I'll be posting up a crossover between Code Geass and Lyrical Nanoha called "Kings of...
Kings of Revolution [MGLN x CG]
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I'll be posting up a crossover between Code Geass and Lyrical Nanoha called "Kings of Revolution", written by sephiroth12285. Currently, it is ongoing, but because of the need for serious editing, I will be posting much cleaner versions here.
The story is something that mixes in Code Geass and Lyrical Nanoha elements together, taking place during Code Geass R1's timeline, about two years before Nanoha StrikerS.
After the murder of Lady Marianne, Emperor Charles sends Lelouch and his crippled sister Nunally to Japan. As political hostages, they are kept safe by the Kururugi and Sumeragi Families. He also meets the Yagamis, Takamachis, and now adopted Testarossas in Uminari City. However, their meeting went as far as the Book of Darkness Incident.
Britannia, already flaming with Japan for its control over 70% of the world's Sakuradite, considered the incident to be an act of war and launched an invasion with their new Knightmare Frames. The families of the main Nanoha trio escaped to Mid-Childa with a few friends and their families, but the exiles were left behind to remain acting dead. With the death of the Prime Minister, Japan surrendered after a month and everything including its name was replaced by the number and name "Area 11".
It's been seven years after that happened, the older brother exile now goes by the name Lelouch Lamprouge and hides under the shelter of the Ashfords who supported his mother during her rise to power and development of the Knightmares. He and Nunally have been in hiding, hoping to keep themselves safe from the Britannians and with Lelouch going to chess games to pay the Ashfords off. For all these years, Lelouch has been trying to find a way to bring down the mighty Britannian Empire his father built, but has no clear way of doing it. Until after he falls into a truck containing a mysterious girl.
But this time, instead of Geass, Lelouch has a new trick up on his sleeve. A Device known as the Abyss Soul, which he uses for emergencies and fights with a mask he calls Zero. Thanks to this power he received during his years in hiding, Lelouch starts a rebellion to bring Britannia to its knees.
But this isn't without problems. Becuase Lelouch is using unauthorized magic on an unadministered world, which is forbidden by interdimensional laws, the TSAB senses his identity Zero and sends the Nanoha/Fate/Hayate team to investigate. What doesn't help is that at the same time, a new force has attacked Mid-Childa with advanced kinetic weaponry. The man behind it refers to himself as the Mandarin (not that Mandarin, but a close second), who declares a holy war against the TSAB. Now fighting as Zero, Lelouch is determined to wage war against the empire that deserted him, his friends trying to stop him, and all the others who threaten him and his sister's dream of a happy future.
I'll have more details about the fic and the first chapter release soon.
The story is something that mixes in Code Geass and Lyrical Nanoha elements together, taking place during Code Geass R1's timeline, about two years before Nanoha StrikerS.
After the murder of Lady Marianne, Emperor Charles sends Lelouch and his crippled sister Nunally to Japan. As political hostages, they are kept safe by the Kururugi and Sumeragi Families. He also meets the Yagamis, Takamachis, and now adopted Testarossas in Uminari City. However, their meeting went as far as the Book of Darkness Incident.
Britannia, already flaming with Japan for its control over 70% of the world's Sakuradite, considered the incident to be an act of war and launched an invasion with their new Knightmare Frames. The families of the main Nanoha trio escaped to Mid-Childa with a few friends and their families, but the exiles were left behind to remain acting dead. With the death of the Prime Minister, Japan surrendered after a month and everything including its name was replaced by the number and name "Area 11".
It's been seven years after that happened, the older brother exile now goes by the name Lelouch Lamprouge and hides under the shelter of the Ashfords who supported his mother during her rise to power and development of the Knightmares. He and Nunally have been in hiding, hoping to keep themselves safe from the Britannians and with Lelouch going to chess games to pay the Ashfords off. For all these years, Lelouch has been trying to find a way to bring down the mighty Britannian Empire his father built, but has no clear way of doing it. Until after he falls into a truck containing a mysterious girl.
But this time, instead of Geass, Lelouch has a new trick up on his sleeve. A Device known as the Abyss Soul, which he uses for emergencies and fights with a mask he calls Zero. Thanks to this power he received during his years in hiding, Lelouch starts a rebellion to bring Britannia to its knees.
But this isn't without problems. Becuase Lelouch is using unauthorized magic on an unadministered world, which is forbidden by interdimensional laws, the TSAB senses his identity Zero and sends the Nanoha/Fate/Hayate team to investigate. What doesn't help is that at the same time, a new force has attacked Mid-Childa with advanced kinetic weaponry. The man behind it refers to himself as the Mandarin (not that Mandarin, but a close second), who declares a holy war against the TSAB. Now fighting as Zero, Lelouch is determined to wage war against the empire that deserted him, his friends trying to stop him, and all the others who threaten him and his sister's dream of a happy future.
I'll have more details about the fic and the first chapter release soon.
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flashburn
Hunger is the enemy. prepare yourself
- Location
- south africa
I don't think the tsab arrests people on other planets all secret police style. Also if the book of darkness started the war shoudnt the tsab just stepped in and explaining shit. Not saying they go all let's stomp Britannia but at least make no bs happens. And if not woudnt a more fun story be nanoha sending tech and money secretly to resistance groups to the point where she becomes a big underground player and then zero makes audacios as shit appearance.
But whatever that's just me I guess I haven't read the story yet so I can't really judge
But whatever that's just me I guess I haven't read the story yet so I can't really judge
Yeah, and there are holes I didn't mention. For one thing, Japan and Britannia already had hot relations when it came to sakuradite mining rights, since the latter really wants their sakuradite. Once the BOD incident happened, they took advantage of the chaos in order to invade. They had little care for Lelouch and Nunally's apparent deaths and even if they did, they used it as excuse for the war.
I actually think of seeing Lelouch taking on the two big lawful guys of the story to be more interesting. The David fighting Goliaths are my usual favorite stories. Moreover, I have a bitter dislike for the TSAB and how closer the main group is to being near invincible through normal means. This goes to show they can still be beat and the girls get a taste of their own "befriending".
There's still the fact they have to follow the rules, too. Realistically that is. Even if they disobeyed orders, and they will, they still have to follow them until later.
Now, fighting both the TSAB and Britannia at once is an extremely high goal, even with Lelouch's new abilities. Not to worry though, he'll have more than that at his disposal. I'll be sending a list of information in a future reply to explain his Device, new allies, and original characters involved. I'll also include those who'll be working under the Mandarin (at least most of them).
While waiting for the author, I thought of introducing the main Device he designed for Lelouch, the Abyss Soul.
Here's a design he made, though he's not too happy about it.
As Lelouch's main weapon, the Abyss Soul is supposed to be opposite of Nanoha when it comes to fighting. While Raising Heart is fit for mid-long range combat, the Abyss Soul is good at short-mid range. With RH's raw destructive power comes AS's precision, mobility and deception.
For spells, they're much like Nanoha's spells, but given a darker counterpart (Celestial Shooter for Axel Shooter, Abyss Shoot for Divine Buster, and Twilight Breaker for Starlight Breaker), with the exception of a few extra short-range attacks and defensive/illusion spells.
While Lelouch does not have the same high power as Nanoha (His own power is still pretty high), he covers it with an even greater genius level. However, despite having more mobility and even he admits it, he has lower stamina and can easily lose against the faster Fate. Personally compared to the others, he could defeat those focused on high power (Vita and Hayate) and fight the proclaimed best mages (Nanoha and Signum) to a draw on average. And with his infamous use of both strategy and tactics, it makes him even more dangerous.
Lelouch's help, appearing Original Characters and the Mandarin's henchmen will appear in another reply.
Here's a design he made, though he's not too happy about it.
As Lelouch's main weapon, the Abyss Soul is supposed to be opposite of Nanoha when it comes to fighting. While Raising Heart is fit for mid-long range combat, the Abyss Soul is good at short-mid range. With RH's raw destructive power comes AS's precision, mobility and deception.
For spells, they're much like Nanoha's spells, but given a darker counterpart (Celestial Shooter for Axel Shooter, Abyss Shoot for Divine Buster, and Twilight Breaker for Starlight Breaker), with the exception of a few extra short-range attacks and defensive/illusion spells.
While Lelouch does not have the same high power as Nanoha (His own power is still pretty high), he covers it with an even greater genius level. However, despite having more mobility and even he admits it, he has lower stamina and can easily lose against the faster Fate. Personally compared to the others, he could defeat those focused on high power (Vita and Hayate) and fight the proclaimed best mages (Nanoha and Signum) to a draw on average. And with his infamous use of both strategy and tactics, it makes him even more dangerous.
Lelouch's help, appearing Original Characters and the Mandarin's henchmen will appear in another reply.
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Alright, time for some character intros.
As said before, Lelouch and his rebellion is gonna be forced to take on both Britannia and the TSAB. The toll on just his Intelligent Device and his ragtag band of mecha-piloting rebels known as the Black Knights will be extremely high and chances of success against any of hteir enemies are no doubt zero. Fortunately thanks to fusion of the two series, Lelouch has some of both canon and original allies to help even the playing field, with their own stories to how they joined up with him.
Quattro- Yes, the manipulative bitch from StrikerS. She had to escape the Doctor and her sisters when she was framed for betraying them. During her time underground, she fled to Earth, where she meet Lelouch and used her abilities to attend Ashford. Thanks to her skills, she serves as an intelligence specialist and second-in-command.
Peter Vanderfloog- Original Character, an associate of ex-Admiral Gil Graham. He has some mad scientist tendencies, which makes him fit for upgrades and weapon designs.
Gil Graham- The ex-Admiral from Earth and mastermind behind providing Lelouch the Abyss Soul though Peter. He knew Lelouch and his sister when they met with the main Nanoha trio and kept watch on them even they were reported dead. During the war seven years ago, he reported himself KIA to the TSAB authorities and went underground to observe Lelouch, assisting him in taking down his enemies.
Aria and Lotte Liese- Gil Graham's twin familiars. Like Gil, they also reported themselves KIA during the war and assist Lelouch in his campaign seven years later.
Clearly, Lelouch has some firepower now and has a chance. But that doesn't mean other enemies don't have them as well. Here some associates who assist the Mandarin from the shadows.
Colonel Kusakabe- The same JLF officer behind the Lake Kawaguchi hijacking, now Ascended Extra and smarter. During the seven years occupation, he was contacted and recruited by the Mandarin. His own force is the only part of the JLF that effectively gets recruits, providing magic-based weapons for the promise of liberating Japan.
Simon Testarossa- Original Character, an older brother of Alicia and Fate. He was mentioned little due to his fallouts with Precia and personal love for Quint Nakajima. When the reactor incident occured, he was on a field trip, so he wasn't caught in the blast. Even then, he broke away from Precia and never had interest in her.
Gray Biaggi- Original Character, a knight from the Saint Church, age in the 40s. His blood knight tendencies and view of battles as an art made him dangerous by the Church's means. Thanks to "secret contacts", he avoid persecution and sided with the Mandarin. He only sides with his superior as he's given more chances at combat and face challenging opponents.
There's another associate who works for the Mandarin, but I'll leave that one out as it'll be a spoiler.
So it looks like we got somewhat a roster here. Once the first episode gets all cleaned up, it'll be immediately posted here. Hope it intrigues you.
As said before, Lelouch and his rebellion is gonna be forced to take on both Britannia and the TSAB. The toll on just his Intelligent Device and his ragtag band of mecha-piloting rebels known as the Black Knights will be extremely high and chances of success against any of hteir enemies are no doubt zero. Fortunately thanks to fusion of the two series, Lelouch has some of both canon and original allies to help even the playing field, with their own stories to how they joined up with him.
Quattro- Yes, the manipulative bitch from StrikerS. She had to escape the Doctor and her sisters when she was framed for betraying them. During her time underground, she fled to Earth, where she meet Lelouch and used her abilities to attend Ashford. Thanks to her skills, she serves as an intelligence specialist and second-in-command.
Peter Vanderfloog- Original Character, an associate of ex-Admiral Gil Graham. He has some mad scientist tendencies, which makes him fit for upgrades and weapon designs.
Gil Graham- The ex-Admiral from Earth and mastermind behind providing Lelouch the Abyss Soul though Peter. He knew Lelouch and his sister when they met with the main Nanoha trio and kept watch on them even they were reported dead. During the war seven years ago, he reported himself KIA to the TSAB authorities and went underground to observe Lelouch, assisting him in taking down his enemies.
Aria and Lotte Liese- Gil Graham's twin familiars. Like Gil, they also reported themselves KIA during the war and assist Lelouch in his campaign seven years later.
Clearly, Lelouch has some firepower now and has a chance. But that doesn't mean other enemies don't have them as well. Here some associates who assist the Mandarin from the shadows.
Colonel Kusakabe- The same JLF officer behind the Lake Kawaguchi hijacking, now Ascended Extra and smarter. During the seven years occupation, he was contacted and recruited by the Mandarin. His own force is the only part of the JLF that effectively gets recruits, providing magic-based weapons for the promise of liberating Japan.
Simon Testarossa- Original Character, an older brother of Alicia and Fate. He was mentioned little due to his fallouts with Precia and personal love for Quint Nakajima. When the reactor incident occured, he was on a field trip, so he wasn't caught in the blast. Even then, he broke away from Precia and never had interest in her.
Gray Biaggi- Original Character, a knight from the Saint Church, age in the 40s. His blood knight tendencies and view of battles as an art made him dangerous by the Church's means. Thanks to "secret contacts", he avoid persecution and sided with the Mandarin. He only sides with his superior as he's given more chances at combat and face challenging opponents.
There's another associate who works for the Mandarin, but I'll leave that one out as it'll be a spoiler.
So it looks like we got somewhat a roster here. Once the first episode gets all cleaned up, it'll be immediately posted here. Hope it intrigues you.
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Chapter 1: A Boring Job
Alright. First chapter is edited and up. I should be able to update once every week until I've reached the current chapters, which are at a standstill as of now. Nonetheless, time to begin the fun.
"So, how are you doing?"
The voice belonged to that of a man in his late forties, but his gray hair and complexion suggested he was possibly older. He wore a brown uniform with a dark blue tie and boots, common to members of the Ground Forces of the Time Space Administration Bureau.
"Perhaps I should have accepted Subaru's idea of bringing some magazines with me. Maybe a book or two."
A young woman of about fifteen years of age, wearing a similar uniform to the older man, but there was a drastically obvious difference in rank between them. The girl had mid-back length purple hair and green eyes with a fair skin complexion and a black hair ribbon-tie.
"Well, you should have at least a month more of this before you can return to Mid-Childa. This is something everyone is assigned to do, especially for those involved in both the Navy and Criminal Investigations. It's a recommended experience to serve at least a short tour of duty observing undeveloped worlds. Just be happy it's not a full year, rather a few months," Genya Nakajima said to assure his daughter, Ginga, who couldn't help, but wonder who she accidentally upset to be shelved to such a duty despite what she and her father were told.
"I suppose, but this is arguably one of the worst jobs you can undertake."
"I prefer the term 'most boring'," Genya said trying to humor his daughter, who couldn't help but chuckle at the comment.
"I suppose, but I better get back to it. Give Subaru my best wishes and take care, father."
"I will just take it easy, Ginga."
With the video conference over, Ground Forces member of the Battalion 108, Private First Class, Ginga Nakajima returned to her duty of monitoring Un-Administered World #97. It was otherwise known as Earth, which was relatively peaceful ever since the Book of Darkness and Jewel Seed incidents eight years ago. But maybe peaceful wasn't the right word either as it was peaceful as far as the higher-ups in the Bureau were concerned; things were quite heretic locally.
Ginga wasn't the only one monitoring the planet as there were four other stations in places such as China and Japan, including a few smaller areas under her supervision, while the rest of the world was being watched from other observation outposts strategically positioned in orbit. As such, Ginga was briefed on recent history in the areas assigned under her watch.
One of the more recent major events that happened seven years ago, which happened to be in the same country where both the Book of Darkness and Jewel Seeds incidents took place. The result was, Japan was no longer an independent nation as on August 10th 2010 A.T.B. when the Holy Britannian Empire invaded the small nation, beginning a one-month war. By all accounts, the war was primarily to seize its Sakuradite mines, which was quickly becoming an increasingly invaluable resource. A key component in the production of Britannia's new war-machine, the Knightmare Frame was first used in the war against Japan's ground forces.
A month later after the conflict begun, Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi committed suicide to put a stop to the military's actions, despite having earlier called for a do-or-die resistance to the bitter end. However, rumors persist that the Prime Minister was, in fact, assassinated and the suicide was merely a cover story. But regardless, without Genbu to lead them, the Japanese government reluctantly surrendered to the Britannian Empire with Japan being renamed Area 11. The Japanese people were dubbed Elevens, losing their country's independence, name and culture.
This also forced the Bureau to remove their ground based agents since maintaining their presence in Britannia-occupied Japan became exceptionally difficult.
However, despite the defeat and loss of their country, much of the Japanese military that survived went into hiding, organizing into a resistance organization that would be known as the Japan Liberation Front. Over the next seven years, the JLF and other resistance groups that would form since then would attempt to challenge the Britannian Empire. Although some resistance groups were crushed, the Japan Liberation Front remained the Japanese's best hope for Japan to become an independent nation once more.
Regrettably, the success the organization made was limited and after seven years, Japan still remains as Area 11. But unknown to Ginga and others, something new was about to be introduced that would change everything.
At this very moment, currently inside a large up rise apartment building was a game of chess between an elderly man and a younger man in his late thirties, a member of the Britannian nobility playing for money for something or rather someone who was about to appear. He was wearing a brown suit with a blue tie, possessing an unusual hairstyle, but he had matching brown hair along with a beard and mustache as well as blue eyes. The elderly man wore a pair of glasses, had gray hair and a thin, scrawny appearance while wearing a white dress shirt and black vest with matching pants and shoes. Also present in the room were the nobleman's bodyguards as evident by the black suits they wore.
"Why don't you give it up already, old man? You don't have a chance against me," The noble declared, feeling absolutely certain of his victory while the elderly man he was challenging was trying to figure out a suitable move to make. But he was saved by a new arrival as the doors opened to the room.
"Oh, thank goodness, I am saved! I trust everything at school is going well?" The elderly man declared happily at the sight of a seventeen year old high school student wearing a black uniform trimmed with gold. He was on the thin and scrawny side, but he was quite tall for his age. He had black hair, purple eyes and a fair skin complexion with a bored expression on his face. Following him was a more sociable young man who the same age as he was except he had spikier blue hair, gray eyes and a more sun-tanned skin tone.
"What…a pair of schoolboys? I have to say, that is a desperate, but a very pathetic attempt at trying to win, old man." The nobleman commented, prompting the black haired student to grin before speaking.
"Well, look at this a nobleman…"
"I envy you boys today. You all have so much time on your hands. Time for regrets, that is."
The black-haired student took the seat that had previously been occupied by the old man, sitting behind the black chess pieces.
"What is your name?"
"Lelouch Lamperouge…"
"Whoa, how are you going to win this one? It's impossible, right?" Rivalz Cardemonde declared. Looking at the situation, the old man had been in position that was obviously needless to say pretty bad.
"Rivalz," Lelouch began calmly asking his friend a simple question. "When do you think we would have to leave in order to make our next class?"
"Twenty minutes, if we bust our hump."
"Well then, let's be sure that you drive safely on the way back." Lelouch readied himself after studying the chess board before him. "I'll need nine minutes." He turned to the old man beside him. "And about yesterday?"
"Understood, sir. We'll discuss it later." The elderly man replied.
"Nine minutes? You'll only have twenty seconds per move!" The nobleman pointed out as Lelouch calmly picked up the King.
"Plenty of time…"
"You start with the king first?"
The nobleman began laughing, but Lelouch only smiled, knowing that he was going to win.
Meanwhile in another part of the Toyko Settlement, but more closer to the heart of the settlement itself, was a large estate. Unlike most parts of the Toyko Settlement, it had a large number of trees and plenty of green grass. If you remove the walkways and the school buildings, the whole estate would appear to be a forest with large clearings. It was lunch time for the students of Ashford Academy as a particular group of students were sitting together on stone benches in a small circle eating box lunches together. They were all female students of the Academy, which was the same school Rivalz and Lelouch hailed from. They wore the same uniform, but there were differences in the socks they wore and the color of their uniform. The male uniform has a black coat while the females' were sandy colored and with a green tie.
"Where is Lelouch?" A busty, young eighteen year old woman with medium length blonde hair, blue eyes and dark blue socks inquired.
"I believe he and Rivalz have gone off gambling again. I think it was poker this time?" A quiet, shy girl with green hair asked. She wore a pair of large glasses and wore black socks.
"Those two are off gambling again!?" A girl with a slender and athletic figure possessing long orange hair and green eyes wearing a uniform identical to the blonde girl's. "Both of them are on the Student Council! I can't believe people as smart as them are wasting their talents on such stupid stuff! If they keep it up, they'll get held back."
"Oh, how cute…How I wish for my darling Lelouch to be more upstanding citizen of society," Milly Ashford teased which caused Shirley Fenette to blush.
"Please, madam President!"
"Good luck on that," The second to last member of their gathering spoke.
She was also a young woman around the same age as Lelouch with thigh-high white socks and mid-back length light brown hair, gray eyes and a fair skin complexion.
"Lelouch has been sneaking out of this school to gamble ever since he was sixteen. I find it doubtful you can break this habit of his easily."
"I agree, Sis. Lelouch is a very stubborn one," The girl's twin sister replied as the only difference between them was a more excitable personality in contrast to her sister's calmer demeanor and longer hair.
"You encourage him, Lotte!?" Shirley shot back at Lotte Liese as her sister Aria Liese calmly watched while trying to enjoy her lunch.
Elsewhere across town speeding along the highway was a cargo truck, seemingly unaware of the fact that a police VTOL was tailing them. The driver of the truck was a Japanese man in his late twenties with long black hair tied into a long-ponytail and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue uniform complete with cap on his head. Next to him sat a young woman with red hair wearing similar attire.
"Perfect, after all of the trouble we went through to finally steal this damn thing!" The driver snapped, noticing the police VTOL through his side mirror. "It's all because Tamaki couldn't follow Naoto's plan! And now we got a problem!"
A short time later Lelouch and Rivalz were leaving after in a time of less than nine minutes Lelouch had found the match. The duo exited the elevator after reaching the lobby where the two disembarked from as Rivalz congratulated his friend on his victory.
"I love playing against the nobility! Because when they lose, they pay out of pride! By the way eight minutes and thirty-two seconds is a new record!"
"He didn't have much time to move either. As opponents go, the nobles are tepid, nothing but over-privileged parasites."
"Well, why not challenge some of the Elevens? They are nothing like us Britannians." Rivalz suggested as the two boys walked outside, but before Lelouch could answer, the chatter of people outside drew their attention. A building-mounted television monitor displayed a terrorist bombing that took place in Osaka yesterday.
"What are these terrorists trying to prove by killing innocent people?" One bystander commented.
"Those Elevens terrify me." A female civilian commented as the image on the monitor changed to the Britannian flag, followed by a female announcer.
"We apologize for the delay. His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, the third Prince of Britannia will address the nation." The announcer spoke before the image faded away, revealing a young man in his early twenties wearing a royal garb complete with a purple and gold trimmed suit and white cape also trimmed with gold. Lelouch's eyes hardened at Clovis as the prince spoke in what was obviously a publicity stunt.
"To my imperial subjects!" Clovis spoke while Lelouch's eyes narrowed in hatred and disgust. "And, of course, to the many Elevens who cooperate with us!"
Yeah right…
Lelouch thought as Clovis went on to make his grand speech which was not only an obvious act, but it showed that Clovis was indeed a back actor.
"Do you not see? Right now my heart has been torn asunder! Into a heart filled with sadness and rage! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not allow terrorism of any kind! The reason being that the battle we fight is a righteous one! A righteous battle to protect the happiness of all! Now then, everyone! Won't you join me in grieving for the agents who died in the line of duty for justice?"
"A moment of silence please," The female announcer spoke as everyone with the exception of Lelouch and Rivalz took part in the moment of silence.
"You're not going to join in?" Rivalz asked Lelouch, who was paying the meter that kept Rivalz's bike, a motorbike with a passage car attached to it, locked in their parking space.
"Are you?" Lelouch countered.
Rivalz chuckled slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed before climbing onto his bike, putting on a helmet, gloves and goggles. "It's sort of embarrassing."
"I agree," Lelouch replied before he added. "Besides, crying tears for them won't bring the dead back to life now, will it?"
"Dang, that's dark, buddy." Rivalz stated.
"It's all about self-satisfaction. It doesn't matter how hard you try. You can't do it. There's no way you can change the world…" Lelouch said, but in his thought he thought about it differently.
Not without overwhelming power at least.
As Lelouch and Rivalz were getting ready to leave the young man began musing to himself.
I was once born as Lelouch vi Britannia. But even so, the only family I have is a little sister who was crippled and blinded in the same incident that took our mother's life seven years ago. I was born the eldest sibling, but among the rest of my extended family, I am among the younger siblings, but my half-siblings are not worth mentioning. We were a prince and princess of the most powerful empire in the world until that man who was supposed to be our father exiled us to Japan when I spoke out against him. He denounced my claim to the throne after questioning him on his inability to protect our mother.
My life was uneventful until that day, but since that time our lives continued to come apart all around us as we had nothing, save our names and the title of political hostages given to us by the Emperor. If anything, all we had were the clothes on our backs. Even after Japan and Britannia went to war, we managed to survive. But only by seeking the help of the Ashford Family, we could remain hidden from Britannia after being declared dead in the war to protect us from the royal family.
Even now our futures are uncertain, but a friend of a girl I knew has given me something that could change everything. I was skeptical at first, but I know what I can do and how this power I have can prove to be useful.
At the specialized television studio within the Viceroy's Palace at the heart of the Toyko Settlement, the cameras were turned off and pulled away on the movable arms. Viceroy Clovis stepped down from the stage towards a small group waiting for him. Some of which were beautiful women in expensive gowns while high-level executives in suits stood with them.
"That was magnificent, Your Highness! No one would guess you were attending a party while doing that."
"After all, the Viceroy is the lead actor of Area 11," Clovis said as two servants removed the white cloak he wore over his shoulders. "I need to change costumes quickly."
"My…you are so self-confident."
"It's all in the performance; the public wants a charismatic prince, so I give them one."
"Untrue," An obese man in a brown suit with a black tie spoke, obviously the owner of the television studio and likely a member of the nobility as well. "Prince Clovis, our key purpose in life is to support and assist your reign in any way we can."
"His reign is a pathetic slam."
A man was leaning against a wall away from the gathering, reading a folder he was holding in his hand and observing the scene in disgust. He was in his late twenties with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a blue jacket, matching pants with a red turtleneck and black shoes.
"Y-Your Highness!" A man of large stature with a bald head said as he hurried into the room seemingly alarmed about something. He wore a dark gray uniform with a black cape with a monocle over his right eye.
"A soldier," the newsman noted.
"Bartley, how boorish of you," Clovis said, noticing General Bartley Asprius hurrying towards him.
"I beg your pardon your highness," Bartley said before whispering something to the Viceroy.
"Not another appearance…I hope not as dreary."
"YOU FOOL," Clovis suddenly snapped, drawing the newsman's attention.
"The police were informed that it was medical equipment, that's all! If I scramble the army, they'll be able to…"
"Deploy the Royal Guard!" Clovis ordered, bluntly interrupting his right-hand man. "Launch the Knightmares as well!"
"So tell me something," Rivalz asked bringing Lelouch out of his thoughts, "Why did you move with the King first?"
"If the King does not move, then how can his subordinates follow?"
"What's with a saying like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do have ambitions of running a major corporation or something?"
"No way, ambitions like that ruin your health." Lelouch replied before the sound of a truck's horn was heard from behind.
"What the hell?" Rivalz exclaimed as he tried to move out of the way.
The truck closed in from behind, leaving the two in danger of getting run down. Panicking, Rivalz turned hard and sped up to get away from the truck. Unfortunately, the driver made a sharp left turn off the highway, heading into a construction site. But it was traveling too fast to slow down, crashing into a metal frame-work of the structure being built.
Rivalz stopped the bike as he looked at the dust cloud that had arisen from the impact.
"Was that our fault?"
"I don't think so," Lelouch replied.
A crowd began to gather, looking over the crash site while Lelouch dismounted the bike when Rivalz was unable to start it back up. Suddenly, a glowing phenomenon of some kind could be seen from the truck, prompting Lelouch to remove the goggles he had worn. He tried to look at it more clearly, but the glow was already gone.
"Oh, man. The power line for the bike got cut!"
Lelouch didn't quite hear his friend, but he was distracted by the light he saw.
"Yeah, say Rivalz take a look at this," Lelouch said, but his attention was diverted by the growing crowd of people who began to comment on the scene.
"What happened, some sort of accident?" A female citizen asked what should have been obvious.
"Probably some drunk driver," Another citizen said, but this time, it was a man in a business suit.
"Yeah, it's already some moron," A third citizen commented.
"Hey, maybe someone should help."
All those idiots.
Lelouch thought disgusted by the lack of activity from the citizens, who should have been checking out the crash to see if anyone was alright. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Lelouch deposited his helmet and riding goggles into the side car of the motorcycle before hurrying to the crashed truck. As the crowd began commenting about Lelouch's involvement, the young man ignored them as he reached the trailer of the truck. But the driver cab was blocked to him.
"Hey, are you alright?" Lelouch shouted, but he got no response as he tried in vain to move a fallen steel beam cutting off access to the driver cab. When that failed, Lelouch began using a ladder on the side of the trailer to climb up and reach the driver seat that way. But as he did, Rivalz was forced to move the bike off the road, complaining about their situation.
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's the right thing to do. I wish the guy would quit flaunting his pride and give it a rest for a while! Now we're going to be late to school…"
After Lelouch reached the top of the trailer, he heard a voice call out to him.
It's you…finally, I found my…
What was that?
Lelouch shook the thought aside as he continued trying to reach the driver. But as he looked over an opening in the top of the trailer, the driver had regained consciousness. Once its driver, Nagata was wide awake, he quickly started the truck back up and threw it into reserve before racing away from the scene. His sudden reversal caused Lelouch to lose his balance and fall into the opening of the trailer, trapping him inside.
"Stop, I am in here!" Lelouch called out, but no one heard him. "Damn it, you would think they'd stick a ladder in here, too…"
"Stop the vehicle! Give yourselves up and you'll get a chance to defend yourselves in court! Surrender now!" A military pilot called out on a loud speaker as a trio of military combat helicopters closes in on the truck from behind. "Give up now or we'll shoot to kill!" the pilot warned before firing some warning shots to get his point across.
As the truck passed through a tunnel, Lelouch was stood behind a capsule-like device that the truck was transporting. But even if he found a way out of the trailer, he could either get shot or killed by falling onto the street below. However, when the door from the driver cab opened up, the young man took cover.
Lelouch watched as a redhead woman entered the trailer, taking off a blue uniform she had been wearing and showing a more revealing outfit underneath.
"Can you enter the subway through the Azabu route?" Kallen Kozuki asked as she began to board what resembled a Knightmare Frame at the back of the truck.
"Let's use it here! Why not?" The driver of the truck asked.
"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" Kallen snapped back as she climbed into the cockpit of a Knightmare Frame.
"Ugh…you're right…"
I have seen her before…
The young man could swear he recognized the woman from somewhere before, yet nothing came to mind. A few moments later after Kallen launched in her custom Glasgow Knightmare Frame, Lelouch tried to escape by jumping out of the back of the truck. It closed before he could even attempt such a risky escape.
"Damn it, these guys are real terrorists!"
Lelouch's situation was steadily getting worse and worse, but he still had a way out as he opened up the top of his school uniform to bring out a silver chain where at the end was a familiar blue marble.
Even if I use this, there is no chance I can make a clean getaway. I could be seen.
Other than the sounds of gunfire and explosions, there wasn't enough for Lelouch to provide a clear idea of what was going on outside. Yet from the way the truck was moving to the sides and increasing speed, it was clear that the military was in hot pursuit. As Lelouch contemplated his options, he found himself struggling to maintain his footing just as the truck made a sudden hard left turn. It was likely a quick evasive turn or quick escape in an effort to shake pursuers, although Lelouch suspected it was likely the former. The sound of gunfire and explosions faded, but the road became bumpy and the interior became darker.
It's getting darker in here and judging by the bumpy road, Lelouch thought before pulling out his cell phone to check if he still had service. I see. So we must be traveling through the old subway tunnels, heading for the ghettos.
Lelouch began looking around, but as his eyes passed over the discarded coat the female terrorist left behind earlier, he spotted a communication device.
I got to get out of here, but…Ok, I got it…I am not big on the military, but if I give them this terrorist communicator…No…I forgot…
The former prince thought he had a solution in mind, but quickly discarded it. He realized the solution could lead to further problems for him, especially considering the possible contents of what these terrorists might have stolen.
Suddenly, the truck hit a large hole in the middle of the tunnel it was driving through, stopping the vehicle in its tracks. Lelouch nearly stumbled over, but the young man grabbed hold of the large device the truck was transporting.
"What now, an accident?"
The truck's engine went dead moments later after struggling to get free. Lelouch took cover, but after the truck sat motionless for a few minutes, the doors on the left side of the truck's trailer opened up, revealing that the truck was stopped inside a subway tunnel. When Lelouch didn't hear anyone coming, the young man cautiously poked his head out from behind the device he had taken cover behind.
This is my chance. I better get the hell out of here.
Lelouch stepped into the open, cautiously looking outside the truck to make sure the area was clear before making a run for it. As he was about to run for it, a Britannian foot soldier flying through the air and preparing to strike the young man with a spinning roundhouse kick appeared suddenly. Lelouch deflected the kick with his arms, but the impact knocked him to the ground. Before he had a chance, the soldier seized Lelouch by the collar, pinning him to the ground.
"What the…are you Britannian?" Lelouch struggled to say, but the strong hand holding him down kept him from moving.
"That's enough mindless murder!" The soldier snapped as his gas mask slipped off, revealing his mouth.
"Wait! I am not with them!"
"Planning to use poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!"
"GET OFF OF ME!" Lelouch screamed as he tried to kick the soldier, who reacted by jumping away. The soldier got back to his feet, jumping back and assuming a defensive stance. "I am not here by choice! And if that's poison gas, it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?"
The soldier was shocked as he muttered, "My god."
"Mindless murder? Why don't you just obliterate Britannia!?" Lelouch shouted angrily.
"Lelouch! It's me, Suzaku," The soldier said as he removed his helmet, revealing his identity. Lelouch was shocked by this revelation as this was probably the last place on earth he was expecting his old friend from the days he had first come to Japan. They separated after the war between Britannia and Japan, having not spoken to one another since then.
"Suzaku," Lelouch said remembering the young boy he knew, his first real friend. But he was surprised by his career pathway, "You became a Britannian soldier?"
"Yeah, and what about you…are you," Suzaku began before Lelouch interrupted him.
"Just what are you saying?"
Suddenly, the capsule began opening up, emitting a hissing sound. Before Lelouch had a chance to react, Suzaku tackled the black-haired boy to the ground, putting his gas mask over his mouth to protect him from what the Japanese boy was sure would be poison gas. But instead, inside was a green haired girl with a white Britannian prison straightjacket.
"That's not poison gas. Who is that?"
After recovering Lelouch got up and demanded of the young man, "Poison gas; tell me the truth, Suzaku…this girl?"
"What's going on…the military is after this girl, but the terrorists assumed it was poison gas, weren't they?"
"I don't know," Suzaku didn't have an answer. "It's what they told us in the briefing."
Lelouch and Suzaku hauled the woman out of the truck and laid her out on the ground as Suzaku began undoing the restraints on her legs. But without warning, a series of large spotlights were turned on, illumining the area as over a dozen members of the Royal Guard stood in front of them. Lelouch's face paled as he immediately went for the blue marble he had moved into his pocket, knowing he was going to have to use it now, but…
"Stupid Monkey, being an Honorary Britannian will excuse you from this!"
"But sir, I thought this was poison gas!"
"SILENCE! You are supposed to follow orders!" The Royal Guard Commander snapped. He was a tall man, a typical racist Britannian at the worst with blue eyes, black hair and a scar on his face. He wore the custom red uniform of the Viceroy's Royal Guard. "However, in light of your stellar service record, I'll be lenient."
One of the commander's men handed his superior a pistol before handing it to Suzaku.
"Private Kururugi, you will use this and execute the terrorists."
Lelouch knew what this meant. He discreetly moved his hand with the marble out of his pocket and was about to activate his Intelligence Device.
"I am sorry sir, but I can't do that. He is just a civilian and I cannot do that."
"I see," Suzaku's superior said before shooting him in the back with the gun he had intended to give the young man.
"SUZAKU!"
"Now, school boy, it's your turn."
"You are going to pay for that!" Lelouch said as his blood was boiling.
"And how would that be possible?"
The commander fired a shot, aiming for Lelouch's head, but an energy field of purple energy deflected it. With a look of vengeful fury in his eyes, Lelouch opened his hand, revealing the marble as he spoke.
"Abyss Soul, activate in device mode prepare for battle!"
"Yes sir," Abyss Soul as the weapon suddenly transformed into a device form as Lelouch held it.
"What the hell is that!?" A Royal Guard said in fear.
"What do you call a Britannian who detests his own country?" Lelouch replied before aiming Abyss Soul at the Britannian Royal Guards. "Abyss Soul, Scatter Shot!"
The soldiers aimed their weapons at Lelouch, about to fire as a large amount of energy collected above the blue sphere on his staff.
"FIRE!"
A solid beam of purple energy shot out before breaking up into several separate beams, tearing through the shocked Royal Guards and killing them as some beams pierced their chests or heads for those unfortunate enough. The green haired woman was shocked as the Royal Guards dropped to the ground dead before Lelouch began laughing as his attire began changing.
At that moment, Abyss Soul transformed into a silver bladed staff while Lelouch's own appearance began to change as he donned what would be his own Battle Jacket. The casual clothing he was in vanished as he became garbed in black robes trimmed with gold and silver. He had a flowing black cape with a purple interior, gold plates of armor on his forearms, white cuffs at the end of his sleeves, a sleeveless black coat with silver armor plating on the shoulders and parts of the chest where the cape was attached and a high collar that covered the lower half of his jaw. The coat had a purple interior and a black belt with a gold plate going across his chest, attached to a parted skirt of silver scale mail armor that protected his thighs. The rest of his attire consisted of a form-fitting black leather shirt lined with gold and it came complete with a white cravat that bore a small blue gem on it, matching black pants and black belted boots with gold knee armor and three silver buckles on the sides of the boots.
Gripping Soul Abyss tightly Lelouch looked down at Suzaku's still form while his eyes burned with a righteous fury.
"If they want a war…then I'll give them a war!"
The demon had been unleashed.
Chapter 1
It was supposed to be a boring job
It was supposed to be a boring job
"So, how are you doing?"
The voice belonged to that of a man in his late forties, but his gray hair and complexion suggested he was possibly older. He wore a brown uniform with a dark blue tie and boots, common to members of the Ground Forces of the Time Space Administration Bureau.
"Perhaps I should have accepted Subaru's idea of bringing some magazines with me. Maybe a book or two."
A young woman of about fifteen years of age, wearing a similar uniform to the older man, but there was a drastically obvious difference in rank between them. The girl had mid-back length purple hair and green eyes with a fair skin complexion and a black hair ribbon-tie.
"Well, you should have at least a month more of this before you can return to Mid-Childa. This is something everyone is assigned to do, especially for those involved in both the Navy and Criminal Investigations. It's a recommended experience to serve at least a short tour of duty observing undeveloped worlds. Just be happy it's not a full year, rather a few months," Genya Nakajima said to assure his daughter, Ginga, who couldn't help, but wonder who she accidentally upset to be shelved to such a duty despite what she and her father were told.
"I suppose, but this is arguably one of the worst jobs you can undertake."
"I prefer the term 'most boring'," Genya said trying to humor his daughter, who couldn't help but chuckle at the comment.
"I suppose, but I better get back to it. Give Subaru my best wishes and take care, father."
"I will just take it easy, Ginga."
With the video conference over, Ground Forces member of the Battalion 108, Private First Class, Ginga Nakajima returned to her duty of monitoring Un-Administered World #97. It was otherwise known as Earth, which was relatively peaceful ever since the Book of Darkness and Jewel Seed incidents eight years ago. But maybe peaceful wasn't the right word either as it was peaceful as far as the higher-ups in the Bureau were concerned; things were quite heretic locally.
Ginga wasn't the only one monitoring the planet as there were four other stations in places such as China and Japan, including a few smaller areas under her supervision, while the rest of the world was being watched from other observation outposts strategically positioned in orbit. As such, Ginga was briefed on recent history in the areas assigned under her watch.
One of the more recent major events that happened seven years ago, which happened to be in the same country where both the Book of Darkness and Jewel Seeds incidents took place. The result was, Japan was no longer an independent nation as on August 10th 2010 A.T.B. when the Holy Britannian Empire invaded the small nation, beginning a one-month war. By all accounts, the war was primarily to seize its Sakuradite mines, which was quickly becoming an increasingly invaluable resource. A key component in the production of Britannia's new war-machine, the Knightmare Frame was first used in the war against Japan's ground forces.
A month later after the conflict begun, Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi committed suicide to put a stop to the military's actions, despite having earlier called for a do-or-die resistance to the bitter end. However, rumors persist that the Prime Minister was, in fact, assassinated and the suicide was merely a cover story. But regardless, without Genbu to lead them, the Japanese government reluctantly surrendered to the Britannian Empire with Japan being renamed Area 11. The Japanese people were dubbed Elevens, losing their country's independence, name and culture.
This also forced the Bureau to remove their ground based agents since maintaining their presence in Britannia-occupied Japan became exceptionally difficult.
However, despite the defeat and loss of their country, much of the Japanese military that survived went into hiding, organizing into a resistance organization that would be known as the Japan Liberation Front. Over the next seven years, the JLF and other resistance groups that would form since then would attempt to challenge the Britannian Empire. Although some resistance groups were crushed, the Japan Liberation Front remained the Japanese's best hope for Japan to become an independent nation once more.
Regrettably, the success the organization made was limited and after seven years, Japan still remains as Area 11. But unknown to Ginga and others, something new was about to be introduced that would change everything.
At this very moment, currently inside a large up rise apartment building was a game of chess between an elderly man and a younger man in his late thirties, a member of the Britannian nobility playing for money for something or rather someone who was about to appear. He was wearing a brown suit with a blue tie, possessing an unusual hairstyle, but he had matching brown hair along with a beard and mustache as well as blue eyes. The elderly man wore a pair of glasses, had gray hair and a thin, scrawny appearance while wearing a white dress shirt and black vest with matching pants and shoes. Also present in the room were the nobleman's bodyguards as evident by the black suits they wore.
"Why don't you give it up already, old man? You don't have a chance against me," The noble declared, feeling absolutely certain of his victory while the elderly man he was challenging was trying to figure out a suitable move to make. But he was saved by a new arrival as the doors opened to the room.
"Oh, thank goodness, I am saved! I trust everything at school is going well?" The elderly man declared happily at the sight of a seventeen year old high school student wearing a black uniform trimmed with gold. He was on the thin and scrawny side, but he was quite tall for his age. He had black hair, purple eyes and a fair skin complexion with a bored expression on his face. Following him was a more sociable young man who the same age as he was except he had spikier blue hair, gray eyes and a more sun-tanned skin tone.
"What…a pair of schoolboys? I have to say, that is a desperate, but a very pathetic attempt at trying to win, old man." The nobleman commented, prompting the black haired student to grin before speaking.
"Well, look at this a nobleman…"
"I envy you boys today. You all have so much time on your hands. Time for regrets, that is."
The black-haired student took the seat that had previously been occupied by the old man, sitting behind the black chess pieces.
"What is your name?"
"Lelouch Lamperouge…"
"Whoa, how are you going to win this one? It's impossible, right?" Rivalz Cardemonde declared. Looking at the situation, the old man had been in position that was obviously needless to say pretty bad.
"Rivalz," Lelouch began calmly asking his friend a simple question. "When do you think we would have to leave in order to make our next class?"
"Twenty minutes, if we bust our hump."
"Well then, let's be sure that you drive safely on the way back." Lelouch readied himself after studying the chess board before him. "I'll need nine minutes." He turned to the old man beside him. "And about yesterday?"
"Understood, sir. We'll discuss it later." The elderly man replied.
"Nine minutes? You'll only have twenty seconds per move!" The nobleman pointed out as Lelouch calmly picked up the King.
"Plenty of time…"
"You start with the king first?"
The nobleman began laughing, but Lelouch only smiled, knowing that he was going to win.
Meanwhile in another part of the Toyko Settlement, but more closer to the heart of the settlement itself, was a large estate. Unlike most parts of the Toyko Settlement, it had a large number of trees and plenty of green grass. If you remove the walkways and the school buildings, the whole estate would appear to be a forest with large clearings. It was lunch time for the students of Ashford Academy as a particular group of students were sitting together on stone benches in a small circle eating box lunches together. They were all female students of the Academy, which was the same school Rivalz and Lelouch hailed from. They wore the same uniform, but there were differences in the socks they wore and the color of their uniform. The male uniform has a black coat while the females' were sandy colored and with a green tie.
"Where is Lelouch?" A busty, young eighteen year old woman with medium length blonde hair, blue eyes and dark blue socks inquired.
"I believe he and Rivalz have gone off gambling again. I think it was poker this time?" A quiet, shy girl with green hair asked. She wore a pair of large glasses and wore black socks.
"Those two are off gambling again!?" A girl with a slender and athletic figure possessing long orange hair and green eyes wearing a uniform identical to the blonde girl's. "Both of them are on the Student Council! I can't believe people as smart as them are wasting their talents on such stupid stuff! If they keep it up, they'll get held back."
"Oh, how cute…How I wish for my darling Lelouch to be more upstanding citizen of society," Milly Ashford teased which caused Shirley Fenette to blush.
"Please, madam President!"
"Good luck on that," The second to last member of their gathering spoke.
She was also a young woman around the same age as Lelouch with thigh-high white socks and mid-back length light brown hair, gray eyes and a fair skin complexion.
"Lelouch has been sneaking out of this school to gamble ever since he was sixteen. I find it doubtful you can break this habit of his easily."
"I agree, Sis. Lelouch is a very stubborn one," The girl's twin sister replied as the only difference between them was a more excitable personality in contrast to her sister's calmer demeanor and longer hair.
"You encourage him, Lotte!?" Shirley shot back at Lotte Liese as her sister Aria Liese calmly watched while trying to enjoy her lunch.
Elsewhere across town speeding along the highway was a cargo truck, seemingly unaware of the fact that a police VTOL was tailing them. The driver of the truck was a Japanese man in his late twenties with long black hair tied into a long-ponytail and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue uniform complete with cap on his head. Next to him sat a young woman with red hair wearing similar attire.
"Perfect, after all of the trouble we went through to finally steal this damn thing!" The driver snapped, noticing the police VTOL through his side mirror. "It's all because Tamaki couldn't follow Naoto's plan! And now we got a problem!"
A short time later Lelouch and Rivalz were leaving after in a time of less than nine minutes Lelouch had found the match. The duo exited the elevator after reaching the lobby where the two disembarked from as Rivalz congratulated his friend on his victory.
"I love playing against the nobility! Because when they lose, they pay out of pride! By the way eight minutes and thirty-two seconds is a new record!"
"He didn't have much time to move either. As opponents go, the nobles are tepid, nothing but over-privileged parasites."
"Well, why not challenge some of the Elevens? They are nothing like us Britannians." Rivalz suggested as the two boys walked outside, but before Lelouch could answer, the chatter of people outside drew their attention. A building-mounted television monitor displayed a terrorist bombing that took place in Osaka yesterday.
"What are these terrorists trying to prove by killing innocent people?" One bystander commented.
"Those Elevens terrify me." A female civilian commented as the image on the monitor changed to the Britannian flag, followed by a female announcer.
"We apologize for the delay. His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, the third Prince of Britannia will address the nation." The announcer spoke before the image faded away, revealing a young man in his early twenties wearing a royal garb complete with a purple and gold trimmed suit and white cape also trimmed with gold. Lelouch's eyes hardened at Clovis as the prince spoke in what was obviously a publicity stunt.
"To my imperial subjects!" Clovis spoke while Lelouch's eyes narrowed in hatred and disgust. "And, of course, to the many Elevens who cooperate with us!"
Yeah right…
Lelouch thought as Clovis went on to make his grand speech which was not only an obvious act, but it showed that Clovis was indeed a back actor.
"Do you not see? Right now my heart has been torn asunder! Into a heart filled with sadness and rage! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not allow terrorism of any kind! The reason being that the battle we fight is a righteous one! A righteous battle to protect the happiness of all! Now then, everyone! Won't you join me in grieving for the agents who died in the line of duty for justice?"
"A moment of silence please," The female announcer spoke as everyone with the exception of Lelouch and Rivalz took part in the moment of silence.
"You're not going to join in?" Rivalz asked Lelouch, who was paying the meter that kept Rivalz's bike, a motorbike with a passage car attached to it, locked in their parking space.
"Are you?" Lelouch countered.
Rivalz chuckled slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed before climbing onto his bike, putting on a helmet, gloves and goggles. "It's sort of embarrassing."
"I agree," Lelouch replied before he added. "Besides, crying tears for them won't bring the dead back to life now, will it?"
"Dang, that's dark, buddy." Rivalz stated.
"It's all about self-satisfaction. It doesn't matter how hard you try. You can't do it. There's no way you can change the world…" Lelouch said, but in his thought he thought about it differently.
Not without overwhelming power at least.
As Lelouch and Rivalz were getting ready to leave the young man began musing to himself.
I was once born as Lelouch vi Britannia. But even so, the only family I have is a little sister who was crippled and blinded in the same incident that took our mother's life seven years ago. I was born the eldest sibling, but among the rest of my extended family, I am among the younger siblings, but my half-siblings are not worth mentioning. We were a prince and princess of the most powerful empire in the world until that man who was supposed to be our father exiled us to Japan when I spoke out against him. He denounced my claim to the throne after questioning him on his inability to protect our mother.
My life was uneventful until that day, but since that time our lives continued to come apart all around us as we had nothing, save our names and the title of political hostages given to us by the Emperor. If anything, all we had were the clothes on our backs. Even after Japan and Britannia went to war, we managed to survive. But only by seeking the help of the Ashford Family, we could remain hidden from Britannia after being declared dead in the war to protect us from the royal family.
Even now our futures are uncertain, but a friend of a girl I knew has given me something that could change everything. I was skeptical at first, but I know what I can do and how this power I have can prove to be useful.
At the specialized television studio within the Viceroy's Palace at the heart of the Toyko Settlement, the cameras were turned off and pulled away on the movable arms. Viceroy Clovis stepped down from the stage towards a small group waiting for him. Some of which were beautiful women in expensive gowns while high-level executives in suits stood with them.
"That was magnificent, Your Highness! No one would guess you were attending a party while doing that."
"After all, the Viceroy is the lead actor of Area 11," Clovis said as two servants removed the white cloak he wore over his shoulders. "I need to change costumes quickly."
"My…you are so self-confident."
"It's all in the performance; the public wants a charismatic prince, so I give them one."
"Untrue," An obese man in a brown suit with a black tie spoke, obviously the owner of the television studio and likely a member of the nobility as well. "Prince Clovis, our key purpose in life is to support and assist your reign in any way we can."
"His reign is a pathetic slam."
A man was leaning against a wall away from the gathering, reading a folder he was holding in his hand and observing the scene in disgust. He was in his late twenties with blonde hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a blue jacket, matching pants with a red turtleneck and black shoes.
"Y-Your Highness!" A man of large stature with a bald head said as he hurried into the room seemingly alarmed about something. He wore a dark gray uniform with a black cape with a monocle over his right eye.
"A soldier," the newsman noted.
"Bartley, how boorish of you," Clovis said, noticing General Bartley Asprius hurrying towards him.
"I beg your pardon your highness," Bartley said before whispering something to the Viceroy.
"Not another appearance…I hope not as dreary."
"YOU FOOL," Clovis suddenly snapped, drawing the newsman's attention.
"The police were informed that it was medical equipment, that's all! If I scramble the army, they'll be able to…"
"Deploy the Royal Guard!" Clovis ordered, bluntly interrupting his right-hand man. "Launch the Knightmares as well!"
"So tell me something," Rivalz asked bringing Lelouch out of his thoughts, "Why did you move with the King first?"
"If the King does not move, then how can his subordinates follow?"
"What's with a saying like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do have ambitions of running a major corporation or something?"
"No way, ambitions like that ruin your health." Lelouch replied before the sound of a truck's horn was heard from behind.
"What the hell?" Rivalz exclaimed as he tried to move out of the way.
The truck closed in from behind, leaving the two in danger of getting run down. Panicking, Rivalz turned hard and sped up to get away from the truck. Unfortunately, the driver made a sharp left turn off the highway, heading into a construction site. But it was traveling too fast to slow down, crashing into a metal frame-work of the structure being built.
Rivalz stopped the bike as he looked at the dust cloud that had arisen from the impact.
"Was that our fault?"
"I don't think so," Lelouch replied.
A crowd began to gather, looking over the crash site while Lelouch dismounted the bike when Rivalz was unable to start it back up. Suddenly, a glowing phenomenon of some kind could be seen from the truck, prompting Lelouch to remove the goggles he had worn. He tried to look at it more clearly, but the glow was already gone.
"Oh, man. The power line for the bike got cut!"
Lelouch didn't quite hear his friend, but he was distracted by the light he saw.
"Yeah, say Rivalz take a look at this," Lelouch said, but his attention was diverted by the growing crowd of people who began to comment on the scene.
"What happened, some sort of accident?" A female citizen asked what should have been obvious.
"Probably some drunk driver," Another citizen said, but this time, it was a man in a business suit.
"Yeah, it's already some moron," A third citizen commented.
"Hey, maybe someone should help."
All those idiots.
Lelouch thought disgusted by the lack of activity from the citizens, who should have been checking out the crash to see if anyone was alright. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Lelouch deposited his helmet and riding goggles into the side car of the motorcycle before hurrying to the crashed truck. As the crowd began commenting about Lelouch's involvement, the young man ignored them as he reached the trailer of the truck. But the driver cab was blocked to him.
"Hey, are you alright?" Lelouch shouted, but he got no response as he tried in vain to move a fallen steel beam cutting off access to the driver cab. When that failed, Lelouch began using a ladder on the side of the trailer to climb up and reach the driver seat that way. But as he did, Rivalz was forced to move the bike off the road, complaining about their situation.
"Yeah, yeah, I know it's the right thing to do. I wish the guy would quit flaunting his pride and give it a rest for a while! Now we're going to be late to school…"
After Lelouch reached the top of the trailer, he heard a voice call out to him.
It's you…finally, I found my…
What was that?
Lelouch shook the thought aside as he continued trying to reach the driver. But as he looked over an opening in the top of the trailer, the driver had regained consciousness. Once its driver, Nagata was wide awake, he quickly started the truck back up and threw it into reserve before racing away from the scene. His sudden reversal caused Lelouch to lose his balance and fall into the opening of the trailer, trapping him inside.
"Stop, I am in here!" Lelouch called out, but no one heard him. "Damn it, you would think they'd stick a ladder in here, too…"
"Stop the vehicle! Give yourselves up and you'll get a chance to defend yourselves in court! Surrender now!" A military pilot called out on a loud speaker as a trio of military combat helicopters closes in on the truck from behind. "Give up now or we'll shoot to kill!" the pilot warned before firing some warning shots to get his point across.
As the truck passed through a tunnel, Lelouch was stood behind a capsule-like device that the truck was transporting. But even if he found a way out of the trailer, he could either get shot or killed by falling onto the street below. However, when the door from the driver cab opened up, the young man took cover.
Lelouch watched as a redhead woman entered the trailer, taking off a blue uniform she had been wearing and showing a more revealing outfit underneath.
"Can you enter the subway through the Azabu route?" Kallen Kozuki asked as she began to board what resembled a Knightmare Frame at the back of the truck.
"Let's use it here! Why not?" The driver of the truck asked.
"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" Kallen snapped back as she climbed into the cockpit of a Knightmare Frame.
"Ugh…you're right…"
I have seen her before…
The young man could swear he recognized the woman from somewhere before, yet nothing came to mind. A few moments later after Kallen launched in her custom Glasgow Knightmare Frame, Lelouch tried to escape by jumping out of the back of the truck. It closed before he could even attempt such a risky escape.
"Damn it, these guys are real terrorists!"
Lelouch's situation was steadily getting worse and worse, but he still had a way out as he opened up the top of his school uniform to bring out a silver chain where at the end was a familiar blue marble.
Even if I use this, there is no chance I can make a clean getaway. I could be seen.
Other than the sounds of gunfire and explosions, there wasn't enough for Lelouch to provide a clear idea of what was going on outside. Yet from the way the truck was moving to the sides and increasing speed, it was clear that the military was in hot pursuit. As Lelouch contemplated his options, he found himself struggling to maintain his footing just as the truck made a sudden hard left turn. It was likely a quick evasive turn or quick escape in an effort to shake pursuers, although Lelouch suspected it was likely the former. The sound of gunfire and explosions faded, but the road became bumpy and the interior became darker.
It's getting darker in here and judging by the bumpy road, Lelouch thought before pulling out his cell phone to check if he still had service. I see. So we must be traveling through the old subway tunnels, heading for the ghettos.
Lelouch began looking around, but as his eyes passed over the discarded coat the female terrorist left behind earlier, he spotted a communication device.
I got to get out of here, but…Ok, I got it…I am not big on the military, but if I give them this terrorist communicator…No…I forgot…
The former prince thought he had a solution in mind, but quickly discarded it. He realized the solution could lead to further problems for him, especially considering the possible contents of what these terrorists might have stolen.
Suddenly, the truck hit a large hole in the middle of the tunnel it was driving through, stopping the vehicle in its tracks. Lelouch nearly stumbled over, but the young man grabbed hold of the large device the truck was transporting.
"What now, an accident?"
The truck's engine went dead moments later after struggling to get free. Lelouch took cover, but after the truck sat motionless for a few minutes, the doors on the left side of the truck's trailer opened up, revealing that the truck was stopped inside a subway tunnel. When Lelouch didn't hear anyone coming, the young man cautiously poked his head out from behind the device he had taken cover behind.
This is my chance. I better get the hell out of here.
Lelouch stepped into the open, cautiously looking outside the truck to make sure the area was clear before making a run for it. As he was about to run for it, a Britannian foot soldier flying through the air and preparing to strike the young man with a spinning roundhouse kick appeared suddenly. Lelouch deflected the kick with his arms, but the impact knocked him to the ground. Before he had a chance, the soldier seized Lelouch by the collar, pinning him to the ground.
"What the…are you Britannian?" Lelouch struggled to say, but the strong hand holding him down kept him from moving.
"That's enough mindless murder!" The soldier snapped as his gas mask slipped off, revealing his mouth.
"Wait! I am not with them!"
"Planning to use poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!"
"GET OFF OF ME!" Lelouch screamed as he tried to kick the soldier, who reacted by jumping away. The soldier got back to his feet, jumping back and assuming a defensive stance. "I am not here by choice! And if that's poison gas, it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?"
The soldier was shocked as he muttered, "My god."
"Mindless murder? Why don't you just obliterate Britannia!?" Lelouch shouted angrily.
"Lelouch! It's me, Suzaku," The soldier said as he removed his helmet, revealing his identity. Lelouch was shocked by this revelation as this was probably the last place on earth he was expecting his old friend from the days he had first come to Japan. They separated after the war between Britannia and Japan, having not spoken to one another since then.
"Suzaku," Lelouch said remembering the young boy he knew, his first real friend. But he was surprised by his career pathway, "You became a Britannian soldier?"
"Yeah, and what about you…are you," Suzaku began before Lelouch interrupted him.
"Just what are you saying?"
Suddenly, the capsule began opening up, emitting a hissing sound. Before Lelouch had a chance to react, Suzaku tackled the black-haired boy to the ground, putting his gas mask over his mouth to protect him from what the Japanese boy was sure would be poison gas. But instead, inside was a green haired girl with a white Britannian prison straightjacket.
"That's not poison gas. Who is that?"
After recovering Lelouch got up and demanded of the young man, "Poison gas; tell me the truth, Suzaku…this girl?"
"What's going on…the military is after this girl, but the terrorists assumed it was poison gas, weren't they?"
"I don't know," Suzaku didn't have an answer. "It's what they told us in the briefing."
Lelouch and Suzaku hauled the woman out of the truck and laid her out on the ground as Suzaku began undoing the restraints on her legs. But without warning, a series of large spotlights were turned on, illumining the area as over a dozen members of the Royal Guard stood in front of them. Lelouch's face paled as he immediately went for the blue marble he had moved into his pocket, knowing he was going to have to use it now, but…
"Stupid Monkey, being an Honorary Britannian will excuse you from this!"
"But sir, I thought this was poison gas!"
"SILENCE! You are supposed to follow orders!" The Royal Guard Commander snapped. He was a tall man, a typical racist Britannian at the worst with blue eyes, black hair and a scar on his face. He wore the custom red uniform of the Viceroy's Royal Guard. "However, in light of your stellar service record, I'll be lenient."
One of the commander's men handed his superior a pistol before handing it to Suzaku.
"Private Kururugi, you will use this and execute the terrorists."
Lelouch knew what this meant. He discreetly moved his hand with the marble out of his pocket and was about to activate his Intelligence Device.
"I am sorry sir, but I can't do that. He is just a civilian and I cannot do that."
"I see," Suzaku's superior said before shooting him in the back with the gun he had intended to give the young man.
"SUZAKU!"
"Now, school boy, it's your turn."
"You are going to pay for that!" Lelouch said as his blood was boiling.
"And how would that be possible?"
