Infinite Stratos/IS<インフィニット・ストラトス> 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Infinite Stratos... I wish I did.**

* * *

At the IS Academy, students, for the most part teenage girls, are making their way through the campus for the start of a new year. Returning second and third year students chat amongst themselves; catching up with each other about how their winter breaks went and what kind of plans they for this year.

One young man, Ichika Orimura, makes his way through the crowd of girls as he treks his way up the stairs of the main entrance. Of course, naturally as the only male in the world that has the ability to pilot an IS and brother the world renowned Chifuyu Orimura, Orimura has made quite the popularity for himself amonst the student body. That seemed to only grow with the encounter and triumph with the terrorist from last year and the glitch with the Silver Gospel IS that went loose.

With a smile, Ichika walks into the dormitories looking for his assigned room. _Feels good to be back... _he thinks to himself. After exchanging quick "hellos" and acknowledgements amongst some of the second year students that he met as a first year, he finally reaches his room. As he is about to slide in his card key to unlock the door, he hears someone call out his name.

"Ichika!"

The young man in question turns to his left to see a young Japanese girl the same age as him running towards him as she waves. A bright smile spreads across his face as he looks at his first childhood friend, Houki Shinonono. Slightly shorter than Ichika, toned body, long black hair, and not in the least bit unattractive by any means, Ichika always wondered how Houki never had guys line up to court her. Of course, she was always rather very serious all the time but those who were close to her knew very well about the girly innocence she rarely showed. She still showed a good level of annoyance whenever the topic of her older sister, Tabane, came up or made her presence felt around Houki. However, after Tabane designed for her own personal IS, Akatsubaki, Houki has made progress in not fully resenting her.

"Hey, Houki," Ichika greeted with a small smile on his face. "How ya been?"

"I've been good, thank you," Houki replied politely as she returned his smile with one of hers. "How was yours?"

_Cute... _Ichika thought to himself. "Mine was good thank you." Ichika cleared his throat gently to nonchalantly check Houki was paying attention to him. "I uh, I missed you over winter break, Houki," Ichika said shyly as a blush spread across his cheeks, averting his gaze off into the hallway as he reached back and started to scratch his head.

Taken slightly aback by Ichika's comment, Houki gasped silently as the blood rushed towards her face. She, too, looked off to the side to hopefully hide her embarrassment and inward joy about being thought about by Ichika; let alone to be cared about enough to be missed over break when all of them were on their own.

"Baka," Houki whispered under her breath.

"Eh?" Ichika inquired as he turned back towards Houki, unconsciously putting himself closer to her. The two locked eye contact; staring deeply into each other's eyes. _Houki's lips... They look so soft... _Ichika thought to himnself. Usually, he would be chiding himself mentally or be too shy and polite to act so intimately with one of his closest friends but with Houki, the feeling he felt was that everything about the situation felt right.

Houki herself struggled within; fighting back the urge to pull away. _Idiot! What are you doing?! Don't be giving up your first kiss so easily to him! Hey! _These thoughts and all others related were muted by the look in Ichika's eyes. Those dark brown orbs, that her, and annoyingly five other girls, get lost so easily into have a mesmerizing spell hidden behind them.

"Ichika..."

"Houki..."

" " ICHIKA! " "

"Eh?"

All of a sudden two partial deployed ISs were pointing at Ichika's forehead; the muzzle of a gun and the large circular cannon that he recognized all too well. Ichika knew automatically who was behind both of the weapons respectively but he did not get a chance to truly think on it as his eyes enlarged in fear of his life and that of Houki's. Instinctively, he grabbed Houki's hand and picked her up as he ran for their lives down the hall.

"Hey! You come back here!" Cecilia Alcott yelled after the pair.

"Ichika! Don't think you can run away from us!" Lingyin Huang (known as Rin by her friends) added as the pair of girls chased them through the halls.

Cecilia is the representative from Great Britain with her own private IS known as Blue Tears. Originally, much to the poor relationship she had with her father up until his death along with her mother - seeing him as weak and as really used marriage as a way to rise in society - she indeed looked down upon men as being inferior to women in every way possible. That, of course, changed when she fought Ichika for the title of class representative which she really didn't win mainly because Ichika's personal IS ran out of shield energy before he could deal the finishing blow that would have won the fight for him.

Rin is the second childhood friend of Ichika and also harbors very strong feelings for him from a promise that was made between the two of them. Ichika being Ichika, he did not pick up the hint that he promise he made was for him to be Rin's boyfriend if she were to improve her cooking. Her parents' divorce was what had forced her to move away from him during their younger years but she still did not forget him or the promise that they made. Last year as first years, Rin was in the second class as its representative and the representative from China. Her personal IS that she pilots is known as Shenlong.

Bursts of blue lasers and charged orange particles were shot after the poor Japanese teenagers as their British and Chinese friends seemed to show no change in their tenacity in punishing the boy. Screams amongst the other girls who were onlooking echoed throughout the hall, much of it just really fangirling over the physical closeness that Ichika and Houki were sharing in their current situation. The former was more concerned about their physical wellbeing while the latter was also reveling in the way Ichika was carrying her down the hall. Ichika finally was able to make it out of the dormitories and out onto the courtyard before they were noticed by another pair of girls that were close to him and Houki.

"Ichika! What's going on?!"

"Wife! What is the meaning of this?"

The two new girls entering the situation were Charlotte Dunois and Laura Bodewig.

Charlotte was originally sent to the Academy from her home country by her father and his corporation's orders to get more information on Ichika's personal IS. Part of the charade was to go under the alias of being another male pilot but that cat was quickly let out of the bag when Ichika accidentally walked in on her showering. What didn't help was the rumor that the two had taken a bath together the previous night which incurred the wrath of Houki, Cecilia, and Rin at the time. She is the representative for France, piloting a second generation IS known as Rafale Revive Custom II. What enchanted her for falling for Ichika was his willingness and kindheartedness to help her despite knowing what her intentions originally were. Her personality of being the shy, angelic type is what allows her to be very close to Ichika, much to the chargin of the other girls.

Laura is a different type of girl from the rest of Ichika's close friends on many different levels. For starters, her first meeting with him had begun with a slap across his face. Initially hating him for being the cause of her mentor leaving (coincidentally, Chifuyu Orimura), Laura saw Ichika as nothing more than a nuisance that was better dealt with before becoming a serious obstacle with her relationship with the older Orimura sibling. Her feelings for him were created during a tournament that brought her against Ichika and Charlotte when he saved her from within her IS known as Schwarzer Regen. That led to the famous incident when she charged into class and kissed him in front of his whole class and proclaimed him to be her "wife"; one of the few things that Laura is misinformed about Japanese culture.

Before he could answer, explosions erupted from behind him as Cecilia and Rin closed their distance between him and Houki. The force of the blasts propelled him and Houki toward Charlotte and Laura, respectively landing on the girls as they did so. Houki and Laura were able to push themselves off of each other and the ground while they gaped wide eyed at the other two that were forced to the floor. Ichika's body was sloppily sprawled over Charlotte's as she too looked like someone just nonchalantly dropped her on the floor. What had everyone's attention except Ichika's was where the poor boy in question had his left hand - right on Charlotte's left bosom. Humorously, the hand didn't look like it was an accidental or gentle cup of the breast. More so, an intentional grasp or squeeze seemed to be more appropriate.

"Ichika..." Charlotte started, too shy and embarrassed to outright tell the boy she loved was coughing a pretty good feel at the moment.

Ichika groaned in his attempt to push himself off of Charlotte only to find his left hand was on top of something soft. For some odd reason, the lights up stairs weren't on and the one couldn't be carried over without him pushing down and squeezing, getting quite the handful from Charlotte.

"You pervert..." Charlotte finished with a blush on her face.

"Charlotte! You know I'm not like that!" Ichika screamed in his defense.

Unfortunately, his pleas fell on deaf ears as the remaining girls looked at him with glares in their eyes that froze the poor boy in his current position; straddling Charlotte with her right boob in his left hand. Ichika probably would have sweat all of the remaining water in his body right then and there if he were to continue being under the piercing gazes he was under right now - all of his friends with personal ISs and a temper with a fuse the length of a paperclip.

"Orimura." The name came from a stern, deep woman that had seen the events unfold before. The look of annoyance was wrought over her face as her eyes were closed to further drive the idea home that the behavior displayed by the six teenagers was embarrassing. Tall, slender, ample physical attributes, Chifuyu Orimura looked more like a model than the world's strongest woman even with the office attire that she always sported while on campus. To her side was Maya Yamada, her assistant teacher to class 1-1. On the calmer, quieter, and shyer instructor's face was more embarrassment and slight discomfort due to the memory erupting forth from last year during a demonstration that left her in a similar situation that the Dunois girl was in.

Instantly, Ichika shot up like a soldier called to attention by his superior office - his back straight and stiff as a board, shoulders back, chest up, hands stuck to his sides. The girls looked on with amazed faces, still surprised to see what kind of effect the older Orimura sibling had on their friend. "Y-Yes, Chifuyu-nee."

A smack to the top of his head by a rolled up stack of papers met his head for his usual mistake of addressing his older sister whilst still on campus.

"It's Orimura-sensei to you, baka."

Ichika rubbed his head gently with embarrassment in his tone. "Sorry about that."

The sibling doing the questioning opened her eyes and cooly gave an order to her younger brother.

