Fanfic / Infinite Stratos: Prototype Spartan

"Okay Mickey, I need you with the Demoman to move up on the left side of the objective. Romeo, you need to go in with the Spy-"

— Kira and his 'tactics training'

"Shut up. All OF YOU! You know, I'm not sure how many friends you've had, Orimura-sensei, but I know that when someone nearly kills two of my friends, they die by my hands."

— Kira, Chapter 8, telling Chifuyu what happens when you mess with Kira's buddies.

Infinite Stratos: Prototype Spartan tells the story of Kira Orthun, the pilot of the IS Unit MJOLNIR, as he enters IS Academy, told from his perspective. The story mixes in elements of Halo while keeping in parts of Infinite Stratos, all the while adding new parts into it, somewhat expanding on the world of Infinite Stratos and how the world could've been affected with its introduction.

Even with the elements of Halo present, the author manages to keep Kira Orthun from being too overpowered considering how Halo: Combat Evolved took place past the 2500 year range, sticking with the rules of IS battles. The story includes some Alternative Character Interpretation, putting a few characters into a new light and exploring how one person can make a huge difference, and also delves deeper into how a super weapon for one gender can tip the equality of the sexes massively.

The story was published August 24th 2012.

As of December 15th, 2012, Season One (what the first season on the anime covered) has been completed.

Also, as of May 5th 2013, what the Light Novels cover (as Volume 8 had yet to be released) has been completed.

As of May 12th, 2013, Season Two has been completed.

The story was completed on August 24th, 2012, the author saying he had been aiming to complete the story in a year. The author also states that four omakes will be coming out, one of which has been completed.

Note: When referencing chapters, please use the fanfiction chapter numbers. (For example, Chapter 25 on the fanfiction site is Chapter 22 from Kira's point of view as the author does not label Season Openings/Finales, Flashbacks, and Holiday Specials with 'Chapter X')

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This fic provides examples of the following tropes:

• Adaptational Badass: Ichika is far more competent that his original counterpart.
• Amazon Brigade: The base in Chapter 9 is full of women who know how to pilot all sorts of vehicles.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Asked by Kira to Kaznashi.
  Kira: "I know you're scared, but just ask yourself, if you crawl away and hide, what happens to the people that you care for?"
• Anti-Hero: Kira. He stays on the side of good, but slips into the other categories when his Berserk Button is pressed.
• Augmented Reality: Done with One Hundred Percent Synchronization.
• Badass Boast: Kira gets several.
• Badass Crew: Wolf Team... and all the other Spartans.
• Bash Brothers: Kira and Ichika
• Battle in the Center of the Mind: The beginning of Chapter 13. Kira is in the part of his mind that E has taken up and faces himself, Persona 4 style.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Madoka's reason for betraying Phantom Task and coming back to Kira's side.
• Better Than New: Kira in Chapter 1, who's about to die... and then comes back as a half-IS, half-man hybrid.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Kira's normally a pretty polite person... until you make him snap. See Berserk Button below.
• Berserk Button: You simply do not harm Shinonono Tabane if Kira is around.
  • Do not ever say that Kira is not normal.
  • Do not say that E is not human in front of Kira.
  • Do not treat Kira like a tool to be used.
• Break the Cutie: No so much as 'cute' in Kira's case, but after Chapter 9, things take a turn for the worse.
• Brick Joke: Used with Curse Cut Short.
  Kira (Chapter 10): FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
  Kira (Chapter 11): UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!
• Bridal Carry: Done by Kira to Kazanashi in Chapter 21... right before leaping out of a window.
• Call-Back: Invoked by Ichika:
  "Kira?! What the hell are you doing?!" Romeo screamed as I limped forward, pushing Lopez aside. It's not giving the countersign…
  Ichika: Oh no.
  Cecilia: …What is it, Ichika-san?
  Ichika: Cecilia-san… you remember the first day of class, right?
  Cecilia: Hm…? Oh. OH…
• Calling Your Attacks: Ichika seems fond of this at times.
• Casual Danger Dialog
• Cerebus Syndrome: End of Chapter 9 through Chapter 12.
  • Though it shifts back to its regular state of comedy by the end of Chapter 13, making it a bit of a Cerebus Rollercoaster.
  • However, with Season Three, it seems to be following this.
• Character Development: Kira went from being overly paranoid and rather violent at times and over time becomes friendlier, then even manages to be able to accept the darker parts of himself.
• Chekhov's Gun: Remember that thing that took up all of Kira's remaining Equalizer's all the way in the beginning? It's actually HyperDrive, a performance enhancer with a nasty time limit of five minute usage.
  • Also, at the beginning of Season Two Kira mentions he added a coin dispenser to his IS. Guess what he uses as a weapon later on.
• Cliffhanger: One at the end of Chapter 25.
• Cluster F-Bomb: Kira's prone to dropping these.
• Cosmic Plaything: Kira is convinced he is one.
• Combat Pragmatist: Kira will use anything he has to win. Even paper plates.

