Hi ya'll I'm back with more words than I felt writing in one day... Well Onward to Victory!

'Why Rin, do you just enjoy watching people squirm?' Ichika though as he sat at his desk in his dorm room as Rin and Houki were arguing on who should live with Ichika. Houki was get very worked up while Rin on the other hand had a smirk across her face.

"So after hearing all my points, will you change rooms with me?" Rin asked in a very polite, but irritating and out of character tone.

"Wha… What? No are you crazy or just plain idiotic?" Houki refuted. Ichika picked up a newspaper and began to read it hoping to drowned out the two girls.

"Well from my sources you are bothered by sharing a room with a guy. I just here out of the goodness of my heart to help you." Rin gently explained. Ichika snorted and thought to himself, 'What sources?'

Houki seem to be on the same page as she said, "You've been here for what four days what 'sources' could you possible have that would give you any credible information?"

'Oh call her bullshit, Houki!' Ichika mentally cheered.

"I know it maybe hard for you to stomach being his childhood friend and all, but don't force yourself to stay if you don't truly want to." Rin responded.

Houki got red with anger, "What does that have to do with anything?" she yelled back.

"So you're fine being alone, in a room with the sole other occupant being a male, and one that you happen to be very, very close with?" Rin asked coyly.

'I better step in before this erupts into full scale war.' Ichika though as he set his paper down and turn to the girls. "So Rin is that all you have?" He asked pointing to the bag she was carrying.

"Everything I need for a week, unlike some girls I happen to be quite low maintenance." Rin said with a grin. She then drop the bag to the floor with a loud metallic thud, to which she gave Ichika a sheepish grin.

"Will you just leave already, I'd like to get some sleep!" Houki asked send Ichika a glare to signal him to help get Rin out. Rin noticed this and shot Ichika a look of pure mischief.

"Ok both of you can we deal with this in the morning when I am not tried. Now Rin scoot, let us sleep." Ichika sighed as he ordered his friends to drop the subject.

"Alright then," Rin suddenly conceded. "Have fun sleeping… with each other." She finished saying as a pillow was thrown at the door and she was leaving. Ichika just sighed then crashed on his bed.

"Ichika could you explain how you can stand that girl?" Houki huffed as she sat on her bed.

"She never wanted to take the room, she was just seeing how far she could annoyed you before you retaliate with force." Ichika calmly explained.

"You knew with a just let her continue?"

"Do you like staying with me?" Ichika asked before dozing off leaving Houki wondering the same thing.

()

Dan leaned back into his chair, the operations have been going well. Task was on the defencive, but disturbing information has come to his knowledge. Most of the ISs used by Phantom Task are not Tabane made. While, yes, they were not of the same quality, there were many of them, enough to counter Paladin's effort to produce Battleframes. But with recent acquisition of scientists and research material turned this problem into a ingenious solution.

"So Dr. Murphy what has your team come up with?" Dan leaned forward in his chair.

"You're really our leader?" the Doctor asked looking around.

"Yeah I know I'm a little young, but technically I'm only acting commander until the real one comes back from his extended mission slash vacation." Dan responded. He then shifted in his seat. "I do sign your checks though, if that means anything."

"Ok, well to put simple me and my team have been looking at these Non-Tabane IS cores. They are far inferior to a real core, but still much better that our cores." Dr. Murphy explained.

"So what does that mean for us. If they are like ISs we kill them the same way, most of the gear we have is just to fight off ISs anyways." Dan stated.

"Well, with help from the AI…"

"I have a name!" Lucy grumbled as she popped her hologram up in the room.

"Yes, the Local Uniformed Centralized Intelligence or... Lucy." The doctor rubbed his head.

"Wait that's you full name?" Dan asked the AI.

"What don't you know AIs are suppose to have those cool sounding names?" Lucy replied.

"The project!" Dr. Murphy attempted to redirect the conversation.

"Sorry, continue."

"So with help from… Lucy we were able to reprogram some of the IS cores for our own use. Using data collected from Kuromochi's IS that was give to that Ichika kid we were able to allow men to use the cores." Murphy explained.