"Settle into your dorm. You will have a roommate this year," Chifuyu Orimura said to Ichika but the volume of her information was directed at all six of the strongest second years. Houki and the other girls stood shocked that there was going to be another student rooming in with Ichika.

Ichika too was very surprised by the news. All through last year, he had three different roommates; Houki, Charlotte, and Tatenashi Sarashiki - the last bringing much frustration and agitation to the all five girls; her constant flirtations with Ichika were blatant and caused much discomfort for the aforementioned boy and yet, she did so constantly out of pure enjoyment. There was some speculation that she too may have done so out of her own feelings for Ichika but that is another matter. _Great... Another girl for all of them to be upset with me over. It's not like I enjoy the fact that they fight over me and bring trouble for me. However, if it is another student, then I will get along with her. It must be somewhat important for Nee-chan to come talk to me about it. _

"When will I get to meet the new student?" Ichika inquired.

"You'll get to meet the new student in class today. However, I do have something to ask of you regarding this new student," Chifuyu stated, her tone conveying the importance of the matter at hand. Ichika remembered the exact same tone during the Silver Gospel incident and the run-ins with the terrorist group, Phantom Task. "I want you to be close to this student. Aid in whatever is asked of you. Can you do that?"

"Y-Yeah..." Ichika sputtered out.

"Good. See you in class." As soon as she finished her last word, Chifuyu Orimura and Maya Yamada turned around and began walking back towards the campus buildings where the lecture part of classes were held.

"One thing," Ichika called after. The older Orimura sibling stopped in her tracks as did Yamada to look back at the younger sibling. "Why is it so important that I get along with the new student?"

Without turning back towards her younger brother/student, she said, "Because the new student is a boy."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my second fanfic that I will be currently working on and my first Infinite Stratos piece! I am really excited as to what becomes of this one so reviews are all welcome. **

**If you are familiar with my Rosario + Vampire fanfic (if not, you are welcome to go check that out at your own discretion), I will be continuing that as well so please wait patiently. My muse regarding that piece is taking a break whereas this muse came to me a few days ago. Forgive me - I feel like such a man-whore for picking up another muse so quickly. _" **

**Oh well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I am really looking forward to this one! Farewell for now!**


	2. Chapter 2

" " " " " " EH?! " " " " " "

All six of the teenagers were beyond shocked at the bomb that Chifuyu Orimura dropped on them. It was one thing for an exchange student from another country or anyone for that matter, to be accepted into the world-renowned IS Academy. But the idea of another male, aside from Ichika Orimura, to have the ability, nay, the compatibility to pilot an IS was the last thing anyone could have come up with. Still, the tone that the older sibling gave the news was unwavering and outright serious. Ichika knew his sister well enough to not be a liar and that she had spared no effort in confirming the presence of another male pilot.

"See you all in class."

As the two teachers began their retreat back to the classrooms, the friends stood rooted to the ground; shock still blocking control of all mental function. Each of the girls began to come up with any explanation to disprove the thought immediately. Surely that couldn't happen, right?

"Ichika's the only male pilot in the world, right? I'm sure if there was another male that was compatible, the world would have known about it," Houki said nervously as her eyebrow twitched.

"Ye-Yeah! Something as huge as that, I would have known about it immediately," Cecilia confirmed in a tone where her superiority complex shone all too brightly.

"Psh! There's already a limited number of IS cores in the world and I'm sure giving one to a another guy is impossible!" Rin did her best to convey annoyance to cover up her complete denial of the situation.

"Ichika's ability is extremely rare as it is. To think there'd be another," Charlotte trailed off, the only one seemingly open-minded enough to ponder the possibility.

"Tch! My wife and I already make the most superior team in the world - no need for some wanna-be pilot," Laura added with disgust. Every one looked at Laura briefly with their look of annoyance for still calling Ichika her "wife". Laura's source of information regarding Japanese society came from her superior officer back home. Humorously, the woman is obsessed with Japanese manga and anime; solely basing off her advice and information she passes onto Laura off of written entertainment.

As much as the girls were having a hard time swallowing the proverbial pill, the hardest one to take it was Ichika. He still remembered that day when he went to go take the IS compatibility test because his sister asked him to. He had lost himself in the compound and had unknowingly walked onto an IS which allowed him to have his own personal IS: the very same one that his sister basically won with the first two Mondo Gross. The shock of producing a reaction from it was revolutionary. For a male to be able to do what only a woman was only declared to do was enormous in its own magnitude. However, as much as the thought shocked him, Ichika was looking forward to having another guy on campus. What would the new student be like? Would the two get along? Did his compatibility to an IS meet any of the girls; possibly exceed theirs? Questions like this ran through his mind. Then he thought of his friendship with Houki and all of them. He liked all of the girls, but there were things that he couldn't do strictly because they were girls. Having another guy on campus would allow him to have a really close guy friend. He was looking forward to it if anything.

"Actually," Ichika began hesitantly. The girls looked at him apprehensively, unsure to what he was thinking and what was about to be said. "I think I will like having another male student at the Academy. I mean," looking at Charlotte, "I was really comfortable with you when I was under the impression that you were a guy, Charl."

Charlotte blushed as she looked away and swayed her shoulders back and forth as she recalled the first couple days they roomed together - mainly the night when he found out; Ichika had tried to get her to undress with him in the locker room for bonding. Houki and the rest of the girls all give disapproving glances towards her as they find out something new about how close Charlotte is to Ichika. That almost instantly turned into anger. Unfortunately, the fury was targeted at Ichika. The targeted boy nervously took a couple steps back and put his hands up defensively.

"C'mon guys... I didn't know Charlotte was a girl at the time. It's perfectly natural for two guy friends to be close, right?"

Before any of the girls had a chance to partially deploy their ISs and started chasing their target, the bell rang signaling the start of the second year for the gang. Ichika let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding as he took off towards the school building in a sprint. He waved behind him as he ran away from the girls.

"I'll see you all later!"

" " " " " Ichika...! " " " " "

_This is going to be a long year... _Ichika thought to himself.

* * *

At the entrance of the academy, a lone male teenager was standing in a male version of the school uniform. In his hand was a slip of paper with the name of his new home for the next couple years with its address scribbled beneath it. He checked the address once more to make sure he was indeed at the right location and looked up to absorb the vastness of the new school. A small smile crept up on his face as the thought of a certain young woman crept into his mind. Taking a deep breath, he began his trek towards the main office to check in with a steely determination and apprehensiveness.

"Nee-chan, thank you."

* * *

Ichika sat nervously in the middle of the classroom with six pairs of eyes glued onto him. Houki sat a couple rows down near the window; Cecilia behind and to the left one desk; Rin next to Houki but closer to Ichika; Charlotte a couple seats behind Ichika in the same row; and Laura a seat behind and to the right. The desk in front of him remained empty as all the students began to fill the classroom. _Must be for the transfer student..._ He had grown used to the attention but a part of him was starting to become annoyed and aggravated with how the girls were acting. Being surrounded by girls would generally sound like the ideal dream for any sixteen year old with raging hormones but in all actuality, their immaturity and brashness was starting to get old. It was quite difficult trying to be bluntly honest with them - he could but their emotions and self-esteems were so fragile; for example, telling Cecilia her cooking was horrendous and that she alone had the ability to screw something up as simple as a sandwich was something all of them - the girls included - could not find the strength to do so. Ichika saw himself as not the smartest tack in the box but he was no idiot; the simplest praise made their day. They all had feelings for him.

_Maybe having a guy friend might save my sanity..._

With no teacher in sight, the students were free to socialize with each other. Greetings were made and light conversation ensured.

"I wonder who our teacher is going to be this year."

"I sure hope it's Orimura-sensei. I was in her class last year."

"Really? You're so lucky!"

"Hey, didn't you hear? I guess there's a new transfer student coming in. As a second year!"

"What? No way!"

"Yeah! The rumor is that the pilot is so good, the instructor didn't stand a chance!"

Before Ichika could turn and give his two cents on the matter, the door opened and two women walked in; Yamada-sensei and Ichika's older sister, Chifuyu. Squeals of girls instantly filled the room.

"We get Orimura-sensei!"

"She's so cool!"

"Ummm, well, please quiet down now," Yamada asked gently but enough to be heard. The girls took their seats but still maintained quiet conversation. She took her place at the head of the class behind the podium and stood, unsure what to do next.

"Quiet down!" Chifuyu Orimura yelled, going immediately into strict teacher mode. The class immediately became so quiet one could hear a pen drop.

"Thank you, Orimura-sensei. Now then," Yamada began, more comfortable now that she had Chifuyu as backup. "I am Yamada-sensei and you all know Orimura-sensei. We will be your teachers for this year. First off, I would like to congratulate and welcome you as second years to the prestigious IS Academy."

"This year, we will be focusing mainly on combat abilities, tactics, and theories. After last years' incidents, it is expected that all of you are able to cope with real life battle situations. You are all extremely gifted so I expect nothing more than the very best from all of you. Understood?"

"Yes, Orimura-sensei!" erupted the class in unison.

"Now then, as some of you may have heard. We do have a transfer student joining us today. Although, I don't know when -"

Yamada-sensei was cut off by the whirring of the door sliding open to someone entering.

"Ah! Here he is now," Orimura-sensei added.

"EH?!" was heard across the room from the girls.

"'He'?"

"Did I hear that right?"

"There's another male pilot aside from Orimua-kun?!"