  Kira: I didn't cheat, I won.

• *Cough* Snark *Cough*: Done by Madoka.
• Covert Pervert: Madoka calls Houki out on this.
• Crazy-Prepared: Overlaps somewhat with Zen Survivor.
  Kira: I don't train. I survive. There's no way to train for an ambush that kills your best friend. There's no way to train with how society sees you. There's no way to train for assassins and terrorists trying to kill you to remove the symbol of man's hope. But I prepare for the next time it could happen. Because I can.
• Curse Cut Short: The end of Chapter 5
• Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: Averted, since E becomes somewhat of a Morality Pet for Kira.
• Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Kira is used to reloading, so even if his unit is capable of firing without the need to reload, he keeps the manual reloading setting on.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Kira, in spades! Let's list what he's gone through as revealed in Chapter 11 and 12
  • Kira was kidnapped and raped when he was roughly 12 or 13 years old
  • Killed someone right after breaking out of his prison
  • Then, later on, a good day turns horrible when the Russian Army comes in to invade.
  • Lastly, he loses his closest friend and goes on a suicidal rampage.
  • Don't forget about Rei, who's been tested on since she was 3 years old.
• Deadpan Snarker: Kira's snarks often happen when Chifuyu is talking.
• Determinator: Ichika's Hot-Blooded attacks can still drill through Laura's AIC.
  • Chapter 12.5, even though he's been knocked out due to HyperDrive, Kira gets up and starts shooting at Silvero Gospel despite any injuries he has.
  • Subverted, since he still falls due to his injuries despite his determination.
• Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male: Kira works very hard to avert this.
• Empathic Weapon: Each IS has a 'Emotional Core', and also provides the reason on why females are more likely to pilot an IS.
• Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: Kira points guns at people to get information out of them.
• Everyone Can See It: Most of the Spartans point out how Tabane and Kira seem attracted to one another.
• Ferris Wheel Date Moment: Happens with some ship teasing between Kira and Tabane.
  • Lampshaded by Kira.
• Filler: Complete with flashbacks!
• First-Name Basis: Kira calls everyone by first name in American standards.
• Five-Man Band: Wolf Team
  • The Hero: Kira
  • The Lancer: Mickey
  • The Big Guy: Shinjiro
  • The Smart Guy: Romeo
  • The Heart: Xavier
• Foregone Conclusion: Once you get to the flashback chapters, you can already tell that Luke is as good as gone.
• Foreshadowing: Chapter 11, Xavier mentions that what Chifuyu did could earn the wrath of All of the Spartans. Only Wolf Team has ever been mentioned to Kira.
• Gilligan Cut: Played for Laughs when it comes to Kira and plans.
  I just came up with the Best. Plan. Eve-
  line break
  "OH DAMNIT WHY?!"
  "Come back here and let me KILL YOU!"
• Glass Cannon: When using One Hundred Percent Synchronization, as it syncs the pilot with the Infinite Stratos Evangelion style. Make of that what you will.
• HA HA HA—No: Combined with Incredibly Lame Pun.
• Harem Genre: Deconstructed in the Season Two finale.
• Heroic RRoD: Kira's HyperDrive. It boosts strength, reaction time, everything to make him a better fighter. It only last five minutes before he goes unconscious before it starts to negatively affect him.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Kira pulls this off when Muesel is about to throw the world into chaos with rampaging Prototypes.
  • Subverted, in that he didn't really die, but rather just took him and Muesel elsewhere so she couldn't activate the program that would remove the limits on the Prototypes so they could cause mass destruction.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: After Chapter 9, due to Kira's murderous rampage, it gives people against him more leverage and makes him seem like a monster.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Kira and Ichika.