The commander fired a shot, aiming for Lelouch's head, but an energy field of purple energy deflected it. With a look of vengeful fury in his eyes, Lelouch opened his hand, revealing the marble as he spoke.
"Abyss Soul, activate in device mode prepare for battle!"
"Yes sir," Abyss Soul as the weapon suddenly transformed into a device form as Lelouch held it.
"What the hell is that!?" A Royal Guard said in fear.
"What do you call a Britannian who detests his own country?" Lelouch replied before aiming Abyss Soul at the Britannian Royal Guards. "Abyss Soul, Scatter Shot!"
The soldiers aimed their weapons at Lelouch, about to fire as a large amount of energy collected above the blue sphere on his staff.
"FIRE!"
A solid beam of purple energy shot out before breaking up into several separate beams, tearing through the shocked Royal Guards and killing them as some beams pierced their chests or heads for those unfortunate enough. The green haired woman was shocked as the Royal Guards dropped to the ground dead before Lelouch began laughing as his attire began changing.
At that moment, Abyss Soul transformed into a silver bladed staff while Lelouch's own appearance began to change as he donned what would be his own Battle Jacket. The casual clothing he was in vanished as he became garbed in black robes trimmed with gold and silver. He had a flowing black cape with a purple interior, gold plates of armor on his forearms, white cuffs at the end of his sleeves, a sleeveless black coat with silver armor plating on the shoulders and parts of the chest where the cape was attached and a high collar that covered the lower half of his jaw. The coat had a purple interior and a black belt with a gold plate going across his chest, attached to a parted skirt of silver scale mail armor that protected his thighs. The rest of his attire consisted of a form-fitting black leather shirt lined with gold and it came complete with a white cravat that bore a small blue gem on it, matching black pants and black belted boots with gold knee armor and three silver buckles on the sides of the boots.
Gripping Soul Abyss tightly Lelouch looked down at Suzaku's still form while his eyes burned with a righteous fury.
"If they want a war…then I'll give them a war!"
The demon had been unleashed.
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Chapter 2: Rise of Zero
Got through a chapter much faster than I expected. Some of it is from how much I enjoyed these specific chapter that I just want to get them done.
Well, here it is. And you could absolutely see why, both during the chapter and the end and the gives a detour to Code Geass canon.
Well, here it is. And you could absolutely see why, both during the chapter and the end and the gives a detour to Code Geass canon.
Chapter 2
The Rise of Zero
"I am terribly sorry, Your Highness. We'll recover her, I assure you." Bartley said while under Clovis's gaze. But the blonde haired prince ignored him.
"We'll move onto the next stage of the plan."
"Your Highness?" Bartley muttered, knowing that the Viceroy had in mind.
"If word gets out about her, I'll be disinherited. Tell the homeland we're carrying out a plan for urban renewal." Clovis began as he stood up rising from his throne. "As Clovis, third prince of the Empire, I command you: Destroy Shinjuku Ghetto! Leave no one alive!"
It wasn't long before the Britannian Forces, having completely encircled the ghetto, began a one-sided massacre of the civilians living there as anyone in front of the Britannian Army was ruthlessly gunned down. No one was spared, not even children as the body count began swiftly rose. Artillery shelling ravaged the ghetto, dramatically increasing the body count.
"These filthy Elevens aren't even worthy of becoming Honorary Britannians! Wipe out every single last one of them!" Bartley ordered over an open channel as the massacre of Shinjuku Ghetto continued.
Lelouch hid underground within an old subway station, a distance away from where he had witnessed his first friend in Japan being shot in the back. The woman with green hair was still with him. As it was, the young man could easily leave her and escape, but something within him kept him from leaving. The ceiling above him rumbled as a result of artillery fire, which was enough of a sign for Lelouch that the Britannian Army was carrying out a liquidation of the entire ghetto.
All because of this girl, but just what is she?
"This chaos is all your fault, isn't it? Just what are you!?"
The woman didn't answer her, but Lelouch was combing through possibilities. Yet, without any additional information, he couldn't come up with any logical conclusion.
"Soul Abyss, scan the female subject and check for abnormalities," Lelouch instructed as the orb on the top of the staff glowed.
"Yes, sir," Soul Abyss replied before a wide-spread blue grid of energy scanned the young woman's body leading to these responses.
"Scan is complete…Unknown entity - the parameters detected are similar to an Anima Compositus."
I see. So could she be an Artificial Being? Like those Wolkenritter? Or something else?
The green-haired woman wanted to protest, but the binds over her mouth kept her from speaking.
"I'll have to investigate you later, but if you want to escape, then come with me."
A short time later above ground, a Sutherland was speeding by when he was suddenly waved down by what appeared to be a ground forces trooper. The Sutherland came to a sudden stop to speak to the ground forces soldier demanding.
"You there! What is your ID and unit, soldier?"
"I am Apolly Bay of 12th Reconnaissance Company," The soldier spoke before pulling a disc from his pouch pocket. "I obtained this disc from one of the terrorists. Could I ask you to transmit this to headquarters for me, sir?"
"A disc, huh," The pilot said opening up his cockpit. "I still need to verify your ID first."
"Right, understood, but," The Britannian soldier said before vanishing suddenly. The pilot standing outside of his cockpit hatch was confused before a magical blast nailed him, sending him flying from the cockpit. Lelouch appeared moments later before entering the cockpit, upon which he raised Abyss Soul over the controls.
"Alright, let's see if those special functions Peter installed in you work. System override," Lelouch commanded as Abyss Soul glowed. It began hacking through the controls wirelessly.
"Override Successful," Abyss Soul reported moments later as Lelouch was now in control of the Sutherland.
"Excellent, but we still need at least a dozen more."
Sitting alone in the Student Council Clubhouse, but more specifically within the council meeting room, seated at a computer was a student. Browsing the internet, reading up on scientific articles and news reports, she was a young woman around sixteen and seventeen with mid-back brown hair that hung freely. She wore a pair of blue hair clips and reading glasses with large lenses. She was obviously dressed in the female uniform of Ashford Academy with white knee-high socks. Next to the keyboard, she was eating a peanut butter cupcake with chocolate frosting on top. Her brown eyes were reviewing an article before a faint beeping could be heard suddenly from a watch-like device on her left wrist.
Knowing who it was, she sighed in annoyance. However, she decided to accept the call, knowing he would just keep pestering her if she ignored him.
"What do you want, Lelouch? I'm busy."
"Skipping out on Physical Education again, I assume?"
"You're the one to talk, but why call?"
"Quattro, I assume you are in front of a computer, right? Could you give me the latest news? Anything about Shinjuku?"
"I can, but," Quattro began before she stopped her sentence midway as she bore a suspicious expression. "Lelouch, just what are you up to? I know you were going to engage in some more underground chess matches today, but you always returned to school on time."
"I don't have time to explain, but I will when I return. I am in a bit of a...situation here."
"What kind of situation?"
Lelouch sighed, but he knew if he was going to get Quattro to work with him, he had to come clean. "Well, I was on my way back to Ashford when there was a bit of an accident. A truck nearly ran us down, but it ended up crashing into a construction site."
"I suspect you decided to play the good Samaritan again, didn't you?"
"Yes, but it happened after the power line on Rivalz's bike got cut during his effort to avoid us getting run down. The people gathered near the site like idiots, gawking at the crash."
"Well, what did you expect?" Quattro commented with a bored expression before taking a slip from her soda.
"Fair enough, but when I went to help, the truck turned out to be driven by terrorists who stole something from the Britannian Military."
Quattro spat out her drink in shock before demanding.
"WHAT! You…climbed into a truck being driven by terrorists!?"
"I know, of all of the trucks. Now, I'm in the middle of Shinjuku Ghetto and the Britannian Army is killing everyone. You know, gunning down civilians and bombing buildings?" Lelouch said rather casually, but he knew that Quattro would freak. He didn't even need to see her expression to confirm his suspicions as the young woman's face was frozen in a state of total shock. It wasn't long before she recovered and shouted.
"YOU GET OUT OF THERE NOW! YOU HEAR ME!?"
"Easier said than done. The Britannian Army has this entire place surrounded and I have someone else here. She was locked inside a capsule, mistaken to be poison gas bomb. Abyss Soul detected some abnormalities; I don't think she's human."
"As interesting as this may sound, you need to escape. Just take the girl with you and we'll deal with it when you return to the Academy."
"I need to move her above ground. I haven't used dimensional travel with a second passenger before."
"Damn it!"
Despite being frustrated, Quattro regained her composure and quickly began thinking. The computer brought up the latest news related to Shinjuku.
"The only news on Shinjuku are traffic restrictions. Why it's happening is unknown."
"Well, of course. Once they finish everything off, they'll release news that favors the military."
"Then, what are you going to do?"
"I'm gonna have to make an opening."
"Don't do it, Lelouch! The Bureau cannot find out about you."
"Then I'll do it the old-fashioned way. I got a terrorist communicator and a plan already in mind to turn this battle around without exposing my talents. I'll call you once I escape," Lelouch said before hanging up, leaving an irritated Quattro.
"That…ugh," The brown hair woman said before stopping her sentence.
Graham won't like this. I swear, as talented and intelligent Lelouch is, is he more trouble than he's worth?
Back at Shinjuku Ghetto, the former Britannian Prince was hiding in one of the old abandoned office buildings. The green haired woman sat quietly nearby as the sounds of battle echoed around them. Parked nearby was one of the Sutherlands he had stolen earlier while capturing a dozen more and hidden them in a mobile location. He was safe for now, but as Lelouch brought up a tactical display of the surrounding area with his Intelligent Device, he saw a three-dimensional map of the area around his current position.
They need to keep a lid on this information, so it will be hard for them to call in reinforcements. They will have to make do with the pieces on the board. But I'm stuck in here. Even if I could destroy a lot of them with Abyss Soul, I could attract the attention of the observation posts in orbit. Attempting to gain refuge carries its own risks as well. However…
In the distance, Lelouch saw a combat helicopter shot down.
I want payback for being dragged into your fight. And Suzaku…they'll pay for killing you.
With a plan in mind, the green haired woman finally spoke.
"How are you going to create an escape path?"
"I have captured a number of Sutherlands so far. The only difficulty left is to give them to the resistance group fighting here without them seeing me."
"I assume you forced the pilots from the machines?"
"I used a few tricks I had, but besides the one I captured for my own use, I removed the IFFs from the others."
"Then, why don't I give you something to help?"
"What?" Lelouch said as the green haired woman managed to free herself from her binds before standing up and putting a hand on Lelouch's shoulder. As his world was about to go white all around him, an unseen force suddenly sent the green haired woman flying back as if something within Lelouch rejected her. "What was that?"
For once in her long existence, the woman was completely shocked as her attempts to form a contract with someone had never been rejected in such a way before.
"I don't understand it…I wanted to form a contract with you."
"Whatever you were trying to with me, it clearly won't work," Lelouch said. He wanted to investigate the matter further, but he didn't have the time for this. "I need to go to work and deliver these Knightmare Frames to the terrorists."
"How will you do that?"
"I think I have an idea. However, I need you to stay hidden for now."
Meanwhile, back at Ashford Academy, another student was about to become aware of events transpiring. In the chemical lab, a teacher was standing before the board was using a black marker to write out a chemical formula for his class to see. The teacher standing at the board was surprisingly young for his age, being in his late teens to his early twenties with mid-back blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a bow of black ribbon. He had a fair skin complexion and wore a black suit underneath the white lab coat with a red tie, complete with black dress shoes.
"Technically, chemistry is the study of matter," The blonde haired man commented before putting down his marker and addressing his class directly. "But I prefer to see it as the study of change. Just think about this. Electrons, they change their energy levels. Molecules change their bonds. Elements, they combine and change into compounds. Well, that's all of life, right? It's the constant, it's the cycle. It's solution, dissolution. Just over and over and over. It is growth, then decay, then transformation. It is fascinating, really."
His name was Peter Vanderfloog. As far as people were concerned, despite being a simple chemistry teacher, he was very popular among the students for his engaging science lessons.
As he eyed the classroom before him, Peter's green eyes came to two empty seats, one of which was normally occupied while the other was sometimes empty. As the chemistry teacher continued his lecture into chemistry and its fundamentals, he opened up his mind and began reaching out, using telepathy he had with one of the missing students in question.
Quattro, why aren't you in class? Did something happen?
Oh, it's you…Well, something did happen and you are not going to like this...
Does it have something to do with Lelouch?
Regrettably it does…
Peter mentally sighed having a bad feeling about it.
I assume you are on your way to get him out of whatever mess he is in?
I am. I'll do what I can, but the situation is already spiraling out of control.
What exactly has happened?
Apparently, some kind of incident has happened in Shinjuku. The Britannian Army is wiping out its population and somehow, Lelouch got pulled right into it.
Peter was stunned, but he carefully kept his expression from changing while he kept teaching his class, as if nothing abnormal was happening. However, on the inside, several alarms were going off in his head.
Quattro, hurry to Shinjuku and stop Lelouch. I am worried he might do something foolish like openly use his magic. I know we have taught him to conceal it, but an unpredictable battle situation in Shinjuku could bring about a situation where he has little choice. I'll contact Graham and inform him of what has happened. Hopefully, he'll rendezvous with you and help with Lelouch if need be.
I know! I'll hurry...
Back at Shinjuku Ghetto, the situation was looking increasingly grim for the resistance group. Fighting a losing battle as the death toll kept rising, they were hopelessly outnumbered and badly outgunned. Inside her Glasgow, Kallen Kozuki was doing her best and among the only few who made any progress. But success was very limited and not enough to turn the tide of the battle. After shooting down another attack helicopter with a slash harken, a pair of Sutherland Knightmare Frames with red painted shoulders had appeared on the scene.
One of the Sutherlands was being piloted by Jeremiah Gottwald, the leader of the Purist Faction.
"Well, if it isn't our Glasgow friend."
Kallen spotted the two Sutherlands before taking off to evade them. They gave chase and it was only a matter of time before they close in on her. To complicate matters, she had thirty minutes left on her energy filler and once that was empty, that would be it for her. Yet, just as all hope seemed lost, an unexpected and unfamiliar voice spoke over the radio.
"The west entrance…"
"Huh?"
"Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."
"Who is this!? How do you know this code!?" Kallen demanded.
"That doesn't matter. If you want to win, then you are just gonna have to trust me."
"To win?" Kallen said as she hurried along. After some careful consideration and knowing she had very few other options, she leapt onto the train tracks on a bridge and began traveling west. As Kallen moved along the tracks, she spoke through the radio. "Ok, what do I do now?"
Suddenly, Jeremiah's Sutherland and his partner's Knightmare Frame were catching up to Kallen.
"You pathetic eleven, if you simply run away, then this hunt offers nothing in the way of sport."
Just when Kallen was doomed, a train came straight at her as the voice spoke.
"Since you trusted me, you are going to win. Now, jump onto the train!"
"Got it!"
Kallen leapt over the train's main engine and hopped across the cars, leaving Jeremiah to catch the train with his machine as he slowed it down.
"Trying to escape through that way? Hm, if that is your plan," Jeremiah said as the train came to a complete stop. "You there, go after the Glasgow!"
"Yes my lord," The Britannian pilot said right before jumping. He never got the chance to chase the red machine as a pair of slash harkens hit his Sutherland in the waist and neck, knocking its head off and sending the machine off the bridge.
Hidden inside a bit of rubble within an overlooking building was a third Sutherland, which was the culprit that had taken out one of its own.
"Shot by friendly fire?" Jeremiah said to himself before calling out to the other Sutherland, unaware of who was inside the cockpit. "What is your name and your unit? We're after the one-armed Glasgow!"
No response was given save for the Sutherland opening fire with its machine gun, pelting Jeremiah's machine and costing him the its left arm.
"Oh my god, a terrorist!?"
Jeremiah tried to pull back, but a bullet took out a landspinner along with most of his left leg, stopping him in his tracks. In an effort to counterattack, Jeremiah took aim with his Sutherland's machine gun, but he didn't see the red Glasgow rushing back to launch a counterattack.
"You son of a-!" Jeremiah began but the battle cry Kallen gave alerted Jeremiah to the approaching danger, giving the man time to eject and escape a possible death at the hands at the Glasgow.
"You saved me. But how did you get a hold of a Sutherland?"
Kallen asked her unknown rescuer, but when she looked at the place where he had been hiding, he was already gone.
What, where did he go?
"Kallen!" A man outside of the machine called as he approached with a group of three others, consisting of two men and a woman. "What the hell was that radio message earlier!?"
"What? He contacted you, too?"
"He sure did. And Yoshida's group should be here soon." Kaname Ohgi replied as he received a call from their mysterious helper.
"Are you the one in charge here?" the caller inquired, asking the man in his early twenties with brown hair, wearing blue jeans, a large brown jacket and a tan shirt underneath with a red headband on his head.
"Uh, yeah…"
"I present to you the cargo in that train over there. There are tools for your victory. If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders."
Kallen went over to one of the cars and opened it up, revealing some Sutherland Knightmare Frames inside much to her shock.
"There's more in here!" Naomi Inoue called out after checking another car.
"Here, too!" Shinichiro Tamaki added before Yoshitaka Minami commented.
"There is even more here, too…Maybe we should give this guy a chance!"
"All of this, but how?" Kallen asked herself. But seconds later, she was called on again.
"Woman in the Glasgow!"
"Uh, yes?"
"Stay where you are. Your unit is going to run decoy, you got that?"
"Understood," Kallen replied.
In the distance, Lelouch hid inside his Sutherland on one of the upper floors of the old Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. In hindsight, it was fortunate that he decided to stash them aboard a train.
"Energy filler status?"
"About fifteen minutes worth," Kallen replied quickly.
"Then recharge it. In ten minutes, I'll contact you with your next instructions."
Lelouch ended the radio transmission before reclining back in the pilot chair. He was determined to pull this off, yet the question remained as to how he would get to Clovis inside the G1 mobile base. He could eliminate most, if not all of the Britannian Forces, but still there was the matter of getting through. He could use his illusion spells to get by the guards. Lelouch was then back at square one when it came to clearing out the command bridge of any guards protecting Clovis and the Staff Officers.
Perhaps, it's best to see how events will progress before I consider that.
The former prince thought as it was too early to really say how events would go; he still had a battle to win after all.
Quattro was cautiously making her way through the Toyko Settlement, yet traveling as quickly as she could without alerting the wrong people to her movements and capabilities. Ten minutes later, Quattro was inside an old building, but in light of the situation, she changed out her school uniform for her Barrier Jacket. It was based upon the old body suit she and others like her had worn, but it was all black with gray patches, mirroring the patterns of her old Combat Suit. She wore it quite literally her entire life for the most part until up to a year old, where she traded out the blue and light blue body suit for something new.
On her hips were three plates of black armor with additional armor plating on her shoulders. Her boots had a small green gem on the top near her knees while her gloved hands had a large green gem on her palms. She wore a white cloak trimmed with gray and black feathers around the collar, which came with long white sleeves.
Yet, that wasn't all that was new. Instead of either the old uniform she wore or a Barrier Jacket, Quattro wore a new type of Assault Suit designed to be superior to the Barrier Jackets used by most mages. However, Quattro's suit doubled as a hybrid Intelligent Device, integrated into her own suit by extension. It not only enabled her to use magic, but her device and suit enhanced her other abilities and skills.
Quattro stood alone in the old, crumbling room as a number of holographic computer screens appeared around her. As did a set of piano keys on a green holographic setup.
"Let me see if I can find your exact position, Lelouch."
At that moment in another part of the ghetto, the resistance group's counterattack under Lelouch's command was about to begin.
"Hey, are you sure about this? They all had their IFFs removed," Tamaki questioned, obviously having some second thoughts about the whole plan. "What if this is a trap?"
"The other side has total advantage in this war! They don't need to set any traps!" Ohgi replied. "Alright people, let's move. Get to your assigned points."
It wasn't long before Lelouch called them.
"P1, can you move?" the former prince asked. "It operates basically the same to what you are used to."
"Can't you at least tell us who you are!?"
"I can't tell you anymore. These frequencies could be intercepted," Lelouch said. He moved on to avoid giving Ohgi a chance to question the matter further. "If Q-1 is on schedule, then two enemy Sutherlands will reach you in twenty-three seconds," Lelouch noted before adding to their shock. "Shoot them through the wall."
"He's out of his mind!" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Everybody, double-check your weapons," Ohgi ordered in response, which was confident unlike Tamaki.
"Are you serious!?"
Almost on cue, the red Glasgow piloted by Kallen was spotted by the Britannian Forces.
"Enemy spotted at point F-31!" An officer on the G-1 announced to Clovis, who sat on his throne.
"A feint eh? How pedestrian."
"Tell Lazio's squad to go straight in! And then, have Hugo and Valerie strike from the rear!" Bartley commanded, expecting an easy victory. But as the two Knightmare Frames moved in, they were ambushed by Ohgi and the others who gunned down the two Sutherlands through the wall as Lelouch commanded them to do.
"Sir Hugo and Valerie's units have been lost!" An officer reported.
"An ambush?" Clovis asked surprised that something like that happened.
"An ID signal can be a double-edged sword," Lelouch began as he sat in the cockpit of his Sutherland. "Besides, if the resistance fighters follow my orders, then all of the conditions for my victory will be met."
Lelouch reclined in his chair and began issuing more orders.
"P1, P5 and P7, move to the right and fire your slash-harkens towards 3'oclock!"
"You heard him! Do what the voice says!" Ohgi replied.
"Damn, what else does he want us to do?" Tamaki complained.
"P5, ready?"
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
For the next few minutes, the battle for Shinjuku Ghetto was experiencing a sudden turn around. The resistance group stationed in the area that had been losing was now suddenly finding itself stopping the Britannian Military successfully in their tracks. They had a long way to go until victory was achieved, but Quattro was overhearing a lot of the panicked chatter on the open communication lines among the Britannians. They tried to frantically change their codes, fearing their transmissions were being intercepted, but Quattro had already deduced what was going on.
I see. So Lelouch used some of the illusionary magic I helped teach him and used it to trick the Britannian pilots to get out of their Sutherlands. He then captured their machines and gave them to the resistance fighters to fight back against the Britannians.
"The enemy is moving towards G-2-8!" An officer reported.
"Send Lazio's squad! No, I mean, George's squad!" A panicking Bartley ordered as Quattro was listening in on conversations happening within the G-1.
"This means...the enemy has our military weaponry?" Clovis inquired, finally realizing one of the reasons why the battle had suddenly gone against them.
"Well duh, dumbass!" Quattro commented to herself. "It's more than just that. Lelouch is a natural-born prodigy, with a genius-level intellect and keen mind perfect for tactical and strategic planning. You, on the other hand, are a pathetic excuse for a military commander! As are your Staff Officers! I am shocked the resistance groups in Area 11 haven't made much progress with such dumbasses running the place."
No, wait. The Japanese are idiots, too. Because the so called resistance groups are a bunch of punk kids just fighting against the system and killing off their own kind as a result. The JLF is even worse because they are still fighting with outdated tactics and methods involving innocent civilians, that failed them badly in the war seven years ago.
Quattro thought, correcting herself mentally.
"Sir Williams has ejected! His unit has been lost!" Another staff officer cried out.
"Change our codes! They're intercepting our transmissions!"
"We already have, sir! Four times!" A second staff officer replied before Bartley snapped back.
"DO IT AGAIN!"
You idiots, Lelouch is sitting in one of your machines, using the IFFs inside the machine to track your movements. Your moves are so predictable that it's even easier for him to swiftly counter anything you try.
"This failure is unacceptable!" Clovis shouted.
"Oh, someone is a sore loser," Quattro muttered teasingly. Someone new then appeared on the main screen as she hacked into the cameras on the command bridge to actually see what was going on.
"Good afternoon," A man with short light blue-white hair said to Bartley, wearing a white lab coat with glasses on.
"WHAT IS IT? We're in the middle of an operation!"
"Yes, and it's not going well. I say, it's time to deploy the ASEEC Special Weapon," Lloyd Asplund suggested much to the annoyance of Clovis.
"We have no time for this!"
"I am not sure how much the Lancelot could make a difference. Granted, its performance as a machine of this planet's technological levels are impressive." Quattro noted as she recalled hacking some information from the Advance Special Envoy Engineering Corps pet project. It was the first seventh generation Knightmare Frame, the Z-01 Lancelot.
I suppose that depends on the pilot, but I am surprised they found someone since I read a lot of test pilots had refused because of its lack of an ejection block.
Pushing the thought aside, Quattro began fluttering through the other chatter in the area. She was trying to find the communication lines between the resistance fighters and Lelouch, who was no doubt calling the shots. It wasn't long before the brown haired woman found what she was looking for as she heard a familiar voice.
"R2, fire slash harken!" Lelouch said as a resistance fighter took out a combat helicopter. "B7, use UN ordinance!" An armored vehicle was just taken out before the former prince added, which continued to amuse Quattro. "N-group, you will continue your advance."
A group of five Knightmare Frames advanced upon a group of four enemy Sutherlands that were suddenly trapped between them and another group of resistance fighters.
"You bloody elevens! Arrragh-" The pilot cried out on an open channel before his machine went down.
"We just lost Lazio's squad!" A staff officer within the command bridge of the G-1 reported as all of their men fighting within the ghetto perimeter had been taken out.
"So, do it! We'll have to bring up Quincy's squad," Clovis commanded, not wanting to lose. But Quattro didn't need to be a gifted strategist to know that what he was doing was a bad move.
"My lord, that will break the encirclement!" Bartley warned.
A wiser move would have been to recall your forces to the ghetto perimeter and call in an airstrike. But you are not going to do that, are you?
"Close the breach with some of the units guarding me. All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here."
My god, that has to be the biggest tactical blunder I have ever seen! Lelouch is going to skin you alive for making such a stupid move! Now, how will you respond, Lelouch?
A short few moments of silence passed on the resistance fighter's end before Lelouch's voice was heard.
"You…Q-1, do you have an area map?"
"I do…It's a map of the old town, but it has no current landmarks."
"It will do," Lelouch replied as Quattro recognized the woman's voice for a moment there. She remained quiet and listened to Lelouch giving out new instructions before sitting back to enjoy the show. It was minutes later before the final stage of his battle was upon them.
"Alright, send in Bert and the others, too," Clovis replied hoping to crush his enemy with overwhelming numbers.
"You might as well order them to shoot themselves in the kneecaps while you are at it," Quattro said as Clovis's troops were closing in on what they were convinced to be the enemy's position. Little did they know that the resistance fighters Lelouch commanded had fled underground to slip away by traveling under them.
"Surround them, and then close in! Their forces are at that center dot. We'll finish every single one of them off!"
Quattro watched with a smile as she knew what was coming. The Sutherlands arrived at the center dot and unsurprisingly found nothing there. She imagined one of the Knightmare Frames at this moment, likely the last one taking up the rear, turning around and firing its slash harken to bring down the ceiling of the tunnel they were traveling through. In turn, it caused a devastating chain reaction as over forty-five Sutherlands were instantly taken out by the collapsing ground they had been foolishly standing on.
"Hook, line and sinker," Quattro remarked before clapping her hands together, applauding Lelouch's successful and brilliant display of tactics and laughing at Clovis's misfortune.
Seeing Clovis slowly backing away, she could imagine him thinking.
Who...who in the hell am I up against?
Cleary, the only person he could think of would be the legendary Kyoshiro Tohdoh of the JLF. But even he knew this was way superior to Tohdoh's capabilities.
"LLOYD!" Clovis called out as the man was clearly out of options.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"Can it win? Will your toy beat them?"
"My lord, please be so kind to call it Lancelot."
That could be problematic, but whoever they got as a pilot will be the deciding factor.
After some careful consideration it was time to contact Lelouch directly.
Congratulations on your success so far Lelouch, but I think you know why I am here?
I was actually expecting you a little sooner. I assumed you enjoyed the show?
Very much so. You know, you got the ASEEC newest Knightmare Frame about to come after you.
I see, so what are you going to do about it?
Lelouch inquired to Quattro amidst their telepathic conversation. The response Lelouch got was the sound of chuckling in his mind.
I think I have a new toy to play with.
Minutes later near the G-1, the custom trailer carrying the Lancelot was preparing to launch the new Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame. While the Special Corps were preparing it for launch, a young man Lelouch assumed to have been killed right in front of him was just changing into a white and black pilot suit with a gold trim. Suzaku Kururugi, having survived being shot in the back, had been carrying a pocket watch that deflected the bullet, saving him from a lethal gunshot wound. Though the bullet's impact did some damage to his ribs, it wasn't enough to stop him from piloting a Knightmare.
"Have you read the manual?" A female voice asked him.
"Pretty much," Suzaku replied before exiting the medical trailer.
"Well done. You have scored at the top of your class in the simulator," Cecile Croomy said before Suzaku politely interrupted her.
"Hey look…about what you told me earlier."
"Huh…It could happen, but the possibility is zero."
"But that means there could be a chance, right?"
"Yes, I am afraid that's true," Cecile replied as Suzaku stepped out, heading towards the special dispatch trailer that carried the prototype Knightmare Frame while the tarp covering it was about to be removed. "Even so, you are not to do anything reckless; the new system is not outfitted with an ejection system."
"Ok, I understand Miss Cecile," Suzaku answered as the tarp came off, revealing a white Knightmare Frame. Its shape and design was unlike anything Suzaku had seen before, lined with gold and really looking like a giant white knight with green eyes. "Is that it?"
"Yes…the advanced weapon developed by us, the Advance Special Envoy Engineering Corps. Lancelot, the world's first seventh generation Knightmare Frame."
"Well, if you are ready, Suzaku, we shall begin with the initial start-up," Lloyd ordered as Suzaku made his way into the cockpit of the white machine. As Suzaku was entering the trailer, getting ready to board the Lancelot, Cecile began preparations for launch.
"Prepare start up, beginning from Phase 21. Equipping energy filler," Cecile said as the battery filler was installed and its systems began starting up.
But before Suzaku could climb in, the cockpit hatch suddenly closed. From there, everything went wrong for the Advance Special Envoy Engineering Corps.
It happened at the moment the energy filler was installed. Lloyd and Cecile lost control of the start-up procedures as the monitors before them were not responding. Suddenly, the Lancelot activated on its own before its connection cables disengaged themselves from the trailer. It turned its head to their shocked expressions before a feminine sounding electronic voice spoke.
"Nice toy! I'm just going to borrow it for a bit…BYE-BYE!"
The Lancelot took off at high-speed, leaving its pilot and a shell-shocked Lloyd and Cecile. The blue haired young woman was the first to recover as she tried to warn the G-1.
Lloyd Asplund was still in complete shock while Suzaku was completely speechless, uncertain of what to do or say. Upon mentally processing all that had happened, Lloyd Asplund suffered a complete mental breakdown. It began with his right eye twitching before he began screaming. When his voice tried screaming from his high-pitch, he began stumbling about. Grabbing the radio from Cecile, the very upset designer and creator of the beloved machine cried out on an open channel.
"Someone get me the army! The marines! The Royal Guard! OR THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND, BUT GET MY LANCELOT BAAAACKK!"
"Please, sir. Relax. I am sure it will be-" A nameless technician said, trying to calm his superior down. His attempts were met by Lloyd seizing the man by the throat and proceeding to strangle him.
"Relax…RELAX…HOW CAN I RELAX!"
"Lloyd, please get a hold of yourself!" Cecile pleaded with her superior, but it was no good as Lloyd picked up a wrench and with a battle cry ran out after his creation.
"Lloyd, no! That's suicide!"
"GIVE ME BACK MY LANCELOT!"
"No," Lancelot spoke as it turned around and flicked Lloyd away like an annoying insect. As his body impacted against the side of the trailer, he was knocked out. He was surprisingly uninjured for the most part, muttering random incoherent nonsense and insults before he was silent.
Suzaku could do nothing. He merely stood there as he didn't have any better chance of stopping Lancelot than Lloyd did. Instead, he tended to the fallen Lloyd by helping an engineer, who was trying to check him for injuries.
Quattro, on the other hand, was laughing like a maniac. She was clearly having a very good day as the young woman was about to turn what should have been their savor to prevent their defeat into their destroyer.
Cecile made a quick call to Clovis.
"What is it, now!? You already have authorization to launch the Lancelot!" Clovis snapped upon seeing the young woman's face.
"Your Majesty, we have a serious problem. The Lancelot has been hijacked remotely by terrorists!"
Clovis's face went pale. The blood drained from it seconds before the Lancelot began savagely attacking the Britannian Forces around Clovis's G-1 mobile command center. Quattro was laughing manically as she used the Lancelot to gleefully decimate their forces before attacking the G-1's defenses.
"Now, Lelouch, is your chance for a big finish to this battle," Quattro said while projecting her words mentally to the former prince.
For an editor's note: Quattro x Lelouch ftw.
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Chapter 3: Flames of Chaos
Alright, now it's time to introduce some of the mentioned Mandarin's forces, along with a few of their allies mentioned above.
Brace your yourself as this is going to get ugly.
Brace your yourself as this is going to get ugly.
Chapter 3
The Flames of Chaos
The Flames of Chaos
As blood was being spilled on Earth, there was a planet elsewhere in the universe with an environment similar to Earth's, yet the planet as a whole was completely different. Mid-Childa was the Time-Space Administration Bureau's Number One Administrative World and home of the TSAB Mid-Childan Main Office in the capital of Cranagan. In an empty parking lot in the middle of the city, a trio of white transport trucks was parked together in a row. Nearby, a black four-door car sat while its occupants stood near the trucks, speaking to their drivers.
"Now, do you have your instructions?"
The question came from a young woman who was about seventeen years of age with long purple and silver hairs as well as a fair skin complexion. She was beautiful for her age, especially with her eyes dressed in a black suit. It was decorated with a skirt, high heels, a black tie and a white blouse. In her hair, she wore a black headband to complete her look.
Standing next to her, a man in his early thirties and a bit taller than her. He had dark brown hair, a mustache and beard upon his face and brown eyes. He wore a black trench coat with a turtleneck sweater underneath, which concealed his large bulky muscular physique. Hanging from his left side stored within a black scabbard was a Katana like weapon with a silver and black handle. At the location where the hand guard would be was a large block like object with a red electronic eye and a magic cartridge ejection system.
"Yes, ma'am. We're ready to carry them out," Another large muscular man who was the leader of the three drivers spoke as the other two nodded their heads. Like his compatriots, he wore a black working jumpsuit with a belt around his waist. The leader of the drivers was a bald man while the other two had short brown hair.
"Good, but rest assured your families will be very well compensated. Your actions today will end the complacency of the TSAB. They think nothing for the suffering of the smaller worlds and bend their own laws as they see fit. Today, what begins shall mark the beginning of the end of the corrupt rule of the Time-Space Administration Bureau."
"Yes, madam!" The drivers saluted in unison before the woman saluted them back.
"For LOGOS!"
"LOGOS!" The drivers cheered before climbing into their trucks and driving off with zeal, but the term "zealots" might be more appropriate for them. Once they were gone, the woman brought out a cell phone before making a phone call.
"It's done. The men are on their way." The woman replied listening to the caller's response.
"Those men will not return."
"Of course. We know this is a suicide mission more or less. We'll likely lose the troopers in the back of one of the trucks, although the bombs will do what needs to be done."
"Victory is not measured by losses, Miss Tsukimura, but by what is gained."
The reply was electronically distorted to conceal the identity of the caller.
"I understand, Mandarin-sama. I assume you want me to unleash the prototype weapons as well?"
"Yes, but make certain you collect as much combat data as possible."
"I understand, sir…Leave it to me," Suzuka Tsukimura said before hanging up. Once the cell phone was back in her pocket, she couldn't help but grin with a dark smile.
How long have I waited for this? I'll make you sorry you three abandoned us.
"I'll take my team and we'll begin our assigned mission." The man with the katana said.
"Yes, and let's hope the Yoshimitsu Troopers will prove effective. If they can prove effective against the Time-Space Administration Bureau, then just imagine their effectiveness against the Britannians."
The man smiled wickedly before he added.
"It just makes me all the more eager to unleash them upon those Britannian pigs."
"Then lead them well, Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe."
Elsewhere in the capital city, a military facility located near the outskirts had a wide open training field for professional training by combat instructors for the mages stationed there. At that moment, some of them were up in the sky, performing maneuvers while trying to develop some new techniques and combat methods. Just returning from her lunch break, a young seventeen year old woman, with blue eyes and long mahogany hair tied into a large single pigtail that hung from the left side of her head, stepped outside. The woman was wearing a white and blue uniform, complete with a blue skirt and bearing the ranks of First Lieutenant.
She was recognized as Nanoha Takamachi, a tactical instructor for the Aerial Tactical Instructor Corps of the Time-Space Administration Bureau.
While most of the instructors and their students were up in the skies, Nanoha was going to focus on training and tactical simulations on the ground for the afternoon. As she headed to an area on the training field reserved for her and her students for today, the young woman's mind began drifting as a cold wind blew past her. It was odd really… she had been thinking more of him recently.
Was it a sign or an ill omen perhaps?
Nanoha was originally from Japan on Earth. When the Britannian Empire conquered and turned it into Area 11, the Takamachi Family was relocated along with her friend Hayate Yagami and her family to Mid-Childa for their safety. As the situation in Area 11 worsened, taking into account the Britannian Empire's methods of ruling the subjugated Area, the former independent country was too dangerous for Nanoha and others like her to stay. Although her family was safe on this planet with her, a number of her friends were left behind.
Among them were Lelouch vi Britannia and his younger sister Nunnally. Of all of the friends she knew, except for another dear friend, the former prince from Britannia was different from the other children she knew. Perhaps that was why she was curious about him. But recently, she thought about him more and more, including the first time they met over seven years ago.
It was at the foot of the small mountain on the outskirts of Uminari City, near one of the mansions belonging to the Kururugi Family. Lelouch and his sister Nunnally vi Britannia had been staying there after the shrine was deemed an inadequate place to keep them.
Nanoha and her friend were walking together, planning on going to the sunflower fields, which were supposed to be near the estate. But along the way, they came across a group of Japanese school boys beating up on a small ten year old boy. They were viciously kicking him while the small boy laid helpless on the ground.
"This is Japan!" One of them shouted.
"Yeah, stay out of our country, you dirty Brit!"
Another boy was standing a distance away. He had short brown hair with curls wearing a hakama and a white dog watched the scene.
"Come on, fight back!" The boy shouted, kicking Lelouch in the gut as the former prince simply cowered and took it.
"Hey, you are supposed to be a prince, aren't you?" A third boy commented before kicking Lelouch again. "Come on, get up and fight! What are you, a girl? Some kind of mama's boy?"
"That's enough!" Nanoha shouted, approaching the three boys with an angry look on her face. "Stop beating up on someone who can't fight back!"
"Why do you care? This kid is a dirty Brit?"
"Who cares where he is from!?" Nanoha shot back.
"Oh yeah, and what about your friend? She looks like a Brit, too!" The tallest of the boys said as they were beginning to gang up on Nanoha and her friend. She was a blonde haired girl who didn't look Japanese, with red eyes and a fair skin complexion. She wore the same white and black school uniform as Nanoha, but her hair was styled into a pair of long-pigtails. Before anything further could take place, the brown haired boy who had been watching suddenly became outraged before rushing up to them without thinking as he shouted.
"STOP IT…THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Seeing the boy approach, the three bullies recognized him before running away. Nanoha and the blonde haired girl weren't sure about the identity of the brown-haired boy. For some reason unknown to them, his appearance prompted them to run away. Nanoha ignored the boy and went to the beaten up black-haired boy and tried to help him up. Lelouch refused her help and tried to push her away. Meanwhile, Suzaku began to verbally chew out the men supposedly assigned to watch Lelouch, believing them to be bodyguards.
"What were you doing!? What kind of bodyguards are you?"
"They are not bodyguards. They are just watchmen to make sure I don't run away or kill myself. Besides," Lelouch began turning to the girl who was kneeling on the ground in front of him. "Why did you help me? I am a Britannian!"
"Why should it matter where you come from? It's not right to beat up someone just because they come from a different country." Nanoha's seemingly simple answer surprised Lelouch a little as he wasn't expecting it. "I am Nanoha Takamachi and this is Fate Testarossa, what's your name?"
Lelouch was seemingly confounded by the girl's indifference to him being a Britannian. As the black-haired boy began to slowly rise back up to his feet, dusting himself off before, he answered.
"I am Lelouch."
Below where Lelouch had been lying laid some fish and some crushed vegetables the former prince had purchased from a nearby local market.
"Could you move?" Lelouch began asking Nanoha to move her foot off of something on the ground. "You are standing on my reward's card. I just need four more points and I get a discount."
"Oh," Nanoha moved her feet as Lelouch picked up a small card he got at the nearby local store. Lelouch surprised Suzaku, who observed the young man treating the card like something precious. To him, the idea of a Britannian Prince bending down to pick up the card and loose change seemed pathetic.
"It's your own fault, you know. Why don't you just except the food we give you instead of risking yourself going into town? It's not poisoned." Suzaku snapped at the black-haired boy.
"Don't be so mean to him!" Nanoha began, but Lelouch interrupted her.
"I know it's not poisoned!"
"Then eat it!" Suzaku shouted.
"I am here and I will live…I am living by my own strength and I won't be dead any longer. Not me and not Nunnally either," With those words, Lelouch picked up what food he had bought and began to limp away. While Suzaku was silent, Nanoha approached and tried to help him.
"Why do you keep trying to help me? I don't need it?"
"It's not because you need it, it's because I want to. You are hurt," Nanoha pointed out.
"I'll be fine…"
"I am still helping you."
"I don't understand why," Lelouch said sounding irritated.
"I told you already, I don't need a reason!"
What are you doing now, Lelouch?
Nanoha thought as she returned from her trip down memory lane. She arrived where her thirty students had been waiting for her, stood in uniform lined up together. But before Nanoha could begin, two of the three white transport trucks were driving up to the main building and were not slowing down. Instead, they were speeding up, intending to ram their vehicles into the building. Before impact, the trailers opened up as a dozen men came out in black cybernetic armor with artificial limbs and sword-like weapons.
Moments later, the trucks rammed into the building and set off the bombs they were carrying. Most of the surrounding area around the crash site was bathed in flames. The third truck came to a stop as a dozen more men in black full-body armor emerged from the truck, ready to provide support for the next approaching group of combat weapons.
Seconds later, at the large lake next to where the base was set up, a trio of large shadows approached the surface and erupted from the water. Landing upon the ground near the water's edge stood three gigantic bipedal, unmanned combat machines that moved more like animals than actual machines.
Each one crouched at a towering twenty feet with reverse joint legs. But if they stood up, they would be much taller. Each one had a long tail with a sword-like tip at the end while they had wing-like pods in place of arms and heads in the shape of a sharp beak-like head. Its eyes were a set of eight red glowing compounded eye sensors. Although a mechanical unmanned machine of combat, the machine had more of a streamlined design with black ridged segmented armor, trimmed with yellow lines protecting its organic-like inner workings. They also had a surprisingly amount of agility and flexibility despite their size.
Upon each of the three machines' blocky thighs were retractable dual rail gun turrets, equipped with specialized hypervelocity armor-piercing ammunition. On the shoulders near where the wings were attached to the main body were another set of retractable dual railguns. Concealed inside the left wings on each machine with storage and launchers for missiles and bombs. The right-wing concealed something different. On the back of the animal-like machine were more missile launchers, but for a different kind of purpose than those inside the left wings.
Releasing bone-chilling, electronic yet animalistic-like screeching-style roars, the three machines began their attack. Each of them launched missiles from the wing-like pods on their left arms, aiming for barracks and storage hangers while avoiding further damage to the main building. Several mages were moving to engage the machines, using their lance-like devices to fire beams of magical energy at the gigantic robots. To their shock and horror, the sphere-shaped barriers of pink energy surrounded the animal-like robots, absorbing the energy from their attacks.
An anti-magic field…No, there is something different about it.
Nanoha thought as she put her hand on a red orb she wore around her neck.
"Raising Heart set up!"
Within moments, Nanoha changed from her TSAB naval uniform into her barrier jacket. It consisted of a blue and white mini-skirt with a metal waist guard, styled after the Seishou Elementary School uniforms for female students. Her barrier jacket also came with a waist-attached cape and long white socks that went past her knees and red gems on the shoes. The red orb she carried transformed into her signature weapon, a staff with a golden near-complete ring with the red orb, now the size of a large tennis ball in the center, with a pink staff handle. Near the top were gold magazines, carrying magic cartridges.
Nanoha was ready for battle with Raising Heart Exelion in hand.
Taking to the air as her students followed with her the young woman calmly gave out orders.
"I want half of you to get the wounded. Take them off base to get medical attention and any non-combatants get them out of the combat zone! The rest of you with me!" Nanoha said as she spilt up her thirty students into two groups.
Back on Earth, another battle was coming to a close as the Lancelot under Quattro's control destroyed another armored truck. What remained of Prince Clovis's forces were now decimated. As the white Knightmare Frame went on its rampage, the only things in proximity that remained intact was its transport trailer and the G-1 base, although its external defenses such as its mounted turrets were destroyed. Anything else, however, was destroyed with along with any Sutherlands that attempted to stop the Knightmare Frame; its superior specs allowed it to easily outperform the older Knightmare Frames and make short work of them.
Worsening the situation for Clovis, Lelouch commanded Ohgi and his resistance cell to systematically wipe out the last of the Britannian forces making up the broken formation encirclement. Thanks to the panic and disarray happening at the G-1 base, the enemy's morale has been broken along with their chain of command. Effectively, Lelouch and Ohgi's resistance cell had just won the Battle for Shinjuku Ghetto as the Britannian Forces had sustained far too many losses to continue.
Now, the matter of Clovis himself remained.
As Ohgi, Kallen and the others mopped up the disorganized and demoralized Britannian soldiers, Lelouch approached the area where the G-1 in his Sutherland. Yet, as he approached, he recognized that he would need a mask. Lelouch solved that issue, using a simple illusion to project an image over his head in the form of a mask. He would just need to be mindful and careful that no one would attempt to hit him in the head.
As Quattro in the Lancelot stood guard, Lelouch emerged from the Sutherland triumphantly.
Quattro's help ensured my victory, but still…I can do it. I can…I can destroy Britannia!
Lelouch smiled audaciously under the illusion he was using to hide his face. As he got out of the Sutherland, the Lancelot laid its palm out, lifting Lelouch up to the G-1 shattered windows, near where Clovis and his staff officers stood. Most of them were trembling, but they stood ready to defend Prince Clovis to the death with handguns. The black-haired prince grinned as he held Abyss Soul in front of him, switching it into Shooting Mode, a bladed lance-like form with a longer silver blade at the top.
"STOP! In the name of Prince Clovis, I order you to stand down and surrender!" Bartley snapped.
He has to be joking, Lelouch thought as he almost burst out laughing.
Without speaking a word, Lelouch fired a red beam of energy from his staff, killing burning a hole through a Staff Officer's chest. The remaining officers and Bartley fired their handguns, but their bullets bounced harmlessly off his Barrier Jacket. Fortunately, no one considered aiming for his head. Lelouch didn't give them the chance.
Disappear, Sapphire Flare.
In quick session, Lelouch shot and killed Bartley and the remaining Staff Officers on the bridge until only Clovis remained.
"Clovis la Britannia, third prince of the Empire and Viceroy of Area 11…You have lost."
"W-Who are you!?"
"I am…Zero."
Meanwhile back on Mid-Childa, the black armored cyborgs dubbed "Yoshimitsu Troopers" invaded the main headquarters of the Tactical Instructor Corps. They fought their way to the main networking hub for the base, where the computer core that stored sensitive research and tactical data was being kept. Two combat mages tried to stop them, but as they approached, they got a good look at the invading soldiers. Their armor was seemingly part of their bodies with red electronic eyes. They had skull shaped masks and a full body suit of shorts with plates of black armor grafted onto their bodies. Their arms and legs were also completely cybernetic. In their hands, each one carried a katana-style sword with a yellow energy blade while their forearms had built-in rapid-fire energy weapons.
The mages put up a valiant effort when their katana blades met with their shields thanks to their defense spells. However, the black cyborgs were unrelenting their attacks, trying to force their blades through the magical barriers the mages had raised. Then from behind, a third Yoshimitsu Trooper appeared and cleaved into the backs of the two mages, killing them.
Back outside, two of the gigantic bipedal robots left heading for the city. The third stayed behind to engage the Tactical Corps Mages, with Nanoha and her students facing the monstrous machine. Its combat artificial intelligence brain was already devising a number of countermeasures, focusing on defense and collecting data before determining the best course of action.
"Tom and Saji, I want you two to attack from behind to draw its attention!" Nanoha ordered as her two students began attacking it from its backside, trying to find an opening in its defenses. "Samuel and Setsuna, I want you two to back them up and flank that thing!"
"Yes, madam!" The two students said as they flew towards their target point with devices ready. Nanoha took up position and fired upon it.
"Barrel Shoot," Raising Heart said as Nanoha fired a powerful shot at the walking tank. As expected, the walking robot raised its energy shield to deflect the shot.
"Keep hitting it, I think we might have it cornered!" spoke one of the mages, attacking it from a flanking position as everyone was hopeful they could defeat the robot.
However, their seemingly growing success was short-lived. Instead of attacking Nanoha, who was obviously the bigger threat, the robot turned its attention to her less experienced students. Its combat AI reasoned that if it targeted the weaker enemies, then it could force the stronger enemy to desist of an alpha strike and go to defense. It also took into surprising account all of its accumulated information on Nanoha Takamachi, including her personality.
Its back unit fired four missiles into the air, but they were different from the previous missiles it had launched earlier. They hung in mid-air, revealing that they were short-term airborne attack pods. As Nanoha and her students took up defensive positions and moved away, the pods opened up and released a hailstorm of Arrow-Class Mortar Rounds. The eight-rounds came falling towards the mages and once they were in range, each round suddenly shattered. Released were hundreds of hypervelocity flechettes made with an alloy that somehow disrupted their Mana fields. This weakened the mages' magic barriers, allowing the flechettes to not only penetrate their projected defenses, but they savagely shredded the students. Some were either outright killed or mortally wounded by the attack.
Nanoha was nearly unharmed because the machine didn't target her, but the flechettes launched were smart rounds, which were actually aiming for her students. Those below the A rank managed to keep their barrier up, but everyone else below that rank were not so lucky. Nanoha didn't have a chance to do save any of them. In an effort to save the few that remained, she used Axel Shooter to shoot down any new projectile missiles that launched from the machine's back.
The giant robot merely replied by using its rail guns against her remaining students, shooting off a heavy volley of hypervelocity bullets. One student barely recovering from the last attack was mowed down as were a few others, prompting Nanoha to immediately go on the offensive.
"DIVINE BUSTER!"
Nanoha opened fire as the pink beam hit its target dead on, but the machine's defense field weathered the attack and began absorbing the energy. Instead of counterattacking against Nanoha, the red-eyed machine continued picking off the students aiding Nanoha one by one. It then used the retractable turrets inside its hips and shoulders to shower high-velocity projectiles at the mages. The explosive tips caused havoc with their shields as some tore through the magic barriers that had been weakened by previous attacks.
To drive its advantage further, the mechanical beast released an ear-splitting mechanical howl, another one of its specialized attack. The howl was part of the machine's dubbed "Banshee Field" as sonic waves emitted from the machine attacked the mages' senses. What they were experiencing was an aural attack field that released a sound frequency in the ranges that harm the auditory system and wreck with the equilibrium of the victims.
My ears…what kind of attack is that?
The result was that anyone unfortunate enough to be in earshot endured what can only be described as the head of the victim ringing. As if someone had stabbed a chunk of glass into their ears and behind their eyes. Nanoha and six students who had been strong enough to throw up magical barriers against the mage-killer's last attack were holding their heads in agony. Despite her best efforts, Nanoha fell onto one knee, unable to focus as her ears were filled with a painful ringing and her vision became blurred. To completely disorient them and leave them vulnerable, the mage-killing machine raised its left-wing to unleash a cluster of Mana Burst Flash Bang Grenades. These were specialized grenades created to use against mages, which added to the harming sound of the Banshee Field, coupled with their blinding flashes. They released a short, but very intense, mana burst in the energy frequencies of sensor systems in devices, wrecking their sensorial systems for a few minutes.
It was probably the worst situation a mage could him or herself in during combat. Despite Nanoha's efforts to force herself back to her feet, her mind was a mess as her senses were badly disoriented. Even so, Nanoha cried out to her fellow mages who had been fighting alongside her.
"Retreat, all of you retreat!"
Sadly her words could not be heard. The mages under her instruction were in far worse shape than she was as they had blood dripping out of their ears and were closer to the mage killer. They lacked the means to defend themselves properly as it launched a set of fragmentation bombs from its left-wing and the finished with rail gun fire from its shoulder turrets.
The only benefit of what she was experiencing was that Nanoha couldn't hear the agonized cries of her fellow mages being slain until only she remained.
Nanoha's vision was slowly returning to her, but the ringing in her ears was barely dying down. Yet she couldn't see the mage killer closing in on her to finish her. Yet from the sky above a high-speed flying glowing marble flew straight at the machine. It managed to throw up its shield just in time, but that first move was just a feint. A large gray and yellow hammer equipped with a rocket booster delivered a stone-shattering blow to the head. The machine stumbled forward before falling onto its head. A small red-haired girl, styled into a pair of two queues that trailed behind her head. She wore a red Gothic Lolita-style dress with black frills and yellow ribbons, a large red hat with plush rabbit heads, and black and red boots. She took the chance to grab Nanoha and get her to a safe distance.
Taking cover behind the ruins of one of the destroyed warehouses from the initial attack, member of the Capital Air Force, 1321th Squadron Vita Yagami tried to tend to her friend.
"Nanoha, are you alright…say something?"
"Uh…Vita…my ears…hurt."
"Just stay here. I'll take care of this."
With her armed device mallet, Graf Eisen in hand, Vita went to engage the mage killing machine alone.
But as she quickly moved to close the distance, the sight of the devastation around her sank in. More so was Nanoha's condition and the knowledge that many of the mages here who underwent training under her were slain. It was more than likely the poor woman was torn apart over their deaths. This only caused Vita's blood to boil as her blue eyes took on a familiar and dangerous look. The redhead entered what could be considered her berserker mode.
"All of these people; how dare you do this…HOW DARE YOU!"
The recovered mage killer roared in response, moving to engage Vita head on. But the red-haired girl struck first.
"Schwalbefliegen Claymore," Vita called out as she generated a trio of basketball-sized ironic spheres that flew ahead of her.
Once they were ready, the girl used her mallet to launch them at high speeds towards the mage killing machine, but guided them to strike specific areas of the walking tank. Two of the large spheres rushed to strike from the sides while the third went straight for the machine. The first one hit its mark, but the mage killer used its shield to protect itself. The other struck the ground near its feet. Its shield still appeared, but the ground around it was destroyed, causing the machine to lose its balance and footing for a moment, giving Vita an opening.
"Giganthammer!"
"Explosion," Graf Eisen said as it loaded a magic cartridge and transformed once again from into its Gigantform. The two small faces of the two-sided mallet transformed into large octagonal shapes larger than Vita's head. At the moment its shield faded, Vita went in for an attack, striking the side of the mage killer's head with all she could muster, knocking the robot onto its side.
"You can't handle close quarters combat very well, can't you?" Vita shouted as she literally hammered away. She used hit and run maneuvers with Graf Eisen, dishing blows to the machine's head and upper torso.
The giant machine unveiled all of its retractable turrets and began firing, trying to hit the Knight of the Iron Hammer, though Vita's small size and quick movements gave her an edge. The machine's learning AI was growing more accustomed to fighting the small knight as its aim was getting closer to connecting with the fast-moving child. But a moment later, the machine suddenly leapt into the air, spinning its giant body around before managing to slap Vita in the face with its long tail. Vita was thrown back in pain, but the small aerial mage quickly recovered, flipping upright before landing on her feet.
Vita was now angrier than ever.
Charging at the machine, the Iron Knight was going to attack with more up close physical attacks. But the mouth of the machine opened up, revealing a cannon inside. Vita moved to the left and right to evade, but the AI of the mage-killing machine was already anticipating her attempts to dodge. It leapt into the air, releasing a cluster of missiles from its left wing, mixed in with a few Mana Burst Flash Bang Grenades. Vita dodged the missiles, but the flash bangs went off, blinding her and briefly disorientating her. She recovered just barely in time as the mage-killing robot fired its mouth weapon.
DAMN IT…Flash bangs mixed in with that missile attack to get me by surprise.
A high-pressurized stream of water shot out from the machine's mouth. There was an ionizing field around the water stream, enhancing the speed and adding the option to ionize the water splashes, releasing an electric burst shockwave attuned to the ionization frequency. Overall, it increased its destructiveness as Vita dropped down moving to the right, narrowly missing the stream. Sadly, her hat wasn't so lucky as it was torn apart by the stream of water. But the stream kept going cutting through the communications tower of the Tactical Corps Headquarters, almost splitting the whole building in two.
That could have killed me.
The machine was already moving to launch another attack. This time, it was planning to attack the Iron Knight with its own melee attack. Its right wing opened and unfolded a large sword that turned red. Pink energy powered up, running along the edges of the blade, creating a sword that used energy on the blade to increase its cutting power. The machine spun around, forcing Vita to drop to the ground and evade the large blade. She was suddenly coming under fire from the retractable turrets as she evaded. Moving in close, Vita was going to take out the legs. But at the last moment, the machine leapt up into the air, landing near the waterfront.
"For something so big it's freaking fast." Vita mutter before using telepathy. Hey, Signum! Where are those reinforcements!? I could use a little help over here and Nanoha has been badly hurt!
I am sorry Vita, but everyone is busy trying to deal with the other two machines.
Well, what the hell are they doing? Vita demanded to fellow her Wolkenritter and leader of their group.
Those two machines are using hit and run tactics all over Cranagan. Just about every other base and academy connected to the Bureau has been hit by long-range missile attacks from the water front. We can't pin them down; they keep moving from one location to another and we can't pin-point where they'll fire from until after they hit their target.
Oh, you gotta be freaking kidding me, Vita groaned mentally as she dodged more rail gun fire. She hurried to close the distance between her and the mage-killing machine.
I am sorry, Vita. I'll try to get over there as soon as possible, but I have my own hands full over here.
I'll head over to help Nanoha, another member of the Wolkenritter jumped in.
Shamal…
Just focus on destroying that thing, Vita. I'll be there as soon as I can to help Nanoha and anyone else who has been injured.
Thanks…I'll destroy this tin-can!
Vita was more determined than ever now to bring down the monstrous machine. To create an opening, Vita materialized a larger iron sphere. Using her hammer still in Gigantform, she sent the ball flying through the air after enhancing it with magic.
"Kometfliegen!"
Instead of attempting to block it with its shield, the robot leapt into the air again. It swiped its blade at the Iron Knight, who managed to not only dodge it. She began running up along the blade, making a beeline for the shoulder. However, between ducking and sidestepping high-velocity bullets flying at her, something unexpected happened.
A pair of two long wings made of pure energy erupted from the back of the machine, while it was flying through the air. It suddenly spun over and under in midair, performing three quick rolls which successfully shook the small child knight from its blade just as she reached the shoulder.
THAT THING CAN FLY!
Hovering above the mage-killing machine, Vita was quickly trying to decide her next course of action. But the red-eyed machine wasn't going to give her the chance. It fired another round of flash bangs, mixed in with dubbed "Hammerhead" missiles aimed at the child warrior. Remembering this tactic, Vita quickly backed away while swinging her hammer to take out the missiles coming at her, ready to close her eyes from the coming flash of light.
In the middle, the machine descended from the sky, preparing to strike Vita with its sword. Just as the flash bangs went off, she realized the coming attack and managed to block the sword strike with her hammer. Vita was struggling against the towering machine. One wrong move and the blade could cleave her in two. But the child-knight was stuck as its rail-guns on its shoulder and right hip were taking aim.
Damn it…I REALLY NEED SOME HELP RIGHT NOW!
"Divine Buster!"
A near point-blank range of pink energy tore through the right-wing of the mage-killer, causing it to explode and the sword that had been attached to it to break apart as Vita was now freed from that deadly deadlock. To her surprise, Nanoha readjusted her position and was standing upright again. The Ace of Aces had gained her second wind despite being injured. Nanoha flew in and floated on her back, pointing her Raising Heart straight up at the wing-like arm of the machine. The distance between her and the machine made it impossible for it to properly deploy its anti-magic shield, especially due to the deadlock it was engaged in with Vita.
It was a risky move, but it paid off as Nanoha had inflicted some real damage to the machine.
"You shouldn't be moving around."
"I am sorry, Vita. My hearing isn't working very well still," Nanoha replied as her hearing had been damaged by the machine's Banshee Field. Her injuries could be healed, but she could barely make out what Vita was trying to tell her.
Their chat was cut short as the black machine got back up. Despite losing a limb, it was still fighting. It began arching its back, prompting Nanoha to recognize what the machine was about to.
"Vita, we got to attack it! It's going to use the same field that immobilized me and wrecked my hearing!"
"Right," Vita replied as the two mages charged in to attack the mage-killing machine before it can employ its Banshee Field again.
"Axel Shooter," Nanoha said as she took aim with Raising Heart.
"Locked on," The pink and yellow device noted.
"SHOOT!" Nanoha cried out as a dozen pink spheres appeared around her, shooting out to hit the black machine, which responded by throwing up its anti-magic shield. But as it leapt up into the air, moving backwards to put some distance, Vita attacked crying out.
"Zerstörungshammer!"
"Zerstörungsform," Graf Eisen called out after using two magical cartridges before transforming. It grew even larger in size, becoming a gigantic hammer with a built in rocket booster on one end and a golden drill on the other. The machine became aware of the attack, but as it launched more missiles from its back, they were quickly shot down by Nanoha's Axel Shooter.