The male student walked calmly towards the front of the room as the chattering continued. Standing at a nonthreatening height of five foot six (1.67 m), the male could have blended in with anywhere else in the world. His body was not huge but extremely toned to a strict physical condition that required strong mental will and discipline. His hair was short and dark brown, cut to clean flat top that went well with his square jaw. His facial features contained a mixture of Japanese descent but the eyes were what struck the biggest impression for everyone; Ichika and the girls included. The almond-shaped eyes and the darkness of his brown eyes - almost black if seen with little light - showed a soft, but controlled sterness.

"My name is Exequiel Lanuzo. I will be in your care for the school year. Please take good care of me," the teenager stated with an accent that didn't sound like any of the regions from Japan or other European countries. His voice was deep that resonated well but it was also very soft as if he had a hard time controlling it.

"Thank you, Lanuzo-san. Please take the empty desk," Chifuyu said.

With a quick nod and a slight bow to the older Orimura sibling, Exequiel moved towards the desk that was in front of Ichika. All eyes were now on the two male students in the classroom, wondering on how the first meeting would go.

"Ichika Orimura-san, I understand, yes?"

"Eh? Uh, yeah, that's me," Ichika replied back nervously. He stood up and bowed in greeting. "Welcome to IS Academy, Lanuzo-san."

"Thank you, Orimura-san. Since we're classmates, I think formalities would only hinder any future developments for us becoming closer. So please, call me Exequiel," suggested Lanuzo with calm and friendly demeanor as he stretched out a hand.

"All right. Then, call me by name too then."

With an understanding nod, the two shook hands and took their seats. The girls looked on with mixed feelings, each not fully trusting the new student. Ichika was always friendly towards others and never initially thought ill of anyone else with each initial meeting.

_I'll have to keep an eye on him... _Houki thought to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The lectures went on without much incidence. Everyone was understanding and remembering the material that Yamada and Orimura-sensei were going over. Ichika struggled a little bit during the time they reviewed the important topics from last year but after that refresher, he felt more confident and took everything else in stride. He looked up to see how Exequiel was doing and he was amazed at how comfortable and relaxed his new classmate appeared; not a single trace of confusion nor doubt could be seen on his face. Exequiel turned back towards Ichika and gave him a smile and a thumbs up. Ichika in turn smiled back.

After the first half of the day was done, the lunch hall was filled immediately. Tables were filled with classmates and friends, old and new, with conversation flowing effortlessly. Exequiel had stayed behind because he said he wanted to thank Yamada and Orimura-sensei for his first day. Ichika sat alone at a table eating tempura udon. The girls were, for some reason that he didn't know (as was generally the case), not very happy with him and had decided to try and give him the silent treatment and ignore him. He knew it wouldn't last long though; he could see Houki sneaking glances towards him from one part of the cafeteria, Cecilia and Rin looking intently from their table, and Charlotte and Laura staring at him from their booth. He sighed to himself, waiting for them to give their harsh, but purely lighthearted scolding that would happen the next time he was with them. Before he could look towards any of them, the volume in the lunch hall rose by many decibels as all the girls caught sight of the rumored second male student at IS Academy.

"Look there he is!"

"So the rumors were true!"

"He looks so cool!"

"I want to go say hi!"

As this and many other comments were directed at Exequiel, the poor boy looked overwhelmed and had a great deal of difficulty in handling all of the female attention. The look of confidence and relaxation was gone now; clearly the poor boy was way out of his element. He could understand everything about ISs but place him in a room with close proximity of hundreds of girls, and he was as lost as a teenager learning calculus for the first time. Exequiel tried to greet as many of the girls as he could, politely and humbly, giving his first name and what class he was in.

Ichika smiled and laughed to himself inwardly as he could relate to all of the attention and the overwhelming feeling of being instantly popular. Houki and the rest of the girls watched from their seats as Ichika made his way through the crowd of girls surrounding Exequiel.

"Excuse me, Lanuzo-san," Ichika yelled over the girls as he squeezed himself between two that were bombarding his classmate with questions. "Would you like to have lunch with me?"

Instantly, the girls grew quiet and looked onward at Exequiel, eagerly anticipating his reply. With a smile on his face and a nod, "Thank you, Orimura-san. I would enjoy that very much." Fangirl-like squealing echoed throughout the room.

"Lanuzo and Orimura-kun! The two males of IS Academy - brotherhood in arms!"

"It could be just like in feudal times!"

"Forbidden BL!"

Exequiel had this weird look on his face and was about to inquire what exactly was being said, but when he looked at Ichika, the look on his classmate's face read total shock and embarrassment. Obviously, whatever was being said, could be translated as inappropriate or some form of taboo.

"So, then!" Exequiel cleared his throat. "How about that lunch?"

Ichika snapped out of his daze and chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, Lanuzo-san. I'm over there." He pointed to where his table was in the room.

"Okay. I'm going to get my food really quick and I'll sit down." With that rather awkward exchange between the two teenagers, they split ways momentarily. Lanuzo paced quickly to lunch line to get his food as he stood uneasily to await his turn. He glanced over to Ichika and gave him an awkward smile but the message was that the earlier interaction was all in good fun and that he felt no ill intention whatsoever. Ichika sighed in relief as he sat down in front of his food once again.

Before he could resume eating his lunch, a pair of hands slammed down hard in front of him on the table. With a jolt, Ichika looked up to see Cecilia with her cheeks puffed and her eyes filled with anger and... frustration? Around her were the rest of the girls with a similar look on their faces. Startled and confused, Ichika's facial expression was that of a "deer in the headlights" look. He had no idea why his friends would be so angry with him. As far as he knew, he did nothing wrong or anything for them to get upset but then again, these were girls who would get mad at him for anything and everything it seemed. Almost as quickly as the frightened look came it left and was replaced with a look of annoyance and indifference.

"Ichika! How come you've never asked us straight out in front of everyone to sit with you but you ask the new male student on the first day?!" Cecilia yelled out loudly, causing a few heads to turn.

"Last year, all of you ate lunch with me almost everyday. It's kind of redundant to ask if you're going to do it anyway." The girls stood in silence, stunned that Ichika had actually made a compelling argument against them. They were so used to him apologizing and rolling over while they lashed at him verbally. Cecilia shook her head and continued her verbal onslaught. Apparently, today was the day that everything that ever bothered her decided to surface.

"That's not the point!"

"Ummm, excuse me," Lanuzo said gently but enough for the group of friends to hear him. He stood there with a small smile on his face in order to be polite and courteous. With his lunch in hand, Lanuzo glanced at Ichika and the girls, aware of the yelling that had just occured. Despite his polite mannerisms, he was shot with a dirty look from all of the girls except Charlotte. Exequiel recoiled as if struck. He cast a glance towards Charlotte and noticed a softness in her gaze that made feel relieved; at least one of them didn't come off as wanting to push him aside or feel threatened by him.

"I don't mind if you want to sit with Ichika. I would like to get along with everyone as much as possible, including any friend of Ichika's."

"Tell me, Lanuzo-san," Cecilia asked, rather haughtily. "Where exactly are you from?"

The boy in question looked at Cecilia confused as to why it would matter to her but he decided he would try to get along with as many people as possible. "I'm not from Japan. I was born in the Philippines."

Cecilia responded with a scoff; the Philippines is a poor country, not even coming close in GDP value compared to Britain, China, Japan, the States, France, or Germany. As a third world country, they were much like the rest of Southeast Asia; a nice sprawling capital city but the remaining towns and villages lagged far behind the progress made with the rest of the world. In some circumstances, the citizens had lived without much artificial light if any going into the first fifteen years of the 21st century. _How could he have even came in contact with an IS, let alone have tested to see if he had compatibility with one?_ were the thoughts of the girls.

Lanuzo hung his head down as he figured he was being sized up by his classmate. "I am not a representative from the Philippines however. I was born out of wedlock - my mother told me my father was here, while she was still alive... I came here looking for him when I was thirteen." He paused to let that soak in and bowed his head respectively. "Forgive me, Orimura-san. Perhaps another time." And with that, he walked towards an empty table by a window and sat down alone.

"Cecilia, why were you so cold just now?" Ichika asked, looking up at his friend. He was accustomed to her being slightly overbearing on how cultured she was compared to the rest of their group but even he knew the attitude she had towards Exequiel was not called for. Cecilia had to recover for a moment upon hearing that he too had been abandoned by his father. The disloyalty and dishonor of men would never seize to amaze her. The only man that she felt that she could ever respect as her equal was Ichika.

As for Charlotte, her heart went out to her new classmate. Never really having a healthy, positive relationship with her own father, the French girl felt she could relate to the feeling of abandonment; of not being wanted. She alone watched him eat by himself.

"Cecilia?" asked Rin while Alcott was still in her own thoughts. The girls and Ichika glanced over to see that she was still within in her own mental world, going over her attitude towards her new classmate.

"Never mind him. Ichika-," Cecilia began as she turned towards her friend but she immediately closed her mouth as he noticed he was no longer sitting in his spot. What she turned to was something that she felt to be the equivalent of a degree of betrayal - Ichika had walked over towards Exequiel and had bowed respectfully towards his classmate.

"I apologize for my friend's behavior. She has a tendency to be overbearing at times but she is a good person."

Exequiel gave a soft smile and nodded. "I understand. However, as much as I do appreciate you apologizing on her behalf, your act of kindness does not mean anything since the matter truly is between me and Miss Alcott. So, were I to accept an apology, it has to be from her," he replied as he cast a glance towards the girl in question. Cecilia quickly looked away with a "Humph!" and made her way back to her seat. He chuckled. "I guess I shouldn't hold my breath huh, Ichika-san?"