• Hidden Depths: It's easy to see Kira as a stoic soldier that can kill in a heartbeat but in Chapter 22 he reveals that he's just as scared as anyone else, but he can't afford to show it because then everyone loses morale and they all lose. He also mentions that he's fighting for those he cares for, not just for the sake of fighting.
• Hot Scientist: Tabane, Played for Laughs when it comes to Kira's interactions with her.
• I Am What I Am: Kira accepts that deep inside he does like how all the girls have feelings for him, but he still would never do anything to hurt them.
• I Just Want to Have Friends: During the flashback chapters it's revealed that Kira just wanted someone to stand with him as a friend.
  • When Kira and Rei talk with each other.
  "I don't care!" Rei snapped, "Kira, I don't care if you don't want my pity, my apologies… but I do know one thing. I will always stand by you, no matter what has happened to you in the past!"
  And for the first time in a while, Kira wept tears of joy as he embraced Rei, "Thank you… I've always wanted to hear that from someone other than my closest friends that I had before all of that. Now… you need to hear the full story… so go back to E, and hear her out, will you? And don't blame Tabane, since she's what gave me… the opportunity to be what I am."
  "Yes, of course." Rei gave him one last squeeze… and before she left, pecked him on the cheek before skittering away, blushing madly.
• Indy Ploy: Done in Chapter 3, where Kira makes up a plan as he goes along using dice to figure out what he'll do next.
• Invaded States of America
• I Thought You Were Dead: Somewhat justified, Kira had been gone for about a year with no signs of return.
• It's Personal: Why Kira takes on Valkyrie Trace Laura in Chapter 8.
• Just Ignore It: Kira's best way of dealing with Madoka.
• Last Stand: Subverted. Kira is about to pull one off against an IS even though he's been shot and is losing blood rapidly, but Romeo pulls him down into the sewers before it happens.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: Madoka all the way.
• Love Triangle: Ichika gets stuck in one, Kira gets into one as well but it eventually it gets bigger.
  • Somewhat Deconstructed in Ichika's case, as he has trouble at first on who he should pick.
• Mood Whiplash: Season Two finale. Jumps from Tabane and Chifuyu fighting right to Jason having a high pitch frightened squeal about how Kira ripped someone in half.
• More Dakka: Rei. She has multiple Hurricane Bolters on her IS Unit.
• Murphy's Law: Kira makes references to it in the beginning.
• Never Be Hurt Again: From the events of Chapter 11 and 12, it's shown that Kira adopted a more violent sort of personality in order to cope with his rape.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: A particularly nasty one given to Laura by Kira in Chapter 8.
• No Kill like Overkill: Kira's prone to this and sometimes says this phrase outright.
• Noodle Incident: In Chapter 4, it's revealed Kira apparently had a certain dream about Chifuyu that involved a tiring activity.
• Not Quite Dead: Turns out Madoka managed to live through Kira's rampage.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: The World Leaders Committee acts as this.
• Official Couple: Kira and Tabane, Ichika and Houki
• Oh Son of A Bi-: Happens when Kira's cameras are being jammed despite the fact Slender Man was supposed to have been gone.
• One-Hit Kill: Kira's kukris, Energy Sword, and Spartan Laser.
  • Ichika's Giga Drill Breaker.
• Pair the Spares: Word of God considers his version in the story to be a bit of an Ass Pull.
• Parental Abandonment: Kira's parents left him because they didn't want a kid.
• Power Gives You Wings: Ichika gets his own along with Kira.
  • Good Wings, Evil Wings: Kira's wings are grey because of some of the morally ambiguous things he does at times.
• Please Put Some Clothes On: Kira prefers the nonverbal and forceful approach.
• The Power of Rock: Used in the filler chapters.
• Rape as Drama: Happens when Chifuyu tries this with Kira.