With a fierce battle cry, Vita brought Zerstörungshammer down upon the machine as it didn't have time to evade. In a desperate effort to survive the attack, it threw up its anti-magic field, but it couldn't withstand such a powerful physical attack. The hammer effortlessly tore through the shield and pretreated the back of the giant machine, driving its drill tip through its body and impaling it. The walking tank let out a terrible screech as if it was crying out in pain. Vita didn't stop as she poured all she could muster to drive her blow deeper to finish it.
At last after a full minute of screeching, the machine stopped moving as its red eyes shorted out, seemingly disabled.
"We did it," Nanoha said letting out a sigh of relief, but suddenly she saw something.
The eyes of the machine flickered back on before they began beeping in a quickening sequence. A terrible feeling built up in Nanoha's stomach as she quickly put some distance between her and the wrecked machine. Before that, she called out to Vita.
"VITA, GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!"
"Huh," Vita muttered as she noticed the blinking of the black machine's eyes. Realizing the likely meaning behind it, the child knight tried to hurry away from the wreck. But she only got a short distance away before the whole machine exploded in a massive fireball. The sheer size of the explosion engulfed what remained of the machine in flames, but the pressure wave released sent the Iron Knight flying through the air until she impacted a stone wall. Nanoha was thrown back by the pressure wave from the blast, but unlike Vita, she escaped injury as she was further away.
Nanoha hurried to Vita's side, horrified to see the girl partly burnt and injured with a black eye.
"Vita, are you okay? Please, say something!"
The obviously delirious Vita tried to sit up. She instead coughed up some blood before she muttered.
"S...sore…loser…"
Vita passed out much to the worry of Nanoha, but the girl was still breathing.
With one of the three machines defeated, two remained active.
The leader of the Wolkenritter, Signum was chasing a fleeing transport truck through the streets of Cranagan. Not too long ago, Signum had tried to help defend TSAB Mid-Childan Main Office as it came under missile attack, but the defenses at HQ were more extensive, unlike some of the other targets. Yet given the aggressiveness of the attack, the number of defenders was boosted as a precaution by the higher-ups as they tried to get more reinforcements. They dispatched a group of mages to deal with the two machines, but a call barely managed to come in that a facility nearby used to check in and store Lost Logia had been hit by a group of armed men.
So the attack from those robots was only a distraction to keep us from the Lost Logia Storage Facility.
This meant that the men had penetrated headquarters as the facility runs underground below the TSAB Mid-Childan Main Office. The facility away from HQ merely provided a means of easy transport and moving of Lost Logia without doing it above ground on public streets. Signum and several others were dispatched to the facility, but by the time they arrived, it was over with seven white transport trucks speeding off into different directions. Each of the Ground Forces mages took off for one truck, leaving Signum to choose the last one. She noticed it was initially heading deeper into the city before changing direction and heading towards the northern outskirts.
Signum followed the truck to keep it in sight, hoping it would lead her to the ringleader of the terrorists attacking them.
If I can catch the leader behind this, I should be able to stop all of this.
The chase came to an end as the truck sped out of the city, traveling along an old and barely used road. Its destination seemed to be abandoned research facility of some kind. The site had seen better days, but even through one of the buildings had exploded years before, the rest of the structure was still standing even when time had taken its toll. Parts of the parking lot were showing signs of grass and plant life. The surrounding area was a thick forestland area with a large number of trees. The truck pulled into an old unloading dock area for trucks used in the past. As it backed up to a loading platform, the terrorists were likely planning to off-load what they had stolen.
Landing on the ground near the parked truck, Signum readied her Armed Device, Laevatein as it was already in Schwertform.
The driver of the truck called out shouting out something in Japanese that surprised Signum. The man was quickly silenced as a yellow burst of energy tore through his body from behind and killed him. In moments, four Yoshimitsu Troopers exited from the truck, one being the trooper who had killed the man. Signum assumed a fighting stance, but a fifth man appeared joined the Troopers. Yet for the sake of his identity, he had to use a torn off piece of cloth as a makeshift scarf.
"Let's see here…pink hair, a sword and wearing a white and pink battle dress with armor plates. You must be Signum, Hayate Yagami's servant."
"Who are you?"
"Someone who would have wished to put down those two treasonous and unclean excuses of whores that forsook their honor as Japanese. But since you are here, perhaps we'll send them a message by giving them your head with a note on it." the ringleader said as he took out a small pocket knife. "Muramasa, Katana Mode."
"Yes, sir," A female voice said in Japanese as the small pocket knife transformed into an Armed Device similar to Signum's Laevatein. As the name of its mode implied, it was a katana-style blade with a long blade of at least sixty inches. The blade itself was blood-red, but it had a glow making it appear it was burning red-hot. The hilt was black trimmed with gold, but like Signum's weapon, it had a bolt action-type Cartridge System similar to hunting rifles with capacity of five cartridges. There was a mono-eye sensor above the hilt near the cartridge ejection slot while the bottom of the hilt was flat with a silver ring around the base.
Gripping the large katana with both hands the ring leader glared at Signum before adding.
"Anyone who serves those treasonous vermin, especially if they are friends with that second traitor Nanoha Takamachi, shall been see to it that both including you are punished."
Signum was furious with the labels they were not only putting on Hayate, but Nanoha as well.
"You will not walk away after insulting Mistress Hayate like that!"
"Neither shall you," the officer said as the four troopers under his command charged the pink-haired woman.
"Laevatein, Purple Lightning Flash!"
"Jawohl," Laevatein replied as flames surrounded the blade. The first trooper closed in armed with an energy blade in the form of a katana crossed blades with the Ancient Belkan knight. Pushing her foe back just as the trooper's comrades closed in on her, Signum backed off and launched a mid-range attack to thin down the enemies' numbers.
One of the troopers was overeager to attack her and overstepped himself. Signum swiftly disabled her foe by cutting his legs and arms skillfully to interrogate the trooper later.
Just as the disabled trooper dropped to the ground, his other comrades rushed to engage her.
Their speed and reflexes are well beyond your standard foot soldier, so they are cyborgs after all.
Signum thought as the situation was a little suspect, given their armor and overall appearance. Their speed and strength was an obvious sign of cybernetic augmentation. This was likely true, given that none of the enemy troopers before her have displayed any magical ability, although it was clear their leader had magical talent. Even so, the troopers made up for their lack of magic training with combat training, coupled with their cybernetic bodies and advanced weapons.
The leader of the Wolkenritter parried and fended off the attack of three Yoshimitsu Troopers at once with an impressive display of swordsmanship. Signum ducked her head to avoid a plasma round fired from one of the forearm mounted cannons from her foe. She then delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of the attacking cyborg's head, right before she swiftly disabled another enemy trooper by cutting key points of her foe's limbs to immobilize him.
Two troopers remained, but Signum noticed that their leader wasn't taking an active part in the battle.
What is he up too? Is he a coward? No, this doesn't feel right...
Signum cautiously kept her eye on while focusing on finishing off the last two Yoshimitsu Troopers as soon as possible. Suddenly, the eyes of the Yoshimitsu Troopers began glowing bright red as their speed and strength seemingly doubled. Their reflexes and agility were suddenly enhanced even further. The swordswoman was forced onto the defensive as she parried and deflected fast-paced sword attacks from her enemies, but it was difficult to keep up with them.
What happened. They weren't this fast before.
One managed to get a kick through, but Signum pulled back just in time before it could connect with her stomach. She moved into range of the other trooper's plasma weapon as he fired a shot aimed for her head.
"Panzergeist," Signum commanded as Laevatein ejected a cartridge to shroud the woman's body in a magical defense aura that protected her from the plasma shot. Had it landed, it could have inflicted some serious damage upon her if not run the risk of outright killing her. "Sky Fang!"
Signum unleashed a point-blank mana slash attack a trooper who thought he could take advantage of an opening he thought he saw his partner created. The trooper was badly injured by both the attack and impact of his landing against the wall of the abandoned building. He was removed from the battle for now, allowing the pink-haired warrior to focus on the last Yoshimitsu Trooper. But at that time, the bodies of the downed Yoshimitsu Trooper and the one still standing began glowing bright as the last trooper made a mad charge at the woman.
Years of accumulated combat experience and instinct kicked in at the instance as alarms went off in Signum's head. She wasn't sure what this was, but she knew she had to shield herself.
As the soldier got close to her, his body began glowing brightly before suddenly exploding along with his partner's body, engulfing Signum in a large fireball that devastated half of the parking near the unloading dock. When the smoke cleared, Signum was still standing, having raised a Panzerschild to protect herself from the bulk of the explosion.
I can't believe they would self-destruct like that…just who are these men?
"Well…even for a servant of a traitor, your skills aren't bad," the leader commented as the tri-point magical rune shield vanished. "However, it's time we get this real fight started."
This time without a word, Signum attacked first. She charged her Laevatein once more with flames, intending on defeating the leader and taking him alive. Their blades met as his Muramasa surged with electrical power, displaying a signs of possible electrical-type Mana Conversion Affinity. The two sword wielders were deadlocked before a moment before the two broke away.
"Raimei," he said as Muramasa ejected a cartridge before drawing a large amount of electrical energy into the blade. Fire and Lightning met in a shower of sparks and flame as the two warriors struggled to overpower the other, although Signum was trying to take her foe into custody alive. Suddenly, her opponent broke away and took to the air with Signum following in hot pursuit as the two mages engaged in a fierce display of aerial combat.
"Sky Fang!"
"Tengoku no sandā," the terrorist leader replied as he unleashed a ranged slash attack in the form of a bolt of lightning. The two attacks cancelled each other out as the two warriors continued their increasingly fierce battle in the skies above the abandoned facility. Signum quickly fired off another Sky Fang, but it was shielded by her opponent's own Panzerschild.
As the two formidable warriors continued their battle, the soldiers below them that Signum had disabled earlier had managed to crawl back up to their feet before limping away. They entered the facility where the cargo they had stolen from the TSAB had been unloaded by two of their other comrades. They were brought into the chamber where Suzuka was waiting for them in the center of transportation circle for long-range dimensional transfer spell.
"That is the last of it, but where is Colonel Kusakabe?"
"He is still engaged in battle with that mage from the Yagami Family, Mistress."
"I see. He better hurry up because the TSAB will dispatch mages to this location soon. And I don't want to lose all of this wonderful combat and performance data we collected." Suzuka remarked by tapping on a special PDA device.
Back outside Signum and her opponent, Kusakabe locked battles again as the two were struggling against the other. The Japanese man knew he needed to end this battle quickly.
"I guess I go no other option, Sandāāmā," Kusakabe said as his entire body was surging with electrical energy within moments. The man was standing before her one moment, but was suddenly behind Signum in the blink of an eye. Signum barely had time to block it, but even there, his attacks were coming much faster to the point Signum couldn't follow the blade with her eyes. That let alone realizing on instinct and years of experience to predict and counter the incoming blade strikes. Even so, as a true testament to her skills and experience as a warrior and mage, she held up against Kusakabe.
But things suddenly changed with one dirty cheap trick.
A loaded gunshot similar to a shotgun rang through the air as Signum suddenly fell backwards, but not before she saw the bottom of Muramasa's hilt pointed at her. Moments ago, while preparing a large special series of sword strikes, Kusakabe held the blade in a odd position before triggering a concealed projectile weapon inside the hilt. At the range it was at, it pierced Signum's barrier jacket and dealt her a serious wound.
He used a hidden weapon in his armed device, a dirty...cowardly trick.
But Kusakabe wasn't done yet as he delivered a lightning fast slash across Signum's torso before kicking her to the ground. She fell forty feet before impacting the pavement of the parking lot with Kusakabe landing near his downed foe with a good opportunity to finish her off.
"This is not how I wanted it to end, but I am short on time sadly."
"That…that was…a cheap, cowardly tactic," Signum said in-between coughs as a pool of blood formed from the wound she got from the surprise round that pierced her stomach and the slash across her upper torso.
"Your mistake was bringing a tool to a sword fight. As my superior states, your weapon yearns to be bathed in the blood of your enemies. Yet, you hold it back."
Signum glared at Kusakabe.
"Maybe next time, you can give me a real fight. Remember, I could have finished you right here and then."
With those words, Kusakabe began to walk away to rejoin Suzuka and the others. They afterward made their escape, leaving a badly wounded and furious Signum behind. Once Kusakabe was gone, Signum got to her feet in defiance, although she was struggling to stand. At that moment, however, a friend was trying to contact her, having only returned to Mid-Childa not too long ago.
Signum…do you read me?…Signum? Fate Testarossa demanded.
"I…Need…Medical…Help," Signum managed to say before she dropped to the ground and passed out.
Signum? Signum, are you okay? SIGNUM!
The attack on the Time-Space Administration Bureau came to an end. The two machines vanished into the oceans of Mid-Childa to shake off pursuers, leaving large-scale devastation in their wake.
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Chapter 4: The Wheels of Destiny Turn
The next chapter has arrived. Finally comes in something I've personally been waiting for. And then, there's the end.
"Now, Clovis," Lelouch said with a deadly seriousness in his voice as he pointed Soul Abyss at the face of the terrified prince. "You will do two things for me: One, you will order your men to stand down and let the Elevens go. Your little pet project is no longer in this area and if you keep it up, not only will I expose it to the public, but I'll kill you as well."
"You can't just order a Prince of Britannia around, you lowly-" Clovis began.
Lelouch fired off a blue burst of energy that made a hole in the wall, a few inches behind Clovis off from where his head could have been. Clovis was rendered silent when he realized how close that blast came to blowing his head apart like a melon.
"Is that your final answer? Or would you like me to rephrase that? You will tell them to stop, along with the destruction of any buildings or properties. Since we're at it, all casualties regardless of their nationality will be treated equally," Lelouch said as the tip of Abyss Soul began glowing bright. "Now, shall we try this again?"
Trembling and left with little to no options, Clovis activated the intercom by pushing a button under the armrest. Lelouch walked over to the console and set up a broadcast that would be heard among all of the Britannian soldiers within the area.
"Attention all forces, cease-fire at once! I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you to cease-fire at once! You will also cease destruction of buildings and property! All casualties, regardless if they are Britannians or Elevens, will be treated equally and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered to ceasefire! I will allow for no further fighting!"
The lights went off as Lelouch shut down all power in the command center.
"Are you satisfied?" Clovis demanded before Lelouch replied.
"Very. Well done."
"And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess?" Clovis asked, which prompted a grin from under Lelouch's mask.
"That has a familiar ring."
Lelouch couldn't help but keep smiling as he was ready to squeeze the information he wanted from Clovis, though it was doubtful that he knew anything of value of what he sought. However, there was still the possibility that he knew something, but it was a question of what he knew and besides…
That girl and the capsule…I want to know just what the hell he was working on that would drive him to wipe out this whole ghetto.
Before Lelouch could question the prince, the doors flew open. A dozen Britannian soldiers poured into the room, aiming their rifles at Lelouch.
Damn it, but it's probably best I don't push my luck.
"Keep your word, Clovis, or I'll be back!"
"OPEN FIRE!" The lead soldier commanded as they opened fire.
"Protection Status: All Green," Abyss Soul said as a blue barrier of energy protected Lelouch from the bullets as they bounced off the shield. Abyss Soul's Active Protection automatically cast as part its auto-protection functions. Lelouch quickly backed away and leapt out of the command center and back into the cockpit of the Sutherland.
Lelouch, you better get the hell out of there! Quattro cautioned over their mental connection.
I know, but I don't think I need to tell you to give me a little cover.
Well, duh! I would never hear the end of it from Vanderfloog if I allowed something to happen to you!
Closing the cockpit as Abyss Soul switched back to Device Mode, the former prince took off in his stolen Sutherland, speeding away from the area. Fortunately, with most of their vehicles destroyed along with their Knightmares, they had no means of pursuing him. As a precaution, the Lancelot followed the Sutherland to protect it from any unexpected attacks. The two put some distance behind the G-1 and soon, all that Lelouch had to do was ditch the Sutherland and escape the ghetto.
Well, I got some good news and bad news. Which do you want first?
Just give it to me straight, Quattro.
Okay then, the good news is that Clovis is calling for a full retreat, so you must've really put the fear of god in him.
Then what's the bad news?
At that moment, Lelouch and the Lancelot were trapped in a Temporal Force Field. The area-type Force Field spell engulfed most of the Shinjuku Ghetto, leaving only Lelouch in his Sutherland along with the Lancelot and Quattro, who remained hidden. But Lelouch was unfortunately the target of the caster.
Oh…I see…
I think it's self-explanatory.
Lelouch brought the Sutherland to a stop when he spotted the one casting the spell standing twenty feet ahead of him. Ginga Nakajima stood before Lelouch in her barrier jacket that consisted of white pants and a black jacket with short sleeves with a bit of purple on it. There were shin plates on her legs and a small breastplate that covered a small area of her forward torso. Under that was a white turtle neck shirt with short-sleeves, fingerless black gloves and a belt with a gold clasp with black and trimmed cloth hanging over her hips. On her feet were a pair of white roller-blades trimmed with gold while on her left hand was a white gauntlet trimmed with purple. On the wrist were a pair of turning blades and a magic cartridge system in the form of a revolver barrel.
The gauntlet was a wearable intelligent device called Revolver Knuckle while paired with the rollerblade components, but both are at times dubbed together as Blitz Caliber.
Damn it, a member of the TSAB!
Lelouch eyed Ginga as his mind was already working to come up a series of contingency plans to deal with the threat before him. Ginga was silent as the tails of her purple bow on the back of her head moved with the wind.
Making the first move, Lelouch made a run for it while the Lancelot took off in another direction.
"Hold it!" Private First Class Nakajima Ginga shouted before she chased after the purple knightmare frame. This particular unit she's going up against gave off an unknown signature inside the cockpit. In other words, there is a mage on Earth stirring up trouble if not taking advantage of the war-torn earth to commit crimes while the planet is under surveillance from TSAB. Whoever the criminal is, he is either stupid or crazy to use magic while TSAB is still around. "You are under arrest!"
Ginga's instructions were to not be involved with the political affairs of Un-Administrated world #97. But she can at least perform her job as an officer to arrest the criminal before he caused any damage or exposes the existence of magic to the mundane people of Earth. It was hard watching the Britannians liquidate the Shinjuku Ghetto, but she knew what could happen if the existence of magic was exposed.
Her processor already gave her a simulation of what happened if someone discovered the existence of magic to the public. The previous two incidents that took place on this planet gave everybody in TSAB HQ a heart attack; especially the Book of Darkness Incident.
Therefore, Ginga has to resolve this problem immediately. But Lelouch wasn't planning on being arrested.
Gotta catch me first, Lelouch thought as he pushed the Sutherland as hard as he could before turning around. It kept moving, but only backwards before it fired off its machine gun. It shot at the buildings, causing stone and steel to fall. Lelouch hoped it would slow Ginga down or stop her, but the Ground Forces Mage leaped and dodged all of the falling debris.
"Tch!" She activated her barrier jacket when the Sutherland resorted firing its weapon at her. Thankfully, her defenses won't be easily destroyed by this level of attack. "You need more than that to break this shield!" She increased her speed as her roller-skates accelerated.
Her Revolver Knuckle spun as she focused her energy onto this one attack.
Suddenly, the Lancelot attacked by literally crashing through one of the buildings to intercept Ginga. It fired one of its forearm slash harkens, but as expected, Ginga evaded it. The white machine continued its attack, trying to deliver a roundhouse kick, followed by some fast horizontal chops. Ginga was about to punch the machine when it pulled back as the Sutherland hurled a Chaos Grenade. One the other side, the Lancelot backed away and fired its forearm mounted slash harkens. Ginga dodged the Lancelot's attack and used a tri-shield to protect herself from the fragmentation sent flying at her.
"Wing Road," The AI of her Blitz Caliber said as a blue road of magic formed below Ginga, providing a clear intercept path to the fleeing Sutherland with the Lancelot pursuing her. Charging at full speed, Ginga sped into the air, following the Wing Road. At that moment, Ginga once more collected mana into her left fist.
"Knuckle Bunker," Ginga drove her fist into the side of the Sutherland's cockpit, damaging the Knightmare Frame and stopping it in its tracks. However, Ginga soon realized there was no one in the cockpit. In the middle of the last combination attack, the pilot must have escaped his Knightmare Frame, which meant it was remote controlled.
Firing its slash harkens into the disabled Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot closed in. Although Ginga dodged, the Sutherland exploded in front of her. The purple-haired woman threw up a tri-shield to weather the explosion, but as she tried to find her unknown foe.
Hiding in a nearby building, Lelouch was taking aim at the TSAB member with Abyss Soul, transformed into Shooting Mode.
"Clearance confirmation, firing-lock is cancelled," Abyss Soul spoke as Lelouch had Ginga in his sights.
"Abyss Shoot!" Lelouch said as a torrent of blue magical power collected at the tip of his Intelligence Device.
Ginga sensed the attack just in time as she used Wing Road to retreat to the rooftops. It was just seconds before the column of intense magical power cut through the building Lelouch was hiding in and tore through the next one across the street. The magical beam of the Abyss Buster was large enough to easily engulf a whole Knightmare Frame in one shot. But the way the attack came at her left Ginga nervous as it seemed very familiar.
What insane magical power…just who is he? I haven't seen such magical power except for Instructor Takamachi.
Lelouch was a little flustered as his mind was already shifting gears. It was fortunate his illusion masking his face was still holding, otherwise the woman seeing his face would have complicated things.
Damn it, I was hoping to end this quickly, but I guess that won't be possible. I knew she would evade the gunfire and that chaos grenade, but that was only supposed to get her up to my Abyss Buster.
The former prince knew this wasn't going to be easy for him. For all of the training he got from Vanderfloog, the twins and even Quattro at times, he always had some issues with fighting in close quarter combat. For the most part, he didn't have anyone he could spar with in a mock battle. There was one other who could have trained him in hand-to-hand combat, but it was decided to wait until Lelouch was in more ideal shape and his reflexes were more up to par. On the plus side though, he had been put through a tough physical education regime thanks to Quattro and the twins who supervised.
Changing tactics, a blue magic circle appeared before Lelouch's feet as Ginga entered the crumbling remains of the building, noticing the magical circle at his feet. It was a magic circle, but inside of the circle was a pentagram with a complex series of runic magic symbols within.
What kind of magic circle is that? It's not Belkan or Mid-Childa.
"Assault Mode activated," Abyss Soul spoke as the Intelligent Device changed forms.
The head of Abyss Soul transformed into a lance with a bident-style blade and the blue orb in the middle. The sides of the two-prong blades were demonic-wing shaped and the blade on the left was longer than the other by five inches.
Once the Intelligence Device's transformation was completed, twelve mirror-like panels materialized around Lelouch as did four arrow-shaped devices fashioned after the head of Abyss Soul. Ginga decided to attack first as an indigo-violet Belkan Triangle appeared at her feet.
"Storm Tooth," The AI of Ginga's armed device said as Ginga charged forward with her left hand raised and the twin-gear like devices on her wrist began spinning. The mirrors scattered as Lelouch raised his hand with Abyss Soul speaking.
"Protection!"
A glowing Al-Hazard Magic Circle appeared in-between Ginga and Lelouch. Ginga drove her fist into it, intending to force her way through the magical shield. A few moments later and the shield began to crack until it shattered, but Lelouch quickly used his right hand to catch her fist, casting protective barrier around it to shield his hand from damage. However, the impact of the punch sent Lelouch flying backwards as Ginga kept pushing until the two went through the wall behind them.
Lelouch flipped in mid-air just in time to plant both of his feet, onto the side of the building across from the one he was sent flying out of.
"Seraph Wings," Abyss Soul noted as two pairs of small black feathered angelic wings emerged from Lelouch's back. His cape created openings for the wings to emerge from.
She is stronger than she looks, but it's my turn.
Lelouch rushed the woman with his Device pointed out, flying at increasing speed and playing a game of chicken with the young woman. Ginga didn't slow down, but she kept going as she raised her fist, intending to deliver a powerful punch to her foe. At the last second, Lelouch suddenly dropped, falling towards the ground with Wing Road passing over him. But before Ginga could turn around, Lelouch flew back up, attacking her from behind. Lelouch thrust forward with his Device, but the purple-haired woman backed away before counterattacking.
The masked young man ducked to dodge the punch, but Ginga quickly followed up with a kick to the face that knocked Lelouch off her Wing Road.
"Abyss Soul…Chain Grapple," Lelouch said as Abyss Soul replied, launching a blue chain of energy from the center that flew past Ginga before grabbing onto the wall of a building in the distance. Pulling back on Abyss Soul, the chain retracted and pulled Lelouch towards his opponent.
In passing, Lelouch knocked her back with the kick in the chest. To press his advantage, the Blaster Bits Lelouch conjured up earlier began their attack. They fired blue beams at the woman, forcing Ginga to throw up a tri-shield as Lelouch kicked off from the wall, taking aim with his Abyss Soul.
"Barrel Shot," Lelouch's Intelligence Device said as Lelouch fired a focused beam of blue energy. Ginga dodged it, but it struck one of the mirrors a distance behind her, scattering the beams before each of them hit the other twelve mirrors. "Mirror Prism!"
Ginga was suddenly trapped in a shower of blue energy beams. She was moved to the left and right to avoid being hit, but a few beams grazed her barrier jacket.
"Wing Road," The Blitz Caliber said before the blue road appeared below Ginga's feet. The young woman took off racing away before Lelouch could trap her.
She isn't bad; she reacted quickly to my attack and used that spell to quickly escape the area before I could pin her down.
Lelouch realized he would need to be a little more aggressive if he is going to subdue the woman without killing her. If he killed her, her demise would bring more TSAB agents actively hunting him down, Going for a non-lethal defeat was in his best interest.
His mirrors and blaster bits spread out as Lelouch took to higher ground.
It's more of a risk for me to be in the sky like this. But from what I am seeing so far, she doesn't seem to have any ranged attacks. Staying among those buildings would leave me in danger of a possible surprise attack, so staying in the air here is my best option.
The former prince thought as his mind went to work on plans to defeat the TSAB agent. But as soon as he got high above the buildings, the Wing Road appeared right under him, giving Lelouch little chance to react as he saw Ginga speeding straight at him.
Shit! She must have guessed I would retreat to the skies!
"Shooting Mode," Abyss Soul transformed back into its Shooting Mode before Lelouch projected a circular magic shield. Ginga's fist impacted the shield with the force of a freight train and she was using another Knuckle Bunker to overpower it.
But the latter was already preparing an attack when she broke through.
"Abyss Soul…Chain Whip," Lelouch said as the barrier finally broke and he dived to the side to evade. At that moment, a chain-like whip composed of blue magic emerged from the top of the orb on his device and grabbed Ginga's left leg. As Lelouch fell, he used his body's own weight to pull Ginga off her Wing Road.
As the two fell, Ginga struggled to break free. Lelouch called his mirrors and bits to support him as his Blaster Bits began firing at Ginga. To Lelouch's surprise Ginga used Wing Road again to stop their fall. But this time, she directed towards the ground in a downward slope, turning Lelouch's last attack against him. Ginga used the downward momentum to provide a huge boost of speed, which she used to drag her opponent along. Lelouch tried to regain his balance, but his body bounced off of the Wing Road, inflicting some light injury upon him.
After disengaging the chain-whip spell, he was freed. But as Lelouch was regaining his balance, Ginga was already coming around for another attack.
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out as six blue spheres appeared around him before they fired at the approaching Ginga. She responded with another tri-shield as she kept charging at her foe. Yet as her fist was about to make contact it phased through Lelouch's body prompting Ginga to realize.
An illusion…
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out again as his attack from above nailed Ginga, hammering the young woman with beams of blue energy and finally landing a blow upon her. Lelouch decided to press his advantage again, firing a shot from his Abyss Soul in tandem with his Blaster Bits. Ginga used Protection to shield herself as she rushed at Lelouch with Wing Road. She moved in spiraling and twisting routes to make aiming difficult for him.
But once again, her fist punched through in illusion.
So while I was being hit by his last attack, he created another illusion. But where is he now?
Before Ginga could find her foe again, Lelouch's Blaster Bits fired powerful magic bursts, destroying the Wing Road she was using and sending Ginga falling to the ground. Not given the chance to use her Wing Road spell again, Lelouch's blaster bits wrapped themselves around Ginga, trapping her in a binding spell. As Ginga struggled to break free, Lelouch began collecting his strength for one more attack, taking aim with a large sphere of magic forming above the tip of his Intelligent Device. The bindings were becoming undone, but her legs were tightly tied to prevent her from using Wing Road to escape. Before she could break free, Lelouch cast his spell while standing upon a glowing magical circle.
"Twilight Breaker!" Lelouch shouted, releasing one of his strongest attacks.
This time, Lelouch's aim was dead on. Ginga was engulfed by the beam and sent crashing onto the weakened roof, landing atop of pile of rubble. The blast was just enough where the woman was knocked out cold. Her barrier jacket was badly tattered, but for the most part, the woman was unharmed. Lelouch was breathing hard as the fight took more out of him than he had expected.
So, this is what real magical combat feels like.
Congratulations on your first victory, Lelouch, Quattro said through their telepathic link.
I am fortunate that she didn't have any back up...but that was too close. My close quarter skills are going to need improvement if I am going to face her again.
Well, let this be a reminder of why we were putting you through such a physical training regime. Remind me to ask Sayoko about pushing forward with your close quarter combat training when we get back.
Lelouch's expression soured at the mention of more intense physical training despite knowing it was necessary. He cast it aside as he made a hasty retreat, intending to be long gone before her opponent woke up. Granted, he was in far better shape than he was compared to when he was a child. But beside a lack of experience, if a fight drags on for too long, he could wear himself down.
His training was still far from finished.
Anyway, let's get out of here. The Lancelot?
Its energy filler is low, but if I can divert power from unnecessary systems, I think I can make it last long enough for us to hide it. The Lancelot can prove invaluable to us both on and off the battlefield.
Lelouch grinned as he understood what Quattro had in mind.
Good idea…
A large futuristic gray hanger trimmed with blue lights along the wall like a circuit board was located elsewhere in Japan. Kusakabe and Suzuka were examining the stolen Lost Logia they took from the TSAB. Opening up the first crate were individually sealed boxes with transparent tops, revealing the sole object gained within each box. They held a small blue diamond-shaped jewel with round edges known to the Time-Space Administration Bureau.
"The Mandarin will be pleased with our work," Suzuka replied with a smile.
"Yes," Kusakabe said, opening up the second crate that revealed a set of red gemstones sealed inside. "If our intelligence we got from the insider is right, then these Relics we stole should drive this Jail Scaglietti up a tree."
"More so, imagine we can do with these four, along with the other nine Jewel Seeds the Mandarin has already."
"Indeed…although I have to say, I am surprised by how much devastation we were able to inflict with just three of the drones alone. More so, our men tore through their mages," Kusakabe noted.
"Then you understand, Commander Kusakabe," A third voice echoed speaking with a electronically altered voice with a menacing tone to it. "The TSAB lacks a fundamental detail, making itself highly vulnerable against our forces."
Suzuka and Kusakabe turned their heads to see a man almost in all black and wearing a leather long coat. He had long sleeves that reached down past his knees with two straps going around the torso to close the coat. On the back was a coiled-circle dragon eating its own tail in gold print while upon his shoulders were two small golden serpent-like dragons. Black leather gloves were complete with leather combat boots and shin-guards. On his head, however, was his most distinguished feature; a helmet that encased the wearer's head in a black, metallic full head-mask with a single red electronic eye in the center of the face, creating an almost faceless appearance. The rest of the mask was smoothly polished metal with two air vents located along the lower jaw of the mask.
"Mandarin-sama," Suzuka said bowing respectfully.
"You two have done well. I am pleased with the results and valuable test data that had been collected."
"We apologize for losing one of the drones, sir," Kusakabe said snapping to military attention saluting.
"Do not worry. The destruction of it was in our plans. The windfall of data from the unit against high-leveled mages more than compensates us for this, not to mention the nanomachine self-destruct failsafe worked without fault. In addition, the data from the volunteers that gave their lives fighting the TSAB mages will enable us to far extend their potential. To the point where they will have to use their Seppuku Overdrive."
"In any case, Mandarain-sama," Suzuka quickly cast the compliments from her superior aside, pointing out their stolen loot. "We collected the Lost Logia as you instructed,"
"Excellent, these will advance our plans nicely."
"Smashing through the TSAB's forces seemed rather easy."
"It's because they don't understand the essence of true warfare like we do. They are the descendants mainly of the Belkan Culture, basically a Middle Age culture that rose due to the rests and relics of Al-Hazard. They didn't learn the lessons of ten millennia of conflict in all levels that Earth considers common wisdom. The fact that the Ancient Belkan people polluted their own world with Mass Weapons shows that they didn't understand the potential or the appropriate use of their technology for warfare."
"I think we can teach them that lesson more so, but what shall we do now? The Bureau won't take this lying down, of course." Suzuka asked.
"We'll deal with them in due time. For now we must adapt and improve our drones."
"Understood, sir. But what about my comrades in the Japan Liberation Front?" Kusakabe asked.
"The plans set up in order to ensure that they will be more than receptive to your and Suzuka's message in course. Soon, the JLF will join our cause for the betterment of Earth, and later the free worlds."
Almost a half-hour later, Ginga woke up, cautiously sitting up. The woman held her left arm, which was sore along with her whole body from her fall and enormous magical attack she had been hit with. Ginga rose to her feet as her Device returned to Standby Mode. She almost stumbled, yet managed to balance herself by propping herself against a wall.
How long was I out? I don't even sense him anymore, so he likely got away.
Mustering the strength, Ginga used a teleportation spell to return to her post in orbit around the Earth. She dropped into her chair, reclining into the seat. A part of her almost thought her foe was someone who just got his hands on a magical device, judging by the unknown magic symbol she saw at his feet. She cast that thought aside, considering his performance.
There is no way he is just some random local who got his hands on a device. He had training, that much I am sure of.
Worse yet, his power measured at least AAA+ rank easy, which only made Ginga sigh as she commented mentally.
Headquarters isn't going to like this.
Ginga didn't know, however, that Headquarters had other matters. More importantly, they were those happening right now with the drone attacks and soldiers of whatever organization that was behind it.
The sun was going down by the time Quattro and Lelouch returned to Ashford Academy with C.C. in tow. Both were back in their civilian attire, although they had taken a long about route to get back to the academy. It was the only means to avoid all of the road closures near Shinjuku Ghetto and ensure that they had shaken the TSAB agent off their trail. The two students also had to find a place to stash the stolen Lancelot. They cautiously reentered the academy, using the elevator from the waterway, but they were hoping not to run into the twins or worse, Vanderfloog as they led C.C. into the clubhouse.
"You don't think anyone else knows about what happened?"
"Other than you being mixed up in that incident at Shinjuku, I don't think so. But if we talk about it, then someone will find out," Quattro said while using her hands to gesture for Lelouch to be quiet.
"Right," Lelouch replied as the two hurried across the field to the Student Council Club House, which had been once used as a ballroom for special events.
As the two entered the front doors, they suddenly closed behind them with a slam. The two nervously looked over their shoulders to see Aria Liese closing the doors with Lotte. Moments later, an elderly man with gelled back gray hair entered, wearing a black suit complete with a red tie and white shirt and blue eyes. Walking besides the older man was Peter Vanderfloog, who seemed displeased with Lelouch as did the older man.
"You two have returned late…did you both have a fun afternoon?" Peter asked eyeing Quattro and Lelouch suspiciously.
"Well, things were chaotic, but Quattro helped me get out of it." Lelouch said keeping a straight face. The young man knew he was in serious trouble with his respective magic teachers.
"So I assume leading a resistance force to victory against Britannia and then beating up a TSAB agent can be considered a wild afternoon on the town?" Gil Graham said sternly.
"The situation was beyond my control and I had to do something."
"And who is this?" Peter demanded pointing to C.C.
"She calls herself C.C. She was the reason Lelouch didn't just leave Shinjuku. Apparently, Britannia was conducting experiments on her and has refused to say why."
"I see, so you not only challenged Britannia in the ghetto and fout a TSAB agent, but you also rescued and brought home a test subject." Graham said while he was mentally face-palm himself.
"We'll need to keep her hidden unless we consider killing her and dumping her body in the ocean or something," Peter mentioned off-hand.
"I doubt that will work with me," C.C. noted with a grin before looking at Peter as his expression changed to one of surprise.
"Because you aren't alive," Lelouch said bluntly.
"Last time that I checked, dead people couldn't reply to said statement," The green-haired woman replied.
"Sorry, I'm expressing myself wrong. What I want to say is...While you have the memories, beliefs and such of what you were, it looks like your physical body was destroyed. I think what you have now is an Artificial Human Body that it's linked to an unknown system or device. According to what I analyzed, you don't age or die. And you regenerate because of whatever program are you part of. It's set in regenerating you and restoring you. I don't know how you came to be like that, but that's something that I have only seen in Lost Logia of SS Rank and such."
C.C. was confused, but Peter stepped in addressing Graham
"I'll let you guys deal with these unruly children while I'll see to Miss C.C. here," Peter said walking up to the green haired woman, whispering something into her ear before the two walked away. Lelouch quietly observed the scene, wondering what was going on between them.
Do those two know each other?
Once the two were gone, Graham turned his attention back to Lelouch.
"The TSAB will now be looking for you. I want you to stay within school grounds and perhaps if we are lucky enough, they might give up after awhile." Graham said, stepping closer to Lelouch. "I know dealing with Britannia is part of the plan, but the situation will become dangerously complicated if the Bureau becomes involved in this. You understand?"
"I know, but I had hoped to question Clovis about my mother's death."
"I really doubt an idiot like him would have been involved in her murder," Quattro pointed out.
"Maybe so, but he might know something or have some idea of who might have been."
"True enough, but what about the Lancelot? We still need a proper place to stash that," The brown-haired female mentioned.
"You," Graham said as he now seemed more distressed than before. "You stole Britannia's newest Knightmare prototype!?"
"Well, I had so Lelouch could win and escape. Now, I am not certain where to hide it. If we are rebelling against Britannia, then the Lancelot will make a valuable bargaining chip for Kyoto. Hell, even selling its specs along with its battle data on the black market alone would bring in a nice amount of money, I can imagine." Quattro explained.
"Alright, Peter and I will relocate the Lancelot to a new location to hide it. As soon as things settle down, I'll see about setting something up with Kyoto. Until further notice, however, I'll be making sure you stay within the school grounds. Beginning tomorrow morning, Lotte will oversee your physical training. Quattro will be supervising you." Graham said putting one hand to his head. There wasn't much use to further speak of the matter.
"Wonderful. Maybe we can recreate that fight, so you can improve," Quattro exclaimed excited at the prospect.
You mean you just want to torture me...
Later that evening on Mid-Childa, but more specifically within one of the hospital rooms of High-Tech Medical Care Center, Nanoha awoke lying in a hospital bed. She slowly sat up and soon noticed next to her laid a sleeping Signum. Next to her laid an unconscious Vita.
"Please take it easy. The doctor said your ear drums have been healed but your other injuries need time."
Nanoha turned and saw sitting on a chair on her right hand side was a young woman with long blonde hair wearing a black uniform with silver trim. Her red eyes looked upon Nanoha sadly, but next to her was someone the same age as she was with page-boy style brown hair. She had blue eyes and a Ground Forces uniform with the rank of captain, belonging to the Special Investigations Office of the TSAB Surface Division.
"Fate…Hayate…both of you are here?"
"We were barely returning to Mid-Childa from our respective missions' off-world. But after we learned we heard what had happened, I tried to make contact with Signum while Hayate went to help you and Vita," Fate Testarossa explained before Hayate Yagami joined the conversation.
"Yes, but by the time I got there, you had passed out from a combination of injuries sustained and exhaustion. Vita was unconscious as well."
Hayate gazed upon the fallen forms of Vita and Signum. Although it was clear Vita had no doubt endured more injuries in comparison among the three, it didn't lessen the pained looked in Hayate's eyes to see her family in their current states. Nanoha was even harder to look at because Hayate knew while her injuries were not as severe as Signum and Vita, both she and Fate knew that Nanoha was far from okay. They knew she was dealing with the death of so many of her own students, most of which were slaughtered like cattle before her eyes.
"This attack I believe was directed partly at you and Mistress Hayate," Signum spoke opening her eyes.
"Signum, thank goodness you are awake," A relieved Hayate exclaimed with a tear in her eyes.
"Are you feeling better?" A small girl roughly the size of a doll asked, wearing a uniform similar to Hayate's. She had mid-back length, pale ice blue hair with blue eyes and a pale skin complexion.
"I am feeling a little better, Rein," Signum addressed Reinforce Zwei before turning her attention to Hayate. "Please forgive me for allowing the enemy to escape. I had them, but that Japanese man used a dirty trick to overpower me."
"Japanese man?" Fate inquired.
"Yes, his associates spoke fluent Japanese and their swords and fighting style were similar to that used by samurai warriors. They spoke ill of both you and Nanoha," Signum said with strong signs of restrained anger in her voice. She felt ashamed for allowing the ringleader to get away, especially after insulting Hayate and Nanoha. "They knew about where you came from and Hayate's involvement with the Book of Darkness."
"What!?" Hayate said genuinely surprised as that information was classified.
"But Earth, let alone Japan could not have been capable of producing such terrible weapons." Fate pointed out. The idea of people from Japan being involved in what was probably the worst terrorist incident since the founding the of the Time-Space Administration Bureau was considered bizarre.
"I understand, but it's possible some of them could have been recruited. Given what happened seven years ago, it's not impossible. Whoever spearheaded this attack could have told them of Nanoha and Hayate's secret as Bureau members to coax them into joining whatever group created those weapons." Signum said, trying to figure out the possible reason for their involvement.
Even then, it doesn't feel like it's enough of a reason.
As Hayate, Fate and Signum talked, Nanoha sat up in bed depressed and terribly saddened by events today. Well over half of the students under her care had lost their lives, but she kept thinking. Was there anything different she could have done to prevent it?
"Mistress Hayate," Reinforce said becoming aware of something.
"Rein…what is it?"
"Turn on the television. Shamal says there is a rouge broadcast being transmitted on all wavelengths."
Fate took hold of a remote and turned on a wall monitor as it revealed a montage of violent war images from Earth, specifically the battles between the European Union and Britannia. Next image came footage of the civil war happening on Southern Orussia. Lastly was footage of the drones attacking Mid-Childa, ending with an emblem of a serpent-like dragon in a circle eating its own tail and the words "LOGOS" under it.
The emblem vanished, revealing a masked man seated upon an orate throne made of jade with two Chinese dragon statues beside him. The rest of the room was an elaborate throne room with various weapons of war on display racks and cases ranging from swords to spears and even rifles. Raising from his throne, the man began his address to all watching his broadcast.
"Ladies, children, sheep…some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher. Lesson number one: heroes there are no such thing, especially among those of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. A corrupt interdimensional security force which is willing to cut deals with dangerous criminals when it benefits, betraying its own loyal officers and mages when it's acceptable and idly watch as worlds not a part of their organization are attacked by interdimensional terrorists. What happened today at the city of Cranagan on Mid-Childa was a rude awakening to open the eyes of the people of Mid-Childa. An awakening to the suffering they have allowed worlds that are aware of their organization, but unworthy to be a part of the TSAB, to suffer under constant warfare brought on by civil strife, lack of resources or both. And there is always a favorite, criminal terrorist groups assault their worlds with no help or real relief from the Bureau."
Nanoha, Hayate and Fate continued watching the broadcast shocked by his words.
"Allow me to introduce one such victim of the terrible cruel injustice the unfortunate people of the lesser worlds had to endure," The Mandarin said as he walked forward coming to a small little girl wearing a dirty tattered shirt and torn shorts with simple brown sandals on. She had blonde hair and blue eyes with a hurt expression on her face with a bandage around her forehead. "Tell them your name little one."
The man knelt next to the child gesturing for her to look at the camera.
"My name is Emily."
"Tell them where you are from?"
"I am from Orussia."
"A world known to the Bureau, but not an administrated one, but no longer a non-administrated world though. Yet it is one caught up in constant civil war as many did not take to the news of other worlds like their existence. Now tell us, Emily, what was life for you there?"
"I had only my mommy to take care of me, but we were always hungry because food was hard to find. Then when she tried to get food from the relief center the TSAB had set up, instead of helping us, we were taken."
"Taken to an administrative world for proper care?"
"No, we were taken to a place called the Vandein Corporation, a research facility on administrated world #16 Liberta."
"I see. Could you share with everyone what happened?"
"I never saw my mom much, but the men there stuck needles in me and did all kinds of painful things to me. I saw other kids like me, but some after awhile I never saw again."
"You see, this is how the TSAB handles things. Their corrupt leadership allows for abductions to be conducted from war-torn worlds like Orussia, where they can easily cover it up. For what…inhuman experimentation to turn people into living combat weapons and those who didn't make the cut would end up like poor Emily's mother, who became a glob of flesh as shown here." He stated as images of inhuman experimentations on subjects testing the effects of an unknown experiment and the end results of those who didn't quite make it.
The images were very difficult to look at for Hayate and the others.
"They allow these immoral acts just for the sake of their own benefit so they can reap the benefits without dirtying their hands. But upon this day, I am happy to announce those days are coming to an end. For today, we gave the Bureau a taste of what careless and corrupt management of the worlds under their watch can bring. Know that this is only the beginning for on this historic day, we shall begin a campaign of cleansing."
Mandarin turned to Emily and asked.
"Would you like to see the TSAB and the Vandein Corporation punished for what was done to your mother?"
The girl with tears in her eyes looked up at the Mandarin's shiny black mask.
"Please…I lost my mommy…please…punish them!"
"Very well," The Mandarin called for one of his subordinates a man wearing a black uniform trimmed with gold.
The man was in his late twenties with combed back brown hair, a clean-shaven complexion with green eyes with black gloves and boots. In his hands was a thin book-like device.
"Allow me to demonstrate to you one of our new advanced weapons we nicknamed Memento Mori. A mobile satellite weapon system that can silently move from one planet to another to deliver a little present. And those presents are actually a hollow platinum tube, each one filled with a tungsten rod added with a specialized warhead to pierce magical barriers. Each satellite carries at least ten such rods. Thanks to the special black paint coating they have and the size of the satellite themselves, not to mention possessing specialized stealth systems, they enter orbit around the target planet until they are in optimum position to drop its payload onto its target."
The Mandarin opened up the book-like computer as a series of holographic screens appeared, two showed the satellite and its target while the other three displayed the specifications of the satellite weapon along with status updates on the bombardment rods onboard.
"In case you are wondering we don't launch it or attach an engine to send the rod to its target…No, our delivery system is rather simple. What you are seeing is a perfect example of an effective kinetic bombardment weapon. We just drop it and gravity handles the rest, so how about a demonstration?" The Mandarin asked as he entered in a series of commands before hitting a red holographic button to launch the projectile. The rod was pushed out from the satellite and sending plummeting to the planet below as it gained momentum with each passing second.
Hayate, Nanoha, Signum and Fate were wide-eyed in horror as the projectile was already entering the atmosphere.
"No…this can't be happening," Nanoha muttered.
"The bombardment rod will hit its target, fifty thousand feet per second. The impact, coupled with the resulting destruction, will be equal to if not greater than a mass weapon bomb. The real difference is my bombardment rods are clean weapons so all destruction, but no pollution."
Seconds later, the bombardment rod hit its mark, a small island where a research facility stood. Upon impact, the entire island was engulfed in an explosion. A resulting catastrophic earthquake that literally tore apart the surrounding area sent large chunks of Earth up from the ocean around where the island was. The devastation stretched out for twenty miles all around, destroying anything unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of the island.
"Justice has been served," The Mandarin said as he knelt down to the small child, patting her on the back before nodding to the subordinate. Sid subordinate closed the book-like device before placing it under his right arm to carry the child way.
"Thank you, Mr. Mandarin."
"The TSAB is too corrupt to be saved, so we shall rip it out by the roots and burn it down. Then from the ashes of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, a new, just and more effective organization shall rise from the ashes. One that shall protect and properly monitor all worlds administered or otherwise from external and internal threats to ensure their safety and stability. Furthermore, we will find and crush all forms of internal corruption and cleanse it from this world. This is a war of justice to right the wrongs and to remove the corrupt rulers of the TSAB from power and to eliminate the criminals who cut deals with them. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in history for justice is on our side as we have the numbers and the technology to fight the Bureau on equal footing. So for I, the Mandarin, let us begin for the revolution!"
The broadcast ended. Although it was fortunate a civilian target like a city wasn't hit, the girls were horrified by the destruction they just saw. Clearly, it was a battle against something the TSAB never faced before.
Chapter 4
The Wheels of Destiny Turn
The Wheels of Destiny Turn
"Now, Clovis," Lelouch said with a deadly seriousness in his voice as he pointed Soul Abyss at the face of the terrified prince. "You will do two things for me: One, you will order your men to stand down and let the Elevens go. Your little pet project is no longer in this area and if you keep it up, not only will I expose it to the public, but I'll kill you as well."
"You can't just order a Prince of Britannia around, you lowly-" Clovis began.
Lelouch fired off a blue burst of energy that made a hole in the wall, a few inches behind Clovis off from where his head could have been. Clovis was rendered silent when he realized how close that blast came to blowing his head apart like a melon.
"Is that your final answer? Or would you like me to rephrase that? You will tell them to stop, along with the destruction of any buildings or properties. Since we're at it, all casualties regardless of their nationality will be treated equally," Lelouch said as the tip of Abyss Soul began glowing bright. "Now, shall we try this again?"
Trembling and left with little to no options, Clovis activated the intercom by pushing a button under the armrest. Lelouch walked over to the console and set up a broadcast that would be heard among all of the Britannian soldiers within the area.
"Attention all forces, cease-fire at once! I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you to cease-fire at once! You will also cease destruction of buildings and property! All casualties, regardless if they are Britannians or Elevens, will be treated equally and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered to ceasefire! I will allow for no further fighting!"
The lights went off as Lelouch shut down all power in the command center.
"Are you satisfied?" Clovis demanded before Lelouch replied.
"Very. Well done."
"And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess?" Clovis asked, which prompted a grin from under Lelouch's mask.
"That has a familiar ring."
Lelouch couldn't help but keep smiling as he was ready to squeeze the information he wanted from Clovis, though it was doubtful that he knew anything of value of what he sought. However, there was still the possibility that he knew something, but it was a question of what he knew and besides…
That girl and the capsule…I want to know just what the hell he was working on that would drive him to wipe out this whole ghetto.
Before Lelouch could question the prince, the doors flew open. A dozen Britannian soldiers poured into the room, aiming their rifles at Lelouch.
Damn it, but it's probably best I don't push my luck.
"Keep your word, Clovis, or I'll be back!"
"OPEN FIRE!" The lead soldier commanded as they opened fire.
"Protection Status: All Green," Abyss Soul said as a blue barrier of energy protected Lelouch from the bullets as they bounced off the shield. Abyss Soul's Active Protection automatically cast as part its auto-protection functions. Lelouch quickly backed away and leapt out of the command center and back into the cockpit of the Sutherland.
Lelouch, you better get the hell out of there! Quattro cautioned over their mental connection.
I know, but I don't think I need to tell you to give me a little cover.
Well, duh! I would never hear the end of it from Vanderfloog if I allowed something to happen to you!
Closing the cockpit as Abyss Soul switched back to Device Mode, the former prince took off in his stolen Sutherland, speeding away from the area. Fortunately, with most of their vehicles destroyed along with their Knightmares, they had no means of pursuing him. As a precaution, the Lancelot followed the Sutherland to protect it from any unexpected attacks. The two put some distance behind the G-1 and soon, all that Lelouch had to do was ditch the Sutherland and escape the ghetto.
Well, I got some good news and bad news. Which do you want first?
Just give it to me straight, Quattro.
Okay then, the good news is that Clovis is calling for a full retreat, so you must've really put the fear of god in him.
Then what's the bad news?
At that moment, Lelouch and the Lancelot were trapped in a Temporal Force Field. The area-type Force Field spell engulfed most of the Shinjuku Ghetto, leaving only Lelouch in his Sutherland along with the Lancelot and Quattro, who remained hidden. But Lelouch was unfortunately the target of the caster.
Oh…I see…
I think it's self-explanatory.
Lelouch brought the Sutherland to a stop when he spotted the one casting the spell standing twenty feet ahead of him. Ginga Nakajima stood before Lelouch in her barrier jacket that consisted of white pants and a black jacket with short sleeves with a bit of purple on it. There were shin plates on her legs and a small breastplate that covered a small area of her forward torso. Under that was a white turtle neck shirt with short-sleeves, fingerless black gloves and a belt with a gold clasp with black and trimmed cloth hanging over her hips. On her feet were a pair of white roller-blades trimmed with gold while on her left hand was a white gauntlet trimmed with purple. On the wrist were a pair of turning blades and a magic cartridge system in the form of a revolver barrel.
The gauntlet was a wearable intelligent device called Revolver Knuckle while paired with the rollerblade components, but both are at times dubbed together as Blitz Caliber.
Damn it, a member of the TSAB!
Lelouch eyed Ginga as his mind was already working to come up a series of contingency plans to deal with the threat before him. Ginga was silent as the tails of her purple bow on the back of her head moved with the wind.
Making the first move, Lelouch made a run for it while the Lancelot took off in another direction.
"Hold it!" Private First Class Nakajima Ginga shouted before she chased after the purple knightmare frame. This particular unit she's going up against gave off an unknown signature inside the cockpit. In other words, there is a mage on Earth stirring up trouble if not taking advantage of the war-torn earth to commit crimes while the planet is under surveillance from TSAB. Whoever the criminal is, he is either stupid or crazy to use magic while TSAB is still around. "You are under arrest!"
Ginga's instructions were to not be involved with the political affairs of Un-Administrated world #97. But she can at least perform her job as an officer to arrest the criminal before he caused any damage or exposes the existence of magic to the mundane people of Earth. It was hard watching the Britannians liquidate the Shinjuku Ghetto, but she knew what could happen if the existence of magic was exposed.
Her processor already gave her a simulation of what happened if someone discovered the existence of magic to the public. The previous two incidents that took place on this planet gave everybody in TSAB HQ a heart attack; especially the Book of Darkness Incident.
Therefore, Ginga has to resolve this problem immediately. But Lelouch wasn't planning on being arrested.
Gotta catch me first, Lelouch thought as he pushed the Sutherland as hard as he could before turning around. It kept moving, but only backwards before it fired off its machine gun. It shot at the buildings, causing stone and steel to fall. Lelouch hoped it would slow Ginga down or stop her, but the Ground Forces Mage leaped and dodged all of the falling debris.
"Tch!" She activated her barrier jacket when the Sutherland resorted firing its weapon at her. Thankfully, her defenses won't be easily destroyed by this level of attack. "You need more than that to break this shield!" She increased her speed as her roller-skates accelerated.
Her Revolver Knuckle spun as she focused her energy onto this one attack.
Suddenly, the Lancelot attacked by literally crashing through one of the buildings to intercept Ginga. It fired one of its forearm slash harkens, but as expected, Ginga evaded it. The white machine continued its attack, trying to deliver a roundhouse kick, followed by some fast horizontal chops. Ginga was about to punch the machine when it pulled back as the Sutherland hurled a Chaos Grenade. One the other side, the Lancelot backed away and fired its forearm mounted slash harkens. Ginga dodged the Lancelot's attack and used a tri-shield to protect herself from the fragmentation sent flying at her.
"Wing Road," The AI of her Blitz Caliber said as a blue road of magic formed below Ginga, providing a clear intercept path to the fleeing Sutherland with the Lancelot pursuing her. Charging at full speed, Ginga sped into the air, following the Wing Road. At that moment, Ginga once more collected mana into her left fist.
"Knuckle Bunker," Ginga drove her fist into the side of the Sutherland's cockpit, damaging the Knightmare Frame and stopping it in its tracks. However, Ginga soon realized there was no one in the cockpit. In the middle of the last combination attack, the pilot must have escaped his Knightmare Frame, which meant it was remote controlled.
Firing its slash harkens into the disabled Knightmare Frame, the Lancelot closed in. Although Ginga dodged, the Sutherland exploded in front of her. The purple-haired woman threw up a tri-shield to weather the explosion, but as she tried to find her unknown foe.
Hiding in a nearby building, Lelouch was taking aim at the TSAB member with Abyss Soul, transformed into Shooting Mode.
"Clearance confirmation, firing-lock is cancelled," Abyss Soul spoke as Lelouch had Ginga in his sights.
"Abyss Shoot!" Lelouch said as a torrent of blue magical power collected at the tip of his Intelligence Device.
Ginga sensed the attack just in time as she used Wing Road to retreat to the rooftops. It was just seconds before the column of intense magical power cut through the building Lelouch was hiding in and tore through the next one across the street. The magical beam of the Abyss Buster was large enough to easily engulf a whole Knightmare Frame in one shot. But the way the attack came at her left Ginga nervous as it seemed very familiar.
What insane magical power…just who is he? I haven't seen such magical power except for Instructor Takamachi.
Lelouch was a little flustered as his mind was already shifting gears. It was fortunate his illusion masking his face was still holding, otherwise the woman seeing his face would have complicated things.
Damn it, I was hoping to end this quickly, but I guess that won't be possible. I knew she would evade the gunfire and that chaos grenade, but that was only supposed to get her up to my Abyss Buster.
The former prince knew this wasn't going to be easy for him. For all of the training he got from Vanderfloog, the twins and even Quattro at times, he always had some issues with fighting in close quarter combat. For the most part, he didn't have anyone he could spar with in a mock battle. There was one other who could have trained him in hand-to-hand combat, but it was decided to wait until Lelouch was in more ideal shape and his reflexes were more up to par. On the plus side though, he had been put through a tough physical education regime thanks to Quattro and the twins who supervised.
Changing tactics, a blue magic circle appeared before Lelouch's feet as Ginga entered the crumbling remains of the building, noticing the magical circle at his feet. It was a magic circle, but inside of the circle was a pentagram with a complex series of runic magic symbols within.
What kind of magic circle is that? It's not Belkan or Mid-Childa.
"Assault Mode activated," Abyss Soul spoke as the Intelligent Device changed forms.
The head of Abyss Soul transformed into a lance with a bident-style blade and the blue orb in the middle. The sides of the two-prong blades were demonic-wing shaped and the blade on the left was longer than the other by five inches.
Once the Intelligence Device's transformation was completed, twelve mirror-like panels materialized around Lelouch as did four arrow-shaped devices fashioned after the head of Abyss Soul. Ginga decided to attack first as an indigo-violet Belkan Triangle appeared at her feet.
"Storm Tooth," The AI of Ginga's armed device said as Ginga charged forward with her left hand raised and the twin-gear like devices on her wrist began spinning. The mirrors scattered as Lelouch raised his hand with Abyss Soul speaking.
"Protection!"
A glowing Al-Hazard Magic Circle appeared in-between Ginga and Lelouch. Ginga drove her fist into it, intending to force her way through the magical shield. A few moments later and the shield began to crack until it shattered, but Lelouch quickly used his right hand to catch her fist, casting protective barrier around it to shield his hand from damage. However, the impact of the punch sent Lelouch flying backwards as Ginga kept pushing until the two went through the wall behind them.
Lelouch flipped in mid-air just in time to plant both of his feet, onto the side of the building across from the one he was sent flying out of.
"Seraph Wings," Abyss Soul noted as two pairs of small black feathered angelic wings emerged from Lelouch's back. His cape created openings for the wings to emerge from.
She is stronger than she looks, but it's my turn.
Lelouch rushed the woman with his Device pointed out, flying at increasing speed and playing a game of chicken with the young woman. Ginga didn't slow down, but she kept going as she raised her fist, intending to deliver a powerful punch to her foe. At the last second, Lelouch suddenly dropped, falling towards the ground with Wing Road passing over him. But before Ginga could turn around, Lelouch flew back up, attacking her from behind. Lelouch thrust forward with his Device, but the purple-haired woman backed away before counterattacking.
The masked young man ducked to dodge the punch, but Ginga quickly followed up with a kick to the face that knocked Lelouch off her Wing Road.
"Abyss Soul…Chain Grapple," Lelouch said as Abyss Soul replied, launching a blue chain of energy from the center that flew past Ginga before grabbing onto the wall of a building in the distance. Pulling back on Abyss Soul, the chain retracted and pulled Lelouch towards his opponent.
In passing, Lelouch knocked her back with the kick in the chest. To press his advantage, the Blaster Bits Lelouch conjured up earlier began their attack. They fired blue beams at the woman, forcing Ginga to throw up a tri-shield as Lelouch kicked off from the wall, taking aim with his Abyss Soul.
"Barrel Shot," Lelouch's Intelligence Device said as Lelouch fired a focused beam of blue energy. Ginga dodged it, but it struck one of the mirrors a distance behind her, scattering the beams before each of them hit the other twelve mirrors. "Mirror Prism!"
Ginga was suddenly trapped in a shower of blue energy beams. She was moved to the left and right to avoid being hit, but a few beams grazed her barrier jacket.
"Wing Road," The Blitz Caliber said before the blue road appeared below Ginga's feet. The young woman took off racing away before Lelouch could trap her.
She isn't bad; she reacted quickly to my attack and used that spell to quickly escape the area before I could pin her down.
Lelouch realized he would need to be a little more aggressive if he is going to subdue the woman without killing her. If he killed her, her demise would bring more TSAB agents actively hunting him down, Going for a non-lethal defeat was in his best interest.
His mirrors and blaster bits spread out as Lelouch took to higher ground.
It's more of a risk for me to be in the sky like this. But from what I am seeing so far, she doesn't seem to have any ranged attacks. Staying among those buildings would leave me in danger of a possible surprise attack, so staying in the air here is my best option.
The former prince thought as his mind went to work on plans to defeat the TSAB agent. But as soon as he got high above the buildings, the Wing Road appeared right under him, giving Lelouch little chance to react as he saw Ginga speeding straight at him.