Ichika chuckled half-heartedly and looked towards his British classmate. He always wondered how one who could call herself so sophisticated and cultured could sometimes be so cold, overbearing, and at times lacking in manners. "I am sure she'll come around eventually."

Exequiel nodded and gave a soft smile towards Ichika and turned towards the other girls who were still standing there. Houki and the others were still rather hesitant to get along with this new "man" at the academy. Obviously, Ichika didn't feel threatened but they all believed he was too nice and naive for his own good. They remained rather skeptical of their new classmate. Except for Charlotte. As much as she too was unsure of who he was as a person, for some reason she felt she could trust him and befriend him. Perhaps it was because he and Ichika had made instant friends with each other to begin with - regardless, she thought that maybe, _maybe_, they'd be all able to get along with each other.

With a smile on her face, she made her way over to the two male students of the IS Academy, much to the surprise of the other girls. As she stood in front of them, she turned towards her new classmate.

"My name is Charlotte Dunois - an IS Representative from France. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lanuzo-san," said the French girl, bowing as she made her introduction.

Lanuzo in turn got out of his seat and stood in front of her. Charlotte looked up due to hearing him stand.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Dunois. Please, call me Exequiel," replied Lanuzo as he bowed in respect to the first of Ichika's friends that weren't too skeptical to not take the first step. After finishing his bow, he looked at Charlotte and looked her in the eyes and smiled. Charlotte immediately felt her face warm up as cheeks became flushed and her heartbeat escalated.

"Y-yeah! E-E-Exequiel! I'll see you around!" Charlotte sputtered out as she took off towards her seat. Confused as to why the sudden change in Charlotte, Ichika and Exequiel still stood there staring in the direction towards her seat.

"Do you know why she was like that?" Exequiel asked Ichika.

"No idea," replied Ichika.

* * *

**A/N: Aish! Finally, got this done! As for the OC being paired up with any of the girls from Ichika's 'harem', I have a girl in mind but I don't know if the story itself will write it that way. I believe we as writers, do have an intended direction for our stories but ultimately, the stories write themselves and we just simply convey what we see. **

**I know on my first story I haven't responded to reviews, much like where my personal FanFiction favorite authors, Gamera68 and Apoc326, have done but I will be doing so from now on for this story, that story, and all stories hereafter. Therefore, let the responses begin. **

**Guest1(not sure if you are the same individual): I do appreciate you giving your time reading and leaving suggestions for this story regarding the OC's personal IS. I find it wonderful that you have an idea that you would like me to incorporate into this story. However, I have already laid out what his IS is going to be and the name of said IS. I hope that you continue to stay with me as I work through this FanFiction. *bows***

**"guest": I have answered one of your questions in this chapter and you will have your other questions answered in the next chapter; mainly concerning the IS. Concerning the pairing, originally, I don't know if I made it that obvious in my writing or if you're psychic but those were the three I was looking at. So, kudos, internet points, and a cookie to you. ^_^**

**Rob: You sir, are being rather judgmental early on. I take pride in having originality (as do all authors here on ) so as to be so quick to say that I will be following a storyline that is popular on here is what I consider a narrow-minded approach. Plus, you can try and insult me, but do not insult what my fellow FanFiction authors do, okay? I respect all opinions, I really do. But, you can criticise without negativity. Furthermore, if you're going to bash on my OC, at least be considerate enough to type his name out correctly. **

**coco6561: Thank you. I will try my best to not disappoint you and all of the users who are following this story. It did make me happy to see your review right after "Rob's". **

**Stay tuned, and review, favorite, and follow at your own leisure! 'Til then! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

Following that day's lunch, the second part of the day was focused on implementing battle tactics that was learned earlier in the day. The students would change into their exercise uniforms, much like how students at middle schools and high schools would for physical education. Instructors would primarily lecture and be on stand by; unless of course, they were a sparring partner. At this point, the students taught themselves and learned by doing. And who better to showcase the study material and tactics than the experienced youngsters with their personal ISs?

Outside in the open space where Ichika and the girls showcased their abilities (and clumsiness in some cases), class 2-1 was lined up. Except for Exequiel.

"Hey, where's Lanuzo-san?"

"I don't know. I didn't see him after lunch."

"I hope we see him today."

"I heard he has his own personal IS."

"Do you think he's as good a pilot as Orimura, Alcott, Shinonono, Dunois, Bodeweig, and Huang-san are? Those six are so talented!"

Chatter like this flowed vigorously after the shocking realization of a second male IS pilot finally sunk in. However, not everyone shared the excitement. If the five girls were initially skeptical of Lanuzo as a person, they surely had their doubts and anxieties concerning his ability as a pilot. Especially Cecilia and Houki.

"I don't think he is as good as the rumors say he is. He's not even here," Alcott said with a demeaning tone.

"Having my wife in the same class as me who is already a gifted pilot is enough for me. We can all do without having another pilot; especially an incompetent one," added Laura.

"Again, for the last time, Laura," Ichika replied, annoyed that his friend keeps calling him her "wife", "I am not your 'wife'. And Cecilia, none of us have even seen him pilot an IS."

"It is hard to imagine he has had much practice. Did he ever mention about his entry exam or if he has his own IS?" Houki asked skeptically.

"No. All that's been said that I have heard have all been rumors," Rin said, adding her two cents into the topic of conversation.

Charlotte remained quiet and did not add anything to spite their new classmate. Unlike the rest of the girls, she decided that she would try to get along with Exequiel and have everyone get along; for everyone's sake. _Ichika trusts him... So I shall too..._

"Everyone! Quiet down now!" ordered Chifuyu Orimura. The effect was instantaneous: students filed in a neat and orderly manner whilst cutting off all chatter that had taken place earlier.

"The second half of the day focuses on battle tactics and the incorporation of those tactics during a fight. Mainly, ISs will ever so rarely be caught alone. There is always a good chance there is another target nearby that is waiting for a good chance and finish off those who are too careless. Small-scale team fights are the most common of engagements in battle."

The girls nodded in agreement - they had all been lucky with the Silver Gospel incident and the run-ins with the terrorists that had appeared that same year. Well, lucky that they had each other to rely on, especially Ichika. No matter what had happened or how close he was to getting killed, he kept fighting to protect everyone.

"Okay then, to get things started, I would like to introduce those who are going to be showcasing what quality teamwork should look like," said the older Orimura sibling. Not a second later, Yamada-sensei came flying down towards the class as she gracefully landed her second generation IS safely in front of the class.

"Who's the other-" began Cecilia but her question and everyone else's queries were answered when a second IS was flying towards them at break-neck speed behind Yamada-sensei.

"Ah, finally. Took him long enough," stated Orimura with annoyance written in her tone.

The boosters of Exequiel's IS cut off completely as he was about a good twenty meters from Yamada-sensei. With a casual flip forward, he landed feet first behind and to the left of her. He turned towards Orimura-sensei and tried his best to give a bow for being late.

"Forgive my tardiness, Orimura-sensei," Exequiel said politely.

"Jeez, so unreliable like your classmate," his teacher retorted.

He gave a small smile and turned towards his classmates, offering a bow. "I apologize if I kept you all waiting. That was not my intention."

Everyone else was too stunned to respond. Through everyone's head, one thought ran rampantly whilst bouncing off the walls. _He has a personal IS?! _Ichika stood in awe that he too would have his own IS; being another male pilot was a shock, having one that he could call his own was outright unbelievable. The girls too were rendered speechless, much too surprised to coherently form a complete sentence. Cecilia looked at Lanuzo with a frown on her face as she studied the components of the personal IS standing in front of her.

Lanuzo's IS reflected his body type and stature; not overbearing or anything seemingly extraordinary but everything seemed to be in the best possible condition that it had to offer. His legs were covered up to the middle of the thighs with thick metal armor jutting forward whilst he had boosters behind his calves and underneath his feet. A loop hugged the middle of his abdominal area while the metal protected him laterally on both sides of his ribs. His chest was not covered by any armor and the navy blue clothing that all the students wore while piloting their ISs was open to the air. His arms however, were completely encased with about the same amount of armor as every other IS that was made. The armor around his arms connected at the top of his back and encased the remainder of him posteriorly. Two larger engines kept in place as they were aligned behind his shoulders with the rest of his body and this was also the place where it seemed that lasers or some sort of charged particle cannon was placed. Encased on his back was a submachine gun that was similar to Charlotte's and Yamada-sensei's IS. At the shoulders were smaller engines that enabled him quick maneuverability in midair or quick bursts forward. The engines at his legs provided the power to go against gravity and maintain his balance. The joints within the armor allowed him the flexibility that was beyond that of the current ISs. But this came at a price; the amount of damage that his IS could withstand was significantly lower than even the average IS. The idea was that the harder it was to hit you, the more damage you took if you did. Around his head was a sliver of metal that wrapped around like a headband - not very thick, maybe a centimeter or so - which monitored his physical condition and brain waves.

"Now then, Lanuzo, Yamada-sensei, are you two ready to begin?" Chifuyu asked the duo.

"Yes," responded the two pilots in unison.