  • Kira's flashbacks reveal this as well, explaining why he is how he is.
• Repressed Memories: Chapter 3 gives us a lot in the flashback, with [Repressed] replacing a lot of the words.
  • Chapter 11 gives us the unaltered, unrepressed version.
• Rousing Speech: Given towards Kazanashi in Chapter 22
  Kira: "Look, just because I don't show it doesn't mean I'm not. But I'm going to tell you the truth right now. We're up against an unknown enemy that has far superior technology than what we've previously encountered, a giant crawler is making its way up to the school right now and is wrecking the town, so I'm pretty much shitting my pants brown right now. But I can't afford to show it because then everyone loses. I have to force myself to be brave or at least look brave, because there is no such thing as a flawless person, let alone me of all people. I know you're scared, but just ask yourself, if you crawl away and hide, what happens to the people that you care for?"
• Running Gag: The joke about Kira liking older woman.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Kira emphasizes this a lot.
• Ship Tease: A lot of it, but it lessens as it goes on.
  • Chapter 3 gives us some KiraXCecilia
  • Chapter 4 has KiraXTabane shipping
  • Chapter 6 with Rei and Kira
• Shout-Out: Mobile Fighter G Gundam and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann get their shout outs.
  • In the beginning survivors of the war are called "Wolverines".
  • Kira's Ringtone.
  • Kira's battle music.
  • How about a certain blue haired man named Minato?
  • Chapter 3 has Kira yelling a certain line from the Demoman.
  • Chapter 4 has Kira wishing for an N2 Mine.
    • Chapter 4 also has Shinjiro yelling "Leeroy Jenkins!" as he charges in.
    • Later on in the same chapter Kira acts a lot like you do in The Hidden.
    • Doubles as a Shout-Out to Seananners.
  • Chapter 5 has shout outs to Persona 3 and The Slender Man Mythos.
  • Chapter 6 gives us the cardboard box of stealthiness. Also Kira's First Shift is reminiscent of a Synchro Summon in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds.
  • Later on in Chapter 6 we have "Know your place!"
  • Chapter 7 has Kira saying he'll die if he gets thrown in a TV.
  • Chapter 10 with Zero popping in to save the day.
  • Chapter 12, the soldiers Kira fights with have the same names as Red Team in Red Versus Blue.
  • Chapter 13 Kira says a line similar to Yusei's Stardust Dragon summoning line when he finishes Second Shift.
  • Starting from Season Two, Kira's chants are very similar to Shirou's.
  • Chapter 21 has Kira taking a line straight from Touma.
  • One for Mass Effect in the Season Two finale.
  • Unlimited Firearm Arsenal, anyone?
  • Muesel's Infinite Stratos is modeled after Nu-13.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Mainly what drives the girls towards Kira, despite his Anti-Heroness, is still a good, nice guy at heart.
  • The author justification for why the girls chose who they did after the Time Skip
• Sir Swears-a-Lot: Kira.
• Skewed Priorities: Kira much rather cares about the soup that gets wasted due to the multiple girls fighting over him.
• Slasher Smile: In Chapter 8 Kira's smile unnerves Chifuyu.
• Slave to PR: Averted for Kira, as he honestly doesn't care what the public thinks of him as long as he's doing what's right. He does try to remain good out of his own morality though.
• Sliding Scale of Gender Inequality: Ranks an 8 on the scale.
• Socially Awkward Hero: Kira shows shades of this at times.
• Sociopathic Hero: Kira had shades of this pre-Character Development, during the flashback chapters.
• Stepford Smiler: Chapter 4 reveals even though Tabane is usually happy, it's all just a mask and on the inside is very troubled by her relationship with Houki.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: Kira most definitely does not have a complex for older woman. Nope.
  Kira, after E teases him about Tabane: I do not have an older women complex nor do I possess a fetish for them!
