-sensei. I was just making an observation." The statement earned a slight nod from the teacher, bolstering Houki's confidence. "I was rather surprised you let him fly an IS for this match. Given his history and all."
Noticing Maya Yamada leaving the crowd of students, the elder Orimura brought her full presence down on her friend's sister. Houki struggled to maintain her composure under the withering gaze. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed between the two dark haired women unobserved by anyone else in the cafeteria. "If you have something to say, Shinonono-chan," the teacher stated, in Japanese utterly devoid of emotion, "I would recommend you do it now."
Tongue suddenly thick, Houki swallowed nervously. Looking back at the approaching assistant teacher, the kendoka found her confidence fail her. "I wanted to ask you if you believed Ichika's story. About his imprisonment."
Chifuyu's ivory complexion went almost ashen under her makeup. "Do I believe it?" she asked in a conversational tone. "Well, that's a difficult question. Dr. Saunders found enough physiological evidence of abuse on Ichika that the story is at least plausible." One dark eyebrow cocked up thoughtfully as the teacher continued. "And Ichika certainly believes it."
Maya Yamada approached her friend, noting the tense position of the taller woman's shoulders. The kendoka was so intent on her conversation she missed the third woman's proximity. "I just don't buy it, Orimura-sensei," Houki stated, her voice nearly a snarl. "Not especially after I asked Ichika about Michelle. That description he gave, it has to be—"
"Don't say it," the teacher admonished with a sudden chop of her hand. Houki stopped as instructed, leaving Maya more confused than before. Sea-green eyes flicked between the two dark haired women like a spectator at a tennis match. "If it was obvious to you, then just imagine what I thought of it, Shinonono-chan."
Sapphire eyes glazed over as Houki's dark eyebrows narrowed in concentration. "Oh," the kendoka admitted softly. "If it is her, then she's as much a victim as Ichika is."
"Chifuyu, who is this her you two keep referring to?" Maya whispered fervently to her friend.
The taller woman faced her coworker briefly. "I'll explain it later, Yamada-kun." Returning her attention back to her student, Chifuyu dropped her voice to a conspiratorial level. "Houki, I very much doubt she's a victim. What that means about Ichika, I'm not certain."
The teen's eyes flared in the surprise at the comment. "So does that worry you as much as I think it does?"
Chifuyu Orimura turned her gaze back to Ichika enjoying himself at the party. "Probably more than you realize," she admitted frankly. "Probably more."
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Second Chances