The duo took off simultaneously into the sky above the class. As soon as they hit a height about fifty meters high, they created space between them going separate ways but still maintaining a small enough distance apart should one get into trouble. Then, two UAV drones bought from the US military were launched to act as mock enemy IS units. Each drone was equipped with Predator missiles and a 20 mm gattling machine gun that carried armor piercing rounds. Against normal tanks and other army vehicles, the two drones could easily take out units of tanks, anti-air ordinance, and artillery. For two IS units, it should be good practice for experienced pilots.

"Pay attention to how they handle multiple targets that try to team up on one of them. One evades while defending while the other provides enough pressure against both enemy units without impeding on the retreat of the other," Chifuyu lectured. She pulled out a radio and held it close to her mouth. "Okay, pressurize Yamada."

As soon as the order was given, the two drones started to maneuver themselves to attack the IS teacher; one swerved way off to the right while the other swerved off to the left of her. Then, unexpectedly, without the presence of orders it seemed, the two Predator missiles changed their speed and angle of approach, now coming from above and below Yamada-sensei. Before she could ask Chifuyu what was going on, the UAV drones started shooting their gattling guns towards her. The unsuspecting teacher evaded most of the bullets quickly but a small amount seemed to hit her IS, depleting some of her shield energy. She ignited the engines on her IS and started to fly off away from the campus with the drones quickly altering their chase.

"Orimura-sensei! Please tell the operators to not be so aggressive!" Yamada asked of her superior.

"The operators said that the system has been compromised! A virus has raided the computers and is now taking control of the drones!" replied the worried teacher.

"Yamada-sensei!" the girls and Ichika screamed. Before Chifuyu could say anything, Cecilia and Rin had summoned their ISs and joined the battle.

"Huang, Alcott! Get back here!" screamed the teacher but to no avail. The two girls were too far to hear their teacher calling them, not like they would have obeyed even if they did.

"Rin, go back! My Blue Tears and I can handle these two drones without your help!" Cecilia yelled with a smile on her face. She knew deep down that there was nothing that she couldn't do and that she relied on no one else. Her pride would not allow it - she will show **everyone** who is the strongest.

Rin scoffed at her friend. "Please! Your IS is no match for Shenlong! You'll be eating your words soon, Cecilia!"

The hotheaded pair of girls started to go on the offensive against the drones as Yamada tried her best to get out of harm's way.

"Sensei, please come this way! We'll provide cover fire for you to retreat!" yelled out Cecilia as she positioned herself in a stationary position high above the UAVs. Her pride and joy as an IS pilot is her explicit advantage as a precision sniper over her classmates - in her mind, the world even.

Rin charged her cannons as she charged towards the drones. Her specialty was melee fighting - the cannons provided another dimension to her fighting which she knew gave her a slight advantage over Cecilia. A brief thought entered her mind that maybe the reason why she and Cecilia paired up all the time was that their personalities as well as their capabilities as IS pilots complimented each other. But she put that aside for now; she was still just as bratty and confident as her friend and she would not pass up the opportunity to outpilot three people with their own personal IS - especially since Yamada-sensei had beaten both her and Cecilia the year before.

Cecilia aimed and calculated every shot she took against the UAV drones and Rin attacked with her charge particle cannons first to close the distance between herself and the military flight ordinance so she could finish off with her sword but both were unable to land any hits; not even a knick could be seen from all of their efforts. Growing frustrated, Cecilia changed her position and vantage point as she flew towards the drones as her rifle and her four other tethahedrons provided additional support.

"Why are these things so hard to hit?!" yelled out Cecilia in frustration as she began to lose her control and began shooting more erratically.

"Seriously! We can't land a single hit!" Rin screamed in anger - almost blindlessly shooting her cannon as her double-edged sword sliced through the air after the UAV drones.

"They were programmed and outfitted by the Academy with the maneuverability of a decently quick IS. Of course they're not going to be easy to hit. That's why this was supposed to be practice," Chifuyu Orimura-sensei yelled over the comlink.

"Sensei!" Yamada yelled out as she her systems alerted her that her shields were depleting rapidly.

One of the UAV drones began to fire its gattling gun towards the teacher while the other launched another Predator missile from another side. With the pressure that was being placed on Yamada-sensei, the situation began to look grim for the former representative of Japan.

Suddenly, a muffled aftershook tore through the air and space. The energy erupted from it shook the UAVs slightly and forced them to retreat to a safer distance away from the Academy.

"What was that?!" Cecilia and Rin yelled as their ISs began to shake from the energy created - forcing them to pull back. Their question was answered when they saw a purple laser trail behind what looked like an afterimage. Mere fractions of a second before the bullets and missile reached where Yamada-sensei was, Lanuzo had swept in and caught her IS, taking her out of the line of fire. The bullets and missile continued on their path for a short while but the missile soon exploded within the air. Flying at a speed that was slow enough for everyone to follow with their eyes was Exequiel's IS holding a submachine gun in one hand and his other arm wrapped around the waist of his teacher's.

"Sensei, are you alright? Are you hurt?" asked the student, his face expressing the utmost concern.

"Y-yes," replied Yamada shakily. The adrenaline coursing through her veins in fear of her life still made it difficult to control her voice. At least, that's why she hoped her student thought was the reason. The way his arm was wrapped around her in such a protective manner, the way his voice carried the greatest concern and care, and the look in his eyes made her heart race. As much as she was a teacher first and foremost, she was a young woman who had never had her first boyfriend yet. Something about this new student swayed her; gave her butterflies in her stomach and her face flushed.

"What a relief," replied Exequiel as his gaze softened and he offered a smile. "Can you fly on your own?"

"Yes."

"Okay," as he released her slowly, much to the sadness of Yamada. "Orimura-sensei! Permission to use full force to take down the UAVs for the safety of the class and the grounds as well," Lanuzo asked over the comlink.

Far off below the four IS pilots in the air, if one was looking close enough was the slightest trace of a smirk on the former Mondo Gross champion's face. "Granted." _This should be interesting... We'll see how good you are..._

With a quick nod towards his teacher, Lanuzo took off towards Cecilia and Rin as they remained fixed in their place in the sky, shocked at the events that transpired. They weren't the only ones; the rest of the class - Ichika and the remainder of the girls included - looked upward at their new classmate. A single thought ran through everyone's mind... _So fast..._ And it wasn't just the speed that surprised everyone; it was how much force ran through the air after he had made his move to grab their teacher. It was if the world's largest and most powerful speaker was placed in front of them and they received a full blast of sound at its strongest settings. Everyone could feel their heart beating in their chest and their body still shook slightly, tiny tremors that told everyone the body was still recovering. Ichika looked towards his sister and something told him that the look on her face said that she was not at all surprised, not even in the slightest. Obviously, the older sister knew something about him that no one else knew. Perhaps he'd ask her about it or maybe Lanuzo himself.

As Lanuzo gently and slowly maneuvered his IS between Cecilia and Rin and a couple meters passed them, he stopped. "As much as I respect the two of you, I humbly ask that you two do not interfere. Matter of fact, please go to where our teacher is. If this doesn't work, we'll need you and the rest of the girls and Ichika to finish this. It is a selfish thing for me to ask this of you and rude as well, but it would be wise for you to do so." No trace of the easygoing, nervous guy that was in class and at lunch could be seen. What stood before them was a young man who operated with a one track mind with the sole purpose of ending the situation that they were in.

Cecilia and Rin were angered and annoyed that here was a boy that was the same age as them giving orders. Lanuzo may have used words and controlled his tone to come off as polite as possible, but the girls interpreted it otherwise. But what could they do? With the showcase of his speed in a split second, both girls begrudgingly succumbed to the fact that they had no choice in the matter. With scowls on their face, the girls stayed for a moment and gave the most disapproving and penetrating glances toward Exequiel but soon eventually flew back towards Yamada-sensei and the rest of the class.

The boy in question slightly turned his head behind him to make sure the girls were indeed out of what would have been the affected zone, danger close for pretty much anyone and anything caught in the crossfire. The UAV drones roared as they flew back towards the male IS student, their weapons primed and ready. And still Lanuzo stayed where he was. He closed his eyes and began to calm his heart and breathing into a rhythm that matched the stillness of his mind. As he opened his right hand, an energy sword began to form slowly extending outward to a length of three meters - the laser energy dark blue in color. The sword tightly gripped within the hand of his IS, the teenager slowly rose his arm outstretched in front of him at shoulder height. With a deep breath in, Exequiel ignited all of the engines on his IS at full power as he literally burst towards the two drones, one on each side of him. Over his shoulders, he fired small blasts of energy towards the UAVs to force them out of their straight trajectory against him. Once he did so, he altered his body vertically upward, the drones giving chase. They followed him up for about fifty meters into the air before he mentally screamed, "Midnight Dream! Give birth to chaos through me!"

* * *

On the ground, everyone watched with uneasy anticipation at the "strategy" their classmate had taken. Houki and the rest of the girls looked bemused as he charged full force toward the two targets before abruptly forcing his flight path vertically so that the drones gave chase.

"Why go full force straight ahead to only just shoot straight up in the process?" Houki asked no one in particular.

"And why a sword? He should know melee isn't the best way to go," Charlotte added.

"Makes no sense to me," added Laura as she stared upward into the sky, studying every move Lanuzo had made.

Ichika looked towards his sister as he noticed her slight smirk turned into a full blown close mouthed smile. "Chifuyu-nee," began Ichika.

"Look. Lanuzo is about to show off the capability of himself and his IS to the fullest."

All eyes turned towards the three objects in the sky with strong intent.