"Sweet so we get to deploy our own ISs?"

"No." Murphy deadpanned.

"So what the hell can we do?"

"Using three linked cores we were able to build a more powerful variant to the Battleframe. It would put them on par with the Task type ISs."

"Wait they only need to use one core while we need three? How does that work?" Dan asked.

"Er, you see when we reprogrammed them, we can't just rip out the black boxed code so we had to work around it and a lot of the onboard AI processing power goes into a loop to think the user is female. So when we got to using them it took three different cores to power and use all the different systems."

"That seem eerily convenient. So how many of these 'tri' core frames can we make?" Dan asked.

"Forty. Just here in Japan alone, but will all the cores we have captured around the world from the different raids and battles around 360 give or take. And that number will always be changing."

"Cool we have more of those than there are 'official Tabane cores' in the world." Dan whistled.

"So each core serves a function, one is for HUD and movement, one from weapons and storage, and the third is for shields a storage."

"Storage?"

"You know how IS pilots can 'call' forth their IS, we can do the same, but the data is so much that we have to put it on two cores." Murphy explained.

"Ok this is just getting too cool, is the prototype ready?" Dan asked.

"I guess so, it not 100% operational, but it is close."

"So what you just need to put the paint and decals on it?" Dan held back a laugh as he asked.

"Actually… yes some of the scientists are in disagreement on what we should paint it."

"Well take me to it I need to try it out." Dan ordered. Dr. Murphy lead Dan to the test chamber.

"You know it underground base is massive when did we have time to build all of this in just around a month?" Dan asked.

"Well since we are not exactly following governmental regulations things can get done a lot… faster." Lucy pitched in from the intercom. They walked into the large test chamber, it was a wide room with high ceilings. The walls were reinforced with steel and concrete.

Murphy lead Dan into the staging room where the Tri-core Frame waited. It was just a little bit larger than a human, but was opened up so one could slide in and control it. The back had an upside down 'Y' that's tips were glowing. While the Battleframe was much smaller and more like armour that a knight would wear, this Tri-core Frame as it has been called is more along the lines of a mini-mobile suit. It was at least twice the bulk of an IS as well.

"This thing is amazing, is it safe to put on?" Dan wondered.

"Yes, you would put it on the same way one would put on any sort of power armour." Murphy explained as Dan when up to the Frame and put it on. He then tested out how it walked.

"This moves pretty fluidly."

"We'll take it out to the test chamber and try out the different features." Murphy suggested. Dan maneuvered the frame out to the chamber and looked around for a weapon to use.

"Problem I have no weapons." Dan distressed.

"Check on your wrist there should be a panel with three buttons the default weapons on it are a machinegun, a heavy pistol, and a sword, because swords are cool." Murphy said demently about the weapons.

Dan fiddled around with his suit and found the button in question and spawned a pistol in his hands. "So how much ammo does this have?"

"I think around ten thousand rounds. The fun thing about using IS cores is that you have a bottomless clip but you have a maximum you can hold."

"Ok so I can just sustain fire?"

"Not with the pistol that has heavier rounds to take out highly armour targets like the IS. The machinegun on the other hand uses lighter rounds and is for suppression of multiple enemies. Would you like to see how well you can stand up against heavy fire?" Murphy asked.

"Sure what do I have to do?"

"Just stand on the dot in the center." Dan complied and walked to the large dot.

"Now what?" Dan asked. Along the wall three 120mm guns raced along rails to surround him. They each took aim and fired one round. Alarms went off inside of Dan's frame, ranging from shields had collapsed to different systems being hit. The guns raced away as Murphy came up on a little tram car to Dan. The frame to badly hurt to move any more so Dan jumped out and joined Murphy as other crew came to retrieve the frame.

"Sorry about that, I'll need to calibrate the shield better, they were suppose to barely be working after that hit." Murphy explain to a shocked Dan.

"Just wow, that was a rush, the HUD lit up like a christmas tree!" Dan said still recovering from watching his life flash before his eyes.