Shit! She must have guessed I would retreat to the skies!
"Shooting Mode," Abyss Soul transformed back into its Shooting Mode before Lelouch projected a circular magic shield. Ginga's fist impacted the shield with the force of a freight train and she was using another Knuckle Bunker to overpower it.
But the latter was already preparing an attack when she broke through.
"Abyss Soul…Chain Whip," Lelouch said as the barrier finally broke and he dived to the side to evade. At that moment, a chain-like whip composed of blue magic emerged from the top of the orb on his device and grabbed Ginga's left leg. As Lelouch fell, he used his body's own weight to pull Ginga off her Wing Road.
As the two fell, Ginga struggled to break free. Lelouch called his mirrors and bits to support him as his Blaster Bits began firing at Ginga. To Lelouch's surprise Ginga used Wing Road again to stop their fall. But this time, she directed towards the ground in a downward slope, turning Lelouch's last attack against him. Ginga used the downward momentum to provide a huge boost of speed, which she used to drag her opponent along. Lelouch tried to regain his balance, but his body bounced off of the Wing Road, inflicting some light injury upon him.
After disengaging the chain-whip spell, he was freed. But as Lelouch was regaining his balance, Ginga was already coming around for another attack.
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out as six blue spheres appeared around him before they fired at the approaching Ginga. She responded with another tri-shield as she kept charging at her foe. Yet as her fist was about to make contact it phased through Lelouch's body prompting Ginga to realize.
An illusion…
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out again as his attack from above nailed Ginga, hammering the young woman with beams of blue energy and finally landing a blow upon her. Lelouch decided to press his advantage again, firing a shot from his Abyss Soul in tandem with his Blaster Bits. Ginga used Protection to shield herself as she rushed at Lelouch with Wing Road. She moved in spiraling and twisting routes to make aiming difficult for him.
But once again, her fist punched through in illusion.
So while I was being hit by his last attack, he created another illusion. But where is he now?
Before Ginga could find her foe again, Lelouch's Blaster Bits fired powerful magic bursts, destroying the Wing Road she was using and sending Ginga falling to the ground. Not given the chance to use her Wing Road spell again, Lelouch's blaster bits wrapped themselves around Ginga, trapping her in a binding spell. As Ginga struggled to break free, Lelouch began collecting his strength for one more attack, taking aim with a large sphere of magic forming above the tip of his Intelligent Device. The bindings were becoming undone, but her legs were tightly tied to prevent her from using Wing Road to escape. Before she could break free, Lelouch cast his spell while standing upon a glowing magical circle.
"Twilight Breaker!" Lelouch shouted, releasing one of his strongest attacks.
This time, Lelouch's aim was dead on. Ginga was engulfed by the beam and sent crashing onto the weakened roof, landing atop of pile of rubble. The blast was just enough where the woman was knocked out cold. Her barrier jacket was badly tattered, but for the most part, the woman was unharmed. Lelouch was breathing hard as the fight took more out of him than he had expected.
So, this is what real magical combat feels like.
Congratulations on your first victory, Lelouch, Quattro said through their telepathic link.
I am fortunate that she didn't have any back up...but that was too close. My close quarter skills are going to need improvement if I am going to face her again.
Well, let this be a reminder of why we were putting you through such a physical training regime. Remind me to ask Sayoko about pushing forward with your close quarter combat training when we get back.
Lelouch's expression soured at the mention of more intense physical training despite knowing it was necessary. He cast it aside as he made a hasty retreat, intending to be long gone before her opponent woke up. Granted, he was in far better shape than he was compared to when he was a child. But beside a lack of experience, if a fight drags on for too long, he could wear himself down.
His training was still far from finished.
Anyway, let's get out of here. The Lancelot?
Its energy filler is low, but if I can divert power from unnecessary systems, I think I can make it last long enough for us to hide it. The Lancelot can prove invaluable to us both on and off the battlefield.
Lelouch grinned as he understood what Quattro had in mind.
Good idea…
A large futuristic gray hanger trimmed with blue lights along the wall like a circuit board was located elsewhere in Japan. Kusakabe and Suzuka were examining the stolen Lost Logia they took from the TSAB. Opening up the first crate were individually sealed boxes with transparent tops, revealing the sole object gained within each box. They held a small blue diamond-shaped jewel with round edges known to the Time-Space Administration Bureau.
"The Mandarin will be pleased with our work," Suzuka replied with a smile.
"Yes," Kusakabe said, opening up the second crate that revealed a set of red gemstones sealed inside. "If our intelligence we got from the insider is right, then these Relics we stole should drive this Jail Scaglietti up a tree."
"More so, imagine we can do with these four, along with the other nine Jewel Seeds the Mandarin has already."
"Indeed…although I have to say, I am surprised by how much devastation we were able to inflict with just three of the drones alone. More so, our men tore through their mages," Kusakabe noted.
"Then you understand, Commander Kusakabe," A third voice echoed speaking with a electronically altered voice with a menacing tone to it. "The TSAB lacks a fundamental detail, making itself highly vulnerable against our forces."
Suzuka and Kusakabe turned their heads to see a man almost in all black and wearing a leather long coat. He had long sleeves that reached down past his knees with two straps going around the torso to close the coat. On the back was a coiled-circle dragon eating its own tail in gold print while upon his shoulders were two small golden serpent-like dragons. Black leather gloves were complete with leather combat boots and shin-guards. On his head, however, was his most distinguished feature; a helmet that encased the wearer's head in a black, metallic full head-mask with a single red electronic eye in the center of the face, creating an almost faceless appearance. The rest of the mask was smoothly polished metal with two air vents located along the lower jaw of the mask.
"Mandarin-sama," Suzuka said bowing respectfully.
"You two have done well. I am pleased with the results and valuable test data that had been collected."
"We apologize for losing one of the drones, sir," Kusakabe said snapping to military attention saluting.
"Do not worry. The destruction of it was in our plans. The windfall of data from the unit against high-leveled mages more than compensates us for this, not to mention the nanomachine self-destruct failsafe worked without fault. In addition, the data from the volunteers that gave their lives fighting the TSAB mages will enable us to far extend their potential. To the point where they will have to use their Seppuku Overdrive."
"In any case, Mandarain-sama," Suzuka quickly cast the compliments from her superior aside, pointing out their stolen loot. "We collected the Lost Logia as you instructed,"
"Excellent, these will advance our plans nicely."
"Smashing through the TSAB's forces seemed rather easy."
"It's because they don't understand the essence of true warfare like we do. They are the descendants mainly of the Belkan Culture, basically a Middle Age culture that rose due to the rests and relics of Al-Hazard. They didn't learn the lessons of ten millennia of conflict in all levels that Earth considers common wisdom. The fact that the Ancient Belkan people polluted their own world with Mass Weapons shows that they didn't understand the potential or the appropriate use of their technology for warfare."
"I think we can teach them that lesson more so, but what shall we do now? The Bureau won't take this lying down, of course." Suzuka asked.
"We'll deal with them in due time. For now we must adapt and improve our drones."
"Understood, sir. But what about my comrades in the Japan Liberation Front?" Kusakabe asked.
"The plans set up in order to ensure that they will be more than receptive to your and Suzuka's message in course. Soon, the JLF will join our cause for the betterment of Earth, and later the free worlds."
Almost a half-hour later, Ginga woke up, cautiously sitting up. The woman held her left arm, which was sore along with her whole body from her fall and enormous magical attack she had been hit with. Ginga rose to her feet as her Device returned to Standby Mode. She almost stumbled, yet managed to balance herself by propping herself against a wall.
How long was I out? I don't even sense him anymore, so he likely got away.
Mustering the strength, Ginga used a teleportation spell to return to her post in orbit around the Earth. She dropped into her chair, reclining into the seat. A part of her almost thought her foe was someone who just got his hands on a magical device, judging by the unknown magic symbol she saw at his feet. She cast that thought aside, considering his performance.
There is no way he is just some random local who got his hands on a device. He had training, that much I am sure of.
Worse yet, his power measured at least AAA+ rank easy, which only made Ginga sigh as she commented mentally.
Headquarters isn't going to like this.
Ginga didn't know, however, that Headquarters had other matters. More importantly, they were those happening right now with the drone attacks and soldiers of whatever organization that was behind it.
The sun was going down by the time Quattro and Lelouch returned to Ashford Academy with C.C. in tow. Both were back in their civilian attire, although they had taken a long about route to get back to the academy. It was the only means to avoid all of the road closures near Shinjuku Ghetto and ensure that they had shaken the TSAB agent off their trail. The two students also had to find a place to stash the stolen Lancelot. They cautiously reentered the academy, using the elevator from the waterway, but they were hoping not to run into the twins or worse, Vanderfloog as they led C.C. into the clubhouse.
"You don't think anyone else knows about what happened?"
"Other than you being mixed up in that incident at Shinjuku, I don't think so. But if we talk about it, then someone will find out," Quattro said while using her hands to gesture for Lelouch to be quiet.
"Right," Lelouch replied as the two hurried across the field to the Student Council Club House, which had been once used as a ballroom for special events.
As the two entered the front doors, they suddenly closed behind them with a slam. The two nervously looked over their shoulders to see Aria Liese closing the doors with Lotte. Moments later, an elderly man with gelled back gray hair entered, wearing a black suit complete with a red tie and white shirt and blue eyes. Walking besides the older man was Peter Vanderfloog, who seemed displeased with Lelouch as did the older man.
"You two have returned late…did you both have a fun afternoon?" Peter asked eyeing Quattro and Lelouch suspiciously.
"Well, things were chaotic, but Quattro helped me get out of it." Lelouch said keeping a straight face. The young man knew he was in serious trouble with his respective magic teachers.
"So I assume leading a resistance force to victory against Britannia and then beating up a TSAB agent can be considered a wild afternoon on the town?" Gil Graham said sternly.
"The situation was beyond my control and I had to do something."
"And who is this?" Peter demanded pointing to C.C.
"She calls herself C.C. She was the reason Lelouch didn't just leave Shinjuku. Apparently, Britannia was conducting experiments on her and has refused to say why."
"I see, so you not only challenged Britannia in the ghetto and fout a TSAB agent, but you also rescued and brought home a test subject." Graham said while he was mentally face-palm himself.
"We'll need to keep her hidden unless we consider killing her and dumping her body in the ocean or something," Peter mentioned off-hand.
"I doubt that will work with me," C.C. noted with a grin before looking at Peter as his expression changed to one of surprise.
"Because you aren't alive," Lelouch said bluntly.
"Last time that I checked, dead people couldn't reply to said statement," The green-haired woman replied.
"Sorry, I'm expressing myself wrong. What I want to say is...While you have the memories, beliefs and such of what you were, it looks like your physical body was destroyed. I think what you have now is an Artificial Human Body that it's linked to an unknown system or device. According to what I analyzed, you don't age or die. And you regenerate because of whatever program are you part of. It's set in regenerating you and restoring you. I don't know how you came to be like that, but that's something that I have only seen in Lost Logia of SS Rank and such."
C.C. was confused, but Peter stepped in addressing Graham
"I'll let you guys deal with these unruly children while I'll see to Miss C.C. here," Peter said walking up to the green haired woman, whispering something into her ear before the two walked away. Lelouch quietly observed the scene, wondering what was going on between them.
Do those two know each other?
Once the two were gone, Graham turned his attention back to Lelouch.
"The TSAB will now be looking for you. I want you to stay within school grounds and perhaps if we are lucky enough, they might give up after awhile." Graham said, stepping closer to Lelouch. "I know dealing with Britannia is part of the plan, but the situation will become dangerously complicated if the Bureau becomes involved in this. You understand?"
"I know, but I had hoped to question Clovis about my mother's death."
"I really doubt an idiot like him would have been involved in her murder," Quattro pointed out.
"Maybe so, but he might know something or have some idea of who might have been."
"True enough, but what about the Lancelot? We still need a proper place to stash that," The brown-haired female mentioned.
"You," Graham said as he now seemed more distressed than before. "You stole Britannia's newest Knightmare prototype!?"
"Well, I had so Lelouch could win and escape. Now, I am not certain where to hide it. If we are rebelling against Britannia, then the Lancelot will make a valuable bargaining chip for Kyoto. Hell, even selling its specs along with its battle data on the black market alone would bring in a nice amount of money, I can imagine." Quattro explained.
"Alright, Peter and I will relocate the Lancelot to a new location to hide it. As soon as things settle down, I'll see about setting something up with Kyoto. Until further notice, however, I'll be making sure you stay within the school grounds. Beginning tomorrow morning, Lotte will oversee your physical training. Quattro will be supervising you." Graham said putting one hand to his head. There wasn't much use to further speak of the matter.
"Wonderful. Maybe we can recreate that fight, so you can improve," Quattro exclaimed excited at the prospect.
You mean you just want to torture me...
Later that evening on Mid-Childa, but more specifically within one of the hospital rooms of High-Tech Medical Care Center, Nanoha awoke lying in a hospital bed. She slowly sat up and soon noticed next to her laid a sleeping Signum. Next to her laid an unconscious Vita.
"Please take it easy. The doctor said your ear drums have been healed but your other injuries need time."
Nanoha turned and saw sitting on a chair on her right hand side was a young woman with long blonde hair wearing a black uniform with silver trim. Her red eyes looked upon Nanoha sadly, but next to her was someone the same age as she was with page-boy style brown hair. She had blue eyes and a Ground Forces uniform with the rank of captain, belonging to the Special Investigations Office of the TSAB Surface Division.
"Fate…Hayate…both of you are here?"
"We were barely returning to Mid-Childa from our respective missions' off-world. But after we learned we heard what had happened, I tried to make contact with Signum while Hayate went to help you and Vita," Fate Testarossa explained before Hayate Yagami joined the conversation.
"Yes, but by the time I got there, you had passed out from a combination of injuries sustained and exhaustion. Vita was unconscious as well."
Hayate gazed upon the fallen forms of Vita and Signum. Although it was clear Vita had no doubt endured more injuries in comparison among the three, it didn't lessen the pained looked in Hayate's eyes to see her family in their current states. Nanoha was even harder to look at because Hayate knew while her injuries were not as severe as Signum and Vita, both she and Fate knew that Nanoha was far from okay. They knew she was dealing with the death of so many of her own students, most of which were slaughtered like cattle before her eyes.
"This attack I believe was directed partly at you and Mistress Hayate," Signum spoke opening her eyes.
"Signum, thank goodness you are awake," A relieved Hayate exclaimed with a tear in her eyes.
"Are you feeling better?" A small girl roughly the size of a doll asked, wearing a uniform similar to Hayate's. She had mid-back length, pale ice blue hair with blue eyes and a pale skin complexion.
"I am feeling a little better, Rein," Signum addressed Reinforce Zwei before turning her attention to Hayate. "Please forgive me for allowing the enemy to escape. I had them, but that Japanese man used a dirty trick to overpower me."
"Japanese man?" Fate inquired.
"Yes, his associates spoke fluent Japanese and their swords and fighting style were similar to that used by samurai warriors. They spoke ill of both you and Nanoha," Signum said with strong signs of restrained anger in her voice. She felt ashamed for allowing the ringleader to get away, especially after insulting Hayate and Nanoha. "They knew about where you came from and Hayate's involvement with the Book of Darkness."
"What!?" Hayate said genuinely surprised as that information was classified.
"But Earth, let alone Japan could not have been capable of producing such terrible weapons." Fate pointed out. The idea of people from Japan being involved in what was probably the worst terrorist incident since the founding the of the Time-Space Administration Bureau was considered bizarre.
"I understand, but it's possible some of them could have been recruited. Given what happened seven years ago, it's not impossible. Whoever spearheaded this attack could have told them of Nanoha and Hayate's secret as Bureau members to coax them into joining whatever group created those weapons." Signum said, trying to figure out the possible reason for their involvement.
Even then, it doesn't feel like it's enough of a reason.
As Hayate, Fate and Signum talked, Nanoha sat up in bed depressed and terribly saddened by events today. Well over half of the students under her care had lost their lives, but she kept thinking. Was there anything different she could have done to prevent it?
"Mistress Hayate," Reinforce said becoming aware of something.
"Rein…what is it?"
"Turn on the television. Shamal says there is a rouge broadcast being transmitted on all wavelengths."
Fate took hold of a remote and turned on a wall monitor as it revealed a montage of violent war images from Earth, specifically the battles between the European Union and Britannia. Next image came footage of the civil war happening on Southern Orussia. Lastly was footage of the drones attacking Mid-Childa, ending with an emblem of a serpent-like dragon in a circle eating its own tail and the words "LOGOS" under it.
The emblem vanished, revealing a masked man seated upon an orate throne made of jade with two Chinese dragon statues beside him. The rest of the room was an elaborate throne room with various weapons of war on display racks and cases ranging from swords to spears and even rifles. Raising from his throne, the man began his address to all watching his broadcast.
"Ladies, children, sheep…some people call me a terrorist. I consider myself a teacher. Lesson number one: heroes there are no such thing, especially among those of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. A corrupt interdimensional security force which is willing to cut deals with dangerous criminals when it benefits, betraying its own loyal officers and mages when it's acceptable and idly watch as worlds not a part of their organization are attacked by interdimensional terrorists. What happened today at the city of Cranagan on Mid-Childa was a rude awakening to open the eyes of the people of Mid-Childa. An awakening to the suffering they have allowed worlds that are aware of their organization, but unworthy to be a part of the TSAB, to suffer under constant warfare brought on by civil strife, lack of resources or both. And there is always a favorite, criminal terrorist groups assault their worlds with no help or real relief from the Bureau."
Nanoha, Hayate and Fate continued watching the broadcast shocked by his words.
"Allow me to introduce one such victim of the terrible cruel injustice the unfortunate people of the lesser worlds had to endure," The Mandarin said as he walked forward coming to a small little girl wearing a dirty tattered shirt and torn shorts with simple brown sandals on. She had blonde hair and blue eyes with a hurt expression on her face with a bandage around her forehead. "Tell them your name little one."
The man knelt next to the child gesturing for her to look at the camera.
"My name is Emily."
"Tell them where you are from?"
"I am from Orussia."
"A world known to the Bureau, but not an administrated one, but no longer a non-administrated world though. Yet it is one caught up in constant civil war as many did not take to the news of other worlds like their existence. Now tell us, Emily, what was life for you there?"
"I had only my mommy to take care of me, but we were always hungry because food was hard to find. Then when she tried to get food from the relief center the TSAB had set up, instead of helping us, we were taken."
"Taken to an administrative world for proper care?"
"No, we were taken to a place called the Vandein Corporation, a research facility on administrated world #16 Liberta."
"I see. Could you share with everyone what happened?"
"I never saw my mom much, but the men there stuck needles in me and did all kinds of painful things to me. I saw other kids like me, but some after awhile I never saw again."
"You see, this is how the TSAB handles things. Their corrupt leadership allows for abductions to be conducted from war-torn worlds like Orussia, where they can easily cover it up. For what…inhuman experimentation to turn people into living combat weapons and those who didn't make the cut would end up like poor Emily's mother, who became a glob of flesh as shown here." He stated as images of inhuman experimentations on subjects testing the effects of an unknown experiment and the end results of those who didn't quite make it.
The images were very difficult to look at for Hayate and the others.
"They allow these immoral acts just for the sake of their own benefit so they can reap the benefits without dirtying their hands. But upon this day, I am happy to announce those days are coming to an end. For today, we gave the Bureau a taste of what careless and corrupt management of the worlds under their watch can bring. Know that this is only the beginning for on this historic day, we shall begin a campaign of cleansing."
Mandarin turned to Emily and asked.
"Would you like to see the TSAB and the Vandein Corporation punished for what was done to your mother?"
The girl with tears in her eyes looked up at the Mandarin's shiny black mask.
"Please…I lost my mommy…please…punish them!"
"Very well," The Mandarin called for one of his subordinates a man wearing a black uniform trimmed with gold.
The man was in his late twenties with combed back brown hair, a clean-shaven complexion with green eyes with black gloves and boots. In his hands was a thin book-like device.
"Allow me to demonstrate to you one of our new advanced weapons we nicknamed Memento Mori. A mobile satellite weapon system that can silently move from one planet to another to deliver a little present. And those presents are actually a hollow platinum tube, each one filled with a tungsten rod added with a specialized warhead to pierce magical barriers. Each satellite carries at least ten such rods. Thanks to the special black paint coating they have and the size of the satellite themselves, not to mention possessing specialized stealth systems, they enter orbit around the target planet until they are in optimum position to drop its payload onto its target."
The Mandarin opened up the book-like computer as a series of holographic screens appeared, two showed the satellite and its target while the other three displayed the specifications of the satellite weapon along with status updates on the bombardment rods onboard.
"In case you are wondering we don't launch it or attach an engine to send the rod to its target…No, our delivery system is rather simple. What you are seeing is a perfect example of an effective kinetic bombardment weapon. We just drop it and gravity handles the rest, so how about a demonstration?" The Mandarin asked as he entered in a series of commands before hitting a red holographic button to launch the projectile. The rod was pushed out from the satellite and sending plummeting to the planet below as it gained momentum with each passing second.
Hayate, Nanoha, Signum and Fate were wide-eyed in horror as the projectile was already entering the atmosphere.
"No…this can't be happening," Nanoha muttered.
"The bombardment rod will hit its target, fifty thousand feet per second. The impact, coupled with the resulting destruction, will be equal to if not greater than a mass weapon bomb. The real difference is my bombardment rods are clean weapons so all destruction, but no pollution."
Seconds later, the bombardment rod hit its mark, a small island where a research facility stood. Upon impact, the entire island was engulfed in an explosion. A resulting catastrophic earthquake that literally tore apart the surrounding area sent large chunks of Earth up from the ocean around where the island was. The devastation stretched out for twenty miles all around, destroying anything unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of the island.
"Justice has been served," The Mandarin said as he knelt down to the small child, patting her on the back before nodding to the subordinate. Sid subordinate closed the book-like device before placing it under his right arm to carry the child way.
"Thank you, Mr. Mandarin."
"The TSAB is too corrupt to be saved, so we shall rip it out by the roots and burn it down. Then from the ashes of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, a new, just and more effective organization shall rise from the ashes. One that shall protect and properly monitor all worlds administered or otherwise from external and internal threats to ensure their safety and stability. Furthermore, we will find and crush all forms of internal corruption and cleanse it from this world. This is a war of justice to right the wrongs and to remove the corrupt rulers of the TSAB from power and to eliminate the criminals who cut deals with them. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in history for justice is on our side as we have the numbers and the technology to fight the Bureau on equal footing. So for I, the Mandarin, let us begin for the revolution!"
The broadcast ended. Although it was fortunate a civilian target like a city wasn't hit, the girls were horrified by the destruction they just saw. Clearly, it was a battle against something the TSAB never faced before.
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Chapter 5: Falsehoods
Alright, next chapter, following the title for the series.
Early the following morning, Lelouch was running down a dirt road, though his expression was that of a man about to drop dead from exhaustion. He was in better shape than when he was child, but hauling a large log on your shoulder can wear you down. After ten laps, Lelouch dropped to his knees with the log falling a few feet ahead of him panting heavily. For his morning exercise, Quattro insisted that he wear the regulation suits invented by Peter, which by all appearances was a black undersuit with a light blue circuitry integrated into it.
The undersuit was the first of new advance bodysuits meant to be worn with Barrier Jackets. The undersuit was made of advanced materials that were thin, but fitting and comfortable. It was crafted to act as a circuit board to stabilize and reinforce the formation and maintenance of the Barrier Jacket over the user. Hence, its circuitry design upon the black material. The added factor that having magic flowing through it enhances the resistance of the body suit to physical impacts and regulating the flow of mana to ensure efficiently improved mana management. This made them ideal for training as well as particular combat use when worn under the barrier jacket. Lelouch and Quattro have taken to wearing them, although Quattro's was customized to work with the flow of energy that powers her cybernetics and IS.
Other than the body suit, he wore matching boots to be used with it. A bit on the scrawny side still, but Lelouch's arms and torso were slowly showing more definition. Quattro approached, wearing her Assault Suit and looking down at Lelouch with a disappointed look in her eyes.
"Is that all you got, Lelouch?"
"You…think…hauling a log around for ten laps is easy?" The former prince said in-between breaths.
"Don't say that, otherwise, how will you get stronger? I told Graham that I would make a real man out of you, so I will just do that."
"I don't think I'll be moving," Lelouch said finally catching his breath.
"Miss C.C," Quattro called as the green haired immortal approached in a golf cart. Mounted on the front on the passenger-side with a movable mount was an automatic baseball pitcher, repurposed into a gun complete with a laser sight.
"You can't be serious?" Lelouch said paleing at the set up.
"You have ten seconds to get back up," Quattro replied before climbing into the golf cart, taking hold of the baseball gun aimed at Lelouch, who was struggling to get back up. "Don't forget the log!"
"Just out of curiosity, where did you learn how to train people?" C.C. inquired with a smirk enjoying the show.
"Oh, I learned everything from this," Quattro cheerfully answered pulling out a small black pocket-book. C.C. took the book before reading the title out loud raising an eyebrow as she did so.
"Your Pocket Guide on How to Abuse a Training Recruit, written by Melissa Mao."
"Her methods are very effective…Graham wasn't making much progress, but once I began using this book and its suggested methods Lelouch has been improving." The woman replied cheerfully.
"I see," C.C. replied before looking ahead seeing Lelouch taking off panting heavily hauling the wooden log over his right shoulder.
"See…look, all he needed was the right motivation. Maybe next time, we'll start sparring matches with Sayoko as we had planned. His reflexes and strength should be more than adequate now."
"You are quite the intriguing person," The green-haired woman commented.
"Heh heh, I would say that this is just how I was made."
If I ever meet whoever created her, I got an Abyss Buster with his name on it. Lelouch thought as he forced his own body to press on.
The environment the two were in was a type of combat training simulator devised and created by Peter in an underground section below Ashford Academy. Composed of linked and solidified magical energy, it could be summoned and unsummoned whenever it was needed to create whatever land-based environments desired. At present, a simple running track had been created upon which Lelouch was being forced to run it under the supervision of Quattro, the Liese Twins and now C.C.
Speaking of whom, the livelier of the twins, Lotte was entering the track. She was dressed in a blue gym outfit complete with sweatpants and a matching jacket with a whistle hanging around her neck. Her sister was outside operating the controls for the simulation. It was likely out of concern for Lelouch upon seeing Quattro and C.C. on their armed golf cart she hurried to him.
"Hey, no sleeping! Get up! GET UP!" Lotte shouted, approaching with a megaphone in her hands. As the cat girl blasted the megaphone into his ears, Lelouch could only muse to himself as his body was too tired to go on.
Being taken prisoner by the TSAB seems like a better alternative than this.
The golf cart was slowly approaching as Quattro took aim.
"Better start moving Lelouch! Or do you want me to be sympatric and show pity on you?"
"DON'T YOU DARE," Lelouch snapped as he forced his own body back up. Quattro knew Lelouch was prideful and couldn't stand the idea of people offering him charity. He wanted to achieve his own ends on his own. Even so, he knew for toppling an empire that controlled one third of the entire world, he would need allies and resources. There was only so much a single person could accomplish alone. Lelouch, however, wanted to take pride at the things he is capable of doing on his own.
He wants to prove he isn't dead like his father deemed him to be and that he can survive on his own. Overall, his ability to fight back was excellent, Quattro through which brought a smile to her face.
"Very good. Just remember, Peter took your device to upgrade it. So you got to go all the way."
Lelouch got up again and began jogging again. His whole body was in agony, but running with him to offer some positive support was Lotte.
"Come on, Lelouch! You can do this!"
"Easy…for…you…to say…You are not hauling a large wooden log around!"
"Oh, don't say that! If you do, I'll give you a…uh…a big hug!" Lotte said with a big smile, but Lelouch found that hardly motivating.
Viceroy Clovis was in the Viceroy's Palace, already trying to lick his wounds and heal his wounded pride following yesterday's fiasco. Not only did he lose his prime subject of Code R, but also an overwhelming number of soldiers and Knightmares. He had hoped he could keep the homeland from finding out. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as he got a call from the last person he wanted to talk to about his performance as Viceroy.
"I am terribly sorry to contact you this early in the morning. Clovis. But as both the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Empire, there is a matter upon which I must talk to you about."
This came from a man a bit older than with short blonde hair and light purple eyes. He wore a royal grab consisting of a white coat trimmed with gold and black. Underneath, he wore a purple uniform also trimmed with gold complete with a white cravat. On his hands were white gloves with matching pants and black shoes.
He was Schneizel el Britannia, Clovis's older step-brother and probably second in command for the whole Empire in a sense despite being the Second Prince.
"Forgive me, brother. I had a difficult day yesterday."
"So I have heard Clovis," Schneizel commented, causing Clovis's blood to drain from his face. "I am aware of the disaster in Shinjuku Ghetto; I heard from the division under my command in that area."
Unable to look at his older brother, Clovis couldn't mutter the words, but his silence and his body language was enough for Schneizel.
"I apologize to be the bearer of bad news. brother. But effective immediately, the Emperor has deemed you incapable of properly managing Area 11 and the decision has been made to replace you."
"What…Please, brother, let me explain!"
"I am sorry, Clovis. For three years, the situation in Area 11 has worsened instead of improving. With yesterday's incident, the homeland can no longer turn a blind eye. I assure that you will retain your inheritance and royal privileges, but you will be reassigned to a station more befitting of your talents."
"Isn't there anything that can be done?"
"I am afraid not. You are to remain in Area 11 until Cornelia arrives to relieve you as Viceroy."
"Cornelia is coming here!?" Clovis said with a look of shock. "I thought she was fighting in the Middle Eastern Federation!"
"Yes, but she is expected to finish establishing Area 18 within the next few days. Once she's done, she'll be coming here," Schneizel answered.
"I see, so there is nothing I can do then."
"The decision is final. Try to maintain a low profile to avoid further damage to your reputation."
Later that morning back at Ashford Academy, the former prince of Britannia managed to barely survive the morning exercise regime. Lelouch was trying to rest and recover from that workout as he slowly nodded off. A certain someone then proceeded to beat him over the head with a rolled up piece of paper.
"Wake up, Lelouch!"
Lelouch was rudely awoken by one Milly Ashford.
"I know you fell asleep because your hand stopped moving!"
"Well, you don't have to beat me up over it," Lelouch said shooing the rolled up paper away.
"Serves you right for ditching me yesterday," Rivalz mockingly pointed out.
"Yeah, what was up with you yesterday?" Shirley demanded as Lelouch tried to dodge the question. Milly then stepped in with the rolled up paper in her hands, taking a more authoritative stance.
"That's enough you guys, let's not get sidetracked here," Milly declared before adding. "If we don't come up with a fix for the school's activity budget then there won't be any money left for anything at all."
"If it comes to that point," Nina said sitting in her usual spot, the corner of the room at her computer.
"The Equestrian Club will be pissed. We don't want them coming in here riding on horseback!" Rivalz said light heartily.
"Rivalz, can't you take this a little more seriously?" Milly asked before Shirley jumped in.
"You know, you could have told us about this yesterday."
"I would have to say a day later. Then, we would have given up," Rivalz noted jokingly as Lelouch was quick to agree.
"Good idea. We can still do that."
"GUTS!"
Everyone else in the room shuddered at Milly's use of the word prompting Rivalz to comment.
"You are not using that 'Guts' spell again, are you?"
"Yep," Milly replied with a coy smile. "I want you people to be putting your all into this."
"I really don't think your magic is going to do a whole lot." Lelouch pointed out, but instead Shirley raised her and hand and spoke up.
"Actually, it got me going Madam President!"
"Supple and willing, I like that."
"I train hard at the gymnastics club!"
"That is not what I was getting at," Milly corrected as she eyed Shirley. "You're a ten." Shirley was genuinely confused for a moment before everyone else realized what Milly was referring to. "From what I see in the girl's bathroom anyway, you have been filling out in all of the right places, huh?"
Rivalz chuckled as he cast a glance at Shirley, prompting the orange haired woman to cover up her chest in embarrassment before shooting back.
"What are you talking about, you pervert!?"
Lelouch saw this would be a good time for an interruption. He noticed someone was missing and used that as an opportunity to steer the conversation in another direction.
"By the way, where is Quattro at?" Lelouch began before adding. "She would have been perfect for helping us out with the budget. She's good with numbers, after all."
"Oh her? Well...there was a special task I asked her to take care of for me. You remember the Student Self-Defense Force?"
"You mean, that bunch of vigilantes?" Lelouch inquired recognizing the name.
"Yes, as you know, they occupied one of the old clubhouse buildings on the far-side campus. They were a rouge cub to begin with, but due to some of their members having military and noble backgrounds, the school couldn't do much with them. However, there was an incident last week at the Toyko Concession, involving a hot dog stand which ended with one of them fighting the son of a powerful noble family. A misunderstanding, but when the police got involved, it really turned into a mess with most of the club members being arrested and expelled as a result."
So this noble whose son they harmed must have a lot of connections to pull that off, Lelouch thought.
"However, a few students remained and at the request of the police department and government bureau, the club is to be disbanded. But since the clubhouse is so old, the academy has decided to tear it down."
"I assume there is a problem with the remaining few members," Lelouch asked. His guess was spot on as Milly nodded..
"Well, some of the club members refuse to allow it to happen and even threats of being expelled haven't done much. We can't ask the police to go in, despite requesting it, since they haven't done anything wrong. The problem is that some of them are rumored to have access to firearms and the school is concerned about violence breaking out. So they asked if there was a way to resolve this peacefully. If they refuse still, then they will be kicked out of school, but getting them out of the club house without a violent conformation is the problem, especially if the bit about them having guns is true."
"Of course, if they did have guns, then we could just ask the police to get them out?" Shirley pointed out.
"Yeah, but we need proof." Rivalz added before Lelouch inquired. .
"So you sent Quattro?"
"But that's crazy she'll be-" Rivalz began worried for the young woman.
"She'll be fine," Lelouch said confident that nothing would happen. "In fact, I would worried more about those idiots than her."
Quattro was at present inside an old clubhouse, much smaller than the Student Council Clubhouse as it could only hold twenty-five people at most. Now, only eleven people remained, including the Student Council member currently inside. The rest were likely going to be serving a couple months to a few years in jail due to the incident that spiraled out of control at the Toyko Concession. Their overzealous tendency to enforce laws and promote discrimination against non-Britannians had gone overboard.
"So let me get this right, Miss Scaglietti, you are asking us to vacate the building and to disband."
"Yes, but I was asked to inform you that if you refused to leave peacefully, you will be expelled along with your fellow club members. At least, you will not go to jail," Quattro answered sweetly.
"Is that threat?" The current acting leader of the club asked. He was a young man about Lelouch's age with short brown hair and green eyes with a light muscular build likely a result of his military family background. Some of the other members were actually bigger and more bulkier than their leader, but Quattro wasn't the least bit worried as she stood before a table inside the room.
"Oh dear me no, but I wish to point out that your club was never actually recognized by the school. As a real club, that is, so I don't think it matters anyway." The girl replied before her sweet smile was replaced with an evil grin. "The way I see it you have two choices: either pick Option A, where you all leave the building peacefully and disband, or you can pick Option B. Trust me, you don't want to pick that option."
"How about Option C, we just kick your ass? You smart-ass bitch!" The leader declared.
"Okay then, Option B it is," Quattro replied as the members descended upon her.
The young woman responded by ducking the first punch thrown at her before countering with a vicious uppercut knocking the larger student off his feet. After impacting the wall and slumping to the ground unconscious, the other members of the club looked at their downed fellow club member with looks of shock.
"Holy shit! She knocked out Ted in one hit!" One member exclaimed prompting Quattro to crack her knuckles.
"So, do you intend to kick my ass or do you want to rethink your decision?"
"You can't take all of us you bitch! Everyone, GET HER!" The club's acting leader ordered as the remaining ten members moved to surround the woman, intending to overwhelm her with numbers.
I must remember to thank Miss Sayoko for the lessons, Quattro thought before she proceeded to take all of the remaining members of the self-defense club head on. The next student who got close to her was met with a kick to the face and stunned. Quattro grabbed and used him as a quick human shield against two other club members with fists swinging. They only beat up one of their own, allowing Quattro to get out of the circle they had formed.
A large bulky student turned around, only to meet four quick punches to the face before a right-hook sent him falling to the ground.
Three down…eight to go…
The young woman dodged a punch before delivering a powerful left hook before backing off from a second student. Jumping up, Quattro delivered a sweeping kick that knocked both of her attackers off their feet. Although one tried to stay on his feet, he was clearly reeling from the blow to the face. Seizing the chance, Quattro delivered a right hook, followed by right cross, sending the man falling back to the ground. Six students remaining, Quattro stood firm skillfully dodging and parrying punches and kicks before swiftly counterattacking.
One by one, they fell until at last the leader remained, who nervously looked at his fallen and battered members.
"So, how about you just surrender?"
"Surrender…no…no…fucking way!" The blonde haired young man said as he was clearly losing it, which caused him to pull out a handgun. Quattro didn't seem surprised or afraid, but rather it merely confirmed her suspicions.
As Milly and I suspected ,the club members do possess some firearms.
Laughing like a madman, the student pulled the trigger, but Quattro dodged the bullet. Before the student realized it, the gun was ripped from his hands. Then he was punched in the face a couple times in rapid succession before a sweeping kick knocked him off his feet. Yet as he fell back, Quattro brought her right hand down, delivering a bone break shot to the student's family jewels.
The student tried to scream out in pain, but a quick kick to the face knocked him.
Sometime later after regaining consciousness, the now former leader of the Self-Defense Club found himself on the hood of a police patrol car being handcuffed.
"So, you are finally awake. You are under arrest for illegal possession of arms as well as twelve counts of harassment, terroristic threatening and one count of attempted murder." The lead officer said as the remaining members of the club were already handcuffed being loaded onto a waiting police truck to ship them off to jail.
"I hope all of you will enjoy your time in jail." Quattro replied waving good-bye with a sweet smile.
"HOLD ON, WHAT ABOUT HER?" The leader shouted out struggling against the two officers holding him.
"She fought back in self-defense," The office replied before he added "Besides, she had a small camera on her so we got a recording of everything that happened."
"I guess I was lucky I had a hidden camera on me huh," Quattro replied with a cheeky smile, but she went in knowing she would need it despite her claims.
"We had heard rumors that your club was in possession of guns, but I am glad to know that she was more than capable of handling herself." An aged man in his late sixties said wearing a black suit.
"We were called after she fought all of you punks off." The officer added as two more of his men hauled the teen away. "Thank you, Miss Scaglietti, for your handling of the situation. I never would have thought these kids had such weapons on a campus like this, especially after that incident recently."
"Oh, not at all, officer. I am happy to do my part."
"I should also thank you for your help, Miss Scaglietti. I am glad my granddaughter has a capable member of the student council."
"It was nothing, Mr. Ashford," Quattro replied to Ruben Ashford the headmaster of the academy. The two watched as the remainder of the Student-Self-Defense Force was shipped off, thus effectively disbanding its club. She knew they wouldn't disband without a fight. But on the other hand, it did give her a chance to practice her new skills she had been learning.
After the police hauled the students away, Quattro was smiled, having completed her mission. She returned to the site of the now empty clubroom, where a bulldozer and its driver was waiting for the signal.
"Alright, time to tear that building down," Quattro called out happily as she signaled the bulldozer driver to go to work. Then the young woman watched with satisfaction as the old crumbling club house was torn down.
Mission Accomplished…
Meanwhile above the Earth, in her small outpost observation center, Ginga was having a video conversation with her superior. It was a man with black hair and a mustache, wearing a Dimensional Navy Uniform, who was over the observation posts for Area 11. After receiving her report regarding what had happened yesterday, she was contacted the following day. Once again after explaining everything that had happened in detail, her superior eyed the printed copy of her report before addressing Ginga on his screen.
"...And you allowed the suspect to make his escape."
"I have no excuse sir." Ginga admitted her mistake. Her head is covered with bandages and there is a band-aid on her left cheek. As for her pride, it's been crushed when the criminal she chased shot her down and overpowered her. To add insult to injuries, she had no choice but to return to her outpost station empty-handed and report her failure.
The paper work is also tedious as she wrote everything what happened to her. Truthfully, it makes her feel like a rookie on her first day on the job.
Her superior sighed. "Commander Gaiz is going to have my head for this...Too bad our hands are too full with this Mandarin character and his terrorist attack on Mid-Childa." He can feel a migraine once his superior officer Regius hears about this. The older man can feel his eardrums break under the Ground Forces commander scream, with the report for the incident tossed at his face. "Fix this Nakajima. As your commanding officer, I order you to capture this criminal as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir," Ginga saluted, feeling disappointed with herself. Now that uncomfortable part of her day was done, she decided to contact her father. It wasn't long before his face appeared on-screen.
"Ginga, I am glad to hear from you."
"Father, I just heard about what happened back home yesterday."
"Yes, we were suddenly attacked by three drones of unknown origins so far. The technology is unlike anything we've seen before. Only one of the three was destroyed, thanks to the efforts of Instructor Takamachi and Warrant Officer Vita Yagami, but the other two machines escaped."
"Are they alright?"
"Vita sustained more injuries, but nothing life threatening. Instructor Takamachi, on the other hand, sustained light injuries with some hearing damage…She is being released from the hospital today, so I assume that she has recovered."
"I see, but what about Subaru?"
"She was with her fellow academy trainees away from the city at the time of the attack. Maneuvers training out in the field." Genya replied as Ginga breathed a sigh of relief. "We're taking care of things here, but what happened to you?"
"Oh," Ginga said almost forgetting her injuries. "Well, I had a bit of an incident yesterday. I discovered a mage using magic openly to win a battle against the Britannian Military. It was in former Japan's Shinjuku Ghetto."
"A Mage? Anyone we know?"
"No, I ran his picture through our records, but nothing came up. He wore a mask, which made it even more difficult. He wielded an unusual Intelligent Device and used a magic system I have never seen before."
"Really? Could I see a copy of your mission report?"
"Sure, I still have it saved; I'll send you a copy."
Elsewhere on Mid-Childa, Nanoha and Signum were currently spending the day together, following their respective discharges from the hospital after receiving a clean bill of health thanks to Shamal's efforts. Nanoha was strictly ordered to take a few days off to recover returning to active duty as her superiors put it. Although physically fine, it was a question if the Ace of Aces was fine on the inside, considering what had happened.
"Here you two go...on the house," Shiro Takamachi said delivering the drinks that his daughter and friend asked for. They were more than willing to pay for it, but after hearing what befell the two women recently, he decided to cover it for them.
"Thanks, dad," Nanoha said managing a weak smile, but she was deeply saddened over the loss of her students.
"Thank you, Mr. Takamachi," Signum said politely, although she was able to better mask her own feelings on the recent savage attack yesterday.
Nanoha and Signum sat together at a table within the Midori-ya, the Takamachi family's new café they opened on Mid-Childa following their relocation. Although she was free to return to active duty it, considering what had happened to her friend, Signum decided to keep an eye on Nanoha. She believed that perhaps a day together with Nanoha would be the best medicine.
"So," Shiro began before asking. "Has the Bureau made any progress towards catching those responsible? I saw that broadcast from yesterday."
Nanoha was stunned, but seeing this Signum took over the conversation.
"Not yet, but the problem is that we have nothing to follow on. The emblem we recovered from one of the machines matches the emblem we saw on the broadcast. It proves that this 'Logos' produced the robots involved in the attack. In addition, the technology used in their design was unlike anything the TSAB saw before. Some of their weaponry, however, seemed to have been inspired by rail cannon technology and the chaos mines used by the Britannian Military on Earth."
"So, could these terrorists have Earth-based origins?"
"I don't think so, but their weapons might have inspired those used on the machines."
"I see, but didn't you fight one of them?"
"I did," Signum said recalling the large muscular man.
At first she thought the man was wearing advance barrier jacket of some kind, but it was during their battle did she realize the man had undergone a full cybernetic conversion process. It amounted to trading parts of his body like used car parts for powerful cybernetic limbs. His possession of his katana-styled Armed Device was also a sign of magic potential and skill. But during their actual battle, Signum noticed the man didn't have too much combat experience with magic, meaning he must have learned only recently. It was still merely a question when his instruction began; based on her observations, Signum expected the man had at least a couple years worth of training. However, his swordsman skills were another story as the man seemed to be highly skilled with a katana and close quarters combat.
No doubt about it, he had military training at least.
Signum was wounded due to the man's use of dirty tactics and hidden weapons within his sword, which left the Wolkenritter leader furious. It wasn't a defeat since the battle was left unfinished in some respect, but to allow such a blow to be delivered upon her by a foe using cheap and deceptive tactics left a bad taste in her mouth.
"I am certain I could have apprehended him if he didn't use such a dirty trick against me with his katana."
"What kind of trick?" Shiro asked curious.
"During the final stage of our battle, he hit me with a bullet concealed within the bottom of its hilt. I was open for a second attack upon which he took the opportunity and struck me with his sword."
"I know that trick. It was used by members of the Japanese Special Forces. Those who wielded katana blades sometimes modified them to possess a bullet concealed within the hilt. It wasn't popular for its dishonorable nature, but was more accepted for intelligence missions or assassinations," Shiro imitated the movements for proper usage of the technique in question.
"That's it!" Signum pointed out genuinely surprised.
"Japanese Special Forces..." Nanoha began seemingly shocked.
"Well, I was a bodyguard before I married your mother and spent some time in the military before then. Some of the people I protected had Special Forces members who employed that method. It worked to kill an enemy with a surprise attack if used just right."
"I see," Signum said, wondering if some of these terrorists had connections to Earth. It seemed unlikely, but the very limited amount of evidence they had so far seemed to suggest otherwise.
Fate was regrettably still on active duty and couldn't be with Nanoha due to her duty as an Enforcer, presently accompanying Hayate. The two were meeting an old acquaintance at the TSAB Main Branch Engineering Division Research Lab, where remains of the machine Nanoha and Vita had fought had been brought for analysis, hoping to determine where it came from and who built it. The duo entered a large room, where the almost intact right-wing of the machine laid.
For safety reasons, other pieces were being examined in separate rooms and locations nearby.
However, the right-wing was the most intact portion. Waiting for them with a white hard-hat was a young woman about twenty four years of age. With short pale green hair and light yellow eyes wearing glasses over them, she wore the blue uniform of the TSAB and a white lab coat over it.
"Thank you both for coming," Mariel Atenza said greeting the two women.
"Not at all," Hayate replied with a smile as Fate asked.
"I hope you and your team were successful in finding something."
Mariel sighed before she noted.
"I've been asked that question every hour and my team worked all night since these remains were delivered to us."
"I am sorry," Fate apologizing, but the older woman understood.
"I understand Fate, but this machine is unlike anything we have seen before. Our main problem is that there is very little left of it intact. Whoever designed it installed a well thought out self-destruct system, which left us with very little to examine. However, this limb that Nanoha managed to shoot off is still partly intact. It's not much, but the technology unbelievable. Even the gadget drones we have begun seeing two years ago don't compare to them."
"What!?" A shocked Hayate exclaimed. Mariel's worried expression was also alarming to say the least. The green-haired girl was clearly fascinated by technology, but the idea that someone managed to create such a deadly weapon was frightening at the same time.
"W-who designed this?" Fate inquired.
"I honestly don't know, but this…this goes against most of my knowledge. There is little to no magic outside of possibly energy sources. The rest is all hard physics and scientific knowhow. And the musculature in this," Mariel began using a small handheld device to bring up a small cross-section of the right-wing's internal workings near the joints, revealing small muscle like fibers. "Last year, I heard a scientist saying that this kind of fiber muscle technology could be possible in twenty years after researching the thesis of another scientist. Now I have a sample of such technology in front of me. Also, there is a dendritic energy transmission network all across the fiber, with a form of a mineral that my systems identify as a mineral ore known as Sakuradite."
Hayate was now rendered speechless for a few moments before she hesitantly asked. "What did you just say!?"
"E-eh!?"
"Repeat, what did you say at that last part?" Fate repeated.
"I double checked it, but the scan confirms its Sakuradite."
Fate and Hayate exchanged looks before the latter addressed the engineer. "Mariel, please make a copy of the report and put it in a data storage device. We'll be taking the data device straight to HQ."
"I understand…I kept the results of my examinations on an isolated terminal to protect it from outside hacking."
"Thank you," Fate said as Mariel prepared the drive, but Hayate was suspicious.
If Sakuradite was used, then it was likely part of its self-destruct system. That's must be why so much of its internal workings were destroyed while the right-wing remained almost intact.
The deeper they dug into the mystery of the Mandarin and his war machines, the darker the picture their investigation was painting.
Back at Ashford Academy, Lelouch, Shirley, Nina and Rivalz were walking into class just as the first period of the day was about to start. As the group entered the classroom, Shirley was still a bit incensed at what had happened with Milly.
"Geez, our president is just a dirty old man on the inside, sullying the meeting with her filthy mind."
"Yeah well, that is Milly for you," Nina said defending her long time childhood friend.
Rivalz chuckled trying to lighten the mood before pointing out.
"Look on the bright side. At least we got the budget balanced, didn't we?"
"Hello everyone," Quattro said greeting her fellow members of the Council as she was just arriving to class as well.
"Oh hey, Quattro, so we heard about what happened on the way here." Rivalz commented.
"We heard their leader pulled a gun on you?" Nina asked obviously concerned.
"I'm alright, it was nothing I couldn't handle." Quattro replied with a sweet smile before Lelouch added.
"See? I told you she could handle it."
"Thank you for having such faith in me, Lelouch," Quattro said as she stepped closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder in an affectionate manner which irritated Shirley.
As everyone entered the classroom, a group of students were gathered before another sitting at one of the desks near the center of the classroom. She had familiar red hair, although it was styled differently, the eyes and her voice…there was no mistake as Lelouch set eyes upon her.
"Kallen, it has been ages!" One female student said joyously.
"Are you alright? Sophie has been worried sick!"
"Yeah, I just have to go easy for a little while," Kallen replied as Lelouch instantly recognized her.
Of course, that is why she is so familiar.
"Anyway, if I stay home any longer, then I'll never catch up," Kallen explained to her friends as Lelouch took his seat near the back by the window. It wasn't long before Quattro joined him, having noticed his interest in Kallen.
"I didn't know you had a preference for redheads."
"It's nothing like that, but this is a rare event. She hasn't been here since this semester started."
"Indeed," Quattro replied as she narrowed her eyes, hinting that she knew more than she was letting on, prompting Lelouch to open a telepathic conversation with her.
Okay, what do you know?
What are you talking about?
Don't play innocent with me, Quattro; I know you keep tabs and information on most of the students.
Ah, so you want to know about Kallen Stadtfeld? Well, as far as the people of the school know, she is the only child of the Stadtfeld Family who is one of Area 11's richest noble families. She appears to be sickly and has a long track record of absences, her grades are still among the top in the class. She was barely in school last semester, but what people don't know is that she actually prefers the name Kallen Kozuki.
What?!
Here at Ashford Academy, she puts on the front of a sickly student. In truth, she is a half-blood Britannian with a Japanese mother, actively taking part in resistance activities with her brother's resistance cell.
WHAT?!
Lelouch nearly fell out of his chair, but caught himself.
You knew about this and didn't mention it?
Well, of course, I did! I knew she took part in the battle yesterday. I recognized her voice on the radio myself.
And you didn't tell me why?
Simple…it's because you didn't ask.
Lelouch groaned mentally at the remark, but it wasn't long before Quattro inquired about something in regards to the girl.
So, are you contemplating we recruit her?
Does she have magical talent?
Nothing I noticed so far, but I can't say for sure until we can test her, although you know the chances are slim, Quattro replied mentally as class began. The two formulated a plan on what to do with Kallen with this information in mind.
We'll wait for now. When the time is right, then we'll reconsider.
Sounds good to me, Quattro thought before almost forgetting something. By the way, since we're on the subject of Kallen, I almost forgot.
What is it?
Tomorrow, the President wants us to induct Kallen into the Student Council. That could be a good time to begin your little scheme.
I see…Sounds like a sound idea.
Later that night, after the sun had set, Lelouch was looking forward to dinner tonight with his little sister. He knew he was coming home late, but as the former prince entered his sister's room, he saw her sitting in a chair with a white and green gown and white slippers on her feet. On her shoulder sat a white plushie-style kitten with red button eyes. She had long curly sandy brown hair and a fair skin complexion. Sitting across from her on the round table was a Japanese woman with short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the traditional black maid uniform complete with the white hat and apron.
"Well…what shall we do? He may be late again this evening," Sayoko Shinozaki said to the girl she watched over.
"I'll wait…he said we would have dinner tonight," Nunnally Lamperouge answered as Sayoko smiled, just as she finished folding an origami crane out of pink paper.
"There, it's finished now," Sayoko handed the completed crane to the young girl, who reached out for it, expecting it in her hands.
The plushie cat's head moved, looking at the crane. What few realized was that the plushie cat acted as a type of sonar for Nunnally. Created by Peter Vanderfloog, it gave her a form of sight thanks to a link between them. In a way, the cat was a Hybrid Intelligent Device.
"Is it some kind of bird?"
"Yes, it's a crane," Sayoko replied.
"Wow, the Japanese are so skillful," Nunnally commented as Sayoko smiled, but Nunnally noticed something all of a sudden.
"Nunnally-sama?" Sayoko asked.
Moments later, the door opened and Lelouch walked in.
"I'm sorry for being so late," Lelouch said, walking into the room.
"Hi, Lelouch; welcome home," Nunnally greeted followed by Sayoko who did the same addressing the former prince.
"Yes, welcome home, milord."
"There is no place like it, Sayoko, right Nunnally?"
A half-hour later after changing into more casual clothing, consisting of black jeans with a sleeveless black shirt and a brown jacket trimmed with black, Lelouch sat at the dining room table and ate with his sister. Nunnally no longer needed her wheelchair as she did before and used a pink cane to move around. Her ability to walk was restored a few months ago, thanks to Vanderfloog and the technology he possessed. But she still needed some physical therapy, having not used her legs since she was six years old.
"Miss Sayoko was just teaching me the art of origami; fold a piece of paper the correct way and you can make boats, birds, almost anything." Nunnally explained before taking a spoonful of soup into her mouth. The girl was a little too eager to tell her brother, which caused some soup to slip out of her mouth.
"Easy," Lelouch said, picking up a napkin to wipe her mouth clean. "You don't have to tell me everything all at once. It's not like I am going anywhere."
"Yeah…you're right, thank you," The sandy brown-haired girl said.
"You're very welcome," The former prince replied as Nunnally giggled.
"I am so happy," Nunnally commented before she suddenly adopted a more serious expression. "Because last night you scared me a little…I heard about that fight you got into and thought you weren't coming back. I am glad Quattro helped you out of it."
"Sorry about that…I just wasn't expecting that to happen."
"But I," Nunnally was going to say, but decided to push the matter aside, not wishing to talk anymore of the Shinjuku Incident. "Well, I am just glad you are okay, but you know something." Nunnally held up one of the pink cranes Sayoko had made. "If you fold a thousand of these, your wish will come true. So is there anything at all you have been wishing for?"
"No, not really. What about you? Do you wish for anything?" Lelouch asked before Nunnally gave the idea some thought.
"I wish the world was a gentler place."
"When the time comes that you can open your eyes again, I am sure it will be."
"Really?" Nunnally asked hopefully.
"Yes, I promise."
Lelouch looked at his younger sister kindly. Deep down, he knew something would have to be done to bring about the world his younger sister wants.
The truth is, there are very few paths our futures can take. The Ashford Family is sheltering us for now, but how long can that last? Even though Graham and Vanderfloog are working together with us, if our secret was ever exposed, Nunnally could end up as a political tool or a casualty of royal ambition, Lelouch thought, knowing that he could escape capture, but Nunnally was more at risk. I have to make a world where Nunnally can find happiness at least.
Suddenly, Lelouch's thoughts were interrupted when Nunnally picked up his hands. The pinky of his right hand was hooked with her own.
"Sayoko taught me this the other day. It's called a Japanese promise," Nunnally explained before she began chanting in a song-like fashion. "Cross my heart…hope to die…eat a thousand needles if I lie, pinky promise song…hee hee!"
Lelouch was a little stunned before he spoke.
"Well, that's kinda scary. I might end up eating a thousand needles someday."
"That's right, so I better not catch you telling any lies, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll never lie. I swear," Lelouch said before thinking.
Not to you at least…
"Then no more dangerous stunts like you did in Shinjuku, okay?"
"Well, uh..." Lelouch rubbed the back of his head.
An hour after midnight within the bedroom of one of the TSAB's Board of Directors and a Knight of the Saint Church, located in the Grand Cathedral in Northern Mid-Childa, was a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Wearing a white nightgown, she was seated at her desk with a cup of tea nearby. It was clear the young woman was having difficulty sleeping. Quiet for a time, Carim Gracia opened a drawer on her right hand side, where a stack of paper tied together with a string laid. Upon undoing the tie holding the stack together, Carim used her Rare Skill: Prophetin Schriften.
As the papers formed a circle around her glowing yellow, a new prophecy was being written, where upon the following would be seen once the translation was complete.
From the savage seas, three terrible beasts, whose cries will paralyze even the stalwart warrior, will herald the coming of the Kings of Revolution as our age nears its end. Born from betrayal and loss will arise the Dragon King, who shall usher in the destruction of law and blanket all seas in darkness. However, from a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace shall as he rises up with his Knights. The Iron Maiden, the Fallen Jester and the White Devil shall guide one of the kings to decide our fate. Yet be warned, upon the return to the roots of Gaea, one king must fall. With his fall a new age shall begin. The age that shall come will be by the will of the victor of the war between the two Kings.
Carim then began the translation.
Chapter 5
Falsehoods
Falsehoods
Early the following morning, Lelouch was running down a dirt road, though his expression was that of a man about to drop dead from exhaustion. He was in better shape than when he was child, but hauling a large log on your shoulder can wear you down. After ten laps, Lelouch dropped to his knees with the log falling a few feet ahead of him panting heavily. For his morning exercise, Quattro insisted that he wear the regulation suits invented by Peter, which by all appearances was a black undersuit with a light blue circuitry integrated into it.
The undersuit was the first of new advance bodysuits meant to be worn with Barrier Jackets. The undersuit was made of advanced materials that were thin, but fitting and comfortable. It was crafted to act as a circuit board to stabilize and reinforce the formation and maintenance of the Barrier Jacket over the user. Hence, its circuitry design upon the black material. The added factor that having magic flowing through it enhances the resistance of the body suit to physical impacts and regulating the flow of mana to ensure efficiently improved mana management. This made them ideal for training as well as particular combat use when worn under the barrier jacket. Lelouch and Quattro have taken to wearing them, although Quattro's was customized to work with the flow of energy that powers her cybernetics and IS.
Other than the body suit, he wore matching boots to be used with it. A bit on the scrawny side still, but Lelouch's arms and torso were slowly showing more definition. Quattro approached, wearing her Assault Suit and looking down at Lelouch with a disappointed look in her eyes.
"Is that all you got, Lelouch?"
"You…think…hauling a log around for ten laps is easy?" The former prince said in-between breaths.
"Don't say that, otherwise, how will you get stronger? I told Graham that I would make a real man out of you, so I will just do that."
"I don't think I'll be moving," Lelouch said finally catching his breath.
"Miss C.C," Quattro called as the green haired immortal approached in a golf cart. Mounted on the front on the passenger-side with a movable mount was an automatic baseball pitcher, repurposed into a gun complete with a laser sight.
"You can't be serious?" Lelouch said paleing at the set up.
"You have ten seconds to get back up," Quattro replied before climbing into the golf cart, taking hold of the baseball gun aimed at Lelouch, who was struggling to get back up. "Don't forget the log!"
"Just out of curiosity, where did you learn how to train people?" C.C. inquired with a smirk enjoying the show.
"Oh, I learned everything from this," Quattro cheerfully answered pulling out a small black pocket-book. C.C. took the book before reading the title out loud raising an eyebrow as she did so.
"Your Pocket Guide on How to Abuse a Training Recruit, written by Melissa Mao."
"Her methods are very effective…Graham wasn't making much progress, but once I began using this book and its suggested methods Lelouch has been improving." The woman replied cheerfully.
"I see," C.C. replied before looking ahead seeing Lelouch taking off panting heavily hauling the wooden log over his right shoulder.
"See…look, all he needed was the right motivation. Maybe next time, we'll start sparring matches with Sayoko as we had planned. His reflexes and strength should be more than adequate now."
"You are quite the intriguing person," The green-haired woman commented.
"Heh heh, I would say that this is just how I was made."
If I ever meet whoever created her, I got an Abyss Buster with his name on it. Lelouch thought as he forced his own body to press on.
The environment the two were in was a type of combat training simulator devised and created by Peter in an underground section below Ashford Academy. Composed of linked and solidified magical energy, it could be summoned and unsummoned whenever it was needed to create whatever land-based environments desired. At present, a simple running track had been created upon which Lelouch was being forced to run it under the supervision of Quattro, the Liese Twins and now C.C.
Speaking of whom, the livelier of the twins, Lotte was entering the track. She was dressed in a blue gym outfit complete with sweatpants and a matching jacket with a whistle hanging around her neck. Her sister was outside operating the controls for the simulation. It was likely out of concern for Lelouch upon seeing Quattro and C.C. on their armed golf cart she hurried to him.
"Hey, no sleeping! Get up! GET UP!" Lotte shouted, approaching with a megaphone in her hands. As the cat girl blasted the megaphone into his ears, Lelouch could only muse to himself as his body was too tired to go on.
Being taken prisoner by the TSAB seems like a better alternative than this.
The golf cart was slowly approaching as Quattro took aim.
"Better start moving Lelouch! Or do you want me to be sympatric and show pity on you?"