Before anyone could say anything else, a bold blue light shone upward in the sky where Lanuzo's IS was supposed to be. And within a split moment, the light outlined the shape of a perfect star going through where the UAV drones were. As soon as that light came it disappeared and the two drones stopped in their tracks and began to sink toward the ground as if the engines stopped completely. What was the UAV drones exploded as if they crashed into the ground lighting up and filling the sky in orange flame and black smoke. The girls and the teachers raised up their arms and turned away from the blast to shield themselves from the force of the explosion that they knew would come roaring towards the ground. So it did, kicking up dirt and shaking the ground beneath them.

After the last of the aftershocks died down, the girls looked up towards the sky looking for Lanuzo. What they saw was indeed an IS but it looked completely different from any type altogether; instead of the bulky armor that surrounded the limbs and the additional cannons hoisted above the main part of the IS like it normally would was the shape of a human but encased in what looked like full body armor except for the head. Everything looked tightly fitted to cover his entire body in what seemed like one piece of black and purple. The metal band around his band still remained the same but it shone to the naked eye in the same kind of purplish hue that was lined on his body armor. He slowly drifted toward his classmates and his teachers until his feet touched the ground. Once he did, with closed eyes and a deep breath, the armor dematerialized into a purple arm band around his left upper arm and the male version of the physical clothing was back.

"Sensei, thank you for granting my selfish request," Exequiel said calmly, bowing towards his teacher.

"No one was hurt and everyone is safe. I wouldn't call what you asked for a selfish request," Orimura-sensei replied with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Lanuzo-san," Yamada-sensei said gently to get her student's attention.

"Yes?" he replied turning towards his teacher.

"We need to run a diagnostic on your IS and make sure that your physical well being is good."

"I understand." With that, Lanuzo began walking towards the Academy with his teacher a couple steps in front of him.

As the class watched their classmate and teacher walk towards the Academy, Ichika and the girls stood shocked at the ability and power that his IS possesses. Questions ran rampant through their minds. What number core did he have? Who taught him to pilot an IS? Where did he train? What would his ranking be amongst the students of the academy?

"Because of the incident, classes will be excused for the remainder of the day. Go back to the Academy for the time being," Chifuyu ordered the class.

"Yes, Orimura-sensei!" replied the class in unison.

* * *

Somewhere from a window in the academy, a single girl sat with a fan across her face to hide the large smile she wore. With a slight giggle, she closed the fan in one motion as she pressed the top of her fan against her chin.

"Well, well, Lanuzo-san. You have most certainly gained my attention."

* * *

**I humbly apologize for the ridiculously long time between this chapter and the last! I have started working full-time since April 28th and really, this chapter took almost a month and half to really come together. Plus, I'll also be starting summer school back up again but I hope that it will help me better to manage my time. Perhaps, weekends could be my story days. Anyways, thank you guys so much for patiently waiting for the fourth chapter. I feel that this chapter may sound a little chapter because of the inconsistency of the days of me writing it but all in all, I think this chapter served its purpose. At this point, we'll see Ichika and Exequiel become closer as well as more action scenes throughout this story. Pairings are still unsure but votes and suggestions are still more than welcome. **

**Coco6561: Sorry for the long wait. I really did try my best to get this out as soon as possible whilst still producing a quality chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. **


	5. Chapter 5

Within one of the rooms of the Academy where students are assessed physically and by their compatibility with their ISs, second male student Exequiel Lanuzo was standing within the first of many capsules that examined his body and his mental connection with his IS. His physical attire was a simple male version of what the females wore - a dark navy blue fitted athletic shirt with no sleeves and navy blue athletic shorts. He had been standing inside the capsule for about a good minute and a half. As much as he was patient, calm, and composed, he did not like the idea of staying still even for a moment. In his mind, any time spent not doing anything was time wasted. If he had free time and nothing of importance that urgently called for his attention, training or studying was the only option he gave himself. But his teacher had asked him to do this and he could not say no.

A couple meters away inside an office operating the scans running through Lanuzo's body was Maya Yamada. As much as she had meant what she said earlier about her being concerned and checking on the well being of her student, in the back of her mind she was indeed curious. How could a male have such control and power with an IS that surpassed the speed and level that anyone else has ever seen? A decent pilot in her own right, Yamada's mind buzzed with the same general questions that everyone else in the academy seem to have about the new young man on campus. She typed furiously away; bringing up any and all information she could find about his physical strength and status - his body showing the healthy signs of a sixteen year old well escalating his form going into his manhood years, a strong and healthy heart that was as efficient as the great physical athletes in their prime, and a mind that did not show any real fluctuations or irregularities found in a perfectly healthy brain. To her it was no surprise; she caught herself sneaking small half glances towards her student: her eyes trailing along the definition of his arms and muscles and how the shirt failed to hide the physical power that that body was capable of. Of course, she mentally chided herself for losing control but repeatedly it happened.

Physicality was never supposed to be concern for any of the IS students so there was no surprise there. The scoring he had regarding his compatibility with his IS was another matter altogether. Through scannings of his IS core and his mental wavelengths that were being measured, his ranking matched up with the elite pilots of the school - Ichika, Houki, and Tatenashi. These four - "S" ranking; the brother of the greatest IS pilot the world has seen thus far, the sister of the creator of the IS machine, the student president of the current second years, and now him. Granted, she knew it will only be a matter of time before the entire school will know his name and the potential that his future holds for him.

As she continued to scan through the core of his IS, she noticed that there was something that was quite different indeed from even the personal IS machines of the best students on campus. For the most part, all of the cores created were the same and different: the general power that ran through each IS was consistent and how those cores created each IS's special abilities was what defined one from the other. Lanuzo's was simply, brilliant. The core has the ability to tap into the deeper parts of the conscious of the mind - using all of the strength behind every emotion and buried memory - channeling and harnessing that power to create the insane level of energy output that few other IS cores could do. Once Yamada was able to interpret the ability and fully understand the consequences of having such power, she finally saw the number that identified itself to the world - number 467: the last registered core made by Tabane Shinonono. It was if, she purposefully made this core compatible to him and him alone. Of course, she had of course heard the rumors that Tabane's intellect was that far superior to anyone, alive or dead, and that she'd be the greatest mind the world has ever known; and supposedly, with that intelligence, came a very carefree personality. One of the rumors was that she programmed Chifuyu's IS's core to be compatible to both siblings from the start. If that were possible, then this idea did not seem to be all that farfetched as well. But how or why even, would the world renowned IS developer make an IS to this particular boy of all people? There seemed to be no connection between the two of them; at least, not that she was aware of.

As she was occupied with finishing up the last of the scans and tests that she chose to run, the mechanical whirring of the door signaled the entrance of another body in the room. Yamada didn't even have to turn to know that her coworker and friend, the older Orimura sibling, was now walking towards her. They say if you know someone long enough, you can tell where they are just by the simple sounds of the footsteps - and Yamada had known Chifuyu for quite some time now.

"How is he?" Chifuyu asked her friend and fellow teacher.

"He's in peak physical condition - just as healthy as any of the IS pilots we've seen," replied Maya but she stopped there because she didn't want to hint that she wanted to ask either her or Lanuzo about how or why his IS core is so different from the others.

Chifuyu picked up on this - Maya was always so bad at hiding things from other people. The young woman was too obvious and too innocent to do so. The older Orimura sibling reached over Yamada and opened up the intercom.

"Lanuzo, how are you feeling?"

The teenager in question opened up his eyes and turned his towards his teachers. "Exceptional, Sensei. Yamada-san has taken good care of me - I can't ask for more than that."

The complimented teacher blushed in return as the other simply smirked in a teasing matter at the former.

"You're tests are done, Lanuzo. You may go back to your dorms or somewhere in the Academy. Just don't cause trouble like your classmate Orimura."

"Yes, Sensei."

Yamada released the capsule that Exequiel was in as he waited patiently for the mechanism to clear above him so he could walk out. Once it did, the student in question stepped out and made his way to the door that lead towards the rest of the Academy. He stopped for a moment and turned towards his teachers.

"May I use the first arena to run a training simulation for myself?" Lanuzo inquired.

"You can, so long as one of your classmates knows how to set it up for you. You would have to ask them," Chifuyu responded. "I'm sure one of them would help you out." A tinge of humor in her voice was present but it was not picked up by the male student or her fellow teacher. She knew that he had no problems with Ichika but "The Girls", as she referred to them, were not as accepting and nice as the young man they all fawned over. "And don't bother asking Orimura. He's been here a year and still doesn't know how program it."

Lanuzo clenched his jaw in apprehensiveness; the first encounter that he had with them was not at all that pleasant: the Alcott girl was extremely snooty and seemed extremely overbearing simply because of her superior complex regarding her own privileged status and then there was also the most recent time when he had asked the Chinese girl and the former to retreat back towards the class. He didn't see it but he knew there were the disapproving glares they were giving him. Lanuzo knew he asked them nicely - at least he thought he did - so there really should not have been that much animosity or resentment, right? But deep down, he knew that he had a long way to go in receiving their trust and respect. The two girls that did happen to say anything to him just seemed to be more upfront and open about it. Except for of course the French girl, Dunois he thought her name was. She was very sweet and had taken the first step in at least introducing herself. That instantly put her in front of everyone. The Japanese and German girl had not really said anything as of yet but he could tell that their facial expressions and their body language spoke volumes regarding their attuitude towards him.