"I'd still call it a success those guns did not shot just any slugs they were HE rounds!" Lucy said ecstatically. "I wonder how I could get them to survive a round going a mach 7?" The AI left to lurk within the mainframe to work out that idea.

"Ok next test were getting a more able pilot." Dan said. "Hmm, I'll ask my sister."

000

"Rin this duel is a long time coming." Ichika said.

"I will so bet you in this tournament and the best part were the first match." Rin sneered back. The two broke into laughter as the went back and forth on the subject. Houki and Cecilia were off to the side watching this.

"Ichika can't you take this seriously? Houki asked.

Ichika thought for a moment. "Well I already know I'll win anyways so I humor her."

"Oh like hell you just started using your IS just a month ago, me? Almost a year." Rin grinned.

"I guess you would be faster than me due to how streamlined you are." Ichika joked.

"Oh we can make cracks at that field now. I heard you had little trouble when it came to trying on your IS suit especially the under part." Rin returned fire.

"At least I don't compensate." Ichika looked down and muttered

"Have you seen the size of your sword lately?"

"Hey that was unintentional. You know what for that I won't talk to you until the tournament starts."

"It starts today though? We're the first fight, we have to get ready in an hour." Rin said slowly with a deadpan voice.

Ichika then 'mouthed not my problem' and turned to Houki and Cecilia, "Lets go now we have things to prepare!" The girls looked at his sighed and then followed him out.

0000

Ichika was is his IS and was ready for combat, with some optimization help from Lucy he could change loadouts, from his IS's main sword to his Battleframe's rifle and then to a combination of the two where he could throw out a turret a sport a large shield. His IS was meant for war anyways so this amount of munitions did not surprise him, but would give him shock value in a fight.

The announcer started to speak. "Our first duel is between the Class 1 and Class 2 with Ichika Orimura and Lingyin Huang representing their respective classes. Reps you may now enter the field." Ichika flew out using him jetpack and landed on the floor of the arena as Rin came flying out and floated on the opposite side to him.

"Reps you may began." The announcer said.

"So Ichika what kind of fight do you want?" Rin asked with a grin.

"I'd say swords, but then I choose a gun anyways so." Ichika dived back as Rin popped of a shot with the rifle of her IS.

"Eh that data never said you had a rifle!" Ichika moaned.

"There was left over room so I decided to have it added on." Rin shrugged her shoulders.

"Well fine then be that way." Ichika returned fire. Even though he liked to be on the ground it really wrecked any advantage he had. So he just haphazardly jump around avoiding shots and hoping he would not get hit… which he did get hit constantly.

"Having fun yet?" Rin asked in a singsong voice.

"Uh sure it always a blast to win!" Ichika grinned. Rin eye went wide as she dropped from the sky and her rifle jammed.

"Oh really you had to pull that move." Rin groaned as she stood up.

Ichika brought out his sword, "You wanna duel this way?" Rin seemed to eye her HUD for a second then he produced two swords to which he charged at Ichika. It then became a battle of paring and defecting slashes and strikes. They jumped about and around dodging and weaving each other hits. Rin took to the sky once again with a grin on her face.

"Whatcha going to do now?" She asked.

"I think I'll join you." Ichika actives his boosterpack and hovers facing Rin.

"Ooo you are good." Rin says. "But you forgot one thing."

"And that would be?"

"My main weapon." Ichika blasts back after being impacted by impact cannons. He is able to stabilize himself before hitting the ground. Ichika checked how much shield points he had left, it was around 53%. His link to Rin's IS told him, her IS was around 48%.

"That was a good hit. I forgot about those." Ichika said returning to equal altitude with Rin. A proximity alarm went off as a few objects crashed in through the arena's shield.

'Ichika' Lucy alerted him. 'Paladin agents were fighting a group of Task agents and they chased one and they ended you in your vicinity… wait let me guess they ended up in the same arena as you?'

'Yeah Rin and I we're just dueling when they crashed through the arena's shield dome, there is currently a cloud of dust around where they landed.' Ichika responded.

'I will alert Rin to join the same channel as us as to not be recorded by ISA.' Lucy said.