"DON'T YOU DARE," Lelouch snapped as he forced his own body back up. Quattro knew Lelouch was prideful and couldn't stand the idea of people offering him charity. He wanted to achieve his own ends on his own. Even so, he knew for toppling an empire that controlled one third of the entire world, he would need allies and resources. There was only so much a single person could accomplish alone. Lelouch, however, wanted to take pride at the things he is capable of doing on his own.
He wants to prove he isn't dead like his father deemed him to be and that he can survive on his own. Overall, his ability to fight back was excellent, Quattro through which brought a smile to her face.
"Very good. Just remember, Peter took your device to upgrade it. So you got to go all the way."
Lelouch got up again and began jogging again. His whole body was in agony, but running with him to offer some positive support was Lotte.
"Come on, Lelouch! You can do this!"
"Easy…for…you…to say…You are not hauling a large wooden log around!"
"Oh, don't say that! If you do, I'll give you a…uh…a big hug!" Lotte said with a big smile, but Lelouch found that hardly motivating.
Viceroy Clovis was in the Viceroy's Palace, already trying to lick his wounds and heal his wounded pride following yesterday's fiasco. Not only did he lose his prime subject of Code R, but also an overwhelming number of soldiers and Knightmares. He had hoped he could keep the homeland from finding out. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be as he got a call from the last person he wanted to talk to about his performance as Viceroy.
"I am terribly sorry to contact you this early in the morning. Clovis. But as both the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Empire, there is a matter upon which I must talk to you about."
This came from a man a bit older than with short blonde hair and light purple eyes. He wore a royal grab consisting of a white coat trimmed with gold and black. Underneath, he wore a purple uniform also trimmed with gold complete with a white cravat. On his hands were white gloves with matching pants and black shoes.
He was Schneizel el Britannia, Clovis's older step-brother and probably second in command for the whole Empire in a sense despite being the Second Prince.
"Forgive me, brother. I had a difficult day yesterday."
"So I have heard Clovis," Schneizel commented, causing Clovis's blood to drain from his face. "I am aware of the disaster in Shinjuku Ghetto; I heard from the division under my command in that area."
Unable to look at his older brother, Clovis couldn't mutter the words, but his silence and his body language was enough for Schneizel.
"I apologize to be the bearer of bad news. brother. But effective immediately, the Emperor has deemed you incapable of properly managing Area 11 and the decision has been made to replace you."
"What…Please, brother, let me explain!"
"I am sorry, Clovis. For three years, the situation in Area 11 has worsened instead of improving. With yesterday's incident, the homeland can no longer turn a blind eye. I assure that you will retain your inheritance and royal privileges, but you will be reassigned to a station more befitting of your talents."
"Isn't there anything that can be done?"
"I am afraid not. You are to remain in Area 11 until Cornelia arrives to relieve you as Viceroy."
"Cornelia is coming here!?" Clovis said with a look of shock. "I thought she was fighting in the Middle Eastern Federation!"
"Yes, but she is expected to finish establishing Area 18 within the next few days. Once she's done, she'll be coming here," Schneizel answered.
"I see, so there is nothing I can do then."
"The decision is final. Try to maintain a low profile to avoid further damage to your reputation."
Later that morning back at Ashford Academy, the former prince of Britannia managed to barely survive the morning exercise regime. Lelouch was trying to rest and recover from that workout as he slowly nodded off. A certain someone then proceeded to beat him over the head with a rolled up piece of paper.
"Wake up, Lelouch!"
Lelouch was rudely awoken by one Milly Ashford.
"I know you fell asleep because your hand stopped moving!"
"Well, you don't have to beat me up over it," Lelouch said shooing the rolled up paper away.
"Serves you right for ditching me yesterday," Rivalz mockingly pointed out.
"Yeah, what was up with you yesterday?" Shirley demanded as Lelouch tried to dodge the question. Milly then stepped in with the rolled up paper in her hands, taking a more authoritative stance.
"That's enough you guys, let's not get sidetracked here," Milly declared before adding. "If we don't come up with a fix for the school's activity budget then there won't be any money left for anything at all."
"If it comes to that point," Nina said sitting in her usual spot, the corner of the room at her computer.
"The Equestrian Club will be pissed. We don't want them coming in here riding on horseback!" Rivalz said light heartily.
"Rivalz, can't you take this a little more seriously?" Milly asked before Shirley jumped in.
"You know, you could have told us about this yesterday."
"I would have to say a day later. Then, we would have given up," Rivalz noted jokingly as Lelouch was quick to agree.
"Good idea. We can still do that."
"GUTS!"
Everyone else in the room shuddered at Milly's use of the word prompting Rivalz to comment.
"You are not using that 'Guts' spell again, are you?"
"Yep," Milly replied with a coy smile. "I want you people to be putting your all into this."
"I really don't think your magic is going to do a whole lot." Lelouch pointed out, but instead Shirley raised her and hand and spoke up.
"Actually, it got me going Madam President!"
"Supple and willing, I like that."
"I train hard at the gymnastics club!"
"That is not what I was getting at," Milly corrected as she eyed Shirley. "You're a ten." Shirley was genuinely confused for a moment before everyone else realized what Milly was referring to. "From what I see in the girl's bathroom anyway, you have been filling out in all of the right places, huh?"
Rivalz chuckled as he cast a glance at Shirley, prompting the orange haired woman to cover up her chest in embarrassment before shooting back.
"What are you talking about, you pervert!?"
Lelouch saw this would be a good time for an interruption. He noticed someone was missing and used that as an opportunity to steer the conversation in another direction.
"By the way, where is Quattro at?" Lelouch began before adding. "She would have been perfect for helping us out with the budget. She's good with numbers, after all."
"Oh her? Well...there was a special task I asked her to take care of for me. You remember the Student Self-Defense Force?"
"You mean, that bunch of vigilantes?" Lelouch inquired recognizing the name.
"Yes, as you know, they occupied one of the old clubhouse buildings on the far-side campus. They were a rouge cub to begin with, but due to some of their members having military and noble backgrounds, the school couldn't do much with them. However, there was an incident last week at the Toyko Concession, involving a hot dog stand which ended with one of them fighting the son of a powerful noble family. A misunderstanding, but when the police got involved, it really turned into a mess with most of the club members being arrested and expelled as a result."
So this noble whose son they harmed must have a lot of connections to pull that off, Lelouch thought.
"However, a few students remained and at the request of the police department and government bureau, the club is to be disbanded. But since the clubhouse is so old, the academy has decided to tear it down."
"I assume there is a problem with the remaining few members," Lelouch asked. His guess was spot on as Milly nodded..
"Well, some of the club members refuse to allow it to happen and even threats of being expelled haven't done much. We can't ask the police to go in, despite requesting it, since they haven't done anything wrong. The problem is that some of them are rumored to have access to firearms and the school is concerned about violence breaking out. So they asked if there was a way to resolve this peacefully. If they refuse still, then they will be kicked out of school, but getting them out of the club house without a violent conformation is the problem, especially if the bit about them having guns is true."
"Of course, if they did have guns, then we could just ask the police to get them out?" Shirley pointed out.
"Yeah, but we need proof." Rivalz added before Lelouch inquired. .
"So you sent Quattro?"
"But that's crazy she'll be-" Rivalz began worried for the young woman.
"She'll be fine," Lelouch said confident that nothing would happen. "In fact, I would worried more about those idiots than her."
Quattro was at present inside an old clubhouse, much smaller than the Student Council Clubhouse as it could only hold twenty-five people at most. Now, only eleven people remained, including the Student Council member currently inside. The rest were likely going to be serving a couple months to a few years in jail due to the incident that spiraled out of control at the Toyko Concession. Their overzealous tendency to enforce laws and promote discrimination against non-Britannians had gone overboard.
"So let me get this right, Miss Scaglietti, you are asking us to vacate the building and to disband."
"Yes, but I was asked to inform you that if you refused to leave peacefully, you will be expelled along with your fellow club members. At least, you will not go to jail," Quattro answered sweetly.
"Is that threat?" The current acting leader of the club asked. He was a young man about Lelouch's age with short brown hair and green eyes with a light muscular build likely a result of his military family background. Some of the other members were actually bigger and more bulkier than their leader, but Quattro wasn't the least bit worried as she stood before a table inside the room.
"Oh dear me no, but I wish to point out that your club was never actually recognized by the school. As a real club, that is, so I don't think it matters anyway." The girl replied before her sweet smile was replaced with an evil grin. "The way I see it you have two choices: either pick Option A, where you all leave the building peacefully and disband, or you can pick Option B. Trust me, you don't want to pick that option."
"How about Option C, we just kick your ass? You smart-ass bitch!" The leader declared.
"Okay then, Option B it is," Quattro replied as the members descended upon her.
The young woman responded by ducking the first punch thrown at her before countering with a vicious uppercut knocking the larger student off his feet. After impacting the wall and slumping to the ground unconscious, the other members of the club looked at their downed fellow club member with looks of shock.
"Holy shit! She knocked out Ted in one hit!" One member exclaimed prompting Quattro to crack her knuckles.
"So, do you intend to kick my ass or do you want to rethink your decision?"
"You can't take all of us you bitch! Everyone, GET HER!" The club's acting leader ordered as the remaining ten members moved to surround the woman, intending to overwhelm her with numbers.
I must remember to thank Miss Sayoko for the lessons, Quattro thought before she proceeded to take all of the remaining members of the self-defense club head on. The next student who got close to her was met with a kick to the face and stunned. Quattro grabbed and used him as a quick human shield against two other club members with fists swinging. They only beat up one of their own, allowing Quattro to get out of the circle they had formed.
A large bulky student turned around, only to meet four quick punches to the face before a right-hook sent him falling to the ground.
Three down…eight to go…
The young woman dodged a punch before delivering a powerful left hook before backing off from a second student. Jumping up, Quattro delivered a sweeping kick that knocked both of her attackers off their feet. Although one tried to stay on his feet, he was clearly reeling from the blow to the face. Seizing the chance, Quattro delivered a right hook, followed by right cross, sending the man falling back to the ground. Six students remaining, Quattro stood firm skillfully dodging and parrying punches and kicks before swiftly counterattacking.
One by one, they fell until at last the leader remained, who nervously looked at his fallen and battered members.
"So, how about you just surrender?"
"Surrender…no…no…fucking way!" The blonde haired young man said as he was clearly losing it, which caused him to pull out a handgun. Quattro didn't seem surprised or afraid, but rather it merely confirmed her suspicions.
As Milly and I suspected ,the club members do possess some firearms.
Laughing like a madman, the student pulled the trigger, but Quattro dodged the bullet. Before the student realized it, the gun was ripped from his hands. Then he was punched in the face a couple times in rapid succession before a sweeping kick knocked him off his feet. Yet as he fell back, Quattro brought her right hand down, delivering a bone break shot to the student's family jewels.
The student tried to scream out in pain, but a quick kick to the face knocked him.
Sometime later after regaining consciousness, the now former leader of the Self-Defense Club found himself on the hood of a police patrol car being handcuffed.
"So, you are finally awake. You are under arrest for illegal possession of arms as well as twelve counts of harassment, terroristic threatening and one count of attempted murder." The lead officer said as the remaining members of the club were already handcuffed being loaded onto a waiting police truck to ship them off to jail.
"I hope all of you will enjoy your time in jail." Quattro replied waving good-bye with a sweet smile.
"HOLD ON, WHAT ABOUT HER?" The leader shouted out struggling against the two officers holding him.
"She fought back in self-defense," The office replied before he added "Besides, she had a small camera on her so we got a recording of everything that happened."
"I guess I was lucky I had a hidden camera on me huh," Quattro replied with a cheeky smile, but she went in knowing she would need it despite her claims.
"We had heard rumors that your club was in possession of guns, but I am glad to know that she was more than capable of handling herself." An aged man in his late sixties said wearing a black suit.
"We were called after she fought all of you punks off." The officer added as two more of his men hauled the teen away. "Thank you, Miss Scaglietti, for your handling of the situation. I never would have thought these kids had such weapons on a campus like this, especially after that incident recently."
"Oh, not at all, officer. I am happy to do my part."
"I should also thank you for your help, Miss Scaglietti. I am glad my granddaughter has a capable member of the student council."
"It was nothing, Mr. Ashford," Quattro replied to Ruben Ashford the headmaster of the academy. The two watched as the remainder of the Student-Self-Defense Force was shipped off, thus effectively disbanding its club. She knew they wouldn't disband without a fight. But on the other hand, it did give her a chance to practice her new skills she had been learning.
After the police hauled the students away, Quattro was smiled, having completed her mission. She returned to the site of the now empty clubroom, where a bulldozer and its driver was waiting for the signal.
"Alright, time to tear that building down," Quattro called out happily as she signaled the bulldozer driver to go to work. Then the young woman watched with satisfaction as the old crumbling club house was torn down.
Mission Accomplished…
Meanwhile above the Earth, in her small outpost observation center, Ginga was having a video conversation with her superior. It was a man with black hair and a mustache, wearing a Dimensional Navy Uniform, who was over the observation posts for Area 11. After receiving her report regarding what had happened yesterday, she was contacted the following day. Once again after explaining everything that had happened in detail, her superior eyed the printed copy of her report before addressing Ginga on his screen.
"...And you allowed the suspect to make his escape."
"I have no excuse sir." Ginga admitted her mistake. Her head is covered with bandages and there is a band-aid on her left cheek. As for her pride, it's been crushed when the criminal she chased shot her down and overpowered her. To add insult to injuries, she had no choice but to return to her outpost station empty-handed and report her failure.
The paper work is also tedious as she wrote everything what happened to her. Truthfully, it makes her feel like a rookie on her first day on the job.
Her superior sighed. "Commander Gaiz is going to have my head for this...Too bad our hands are too full with this Mandarin character and his terrorist attack on Mid-Childa." He can feel a migraine once his superior officer Regius hears about this. The older man can feel his eardrums break under the Ground Forces commander scream, with the report for the incident tossed at his face. "Fix this Nakajima. As your commanding officer, I order you to capture this criminal as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir," Ginga saluted, feeling disappointed with herself. Now that uncomfortable part of her day was done, she decided to contact her father. It wasn't long before his face appeared on-screen.
"Ginga, I am glad to hear from you."
"Father, I just heard about what happened back home yesterday."
"Yes, we were suddenly attacked by three drones of unknown origins so far. The technology is unlike anything we've seen before. Only one of the three was destroyed, thanks to the efforts of Instructor Takamachi and Warrant Officer Vita Yagami, but the other two machines escaped."
"Are they alright?"
"Vita sustained more injuries, but nothing life threatening. Instructor Takamachi, on the other hand, sustained light injuries with some hearing damage…She is being released from the hospital today, so I assume that she has recovered."
"I see, but what about Subaru?"
"She was with her fellow academy trainees away from the city at the time of the attack. Maneuvers training out in the field." Genya replied as Ginga breathed a sigh of relief. "We're taking care of things here, but what happened to you?"
"Oh," Ginga said almost forgetting her injuries. "Well, I had a bit of an incident yesterday. I discovered a mage using magic openly to win a battle against the Britannian Military. It was in former Japan's Shinjuku Ghetto."
"A Mage? Anyone we know?"
"No, I ran his picture through our records, but nothing came up. He wore a mask, which made it even more difficult. He wielded an unusual Intelligent Device and used a magic system I have never seen before."
"Really? Could I see a copy of your mission report?"
"Sure, I still have it saved; I'll send you a copy."
Elsewhere on Mid-Childa, Nanoha and Signum were currently spending the day together, following their respective discharges from the hospital after receiving a clean bill of health thanks to Shamal's efforts. Nanoha was strictly ordered to take a few days off to recover returning to active duty as her superiors put it. Although physically fine, it was a question if the Ace of Aces was fine on the inside, considering what had happened.
"Here you two go...on the house," Shiro Takamachi said delivering the drinks that his daughter and friend asked for. They were more than willing to pay for it, but after hearing what befell the two women recently, he decided to cover it for them.
"Thanks, dad," Nanoha said managing a weak smile, but she was deeply saddened over the loss of her students.
"Thank you, Mr. Takamachi," Signum said politely, although she was able to better mask her own feelings on the recent savage attack yesterday.
Nanoha and Signum sat together at a table within the Midori-ya, the Takamachi family's new café they opened on Mid-Childa following their relocation. Although she was free to return to active duty it, considering what had happened to her friend, Signum decided to keep an eye on Nanoha. She believed that perhaps a day together with Nanoha would be the best medicine.
"So," Shiro began before asking. "Has the Bureau made any progress towards catching those responsible? I saw that broadcast from yesterday."
Nanoha was stunned, but seeing this Signum took over the conversation.
"Not yet, but the problem is that we have nothing to follow on. The emblem we recovered from one of the machines matches the emblem we saw on the broadcast. It proves that this 'Logos' produced the robots involved in the attack. In addition, the technology used in their design was unlike anything the TSAB saw before. Some of their weaponry, however, seemed to have been inspired by rail cannon technology and the chaos mines used by the Britannian Military on Earth."
"So, could these terrorists have Earth-based origins?"
"I don't think so, but their weapons might have inspired those used on the machines."
"I see, but didn't you fight one of them?"
"I did," Signum said recalling the large muscular man.
At first she thought the man was wearing advance barrier jacket of some kind, but it was during their battle did she realize the man had undergone a full cybernetic conversion process. It amounted to trading parts of his body like used car parts for powerful cybernetic limbs. His possession of his katana-styled Armed Device was also a sign of magic potential and skill. But during their actual battle, Signum noticed the man didn't have too much combat experience with magic, meaning he must have learned only recently. It was still merely a question when his instruction began; based on her observations, Signum expected the man had at least a couple years worth of training. However, his swordsman skills were another story as the man seemed to be highly skilled with a katana and close quarters combat.
No doubt about it, he had military training at least.
Signum was wounded due to the man's use of dirty tactics and hidden weapons within his sword, which left the Wolkenritter leader furious. It wasn't a defeat since the battle was left unfinished in some respect, but to allow such a blow to be delivered upon her by a foe using cheap and deceptive tactics left a bad taste in her mouth.
"I am certain I could have apprehended him if he didn't use such a dirty trick against me with his katana."
"What kind of trick?" Shiro asked curious.
"During the final stage of our battle, he hit me with a bullet concealed within the bottom of its hilt. I was open for a second attack upon which he took the opportunity and struck me with his sword."
"I know that trick. It was used by members of the Japanese Special Forces. Those who wielded katana blades sometimes modified them to possess a bullet concealed within the hilt. It wasn't popular for its dishonorable nature, but was more accepted for intelligence missions or assassinations," Shiro imitated the movements for proper usage of the technique in question.
"That's it!" Signum pointed out genuinely surprised.
"Japanese Special Forces..." Nanoha began seemingly shocked.
"Well, I was a bodyguard before I married your mother and spent some time in the military before then. Some of the people I protected had Special Forces members who employed that method. It worked to kill an enemy with a surprise attack if used just right."
"I see," Signum said, wondering if some of these terrorists had connections to Earth. It seemed unlikely, but the very limited amount of evidence they had so far seemed to suggest otherwise.
Fate was regrettably still on active duty and couldn't be with Nanoha due to her duty as an Enforcer, presently accompanying Hayate. The two were meeting an old acquaintance at the TSAB Main Branch Engineering Division Research Lab, where remains of the machine Nanoha and Vita had fought had been brought for analysis, hoping to determine where it came from and who built it. The duo entered a large room, where the almost intact right-wing of the machine laid.
For safety reasons, other pieces were being examined in separate rooms and locations nearby.
However, the right-wing was the most intact portion. Waiting for them with a white hard-hat was a young woman about twenty four years of age. With short pale green hair and light yellow eyes wearing glasses over them, she wore the blue uniform of the TSAB and a white lab coat over it.
"Thank you both for coming," Mariel Atenza said greeting the two women.
"Not at all," Hayate replied with a smile as Fate asked.
"I hope you and your team were successful in finding something."
Mariel sighed before she noted.
"I've been asked that question every hour and my team worked all night since these remains were delivered to us."
"I am sorry," Fate apologizing, but the older woman understood.
"I understand Fate, but this machine is unlike anything we have seen before. Our main problem is that there is very little left of it intact. Whoever designed it installed a well thought out self-destruct system, which left us with very little to examine. However, this limb that Nanoha managed to shoot off is still partly intact. It's not much, but the technology unbelievable. Even the gadget drones we have begun seeing two years ago don't compare to them."
"What!?" A shocked Hayate exclaimed. Mariel's worried expression was also alarming to say the least. The green-haired girl was clearly fascinated by technology, but the idea that someone managed to create such a deadly weapon was frightening at the same time.
"W-who designed this?" Fate inquired.
"I honestly don't know, but this…this goes against most of my knowledge. There is little to no magic outside of possibly energy sources. The rest is all hard physics and scientific knowhow. And the musculature in this," Mariel began using a small handheld device to bring up a small cross-section of the right-wing's internal workings near the joints, revealing small muscle like fibers. "Last year, I heard a scientist saying that this kind of fiber muscle technology could be possible in twenty years after researching the thesis of another scientist. Now I have a sample of such technology in front of me. Also, there is a dendritic energy transmission network all across the fiber, with a form of a mineral that my systems identify as a mineral ore known as Sakuradite."
Hayate was now rendered speechless for a few moments before she hesitantly asked. "What did you just say!?"
"E-eh!?"
"Repeat, what did you say at that last part?" Fate repeated.
"I double checked it, but the scan confirms its Sakuradite."
Fate and Hayate exchanged looks before the latter addressed the engineer. "Mariel, please make a copy of the report and put it in a data storage device. We'll be taking the data device straight to HQ."
"I understand…I kept the results of my examinations on an isolated terminal to protect it from outside hacking."
"Thank you," Fate said as Mariel prepared the drive, but Hayate was suspicious.
If Sakuradite was used, then it was likely part of its self-destruct system. That's must be why so much of its internal workings were destroyed while the right-wing remained almost intact.
The deeper they dug into the mystery of the Mandarin and his war machines, the darker the picture their investigation was painting.
Back at Ashford Academy, Lelouch, Shirley, Nina and Rivalz were walking into class just as the first period of the day was about to start. As the group entered the classroom, Shirley was still a bit incensed at what had happened with Milly.
"Geez, our president is just a dirty old man on the inside, sullying the meeting with her filthy mind."
"Yeah well, that is Milly for you," Nina said defending her long time childhood friend.
Rivalz chuckled trying to lighten the mood before pointing out.
"Look on the bright side. At least we got the budget balanced, didn't we?"
"Hello everyone," Quattro said greeting her fellow members of the Council as she was just arriving to class as well.
"Oh hey, Quattro, so we heard about what happened on the way here." Rivalz commented.
"We heard their leader pulled a gun on you?" Nina asked obviously concerned.
"I'm alright, it was nothing I couldn't handle." Quattro replied with a sweet smile before Lelouch added.
"See? I told you she could handle it."
"Thank you for having such faith in me, Lelouch," Quattro said as she stepped closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder in an affectionate manner which irritated Shirley.
As everyone entered the classroom, a group of students were gathered before another sitting at one of the desks near the center of the classroom. She had familiar red hair, although it was styled differently, the eyes and her voice…there was no mistake as Lelouch set eyes upon her.
"Kallen, it has been ages!" One female student said joyously.
"Are you alright? Sophie has been worried sick!"
"Yeah, I just have to go easy for a little while," Kallen replied as Lelouch instantly recognized her.
Of course, that is why she is so familiar.
"Anyway, if I stay home any longer, then I'll never catch up," Kallen explained to her friends as Lelouch took his seat near the back by the window. It wasn't long before Quattro joined him, having noticed his interest in Kallen.
"I didn't know you had a preference for redheads."
"It's nothing like that, but this is a rare event. She hasn't been here since this semester started."
"Indeed," Quattro replied as she narrowed her eyes, hinting that she knew more than she was letting on, prompting Lelouch to open a telepathic conversation with her.
Okay, what do you know?
What are you talking about?
Don't play innocent with me, Quattro; I know you keep tabs and information on most of the students.
Ah, so you want to know about Kallen Stadtfeld? Well, as far as the people of the school know, she is the only child of the Stadtfeld Family who is one of Area 11's richest noble families. She appears to be sickly and has a long track record of absences, her grades are still among the top in the class. She was barely in school last semester, but what people don't know is that she actually prefers the name Kallen Kozuki.
What?!
Here at Ashford Academy, she puts on the front of a sickly student. In truth, she is a half-blood Britannian with a Japanese mother, actively taking part in resistance activities with her brother's resistance cell.
WHAT?!
Lelouch nearly fell out of his chair, but caught himself.
You knew about this and didn't mention it?
Well, of course, I did! I knew she took part in the battle yesterday. I recognized her voice on the radio myself.
And you didn't tell me why?
Simple…it's because you didn't ask.
Lelouch groaned mentally at the remark, but it wasn't long before Quattro inquired about something in regards to the girl.
So, are you contemplating we recruit her?
Does she have magical talent?
Nothing I noticed so far, but I can't say for sure until we can test her, although you know the chances are slim, Quattro replied mentally as class began. The two formulated a plan on what to do with Kallen with this information in mind.
We'll wait for now. When the time is right, then we'll reconsider.
Sounds good to me, Quattro thought before almost forgetting something. By the way, since we're on the subject of Kallen, I almost forgot.
What is it?
Tomorrow, the President wants us to induct Kallen into the Student Council. That could be a good time to begin your little scheme.
I see…Sounds like a sound idea.
Later that night, after the sun had set, Lelouch was looking forward to dinner tonight with his little sister. He knew he was coming home late, but as the former prince entered his sister's room, he saw her sitting in a chair with a white and green gown and white slippers on her feet. On her shoulder sat a white plushie-style kitten with red button eyes. She had long curly sandy brown hair and a fair skin complexion. Sitting across from her on the round table was a Japanese woman with short brown hair and brown eyes, wearing the traditional black maid uniform complete with the white hat and apron.
"Well…what shall we do? He may be late again this evening," Sayoko Shinozaki said to the girl she watched over.
"I'll wait…he said we would have dinner tonight," Nunnally Lamperouge answered as Sayoko smiled, just as she finished folding an origami crane out of pink paper.
"There, it's finished now," Sayoko handed the completed crane to the young girl, who reached out for it, expecting it in her hands.
The plushie cat's head moved, looking at the crane. What few realized was that the plushie cat acted as a type of sonar for Nunnally. Created by Peter Vanderfloog, it gave her a form of sight thanks to a link between them. In a way, the cat was a Hybrid Intelligent Device.
"Is it some kind of bird?"
"Yes, it's a crane," Sayoko replied.
"Wow, the Japanese are so skillful," Nunnally commented as Sayoko smiled, but Nunnally noticed something all of a sudden.
"Nunnally-sama?" Sayoko asked.
Moments later, the door opened and Lelouch walked in.
"I'm sorry for being so late," Lelouch said, walking into the room.
"Hi, Lelouch; welcome home," Nunnally greeted followed by Sayoko who did the same addressing the former prince.
"Yes, welcome home, milord."
"There is no place like it, Sayoko, right Nunnally?"
A half-hour later after changing into more casual clothing, consisting of black jeans with a sleeveless black shirt and a brown jacket trimmed with black, Lelouch sat at the dining room table and ate with his sister. Nunnally no longer needed her wheelchair as she did before and used a pink cane to move around. Her ability to walk was restored a few months ago, thanks to Vanderfloog and the technology he possessed. But she still needed some physical therapy, having not used her legs since she was six years old.
"Miss Sayoko was just teaching me the art of origami; fold a piece of paper the correct way and you can make boats, birds, almost anything." Nunnally explained before taking a spoonful of soup into her mouth. The girl was a little too eager to tell her brother, which caused some soup to slip out of her mouth.
"Easy," Lelouch said, picking up a napkin to wipe her mouth clean. "You don't have to tell me everything all at once. It's not like I am going anywhere."
"Yeah…you're right, thank you," The sandy brown-haired girl said.
"You're very welcome," The former prince replied as Nunnally giggled.
"I am so happy," Nunnally commented before she suddenly adopted a more serious expression. "Because last night you scared me a little…I heard about that fight you got into and thought you weren't coming back. I am glad Quattro helped you out of it."
"Sorry about that…I just wasn't expecting that to happen."
"But I," Nunnally was going to say, but decided to push the matter aside, not wishing to talk anymore of the Shinjuku Incident. "Well, I am just glad you are okay, but you know something." Nunnally held up one of the pink cranes Sayoko had made. "If you fold a thousand of these, your wish will come true. So is there anything at all you have been wishing for?"
"No, not really. What about you? Do you wish for anything?" Lelouch asked before Nunnally gave the idea some thought.
"I wish the world was a gentler place."
"When the time comes that you can open your eyes again, I am sure it will be."
"Really?" Nunnally asked hopefully.
"Yes, I promise."
Lelouch looked at his younger sister kindly. Deep down, he knew something would have to be done to bring about the world his younger sister wants.
The truth is, there are very few paths our futures can take. The Ashford Family is sheltering us for now, but how long can that last? Even though Graham and Vanderfloog are working together with us, if our secret was ever exposed, Nunnally could end up as a political tool or a casualty of royal ambition, Lelouch thought, knowing that he could escape capture, but Nunnally was more at risk. I have to make a world where Nunnally can find happiness at least.
Suddenly, Lelouch's thoughts were interrupted when Nunnally picked up his hands. The pinky of his right hand was hooked with her own.
"Sayoko taught me this the other day. It's called a Japanese promise," Nunnally explained before she began chanting in a song-like fashion. "Cross my heart…hope to die…eat a thousand needles if I lie, pinky promise song…hee hee!"
Lelouch was a little stunned before he spoke.
"Well, that's kinda scary. I might end up eating a thousand needles someday."
"That's right, so I better not catch you telling any lies, okay?"
"Don't worry, I'll never lie. I swear," Lelouch said before thinking.
Not to you at least…
"Then no more dangerous stunts like you did in Shinjuku, okay?"
"Well, uh..." Lelouch rubbed the back of his head.
An hour after midnight within the bedroom of one of the TSAB's Board of Directors and a Knight of the Saint Church, located in the Grand Cathedral in Northern Mid-Childa, was a young woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Wearing a white nightgown, she was seated at her desk with a cup of tea nearby. It was clear the young woman was having difficulty sleeping. Quiet for a time, Carim Gracia opened a drawer on her right hand side, where a stack of paper tied together with a string laid. Upon undoing the tie holding the stack together, Carim used her Rare Skill: Prophetin Schriften.
As the papers formed a circle around her glowing yellow, a new prophecy was being written, where upon the following would be seen once the translation was complete.
From the savage seas, three terrible beasts, whose cries will paralyze even the stalwart warrior, will herald the coming of the Kings of Revolution as our age nears its end. Born from betrayal and loss will arise the Dragon King, who shall usher in the destruction of law and blanket all seas in darkness. However, from a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace shall as he rises up with his Knights. The Iron Maiden, the Fallen Jester and the White Devil shall guide one of the kings to decide our fate. Yet be warned, upon the return to the roots of Gaea, one king must fall. With his fall a new age shall begin. The age that shall come will be by the will of the victor of the war between the two Kings.
Carim then began the translation.
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Chapter 6: His Name is Zero
Sorry for the delay, but the next chapter is finished in proofreading at least to my standards. The end will give a some revelations involving one of the OCs to this fic.
The next day Lelouch finished class, he and Kallen Stadtfeld were standing together inside the student council clubhouse, specifically inside the ballroom that never saw much use. Just the same, it worked well as a good meeting spot. Kallen was wondering why Lelouch, the Vice-President of the Student Council would bring her to this place. But Lelouch didn't show any hints of surprise or intention to harm.
"I didn't even know this room existed."
"It's the clubhouse for the Student Council," Lelouch began before he explained. "Originally, it was built as a ballroom for various special occasions."
"I see, but why did you bring me here?"
Before Lelouch can answer, Shirley's voice was heard from the top of the stairs.
"Here it is, I found it!" Shirley called standing up holding up a small microchip.
Nina and Rivalz were soon seen joining them as the black-haired girl accepted the microchip.
"Thank goodness, you found the lab data."
"Well, thank goodness. My ass was killing me."
"Did you guys find it? Because I am finished on my end," Milly said as she entered the room from the bottom floor, wheeling in a cart loaded with a couple of freshly prepared dishes. The young woman herself was wearing a blue apron.
"Oh, wow!" Rivalz said, impressed by the small buffet being laid out on the table.
"Way to go, Milly!" Shirley exclaimed cheerfully.
"You adore me, I know."
"So, just about everyone is here," Quattro said, arriving with a plate of cookies. Besides a few fighting lessons, the combat cyborg found partly by accident that she was a natural when it came to making baked goods.
"What is all of this?" Kallen inquired.
"Oh…Lelouch didn't tell you yet," Milly said as she stopped setting the table. "We're going to induct you into the Student Council. It was my grandfather's idea."
"The headmaster?" Kallen asked, knowing Milly's grandfather as the headmaster of the academy.
"Well, with your poor health, he thought being a part of the Student Council might be a little easier on you than joining any of the other clubs." Milly explained before turning to face Kallen to introduce herself. "I am Milly, by the way, President of the Council. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you, the pleasure is all mine," Kallen replied politely.
"I am Rivalz, the secretary. If there is anything you need help with, I am your man."
"Hi, I am Shirley, alsa member of the swim club. Welcome!" Shirley greeted before Nina introduced herself.
"Uh…Hi there, my name is Nina. Nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Kallen replied as an unofficial member of the council was holding a pizza box in one hand while using the other for her cane. Following behind her was Quattro, who went to help Nunnally to set the pizza upon the table after depositing the cookies.
"Nunnally, where are you doing here?" Lelouch asked.
"This is Lelouch's sister," Milly said, prompting Nunnally to speak.
"I am still in the middle school group, so I can't be a part of the council yet."
"That's alright, but you are still a member to us," Rivalz said, willing to declare Nunnally an unofficial member of the council.
"Hello, its pleasure to meet you, Kallen," Nunnally said after putting the pizza box down.
"Thank you, you as well," the red-haired girl replied.
"Right," Rivalz said putting a bottle of Moet & Chanbon champagne on the table. "Shall we kick this off with a toast?"
"Huh, champagne?" Shirley asked, clearly confused by the appearance of the bottle as Nina questioned.
"Yeah, but we're on the Student Council. We shouldn't."
"Oh come on, loosen up, you guys," Rivalz said before trying to open it as Shirley tried to stop him.
"No way, we're going to get in trouble!"
Shirley began to take the bottle from Rivalz's hands. As they struggled, Nunnally was aware of what was going on, but her sonar detection she had could only show her so much. Milly brought a chair and gestured for Nunnally to sit down before giving her a glass of juice.
"Here you go, Nunnally."
"Lelouch, heads up!" Rivalz called out as he tossed the bottle to Lelouch who caught it, but Shirley went after him.
After a short struggle, Lelouch fell back on his rear, which caused the cork of the bottle to pop off. Although Kallen swat the flying projectile away, she was hit in the head by a steady stream of champagne soaking her.
"What just happened?" Nunnally asked as everyone else was badly embarrassed.
As Milly and Shirley were washing clothes, the young woman who got soaked was in the shower. The redhead was almost done, but she still needed a change.
"This is why I hate Britannians," Kallen grumbled before a knock was heard at the door.
"This is Lelouch. I brought some clothes, could I come in?"
"Sure, I drew the curtain back already," Kallen replied, closing the curtain before it opened moments later.
"Sorry about this," Lelouch stepped in with some clothes in his hands, trying not to look at the shower out of common courtesy for the young woman. "I know they can be a little over the top."
"That's okay. There is nothing wrong with cutting loose every once in a while."
"These are some of my clothes. I hope that's ok," Lelouch revealed as he put the clothes into a basket near the shower.
"Don't worry about it, but how did you manage to get to the boy's dorm and back so quickly?"
"I live here actually," Lelouch explained, surprising Kallen. "It would be hard for my sister to live in the dorms, so the headmaster lets us stay here as a favor."
"I see…"
"Anyway, I'll let you get to finishing up. Later," Lelouch then left the room. After the door closed, the redhead peeked to make sure the young man was gone. Kallen then went back to showering, but a pink pouch she carried was picked up by an invisible hand before a small note was slipped inside.
There we go, thought the invisible figure as it slipped back to her hiding place to wait until she could slip away. Just need to wait for Kallen to find it.
I dropped off the note, Lelouch.
Good job. Thank you, Quattro. How are preparations for our plan?
The twins tell me it should be ready by tomorrow, Quattro replied.
Good. If we play out our planned script, everything should fall into place. Provided nothing unexpected happens of course.
Then all that will be left is to destroy Clovis's career, Quattro thought evilly.
The following morning at the TSAB Mid-Childan Main Office in Cranagan, a meeting was being held between the leadership of Time Space Administration Bureau admirals, along with a few chosen others. The three legendary admirals were present, consisting of Leone Phils, Largo Kiel, and Midget Crowbel. Major Genya Nakajima and Major General Carim Gracia were also present. After the last few people who were summoned arrived, Carim took a seat and thought.
It's been a long time since the admirals have been gathered in one place.
Beginning the meeting a woman in her late fifties with gray hair styled into a braided ponytail, wearing a blue and white uniform.
"Thank you all for coming," Midget Crowbel, the Bureau Chief of Staff, began before adding. "To begin in our assessment of the Mandarin's capabilities, having examined the remains of the destroyed machine that attacked Cranagan, we have dubbed this Wyvern Drone Incident. That's the code name we have given the three drones."
"Director Atenza will explain the capabilities and design of these machines," Leone Phils, a man close to Midget's age with a black and gray officer's uniform, said gesturing for Mariel to address the gathering.
"Thank you," Mariel said adjusting her glasses before speaking. "The large drone we examined is nothing like the Gadget Drones we encountered in the last few years. Their technology is too different, far more advanced than anything I have seen before."
Using a remote she picked up from the table, Mariel pushed a button to show the same cross-sections of the wrecked right wing.
"Unlike the Gadget Drones, these machines use a type of muscle fiber made from carbon nanotubes for movement. Its size and flexibility make it a highly ideal component to give the machines high mobility and more life-like movements. Using such technology also leaves plenty of internal space, allowing whoever designed it to install a wide range of weapons," Mariel explained further using her remote to show the gathered leadership slides of Vita and Nanoha's fight as the drone displayed its weapons. "The fibers contract and move like a real muscle, giving these machines more organic inner-workings. No one has yet to develop technology like this anywhere among the TSAB administrated worlds; at the present, it only exists theoretically on paper. We tried to conduct further investigation on the other remains, but the self-destruct system these drones carried were very effective. Using a substance we identified as 'liquid sakuradite', it's detonated along with the main body to destroy the internal components, making an examination of them impossible. We discovered traces of it inside the right wing that was still partly intact, which did not blow with the rest of the body."
"I see. So what of the cyborg soldiers? Did your investigation reveal anything further?" Midget inquired.
"Most of them exploded like the larger drone did, but from my initial examinations, I am certain these men had undergone full cybernetic conversation. The lack of organic remains suggest they had their bodies from the neck down replaced with cybernetic components."
A few admirals gasped at the thought of so many people willing to undergo such a radical conversation process.
"How could this happen? How didn't we get any warning of this attack!?"
The outburst came from a large man. He was not really obese per sec, but quite large with brown hair and a beard. He wore a blue and white uniform with the rank of Lieutenant General. His name was Regius Gaiz, Commander of Cranagan Defense Forces.
"Lieutenant General Gaiz," Midget said rising from her chair. "We are all not pleased about recent events, but we are holding this meeting to plan our counterattack against this Mandarin. In the process, we must devise new defense plans and counters against his forces."
Back on Earth at Toyko Tower, or rather what remained of it, Kallen was presently wandering around the museum for Britannia's victory over Japan. She headed to the observation deck, where she was to meet with the man who helped them achieved victory a few days ago.
Yesterday afternoon, a note had been left for her, instructing her to come to Toyko Tower. It was from not only the man at Shinjuku, but someone who was also fully aware of her dual identity.
1600 hours, but why at Toyko Tower of all places? Kallen thought. trying the unknown savor. It was one minute after 16:00, but there was no sign of anyone who might have been the man.
As a precaution, the young woman wasn't alone. She had contacted Ohgi and and two of his fellow resistance members and friends to watch over her.
"Who do you suppose contacted Kallen?" Kent Sugiyama said as the three walked together, acting causal to avoid attracting attention.
"I don't know," Ohgi began, feeling uncertain it was Kururugi who contacted them.
"Yeah, but he could've been arrested after dropping that note," Toru Yoshida pointed out. "What if this is a trap or something?"
"I don't like this, we should go," Sugiyama said before a PA announcement was heard overhead.
"Attention please; paging Miss Kallen Stadtfeld of Ashford Academy. One of your personal items has been turned in at the kiosk on the observation deck. I repeat..." The announcer was saying as Ohgi and others turned around, seeing Kallen was already gone.
A short time later, Kallen arrived at the kiosk. The attendant presented her with a cell phone.
"I assume this cell phone belongs to you, Miss Stadtfeld," the female attendant said as Kallen took the cell phone with a curious expression. "Is there something wrong? It is yours, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah. Thank you so much," Kallen replied before walking away to the observation balcony.
"Oh yeah, there is no debating it. Life is better here, thanks to Prince Clovis. I mean we were only able to rebuild this quickly because of Britannia." Ohgi said, trying to blend in as his companions walked up to the balcony. Around the same time, the cell phone began ringing with the caller ID showing only one name.
"Zero?" Kallen muttered looking over to Ohgi who nodded before the young woman answered the incoming call. "Uh, hello?"
"I want you to board the outbound train on loop line five and bring your friends."
"What?" Kallen replied actually shocked that this Zero knew about Ohgi and his companions following her or perhaps it was part of the plan the whole time.
"If you want to meet, then you best be there. Once you're on board, I'll contact you again."
Following the meeting, there were two other attendees aside Genya Nakajima. One was a twenty-one year old young man with black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing the uniform of an admiral of the TSAB Navy. Next to him was an older woman with long light green hair styled into a top-knot ponytail. Like her son, Lindy Harlaown was dressed in an officer's uniform with the same rank as her son, although rumor was that she was planned on retiring soon. The last two present were Hayate and Fate, invited after the meeting to discuss the results and the TSAB's plans for dealing with the Mandarin.
The group was at the Grand Cathedral of the Belkan Self-Govern Area, invited for a late lunch by Carim Gracia. Chrono Harlaown sat next to his mother and Fate while the group chatted about the meeting, waiting for their host to come.
"So other than tightening defenses and conducting searches, the higher-ups don't have any possible leads on the Mandarin?" Hayate asked sadly.
"Yes, but the problem is the evidence. We have too little to tell us anything further that could provide us with a trail to follow." Chrono replied.
"None of the admirals were happy about it, but that's where we stand right now." Genya added.
"Not that I blame them," Lindy commented before Hayate added.
"The only thing we have is that these drones and the leader Signum fought were connected to Earth."
"The leader," Chrono inquired. "I heard about the report where Signum faced the possible field commander for the whole attack, based on her assessment."
"Yes, but Signum mentioned to me that while with Nanoha at her parents' café, her father mentioned the weaponized hilt trick being was used by members of the Japanese Special Forces. Not a popular choice for samurai, but virtually identical when Nanoha's father demonstrated the fighting stance for its use."
Genya, Lindy and Chrono exchanged looks before Genya added.
"Well, there is no denying that the cyborg soldiers military training. But the fact they could have come from a primitive world like Earth, no offense," Genya apologized, looking to Hayate.
"Yet, there is the use of sakuradite, which is only richly found on Earth to our knowledge." Lindy pointed out, which had become increasingly popular among terrorist and criminal organizations as a component to make small compact bombs.
"Well, there might be something else. I don't know if it's related, but," Genya began but was interrupted when the door opened. Carim entered the dining room with her assistant, a young woman with short pink hair, light red eyes and wearing a black and white nun attire. Schach Nouera was wheeling in a tea cart as Carim took a seat next to Hayate.
"Forgive me for being late. I had a few things that stopped me along the way."
"It's alright, Carim. With all of the chaos happening in the last few days, I am not surprised you were delayed," Lindy said as Carim smiled at the older woman's understanding.
"Thank you, but maybe I should get to the real reason I called you all here."
"Is something wrong?" Fate asked.
"Not quite, but the other night, I had trouble sleeping. So I used my Prophetin Schriften."
"So you have a new prophecy?" Chrono inquired as Carim nodded in response.
"Yes and the prophecy I created was this," Carim said as she presented the interpreted prophecy. "From the savage seas, three terrible beasts whose cries will paralyze even the stalwart warrior will herald the coming of the Kings of revolution as our age nears its end. Born from betrayal and loss will arise the Dragon King, who shall usher in the destruction of law and blanket all seas in darkness. However, from a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace as he rises up with his Knights. The Iron Maiden, the Fallen Jester and the White Devil shall guide one of the Kings to decide our fate. Yet be warned upon the return to the roots of Gaea; one King must fall, and with his fall, a new age shall begin. The age that shall come will be by the will of the victor of the war between the two Kings."
"By the Dragon King, you mean the Mandarin, but who is the Demon King?" Chrono asked.
"Three beasts from the sea, which must be those three Wyvern drones," Hayate pointed out as Carim also nodded before saying.
"My prophecy states that the coming of these Kings will bring about a great revolution, which could mean salvation for us or destruction. The Demon King is the one meant to stop the Mandarin."
"From a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace shall rise up with his Knights. What could that mean?" Fate asked before Genya spoke up.
"Actually, we might have a possible suspect."
"You do," Lindy asked generally surprised.
"Yes," Genya said as he brought out a small pocket device to display his daughter's information. "I had wanted to talk to you about this later, Lindy, but I guess since the subject seemed more appropriate at this time. He's footage of a second mysterious man, another masked one my daughter attempted to arrest a few days ago."
"Where was this?"
"The Shinjuku Ghetto in Japan, now Area 11. According to her report, there was a massacre being carried out against the people living there; civilians including resistance fighters were being indiscriminately killed by the Britannian Military." The aged Major explained as the gathering was disgusted by the Britannian Military's actions. "However, the situation turned around suddenly when someone led them in a fierce counterattack, which devastated the Britannian Army and allowed them to escape. It ended when the leader of the resistance fighters confronted the Viceroy of Area 11, holding him at point-blank range with an Intelligence Device, model and type unknown, to force him to call off his forces."
Chrono, Fate, Hayate and Lindy were shocked before Genya brought up the recorded video of Ginga's confrontation with the masked man. The group observed the battle and his tactics, but the magic circle that appeared at his feet was the biggest eye catcher.
"What kind of magic system is that?" Carim asked as Genya was uncertain as she was.
"I don't know, but it isn't anything we have seen before."
"Could that be the Demon King?" Fate asked while Hayate silently observed the rest of the battle concluding with Ginga's defeat.
"I am surprised there hasn't been much mention of him yet. Didn't Ginga report this to her superior?" Chrono asked clearly suspicious.
"She did, but I assume Headquarters is simply too busy to deal with this issue as they got the Mandarin to contend with." Genya answered before Lindy said.
"Materials and people from Earth, but now this…Just what is going on?"
No one had an answer, but Chrono had his suspicions.
Back on Earth, a train was speeding across the rails, passing along the edge that separated the Britannian Settlement from the Ghettos. Kallen was in one of the cars with Ohgi and his companions who were watching nearby. Kallen was waiting on the train, but the cell phone rang again, prompting the young woman to pick it up.
"What is it, now?"
"Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?"
"The Britannian City, it was stolen away from us and built on our sacrifice."
"And on the left?" the caller asked.
"I see our city; remnants of a desecrated city after the Britannians sucked it dry."
"Good answer; Now, make your way to the front of the train."
After hanging up, Kallen and the others made their way to the front, hoping to find the mysterious caller from Shinjuku. As they neared, they noticed how crowded it got, but upon reaching the last car they found it empty, save for a lone figure standing at the opposite end with his back turned.
"This is too weird. Could this be a trap?" Sugiyama commented before Kallen demanded.
"Well, was that you in Shinjuku? Was that retreat order your doing?"
"Hey, we're talking to you!" Yoshida demanded as the man turned around.
He stood before them, wearing a two piece tight dark purple suit with golden stripes and long, wrapped sleeves. The outfit was a combination of Victorian fashion with that of a sleek bodysuit, elegant but practical. Worn over it was a black and gold cloak with crimson spandex inside and an enormous black cape encircling the head. Its immediately recognizable feature was a spiky black and indigo mask with a long variation of a gold bird-like emblem stretched over its bottom, completely hiding the wearer's face. Completing the attire was a pair of long black leather gloves and a white cravat.
The figure turned around addressing Kallen and the others asking a simple question.
"What do you think of my tour of the settlement?"
"Your tour?" Ohgi asked confused before Sugiyama commented.
"Oh come on, it couldn't have been this joker."
"I wanted you to fully grasp the two: The Settlement and the Ghetto." the man said, spreading out his arms and revealing the rest of his body suit he worn underneath. He gestured out to the two different areas on the sides of the train.
"Yeah, we know," Ohgi began stepping forward. "There is a difference between us and them, a very harsh one at that! And that's why we resist them!"
"You are wrong; Britannia will not fall to mere terrorism."
Fall, Ohgi contemplated his words carefully.
"It's little better than childish nuisance."
"What was that? You're calling us a bunch of kids!?" Sugiyama snapped, clearly offended by the statement.
"You should know your enemy; it's not people, but Britannia itself! It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent! Take up your sword and fight for justice!"
"Oh please, that is all easy enough to say, isn't it? Hiding behind that mask, why should we even trust you?" Kallen shouted at the masked man as Yoshida also joined in.
"She's right! Lose the mask!"
"Right, are you going to show us your face or not?" Ohgi asked, but the man expected this.
"Very well, I'll show you...But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I can deliver to you the impossible, then I might have won your trust." Lelouch replied all the while he was smiling under the mask.
However, his moment was interrupted by an emergency call coming in. He brought out the phone he had been using to call Kallen.
"What is it?"
"Tell your friends that Clovis just gave orders for an airstrike against Shinjuku Ghetto," Quattro instructed on the other line.
"So he is going through it, but this quickly?" Lelouch was genuinely surprised at how early it was happening, but then again he knew Clovis would be feeling bitter about what had happened. They learned this when Quattro engaged in her usual hobby of information gathering. With what happened recently, she kept a close eye on military channels with the Viceroy Palace.
"Yeah, the chemical weapons and bunker busters are already moved to nearby airbase. It seems like he used other channels to get the orders though. He's likely trying to conduct the airstrike as quickly as possible to prevent any word of it getting to the people in Shinjuku. Tell them you got an ETA of four hours."
"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Kallen asked, overhearing part of the conversation.
"Fine, I'll tell them," Lelouch hung up the phone as he returned attention to his visitors. "A problematic change in plans on the Britannians' part, but no change in the purpose of this meeting. The real reason I called you here was to alert you that the Britannian Military is planning a massive airstrike against Shinjuku Ghetto."
"Are you serious?" Ohgi replied as Lelouch nodded.
"Their excuse is to suppress chemical weapons in Shinjuku; their intent is to set up bombers with incendiaries and thermite. We have four hours to evacuate the ghetto before it burns for the four corners."
"Four hours!? How the hell are we going to evacuate the whole ghetto that quickly? People were just going back!" Sugiyama said before Yoshida added.
"The problem is convincing the people that an airstrike is coming."
"Then I'll buy you time," Lelouch spoke. "This is not what I had in mind as a demonstration of my power, but I shall do this. I'll stall for more time and if possible, I'll see if I can get Britannia to call off the airstrike."
"How the hell are you going to do that?"
Lelouch grinned under the masked before explaining his plan, although Quattro's intelligence help him the most in making preparations with the twins in building a little surprise he had devised.
Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's fortunate we were already preparing for a proper response…But this…this will work out to my favor far better than I had planned.
Almost four hours later, the sun had disappeared below the horizon as day gave way to night as a special party was happening at the Viceroy's Palace. Inside the lavished ballroom was a large gathering of over a dozen members of nobility, including key members of the military like Purist Faction leader Jeremiah Gottwald. He was dressed in uniform with two members of his faction present with him. One was a young woman with long bluish teal hair tied into a top-knot ponytail, a dark skin tone and yellow eyes. The other was a man with short light brown hair and blue eyes.
Also in attendance was Diethard Reid with his film crew in supervising Clovis's upcoming press conference. Diethard wanted nothing more to leave as the sight of the nobles and knowing possibly what the conference was going to be made the man feel nauseous. At the height of his party, Clovis checked his watch and smiled, knowing that the Shinjuku Ghetto would be completely wiped out in less than ten minutes. If he was going to lose his position as Viceroy, then he might as well wipe out the ghetto before he leaves Area 11.
As Clovis took center stage, the cameras came on as Diethard instructed the film crews with a sigh.
"Thank you all for coming tonight, but I have an announcement for all of Area 11 as well. So please, allow me a moment of your time. Within the next few days, Cornelia li Britannia, the second princess of the Empire will be arriving in Area 11 to assume the duties of Viceroy in my place. I have been recalled to the Homeland to assume more pressing duties."
As Clovis gave what could potentially be his last appearance on television, a large cake about fifteen feet high was wheeled into the large ballroom through the gigantic doors on the far side. It was being moved on a motorized cart, controlled by a woman wearing a white suit with black hair and a white hat, plus a pair of sunglasses as another identical woman followed in her steed. It was a gigantic cake with white frosting and the words "GOOD LUCK" written in red frosting. Some of the nobles had a feeling what was going to happen while Diethard groaned, mentally wishing for anything else than this current task.
But his wish came true as the top half of the cake suddenly exploded, showering the room with confetti and bright-colored ribbons. Clovis was about to shake it off the interruption as a premature oversight and was going to joke about it since it was heard on screen with the camera men turning to the cake. However, when the smoke cleared, there was no exotic dancing girl as many were expecting. Instead, there was a man wearing a black mask hat Clovis was very familiar with.
The man stood atop of what was a large device with attached tanks concealed within the fake cake. It looked like to be some sort of large bomb. Everyone gasped in shock as even Diethard was stunned, quickly gesturing for the cameramen to focus on the man.
"I am...Zero!"
Zero? What, as in nothing? Diethard Reid thought before the man calling himself Zero leapt down from the bomb he smuggled into the very heart of Britannian power and control over Area 11. Kewell Soresi and Villetta Nu of the Purist Faction were about to apprehend Zero. But along with the guards stationed around the ballroom, Jeremiah saw a remote in his hand.
"Stand down, everyone stand down! That man has a remote to detonate that bomb!"
"I thought I told you once before Viceroy Clovis to leave Shinjuku Ghetto alone. They no longer have what they sought and now you simply want to burn it all down for the sake of petty vengeance. I will not allow it, so I will ask you that you call off the bombers. Or else, if any part of Shinjuku Ghetto is destroyed, it will be send a signal to this bomb to set it off. Of course, I could always detonate it myself," Zero replied, holding the remote detonator tightly.
Clovis was furious as tried to turn the situation around.
"You'll die, too, you fool?"
"Maybe so, but I am not afraid to die for a cause I believe in. You can prevent this if you comply with my demands. Withdraw the bombers now! Or would you rather let certain secrets be leaked to the public as well?"
The blonde haired Viceroy paled at the mention of it, although he could just push Zero into setting off the bomb. Unfortunately, he didn't have the nerve to follow through on something like that, valuing his own life and position.
"Order the bombers heading for Shinjuku Ghetto to return to base! Do it now, damn it!"
A military officer saluted and went to order the bombers back to base. But in the meantime, the nobles were trying to slowly slip away and escape.
"As we wait, allow me this opportunity to make my own announcement to all of Japan. But most of all, I want Britannia and those who have power to heed my words carefully. I am burdened by sorrow, war and discrimination. Malicious deeds carried out by the strong," Lelouch began. "It's the same abhorrent interplay of tragedy and comedy, the world being lead further to despair and destruction by the evil that is Britannia. The Japanese people suffer, which is why I fight and shall fight against those who abuse their power. So long as the strong oppress the weak, my rebellion will rise and grow stronger. It begins today with this act of rebellion, consider this a formal declaration of war!"
"Zero, we got confirmation that the planes are turning back to base," A disguised C.C. communicated to Lelouch as an also disguised Quattro nodded.
"Very good Clovis, but attempt another stunt like that again and my lips about your real intentions for wanting to liquidate Shinjuku Ghetto will be exposed to the public." Zero said before pushing the button. "Till next time,"
What was thought to be an explosive bomb was instead a gas bomb as the entire room was blanketed in purple smoke, causing the men inside to panic.
"Find the terrorists!" Jeremiah roared, but with the room in such chaos, finding the three was virtually impossible.
Instead of rushing to the bottom floor, the trio quickly exited to the villa's hanger where a number of gunships and VTOL transport planes were kept. Quattro's Inherent Skill, Silver Curtain made it easy for the three to slip away and evade pursuit while the rest of the interior was in complete chaos. Once they were in the clear, Quattro deactivated her skill removing the invisibility she placed around herself and the other two.
"Ok, so what now?" C.C. asked.
"We're taking those, but do you know how to fly one?" Lelouch asked pointing to a group of six VTOL gunships.
"I am not a combat pilot, but I have flown before."
"Good enough," Lelouch replied as they each commandeered a gunship.
"Do you think Clovis will keep his word this time?" Quattro inquired starting up her gunship.
"I really doubt it, which is why we're doing this."
By the time they were in the air, the guards were too late upon realizing their escape plan. The gunships had vanished into the night sky and vanished off radar thanks to Quattro's abilities. Calling Ohgi on his cell phone, Lelouch picked up after a few rings.
"Did it work?"
"Yes, the bomber planes were turned back as you no doubt saw on television. How is the evacuation going?"
"Not a lot of people believed it as we expected. Once they saw that broadcast, they started moving."
"I see…My associates and I will take down the bombers with some hijacked gunships to ensure they cannot be recalled to attack the ghetto again."
"Are you crazy!?"
"Don't worry, they won't see us coming."
With that, Lelouch hung up as he and his fellow partners-in-crime were on an intercept course for the bomber planes rising to the proper altitude. Fifteen minutes of flying later the VTOL gunships caught up to the bomber planes that were unsurprisingly heading back towards Shinjuku. There were at least twelve bomber planes loaded with enough bombs to raze the ghetto.
"Alright Quattro, you take a third and we'll get the others," Lelouch ordered as Quattro broke formation.
"Heh, this will be easy," Quattro replied as she took aim with the gunship's Single Ventral Cannon. "Weapons are hot, opening fire!"
The Cyborg raked a line of bullets across the engines of one bomber plane, sending it towards the ground before moving onto the next one. Lelouch already shot down his first bomber with C.C. despite her earlier claims in shooting it down. She took down another after making Swiss cheese of the engines. With their computers unable to see the gunships, the gunners had to manually aim their weapons. One bomber went down after another before they could even get a shot off.
It wasn't long before all the bombers went down, effectively saving the Shinjuku Ghetto again. Even if Clovis managed to organize another bombing run, the ghetto was close to emptying.
Ginga was in pursuit of the three gunships, traveling on her Wing Road spell and armed with her Barrier Jacket. Before she get closer to them, another mage using the same Wing Road interrupted her. His was a bright yellow as he was traveling on his own black rollerblades. Both hands were two gauntlet-like devices similar to Blitz Caliber with black finishes trimmed with gold and red crystals on the rollerblades.
"Lightning Blaze!" The intruder said as his AI on his intelligence device replied with a male voice.
"Yes sir," Revolver Onslaught said as a surge of lightning magical power surrounded his whole body.
He connected his road to Ginga's and came straight at the woman, moving at a blinding speed as he accelerated to the point that he appeared as a bolt of lightning. Ginga raised her tri-shield in an effort to block it, but given his speed and the surrounding energy, he smashed through her shield. The young woman side-stepped to barely avoid the punch aimed for her head.
He came to a stop, allowing Ginga a close look at her opponent.
He wore a his normal white lab coat. On his shoulders were metal armor plates and under that was a black collar shirt trimmed with gold, complete with black pants and hip armor. He had shin guards and the sleeves of his coat were tucked into his Revolver Knuckle-style Devices. On his face, he wore a white porcelain mask complete with black disc-shaped sunglasses.
"Who are you?"
"Call me the Doctor. I know who you are, Ginga Nakajima of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. I must ask that you do not interfere in matters do not concern you."
"I have a duty to carry out and you are under arrest for impeding a TSAB arrest!"
"I see," the man sighed before adding. "Then forgive me for having to kick your ass here and now. It's nothing personal, but there are greater things at risk here than the fulfillment of a law code and sovereignty rights that no Earth nation acknowledges at all." The blonde haired young adult said. "I would have thought that Quint Stratos taught you to follow what your heart told you, which was right rather than blindly obey the letter of the law. Because if she had done like you are doing now, you would have ended up as a lab rat in a TSAB Cybernetics facility."
Ginga was shocked as she thought.
Then, he knows I am a combat cyborg? But how could he know that and my mother's maiden name?
Not giving much time, the man began his attack as he charged at Ginga, who ducked to avoid a right hook as the two mages engaged in close quarters combat. He tried a roundhouse kick, but the purple haired woman managed to deflect it.
"Storm Tooth," Blitz Caliber said as Ginga tried to deliver a serious blow, but he responded with another attack.
"Flash Step," the man said as his own device spoke.
"Lightning Blaze," The AI of his device called out as his body was once again energized with lightning magic. He suddenly moved past Ginga's incoming blow by sidestepping before moving behind her to strike. "Thunder Strike," The AI announced as the gears of his right wrist began spinning and charging with lightning mana.
Ginga ducked, but managed a successful counterattack with a swift kick to the stomach, knocking Peter back.
He's fast; I can barely keep up… and that lightning move that covers his whole body it isn't just for defense.
Ginga suspected the Lightning Blaze was tied his bursts of intense speed. Meanwhile, the recovered man was already moving to counterattack. He shot out his right hand as a yellow Al-Hazard Magic System circle appeared ahead of his hand.