"Oh, okay," Lanuzo replied, hesitance lingering in his tone. _Guess I'll work on my studies... Or maybe take a bath... Or... Something... _"Orimura-sensei, Yamada-sensei, I'll see you tomorrow," and with that he left the room.

Both instructors kept staring at the empty doorway that once held the second male IS student of the Academy. Chifuyu looked towards her fellow teacher and noticed that the latter was still looking intently as if the young man who just left would come back towards them.

"Maya," Chifuyu asked in her instructor voice.

The young woman in question looked up quickly towards her coworker, shocked as if she was snapped out of a daze. "Yes, Orimura-sensei?"

"I need to talk to you about Lanuzo. There's a couple things that you should know."

* * *

As Exequiel made his towards his assigned room with Ichika, he made it a point to keep his head down and his gaze to the floor. The poor young man didn't notice the slender, blue-haired young woman walking towards him. The sound of her footsteps echoing close to him startled the young man but he did his best to keep his nervousness and embarrassment for not acknowledging the girl in front of him.

"G-good afternoon, Miss," Lanuzo shakily said after he noticed the distinct features of the teenage girl standing in front of him. Red eyes, blue neck length hair, slender body; there were few teenagers that could not find the girl attractive and Exequiel Lanuzo was having a hard time denying the fact that he was not one of them. Just the way she walked made him feel awkward and uncomfortable in his own skin - much of course to the joy of his fellow classmate.

_Poor boy... Getting all flustered before I even say anything... He's easier to tease than Ichika... _"So. You must be the new transfer student," said the female teenager.

"Ye-yes. My name is Exequiel Lanuzo. Pleased to make your acquaintance," replied the socially awkward teenager. He did his best to offer a respectful bow but his nervousness made him go too low.

The girl in question waited for him to rise from his bow before introducing herself, which he did after a second or two of uncomfortable silence. "Nice to meet you, Lanuzo-kun. My name is Tatenashi Sarashiki," replied the class president with a whip of her fan and a seductive wink to pair with it.

The effect she was looking for was instantaneous; a blush quickly spread across the cheeks of the targeted boy of her flirtatious manners and his face grew tight. The poor boy released a breath that he wasn't even holding and a nervous gulp followed quickly after. Exequiel looked quickly around himself, scanning for even the slightest or most insignificant thing to find something to redirect the girl's attention. He noticed that she had taken a couple steps towards him and on instinct had retreated the same amount of space to keep the distance equal. Of course, if anything, this further amused Tatenashi and like a cat toying with a mouse, began to take quicker, smaller steps after Exequiel, her smile growing from ear to ear.

"Tatenashi-san? Is there something I can help you with?" Lanuzo asked nervously.

Tatenashi stopped for moment to think, giving Lanuzo a second to relax a little bit. She crossed her arms slightly and closed her fan and tapped her chin on it slightly, her face curled into a pondering expression.

"Mmmm... No," she said with a smirk as she took a step and faked a trip towards Lanuzo. Instinctively, Lanuzo ran towards her and caught her in the middle of her fall.

"Sarashiki-san, are you okay?" Lanuzo asked, full of concern. With his arms wrapped around her, Tatenashi smiled to herself as she playfully nuzzled into his shoulder. She looked up into his face and saw genuine concern and care - her question partially answered for now.

"I am, thank you," Tatenashi asked in her girliest voice she could muster.

"Hey, Tatenashi. Did you get bored of teasing Ichika to the point where you now tease the new transfer student?" a voice said in a tone of annoyance. Both teenagers looked towards the general direction of where the voice came from and saw Houki Shinonono with her eyes closed, her arms crossed, and a look of annoyance on her face.

"Eh?" asked Lanuzo as he looked back between the two girls. He nervously backed away from Tatenashi but did so slowly assured that she would keep her balance for the time being.

"Awww, Houki-chan," Tatenashi said in a teasing tone. "Still a little angry about me rooming with Ichika last year and all the time we spent together?"

"O-of course not! Like I care!" Houki replied haughtily with a blush across her face, but Tatenashi knew she was lying. The Shinonono girl had always had a crush on Ichika for the longest time and she knew Ichika felt the same way towards her. Why she didn't know the latter was beyond her but it was fun amusing herself to see the two interact without any of the other girls who liked Ichika interrupting the two of them. And of course, flirting with Ichika in front of Houki.

Lanuzo was a little surprised to see the girl who came off indifferent and cold actually had a girly side and that it was so apparent when it came to his only male classmate. He knew girls had the tendency to become nervous and flustered when the guy they liked was around or talking or being serious with them but he had not really seen that transition from the outer shell shown to the world to the hidden face that they kept for their one and only. Perhaps Ichika would know more on the matter - after all, he had spent a year here without another male classmate. He amused himself to watch the two girls bicker - one serious and the other simply just being playful.

"Tatenashi-san! Shinonono-san! I'll see you later!" he yelled out, waving towards them as he walked down the hall to get to his dorm room. The two girls stopped their momentary bickering to see him receding down the hallway.

"You know, Houki-chan, between Ichika and him, who do you think is the better pilot?" Tatenashi asked.

Houki looked at her friend bemused and shocked that she would ask such a question. From experience, she saw the brilliant young man Ichika was, how selfless and willing he is to plunge into danger to save them, to save her. From today, she saw the explosive speed and power that Exequiel was able to generate - an output that put the enemies they faced to shame. But then again, he fought drones, not IS units. Ichika had that experience whereas she assumed Lanuzo did not.

"Hard to say."

"There's a tournament coming up again this year for the second years. Think he'll participate?"

"He should. We'll see where he stands at that point."

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys. A pretty good follow up in terms of update - at least that's what I think. ^_^ As opposed to the content of this chapter, I wanted to slow it down a little bit and try focus mainly on interactions with the characters. In my opinion, this was a way for me to find out whether or not I can be entertaining without the action. Regarding the anime, a lot of the humor and joy was in the way the characters interacted and the dialogue especially. With the way I ended this chapter, I have set up what the next two chapters - maybe three - will be like. **

**coco6561: It is good to be back and I am pleased to know that you enjoyed that chapter and that this was not disappointing in what you were expecting regarding Tatenashi and my OC's interactions. Don't worry; there'll be more. :)**

**Mzr90: I'm glad that I was able to impress you in the quality of my work. I try to be as original and genuine as possible in my writing so I thank you for your review. **

**'Til next chapter, see you guys later. **


	6. Chapter 6

Ichika Orimura was lying in his bed with his eyes still closed but mentally awake, completely aware of the familiar body weight and warmth that he had grown accustomed to waking up to. What surprised Ichika the most was how light she felt even though he knew how strong, violent, and short-tempered his friend could be. But still, there were her cute moments and the times where she really did act like a girl; even though her mannerisms and her ideas were way off of the Japanese standard. Ichika looked down towards his chest to see a familiar head of silver hair and the gentle movement of her back moving up and down with each breath. Laura always woke up after Ichika mainly because he always asked her to get off of him so he could shower and get the day started. For a moment, he enjoyed her sleeping on top of him and the way her face looked - peaceful, calm, and cute. He smiled inwardly. _She would blush at that. _

Before he could shake her awake, he heard a faint snore around him that seemed a little bit farther off. Then the realization hit him like a ton of bricks; he wasn't alone anymore. Well, he always had a roommate but it was always a girl and at least they were somewhat accepting about Laura sleeping with Ichika. He was rooming with Lanuzo now and from the experience of yesterday's lunch, he didn't do too well around girls. How would his new friend and classmate react to a naked girl sleeping on top of him? Ichika glanced over towards his new roommate and saw him sleeping on his stomach with the sheet partially off of his body and his head on the corner of the pillow. With a deep breath, Lanuzo stirred in his sleep and stretched out his limbs from underneath the sheet. As he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was Ichika looking at him but it was a nervous kind of stare; as if waking up was the last thing that his roommate wanted.

"Oi, Ichika. You okay?" Lanuzo asked in a groggy voice still heavy with sleep and his eyes still fighting through the morning light. Ichika didn't say anything, he just slightly nodded toward his friend with a nervous smile etched across his face. Lanuzo didn't think too much of it and passed it off as Ichika still getting used to having another guy in his room. Satisfied with the reply that he received, Lanuzo sat up on his bed and stretched, a loud throaty groan escaping him.

Before Ichika could warn Exequiel about the sleeping girl that he thought was not yet aware of the other male presence in the room, all he could see was Laura's traditional butterfly army knife sailing through the air at his classmate. The next fractions of a second he couldn't see what happened next, but when he looked over to where his classmate was, the butterfly knife was stuck into the mattress.

"Orimura-san, since when did you have girls in your room?!" Lanuzo yelled from behind the mattress.

"Don't you know it's custom for a husband to sleep with his wife?! How dare you interrupt our time together!" Laura yelled at the top of her lungs.

"You're married?!"

Ichika just sighed and shook his head to himself. The poor girl just would not get the notion out of her head but it didn't matter all that much to him. The friendship and relationship he had with her and everyone else still pretty much stayed the same.

"Exequiel-"

"Wife! You call him by his first name?!" Laura screeched, her voice sounding like she was betrayed.

At this point, the poor boy was starting to become completely lost as to how Ichika interacted with the German girl. First, the notion that the two were married and second, he must have been mistaken that his friend was called the "wife'". Surely, that must have been him mishearing her. Exequiel didn't know much about girls or on how to go about interacting with them but he was one hundred percent positive that when a man and woman are married, the man is called 'husband' and the woman is called 'wife' - it was just the way things had been for generations and obviously this generation had fully accepted that notion as well, or so he thought.