• Switching P.O.V.: Changes from Chapter 10 through 12, but comes back at the end of 12.
  • Fridge Brilliance: The titles of every chapter where it's Kira's POV all have "The Prototype" in them but chapters that aren't entirely his POV don't.
• Take a Third Option: When faced with either completing the mission or his morals... Kira decides to pick both.
  Kira: Damnit, morals or mission? Morals or mission? Shit, it's so hard to choose… Fuck it I'm going with the third option.
  E: Third option?
  Kira: Both.
• Take Up My Sword: When Luke dies, Kira subconsciously takes up the heroic ideals he once had.
• Tempting Fate: Kira should really have known better than to dare the universe into locking him in a closet with Tabane.
• That Didn't Happen: Between Kira and Tabane after a possible Relationship Upgrade that turns into just some Ship Tease in Chapter 12.
• That Man Is Dead: Chapter 12 reveals Kira considers his past self pre-kidnapping to be dead.
  • Enforced, as the flashback that reveals this is called The First Death of Kira Orthun.
• Theme Music Powerup: Chapter 13 with Clear Mind as Kira's power up music.
• There Are No Therapists: Averted, as Kira eventually tells E to check him into therapy.
• There Is No Kill Like Overkill: The modified AC-220 Vulture.
• Time Skip: The end of the Season Two finale jumps two months into the future.
• Title Drop: Done in the Season One finale, finishing off Silvero Gospel.
• Took a Level in Badass: Ichika, all the way. He even manages to perform a Giga Drill Breaker.
• Weak, but Skilled: Kira, as his weapons are said to actually deal little damage but he knows what he's doing when it comes to fighting.
• Wham Episode: Chapter 9, Kira finds IS Academy attacked, goes on a rampage after Tabane is hurt. Then you have Chapter 10 where rallies are already against him for his screaming for bloody murder.
• What Is This Feeling?: With Kira's awakening to his emotions, this comes up.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Kira considers E to be just as human as anyone else and makes sure to remind everyone of this.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Luke pulls this off when Kira considers killing squatters as they won't provide any help against the invading Russians.
• Who Names Their Kid "Dude"?: Kira asks why Phantom Task's leaders are named after seasons, really just to rile his opponent.
• Wire Dilemma: Played for Laughs
• Women Prefer Strong Men: Why Chifuyu falls for Kira.
• Word of God: States that the readers are broken between pairing Kira with either Tabane or Chifuyu.
• "World of Cardboard" Speech: After Laura calls Wolf Team out on how informal they are for military at a live presentation, Kira gives one to quiet her, plus a lot more as time goes on.
  Kira:"Ah, technically we are military, but we don't serve a country. We're loyal to Tabane, who gave us this chance. Ain't that right, Wolf Team?"
  Wolf Team:"OOH-RAH!"
  Kira:"Also, we're like brothers. We steal from each other, fight one another, steal each other's girl and laugh about it, but when there's something that threatens or harms one of us, it does so to all of us." I glared at her, "I know I look like some mascot up here, but trust me, I have seen things that I should never have seen."
  • Delivers another one in Chapter 9:
  Kira: "Look, all you morons! I knew fair and well that coming here could result in my death or worse." I started my speech, "But did I run away? No! Did I cry in a corner? Hell no! I came down here ready to fight my way out if I needed to! Hell, I've been in a position you were in, but the difference between all of you and myself at the moment is that I GOT UP AND STARTED FIGHTING AGAIN! Are you just going to cry about the fate that was handed to you, or are you going to tell destiny to go fuck itself, take up a weapon, and fight until you are shoved six thousand feet into the dirt?!"
• Worthy Opponent: Kira considered Laura one.
• You Are Not Alone: Said by Charlotte even after she loses to Tabane for Kira's heart.

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