"Ok Ichika what's this about our agents?" Rin asks over the new channel.

"These are our new type suits we call tri-core frame, they allow men to use the IS cores we have stolen from Task." Lucy explained. "They are currently engaging a Task type frame using similar configurations, appears to be a prototype though." The dust cleared and four IS like machine could be seen. One large one and three smaller ones. The smaller ones were in a stare down with the larger one.

"Pilots sound off." Lucy ordered. "A commander is taking over."

"Aye, Team Agias Leader Kenji reporting in."

"Er this is Jeb."

"Yo, people call me Yo!" The three sound of in order.

"Ok this is Commander Ichi." Ichika said to the three. "I am coordinating with the two IS pilots in the arena with you they will help you roger?"

"Roger Commander. What's the plan?" Kenji asked.

"The plan is, you three are rangers with low shields right?" Ichika asked.

"Correct sir."

"Good you three with blast it from afar while the two ISs with you will attack them at close range." Ichika said.

"Ichika." Rin said over their private line. "I ready."

"Ok, when I say go you three jump back and the ISs will jump in to cover your retreat."

"Got it."

"GO!"

Agias Team jumped back as the Rin and Ichika jumped in and started to put the pressure on the Task IS.

"Scans show that the IS is not manned." Lucy reported to Ichika, Rin and Team Agias.

"Good, open fire with extreme prejudice as soon as the ISs are clear." Ichika ordered. The two jumped out other the line of fire that poured onto Task IS. "Cease fire." When they stopped firing, Ichika blasted towards the IS with his sword and hit it with the energy blade cutting the IS in half.

When the dust finally settled Ichika spoke to Agias Team. "I believe this is a proper time to leave our calling card."

"Sir are you sure, this is the first time we have done that."

"And this is the first time you have battled in front of the world's media, do it." Ichika urged.

"Ok sir." Kenji flew over to the center of the arena and placed something on the ground. After pressing a button on it a large hologram filled up the center of the arena. It was a image of a blue bird coming out from behind a white shield. On the shield it said, 'Defenders of the old ways, Supporters of the future.'

"You three had better get back to base before-" Ichika was cut off as four ISA ISs enter the arena.

"Orimura, Huang please leave the arena, Unknown targets state up names and affiliations." On of the ISA ISs ordered

"We are Agias Team of Paladin, Defenders of the old ways, Supporters of the future!" Kenji yelled. He and his team blasted out of the arena unchallenged.

"Where those men in ISs?" the ISA pilot asked.

000

"My Daughter so glad you are still alive…" Mr. Dunois said to Charlotte.

"Yeah father, what is it you wish me to do?" She asked.

"Ah yes, Ms Dreyfus please bring over the file." Mr. Dunois said into his new assistant.

"Yes Mr. Dunois." The lady brought over a file and set in in front of Charlotte.

"Your mission is to infiltrate the ISA as a representative cadet of France and student then seduce or kill Ichika Orimura, this is going to be a long term operation so you will have to make do with what ever you can find."

"My ID card says that I am a male." Charlotte noted.

"Yes an integral part of the plan, you have been giving the knowledge on how to act and behave like a male, though it is not perfect. We have created a special undershirt to hide your assets, it looks like skin so you can be topless without showing off."

"If I am to play a male how do I romance Orimura."

"I leave that up to your discretion, but an idea would be to be his 'buddy' that is a good point to start off."

"When do I leave sir?"

"Now, Dreyfus lead her to retrieve her IS and get her to the plane." Dunois said. As they left the room Dunois turned his chair around and looked out the window of his office. It showed a factory pumping out machines. They looked like tanks but using spider-like legs instead of treds.

"Soon Paladin, Phantom Task, and the world shall know the power of name Dunois of France!"

Is someone on a power trip or what? So we now have tri-core ISs yes you saw it here first. Now we have a flagship Paladin Team Agias, who may or may not get their own side story. Dunois is building an army and Task is make IS cores. So thoughts, comments, questions, concerns? The review and pm lines are now open to take you messages