Before he decided that any further thought would be wasted time, Exequiel scrambled out from behind the mattress as he grabbed the closest clothing that he could find. He didn't care what he looked like getting out of his room at this time of the morning but he would do so alive. With an article of clothing in hand, he pushed the mattress and blankets at Laura and Ichika, hoping that he would have ample time for him to escape. The two friends were caught off guard and easily took the bait of the distraction that their new classmate had employed and were struggling to get out of the bedding that was launched at them. By the time Laura and Ichika were able to free themselves from the trap that consisted of the mattress and bedding, all they could hear was the door of the sound closing behind them.

Laura looked toward the door with a look of disgust on her face. How could she have fallen for that ridiculous and simple distraction? It was too easy for him - the next time, the new student would not be so lucky. She will teach him how to interact with her wife when she is around. Ichika just closed his eyes and sighed inwardly, his hand covering his face. He cared about Laura, he really did. Of course she could be just as overbearing on him as Cecilia and she had her really cute moments like Houki and Charlotte but sometimes, the poor girl would not just take the hint. Before he could move off the bed, he was stopped in his tracks by Laura's butterfly knife.

"We're going to have a talk later," she told him with a straight face. With that, she put on her clothes that were on the floor and left the room.

_Jeez... _

Meanwhile, Yamada-sensei was walking through the hallways of the Academy with a stack of papers pushed against her bosom. She was going over what Chifuyu had told her about Exequiel - could all of it really be true? That was a dumb question; Orimura-san never lied and she knew Tabane the best out of everyone in the world, even her little sister Houki didn't know her as well as her co-worker did. Yamada then realized that as farfetched as the notion sounded, it would explain his ability as a pilot and his physical conditioning. As these thoughts ran rampant through her mind, she noticed a shadow behind a potted plant in the form of a body. Curious, she ambled over towards the shadow and peeked over.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" She immediately was stunned to say anything else because there, hiding behind the potted plant was Exequiel wearing just a pair of briefs, his body in a stance to try and hide individuals seeing his unmentionables. His head was down, staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Hey, Sensei," he replied nervously, a healthy shade of red rising up to his cheeks. "I apologize for you seeing me like this."

It was Yamada's time to form a healthy blush at her student. As an inexperienced young woman, she had never laid eyes on another male individual in just his undergarments. The thought of laying eyes on a member of the opposite sex and finding herself purely attracted towards due to the raging primal hormones that the body kicks into was completely new to her. She quickly adverted her eyes as she again caught herself admiring the physique of her younger student.

"Wh-what are you doing outside of your dorm with just your undergarments on?" Yamada asked in a hushed whisper.

"I panicked when I noticed Bodewig-san was in our room and I fled after she tried to throw her butterfly knife at me. I grabbed the closest thing that I could find so that I would not be running out of my room devoid of any clothing. But, as you can see, what was accessible either did not help my situation much or perhaps made it more difficult."

Yamada-sensei felt for the poor boy - it was understandable that the girls of the Academy were hesitant of Ichika but he quickly won the hearts over all of the female body and the world because of his personality. But the way they really could not offer the same kind of treatment towards another male besides Ichika was frustrating. With a deep sigh and a small smile on her face, Yamada motioned for her student to follow her.

"Follow me. We'll find you some clothes."

In the classroom, Ichika held his head down in his arms on his desk, mentally already annoyed and tired of the morning ruckus that occurred a couple of hours ago. A deep sigh exited his mouth as Ichika struggled to find a way for the girls to get him to respect the new man at the school. True, it seemed that Exequiel came off a little distant and he also looked like he was not the first person that was comfortable with members of the opposite sex so that didn't really helped. But he knew that his classmate, deep down, was as polite and respectful as he was. Not to mention that he should have at least be respected somewhat a little bit by now because of the ability of his IS. He expected everyone to be gathered around him, asking him questions about his training and his IS and things relative to that sort of nature. Except, he saw the opposite - they were cold, distant, and he saw them deliberately not giving Exequiel a chance. Ichika thought that maybe if he showed a little bit more respect to Lanuzo, the girls would follow suit. But, he knew that wouldn't happen either; Cecilia and Laura hadn't exactly helped that cause either. That's when he realized that Lanuzo hadn't shown up for class yet either. All the desks were filled except for his.

"Hey, did you see Lanuzo-san running around this morning out of the dorm room today? I heard that he was seen in just his underwear," said a girl as she tried to stifle her giggle.

"He's rooming with Orimura-kun now right? I wonder why he would be running out of the room in a panic with just his underwear on."

"I heard Bodeweig-san chased him out of the room," a third girl chimed in.

"I heard he wasn't wearing anything and that he was trying to put on clothes as he ran through the dormitories," squeaked a fourth.

Ichika snuck a glance towards Laura and he could only sigh in resignation. How would Exequiel make any headway with the girls? Laura and Cecilia had shown the strongest dislike towards him rather openly and Rin and Houki haven't really been receptive with him either. The only ones he could think of at the moment that might be able to help him have them all respect Exequiel more would be Charlotte or Chifuyu. However, the former was generally angelic but she had a dark side that unnerved him and his sister would more than likely flat out reject helping him, mainly because she had asked Ichika to look after Exequiel in the first place. His sister would more than likely scold him for not being able to do what she asked of him and the last thing he wanted was for Chifuyu to be disappointed with him. Ichika told himself he would find a way to help Exequiel earn the respect of his friends. He owed him that much.

The door whirred open to find Yamada-sensei walking into the room followed by Lanuzo-san. The latter was dressed in the usual school uniform but everyone could see that he was embarrassed and could not look up at the rest of the class. The rumors and chatter that was going on before the two new occupants of the room entered immediately ceased as they watched the young man walk towards the front of the class, still choosing to avoid eye contact with basically anyone. However, he inhaled deeply and hesitantly looked up towards his classmates.

"For the situation that happened earlier this morning, I do humbly apologize!" announced Exequiel very nervously. "Please forgive me if I caused any discomfort or if my antics were too much!" He bowed at the waist and stayed like that for about five seconds, long enough for the apology to soak in but not long enough for the silence to become awkward.

"Um, thank you Lanuzo-san. Please take your seat," Yamada-sensei asked of her student. For her, she could only imagine the embarrassment the poor boy had just went through. But she couldn't think more on the matter. Her duty as a teacher came first. And there was a lot to be done over the next couple days.

"Class, as you may know, there is a tournament coming up for the second year students. Teams can be chosen at the students' discretion and therefore, this tournament is very similar to the ones that have been held here at the Academy. Students willing to participate in the tournament have exactly two days from now to submit their entries of their name alongside their partner's as well. Those who are participating in the tournament will have priority to the training grounds."

The girls all looked at each other and at Ichika to see if they would be able to get him as a partner for the upcoming tournament. Ichika didn't return their looks; he didn't have to. He knew what they wanted out of him. And as much as he normally would just recoil and choose not to choose, Ichika saw this as an opportunity for the girls to start respecting his classmate more. Exequiel needed a new friend and Ichika would be the first one to reach out to him. He had done it before when Tatenashi-san asked him to partner up with her sister.

The rest of the class went without much incident. Yamada-sensei lectured as usual and from appearances, everyone was paying attention but five girls could hardly pay attention since they were all focusing on the one boy in particular. And whether the said boy knew it or not, they all could notice the apprehension on his face. What it was, they could only imagine but they all hoped that maybe, just maybe, he would begin becoming closer to one of them on another level. They were all friends but they all saw each other as a rival.

Ichika was indeed getting nervous; he knew the girls would jump on him as soon as class ended and he would probably never hear the end of it once he made his decision known. He didn't want to antagonize them anymore but there was a limit. As nice of a guy he was and he cared about his friends, Ichika knew that at some point, everyone has to grow up and it sometimes took someone to be the bigger person.

As soon as the bell rang to signify the end of another day, Yamada-sensei discontinued her lecture.

"That's it for today. Please have a good day."

Before Ichika could call out Exequiel's name, the latter had already stood up quickly from his desk and left the classroom without so much as saying a word to anybody. Everyone's eyes quickly followed him as he left the room.

"Do you think Lanuzo-san's okay?" one girl asked.

"I don't know. He hasn't really said anything all day," replied another.

As Ichika got up to walk after his classmate, he was stopped by a familiar bright blonde color. He closed his eyes in resignation; he knew what she was going to say before she even said it.

"Ichika! Where do you think you're going?!" Cecilia yelled with a huff, placing her hands on her hips in emphasis.

"Uh, hi Cecilia," Ichika replied sheepishly. "I have to be somewhere, so if you could please excuse me-"

"Exactly where are you going, Ichika?" Rin chimed in with her arms crossed at her chest.

Ichika quickly glanced around and saw that all of the girls were ganging up on him. All five of them intense in their purpose in trying to partner up with the boy of their dreams. Ichika closed his eyes and sighed. This was going to be extremely difficult.

* * *

**Erhmagawd! He's alive! How long has it been everyone? I humbly do apologize for my lack of updating. Been working a lot since FanFiction doesn't pay bills, keep the roof over my head, or food on my table. But, I still do it. Because I love writing - and I love it that you guys read them. **

**Still doing Beta reading or editors if anyone is interested. It's really off and on work but I check my email everyday so if anyone is interested, I know immediately and I react to it. **

**Take care guys. 'Til next time.**


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