"Zeus Gatling Gun," he called out as six yellow spheres formed ahead of the circle before releasing rapid successions of miniature lightning bolts. Ginga blocked with her tri-shield before moving out of his path, using her Wing Road spell with him in pursuit. Quickly turning around, Ginga went straight at him. As they passed each other, the woman dropped her head to allow the punch to fly over her before quickly turning. She charged to deliver a blow to his back.
The man tried turning around to fight back, but Ginga kept up her offense, punching the blonde haired young man in quick succession in the stomach before delivering a blow to the face. His sunglasses shattered a part of his mask broke, drawing some blood that stained her Revolver Knuckle.
One more should do it, Ginga thought as she was about to use Storm Tooth to finish the fight, but suddenly….
"Chain Bind," Another voice called out as the masked man named Zero arrived on the scene to back up his ally. Abyss Soul's blaster bits flew around the woman, ensnaring her with magic chains.
Ginga was caught, but this time she struggled to break free.
"Binding Circle," Quattro added as she arrived on the scene, trapping Ginga with her own binding over Zero's own Chain Bind as while remaining hidden from the investigator's sight.
"Damn it," Ginga snapped at the unfair odds of three vs. one as her first challenger turned around and brought his hands up to the sides of Ginga's head.
"I am sorry," he said before electrocuting Ginga with a burst of lightning magic, enough to knock the young woman out without seriously hurting her. He caught Ginga before she fell off her Wing Road, descending down to a group of buildings to leave the young woman.
"She'll just keep coming for us," Quattro said wanting to suggest a more permanent solution to the TSAB officer's attempts to arrest Lelouch.
"We can't kill her for a number of reasons, but one of them would be that it would only bring more members of the TSAB." the man showing to be Peter said, wiping his mouth of the blood Ginga drew as he regrettably passed himself more as a scientist than a fighter. "Besides, she is my sister."
Quattro and Lelouch jumped, prompting young woman to say, "I wasn't suggesting it."
"We should leave before she wakes up; C.C. is already waiting for us." Lelouch suggested, not wanting to get into an in-depth yet about his relationships.
Twenty minutes later, Ginga finally came to with a splitting headache. She thought she was going to win that fight, but she got double teamed by two others who were no doubt his accomplices. Frustrated and possessing one hell of a headache, the young woman used a transportation spell to return to her outpost office and report her latest failure.
Maybe I should check in with father, too.
Sitting at her desk with a bag of ice on her head, Ginga was examined the blood sample she found on her Blitz Caliber. She hoped she could find out the identity of the blonde haired man she punched in the face, but the scan turned up unknown. She attempted to figure out the parents of the young man by using her DNA scanner to examine it and then compare with other DNA files on record. If she could figure out the man's parents then maybe she could figure out his identity. That of course took time, prompting to search around activities of the recent incident as she waited.
From what she saw on the news, Clovis's career and life was now effectively ruined by a release of his experiments on the web, showing him and his team using a certain unnamed green-haired woman as a guinea pig. It also revealed the woman was what the terrorists of Shinjuku Ghetto had really stolen, which prompted Clovis to cover it up. The whole liquidation was to eliminate any potential witnesses to what was inside that capsule along with the terrorists.
This information was being released onto the internet, going viral overnight. All over the world, even a number of Britannians, despite their apathy for Numbers, were shocked by the abuses his administration done to the girl and his length he'd gone to keep it confidential.
I guess it's karma when you pay for your own troubles, Ginga thought as she read some of the reports along with the failed bombing attempt. She wasn't too interested in what the prince was trying to research with the woman, but it did remind her of her past childhood experience among other illegal research uncovered by the Bureau. Once the footage of the masked man she fought came on, calling himself Zero and deemed the suspect who exposed Clovis's actions, Ginga once again felt a pain. It was possible that he was trying to stop research of Lost Logia on an underdeveloped world aside from helping the terrorists win against Britannia. But his vigilante actions were spontaneous and unauthorized and the pain came from coming back empty handed once again.
That was apart from the blood analysis, who could give her more detail on who she's fighting. After an hour, she finally got some results, which made her jump.
No…this…this can't be possible…his mother…And the father's DNA...It's the same!
Ginga was prompted to make a call. It was late at night, but still her troubled mind couldn't wait until morning. It wasn't long before Genya appeared on the video phone between the two. He was obviously tried, but the panicked and dismayed look on Ginga's face snapped the Major wide awake.
"What's wrong Ginga? What happened?"
"I faced the masked mage again, or rather I faced one of his accomplices," Ginga began. "He used magic similar to me and mother, but the magic system was different."
"What exactly happened?" Genya asked.
"I fought him and got some of his blood on my Device. He wasn't in the database, but when I tried to search for his parents or people related genetically to him it pulled up two matches…Subaru and myself."
"WHAT!?" Genya said genuinely shocked.
"I…faced and punched my own brother."
Chapter 6
His Name is Zero
His Name is Zero
The next day Lelouch finished class, he and Kallen Stadtfeld were standing together inside the student council clubhouse, specifically inside the ballroom that never saw much use. Just the same, it worked well as a good meeting spot. Kallen was wondering why Lelouch, the Vice-President of the Student Council would bring her to this place. But Lelouch didn't show any hints of surprise or intention to harm.
"I didn't even know this room existed."
"It's the clubhouse for the Student Council," Lelouch began before he explained. "Originally, it was built as a ballroom for various special occasions."
"I see, but why did you bring me here?"
Before Lelouch can answer, Shirley's voice was heard from the top of the stairs.
"Here it is, I found it!" Shirley called standing up holding up a small microchip.
Nina and Rivalz were soon seen joining them as the black-haired girl accepted the microchip.
"Thank goodness, you found the lab data."
"Well, thank goodness. My ass was killing me."
"Did you guys find it? Because I am finished on my end," Milly said as she entered the room from the bottom floor, wheeling in a cart loaded with a couple of freshly prepared dishes. The young woman herself was wearing a blue apron.
"Oh, wow!" Rivalz said, impressed by the small buffet being laid out on the table.
"Way to go, Milly!" Shirley exclaimed cheerfully.
"You adore me, I know."
"So, just about everyone is here," Quattro said, arriving with a plate of cookies. Besides a few fighting lessons, the combat cyborg found partly by accident that she was a natural when it came to making baked goods.
"What is all of this?" Kallen inquired.
"Oh…Lelouch didn't tell you yet," Milly said as she stopped setting the table. "We're going to induct you into the Student Council. It was my grandfather's idea."
"The headmaster?" Kallen asked, knowing Milly's grandfather as the headmaster of the academy.
"Well, with your poor health, he thought being a part of the Student Council might be a little easier on you than joining any of the other clubs." Milly explained before turning to face Kallen to introduce herself. "I am Milly, by the way, President of the Council. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you, the pleasure is all mine," Kallen replied politely.
"I am Rivalz, the secretary. If there is anything you need help with, I am your man."
"Hi, I am Shirley, alsa member of the swim club. Welcome!" Shirley greeted before Nina introduced herself.
"Uh…Hi there, my name is Nina. Nice to meet you."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Kallen replied as an unofficial member of the council was holding a pizza box in one hand while using the other for her cane. Following behind her was Quattro, who went to help Nunnally to set the pizza upon the table after depositing the cookies.
"Nunnally, where are you doing here?" Lelouch asked.
"This is Lelouch's sister," Milly said, prompting Nunnally to speak.
"I am still in the middle school group, so I can't be a part of the council yet."
"That's alright, but you are still a member to us," Rivalz said, willing to declare Nunnally an unofficial member of the council.
"Hello, its pleasure to meet you, Kallen," Nunnally said after putting the pizza box down.
"Thank you, you as well," the red-haired girl replied.
"Right," Rivalz said putting a bottle of Moet & Chanbon champagne on the table. "Shall we kick this off with a toast?"
"Huh, champagne?" Shirley asked, clearly confused by the appearance of the bottle as Nina questioned.
"Yeah, but we're on the Student Council. We shouldn't."
"Oh come on, loosen up, you guys," Rivalz said before trying to open it as Shirley tried to stop him.
"No way, we're going to get in trouble!"
Shirley began to take the bottle from Rivalz's hands. As they struggled, Nunnally was aware of what was going on, but her sonar detection she had could only show her so much. Milly brought a chair and gestured for Nunnally to sit down before giving her a glass of juice.
"Here you go, Nunnally."
"Lelouch, heads up!" Rivalz called out as he tossed the bottle to Lelouch who caught it, but Shirley went after him.
After a short struggle, Lelouch fell back on his rear, which caused the cork of the bottle to pop off. Although Kallen swat the flying projectile away, she was hit in the head by a steady stream of champagne soaking her.
"What just happened?" Nunnally asked as everyone else was badly embarrassed.
As Milly and Shirley were washing clothes, the young woman who got soaked was in the shower. The redhead was almost done, but she still needed a change.
"This is why I hate Britannians," Kallen grumbled before a knock was heard at the door.
"This is Lelouch. I brought some clothes, could I come in?"
"Sure, I drew the curtain back already," Kallen replied, closing the curtain before it opened moments later.
"Sorry about this," Lelouch stepped in with some clothes in his hands, trying not to look at the shower out of common courtesy for the young woman. "I know they can be a little over the top."
"That's okay. There is nothing wrong with cutting loose every once in a while."
"These are some of my clothes. I hope that's ok," Lelouch revealed as he put the clothes into a basket near the shower.
"Don't worry about it, but how did you manage to get to the boy's dorm and back so quickly?"
"I live here actually," Lelouch explained, surprising Kallen. "It would be hard for my sister to live in the dorms, so the headmaster lets us stay here as a favor."
"I see…"
"Anyway, I'll let you get to finishing up. Later," Lelouch then left the room. After the door closed, the redhead peeked to make sure the young man was gone. Kallen then went back to showering, but a pink pouch she carried was picked up by an invisible hand before a small note was slipped inside.
There we go, thought the invisible figure as it slipped back to her hiding place to wait until she could slip away. Just need to wait for Kallen to find it.
I dropped off the note, Lelouch.
Good job. Thank you, Quattro. How are preparations for our plan?
The twins tell me it should be ready by tomorrow, Quattro replied.
Good. If we play out our planned script, everything should fall into place. Provided nothing unexpected happens of course.
Then all that will be left is to destroy Clovis's career, Quattro thought evilly.
The following morning at the TSAB Mid-Childan Main Office in Cranagan, a meeting was being held between the leadership of Time Space Administration Bureau admirals, along with a few chosen others. The three legendary admirals were present, consisting of Leone Phils, Largo Kiel, and Midget Crowbel. Major Genya Nakajima and Major General Carim Gracia were also present. After the last few people who were summoned arrived, Carim took a seat and thought.
It's been a long time since the admirals have been gathered in one place.
Beginning the meeting a woman in her late fifties with gray hair styled into a braided ponytail, wearing a blue and white uniform.
"Thank you all for coming," Midget Crowbel, the Bureau Chief of Staff, began before adding. "To begin in our assessment of the Mandarin's capabilities, having examined the remains of the destroyed machine that attacked Cranagan, we have dubbed this Wyvern Drone Incident. That's the code name we have given the three drones."
"Director Atenza will explain the capabilities and design of these machines," Leone Phils, a man close to Midget's age with a black and gray officer's uniform, said gesturing for Mariel to address the gathering.
"Thank you," Mariel said adjusting her glasses before speaking. "The large drone we examined is nothing like the Gadget Drones we encountered in the last few years. Their technology is too different, far more advanced than anything I have seen before."
Using a remote she picked up from the table, Mariel pushed a button to show the same cross-sections of the wrecked right wing.
"Unlike the Gadget Drones, these machines use a type of muscle fiber made from carbon nanotubes for movement. Its size and flexibility make it a highly ideal component to give the machines high mobility and more life-like movements. Using such technology also leaves plenty of internal space, allowing whoever designed it to install a wide range of weapons," Mariel explained further using her remote to show the gathered leadership slides of Vita and Nanoha's fight as the drone displayed its weapons. "The fibers contract and move like a real muscle, giving these machines more organic inner-workings. No one has yet to develop technology like this anywhere among the TSAB administrated worlds; at the present, it only exists theoretically on paper. We tried to conduct further investigation on the other remains, but the self-destruct system these drones carried were very effective. Using a substance we identified as 'liquid sakuradite', it's detonated along with the main body to destroy the internal components, making an examination of them impossible. We discovered traces of it inside the right wing that was still partly intact, which did not blow with the rest of the body."
"I see. So what of the cyborg soldiers? Did your investigation reveal anything further?" Midget inquired.
"Most of them exploded like the larger drone did, but from my initial examinations, I am certain these men had undergone full cybernetic conversation. The lack of organic remains suggest they had their bodies from the neck down replaced with cybernetic components."
A few admirals gasped at the thought of so many people willing to undergo such a radical conversation process.
"How could this happen? How didn't we get any warning of this attack!?"
The outburst came from a large man. He was not really obese per sec, but quite large with brown hair and a beard. He wore a blue and white uniform with the rank of Lieutenant General. His name was Regius Gaiz, Commander of Cranagan Defense Forces.
"Lieutenant General Gaiz," Midget said rising from her chair. "We are all not pleased about recent events, but we are holding this meeting to plan our counterattack against this Mandarin. In the process, we must devise new defense plans and counters against his forces."
Back on Earth at Toyko Tower, or rather what remained of it, Kallen was presently wandering around the museum for Britannia's victory over Japan. She headed to the observation deck, where she was to meet with the man who helped them achieved victory a few days ago.
Yesterday afternoon, a note had been left for her, instructing her to come to Toyko Tower. It was from not only the man at Shinjuku, but someone who was also fully aware of her dual identity.
1600 hours, but why at Toyko Tower of all places? Kallen thought. trying the unknown savor. It was one minute after 16:00, but there was no sign of anyone who might have been the man.
As a precaution, the young woman wasn't alone. She had contacted Ohgi and and two of his fellow resistance members and friends to watch over her.
"Who do you suppose contacted Kallen?" Kent Sugiyama said as the three walked together, acting causal to avoid attracting attention.
"I don't know," Ohgi began, feeling uncertain it was Kururugi who contacted them.
"Yeah, but he could've been arrested after dropping that note," Toru Yoshida pointed out. "What if this is a trap or something?"
"I don't like this, we should go," Sugiyama said before a PA announcement was heard overhead.
"Attention please; paging Miss Kallen Stadtfeld of Ashford Academy. One of your personal items has been turned in at the kiosk on the observation deck. I repeat..." The announcer was saying as Ohgi and others turned around, seeing Kallen was already gone.
A short time later, Kallen arrived at the kiosk. The attendant presented her with a cell phone.
"I assume this cell phone belongs to you, Miss Stadtfeld," the female attendant said as Kallen took the cell phone with a curious expression. "Is there something wrong? It is yours, isn't it?"
"Uh, yeah. Thank you so much," Kallen replied before walking away to the observation balcony.
"Oh yeah, there is no debating it. Life is better here, thanks to Prince Clovis. I mean we were only able to rebuild this quickly because of Britannia." Ohgi said, trying to blend in as his companions walked up to the balcony. Around the same time, the cell phone began ringing with the caller ID showing only one name.
"Zero?" Kallen muttered looking over to Ohgi who nodded before the young woman answered the incoming call. "Uh, hello?"
"I want you to board the outbound train on loop line five and bring your friends."
"What?" Kallen replied actually shocked that this Zero knew about Ohgi and his companions following her or perhaps it was part of the plan the whole time.
"If you want to meet, then you best be there. Once you're on board, I'll contact you again."
Following the meeting, there were two other attendees aside Genya Nakajima. One was a twenty-one year old young man with black hair and dark blue eyes, wearing the uniform of an admiral of the TSAB Navy. Next to him was an older woman with long light green hair styled into a top-knot ponytail. Like her son, Lindy Harlaown was dressed in an officer's uniform with the same rank as her son, although rumor was that she was planned on retiring soon. The last two present were Hayate and Fate, invited after the meeting to discuss the results and the TSAB's plans for dealing with the Mandarin.
The group was at the Grand Cathedral of the Belkan Self-Govern Area, invited for a late lunch by Carim Gracia. Chrono Harlaown sat next to his mother and Fate while the group chatted about the meeting, waiting for their host to come.
"So other than tightening defenses and conducting searches, the higher-ups don't have any possible leads on the Mandarin?" Hayate asked sadly.
"Yes, but the problem is the evidence. We have too little to tell us anything further that could provide us with a trail to follow." Chrono replied.
"None of the admirals were happy about it, but that's where we stand right now." Genya added.
"Not that I blame them," Lindy commented before Hayate added.
"The only thing we have is that these drones and the leader Signum fought were connected to Earth."
"The leader," Chrono inquired. "I heard about the report where Signum faced the possible field commander for the whole attack, based on her assessment."
"Yes, but Signum mentioned to me that while with Nanoha at her parents' café, her father mentioned the weaponized hilt trick being was used by members of the Japanese Special Forces. Not a popular choice for samurai, but virtually identical when Nanoha's father demonstrated the fighting stance for its use."
Genya, Lindy and Chrono exchanged looks before Genya added.
"Well, there is no denying that the cyborg soldiers military training. But the fact they could have come from a primitive world like Earth, no offense," Genya apologized, looking to Hayate.
"Yet, there is the use of sakuradite, which is only richly found on Earth to our knowledge." Lindy pointed out, which had become increasingly popular among terrorist and criminal organizations as a component to make small compact bombs.
"Well, there might be something else. I don't know if it's related, but," Genya began but was interrupted when the door opened. Carim entered the dining room with her assistant, a young woman with short pink hair, light red eyes and wearing a black and white nun attire. Schach Nouera was wheeling in a tea cart as Carim took a seat next to Hayate.
"Forgive me for being late. I had a few things that stopped me along the way."
"It's alright, Carim. With all of the chaos happening in the last few days, I am not surprised you were delayed," Lindy said as Carim smiled at the older woman's understanding.
"Thank you, but maybe I should get to the real reason I called you all here."
"Is something wrong?" Fate asked.
"Not quite, but the other night, I had trouble sleeping. So I used my Prophetin Schriften."
"So you have a new prophecy?" Chrono inquired as Carim nodded in response.
"Yes and the prophecy I created was this," Carim said as she presented the interpreted prophecy. "From the savage seas, three terrible beasts whose cries will paralyze even the stalwart warrior will herald the coming of the Kings of revolution as our age nears its end. Born from betrayal and loss will arise the Dragon King, who shall usher in the destruction of law and blanket all seas in darkness. However, from a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace as he rises up with his Knights. The Iron Maiden, the Fallen Jester and the White Devil shall guide one of the Kings to decide our fate. Yet be warned upon the return to the roots of Gaea; one King must fall, and with his fall, a new age shall begin. The age that shall come will be by the will of the victor of the war between the two Kings."
"By the Dragon King, you mean the Mandarin, but who is the Demon King?" Chrono asked.
"Three beasts from the sea, which must be those three Wyvern drones," Hayate pointed out as Carim also nodded before saying.
"My prophecy states that the coming of these Kings will bring about a great revolution, which could mean salvation for us or destruction. The Demon King is the one meant to stop the Mandarin."
"From a far-away land no longer free, the Demon King, born of loss and sorrow, shall lead us towards an age of peace shall rise up with his Knights. What could that mean?" Fate asked before Genya spoke up.
"Actually, we might have a possible suspect."
"You do," Lindy asked generally surprised.
"Yes," Genya said as he brought out a small pocket device to display his daughter's information. "I had wanted to talk to you about this later, Lindy, but I guess since the subject seemed more appropriate at this time. He's footage of a second mysterious man, another masked one my daughter attempted to arrest a few days ago."
"Where was this?"
"The Shinjuku Ghetto in Japan, now Area 11. According to her report, there was a massacre being carried out against the people living there; civilians including resistance fighters were being indiscriminately killed by the Britannian Military." The aged Major explained as the gathering was disgusted by the Britannian Military's actions. "However, the situation turned around suddenly when someone led them in a fierce counterattack, which devastated the Britannian Army and allowed them to escape. It ended when the leader of the resistance fighters confronted the Viceroy of Area 11, holding him at point-blank range with an Intelligence Device, model and type unknown, to force him to call off his forces."
Chrono, Fate, Hayate and Lindy were shocked before Genya brought up the recorded video of Ginga's confrontation with the masked man. The group observed the battle and his tactics, but the magic circle that appeared at his feet was the biggest eye catcher.
"What kind of magic system is that?" Carim asked as Genya was uncertain as she was.
"I don't know, but it isn't anything we have seen before."
"Could that be the Demon King?" Fate asked while Hayate silently observed the rest of the battle concluding with Ginga's defeat.
"I am surprised there hasn't been much mention of him yet. Didn't Ginga report this to her superior?" Chrono asked clearly suspicious.
"She did, but I assume Headquarters is simply too busy to deal with this issue as they got the Mandarin to contend with." Genya answered before Lindy said.
"Materials and people from Earth, but now this…Just what is going on?"
No one had an answer, but Chrono had his suspicions.
Back on Earth, a train was speeding across the rails, passing along the edge that separated the Britannian Settlement from the Ghettos. Kallen was in one of the cars with Ohgi and his companions who were watching nearby. Kallen was waiting on the train, but the cell phone rang again, prompting the young woman to pick it up.
"What is it, now?"
"Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?"
"The Britannian City, it was stolen away from us and built on our sacrifice."
"And on the left?" the caller asked.
"I see our city; remnants of a desecrated city after the Britannians sucked it dry."
"Good answer; Now, make your way to the front of the train."
After hanging up, Kallen and the others made their way to the front, hoping to find the mysterious caller from Shinjuku. As they neared, they noticed how crowded it got, but upon reaching the last car they found it empty, save for a lone figure standing at the opposite end with his back turned.
"This is too weird. Could this be a trap?" Sugiyama commented before Kallen demanded.
"Well, was that you in Shinjuku? Was that retreat order your doing?"
"Hey, we're talking to you!" Yoshida demanded as the man turned around.
He stood before them, wearing a two piece tight dark purple suit with golden stripes and long, wrapped sleeves. The outfit was a combination of Victorian fashion with that of a sleek bodysuit, elegant but practical. Worn over it was a black and gold cloak with crimson spandex inside and an enormous black cape encircling the head. Its immediately recognizable feature was a spiky black and indigo mask with a long variation of a gold bird-like emblem stretched over its bottom, completely hiding the wearer's face. Completing the attire was a pair of long black leather gloves and a white cravat.
The figure turned around addressing Kallen and the others asking a simple question.
"What do you think of my tour of the settlement?"
"Your tour?" Ohgi asked confused before Sugiyama commented.
"Oh come on, it couldn't have been this joker."
"I wanted you to fully grasp the two: The Settlement and the Ghetto." the man said, spreading out his arms and revealing the rest of his body suit he worn underneath. He gestured out to the two different areas on the sides of the train.
"Yeah, we know," Ohgi began stepping forward. "There is a difference between us and them, a very harsh one at that! And that's why we resist them!"
"You are wrong; Britannia will not fall to mere terrorism."
Fall, Ohgi contemplated his words carefully.
"It's little better than childish nuisance."
"What was that? You're calling us a bunch of kids!?" Sugiyama snapped, clearly offended by the statement.
"You should know your enemy; it's not people, but Britannia itself! It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent! Take up your sword and fight for justice!"
"Oh please, that is all easy enough to say, isn't it? Hiding behind that mask, why should we even trust you?" Kallen shouted at the masked man as Yoshida also joined in.
"She's right! Lose the mask!"
"Right, are you going to show us your face or not?" Ohgi asked, but the man expected this.
"Very well, I'll show you...But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I can deliver to you the impossible, then I might have won your trust." Lelouch replied all the while he was smiling under the mask.
However, his moment was interrupted by an emergency call coming in. He brought out the phone he had been using to call Kallen.
"What is it?"
"Tell your friends that Clovis just gave orders for an airstrike against Shinjuku Ghetto," Quattro instructed on the other line.
"So he is going through it, but this quickly?" Lelouch was genuinely surprised at how early it was happening, but then again he knew Clovis would be feeling bitter about what had happened. They learned this when Quattro engaged in her usual hobby of information gathering. With what happened recently, she kept a close eye on military channels with the Viceroy Palace.
"Yeah, the chemical weapons and bunker busters are already moved to nearby airbase. It seems like he used other channels to get the orders though. He's likely trying to conduct the airstrike as quickly as possible to prevent any word of it getting to the people in Shinjuku. Tell them you got an ETA of four hours."
"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Kallen asked, overhearing part of the conversation.
"Fine, I'll tell them," Lelouch hung up the phone as he returned attention to his visitors. "A problematic change in plans on the Britannians' part, but no change in the purpose of this meeting. The real reason I called you here was to alert you that the Britannian Military is planning a massive airstrike against Shinjuku Ghetto."
"Are you serious?" Ohgi replied as Lelouch nodded.
"Their excuse is to suppress chemical weapons in Shinjuku; their intent is to set up bombers with incendiaries and thermite. We have four hours to evacuate the ghetto before it burns for the four corners."
"Four hours!? How the hell are we going to evacuate the whole ghetto that quickly? People were just going back!" Sugiyama said before Yoshida added.
"The problem is convincing the people that an airstrike is coming."
"Then I'll buy you time," Lelouch spoke. "This is not what I had in mind as a demonstration of my power, but I shall do this. I'll stall for more time and if possible, I'll see if I can get Britannia to call off the airstrike."
"How the hell are you going to do that?"
Lelouch grinned under the masked before explaining his plan, although Quattro's intelligence help him the most in making preparations with the twins in building a little surprise he had devised.
Not exactly what I had in mind, but it's fortunate we were already preparing for a proper response…But this…this will work out to my favor far better than I had planned.
Almost four hours later, the sun had disappeared below the horizon as day gave way to night as a special party was happening at the Viceroy's Palace. Inside the lavished ballroom was a large gathering of over a dozen members of nobility, including key members of the military like Purist Faction leader Jeremiah Gottwald. He was dressed in uniform with two members of his faction present with him. One was a young woman with long bluish teal hair tied into a top-knot ponytail, a dark skin tone and yellow eyes. The other was a man with short light brown hair and blue eyes.
Also in attendance was Diethard Reid with his film crew in supervising Clovis's upcoming press conference. Diethard wanted nothing more to leave as the sight of the nobles and knowing possibly what the conference was going to be made the man feel nauseous. At the height of his party, Clovis checked his watch and smiled, knowing that the Shinjuku Ghetto would be completely wiped out in less than ten minutes. If he was going to lose his position as Viceroy, then he might as well wipe out the ghetto before he leaves Area 11.
As Clovis took center stage, the cameras came on as Diethard instructed the film crews with a sigh.
"Thank you all for coming tonight, but I have an announcement for all of Area 11 as well. So please, allow me a moment of your time. Within the next few days, Cornelia li Britannia, the second princess of the Empire will be arriving in Area 11 to assume the duties of Viceroy in my place. I have been recalled to the Homeland to assume more pressing duties."
As Clovis gave what could potentially be his last appearance on television, a large cake about fifteen feet high was wheeled into the large ballroom through the gigantic doors on the far side. It was being moved on a motorized cart, controlled by a woman wearing a white suit with black hair and a white hat, plus a pair of sunglasses as another identical woman followed in her steed. It was a gigantic cake with white frosting and the words "GOOD LUCK" written in red frosting. Some of the nobles had a feeling what was going to happen while Diethard groaned, mentally wishing for anything else than this current task.
But his wish came true as the top half of the cake suddenly exploded, showering the room with confetti and bright-colored ribbons. Clovis was about to shake it off the interruption as a premature oversight and was going to joke about it since it was heard on screen with the camera men turning to the cake. However, when the smoke cleared, there was no exotic dancing girl as many were expecting. Instead, there was a man wearing a black mask hat Clovis was very familiar with.
The man stood atop of what was a large device with attached tanks concealed within the fake cake. It looked like to be some sort of large bomb. Everyone gasped in shock as even Diethard was stunned, quickly gesturing for the cameramen to focus on the man.
"I am...Zero!"
Zero? What, as in nothing? Diethard Reid thought before the man calling himself Zero leapt down from the bomb he smuggled into the very heart of Britannian power and control over Area 11. Kewell Soresi and Villetta Nu of the Purist Faction were about to apprehend Zero. But along with the guards stationed around the ballroom, Jeremiah saw a remote in his hand.
"Stand down, everyone stand down! That man has a remote to detonate that bomb!"
"I thought I told you once before Viceroy Clovis to leave Shinjuku Ghetto alone. They no longer have what they sought and now you simply want to burn it all down for the sake of petty vengeance. I will not allow it, so I will ask you that you call off the bombers. Or else, if any part of Shinjuku Ghetto is destroyed, it will be send a signal to this bomb to set it off. Of course, I could always detonate it myself," Zero replied, holding the remote detonator tightly.
Clovis was furious as tried to turn the situation around.
"You'll die, too, you fool?"
"Maybe so, but I am not afraid to die for a cause I believe in. You can prevent this if you comply with my demands. Withdraw the bombers now! Or would you rather let certain secrets be leaked to the public as well?"
The blonde haired Viceroy paled at the mention of it, although he could just push Zero into setting off the bomb. Unfortunately, he didn't have the nerve to follow through on something like that, valuing his own life and position.
"Order the bombers heading for Shinjuku Ghetto to return to base! Do it now, damn it!"
A military officer saluted and went to order the bombers back to base. But in the meantime, the nobles were trying to slowly slip away and escape.
"As we wait, allow me this opportunity to make my own announcement to all of Japan. But most of all, I want Britannia and those who have power to heed my words carefully. I am burdened by sorrow, war and discrimination. Malicious deeds carried out by the strong," Lelouch began. "It's the same abhorrent interplay of tragedy and comedy, the world being lead further to despair and destruction by the evil that is Britannia. The Japanese people suffer, which is why I fight and shall fight against those who abuse their power. So long as the strong oppress the weak, my rebellion will rise and grow stronger. It begins today with this act of rebellion, consider this a formal declaration of war!"
"Zero, we got confirmation that the planes are turning back to base," A disguised C.C. communicated to Lelouch as an also disguised Quattro nodded.
"Very good Clovis, but attempt another stunt like that again and my lips about your real intentions for wanting to liquidate Shinjuku Ghetto will be exposed to the public." Zero said before pushing the button. "Till next time,"
What was thought to be an explosive bomb was instead a gas bomb as the entire room was blanketed in purple smoke, causing the men inside to panic.
"Find the terrorists!" Jeremiah roared, but with the room in such chaos, finding the three was virtually impossible.
Instead of rushing to the bottom floor, the trio quickly exited to the villa's hanger where a number of gunships and VTOL transport planes were kept. Quattro's Inherent Skill, Silver Curtain made it easy for the three to slip away and evade pursuit while the rest of the interior was in complete chaos. Once they were in the clear, Quattro deactivated her skill removing the invisibility she placed around herself and the other two.
"Ok, so what now?" C.C. asked.
"We're taking those, but do you know how to fly one?" Lelouch asked pointing to a group of six VTOL gunships.
"I am not a combat pilot, but I have flown before."
"Good enough," Lelouch replied as they each commandeered a gunship.
"Do you think Clovis will keep his word this time?" Quattro inquired starting up her gunship.
"I really doubt it, which is why we're doing this."
By the time they were in the air, the guards were too late upon realizing their escape plan. The gunships had vanished into the night sky and vanished off radar thanks to Quattro's abilities. Calling Ohgi on his cell phone, Lelouch picked up after a few rings.
"Did it work?"
"Yes, the bomber planes were turned back as you no doubt saw on television. How is the evacuation going?"
"Not a lot of people believed it as we expected. Once they saw that broadcast, they started moving."
"I see…My associates and I will take down the bombers with some hijacked gunships to ensure they cannot be recalled to attack the ghetto again."
"Are you crazy!?"
"Don't worry, they won't see us coming."
With that, Lelouch hung up as he and his fellow partners-in-crime were on an intercept course for the bomber planes rising to the proper altitude. Fifteen minutes of flying later the VTOL gunships caught up to the bomber planes that were unsurprisingly heading back towards Shinjuku. There were at least twelve bomber planes loaded with enough bombs to raze the ghetto.
"Alright Quattro, you take a third and we'll get the others," Lelouch ordered as Quattro broke formation.
"Heh, this will be easy," Quattro replied as she took aim with the gunship's Single Ventral Cannon. "Weapons are hot, opening fire!"
The Cyborg raked a line of bullets across the engines of one bomber plane, sending it towards the ground before moving onto the next one. Lelouch already shot down his first bomber with C.C. despite her earlier claims in shooting it down. She took down another after making Swiss cheese of the engines. With their computers unable to see the gunships, the gunners had to manually aim their weapons. One bomber went down after another before they could even get a shot off.
It wasn't long before all the bombers went down, effectively saving the Shinjuku Ghetto again. Even if Clovis managed to organize another bombing run, the ghetto was close to emptying.
Ginga was in pursuit of the three gunships, traveling on her Wing Road spell and armed with her Barrier Jacket. Before she get closer to them, another mage using the same Wing Road interrupted her. His was a bright yellow as he was traveling on his own black rollerblades. Both hands were two gauntlet-like devices similar to Blitz Caliber with black finishes trimmed with gold and red crystals on the rollerblades.
"Lightning Blaze!" The intruder said as his AI on his intelligence device replied with a male voice.
"Yes sir," Revolver Onslaught said as a surge of lightning magical power surrounded his whole body.
He connected his road to Ginga's and came straight at the woman, moving at a blinding speed as he accelerated to the point that he appeared as a bolt of lightning. Ginga raised her tri-shield in an effort to block it, but given his speed and the surrounding energy, he smashed through her shield. The young woman side-stepped to barely avoid the punch aimed for her head.
He came to a stop, allowing Ginga a close look at her opponent.
He wore a his normal white lab coat. On his shoulders were metal armor plates and under that was a black collar shirt trimmed with gold, complete with black pants and hip armor. He had shin guards and the sleeves of his coat were tucked into his Revolver Knuckle-style Devices. On his face, he wore a white porcelain mask complete with black disc-shaped sunglasses.
"Who are you?"
"Call me the Doctor. I know who you are, Ginga Nakajima of the Time-Space Administration Bureau. I must ask that you do not interfere in matters do not concern you."
"I have a duty to carry out and you are under arrest for impeding a TSAB arrest!"
"I see," the man sighed before adding. "Then forgive me for having to kick your ass here and now. It's nothing personal, but there are greater things at risk here than the fulfillment of a law code and sovereignty rights that no Earth nation acknowledges at all." The blonde haired young adult said. "I would have thought that Quint Stratos taught you to follow what your heart told you, which was right rather than blindly obey the letter of the law. Because if she had done like you are doing now, you would have ended up as a lab rat in a TSAB Cybernetics facility."
Ginga was shocked as she thought.
Then, he knows I am a combat cyborg? But how could he know that and my mother's maiden name?
Not giving much time, the man began his attack as he charged at Ginga, who ducked to avoid a right hook as the two mages engaged in close quarters combat. He tried a roundhouse kick, but the purple haired woman managed to deflect it.
"Storm Tooth," Blitz Caliber said as Ginga tried to deliver a serious blow, but he responded with another attack.
"Flash Step," the man said as his own device spoke.
"Lightning Blaze," The AI of his device called out as his body was once again energized with lightning magic. He suddenly moved past Ginga's incoming blow by sidestepping before moving behind her to strike. "Thunder Strike," The AI announced as the gears of his right wrist began spinning and charging with lightning mana.
Ginga ducked, but managed a successful counterattack with a swift kick to the stomach, knocking Peter back.
He's fast; I can barely keep up… and that lightning move that covers his whole body it isn't just for defense.
Ginga suspected the Lightning Blaze was tied his bursts of intense speed. Meanwhile, the recovered man was already moving to counterattack. He shot out his right hand as a yellow Al-Hazard Magic System circle appeared ahead of his hand.
"Zeus Gatling Gun," he called out as six yellow spheres formed ahead of the circle before releasing rapid successions of miniature lightning bolts. Ginga blocked with her tri-shield before moving out of his path, using her Wing Road spell with him in pursuit. Quickly turning around, Ginga went straight at him. As they passed each other, the woman dropped her head to allow the punch to fly over her before quickly turning. She charged to deliver a blow to his back.
The man tried turning around to fight back, but Ginga kept up her offense, punching the blonde haired young man in quick succession in the stomach before delivering a blow to the face. His sunglasses shattered a part of his mask broke, drawing some blood that stained her Revolver Knuckle.
One more should do it, Ginga thought as she was about to use Storm Tooth to finish the fight, but suddenly….
"Chain Bind," Another voice called out as the masked man named Zero arrived on the scene to back up his ally. Abyss Soul's blaster bits flew around the woman, ensnaring her with magic chains.
Ginga was caught, but this time she struggled to break free.
"Binding Circle," Quattro added as she arrived on the scene, trapping Ginga with her own binding over Zero's own Chain Bind as while remaining hidden from the investigator's sight.
"Damn it," Ginga snapped at the unfair odds of three vs. one as her first challenger turned around and brought his hands up to the sides of Ginga's head.
"I am sorry," he said before electrocuting Ginga with a burst of lightning magic, enough to knock the young woman out without seriously hurting her. He caught Ginga before she fell off her Wing Road, descending down to a group of buildings to leave the young woman.
"She'll just keep coming for us," Quattro said wanting to suggest a more permanent solution to the TSAB officer's attempts to arrest Lelouch.
"We can't kill her for a number of reasons, but one of them would be that it would only bring more members of the TSAB." the man showing to be Peter said, wiping his mouth of the blood Ginga drew as he regrettably passed himself more as a scientist than a fighter. "Besides, she is my sister."
Quattro and Lelouch jumped, prompting young woman to say, "I wasn't suggesting it."
"We should leave before she wakes up; C.C. is already waiting for us." Lelouch suggested, not wanting to get into an in-depth yet about his relationships.
Twenty minutes later, Ginga finally came to with a splitting headache. She thought she was going to win that fight, but she got double teamed by two others who were no doubt his accomplices. Frustrated and possessing one hell of a headache, the young woman used a transportation spell to return to her outpost office and report her latest failure.
Maybe I should check in with father, too.
Sitting at her desk with a bag of ice on her head, Ginga was examined the blood sample she found on her Blitz Caliber. She hoped she could find out the identity of the blonde haired man she punched in the face, but the scan turned up unknown. She attempted to figure out the parents of the young man by using her DNA scanner to examine it and then compare with other DNA files on record. If she could figure out the man's parents then maybe she could figure out his identity. That of course took time, prompting to search around activities of the recent incident as she waited.
From what she saw on the news, Clovis's career and life was now effectively ruined by a release of his experiments on the web, showing him and his team using a certain unnamed green-haired woman as a guinea pig. It also revealed the woman was what the terrorists of Shinjuku Ghetto had really stolen, which prompted Clovis to cover it up. The whole liquidation was to eliminate any potential witnesses to what was inside that capsule along with the terrorists.
This information was being released onto the internet, going viral overnight. All over the world, even a number of Britannians, despite their apathy for Numbers, were shocked by the abuses his administration done to the girl and his length he'd gone to keep it confidential.
I guess it's karma when you pay for your own troubles, Ginga thought as she read some of the reports along with the failed bombing attempt. She wasn't too interested in what the prince was trying to research with the woman, but it did remind her of her past childhood experience among other illegal research uncovered by the Bureau. Once the footage of the masked man she fought came on, calling himself Zero and deemed the suspect who exposed Clovis's actions, Ginga once again felt a pain. It was possible that he was trying to stop research of Lost Logia on an underdeveloped world aside from helping the terrorists win against Britannia. But his vigilante actions were spontaneous and unauthorized and the pain came from coming back empty handed once again.
That was apart from the blood analysis, who could give her more detail on who she's fighting. After an hour, she finally got some results, which made her jump.
No…this…this can't be possible…his mother…And the father's DNA...It's the same!
Ginga was prompted to make a call. It was late at night, but still her troubled mind couldn't wait until morning. It wasn't long before Genya appeared on the video phone between the two. He was obviously tried, but the panicked and dismayed look on Ginga's face snapped the Major wide awake.
"What's wrong Ginga? What happened?"
"I faced the masked mage again, or rather I faced one of his accomplices," Ginga began. "He used magic similar to me and mother, but the magic system was different."
"What exactly happened?" Genya asked.
"I fought him and got some of his blood on my Device. He wasn't in the database, but when I tried to search for his parents or people related genetically to him it pulled up two matches…Subaru and myself."
"WHAT!?" Genya said genuinely shocked.
"I…faced and punched my own brother."
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Chapter 7: Loose Ends
The next chapter is up. This one will give some more revelations, including a surprising new ally in Lelouch's arsenal.
Chapter 7
Loose Ends
The following morning, a tired Lelouch was serving himself breakfast consisting of toast with a side of pancakes. As the former prince sat in the dining room eating his meal, a small radio nearby played the morning news.
I better start getting used to these late nights, but the early morning training was already rough enough, Lelouch thought as he yawned.
As he waited for the inevitable news report to come, Lelouch listened to "Snow Rain" on the radio. He reflected last night as Peter's face was taking time to recover. In mid-flight back to the Academy, Quattro and the blonde professor began chatting.
I know about the saying "love hurts", but your little sister put a new spin to it.
Ehhh know, Peter said, clutching his swollen face before correcting himself, I know.
Peter, I think it's time you told us the truth about you. Who are you really? We know you and Ginga are related, Lelouch inquired, but Peter was silent for a few minutes.
Please wait just a little while more, Peter replied sadly as it something far from pleasant. Lelouch didn't push the matter further for now, but he did want to know the full story behind Peter Vanderfloog.
On the offhand, it's fortunate Peter was monitoring Shinjuku for that woman. I know I'm used to calling him Peter, but I wonder how long before the TSAB figure out his identity? Provided he doesn't tell me first.
Lelouch always referred to Peter by his current name, but he and Quattro knew that wasn't his real name. He remembered the first time he met the man, who adopted the name almost five years ago, when Lelouch was twelve years old.
He was returning from class, entering the Student Council clubhouse where an aged man in a black suit was waiting for him. Gil Graham eyed Lelouch carefully before speaking.
"Are you Lelouch Lamperouge?"
"Who are you?"
"I am Gil Graham; This is the first time we met, but I'm aware of a special talent very few people have. We're here with a proposal to see if you want to develop it?"
"Just what are you talking about? What talent?" Lelouch demanded before a set of yellow-colored magical binds ensnared his body. "What the hell?"
"That is what you call magic, but there is a bit of science to it." Peter said, stepping out from behind one of the pillars. He wore a white trench coat with a black suit, a green tie, and a pair of black sunglasses.
"Who are you?"
"You may call me Peter Vanderfloog for now, but that is not my real name. However, I know your current name is not your real one, Lelouch vi Britannia, former 17th heir to the Imperial throne."
Noticing Lelouch's shocked expression, Gil raised his hand, trying to calm the young man.
"Relax, Your Majesty. We have no intention of harming you, but we know you have a grudge against Britannia for the death of your mother. Peter has told me that much about you and given your talent, you might be interested in joining our campaign in toppling Britannia."
"What do you two have against Britannia? Why me, for that matter?" The former prince demanded.
"Because you want Britannia destroyed," Peter assured. "I won't deny we have other reasons for doing so, which I plan to explain to you. Most of all, you have the talent to wield magic like me. If Graham is right, you could be another Nanoha Takamachi."
"Nanoha," Lelouch muttered in surprise, recognizing the name before asking. "How do you know her?"
"We haven't met, if that's what you are asking, but Graham here is familiar with her talents."
"Indeed, we also know you are capable of what she can do. From what information I have about you, when you were in Japan eight years ago." Graham explained before adding. "During an incident at the time, I was…observing… and realized the latent magical power within you."
"I was also aware of you," Peter added. "Because my father has dealings with the Britannian Emperor. In fact, you could say he played a big part in Britannia becoming what it is today."
"Then…do you know about what happened to my mother?"
"Yes, but mind you I am not aware of the full details." Peter explained before he went on. "You weren't wrong to suspect a member of the Royal Family, but the Emperor knows who killed your mother, but chose to cover it up."
Lelouch's eyes widened at this revelation as he never expected such a thing. His mind went into overdrive.
"Why would he do that? Was one of his consorts behind it? But" Lelouch realized that didn't seem right. "No, he never did show much affection for any of his consorts."
"No, he was covering for his own brother, your uncle, who goes by the name V.V. these days."
"V.V? I...I never knew I had an uncle..."
"I'm not surprised you don't know anything about him. He handles a lot of the shady dealings and organizations within the Empire, to put it simply. I could tell you more, but the rest is a bit much to handle. I will explain the rest at another time, but I can tell you even I don't know V.V's reasons for killing your mother."
Lelouch dropped to his knees.
"We can help you find out the rest of the truth. But first, would you become our ally?" Graham inquired snapping Lelouch's mind back to the matter at hand.
"I never agreed to be anyone's ally!" Lelouch shouted.
"Then why don't we show you a sample of the power you can wield?" Peter pulled out a small box from his pocket that contained a large blue marble. "Take this, Lelouch. If you are as talented as Graham claims, this should confirm it."
Lelouch was hesitant at first, but he accepted the marble. It glowed brightly as the former prince heard a voice.
"Abyss Soul Active, User detected, Proceeding to imprinting."
"What is this?" Lelouch asked, looking at the marble curiously before a red beam shot out to scan his face.
"Imprinting completed, it's a pleasure to serve you, Milord," The small marble said as it transformed into Abyss Soul in Device mode.
Lelouch took the scepter-like object into his hands before asking, "What are you?"
"Abyss Soul, Assault Device Class-Omega, reserved by the Warlock Caste of the Al-Hazard Guardians," Abyss Soul replied.
"So, Mr. Lamperouge, are you interested?" Peter inquired which only prompted a smile from the young man.
"Good morning, Big Brother."
Lelouch snapped out of his trip down memory lane as Nunnally entered the dining room in her usual attire at home. The sandy blonde hair girl carefully took a seat next to her brother.Lelouch quickly exited his chair to pull back the chair for his sister.
"Morning, Nunnally," Lelouch said as he sat back down.
"I heard you were out late last night. You didn't do anything violent, did you?" Lelouch shook his head, which prompted Nunnally to point out. "You did promise me you would avoid doing anything too aggressive, didn't you?" Nunnally asked, although blind, was looking in his direction with a stone face. She made Lelouch a little nervous, but he managed to keep a straight face.
"Nothing much. we just stopped Clovis from bombing Shinjuku...The only thing we did was shoot down his bomber planes with stolen gunships, and then ruining his party was a smoke bomb." Lelouch admitted while under the stern expression of his sister.
"Did that evening include the incidents in Shinjuku that the non-official networks were mentioning? What really happened? Peter and Quattro didn't tell me why Clovis tried to wipe out the people there."
Lelouch couldn't help but faintly wince. Since a few years ago, when Nunnally's disability was healed by Peter with nanotechnology to repair Nunnally's spine and legs, the life of Nunnally improved. However now that she wasn't bound to a wheelchair, his sister was more assertive and perceptive of her surroundings and outside events.
"Yes," Lelouch admitted, deciding to give Nunnally the whole story. "Clovis lost something to Japanese rebels, and he...reacted in an exaggerated way, ordering a mass killing of the Shinjuku Ghetto residents. I ended up in there by pure accident as you might have heard, but either way, I had to start fighting them; otherwise, those people would have been killed."
"I see," Nunnally sadly confirmed, feeling disappointed in her older half-brother "Still, I can't believe big brother Clovis was involved in human experiments and went so far to cover up his own mistakes."
"Well granted, Clovis wasn't the sharpest member of our family we knew back then. I don't think any of us could have anticipated he would turn into a corrupt politician."
"We rarely see people for what they truly are as they grow, Nunna-Chan," Quattro spoke entering the room dressed in her school uniform. "I know that well. Imagine how it would have been if you had grown in Britannia where the events that shaped you and Lelouch never happened. You'd be blind to the truths of the world, eating and breathing the emperor's philosophy twenty-four-seven."
Nunnally couldn't help, but cringe to the example before Lelouch spoke.
"Good point, Quattro. Still, it only remarks the fact; if we want to stop people from being twisted like Clovis was, or suffer because they are in the path of Charles's madness, we need to stand and fight."
"It's a bit much for us to do alone. We need some more followers."
"I agree," The former prince said before thinking just as the song came to an end.
But who will serve in my army? Quattro and Ohgi's group aren't enough…
"By the way Lelouch, I thought you want to know that Peter has left for a shopping trip," Quattro said, picking up the morning newspaper she saw on the table before taking a seat at the dinner table.
"Shopping trip? What's so special about that?" Nunnally asked.
"He is going off world for a few supplies."
"He's doing that again…" Lelouch was obviously curious about the meaning behind those exact words.
It was almost mid-day on Mid-Childa as Peter Vanderfloog was walking through the streets of Cranagan. He wore a hat and a white trench coat, along with a large pair of sunglasses that concealed half of his face. It was a very risky move for him, but with the likely confrontation with Britannia and ultimately Logos, the chemistry teacher knew he had to prepare for what was coming. Of course, there was also the TSAB and Jail Scaglietti he had to remain mindful of.
To simply put, Peter's purpose on the planet was to do a little shopping.
Ok, all of the arrangements were made. If he kept up his part of the bargain, then he'll have everything ready for me.
Peter proceeded further down the street until he entered the northern industrial area of the city, where what he sought was located. Unknown to him, Hayate caught sight of him after leaving a café she had been having lunch at and followed him. She wasn't certain if it was the same man Ginga encountered the previous night, but his blonde hair and sunglasses struck her as oddly familiar. Deep down, something told her she had to follow him, but she wasn't ready to call for back up until she was absolutely certain.
Present with her was a familiar wolf-like creature with blue and white fur, wearing armor upon its feet. The fairy-like human, Reinforce also accompanied the young woman.
At this distance I can't help, but notice. He looks like Fate and with the photo Genya-senpai had, there is a resemblance.
Are you certain about this? Zafira inquired through their telepathic link.
I am almost possible, but I want you and Rein to stay back.
Understood…
Be careful Hayate-sama, Reinforce said, worried for the young woman's well-being.
The young woman smiled in appreciating the concern, but she kept a safe distance. Hayate recalled the run-in Ginga had with the masked blonde man, who used a device and magic similar to her. More shocking was that they shared the same mother. But who was the father?
More questions came up on the girl's mind, but she pushed them aside tail the person ahead of her.
Back on Earth, the former prince was out on his own shopping trip. The cat-girl twins were out doing their own thing with Graham and were nowhere to be found. Nunnally and her maid had also gone out, using the free day to take her out and about around the school. Quattro and C.C. were left alone at the dining room table. Quattro read the Cranagan Times with a front page article titled: Who is the Mandarin? C.C. was reading a magazine with a similar article about Zero.
"So why do you follow Lelouch? Or are you with Peter?" The green-haired woman began breaking the silence.
"I suppose part of it is my situation, but I prefer Lelouch over Peter."
"Really?" C.C. asked curious about the woman who was very literally not from around here.
"Let's just say, two years ago, I was in a bit of a sticky situation. I was one of the creations of Jail Scaglietti, another scientist who went rouge. I suppose I'm his daughter since I have elements of his DNA. Things changed, however, when I was doing a mission for the Doctor while working with my other sisters. We were to deal with a TSAB officer who had information that could expose him. However," Quattro fell silent for a few moments. "Well, things went pear shape very quickly and I was almost killed. My own sisters turned on me, having been tricked by my elder sister, who had been compromised by the Mandarin."
"You were set up then."
"Pretty much. Unlike some of my other sisters, I wasn't a skilled combatant."
"Yet, you survived somehow?"
"Peter rescued me and created a decoy of myself to fake my death, allowing me to slip away with him to Earth. I awoke almost a week later after recovering enough where I found out the details of events that took place."
"I see, so you've been here ever since?"
"More or less. I will say that I enjoy some of my new-found freedoms I have been partaking."
"Really now? So that means you are unlikely to return to this Doctor if provided the chance?"
Quattro put down the newspaper to address the green haired woman directly.
"Don't get me wrong. While I respect the Doctor for creating me, I have no intention of going back."
"Enjoying your new freedom too much?"
"You can say that and..." Quattro let her sentence trail off.
"Something else?" C.C. inquired with a smirk.
"It's nothing, but what about you? If you couldn't form this contract with Lelouch I heard about then, why are you still here?" Quattro inquired, trying to change the subject.
"There are a few things keeping me here," C.C. said while she thought back to the private conversation with Peter. Quattro noticed the slight change of expression, leaving her to wonder just what exactly they talked about. The young woman knew that he still had some secrets. Based on his family relations with Ginga Nakajima, she had some reasonable suspicions.
If she is the aunt of that woman, then…there can't be any doubt both he and Ginga are the children of the Doctor's former student and lab assistant. But he's supposed to be dead...or is he?
A half-hour later Peter entered a warehouse where a large transport truck sat there waiting for him along with two men. One of them was obviously hired muscle wearing a black jacket with gray pants with boots and a cap. Standing near the bodyguard was a man wearing a gray business suit with a red tie, holding a suitcase in his right hand. He had a tanned complexion with green eyes and blonde hair while his partner had silver hair and blue eyes with a pale complexion.
"Did you bring the money?" The blonde haired man demanded.
"I did, but do you have the goods?"
The blonde haired man smirked before gesturing for his bodyguard to open up the back of the truck, revealing a large amount of boxed electronic devices and components. Peeking out from behind a corner, Hayate was observing what was obviously a black market transaction taking place right in front of her.
Hayate recognized the blonde man besides her suspect as Derak Elman, a merchant who specialized in trading stolen technology and other equipment illegal to the open market. This meant he was also involved in weapons trading. His partner and bodyguard was Zak Juel, a former member of the Ground Forces.
Removing a small black case from his white coat, Peter cautiously approached the blonde haired black market dealer. He handed his case over as they opened it eagerly to examine.
"Raw sakuradite, complete with a good assortment of diamonds...Perfect." Derak replied obviously pleased as the now popular key ingredient for powerful small bombs used in terror groups. But due to it existing only on Earth and the tight watch they put upon the planet, sakuradite has been very difficult to acquire, giving a high market value.
"Could I examine the goods you brought me. I will then provide the pickup point for the rest."
"Of course," Derak replied.
Peter climbed into the back of the truck to examine the contents. But Hayate stepped back to make a call.
"This is Captain Hayate Yagami of Special Investigations contacting Battalion 108 HQ, please come in."
"Yes, Captain Yagami. What can I do for you?" A female voice inquired on an audio only transmission.
"Please connect me to Major Nakajima. I must speak with him."
"Understood, hold please…"
Moments later, Genya's face appeared on a small holographic screen.
"Hayate, is there something going on?"
"I am calling to report a transaction taking place in the industrial district. I am at Storage Warehouse 66, where one of the suspects involved matches the description of one Sergeant Major Nakajima encountered."
"I see. I'll dispatch a few units to your location, but it will take some time for them to arrive."
"I understand, sir," Hayate replied.
"However, I was just speaking to someone who should be near you location. I'll ask her to provide assistance."
"Understood and thank you."
Hayate ended her call brining out a small golden cross she wore around her neck.
"Blesses wind, Reinforce...Setup."
At that moment, Hayate began transforming into her Knight Armor, consisting of a white balmoral trimmed with black on the bottom. Next came a black mini-dress trimmed with gold and silver with a small long sleeve white jacket with black fingerless gloves. Completing her attire was a pair of black shoes and a gold staff with a cross-like top similar to a spear and six black angelic wings on her back.
Now ready with Schwertkreuz and the Tome of the Night Sky, also known infomously as the Book of Darkness, Hayate went back to observe her quarry. The blonde haired man she followed just about finished examining the goods being sold to him.
"Mistress Hayate," Reinforce Zwei called out, having changed into her Knight Armor similar to Hayate, but minus the hat and coat and the black was replaced with white.
"Where is Zafira?"
I am on the opposite side of the warehouse, Zafira replied through their link. Instead of his animal transformation, the Guardian Beast switched to his human form. He became a muscular, dark-skinned man with wolf ears and a tail. His cloths were a sleeveless blue knight clothing coat, black pants and metal gauntlets on his hands and feet.
Hayate-sama, Signum spoke through their connection.
"Signum, where are you at?"
I am on route to your location; Vita is on her way as well.
"Okay, but you have some time before he leaves. Here's how we'll do it," Hayate explained before she went on to explain her plan.
It didn't take Peter long to go through the contents of the truck. After climbing out, he proceeded to finalize his business arrangement with Derak so he could be on his way. Unknown to him, Reinforce made her way up into the rafters with her Book of the Azure Sky in hand, readying to cast a spell. Hayate was in position, but as Derak and Peter were closing the deal, his Intelligence Device telepathically warned him of the danger.
"Damn it," Peter muttered as he silently tried to warn the two men. Unfortunately, Reinforce saw the silent signal and quickly reacted casting Frierenfesseln. A ring of swirling water appeared around them, beginning to form a dome over the three men. Thanks to the advanced warning, the young man used Lightning Blaze and escaped before the dome closed and was flash frozen. Reinforce Zwei lost track of Peter before the latter appeared behind on standing on the rafters in his Barrier Jacket.
Where did he go?
"Nice try," Peter replied, hitting Reinforce with Thunder Clap, the electric stun attack he used on Ginga that knocked the small unison device out.
"Reinforce!"
"So, it's you Hayate Yagami," Peter said before using a quick flash move to close the distance between them. He was intercepted by Zafira but immediately jumped back to avoid a punch the Guardian Beast threw at him. Peter stood a distance away while Zafira rushed the twenty year old mage as the gears on his Revolver Onslaught began spinning rapidly.
"Zeus Gatling Gun," The AI of his device called out as Peter unleashed his attack. Zafira raised a shield of a white Belkan trigram in front of him, deflecting the shots. Peter attempted a bind spell to restrain the guardian beast, but his foe broke free right before counterattacking. In response, he raised a shield to protect himself, but the punch Zafira delivered sent a blast of white mana through, hitting the young man before his shield shattered. Peter's barrier jacket absorbed most of the attack, but there was still some damage.
The Guardian Beast was moving in to press his advantage, but Peter was determined not to fall here and opened his hands as he spoke.
"Lightning Sabers!"
In his hands, a pair of swords comprised of pure lightning mana materialized, taking the form of a pair of long-swords.
Meanwhile, Hayate had been preparing to provide support. Her difficulty was that her spells needed time for preparation due in part to the enormous amount of magical power within her. With the Book of the Night Sky opened, she was preparing one of said spells. Peter realized the danger as he used his blades to keep the Guardian Beast at a distance.
"Approach from beyond, mistletoe branches, become spears of the silver moon, shoot and pierce," Hayate chanted as a white Belkan magic sigil appeared near the ceiling of the warehouse.
Damn it, I can't waste time with her, Peter cursed himself for the present situation he did not want to happen. I'll have to apologize to Graham later.
"I won't let you finish that!" Peter declared, literally firing his wired right hand straight for Hayate. Zafira reacted quickly to cut connecting metal cables, but the arm kept going as the detached hand flew straight for Hayate. The rest of the wire attachments detonated, confusing Zafira for a few seconds.
Peter then attacked from behind, slapping the Guardian Beast with the blunt of his Lightning Saber, electrocuting the wolfman with an electric shock. After summoning away his sword, he took out a small black device from his pocket. Opening the device, a piercing sonic pitch was heard causing Zafira entire body to go numb Although he was aware of what was happening, he was already immobilized.
Meanwhile, the launched right hand was almost deflected by Hayate's staff, licking time to raise a shield. Having disabled the Guardian Beast, Hayate was open to attack from behind.
"Hayate…RUN!" Zafira called out, but it was too late. Peter used his lightning blaze and flash-step to get behind Hayate for a surprise attack, using the same device close to her left ear. Hayate felt her whole body go numb as her limbs went limp; Although conscious, she felt her whole body stiffening. Peter caught Hayate with one arm as she fell before rolling back into the warehouse. He laid the woman on the ground with her back leaning against a steel support beam.
"What…what did you do to me?" Hayate inquired as she struggled to move her body. Other than her eyes and the ability to speak, the young woman had been completely immobilized.
Using a few well-aimed punches the young man shattered the ice dome, freeing Derak and Zak from their intended captors.
"You guys better get out of here before more show up."
"Thanks," Derak said as he and his partner didn't waste any time escaping. Once the pair drove off in their vehicle, Peter turned to Hayate.
"What I hit you and your Guardian with was a Sonic Taser. It's a handy defense tool upon which I can paralyze your nervous system, specifically your body's ability to move." Peter explained before pointing to specialized earplugs he had in his ears. "Now don't worry, the effect will wear off in about thirty minutes."
Using his remaining hand, Peter pulled down his white coat, exposing his shoulder and his upper arm. Using his hand, he grabbed a part of his arm near where a few cables and wires were left hanging after the rest had exploded. Grunting in pain, Peter detached the rest of his artificial arm close to his shoulder, causing blood to bleed out. Wasting no time, the blonde haired man reached into his pocket to draw a small injector filled with a green fluid. He stuck the needle into his shoulder and injected himself, causing his injuries to heal and his right arm to regenerate completely before Hayate's eyes.
The regeneration was very painful as Peter cried out in agony. Once his arm had regenerated, his right-hand Revolver Onslaught reappeared after disappearing from his weaponized prosthetic hand lying on the ground.
"Now…that…was…painful," Peter said before regaining his composure. "I am terribly sorry for inflicting harm upon the three of you. I cannot allow myself to be captured."
"What are you doing with the contents of that truck?"
"I need supplies for the coming battles. Simple as that."
"I don't understand…What is your grudge against the Bureau? Why won't you work together with them?"
Peter regarded Hayate with a saddened expression. "I doubt you will understand. Given your experience during the Book of Darkness incident, I think you can at least grasp some measure of my intentions. But let me introduce myself, I can't reveal my true name and identity, but you may call me the Doctor for the sake of convenience."
"The Doctor? But that doesn't answer why you are doing this."
"I am someone who seeks to change everything. I am not an ally of the Mandarin, I assure you; I cannot agree with his ways. However, I cannot agree with the TSAB either because they created the Mandarin."
"What?" Hayate exclaimed in shock, "But how is that possible?"
"If you want to know, tell Fate to look up her family history. Better yet, ask if she remembers through the memories she inherited from Alicia about an older brother."
"An older brother," Hayate asked before Peter nodded.
"Yes, but I am not that older brother…Of course, if you are really clever, you might even find out my connection in all of this and grasp some of my motives. Can you not deny how interesting is in how the death of a small girl can cause so much?"
Is he referring to Alicia's death? But how is he connected to that? And what is his connection to Fate-chan?
"Anyway-" Peter began as he picked up the unconscious Reinforce Zwei before depositing her on Hayate's lap.
Suddenly, a blast of pink energy came shooting through the roof, almost hitting Peter. The young man dodged the beam, although it singed the right shoulder of his coat. The resulting impact of the blast left a small crater and a blanket of smoke and dust that filled the area. The person Genya was speaking about earlier then arrived on the scene.
"Are you okay?" Nanoha called out walking over to her fallen friends.
Zafira didn't reply, but it was clear that he was fine, prompting Hayate to ask. "Nanoha-chan, you're back on active duty?"
"Not yet, but Major Nakajima called and told me you needed some help, so he gave me permission to go ahead."
"I see, but Nanoha, make sure we take him into custody…He knows something about the Mandarin and…I don't know how yet, but he is connected to Fate-chan."
"He's what?"
"I don't quite understand it either, but it's all the more reason we need to take him into custody."
"Allow me to be a little clichéd then by saying 'You'll never take me alive!'" Peter said before a yellow Wing Road shot out through the hole in the roof Nanoha made. Using Lightning Blaze, he escaped with a much-needed boost of speed. On his face, Peter was very fearful and pale as he didn't expect to run into Hayate, let alone the Ace of Aces.
I don't stand a chance against someone of Nanoha's skill and level of power, but I can still escape. I just need her to follow me.
Peter thought as he already had a plan in mind. He only won over Hayate due to her difficulty of using her enormous magical output quickly enough to stop him. Nanoha was a very different story which has Peter running scarred for his life; A direct confrontation with Nanoha would only lead to his defeat.
"Are you going to be okay here?"
"I'll be fine, Nanoha...Just don't let him escape."
"Right," The woman took off after Peter.
As the dust finally settled, Nanoha was already long gone in hot pursuit of the blonde haired young man. But no one noticed an odd shape along the side of the truck, which began to flake away, revealing someone who should be getting chased right now.
"That was too close…If I got caught in a battle with her, I would lose for sure," Peter commented as his camouflage he used to hide broke away to the surprise of both Hayate and Zafira.
"Huh, but how did you?"
"I am not much of a combatant, just a scientist who invented a few things to get out of potential sticky situations. You have witnessed two of them while your friend is chasing one of my more ingenious ones yet." Peter explained as he climbed into the truck. "As much as I would like to explain, I should be running scared for my life. Who knows who I might run into next, so I am quitting while I am ahead. So with that, I bid you good day, Miss Yagami. And I do apologize for the inconvenience I caused you and your family."
Peter put the pedal to the metal as he sped off, trying to get back to his ship.
A distance away Nanoha was speeding through the air after her presumed suspect. Despite the considerable speed Peter had, the Ace of Aces was catching up to the decoy.
"Raising Heart…Axel Shooter," Nanoha said as she was waiting for a lock on confirmation.
"Locked on," Raising Heart replied as a dozen pink orbs appeared around Nanoha.
"Shoot," The Ace of Aces commanded as a dozen streams of pink energy shot out, converging upon Peter's fleeing decoy from multiple directions.
The decoy dodged and moved to the left and right before using a Panzerschild modeled after the unknown magic system he used to block the remaining shots. Using the shield caused the decoy to slow down, allowing Nanoha to catch up quickly and cut him off. Before the decoy could flee in another direction, Nanoha quickly cast a bind spell to restraining the young man. The mahogany haired woman then held the blonde-haired man at staffpoint.
"You are under arrest!"
"I think not," Peter declared as the decoy began inflating. It then exploded like a balloon with too much air. A momentarily confused Nanoha was covered in colorful confetti falling around her.
A safe distance away, the real Peter pulled the truck into a ruined warehouse. On the outskirts of the city, he just finished a short-range transfer spell to move all his goods onto his cloaked vessel he had taken almost six years ago. It was equipped with a still operational stealth system, but Peter wasn't wasting any time loading up as it was hovering above the building.
Once the ship was loaded, the young man realized his decoy, which he had infused with a large amount of his own mana, had just self-destructed.
Damn it, I am out of time…I better get out of here before-
"Hold it," A new female voice demanded. Peter turned to see Fate standing there with Bardiche in hand.
Crap, Peter thought. Next, I'll have the stronger of Hayate's knights after me…I cannot linger here. As he slowly turned around and kept both hands behind his back, he worked on a small remote he was holding to issue commands to his ship.
"Hands where I can see them," Fate insisted as her Device assumed its Zanber Form. The yellow energy blade was pointed at Peter's neck.
Damn it, I am in trouble…I put most of my mana into that decoy, not to mention the animations.
"I can't let you take me in. More is at stake than you realize!"
"You can explain yourself later, but you will not escape," The blonde-haired mage pointed out. However, she began experiencing a strange feeling. Something deep within her mind was beginning to stir upon looking at the young man before him. There was something oddly familiar about him, but Fate couldn't understand what.
"Lightning Blaze!" a young girl called out as an unexpected ally arrived on the battlefield. Fate spotted a girl, at least around the age of thirteen and fourteen, cloaked in lightning mana. Fate barely raised a barrier in time as the girl in question came charging at her.
Using this chance to slip away, Peter used a short-range teleport spell to board the ship.
"Wait!" Fate shouted, but her path was blocked by the girl opposing her. The girl's device was similar to her own, but polished black and silver in color with a red sensor-eye. Near the top was more identical to a glaive transformed into a long-sword form much like her Bardiche Zanber Form.
Their blades met. Despite a clear difference in age, they were evenly matched for the most part.
"Come on, Alicia. We got to go now," Peter called from the ship.
"Alicia," a shocked Fate exclaimed as the two girls pushed away from one another. "It…No…It couldn't be you!"
Standing before Fate, her opponent wore a white cloak over a black body suit trimmed with gold and silver, similar to the Barrier Jacket she had once wore years ago. Yet now, standing before her was a thirteen year old girl with long blonde hair with most of it hanging, the rest styled into a pair of pigtails tied with white bow-ribbons. She wore armored boots and forearm guards to complete her outfit.
"I am sorry. It's nothing personal, but I can't let you take him…Nee-san, that is."
"Who are you…No…It's not possible…" Fate began, but her sentence trailed sd she was trying to understand how a dead girl was standing before her. Not to mention the last time she saw her corpse, it had fallen with her creator into a dimensional rift.
"Yes, it's me. I would love to stay and talk, little sister, but Nee-san and I have to go."
"No wait-" Fate began but something within her had weakened. As memories seemingly suppressed flooded within her, Fate dropped to her knees, clutching the sides of her head with a terrible headache.
Alicia fled back aboard the cloaked ship. Peter was already at the helm, sitting in a sphere-like cockpit that gave him a full three-hundred-sixty degree view all. He sat in a cushioned pilot chair with controls on the armrests to steer and pilot the ship. Holographic controls floating near him provided him with system and navigation control and updates. Putting the full throttle into the engines, the ship lifted up into the sky. It quickly achieved escape velocity, fleeing into orbit.
As the invisible ship fled Mid-Childa, Alicia stepped out onto the small platform behind where Peter sat.
"Will Fate-chan be alright? She seemed to be in pain."
"She'll be fine, but I think the spell that suppressed the memories your mother didn't want Fate to have...has become undone."
"Then…she is going to remember him?"
Peter was silent for a moment before he answered.
"Yes, she will."
At the Tokyo Settlement, Clovis la Britannia was thinking how his week had gone. His inhuman experiments had been exposed to all of Area 11, although he was surprised that the Emperor hasn't dragged him back in chains yet. It was about to get potentially even worse as the man was standing by a large video monitor in an ornate hall. Instead of Schneizel, the soon to be former Viceroy was having a video conversation with his older half-sister. She had dark magenta hair and Indigo eyes, wearing a dark purple uniform trimmed with gold and white complete with white boots and gloves.
"Good afternoon, dear sister," Clovis began, trying to be as friendly as possible. Cornelia li Britannia's stern expression was a clear sign she was not in the mood for a simple friendly chit-chat.
"I'll get right to the point, Clovis. As you know, I will be formally relieving you of duties as Viceroy by order of our father. Both due to your lack of ability to bring Area 11 under control and...recent events. I called to inform you of the new Sub-Viceroy of Area 11…Euphemia."
"WHAT!?" Clovis was surprised by this bit of news. Cornelia's beloved little sister would be the last person she would want to bring as Sub-Viceroy.
"I understand your surprise, but know this...If anything happens to Euphemia before I arrive, you will be held responsible." Cornelia said. She put emphasis on the last part to relay Clovis the hidden message.
Clovis swallowed hard in understanding the hidden message perfectly; if he screwed this one up, he would potentially be sent back to the Homeland in a body bag.
"I understand perfectly, sister."
Chapter 7
Loose Ends
The following morning, a tired Lelouch was serving himself breakfast consisting of toast with a side of pancakes. As the former prince sat in the dining room eating his meal, a small radio nearby played the morning news.
I better start getting used to these late nights, but the early morning training was already rough enough, Lelouch thought as he yawned.
As he waited for the inevitable news report to come, Lelouch listened to "Snow Rain" on the radio. He reflected last night as Peter's face was taking time to recover. In mid-flight back to the Academy, Quattro and the blonde professor began chatting.
I know about the saying "love hurts", but your little sister put a new spin to it.
Ehhh know, Peter said, clutching his swollen face before correcting himself, I know.
Peter, I think it's time you told us the truth about you. Who are you really? We know you and Ginga are related, Lelouch inquired, but Peter was silent for a few minutes.
Please wait just a little while more, Peter replied sadly as it something far from pleasant. Lelouch didn't push the matter further for now, but he did want to know the full story behind Peter Vanderfloog.
On the offhand, it's fortunate Peter was monitoring Shinjuku for that woman. I know I'm used to calling him Peter, but I wonder how long before the TSAB figure out his identity? Provided he doesn't tell me first.
Lelouch always referred to Peter by his current name, but he and Quattro knew that wasn't his real name. He remembered the first time he met the man, who adopted the name almost five years ago, when Lelouch was twelve years old.
He was returning from class, entering the Student Council clubhouse where an aged man in a black suit was waiting for him. Gil Graham eyed Lelouch carefully before speaking.
"Are you Lelouch Lamperouge?"
"Who are you?"
"I am Gil Graham; This is the first time we met, but I'm aware of a special talent very few people have. We're here with a proposal to see if you want to develop it?"
"Just what are you talking about? What talent?" Lelouch demanded before a set of yellow-colored magical binds ensnared his body. "What the hell?"
"That is what you call magic, but there is a bit of science to it." Peter said, stepping out from behind one of the pillars. He wore a white trench coat with a black suit, a green tie, and a pair of black sunglasses.
"Who are you?"
"You may call me Peter Vanderfloog for now, but that is not my real name. However, I know your current name is not your real one, Lelouch vi Britannia, former 17th heir to the Imperial throne."
Noticing Lelouch's shocked expression, Gil raised his hand, trying to calm the young man.
"Relax, Your Majesty. We have no intention of harming you, but we know you have a grudge against Britannia for the death of your mother. Peter has told me that much about you and given your talent, you might be interested in joining our campaign in toppling Britannia."
"What do you two have against Britannia? Why me, for that matter?" The former prince demanded.
"Because you want Britannia destroyed," Peter assured. "I won't deny we have other reasons for doing so, which I plan to explain to you. Most of all, you have the talent to wield magic like me. If Graham is right, you could be another Nanoha Takamachi."
"Nanoha," Lelouch muttered in surprise, recognizing the name before asking. "How do you know her?"
"We haven't met, if that's what you are asking, but Graham here is familiar with her talents."
"Indeed, we also know you are capable of what she can do. From what information I have about you, when you were in Japan eight years ago." Graham explained before adding. "During an incident at the time, I was…observing… and realized the latent magical power within you."
"I was also aware of you," Peter added. "Because my father has dealings with the Britannian Emperor. In fact, you could say he played a big part in Britannia becoming what it is today."
"Then…do you know about what happened to my mother?"
"Yes, but mind you I am not aware of the full details." Peter explained before he went on. "You weren't wrong to suspect a member of the Royal Family, but the Emperor knows who killed your mother, but chose to cover it up."
Lelouch's eyes widened at this revelation as he never expected such a thing. His mind went into overdrive.
"Why would he do that? Was one of his consorts behind it? But" Lelouch realized that didn't seem right. "No, he never did show much affection for any of his consorts."
"No, he was covering for his own brother, your uncle, who goes by the name V.V. these days."
"V.V? I...I never knew I had an uncle..."
"I'm not surprised you don't know anything about him. He handles a lot of the shady dealings and organizations within the Empire, to put it simply. I could tell you more, but the rest is a bit much to handle. I will explain the rest at another time, but I can tell you even I don't know V.V's reasons for killing your mother."
Lelouch dropped to his knees.
"We can help you find out the rest of the truth. But first, would you become our ally?" Graham inquired snapping Lelouch's mind back to the matter at hand.
"I never agreed to be anyone's ally!" Lelouch shouted.
"Then why don't we show you a sample of the power you can wield?" Peter pulled out a small box from his pocket that contained a large blue marble. "Take this, Lelouch. If you are as talented as Graham claims, this should confirm it."
Lelouch was hesitant at first, but he accepted the marble. It glowed brightly as the former prince heard a voice.
"Abyss Soul Active, User detected, Proceeding to imprinting."
"What is this?" Lelouch asked, looking at the marble curiously before a red beam shot out to scan his face.
"Imprinting completed, it's a pleasure to serve you, Milord," The small marble said as it transformed into Abyss Soul in Device mode.
Lelouch took the scepter-like object into his hands before asking, "What are you?"
"Abyss Soul, Assault Device Class-Omega, reserved by the Warlock Caste of the Al-Hazard Guardians," Abyss Soul replied.
"So, Mr. Lamperouge, are you interested?" Peter inquired which only prompted a smile from the young man.
"Good morning, Big Brother."
Lelouch snapped out of his trip down memory lane as Nunnally entered the dining room in her usual attire at home. The sandy blonde hair girl carefully took a seat next to her brother.Lelouch quickly exited his chair to pull back the chair for his sister.
"Morning, Nunnally," Lelouch said as he sat back down.
"I heard you were out late last night. You didn't do anything violent, did you?" Lelouch shook his head, which prompted Nunnally to point out. "You did promise me you would avoid doing anything too aggressive, didn't you?" Nunnally asked, although blind, was looking in his direction with a stone face. She made Lelouch a little nervous, but he managed to keep a straight face.
"Nothing much. we just stopped Clovis from bombing Shinjuku...The only thing we did was shoot down his bomber planes with stolen gunships, and then ruining his party was a smoke bomb." Lelouch admitted while under the stern expression of his sister.
"Did that evening include the incidents in Shinjuku that the non-official networks were mentioning? What really happened? Peter and Quattro didn't tell me why Clovis tried to wipe out the people there."
Lelouch couldn't help but faintly wince. Since a few years ago, when Nunnally's disability was healed by Peter with nanotechnology to repair Nunnally's spine and legs, the life of Nunnally improved. However now that she wasn't bound to a wheelchair, his sister was more assertive and perceptive of her surroundings and outside events.
"Yes," Lelouch admitted, deciding to give Nunnally the whole story. "Clovis lost something to Japanese rebels, and he...reacted in an exaggerated way, ordering a mass killing of the Shinjuku Ghetto residents. I ended up in there by pure accident as you might have heard, but either way, I had to start fighting them; otherwise, those people would have been killed."
"I see," Nunnally sadly confirmed, feeling disappointed in her older half-brother "Still, I can't believe big brother Clovis was involved in human experiments and went so far to cover up his own mistakes."
"Well granted, Clovis wasn't the sharpest member of our family we knew back then. I don't think any of us could have anticipated he would turn into a corrupt politician."
"We rarely see people for what they truly are as they grow, Nunna-Chan," Quattro spoke entering the room dressed in her school uniform. "I know that well. Imagine how it would have been if you had grown in Britannia where the events that shaped you and Lelouch never happened. You'd be blind to the truths of the world, eating and breathing the emperor's philosophy twenty-four-seven."
Nunnally couldn't help, but cringe to the example before Lelouch spoke.
"Good point, Quattro. Still, it only remarks the fact; if we want to stop people from being twisted like Clovis was, or suffer because they are in the path of Charles's madness, we need to stand and fight."
"It's a bit much for us to do alone. We need some more followers."
"I agree," The former prince said before thinking just as the song came to an end.
But who will serve in my army? Quattro and Ohgi's group aren't enough…
"By the way Lelouch, I thought you want to know that Peter has left for a shopping trip," Quattro said, picking up the morning newspaper she saw on the table before taking a seat at the dinner table.
"Shopping trip? What's so special about that?" Nunnally asked.
"He is going off world for a few supplies."
"He's doing that again…" Lelouch was obviously curious about the meaning behind those exact words.
It was almost mid-day on Mid-Childa as Peter Vanderfloog was walking through the streets of Cranagan. He wore a hat and a white trench coat, along with a large pair of sunglasses that concealed half of his face. It was a very risky move for him, but with the likely confrontation with Britannia and ultimately Logos, the chemistry teacher knew he had to prepare for what was coming. Of course, there was also the TSAB and Jail Scaglietti he had to remain mindful of.
To simply put, Peter's purpose on the planet was to do a little shopping.
Ok, all of the arrangements were made. If he kept up his part of the bargain, then he'll have everything ready for me.
Peter proceeded further down the street until he entered the northern industrial area of the city, where what he sought was located. Unknown to him, Hayate caught sight of him after leaving a café she had been having lunch at and followed him. She wasn't certain if it was the same man Ginga encountered the previous night, but his blonde hair and sunglasses struck her as oddly familiar. Deep down, something told her she had to follow him, but she wasn't ready to call for back up until she was absolutely certain.
Present with her was a familiar wolf-like creature with blue and white fur, wearing armor upon its feet. The fairy-like human, Reinforce also accompanied the young woman.
At this distance I can't help, but notice. He looks like Fate and with the photo Genya-senpai had, there is a resemblance.
Are you certain about this? Zafira inquired through their telepathic link.
I am almost possible, but I want you and Rein to stay back.
Understood…
Be careful Hayate-sama, Reinforce said, worried for the young woman's well-being.
The young woman smiled in appreciating the concern, but she kept a safe distance. Hayate recalled the run-in Ginga had with the masked blonde man, who used a device and magic similar to her. More shocking was that they shared the same mother. But who was the father?
More questions came up on the girl's mind, but she pushed them aside tail the person ahead of her.
Back on Earth, the former prince was out on his own shopping trip. The cat-girl twins were out doing their own thing with Graham and were nowhere to be found. Nunnally and her maid had also gone out, using the free day to take her out and about around the school. Quattro and C.C. were left alone at the dining room table. Quattro read the Cranagan Times with a front page article titled: Who is the Mandarin? C.C. was reading a magazine with a similar article about Zero.
"So why do you follow Lelouch? Or are you with Peter?" The green-haired woman began breaking the silence.
"I suppose part of it is my situation, but I prefer Lelouch over Peter."
"Really?" C.C. asked curious about the woman who was very literally not from around here.
"Let's just say, two years ago, I was in a bit of a sticky situation. I was one of the creations of Jail Scaglietti, another scientist who went rouge. I suppose I'm his daughter since I have elements of his DNA. Things changed, however, when I was doing a mission for the Doctor while working with my other sisters. We were to deal with a TSAB officer who had information that could expose him. However," Quattro fell silent for a few moments. "Well, things went pear shape very quickly and I was almost killed. My own sisters turned on me, having been tricked by my elder sister, who had been compromised by the Mandarin."
"You were set up then."
"Pretty much. Unlike some of my other sisters, I wasn't a skilled combatant."
"Yet, you survived somehow?"
"Peter rescued me and created a decoy of myself to fake my death, allowing me to slip away with him to Earth. I awoke almost a week later after recovering enough where I found out the details of events that took place."
"I see, so you've been here ever since?"
"More or less. I will say that I enjoy some of my new-found freedoms I have been partaking."
"Really now? So that means you are unlikely to return to this Doctor if provided the chance?"
Quattro put down the newspaper to address the green haired woman directly.
"Don't get me wrong. While I respect the Doctor for creating me, I have no intention of going back."
"Enjoying your new freedom too much?"
"You can say that and..." Quattro let her sentence trail off.
"Something else?" C.C. inquired with a smirk.
"It's nothing, but what about you? If you couldn't form this contract with Lelouch I heard about then, why are you still here?" Quattro inquired, trying to change the subject.
"There are a few things keeping me here," C.C. said while she thought back to the private conversation with Peter. Quattro noticed the slight change of expression, leaving her to wonder just what exactly they talked about. The young woman knew that he still had some secrets. Based on his family relations with Ginga Nakajima, she had some reasonable suspicions.
If she is the aunt of that woman, then…there can't be any doubt both he and Ginga are the children of the Doctor's former student and lab assistant. But he's supposed to be dead...or is he?
A half-hour later Peter entered a warehouse where a large transport truck sat there waiting for him along with two men. One of them was obviously hired muscle wearing a black jacket with gray pants with boots and a cap. Standing near the bodyguard was a man wearing a gray business suit with a red tie, holding a suitcase in his right hand. He had a tanned complexion with green eyes and blonde hair while his partner had silver hair and blue eyes with a pale complexion.
"Did you bring the money?" The blonde haired man demanded.
"I did, but do you have the goods?"
The blonde haired man smirked before gesturing for his bodyguard to open up the back of the truck, revealing a large amount of boxed electronic devices and components. Peeking out from behind a corner, Hayate was observing what was obviously a black market transaction taking place right in front of her.
Hayate recognized the blonde man besides her suspect as Derak Elman, a merchant who specialized in trading stolen technology and other equipment illegal to the open market. This meant he was also involved in weapons trading. His partner and bodyguard was Zak Juel, a former member of the Ground Forces.
Removing a small black case from his white coat, Peter cautiously approached the blonde haired black market dealer. He handed his case over as they opened it eagerly to examine.
"Raw sakuradite, complete with a good assortment of diamonds...Perfect." Derak replied obviously pleased as the now popular key ingredient for powerful small bombs used in terror groups. But due to it existing only on Earth and the tight watch they put upon the planet, sakuradite has been very difficult to acquire, giving a high market value.
"Could I examine the goods you brought me. I will then provide the pickup point for the rest."
"Of course," Derak replied.
Peter climbed into the back of the truck to examine the contents. But Hayate stepped back to make a call.
"This is Captain Hayate Yagami of Special Investigations contacting Battalion 108 HQ, please come in."
"Yes, Captain Yagami. What can I do for you?" A female voice inquired on an audio only transmission.
"Please connect me to Major Nakajima. I must speak with him."
"Understood, hold please…"
Moments later, Genya's face appeared on a small holographic screen.
"Hayate, is there something going on?"
"I am calling to report a transaction taking place in the industrial district. I am at Storage Warehouse 66, where one of the suspects involved matches the description of one Sergeant Major Nakajima encountered."
"I see. I'll dispatch a few units to your location, but it will take some time for them to arrive."
"I understand, sir," Hayate replied.
"However, I was just speaking to someone who should be near you location. I'll ask her to provide assistance."
"Understood and thank you."
Hayate ended her call brining out a small golden cross she wore around her neck.
"Blesses wind, Reinforce...Setup."
At that moment, Hayate began transforming into her Knight Armor, consisting of a white balmoral trimmed with black on the bottom. Next came a black mini-dress trimmed with gold and silver with a small long sleeve white jacket with black fingerless gloves. Completing her attire was a pair of black shoes and a gold staff with a cross-like top similar to a spear and six black angelic wings on her back.
Now ready with Schwertkreuz and the Tome of the Night Sky, also known infomously as the Book of Darkness, Hayate went back to observe her quarry. The blonde haired man she followed just about finished examining the goods being sold to him.
"Mistress Hayate," Reinforce Zwei called out, having changed into her Knight Armor similar to Hayate, but minus the hat and coat and the black was replaced with white.
"Where is Zafira?"
I am on the opposite side of the warehouse, Zafira replied through their link. Instead of his animal transformation, the Guardian Beast switched to his human form. He became a muscular, dark-skinned man with wolf ears and a tail. His cloths were a sleeveless blue knight clothing coat, black pants and metal gauntlets on his hands and feet.
Hayate-sama, Signum spoke through their connection.
"Signum, where are you at?"
I am on route to your location; Vita is on her way as well.
"Okay, but you have some time before he leaves. Here's how we'll do it," Hayate explained before she went on to explain her plan.
It didn't take Peter long to go through the contents of the truck. After climbing out, he proceeded to finalize his business arrangement with Derak so he could be on his way. Unknown to him, Reinforce made her way up into the rafters with her Book of the Azure Sky in hand, readying to cast a spell. Hayate was in position, but as Derak and Peter were closing the deal, his Intelligence Device telepathically warned him of the danger.
"Damn it," Peter muttered as he silently tried to warn the two men. Unfortunately, Reinforce saw the silent signal and quickly reacted casting Frierenfesseln. A ring of swirling water appeared around them, beginning to form a dome over the three men. Thanks to the advanced warning, the young man used Lightning Blaze and escaped before the dome closed and was flash frozen. Reinforce Zwei lost track of Peter before the latter appeared behind on standing on the rafters in his Barrier Jacket.
Where did he go?
"Nice try," Peter replied, hitting Reinforce with Thunder Clap, the electric stun attack he used on Ginga that knocked the small unison device out.
"Reinforce!"
"So, it's you Hayate Yagami," Peter said before using a quick flash move to close the distance between them. He was intercepted by Zafira but immediately jumped back to avoid a punch the Guardian Beast threw at him. Peter stood a distance away while Zafira rushed the twenty year old mage as the gears on his Revolver Onslaught began spinning rapidly.
"Zeus Gatling Gun," The AI of his device called out as Peter unleashed his attack. Zafira raised a shield of a white Belkan trigram in front of him, deflecting the shots. Peter attempted a bind spell to restrain the guardian beast, but his foe broke free right before counterattacking. In response, he raised a shield to protect himself, but the punch Zafira delivered sent a blast of white mana through, hitting the young man before his shield shattered. Peter's barrier jacket absorbed most of the attack, but there was still some damage.
The Guardian Beast was moving in to press his advantage, but Peter was determined not to fall here and opened his hands as he spoke.
"Lightning Sabers!"
In his hands, a pair of swords comprised of pure lightning mana materialized, taking the form of a pair of long-swords.
Meanwhile, Hayate had been preparing to provide support. Her difficulty was that her spells needed time for preparation due in part to the enormous amount of magical power within her. With the Book of the Night Sky opened, she was preparing one of said spells. Peter realized the danger as he used his blades to keep the Guardian Beast at a distance.
"Approach from beyond, mistletoe branches, become spears of the silver moon, shoot and pierce," Hayate chanted as a white Belkan magic sigil appeared near the ceiling of the warehouse.
Damn it, I can't waste time with her, Peter cursed himself for the present situation he did not want to happen. I'll have to apologize to Graham later.
"I won't let you finish that!" Peter declared, literally firing his wired right hand straight for Hayate. Zafira reacted quickly to cut connecting metal cables, but the arm kept going as the detached hand flew straight for Hayate. The rest of the wire attachments detonated, confusing Zafira for a few seconds.
Peter then attacked from behind, slapping the Guardian Beast with the blunt of his Lightning Saber, electrocuting the wolfman with an electric shock. After summoning away his sword, he took out a small black device from his pocket. Opening the device, a piercing sonic pitch was heard causing Zafira entire body to go numb Although he was aware of what was happening, he was already immobilized.
Meanwhile, the launched right hand was almost deflected by Hayate's staff, licking time to raise a shield. Having disabled the Guardian Beast, Hayate was open to attack from behind.
"Hayate…RUN!" Zafira called out, but it was too late. Peter used his lightning blaze and flash-step to get behind Hayate for a surprise attack, using the same device close to her left ear. Hayate felt her whole body go numb as her limbs went limp; Although conscious, she felt her whole body stiffening. Peter caught Hayate with one arm as she fell before rolling back into the warehouse. He laid the woman on the ground with her back leaning against a steel support beam.
"What…what did you do to me?" Hayate inquired as she struggled to move her body. Other than her eyes and the ability to speak, the young woman had been completely immobilized.
Using a few well-aimed punches the young man shattered the ice dome, freeing Derak and Zak from their intended captors.
"You guys better get out of here before more show up."
"Thanks," Derak said as he and his partner didn't waste any time escaping. Once the pair drove off in their vehicle, Peter turned to Hayate.
"What I hit you and your Guardian with was a Sonic Taser. It's a handy defense tool upon which I can paralyze your nervous system, specifically your body's ability to move." Peter explained before pointing to specialized earplugs he had in his ears. "Now don't worry, the effect will wear off in about thirty minutes."
Using his remaining hand, Peter pulled down his white coat, exposing his shoulder and his upper arm. Using his hand, he grabbed a part of his arm near where a few cables and wires were left hanging after the rest had exploded. Grunting in pain, Peter detached the rest of his artificial arm close to his shoulder, causing blood to bleed out. Wasting no time, the blonde haired man reached into his pocket to draw a small injector filled with a green fluid. He stuck the needle into his shoulder and injected himself, causing his injuries to heal and his right arm to regenerate completely before Hayate's eyes.
The regeneration was very painful as Peter cried out in agony. Once his arm had regenerated, his right-hand Revolver Onslaught reappeared after disappearing from his weaponized prosthetic hand lying on the ground.
"Now…that…was…painful," Peter said before regaining his composure. "I am terribly sorry for inflicting harm upon the three of you. I cannot allow myself to be captured."
"What are you doing with the contents of that truck?"
"I need supplies for the coming battles. Simple as that."
"I don't understand…What is your grudge against the Bureau? Why won't you work together with them?"
Peter regarded Hayate with a saddened expression. "I doubt you will understand. Given your experience during the Book of Darkness incident, I think you can at least grasp some measure of my intentions. But let me introduce myself, I can't reveal my true name and identity, but you may call me the Doctor for the sake of convenience."
"The Doctor? But that doesn't answer why you are doing this."
"I am someone who seeks to change everything. I am not an ally of the Mandarin, I assure you; I cannot agree with his ways. However, I cannot agree with the TSAB either because they created the Mandarin."
"What?" Hayate exclaimed in shock, "But how is that possible?"
"If you want to know, tell Fate to look up her family history. Better yet, ask if she remembers through the memories she inherited from Alicia about an older brother."
"An older brother," Hayate asked before Peter nodded.
"Yes, but I am not that older brother…Of course, if you are really clever, you might even find out my connection in all of this and grasp some of my motives. Can you not deny how interesting is in how the death of a small girl can cause so much?"
Is he referring to Alicia's death? But how is he connected to that? And what is his connection to Fate-chan?
"Anyway-" Peter began as he picked up the unconscious Reinforce Zwei before depositing her on Hayate's lap.
Suddenly, a blast of pink energy came shooting through the roof, almost hitting Peter. The young man dodged the beam, although it singed the right shoulder of his coat. The resulting impact of the blast left a small crater and a blanket of smoke and dust that filled the area. The person Genya was speaking about earlier then arrived on the scene.
"Are you okay?" Nanoha called out walking over to her fallen friends.
Zafira didn't reply, but it was clear that he was fine, prompting Hayate to ask. "Nanoha-chan, you're back on active duty?"
"Not yet, but Major Nakajima called and told me you needed some help, so he gave me permission to go ahead."
"I see, but Nanoha, make sure we take him into custody…He knows something about the Mandarin and…I don't know how yet, but he is connected to Fate-chan."
"He's what?"
"I don't quite understand it either, but it's all the more reason we need to take him into custody."
"Allow me to be a little clichéd then by saying 'You'll never take me alive!'" Peter said before a yellow Wing Road shot out through the hole in the roof Nanoha made. Using Lightning Blaze, he escaped with a much-needed boost of speed. On his face, Peter was very fearful and pale as he didn't expect to run into Hayate, let alone the Ace of Aces.
I don't stand a chance against someone of Nanoha's skill and level of power, but I can still escape. I just need her to follow me.
Peter thought as he already had a plan in mind. He only won over Hayate due to her difficulty of using her enormous magical output quickly enough to stop him. Nanoha was a very different story which has Peter running scarred for his life; A direct confrontation with Nanoha would only lead to his defeat.
"Are you going to be okay here?"
"I'll be fine, Nanoha...Just don't let him escape."
"Right," The woman took off after Peter.
As the dust finally settled, Nanoha was already long gone in hot pursuit of the blonde haired young man. But no one noticed an odd shape along the side of the truck, which began to flake away, revealing someone who should be getting chased right now.
"That was too close…If I got caught in a battle with her, I would lose for sure," Peter commented as his camouflage he used to hide broke away to the surprise of both Hayate and Zafira.
"Huh, but how did you?"
"I am not much of a combatant, just a scientist who invented a few things to get out of potential sticky situations. You have witnessed two of them while your friend is chasing one of my more ingenious ones yet." Peter explained as he climbed into the truck. "As much as I would like to explain, I should be running scared for my life. Who knows who I might run into next, so I am quitting while I am ahead. So with that, I bid you good day, Miss Yagami. And I do apologize for the inconvenience I caused you and your family."
Peter put the pedal to the metal as he sped off, trying to get back to his ship.
A distance away Nanoha was speeding through the air after her presumed suspect. Despite the considerable speed Peter had, the Ace of Aces was catching up to the decoy.
"Raising Heart…Axel Shooter," Nanoha said as she was waiting for a lock on confirmation.
"Locked on," Raising Heart replied as a dozen pink orbs appeared around Nanoha.
"Shoot," The Ace of Aces commanded as a dozen streams of pink energy shot out, converging upon Peter's fleeing decoy from multiple directions.
The decoy dodged and moved to the left and right before using a Panzerschild modeled after the unknown magic system he used to block the remaining shots. Using the shield caused the decoy to slow down, allowing Nanoha to catch up quickly and cut him off. Before the decoy could flee in another direction, Nanoha quickly cast a bind spell to restraining the young man. The mahogany haired woman then held the blonde-haired man at staffpoint.
"You are under arrest!"
"I think not," Peter declared as the decoy began inflating. It then exploded like a balloon with too much air. A momentarily confused Nanoha was covered in colorful confetti falling around her.
A safe distance away, the real Peter pulled the truck into a ruined warehouse. On the outskirts of the city, he just finished a short-range transfer spell to move all his goods onto his cloaked vessel he had taken almost six years ago. It was equipped with a still operational stealth system, but Peter wasn't wasting any time loading up as it was hovering above the building.
Once the ship was loaded, the young man realized his decoy, which he had infused with a large amount of his own mana, had just self-destructed.
Damn it, I am out of time…I better get out of here before-
"Hold it," A new female voice demanded. Peter turned to see Fate standing there with Bardiche in hand.
Crap, Peter thought. Next, I'll have the stronger of Hayate's knights after me…I cannot linger here. As he slowly turned around and kept both hands behind his back, he worked on a small remote he was holding to issue commands to his ship.
"Hands where I can see them," Fate insisted as her Device assumed its Zanber Form. The yellow energy blade was pointed at Peter's neck.
Damn it, I am in trouble…I put most of my mana into that decoy, not to mention the animations.
"I can't let you take me in. More is at stake than you realize!"
"You can explain yourself later, but you will not escape," The blonde-haired mage pointed out. However, she began experiencing a strange feeling. Something deep within her mind was beginning to stir upon looking at the young man before him. There was something oddly familiar about him, but Fate couldn't understand what.
"Lightning Blaze!" a young girl called out as an unexpected ally arrived on the battlefield. Fate spotted a girl, at least around the age of thirteen and fourteen, cloaked in lightning mana. Fate barely raised a barrier in time as the girl in question came charging at her.
Using this chance to slip away, Peter used a short-range teleport spell to board the ship.
"Wait!" Fate shouted, but her path was blocked by the girl opposing her. The girl's device was similar to her own, but polished black and silver in color with a red sensor-eye. Near the top was more identical to a glaive transformed into a long-sword form much like her Bardiche Zanber Form.
Their blades met. Despite a clear difference in age, they were evenly matched for the most part.
"Come on, Alicia. We got to go now," Peter called from the ship.
"Alicia," a shocked Fate exclaimed as the two girls pushed away from one another. "It…No…It couldn't be you!"
Standing before Fate, her opponent wore a white cloak over a black body suit trimmed with gold and silver, similar to the Barrier Jacket she had once wore years ago. Yet now, standing before her was a thirteen year old girl with long blonde hair with most of it hanging, the rest styled into a pair of pigtails tied with white bow-ribbons. She wore armored boots and forearm guards to complete her outfit.
"I am sorry. It's nothing personal, but I can't let you take him…Nee-san, that is."
"Who are you…No…It's not possible…" Fate began, but her sentence trailed sd she was trying to understand how a dead girl was standing before her. Not to mention the last time she saw her corpse, it had fallen with her creator into a dimensional rift.
"Yes, it's me. I would love to stay and talk, little sister, but Nee-san and I have to go."
"No wait-" Fate began but something within her had weakened. As memories seemingly suppressed flooded within her, Fate dropped to her knees, clutching the sides of her head with a terrible headache.
Alicia fled back aboard the cloaked ship. Peter was already at the helm, sitting in a sphere-like cockpit that gave him a full three-hundred-sixty degree view all. He sat in a cushioned pilot chair with controls on the armrests to steer and pilot the ship. Holographic controls floating near him provided him with system and navigation control and updates. Putting the full throttle into the engines, the ship lifted up into the sky. It quickly achieved escape velocity, fleeing into orbit.
As the invisible ship fled Mid-Childa, Alicia stepped out onto the small platform behind where Peter sat.
"Will Fate-chan be alright? She seemed to be in pain."
"She'll be fine, but I think the spell that suppressed the memories your mother didn't want Fate to have...has become undone."
"Then…she is going to remember him?"
Peter was silent for a moment before he answered.
"Yes, she will."
At the Tokyo Settlement, Clovis la Britannia was thinking how his week had gone. His inhuman experiments had been exposed to all of Area 11, although he was surprised that the Emperor hasn't dragged him back in chains yet. It was about to get potentially even worse as the man was standing by a large video monitor in an ornate hall. Instead of Schneizel, the soon to be former Viceroy was having a video conversation with his older half-sister. She had dark magenta hair and Indigo eyes, wearing a dark purple uniform trimmed with gold and white complete with white boots and gloves.
"Good afternoon, dear sister," Clovis began, trying to be as friendly as possible. Cornelia li Britannia's stern expression was a clear sign she was not in the mood for a simple friendly chit-chat.
"I'll get right to the point, Clovis. As you know, I will be formally relieving you of duties as Viceroy by order of our father. Both due to your lack of ability to bring Area 11 under control and...recent events. I called to inform you of the new Sub-Viceroy of Area 11…Euphemia."
"WHAT!?" Clovis was surprised by this bit of news. Cornelia's beloved little sister would be the last person she would want to bring as Sub-Viceroy.
"I understand your surprise, but know this...If anything happens to Euphemia before I arrive, you will be held responsible." Cornelia said. She put emphasis on the last part to relay Clovis the hidden message.
Clovis swallowed hard in understanding the hidden message perfectly; if he screwed this one up, he would potentially be sent back to the Homeland in a body bag.
"I understand perfectly, sister."
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Chapter 8: The Rules Have Changed
Chapter Eight was done faster since it was shorter and I had more time. Perhaps I'l do these at a faster rate until we're up to a current chapters.
This one will some new Original Character backstory, specifically the man Fate was remembering. But first, we have some new groups getting into this mix of a war.
"And so once again, we have no leads on the Mandarin. But setting that matter aside, we are questioning if you are even worth supporting." One deep electronic voice said soon followed by another not quite as deep.
"I agree. In light of your promises, we wonder if the weapons and technology you can provide can even match the Mandarin's weapons."
"They shall. All I ask for is time and I will get you results," a man who appeared to be in his early thirties said. He had medium length purple hair, wearing a white lab coat and a blue suit underneath.
"You have time. Scaglietti. Pray that you don't end up wasting it, otherwise the consequences will be severe. Either produce us weapons to deal with the Mandarin's weapons or find intelligence that we can use. Those Combat Cyborgs and Drones could perform either task, correct?"
"They could," Jail Scaglietti answered.
"We hope, for your sake, that will deliver soon," The third member of the TSAB High Council stated before ending communications.
Jail Scaglietti stood in the heart of his main chamber of his underground base hidden in the woodlands of Eastern Mid-Childa. He was silent, but his eyes hid the seething in anger over recent developments. While he despised the true rulers of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, it was necessary in order to operate and carry out his work without interference.
"Doctor, we have some new intelligence with details you might be interested in."
The purple haired scientist turned his head and looked to his right-hand woman. She was identical to him in appearance, but her hair was longer and a lighter color. She was obviously female, wearing a white, button long sleeve shirt trimmed with blue giving it a uniform-like style with a bolo tie much like his. She wore a blue skirt with black stockings, blue gloves on her hands, and white shoes trimmed with blue and blue hair pins.
Jail Scaglietti calmed down slightly as he brought up a holographic screen to review the data.
On the screen, he saw footage and images from yesterday's unexpected run in with the mysterious blonde haired young man. He also observed Enforcer Testarossa's encounter with a girl who looked exactly like her. It caused the Enforcer to go into shock and lose consciousness for reasons the doctors examining her could not explain, although the whole thing seemed to be mentally related.
"Interesting, so this is the young man I have heard about, the same man that Type-Zero encountered?"
"Yes sir, he is," Uno replied.
"And evidence suggests that the Mandarin is tied to Earth somehow. So much is happening on that backwater planet these days..."
"Are you certain?"
"No but," Jail began as he started contemplating something for a few moments before he turned to Uno. "Summon Sein here. Call Dieci and Wendi as well."
"Yes sir…"
Meanwhile, in another corner of Mid-Childa, a certain blonde haired woman was lying in a hospital bed having been unconscious since yesterday. Fate was dreaming, but more accurate to say she was remembering.
Brother…where are you brother?
In her dream she saw herself as a child wandering through the hallways of an apartment complex that was familiar to her. The child version of herself was searching for someone as she observed the girl opening up closets and cabinets. After a time she began crying.
Big brother, stop being so mean to me! You are always so nice to Quint-chan and mean to me…
After sobbing for a bit in frustration a voice behind her spoke.
You are such a sore loser, Alicia.
Alicia turned around and saw a boy three years older than she was, with short blonde hair and reddish-brown eyes just like her own. They weren't twins per sec, but the resemblance between them was shocking to say the least. He was dressed in an orange shirt with blue jeans, wearing simple black sneakers.
I am not a sore loser, you big meanie! I'm going to tell mommy on you!
Then we just won't play hide and seek anymore.
The boy said chuckling, which only made even more tears appear in her eyes.
Geez, Alicia. I am sorry, but if you are going to be like this, how can we keep playing together while mom's at work?
But you…are…not…being fair, Alicia said in-between sobs.
I just want to spend as much time as I can with you since I'll be gone for a few days on that field trip I told you and mom about. You will be here all by yourself.
What about Quint-chan?
We're in the same class, so we are both on the same field trip.
The memory ended as Fate awoke, lying in a bed at the High-Tech Medical Care Center. Although her eyes were still trying to regain focus, a familiar voice spoke to her as someone else she knew hurried to her bedside.
"I am glad you are finally awake, Fate," Lindy spoke, dressed in her admiral uniform.
"Mother," Fate said, looking around now fully aware of her surroundings. "How long was I here?"
"You've been unconscious since yesterday. The good news is, the doctors found nothing wrong with you…Although…what you suffered yesterday was what Shamal and the others believe was an overload, to put it simply."
"I don't understand."
"I don't understand the details myself, but after conducting a full physical on you and finding nothing wrong, Shamal had a scan of brain conducted. We found evidence of magic seals that had been in place, designed to suppress memories. But something from yesterday finally caused those seals to break, unlocking those memories."
"Then it was," Fate realized as the only person who might have done that was her mother. But 'creator' might have been a more proper term in light of Lindy having adopted Fate years ago. "Why would she do something like that?"
"I don't know, but could you tell me what you remember?"
"I can try," Fate began as she started to explain the memories. Minutes later, the door opened and Hayate entered the room followed by Vita.
"I am glad you are awake, Fate…Is she okay?"
"Nanoha will be glad to hear you're awake. She'll be here soon," Vita noted, taking a seat near her bedside.
"That is good, but as you can see, she is fine. It seems her encounter with those two from yesterday awoke suppressed memories within her." Lindy began to explain, surprising the two.
"Suppressed memories?" Vita asked with a confused expression.
"I still don't quite understand it either. But why haven't we heard anything about Alicia having an older brother..." Lindy began before the door opened.
"Maybe I can help shed some light on that," Genya Nakajima said, entering the room with a small blue haired girl following behind him. She was no older than thirteen years old with green eyes, wearing a brown cadet uniform of the Ground Forces academy with a cheerful disposition. Tucked under Genya's arm was an academy yearbook, judging by the text on the spine.
"Major Nakajima…I wasn't expecting you," Lindy said genuinely surprised by the older man's arrival.
"Sir," Hayate said as she saluted to her superior before Genya returned it.
"I am sorry, but when I got the details from Nanoha and Hayate, I decided to see both of you as soon as possible."
"What do you mean?" Fate inquired curious to know what Genya knew.
"I wasn't sure at first, I admit. But after thinking about the DNA results and now these events, I am almost certain he must be somehow tied to this."
"Who?" Lindy asked.
"How much do you know about the Testarossa Family?"
"Only that Precia raised her daughter Alicia, but to our knowledge, she lived alone and Alicia was an only child." Lindy explained.
"But that is wrong, isn't it?" Fate began as she clearly remembered an elder sibling of Alicia's.
"Yes…Alicia Testarossa wasn't an only child. She had an older brother named Simon Testarossa."
"Simon? I never heard of him. In fact, when he pulled up records on Alicia no mention of her having a brother came up." The green-haired admiral admitted.
"Yes I know, because when I tried to research the matter further all the information was erased in the databases. However, some physical evidence of his existence remains." Genya said as he sat down on a chair next to Fate.
He opened the book, turning the page to a group picture. A young Genya Nakajima stood with a woman with long pink hair and red eyes wearing a Ground Forces Academy uniform. Next to her was a woman identical to Ginga, wearing an identical uniform. But standing next to that woman was a young man similar to Fate and Alicia, but his hair was shorter tied into a long ponytail. He also wore reading glasses and a white lab coat over a dark blue uniform.
"From the left, you'll recognize me when I was a young man, standing with Megane Alpine and Quint. The blonde haired young man is Simon. He was one of the finest scientists of Mid-Childa, a born prodigy since the age of five." Genya explained.
"Wow, is that mommy when she was younger?" the young Nakajima sister asked.
"Yes, this photo was taken before we graduated from the academy." Genya answered before addressing Fate and Lindy. "Although Simon was a student, he spent most of his time studying and working at the TSAB Science Academy. However, part of his lessons required him to attend Fourth Ground Forces Academy with us so he could receive proper combat training and instruction since he was called upon at times to conduct field research for the Science Academy as well as the TSAB Main Branch."
"I see," Fate said before noticing a picture sticking out from one of the pages. "Is that another photo of him?"
"Yes," Genya replied pulling out the picture which showed Quint and Simon, the first in a Ground Forces uniform while Simon wore the dark blue uniform worn by those of the Engineering Division. They embraced one another while the blonde-haired man affectionately had his hand over her womb, which had a very clear baby bump. "This was taken about later in their teen years."
"Why is Quint in the arms of Simon? I thought you two married?" Lindy inquired.
Genya sighed before he explained, "This is a point that I rarely mentioned. No matter if she learned to love me or not, she always loved him to the very end. Before Quint and I married, she was in a relationship with Simon. It wasn't surprising since they knew each other since childhood and attended the St. Hilde Academy of Magic together as children."
"Then, you mean Quint and Simon..." Hayate said.
"Simon was Quint's fiancé, but they grew closer as a result of the accident that killed Alicia." Genya explained as everyone was familiar with the accident that killed Alicia. "Simon was away on a field trip with his class on another world. When Precia became more obsessed with trying to bring back Alicia, she left Simon to fend for himself. No one would become aware of her illegal experiments years later until Simon himself alerted the authorities after they had a falling out."
"I see so," Fate said, suspecting the reason for her suppressed memories.
"She must have felt betrayed by her own son, but she abandoned him, didn't she?" Lindy inquired.
"Yes he was, but a family friend took Simon in and raised him; Quint helped Simon through those difficult times. Unlike his mother, he accepted Alicia's death, but he mourned for her just the same as Quint did."
"I see, so they were very close then growing up." Hayate commented, prompting Genya to nod.
"Yes they were, and as his career as a scientist was promising for him," The aged Major began but hesitated before he continued. "However, a terrible tragedy befell them."
"What happened?" Fate asked as she began looking at some of the pages of the yearbook.
"When they were both eighteen years old, Quint became pregnant with his child and the two were planning to marry after the child was born. However, complications arose during the final stages of pregnancy that almost killed her; Although the doctors did their best, Quint lost her child and fell into a coma. Simon was devastated, but the worse was still yet to come."
"What happened to him?" Fate inquired, but she had a bad feeling about it.
"As you know, he was a very capable scientist, but what drew the attention of the higher-ups was his work on nanotechnology and cybernetics. When he was ten years old, he wrote a thesis on molecular nanotechnology and its applications. It explained the possibilities of their use in advanced medical procedures and body enhancement, upon which to strengthen a Mage's body to better cope with the stress of their magical power. It made sense as there were cases of a Mage's own magic taxing their body to the point of breaking down upon itself like what had happened to your friend Nanoha. His thesis was so successful that he drew the attention of this man," Genya explained before opening up the yearbook near the end where a picture of a young ten year old Simon wearing a simple black suit with a red tie. Standing next to him was a familiar man Fate instantly recognized, presenting Simon with a Junior Science Fair Award.
"Is that…Jail Scaglietti?"
"Yes…this was taken before he became an interdimensional criminal. At the time, he was working at the Science Academy's Research and Development Department for the TSAB Main Branch. Impressed by Simon's thesis, Scaglietti brought him under his wing, becoming both his mentor and superior, working on a number of his research projects as a lab assistant. Simon studied at both the Science Academy while completing his required courses at the Fourth Ground Forces Academy all the while he worked with Scaglietti."
"But what happened to Simon after Quint's miscarriage?" Hayate asked already, knowing where this was going.
"Well apparently, when Scaglietti went rouge, Simon was put under investigation due to his working relationship with him at the time. During the investigation, they discovered that Simon was conducting an illegal project. His work was confiscated by the Bureau, according to what I heard, and the details of his research including his work into nanotechnology were never recovered. The Bureau tried to arrest him, but before they could get to him, there was an accident at a cabin out in the woodlands of Mid-Childa south of the city. Investigators believe that Simon was using the cabin as his own private research lab. When they arrived, they found his charred remains when some kind of accident that took place claimed his life. When Quint awoke a year later from her coma she was…well," Genya said stopping his sentence at that point with a pained expression on his face.
"But then, why was all information regarding him erased?"
"I don't know, but only someone with high-level access above admiral rank at HQ could have done it. Although Simon was confirmed dead, with the appearance of what genetics say to be his dead son and younger sister, I have a very bad feeling about this and the Mandarin himself."
"Yet you had your suspicious about this, didn't you? Ever since you saw the DNA results of the blood sample Ginga brought back?" Hayate began.
"I did, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but-" Genya began clearly hesitant of a dead girl being alive.
Hayate, Fate and Lindy were a little suspicious that Genya knew a little more than he was letting on. But they'd know if they believed the information was something that had to be shared. There was also a possibility that he was just uncertain. The only way to get the answers was to find and capture the young man for questioning.
"Anyway, when Nanoha arrives, I'll be sending word to Ginga."
"Is there something going on?" Lindy inquired.
"The decision has been made an hour ago to dispatch Captain Hayate Yagami. The Wolkenritter, Fate and Nanoha will be accompanying her. Once preparations are ready, they will travel with your son Chrono to Earth." Genya answered.
"Chrono will be helping them?"
"No, but he'll be busy dealing with another matter, cleaning out the corrupt observers. When I tried to check with Ginga's superior about the mission files she forwarded to me, we found that he supposedly never received them." Genya explained as Hayate already knew where this discussion was going. "After a quick investigation on our end, we found that his wife was receiving payments from off-world wire."
"So he was working for the Mandarin," Vita said with anger in her eyes.
"We think so, but we have to wait for word back from the interrogators at HQ. For now, he has been detained, pending further investigation to verify that he is involved with the Mandarin. Chrono has instructions to detain all of the other observers and hold them for questioning as my battalion will be conducting thorough checks on their backgrounds and money flow."
"Is Ginga alright?" Fate asked.
"She is for now, but HQ has sent her word to be careful until Hayate and the others arrive. I will give her more details when I speak to her."
Back on Earth at Ashford Academy, inside a small room with an intercom and broadcast system before them sat Lelouch and Quattro in school uniforms. They were lazily handling the lunch time broadcast, primarily being Quattro's task. Not wishing to deal with Milly today, Lelouch decided to sit in with the Combat Cyborg.
"Okay, let us begin with today's first request: Innocent Days by Pupil," Quattro began broadcasting to the academy. She read the back of the postcard with the song request on it while trying to sound as friendly as possible. "It's an okay song, so let's give it a listen shall we."
Quattro dropped the volume of the microphone so the people around the school would only hear the song. After confirming the amp and the configurations were just right, Quattro laid back in her chair. stretching her arms out before eating some of her miso soup for lunch. Lelouch was finishing his lunch, which was some rice and hot dogs, preferring a simple lunch for today.
"I am planning within the next few days to possibly meet with Ohgi's group and begin laying the groundwork for the organization."
"And the name of it?" Quattro asked before taking a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
"I was thinking of calling it the 'Order of the Black Knights'."
"Really," The cyborg said raising an eyebrow.
"Is there something wrong with the name?"
"Well, I don't think you could have come up with anything better. I do like the irony of a group of terrorists calling themselves knights."
Lelouch shot her a glare before saying. "We won't be utilizing the failed and pathetic methods these resistance groups have been using. We'll be taking the fight to Britannia itself and ultimately the force supporting it from the shadows."
"Yes," Quattro said as her eyes narrowed.
The song was beginning to end, prompting Quattro to raise the volume.
"That was Innocent Days by Pupil, so we're moving onto our suggestion box for the school festival coming up in a couple months. As you all know, the Student Council is asking for suggestions so please deliver your postcards to our suggestion box by the end of next month. Those we like will be put up to a vote for the rest of the school to pick."
The combat cyborg dug her hand into the suggestion box randomly, pulling up one post card with a cat on it.
"Let's see here…My name is Kitten-Chan," Quattro said, mentally groaning as she recognized both the handwriting and the nickname. She wouldn't be surprised if the school was now joining her in a collective mental groaning moment. "How about we have a festival about cats and people can dress as cats and have fun cat activities and..."
The combat cyborg couldn't even finish the rest of the postcard.
"Okay Lotte, must I remind you that ALL students are limited to one idea per entry? Sending us multiple postcards will not influence our decision," Quattro said as she went through the box, looking for one that wasn't by the easily excitable of the Liese twins. Unfortunately for the woman, they were all postcards Lotte had written. "Since we don't have any original ideas, I guess we'll move on. Let's step it up a little and play Unstable by Chaotica."
Quattro finished changing out CDs and set the track before dropping the volume once again.
"I'll talk to Milly and ask her to filter out the suggestion box for anymore of Lotte's postcards," Lelouch said, shaking his head at what was probably Lotte's twentieth attempt to get her cat idea through.
"I don't think it'll be a problem. Even Milly should be growing tired of it."
"True enough, but sooner or later, we might end up doing something involving cats."
"Please don't say that, otherwise it will happen."
Quattro chuckled at the prospect. If it did happen, then the young woman would be sure to skip school that day.
"Anyway...before I forget, what do you plan to do about Cornelia?"
"I'll deal with her, of course."
"I certainly hope you're not going to take her lightly. I have been researching her since the announcement and she isn't an idiot like Clovis. Her military career alone is impressive, but her other nickname as 'Witch of Britannia' is nothing to scoff at either." Quattro pointed out while thinking.
Compared to the military officers of the TSAB, she makes even the more battle hardened and strict commanders look like cuddly teddy bears. I doubt most of them could even stomach her methods, especially whether dealing with foes on the battle or in an interrogation room.
"All the more reason we need to begin building our strength up, but Ohgi and his group won't be enough. We need more men to join us."
"I agree with you," Quattro said, wondering if Lelouch was being cautious or not even considering the possible danger.
Sitting in the teacher's lounge, Peter was eating his lunch while across from him sat a very familiar English gentleman, wearing a blue suit with a light blue tie. Gil Graham was also posing as a teacher with world history being his primary subject. Although silently eating together, the two were having a telepathic conversation between one another.
Those cat familiars of yours are something, especially Lotte.
No matter how many years have passed, she still acts like a child sometimes.
Some things can't be helped.
Indeed, but that aside, I do want to thank you for incapacitating Hayate without hurting her.
I knew you wouldn't want her harm, which was why I dealt with her as quickly as possible. I'm only lucky she is not a capable combatant like her friends.
Speaking of which, your escape from Nanoha and even Fate was impressive.
Don't mention it. I'm just glad I got out uncaught. I was prepared for the possibility of running into the Bureau during one of my off-world trips, but never thought about Hayate of all people.
I understand your surprise, but this means the Bureau will be more focused on Earth now. If anything, they'll dispatch more mages to Japan. They'll likely be sending Hayate and her family, possibly along with Nanoha and Fate, given they grew up here.
I agree Gil, but still I'm concerned about him…the Mandarin.
I understand your concerns, but we've already past the point of no return. Nothing we can do about it now, but we'll need to remind Lelouch to act more discreetly.
I agree. If we don't do this, then this war will turn into a bloodbath before it's over. But regarding the Mandarin, what are Alicia's thoughts?
Peter didn't respond, but the sad expression upon his face was a clue enough to Graham that the girl wasn't taking it well.
In the middle school section, a meeting for one of the school clubs was taking place. Alicia was sitting at the head of a table, going went by the name Alicia Vanderfloog, listed officially as a relative of Peter Vanderfloog. Nunnally was also present, sitting to her right acting as the club's vice president, wearing the same school uniform as Alicia. Surprisingly present were the Liese twins, sitting across from one another.
"They rejected my idea for the Cats' Festival again!" Lotte said sadly, prompting her more serious-minded sister to pat on the back out of sympathy.
"Not everyone in the school loves the idea," Aria said sympathetically.
"We should talk to my brother," Nunnally clasped her hands together. "Maybe we can do a cute animals festival instead?"
"That sounds like a reasonable compromise," Aria said agreeing with the sandy brown-haired girl quickly.
"I like that idea…all members of the Ashford Academy Women's Association who agree, say yay," President Alicia Testarossa asked.
"Yay," Nunnally, Lotte and Aria said in agreement together.
"Alright, we'll speak with Milly later, but is there anything else?"
"We have the cross-dressing festival coming up again soon…Any ideas for that day?" Aria reminded the president.
"Thank you, yes, what should we dress up for this year?"
Lying in a bedroom room was C.C. listening to the song playing throughout the school. Although she was alone, but someone was talking to her despite being the only person in the room.
"This is certainly interesting, but I think you would like Lelouch's friend Quattro. She reminds me of you when you were younger," C.C. said, speaking to a familiar voice within her mind.
Oh really…
"Yes, but only from what I understand about her, she didn't have a childhood. Let's just say...she's different."
How so?
"It's hard to explain. With everything moving as is, I think things about to get more interesting." C.C. admitted while not talking about Quattro as a cyborg. Apparently it was at the request of Peter, who knew the full story her previous relationship with a certain someone close to Lelouch. In return for her silence though, among a few other concessions on her part, she was given an explanation of how Quattro came to be on Earth.
As her name implies, she was the fourth combat cyborg to be created, but she wasn't activated until her fifth sister was. Quattro was originally created to serve as a intelligence processing-type to support Scaglietti's first combat cyborg Uno. Later after upgrading her with illusionary and ECM capacities, her potential was boosted to become a rear commander for the other Numbers. Yet two years ago something happened, which nearly resulted in the demise of Quattro. Peter said one of her own older sisters tried to kill her on the doctor's orders, but C.C. got the impression that Peter wasn't telling her the entire story.
From the impression I got…something more must have happened, C.C. thought to herself.
Either way, the result was that Quattro joined their little group. During her recovery and treatment, Peter couldn't help but make improvements and upgrades for her. By his own admittance, it was a bad habit he had. It happened when he came across something or, in Quattro's case, someone who could be made better that the young man couldn't resist.
Quattro's Inherent Skill called Silver Curtain was previously granted her the ability to create illusions through the manipulation of electron waves. Thanks to new biomechanical implants and upgraded cybernetics coupled with the use of her new Assault Suit, Quattro's Inherent Skill was augmented significantly. The hybrid intelligent device integrated into the suit doubled as a miniature supercomputer for hacking computer systems and even seizing control of Knightmare Frames. The computer also filtered out unneeded information to further improve her new capabilities of hacking and taking control of electronic devices and machines.
Her new ability to use a magic system was limited, but she was now capable of defensive spells and a few offensive spells.
A dangerous woman she is, but her and Lelouch…They are a dangerous combination…
The following morning, Viceroy Clovis was on what would be his last day in office for Area 11. With all of his official work done, the blonde-haired prince thought he could at least spend his last day with his guest, who arrived in Area 11 yesterday. Still surprised, one of his beloved and favorite siblings had come to serve as Sub-Viceroy. Unfortunately when he arrived in her room, no one was there.
"Euphie…are you here?"
No one answered, prompting Clovis to look around. Arriving at the dresser, he found a note taped to the mirror. Clovis picked up the note, but moments later, a loud scream brought a guard running into the room.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Clovis didn't answer, prompting the guard to slowly approach him. Upon closer inspection, he saw blood had drained from Clovis's face as he had a look of frozen terror upon his facial features.
"Prince Clovis, what's wrong?" The guard asked again before Clovis handed him the note.
Dear Clovis,
I want to see what Area 11 is like so I kinda sneaked out of the government building among all of those girls you had visiting you earlier. But don't worry I'll be back in a little while.
Love
Euphy…
"Princess Cornelia arrives tonight and-" the guard swallowed hard before he could finish.
"I know…" Clovis said finally, but he was clearly terrified of what Cornelia would do to him.
"Worried she'll kill you, sir?"
"Kill me!" The blonde-haired prince said half-jokingly and half-frightened for his life. "That would be merciful! If she discovers that Euphy left without guard and who knows to where she went with her bleeding heart, she will turn me into a soprano using a blunt wooden spoon, then shove that same spoon where the sun doesn't shine. And that it's the tamest thing that I can expect here!"
"I understand sir…I'll call the Royal Guard."
-----
Arriving for the first time on Earth was a trio of young women. All three of them for the most part wore identical uniforms that consisted of full-body suits of blue around the edges and limbs with light blue.
The leading one wore on her wrists and above her ankles blue ring-like devices and plates on her hips and shoulders. She had the Roman numeral six on a plate over her collarbone printed in yellow. She had short light blue hair, blue hair clips in her hair and light blue eyes. The other two, instead of ring-like devices on their wrists, wore forearm armor plating. One was another girl with red hair tied up into a top-knot, with red eyes and the number eleven marked on her. The last member of their group was a girl with long brown hair tied into a long ponytail with a yellow bow. She had matching brown eyes and a large cannon-like weapon wrapped up in tattered tan cloth. The three girls were taking up residence in an old office building in the middle of the Saitama Ghetto on behalf of their creator.
"Wow, what a dump we picked to stay at, but I say we should think of it as camping!" The red-haired girl said excitingly, trying to make light on their current accommodations.
"This isn't a very good defendable position," The taciturn girl with the long ponytail commented. "I will stay up for first watch."
"Relax Dieci," The leader of the trio said assumingly. "We are combat cyborgs. Who in their right mind will mess around with us?"
"But this doesn't seem like a safe neighborhood, Sein."
"You worry too much, Dieci," the third girl who by the name Wendi commented before adding. "I am sure we'll be fine; I mean, just look at that decaying scenery. Old buildings falling apart, clear signs of battle, plenty of wear and tear, no doubt complete with an obvious lack of maintenance."
"I don't see anything down there except for that little old lady," Sein joined in to assure their more serious teammate. "See? Even she is walking around this dump, so it must be safe, right?"
Suddenly as if fate conspired against Sein, a trio of men on motorcycles wearing blue jeans and boots surrounded the old lady. They wore a black leather jacket, a white shirt and a gray sweater. One pulled a knife on the old Japanese lady after the biker gang parked their bikes.
"Alright you old Eleven, hand over your money!" The threat even made Wendi uneasy, almost thinking he meant her number.
"Okay," The old lady weakly said, pretending to be reaching for her wallet in her purse before drawing out a handgun. She shot the Britannian biker leader dead in the head before shooting at the other two who tried to run away.
Sein and Wendi were speechless while Dieci looked at the scene seemingly unsurprised by it. As the old lady hobbled away, they didn't see anyone else let alone any police officers come to arrest her. A pair of younger Japanese residences then came out of the buildings to rob the dead bikers.
"I'll take first watch," Dieci repeated before checking her Enormous Cannon.
"Rough neighborhood," Wendi commented.
Even Sein was wondering if they should relocate.
This one will some new Original Character backstory, specifically the man Fate was remembering. But first, we have some new groups getting into this mix of a war.
Chapter 8
The Rules Have Changed
The Rules Have Changed
"And so once again, we have no leads on the Mandarin. But setting that matter aside, we are questioning if you are even worth supporting." One deep electronic voice said soon followed by another not quite as deep.
"I agree. In light of your promises, we wonder if the weapons and technology you can provide can even match the Mandarin's weapons."
"They shall. All I ask for is time and I will get you results," a man who appeared to be in his early thirties said. He had medium length purple hair, wearing a white lab coat and a blue suit underneath.
"You have time. Scaglietti. Pray that you don't end up wasting it, otherwise the consequences will be severe. Either produce us weapons to deal with the Mandarin's weapons or find intelligence that we can use. Those Combat Cyborgs and Drones could perform either task, correct?"
"They could," Jail Scaglietti answered.
"We hope, for your sake, that will deliver soon," The third member of the TSAB High Council stated before ending communications.
Jail Scaglietti stood in the heart of his main chamber of his underground base hidden in the woodlands of Eastern Mid-Childa. He was silent, but his eyes hid the seething in anger over recent developments. While he despised the true rulers of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, it was necessary in order to operate and carry out his work without interference.
"Doctor, we have some new intelligence with details you might be interested in."
The purple haired scientist turned his head and looked to his right-hand woman. She was identical to him in appearance, but her hair was longer and a lighter color. She was obviously female, wearing a white, button long sleeve shirt trimmed with blue giving it a uniform-like style with a bolo tie much like his. She wore a blue skirt with black stockings, blue gloves on her hands, and white shoes trimmed with blue and blue hair pins.
Jail Scaglietti calmed down slightly as he brought up a holographic screen to review the data.
On the screen, he saw footage and images from yesterday's unexpected run in with the mysterious blonde haired young man. He also observed Enforcer Testarossa's encounter with a girl who looked exactly like her. It caused the Enforcer to go into shock and lose consciousness for reasons the doctors examining her could not explain, although the whole thing seemed to be mentally related.
"Interesting, so this is the young man I have heard about, the same man that Type-Zero encountered?"
"Yes sir, he is," Uno replied.
"And evidence suggests that the Mandarin is tied to Earth somehow. So much is happening on that backwater planet these days..."
"Are you certain?"
"No but," Jail began as he started contemplating something for a few moments before he turned to Uno. "Summon Sein here. Call Dieci and Wendi as well."
"Yes sir…"
Meanwhile, in another corner of Mid-Childa, a certain blonde haired woman was lying in a hospital bed having been unconscious since yesterday. Fate was dreaming, but more accurate to say she was remembering.
Brother…where are you brother?
In her dream she saw herself as a child wandering through the hallways of an apartment complex that was familiar to her. The child version of herself was searching for someone as she observed the girl opening up closets and cabinets. After a time she began crying.
Big brother, stop being so mean to me! You are always so nice to Quint-chan and mean to me…
After sobbing for a bit in frustration a voice behind her spoke.
You are such a sore loser, Alicia.
Alicia turned around and saw a boy three years older than she was, with short blonde hair and reddish-brown eyes just like her own. They weren't twins per sec, but the resemblance between them was shocking to say the least. He was dressed in an orange shirt with blue jeans, wearing simple black sneakers.
I am not a sore loser, you big meanie! I'm going to tell mommy on you!
Then we just won't play hide and seek anymore.
The boy said chuckling, which only made even more tears appear in her eyes.
Geez, Alicia. I am sorry, but if you are going to be like this, how can we keep playing together while mom's at work?
But you…are…not…being fair, Alicia said in-between sobs.
I just want to spend as much time as I can with you since I'll be gone for a few days on that field trip I told you and mom about. You will be here all by yourself.
What about Quint-chan?
We're in the same class, so we are both on the same field trip.
The memory ended as Fate awoke, lying in a bed at the High-Tech Medical Care Center. Although her eyes were still trying to regain focus, a familiar voice spoke to her as someone else she knew hurried to her bedside.
"I am glad you are finally awake, Fate," Lindy spoke, dressed in her admiral uniform.
"Mother," Fate said, looking around now fully aware of her surroundings. "How long was I here?"
"You've been unconscious since yesterday. The good news is, the doctors found nothing wrong with you…Although…what you suffered yesterday was what Shamal and the others believe was an overload, to put it simply."
"I don't understand."
"I don't understand the details myself, but after conducting a full physical on you and finding nothing wrong, Shamal had a scan of brain conducted. We found evidence of magic seals that had been in place, designed to suppress memories. But something from yesterday finally caused those seals to break, unlocking those memories."
"Then it was," Fate realized as the only person who might have done that was her mother. But 'creator' might have been a more proper term in light of Lindy having adopted Fate years ago. "Why would she do something like that?"
"I don't know, but could you tell me what you remember?"
"I can try," Fate began as she started to explain the memories. Minutes later, the door opened and Hayate entered the room followed by Vita.
"I am glad you are awake, Fate…Is she okay?"
"Nanoha will be glad to hear you're awake. She'll be here soon," Vita noted, taking a seat near her bedside.
"That is good, but as you can see, she is fine. It seems her encounter with those two from yesterday awoke suppressed memories within her." Lindy began to explain, surprising the two.
"Suppressed memories?" Vita asked with a confused expression.
"I still don't quite understand it either. But why haven't we heard anything about Alicia having an older brother..." Lindy began before the door opened.
"Maybe I can help shed some light on that," Genya Nakajima said, entering the room with a small blue haired girl following behind him. She was no older than thirteen years old with green eyes, wearing a brown cadet uniform of the Ground Forces academy with a cheerful disposition. Tucked under Genya's arm was an academy yearbook, judging by the text on the spine.
"Major Nakajima…I wasn't expecting you," Lindy said genuinely surprised by the older man's arrival.
"Sir," Hayate said as she saluted to her superior before Genya returned it.
"I am sorry, but when I got the details from Nanoha and Hayate, I decided to see both of you as soon as possible."
"What do you mean?" Fate inquired curious to know what Genya knew.
"I wasn't sure at first, I admit. But after thinking about the DNA results and now these events, I am almost certain he must be somehow tied to this."
"Who?" Lindy asked.
"How much do you know about the Testarossa Family?"
"Only that Precia raised her daughter Alicia, but to our knowledge, she lived alone and Alicia was an only child." Lindy explained.
"But that is wrong, isn't it?" Fate began as she clearly remembered an elder sibling of Alicia's.
"Yes…Alicia Testarossa wasn't an only child. She had an older brother named Simon Testarossa."
"Simon? I never heard of him. In fact, when he pulled up records on Alicia no mention of her having a brother came up." The green-haired admiral admitted.
"Yes I know, because when I tried to research the matter further all the information was erased in the databases. However, some physical evidence of his existence remains." Genya said as he sat down on a chair next to Fate.
He opened the book, turning the page to a group picture. A young Genya Nakajima stood with a woman with long pink hair and red eyes wearing a Ground Forces Academy uniform. Next to her was a woman identical to Ginga, wearing an identical uniform. But standing next to that woman was a young man similar to Fate and Alicia, but his hair was shorter tied into a long ponytail. He also wore reading glasses and a white lab coat over a dark blue uniform.
"From the left, you'll recognize me when I was a young man, standing with Megane Alpine and Quint. The blonde haired young man is Simon. He was one of the finest scientists of Mid-Childa, a born prodigy since the age of five." Genya explained.
"Wow, is that mommy when she was younger?" the young Nakajima sister asked.
"Yes, this photo was taken before we graduated from the academy." Genya answered before addressing Fate and Lindy. "Although Simon was a student, he spent most of his time studying and working at the TSAB Science Academy. However, part of his lessons required him to attend Fourth Ground Forces Academy with us so he could receive proper combat training and instruction since he was called upon at times to conduct field research for the Science Academy as well as the TSAB Main Branch."
"I see," Fate said before noticing a picture sticking out from one of the pages. "Is that another photo of him?"
"Yes," Genya replied pulling out the picture which showed Quint and Simon, the first in a Ground Forces uniform while Simon wore the dark blue uniform worn by those of the Engineering Division. They embraced one another while the blonde-haired man affectionately had his hand over her womb, which had a very clear baby bump. "This was taken about later in their teen years."
"Why is Quint in the arms of Simon? I thought you two married?" Lindy inquired.
Genya sighed before he explained, "This is a point that I rarely mentioned. No matter if she learned to love me or not, she always loved him to the very end. Before Quint and I married, she was in a relationship with Simon. It wasn't surprising since they knew each other since childhood and attended the St. Hilde Academy of Magic together as children."
"Then, you mean Quint and Simon..." Hayate said.
"Simon was Quint's fiancé, but they grew closer as a result of the accident that killed Alicia." Genya explained as everyone was familiar with the accident that killed Alicia. "Simon was away on a field trip with his class on another world. When Precia became more obsessed with trying to bring back Alicia, she left Simon to fend for himself. No one would become aware of her illegal experiments years later until Simon himself alerted the authorities after they had a falling out."
"I see so," Fate said, suspecting the reason for her suppressed memories.
"She must have felt betrayed by her own son, but she abandoned him, didn't she?" Lindy inquired.
"Yes he was, but a family friend took Simon in and raised him; Quint helped Simon through those difficult times. Unlike his mother, he accepted Alicia's death, but he mourned for her just the same as Quint did."
"I see, so they were very close then growing up." Hayate commented, prompting Genya to nod.
"Yes they were, and as his career as a scientist was promising for him," The aged Major began but hesitated before he continued. "However, a terrible tragedy befell them."
"What happened?" Fate asked as she began looking at some of the pages of the yearbook.
"When they were both eighteen years old, Quint became pregnant with his child and the two were planning to marry after the child was born. However, complications arose during the final stages of pregnancy that almost killed her; Although the doctors did their best, Quint lost her child and fell into a coma. Simon was devastated, but the worse was still yet to come."
"What happened to him?" Fate inquired, but she had a bad feeling about it.
"As you know, he was a very capable scientist, but what drew the attention of the higher-ups was his work on nanotechnology and cybernetics. When he was ten years old, he wrote a thesis on molecular nanotechnology and its applications. It explained the possibilities of their use in advanced medical procedures and body enhancement, upon which to strengthen a Mage's body to better cope with the stress of their magical power. It made sense as there were cases of a Mage's own magic taxing their body to the point of breaking down upon itself like what had happened to your friend Nanoha. His thesis was so successful that he drew the attention of this man," Genya explained before opening up the yearbook near the end where a picture of a young ten year old Simon wearing a simple black suit with a red tie. Standing next to him was a familiar man Fate instantly recognized, presenting Simon with a Junior Science Fair Award.
"Is that…Jail Scaglietti?"
"Yes…this was taken before he became an interdimensional criminal. At the time, he was working at the Science Academy's Research and Development Department for the TSAB Main Branch. Impressed by Simon's thesis, Scaglietti brought him under his wing, becoming both his mentor and superior, working on a number of his research projects as a lab assistant. Simon studied at both the Science Academy while completing his required courses at the Fourth Ground Forces Academy all the while he worked with Scaglietti."
"But what happened to Simon after Quint's miscarriage?" Hayate asked already, knowing where this was going.
"Well apparently, when Scaglietti went rouge, Simon was put under investigation due to his working relationship with him at the time. During the investigation, they discovered that Simon was conducting an illegal project. His work was confiscated by the Bureau, according to what I heard, and the details of his research including his work into nanotechnology were never recovered. The Bureau tried to arrest him, but before they could get to him, there was an accident at a cabin out in the woodlands of Mid-Childa south of the city. Investigators believe that Simon was using the cabin as his own private research lab. When they arrived, they found his charred remains when some kind of accident that took place claimed his life. When Quint awoke a year later from her coma she was…well," Genya said stopping his sentence at that point with a pained expression on his face.
"But then, why was all information regarding him erased?"
"I don't know, but only someone with high-level access above admiral rank at HQ could have done it. Although Simon was confirmed dead, with the appearance of what genetics say to be his dead son and younger sister, I have a very bad feeling about this and the Mandarin himself."
"Yet you had your suspicious about this, didn't you? Ever since you saw the DNA results of the blood sample Ginga brought back?" Hayate began.
"I did, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but-" Genya began clearly hesitant of a dead girl being alive.
Hayate, Fate and Lindy were a little suspicious that Genya knew a little more than he was letting on. But they'd know if they believed the information was something that had to be shared. There was also a possibility that he was just uncertain. The only way to get the answers was to find and capture the young man for questioning.
"Anyway, when Nanoha arrives, I'll be sending word to Ginga."
"Is there something going on?" Lindy inquired.
"The decision has been made an hour ago to dispatch Captain Hayate Yagami. The Wolkenritter, Fate and Nanoha will be accompanying her. Once preparations are ready, they will travel with your son Chrono to Earth." Genya answered.
"Chrono will be helping them?"
"No, but he'll be busy dealing with another matter, cleaning out the corrupt observers. When I tried to check with Ginga's superior about the mission files she forwarded to me, we found that he supposedly never received them." Genya explained as Hayate already knew where this discussion was going. "After a quick investigation on our end, we found that his wife was receiving payments from off-world wire."
"So he was working for the Mandarin," Vita said with anger in her eyes.
"We think so, but we have to wait for word back from the interrogators at HQ. For now, he has been detained, pending further investigation to verify that he is involved with the Mandarin. Chrono has instructions to detain all of the other observers and hold them for questioning as my battalion will be conducting thorough checks on their backgrounds and money flow."
"Is Ginga alright?" Fate asked.
"She is for now, but HQ has sent her word to be careful until Hayate and the others arrive. I will give her more details when I speak to her."
Back on Earth at Ashford Academy, inside a small room with an intercom and broadcast system before them sat Lelouch and Quattro in school uniforms. They were lazily handling the lunch time broadcast, primarily being Quattro's task. Not wishing to deal with Milly today, Lelouch decided to sit in with the Combat Cyborg.
"Okay, let us begin with today's first request: Innocent Days by Pupil," Quattro began broadcasting to the academy. She read the back of the postcard with the song request on it while trying to sound as friendly as possible. "It's an okay song, so let's give it a listen shall we."
Quattro dropped the volume of the microphone so the people around the school would only hear the song. After confirming the amp and the configurations were just right, Quattro laid back in her chair. stretching her arms out before eating some of her miso soup for lunch. Lelouch was finishing his lunch, which was some rice and hot dogs, preferring a simple lunch for today.
"I am planning within the next few days to possibly meet with Ohgi's group and begin laying the groundwork for the organization."
"And the name of it?" Quattro asked before taking a spoonful of soup into her mouth.
"I was thinking of calling it the 'Order of the Black Knights'."
"Really," The cyborg said raising an eyebrow.
"Is there something wrong with the name?"
"Well, I don't think you could have come up with anything better. I do like the irony of a group of terrorists calling themselves knights."
Lelouch shot her a glare before saying. "We won't be utilizing the failed and pathetic methods these resistance groups have been using. We'll be taking the fight to Britannia itself and ultimately the force supporting it from the shadows."
"Yes," Quattro said as her eyes narrowed.
The song was beginning to end, prompting Quattro to raise the volume.
"That was Innocent Days by Pupil, so we're moving onto our suggestion box for the school festival coming up in a couple months. As you all know, the Student Council is asking for suggestions so please deliver your postcards to our suggestion box by the end of next month. Those we like will be put up to a vote for the rest of the school to pick."
The combat cyborg dug her hand into the suggestion box randomly, pulling up one post card with a cat on it.
"Let's see here…My name is Kitten-Chan," Quattro said, mentally groaning as she recognized both the handwriting and the nickname. She wouldn't be surprised if the school was now joining her in a collective mental groaning moment. "How about we have a festival about cats and people can dress as cats and have fun cat activities and..."
The combat cyborg couldn't even finish the rest of the postcard.
"Okay Lotte, must I remind you that ALL students are limited to one idea per entry? Sending us multiple postcards will not influence our decision," Quattro said as she went through the box, looking for one that wasn't by the easily excitable of the Liese twins. Unfortunately for the woman, they were all postcards Lotte had written. "Since we don't have any original ideas, I guess we'll move on. Let's step it up a little and play Unstable by Chaotica."
Quattro finished changing out CDs and set the track before dropping the volume once again.
"I'll talk to Milly and ask her to filter out the suggestion box for anymore of Lotte's postcards," Lelouch said, shaking his head at what was probably Lotte's twentieth attempt to get her cat idea through.
"I don't think it'll be a problem. Even Milly should be growing tired of it."
"True enough, but sooner or later, we might end up doing something involving cats."
"Please don't say that, otherwise it will happen."
Quattro chuckled at the prospect. If it did happen, then the young woman would be sure to skip school that day.
"Anyway...before I forget, what do you plan to do about Cornelia?"
"I'll deal with her, of course."
"I certainly hope you're not going to take her lightly. I have been researching her since the announcement and she isn't an idiot like Clovis. Her military career alone is impressive, but her other nickname as 'Witch of Britannia' is nothing to scoff at either." Quattro pointed out while thinking.
Compared to the military officers of the TSAB, she makes even the more battle hardened and strict commanders look like cuddly teddy bears. I doubt most of them could even stomach her methods, especially whether dealing with foes on the battle or in an interrogation room.
"All the more reason we need to begin building our strength up, but Ohgi and his group won't be enough. We need more men to join us."
"I agree with you," Quattro said, wondering if Lelouch was being cautious or not even considering the possible danger.
Sitting in the teacher's lounge, Peter was eating his lunch while across from him sat a very familiar English gentleman, wearing a blue suit with a light blue tie. Gil Graham was also posing as a teacher with world history being his primary subject. Although silently eating together, the two were having a telepathic conversation between one another.
Those cat familiars of yours are something, especially Lotte.
No matter how many years have passed, she still acts like a child sometimes.
Some things can't be helped.
Indeed, but that aside, I do want to thank you for incapacitating Hayate without hurting her.
I knew you wouldn't want her harm, which was why I dealt with her as quickly as possible. I'm only lucky she is not a capable combatant like her friends.
Speaking of which, your escape from Nanoha and even Fate was impressive.
Don't mention it. I'm just glad I got out uncaught. I was prepared for the possibility of running into the Bureau during one of my off-world trips, but never thought about Hayate of all people.
I understand your surprise, but this means the Bureau will be more focused on Earth now. If anything, they'll dispatch more mages to Japan. They'll likely be sending Hayate and her family, possibly along with Nanoha and Fate, given they grew up here.
I agree Gil, but still I'm concerned about him…the Mandarin.
I understand your concerns, but we've already past the point of no return. Nothing we can do about it now, but we'll need to remind Lelouch to act more discreetly.
I agree. If we don't do this, then this war will turn into a bloodbath before it's over. But regarding the Mandarin, what are Alicia's thoughts?
Peter didn't respond, but the sad expression upon his face was a clue enough to Graham that the girl wasn't taking it well.
In the middle school section, a meeting for one of the school clubs was taking place. Alicia was sitting at the head of a table, going went by the name Alicia Vanderfloog, listed officially as a relative of Peter Vanderfloog. Nunnally was also present, sitting to her right acting as the club's vice president, wearing the same school uniform as Alicia. Surprisingly present were the Liese twins, sitting across from one another.
"They rejected my idea for the Cats' Festival again!" Lotte said sadly, prompting her more serious-minded sister to pat on the back out of sympathy.
"Not everyone in the school loves the idea," Aria said sympathetically.
"We should talk to my brother," Nunnally clasped her hands together. "Maybe we can do a cute animals festival instead?"
"That sounds like a reasonable compromise," Aria said agreeing with the sandy brown-haired girl quickly.
"I like that idea…all members of the Ashford Academy Women's Association who agree, say yay," President Alicia Testarossa asked.
"Yay," Nunnally, Lotte and Aria said in agreement together.
"Alright, we'll speak with Milly later, but is there anything else?"
"We have the cross-dressing festival coming up again soon…Any ideas for that day?" Aria reminded the president.
"Thank you, yes, what should we dress up for this year?"
Lying in a bedroom room was C.C. listening to the song playing throughout the school. Although she was alone, but someone was talking to her despite being the only person in the room.
"This is certainly interesting, but I think you would like Lelouch's friend Quattro. She reminds me of you when you were younger," C.C. said, speaking to a familiar voice within her mind.
Oh really…
"Yes, but only from what I understand about her, she didn't have a childhood. Let's just say...she's different."
How so?
"It's hard to explain. With everything moving as is, I think things about to get more interesting." C.C. admitted while not talking about Quattro as a cyborg. Apparently it was at the request of Peter, who knew the full story her previous relationship with a certain someone close to Lelouch. In return for her silence though, among a few other concessions on her part, she was given an explanation of how Quattro came to be on Earth.
As her name implies, she was the fourth combat cyborg to be created, but she wasn't activated until her fifth sister was. Quattro was originally created to serve as a intelligence processing-type to support Scaglietti's first combat cyborg Uno. Later after upgrading her with illusionary and ECM capacities, her potential was boosted to become a rear commander for the other Numbers. Yet two years ago something happened, which nearly resulted in the demise of Quattro. Peter said one of her own older sisters tried to kill her on the doctor's orders, but C.C. got the impression that Peter wasn't telling her the entire story.
From the impression I got…something more must have happened, C.C. thought to herself.
Either way, the result was that Quattro joined their little group. During her recovery and treatment, Peter couldn't help but make improvements and upgrades for her. By his own admittance, it was a bad habit he had. It happened when he came across something or, in Quattro's case, someone who could be made better that the young man couldn't resist.
Quattro's Inherent Skill called Silver Curtain was previously granted her the ability to create illusions through the manipulation of electron waves. Thanks to new biomechanical implants and upgraded cybernetics coupled with the use of her new Assault Suit, Quattro's Inherent Skill was augmented significantly. The hybrid intelligent device integrated into the suit doubled as a miniature supercomputer for hacking computer systems and even seizing control of Knightmare Frames. The computer also filtered out unneeded information to further improve her new capabilities of hacking and taking control of electronic devices and machines.
Her new ability to use a magic system was limited, but she was now capable of defensive spells and a few offensive spells.
A dangerous woman she is, but her and Lelouch…They are a dangerous combination…
The following morning, Viceroy Clovis was on what would be his last day in office for Area 11. With all of his official work done, the blonde-haired prince thought he could at least spend his last day with his guest, who arrived in Area 11 yesterday. Still surprised, one of his beloved and favorite siblings had come to serve as Sub-Viceroy. Unfortunately when he arrived in her room, no one was there.
"Euphie…are you here?"
No one answered, prompting Clovis to look around. Arriving at the dresser, he found a note taped to the mirror. Clovis picked up the note, but moments later, a loud scream brought a guard running into the room.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
Clovis didn't answer, prompting the guard to slowly approach him. Upon closer inspection, he saw blood had drained from Clovis's face as he had a look of frozen terror upon his facial features.
"Prince Clovis, what's wrong?" The guard asked again before Clovis handed him the note.
Dear Clovis,
I want to see what Area 11 is like so I kinda sneaked out of the government building among all of those girls you had visiting you earlier. But don't worry I'll be back in a little while.
Love
Euphy…
"Princess Cornelia arrives tonight and-" the guard swallowed hard before he could finish.
"I know…" Clovis said finally, but he was clearly terrified of what Cornelia would do to him.
"Worried she'll kill you, sir?"
"Kill me!" The blonde-haired prince said half-jokingly and half-frightened for his life. "That would be merciful! If she discovers that Euphy left without guard and who knows to where she went with her bleeding heart, she will turn me into a soprano using a blunt wooden spoon, then shove that same spoon where the sun doesn't shine. And that it's the tamest thing that I can expect here!"
"I understand sir…I'll call the Royal Guard."
-----
Arriving for the first time on Earth was a trio of young women. All three of them for the most part wore identical uniforms that consisted of full-body suits of blue around the edges and limbs with light blue.
The leading one wore on her wrists and above her ankles blue ring-like devices and plates on her hips and shoulders. She had the Roman numeral six on a plate over her collarbone printed in yellow. She had short light blue hair, blue hair clips in her hair and light blue eyes. The other two, instead of ring-like devices on their wrists, wore forearm armor plating. One was another girl with red hair tied up into a top-knot, with red eyes and the number eleven marked on her. The last member of their group was a girl with long brown hair tied into a long ponytail with a yellow bow. She had matching brown eyes and a large cannon-like weapon wrapped up in tattered tan cloth. The three girls were taking up residence in an old office building in the middle of the Saitama Ghetto on behalf of their creator.
"Wow, what a dump we picked to stay at, but I say we should think of it as camping!" The red-haired girl said excitingly, trying to make light on their current accommodations.
"This isn't a very good defendable position," The taciturn girl with the long ponytail commented. "I will stay up for first watch."
"Relax Dieci," The leader of the trio said assumingly. "We are combat cyborgs. Who in their right mind will mess around with us?"
"But this doesn't seem like a safe neighborhood, Sein."
"You worry too much, Dieci," the third girl who by the name Wendi commented before adding. "I am sure we'll be fine; I mean, just look at that decaying scenery. Old buildings falling apart, clear signs of battle, plenty of wear and tear, no doubt complete with an obvious lack of maintenance."
"I don't see anything down there except for that little old lady," Sein joined in to assure their more serious teammate. "See? Even she is walking around this dump, so it must be safe, right?"
Suddenly as if fate conspired against Sein, a trio of men on motorcycles wearing blue jeans and boots surrounded the old lady. They wore a black leather jacket, a white shirt and a gray sweater. One pulled a knife on the old Japanese lady after the biker gang parked their bikes.
"Alright you old Eleven, hand over your money!" The threat even made Wendi uneasy, almost thinking he meant her number.
"Okay," The old lady weakly said, pretending to be reaching for her wallet in her purse before drawing out a handgun. She shot the Britannian biker leader dead in the head before shooting at the other two who tried to run away.
Sein and Wendi were speechless while Dieci looked at the scene seemingly unsurprised by it. As the old lady hobbled away, they didn't see anyone else let alone any police officers come to arrest her. A pair of younger Japanese residences then came out of the buildings to rob the dead bikers.
"I'll take first watch," Dieci repeated before checking her Enormous Cannon.
"Rough neighborhood," Wendi commented.
Even Sein was wondering if they should relocate.
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Chapter 9: Tours
Well, the next chapter is done. Below will give more insight to Quattro and how she joined up with Lelouch and his allies. Then there's the first meetup between Suzaku and Euphie.
Chapter 9
Tours
It was early that afternoon as Suzaku Kururugi, despite some trouble at the government building, managed to drop off some paperwork. It was on the behalf of his new superiors at the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps or sometimes called the Camelot Research. A majority of his difficulties came from being an Honorary Britannian, but he was used to the treatment he received. There was no denying that his new superiors were much better than his previous ones. However for the past couple of days, his boss Lloyd Asplund has been, for a lack of a better word, a nervous wreck. Fortunately for him, his mood improved when he got word that his sponsor, Schneizel El Britannia was providing the funds and means to build another Lancelot.
Lloyd was out eagerly overseeing the construction of the new Lancelot unit, closely matching the stolen original. Suzaku was tasked by Cecile to drop off some documents before he was allowed the day off. As Lloyd wanted to make certain a repeat of that incident wouldn't happen again, he would be busy for the rest of the day.
"Excuse me," a kind voice from behind asked.
Suzaku turned around and came face-to-face with a beautiful young woman who appeared to be about as old as he was if not a bit younger. She had long pink curly hair with some of it tied into two large buns on the sides, light blue eyes and a fair skin complexion. The girl was dressed in a dress with an orange bottom while the top was a white blouse with a wide collar and long sleeves.
"Hello, I am new here. If you don't mind me asking, could you show me around? I am in a bit of trouble, you see."
"Uh, you are?"
"Could we wait on introductions please? Bad guys after me, so considering the situation, could you help me please?"
With school finally out, Lelouch and Graham were in the simulation room. The two men stood on opposite sides with a fully graphic holographic map laid out at their feet. They were having a war game, although the two men gave orders to their respective forces using holographic screens floating around them. The map below them, which had a very realistic look to it, allowed them to see the battle play out.
Instead of a modern battle, Lelouch and Graham had picked an old battle from world history. Although troops and battle conditions were the same as far as history books noted, weather conditions were set to be random. The battle in question they picked was one of the battles that led to the formation of Britannia, the Siege of Yorktown. Historically, George Washington, the leader of the American Revolution army lost. The Duke of Britannia had bribed Benjamin Franklin with the title of Earl and territories in the colonies, which was a key factor in their defeat.
Lelouch was in the same position as George Washington while Gil Graham was effectively filling the role of Lord Cornwallis, each man commanding their own respective forces. He didn't have the French to aid him, which Lelouch knew would have been a huge deciding factor in this battle. Yet as he scanned the battlefield with well over two dozen different outcomes he could make playing out in his mind.
"You cannot wait too long, Lelouch…Time can be a commander's greatest enemy."
"I know, but if I am too hasty in my decision, I could hurt my own chances for victory just the same."
"That is true," Graham said in agreement while Lelouch smiled at the challenge before him.
He undoubtedly enjoyed playing chess against the nobility for easy money and occasionally those he found challenging. Facing Graham in recreated simulated historical battles, however, were what he enjoyed the most. Of course, they just didn't play these games for the fun of it; the purpose was to train Lelouch in military tactics. Given Graham's experience as an Admiral of the TSAB, he was an excellent and invaluable teacher.
"So tell me, Lelouch, how do you intend to win this battle?"
Lelouch smiled at the response, who just said.
"Just wait and see…I might have an idea."
In another room of the underground base, Peter was busy dodging kunai knives being thrown at him. His trainer was a woman dressed in a black maid uniform complete with a white apron complete with the classic maid hat. Sayoko Shinozaki, as far as most people in Ashford Academy were concerned, was the maid and caretaker of Nunnally Lamperouge.
However, what not too many people knew was that Sayoko was a well-trained ninja or shinobi, depending on which term one preferred. She was also the 37th Successor of the Shinozaki School of martial arts, despite her age. Watching them as Peter tried to improve his combat skills was Quattro, who was enjoying tea from a white tea-cup.
She can cook, clean and take care of a disabled little girl as well as kick some ass for someone who doesn't have any cybernetics or magical talent.
Although Quattro had a hard time seeing Sayoko being able to stand against her more combat hardened sisters, there was no denying that her skill set was quite impressive.
Hmmm, if she was only converted into a combat cyborg with the right IS, she could give even Cinque a run for her money.
Dieci was keeping watchful guard at their temporary place of residence in the ghetto regrettably was in the company of Wendi. Their other sister was using her Inherent Skill, Deep Dive to discreetly move into the Toyko Concession, which was obviously much nicer.
Poking her head through the ground, hidden within some brushes emerging in the middle of a small park, the blue haired Number began looking around.
Maybe we should consider finding a better hiding place here...
"We haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we?" The pink-haired girl in Suzaku's company began. After some careful thought, she said, "My name is…Euphie."
"Euphie," Suzaku replied, raising an eyebrow. "Well my name is…"
"Don't tell me, I already know it," Euphie said, interrupting Suzaku before finishing. "You are a celebrity, the son of Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, Private Suzaku Kururugi."
Suzaku didn't answer immediately. After looking around, he questioned what Euphie had told him earlier as he didn't spot anyone searching for the young woman.
"You lied earlier. There's no one pursuing you at all."
Seemingly ignoring what he had just said, Euphie hurried over to a cat. It had dark gray fur, a black patch of hair around its left eye and black fur on the tip of its tail. She knelt down looking at the cat before saying.
"Meow…meow," Euphie began as the scene surprised both Suzaku and the observing Sein. "Aw, does the kitty's paw hurt?"
The cat hissed at her defensively.
"Oh…meow meow," Euphie said, seemingly calming the cat down as she extended her hand. The cat sniffed it to assure she meant him no harm.
"Meow," The cat replied, rubbing his head against her hand affectingly.
"Meow meow meow," The pink-haired woman said before picking up the cat and holding him up to the Honorary Britannian.
Who is this girl, a cat whisperer? Sein thought, watching the whole thing.
Suzaku approached and was about to pet the cat when it suddenly bit his finger.
"Ugh!"
"Oh my," Euphie replied.
They look like tourists. Hmmm, maybe I'll just follow them.
Suzaku and Euphie left with the cat in their company. Unknown to them, Sein tailed them within the ground.
Back at Ashford Academy, Peter was breathing hard as he was down on one knee. He had some light cuts on his shoulders of his black shirt and the white pants he had been wearing.
"Maybe we should take a break," Sayoko suggested with four kunai knives held between her fingers on her right hand. The maid didn't seem to be the least bit tired.
"I suppose you're right."
"All things considered it's amazing you got away from that White Devil and her friend," Quattro commented, noting Peter's fighting skills needed much ore improvement. The young cyborg suspected that Peter at one point was well-trained in combat as a mage. His devotions to scientific pursuits and furthering his own knowledge between the time when he teamed up with Graham likely caused his fighting abilities to decline overtime.
"Quattro, why don't we spar for a bit?" Sayoko offered.
"Sounds like an entertaining idea," Quattro replied, standing up from her chair and changing into her Assault Suit. While Peter got out of her way, a kunai knife from the sleeves of her Silver Cape slipped into her hands.
Peter sat off to the side, watching the two women. Sayoko threw some kunai at Quattro, who deflected them by throwing the kunai she drew before they engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Peter watched as he recovered from wearing himself down, just realizing just how badly out of shape he was in.
If I stayed in proper shape, I could have trained Lelouch to be a better close-quarters combatant.
Peter watched as Quattro skillfully evaded Sayoko's attacks, having developed more into a well-rounded fighter. She preferred hanging back and assuming the role of a rear commander, but if push came to shove, then Quattro was capable of holding out in a direct fight. Quattro had no doubt improved, compared to where she was originally before she ended up joining their group two years ago. She wasn't as skilled as Sayoko, but Quattro was formidable coupled with the shinobi training she received that complimented her stealth abilities.
Yet, I wonder about her mental state…
The blonde-haired man wondered as he remembered two years ago when he first met Quattro. But he met someone else before meeting her, begging him to save Quattro as she was being forced to arrange the woman's demise. She had suspected Peter was no longer loyal to the Mandarin, so she tried to ask him while she was in control of her own actions. Peter knew that nanomachines within the woman's body kept her from telling Jail Scaglietti and anyone remotely connected to the TSAB of the Mandarin and all related to him.
However, Peter was a very different story, which provided an exploitable loophole and Quattro's life was saved thanks to the plan they worked out. Peter had reservations about Quattro, but her abilities and their use was a gamble he just had to take. Her injuries were serious, but they weren't fatal as he tended to them easily enough. Yet when Quattro remained comatose, Peter conducted a full examination to ensure she wasn't carrying any kind of devices such as a bomb or mind-controlling device. She was clean, but he did notice several things...
Back then, I found an undeveloped embryo meant to be some kind of clone of Scaglietti, likely a back-up plan for himself. I removed it after recalling what she told me about the double-edged sword they now possibly served. But…her cybernetics and abilities…they are…poorly developed and designed.
That was when Peter felt what could only be described as his inner-mad scientist coming out. He proceeded inject Quattro's body with nanomachines to better adapt to the upgrades her cybernetics would receive while integrating a few biomechanical ones to improve her original abilities. The nanomachines ensured streamlined integration of the organic and nonorganic components while optimizing her body's organic functions and ensuring her internal cybernetics were in working order. Most importantly, they served as a form of protection to prevent any foreign nanomachines from taking over her mind.
The real test came during that time two years ago, after being comatose for well over a week, when Quattro finally woke up.
Quattro's eyes fluttered opened, but the combat cyborg wasn't aware of the time she had been out for. The room she was in wasn't familiar; when her vision cleared, she saw she was in some kind of medical lab on a bed with a blanket drawn over her. Slowly, but surely, the woman sat up as she examined her surroundings.
Where am I…what happened?
Her memory was a bit fuzzy, but as she sat up in bed, the woman slowly began to recall what had happened last before losing consciousness. It began when she was tasked with an important and dangerous mission with her elder sister and mentor Due. According to intelligence collected by Due a high-ranking member of the TSAB Ground Forces had managed to come across information that threatened to expose the Doctor's plans as well as the TSAB High Council's involvement with him. This came without saying, the High Council requested to take care of the matter on their behalf, providing the location of the outpost he was inspecting as part of an inspection tour conducted on some of the administered worlds.
To ensure the information couldn't be transmitted anywhere else and to help provide cover for Due, Quattro was sent out for support. The mission seemed easy enough and for Quattro, she got to go on a joint mission with Due, who was the perfect combat cyborg in her eyes. Despite what she felt for her other sisters, Due on the other hand was perhaps the only one she held in high regard.
Yet something went wrong…
It was nothing wrong with the mission itself; it was carried out perfectly thanks to Quattro's abilities who had hampered their security systems, making it easier for Due to slip in. She even prevented the information the officer had from getting out. However, while waiting for Due to congratulate her for a job well done, but what happened shattered the combat cyborg's world.
Due had ordered Dieci to shoot Quattro and the resulting explosion seemingly killed her.
Quattro was in complete shock as she managed to detect the charging shot of Dieci's Enormous Cannon, but she didn't have enough time to evade. The young woman thought she had died, but clearly that was not the case. The only question Quattro had left was where she was.
"I see, so you are finally awake."
Quattro looked up from bed she sat up in seeing a young man in his late teens with mid-back blonde hair tied into a long ponytail and lab uniform.
"Who are you…Where am I?"
"You may call me Peter Vanderfloog, but as to where you are," Peter said before adjusting his glasses. "You are on Earth, which the Bureau has called Unadministered World #97."
"Why...am I here?"
"Because you were supposed to be killed, but due to fortunate circumstances we managed to have your demise faked anyway."
"Why…why did Due and Dieci try to kill me…Did the Doctor order it," Quattro said as her voice was shaking.
"Yes, but only because he had been lead to believe you were a traitor," Peter explained, prompting Quattro's eyes to widen. "Allow me to explain; because Due has been compromised…she has been conscripted into a double agent for a man calling himself the Mandarin."
Quattro's eyes widened further in horror, but she couldn't comprehend it.
Due's a double agent? I-Impossible…
"That can't be true…no…It just…can't."
But that brought Quattro back to the question earlier, why did Due try to have her killed?
"If it's any comfort, Due wasn't conscripted by the Mandarin willingly. She has been enslaved by the Mandarin using nanomachines he infected her body with, enabling him to control her."
"WHAT!?" Quattro exclaimed as her expression showed that she was shocked.
"I am not certain on the exact details, but on Due's latest long-term mission she had a run in with the Mandarin himself. She was beaten before being captured and subjected to modification and nanotech experiments that enslaved her. There were times she would be allowed control of her own actions, but otherwise the nanomachines within her would monitor and control her actions. Meaning she couldn't inform your creator of what happened or anyone else outside of the Mandarin himself. She was a prisoner in her own mind, effectively with no one aware of it." Peter explained as Quattro was lost in thought.
"But why would someone do that to her?"
"Because the Mandarin wants revenge against Jail Scaglietti, but he won't be content with killing him. No, he wants your creator to suffer. However, he needed an insider, so he could plan and wait for the perfect time to hit Scaglietti where he can do the most damage to him."
"Just who is the Mandarin?"
"He was a former associate of Scaglietti, but their working relationship broke down before you and your sisters were created. He became bitter and vengeful, but he isn't just aiming to destroy Jail Scaglietti…He wants to bring the entire TSAB down with him. His plans and preparations are already in motion."
"How…how I am alive then?"
"I mentioned Due at times could regain control of her senses. One of these moments was when I had returned to the Mandarin's main base to conduct my usual duties. You see…I once worked for the Mandarin as a researcher and following Due's modifications, I was asked to perform a check up on her while she was restrained."
Quattro's eyes remained widened, but she didn't interrupt.
"I was already planning to desert the Mandarin because of…let's just say a crisis of consciences. It was during these checkups, Due was allowed temporary release from the hold the nanomachines hold upon her mind. She was restrained, but during that time, I found out that the Mandarin intended to send her on a mission. It was to eliminate a potential liability to his revenge against Scaglietti and to test his hold on Due."
The combat cyborg didn't even need to wait for Peter to finish. The realization already came at her like a bullet train running her over.
"She was…forced…to kill me."
"Yes, but after some careful consideration, I told Due of my intent to turn on the Mandarin. She in turn told me of your abilities and so we concocted a plan to save you. I made arrangements so your death could be faked and hopefully the Mandarin is left unaware of our deception. Due wanted you to survive, which was why she brought Dieci along; she knew of your attachment and the care she had for you. Luckily, you were attempting to dodge Dieci, which barely missed your head. I think she found it difficult to bring herself to land a direct hit on you, but the explosion from the impact was enough to knock you from the cliff. Once you were in the river below, I swapped you out for a decoy I made beforehand while I snuck away with the real you. Although your wounds were more severe than we thought, I was able to heal you of your injuries. I made sure you survived and so I brought you here where I established a hidden base of operations for myself and those who wish to see the Mandarin brought down." Peter finished his explanation.
It was a risky gambit, but despite her impassive and profession exterior she displayed, Due knew from Quattro that she was among the morally conflicted of the cyborgs, so her survival rested upon Dieci missing a direct hit. Although he didn't mention it, Peter had raised a field to dampen Dieci's cannon shot in an effort to raise the girl's chances of survival. Quattro was completely speechless, but Peter was silent for a few moments before he brought out a small handheld device.
"Due asked I give this to you."
The combat cyborg eyed the device for a moment before accepting it. The small device had a thumb print scanner on it, which Quattro applied her finger to. Once the scan was complete, a small light glowed green as a holographic screen appeared before the young cyborg with the face of Due looking sad and vulnerable. A terrible state Quattro could never had envisioned, but she pulled away as she saw Due struggling clearly trying to keep herself in her own state of mind.
"I…I don't know how long I'll remain myself before these nanomachines take over again...But if you are seeing this Quattro...then...that means our plan worked. I am so sorry we had to do this... No one knows just how dangerous the Mandarin is. Because of the Mandarin's manipulations you cannot go back to the Doctor because...he and your other sisters think you're a traitor. What I did…I did for you. Your abilities make you a dangerous foe...and I am certain with…Le…no…Peter, I am sorry…your IS can be developed even further. Please, Quattro...I am asking you...as your your elder sister and mentor...aid Peter against the Mandarin...for at least your own sake if not our sisters and the Doctor. If the Mandarin caught wind of what really happened...then...I'll likely be killed for it...but it's worth knowing you are alive...and maybe...I can get some degree of revenge for you." Due said as she began sweating as she forfeit control.
It was clear on the expression on her face that on a rare instance, she was emotionally shaken to the core.
"Take care of yourself, but…no you hardly need that advise...I taught you well…In my opinion... you're the best among us…good bye."
The combat cyborg didn't utter a word as everything was a bit much for her to take in. But she knew going back to the Doctor was clearly a suicidal move; although Quattro didn't want to admit it, she would likely end up dead for real this time if anyone knew she survived.
"If you need anything, let me know.I'll give you some time alone."
Quattro didn't respond as Peter exited the room, glad that he hadn't mentioned his modifications, including the removal of the embryo. For a couple of hours, Quattro sat quietly up in bed with a disillusioned expression.
"So, who are you?"
The young combat cyborg looked to the doorway and saw someone different standing there. He wore a sleeveless black shirt with matching jeans with black hair. The boy observed Quattro closely before speaking.
"Are you that person Peter brought back?"
Quattro didn't say anything.
"So, why are you here?"
Still Lelouch got no response, which was beginning to irritate him.
"Are you deaf or something? I want to know why you are here. Its irritating enough that Peter doesn't say anything about this beforehand."
"I am not even sure if I should be alive…I…I don't know."
"You are here right now, so what's stopping you?"
The door slid open and Peter returned.
"Oh, I see you two have met. Quattro, this is Lelouch, our young Mage and military leader in training. Lelouch, this is Quattro, the combat cyborg I mentioned."
"I see, so she is the one you brought back from your trip." Lelouch said, looking into Quattro's eyes and noticing something about them.
"That is correct," Peter confirmed with a nod.
"The same look," Lelouch muttered.
"What did you say?" The blonde haired researcher asked.
"Oh…She doesn't look very tough," Lelouch said flat-out to the woman.
"Well, she isn't a combat-focused cyborg like some of her sisters, but I believe her abilities will no doubt prove invaluable to us."
"You said something about her using illusions and the ability to affect electronic devices, right?"
"Yes…her Inherent Skill allows her a degree of stealth capabilities, but she can interfere and tamper with machines. She can make what appears to be one fighter jet on radar into a thousand to confuse enemies for instance."
"I see, but a combat fighter might have been better for us," Lelouch said, but his inconsiderate words were irritating the young woman.
"You question my capabilities?"
"Yes, I do…"
These two are off to a good start, Peter thought sarcastically as he sighed, wondering if there was a reason for Lelouch purposely provoking Quattro like that.
Coming back to the present, Peter was resting his body when Graham suddenly entered the room with Lelouch in tow, having concluded their war game. The blonde haired researcher couldn't tell if Lelouch or Graham won since neither seemed to hold any visible signs on their expressions. But that was pushed aside as Graham drew a letter from his pocket.
"We got a response from Kyoto," Graham announced.
"They contacted us back?"
"Yes, they would like to meet Zero and are interested in the Lancelot."
"I see, but is Lelouch going alone?"
"No, but besides myself, they are allowing me to bring another," Graham began before facing Quattro. "Since you played a big role in its capture and having used it, would you be interested in accompanying us for this meeting?"
"Of course," Quattro said as she wiped from sweat from her brow.
As the afternoon was drawing to a close, Euphie and Suzaku spent the final half of their tour in the most unexpected places imaginable. Even now, Suzaku couldn't understand why a girl like Euphie would want to come to a place like Shinjuku. The majority of their tour was for the most part normal as they explored the Toyko Concession and famous locations around the settlement. Their earlier conversation repeated in his mind as he tried to comprehend just what was this young woman thinking.
You know, being here is just like being in Britannia. I feel right at home.
Oh, are you from the homeland?
Uh-huh, I was a student up until a few days ago.
A few days ago, so by student, do you mean a high school student? So what are you doing now? If you are in high-school, you can go sightseeing anytime.
Hehehe, you ask a lot of questions.
Uh…sorry…
Oh, I didn't mean it like that. You see, today is the last day of my vacation. I wanted to see as much of Area 11 as I could because I wanted to see what kind of place it is.
Well, you didn't need me for that.
No, I am glad I could see it with you.
Heh…is that right.
The duo was before a small memorial that had been established recently. Pipes and wooden boards were used as grave markers while a ruined wall behind them had photos and posters with images of the victims hung up. The area around the grave markers had flowers, including a few toys and wooden picture frames inside.
"Shinjuku Ghetto...ruined again…the people were beginning to return too."
Euphie and Suzaku looked at the grave markers solemnly. Lurking nearby was Sein, who continued to watch them, having benefited from Suzaku's little tour. Though she was familiar with memorials, she could understand much to why they'd have them here. More interesting is why the tourists would be interested and have so much pity on the place when she learned their military was responsible.
"They didn't use RGs on the Elevens, I knew they wouldn't!" A voice from above the hill behind them spoke. Up on the top of the hill near a damaged statue was a pair of Britannian high school students. Their black uniforms were clear indications they were from Ashford Academy. One of them was a large set young man with short blonde hair wearing an orange bandana on his head, holding a camera.
"Hey, look! Marks from Hummer Rounds! Get a clear shot, okay?" another Ashford Academy student called out, his companion who had short spiky black hair. He was posing in front of the statue as his larger set friend took a photo.
"Got it…"
Unfortunately moments later, three angry locals approached the two. One was Tamaki flanked by two others from the resistance group. He rushed to the two students, knocking the camera out of the hands of the portly student, who began backing away in fear.
"Get out of here, you damned Britannian bastards!" Tamaki snapped as the large one began to speak until he was cut off by Tamaki.
"How dare a lowly Eleven speak…"
"Don't call me an Eleven, I am Japanese!"
"Wrong, you seem to forget you people lost. You're nothing but a beaten dog!"
"Damn you racist pig!" Tamaki snapped.
Suzaku realized the situation would only get ugly unless he intervenes before he hurried.
"Please stop, no violence."
"Stay out of this!" Tamaki snapped while turning to slap the boy. It was only then that he saw his face and recognized him. "Hey are you…Suzaku Kururugi?"
"He's Genbu Kururugi's son…" Yoshida pointed out.
"Heh…so what? This guy is nothing more than a slave. Big deal, you are an Honorary Britannian. Nobody cares." Tamaki began before his anger flared up. "You sold your pride, your people and your soul and you call yourself JAPANESE!"
"No, you are wrong," Suzaku said in his own defense.
"I am not wrong, you stinking Britannian lapdog!"
Tamaki shouted as he threw a punch at the young man. Suzaku caught his arm before throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him on the ground.
"Stop please," Suzaku began, not wishing to allow things to escalate further. "I warn you, I've been trained in military combat. Don't make me fight against my own people."
"Like hell, we're your people!"
Tamaki snapped before one of his friends told him.
"Come on, just let it go already."
"Fine, lousy traitor..."
Tamaki and his group walked off as Euphemia approached with his belongings in hand. The nearby student picked up his camera to inspect it.
"Suzaku...oh my, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Suzaku said, but the two students directed their attention to the man who saved them. Instead of thanking him, they began complaining about their damaged camera, but most of all their own wounded pride.
"Forget about you, what about my LX-4 camera?"
"Damn it, some Honorary Britannian you are!" The other shot back. Had it been a Britannian who helped them, they might have displayed a different attitude.
"Why did you let them go? You should have killed them! I mean, what are a few dead Elevens to a guy like you. I mean who has taken care of you people for-" The fat student was saying before Euphie suddenly slapped him clear across the face.
"I will not allow you to insult this man any longer, you oaf!"
"What? You're a damn slut for being involved with this!" The fat kid began before a gunshot rang through the air. Everyone froze as tanned Britannian officer arrived on the scene.
"Speak another word and you'll dead before you utter those again!" Jeremiah Gottwald cautioned, glaring daggers at the two students.
A large group of Britannian soldiers and Knightmare Frames suddenly arrived on the scene, surrounding them and surprising everyone but Euphie.
"Are you alright, Princess Euphemia?" Jeremiah inquired, bowing respectfully to the young woman.
"P…Princess Euphemia…she's uh…" Suzaku and the two students exclaimed in shock before they dropped down on one knee. The two boys were panicking, especially as the chubby teen who told off a member of the Royal Family.
"My lady, I had no idea who you were. Please forgive me," Suzaku said respectfully.
"Please relax, Suzaku. I do want to thank you for escorting me around Area 11."
"With all due respect, Your Highness," Jeremiah appreciated the safety of Euphimea, despite being accompanied by an Honorary Britannian. "You really shouldn't have run away like that. You had your brother, Prince Clovis deeply worried for your wellbeing. If you had wanted a tour of Area 11, then I am certain one with a proper armed escort could have been arranged."
"Thank you, but I wanted to see Area 11 from a different perspective, especially if I am to become the Sub-Viceroy of this area."
Back at Ashford Academy, just as the sun was beginning to set, the arrangements for the meeting with Kyoto had been made. The day after tomorrow, Quattro and Graham would accompany Lelouch as Zero.
Quattro was in Lelouch's room as the two were discussing matters, especially as word was that the new Viceroy would arrive later tonight. Both teens sat before a small table with a chessboard set up and a game currently in play. Lelouch was the black pieces like usual and Quattro took control of the white pieces.
"I have to say, you have accomplished quite a bit in these few days. Unintended, but still," Quattro said before moving a white bishop.
"All of this chaos is merely a means to an end. The world is destined to descend into further chaos."
"You make it sound so easy. Surely, you know that your enemy is a nation that controls one-third of the entire world. And let's not forget the TSAB that will try to stop you with their foolish ideals and laws," The combat cyborg pointed out as Lelouch moved a black pawn.
"Really now?" Lelouch said a smug smile.
"Do you think wielding magic, having me and the others as allies, and this new organization you are going to build…Will it be enough? The upcoming foes we're facing may be too strong and large for such little resources and weapons alone."
"Is it good to be strong or bad to be weak?" Lelouch began as Quattro moved a white pawn. "Back then, when I was only nine years old, the world seemed like nothing special to me...until I learned what death was."
Lelouch said, recalling his mother lying on the stairs with his five-year old sister, her body riddled with bullet holes.
"Then I learned how ugly death was, but it was because I didn't want to know about it. After that, I learned just how cruel the world can truly be, a world without any hope at all."
Quattro moved a knight as Lelouch continued.
"Starvation, disease, filth, decay, racism, constant war and terrorism, altogether coupled with people who have us all trapped in a never-ending cycle of hate like rats running in a wheel. The cycle must be broken...somebody has to do it."
"That sounds so idealistic, but I doubt you're the first."
"Of course, it's doubtful that the one who does it will make all the troubles in the world go away. The world just isn't that simple and I'm not that arrogant of that fact. However," Lelouch said thinking of his mother and sister again. "No one should lose more of the people they love, but at the very least, a much gentler world must be achieved."
"How do you intend to achieve such a world?"
"It's simple," Lelouch moved the black King. "When somebody wins, the fighting will end."
Quattro had doubts it would go so easily.
I'll see how far you go.
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Chapter 10: Homecoming
Well, here's the next chapter. Mostly more development with Quattro's story behind her partnership-in-crime with Lelouch and more on how the Aces got to know him. Pay attention a little because this is more than mere filler and will come to play in the future developing chapters.
It's been about seven years since they left Earth, but now events had prompted a return to Nanoha and Hayate's homeworld. Returning to Japan was not easy for both of them, especially as they sat together inside a spacious living room within a large mansion, located in the middle of a wildlife preserve. Not long after their arrival, their only remaining contact in Japan, now Area 11, invited them to stay at her house. Sitting together on a sofa was Ginga Nakajima wearing formal wear, consisting of a blue skirt with a white shirt complete with a blue jacket and a red bow-tie and wearing black shoes, while next to her was Hayate and Fate.
Like Ginga, the two had adopted more casual wear. Fate wore a white turtleneck shirt with a yellow cross-pattern on the front, a black skirt, brown stockings, red and black shoes, and a black jacket. Her long blonde hair was tied into two long pigtails with light blue ribbons. Hayate's casual wear consisted of pink shorts with a white sweatshirt, complete with a hood and a white shirt underneath.
The trio sat together as Ginga was showed the group images of Shinjuku while reviewing the events that had happened days ago around the same time as the Wyvern Drone Incident on Mid-Childa. Ginga gave them a step-by-step of events that had transpired, although she hadn't told them the reason for the Britannian Army's indiscriminate killing of civilians, which was already very difficult for the young women to bear. Nanoha, Hayate and Fate understood all too well, but nevertheless with their arrival, they intended to get to the bottom of this. Even if it was finding Zero or the Mandarin, they would deal with both problems depending on which one presents itself first.
"So since the incident, there has been no sign of him staying in Shinjuku," Fate inquired to Ginga.
"No, and I have been trying to follow the resistance group he had contacted and collaborated with during the incident. Somehow, he found out the identity of one of their own and contacted that person directly, denying me an opportunity to catch him at the meeting he had arranged. However, I did discover that he met with them to warn them of Clovis's intent, so I waited in Shinjuku when he would come this way to stop the bombers."
"Which lead to your second encounter with Zero, but instead, you ran into his ally." Hayate said as Ginga nodded.
"I never expected it, but now with what happened on Mid-Childa and the fact an ally of his is my brother…I am not sure."
"If we want more information on the Mandarin then we need to capture him and Zero," Nanoha said, joining the conversation.
Her choice of attire consisted of blue jeans and a simple pink shirt. Nanoha stood by one of the large windows, looking out at the open grassy plains where she saw a trio of dogs running around outside.
"Tea anyone?" A fifth voice rang as a young woman around the same age as the three Aces entered the room, carrying a silver tray with a white tea-pot and cups. She had short light brown hair and light green eyes. She wore dark brown shorts and a light brown shirt with long-sleeves and bow tied on the front of it, complete with sandals.
"Oh, thank you, Alisa. Here, let me help you with that." Nanoha tried to help her old childhood friend, Alisa Bannings.
"NO…you are my guests, so please, let me serve you tea." Alisa insisted. Although she had grown up, there were still parts of her personality that were the same. Fate and Hayate chuckled at the exchange as Nanoha simply sweat dropped at Alisa's defiant expression. She then set the plate on the coffee table before the sofa most of the group sat on. "I know you are trying to be nice Nanoha, but I haven't seen you guys in person for almost seven years, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Alisa. I meant no offense!" Nanoha said with her hands, raised up defensively.
Alisa sighed in response before saying, "You haven't changed much..."
"I haven't…"
"Nope, you are still the same, just a little taller."
The old friends plus Ginga were staying at the Bannings Wildlife Preserve, a few miles outside of Nanoha and Hayate's hometown of Uminari City. Alisa was the head of their family's holdings in Area 11, including the Sakuradite Distribution and Shipping Operations near Mount Fuji. However, at the heart of the preserve was the Bannings Mansion. There was a large wide-open yard, where all twenty of Alisa's dogs were allowed to roam free.
At that moment, a maid entered the room. Whispering something into Alisa's ear, the woman opened her eyes wide in shock.
"What's wrong?" Hayate asked, noticing the woman's change in expression.
"Uh…well, it seems we have some unexpected guests."
On cue and led by another maid, Euphie and Suzaku entered with Jeremiah Gottwald in their company.
"E…Euphie," Alisa exclaimed clearly shocked by the third-princess's appearance. "I…I…I mean Princess Euphemia, it's an honor to have you here."
Nanoha, Hayate, Fate and Ginga were surprised as they were in the presence of a member of the Britannian Royal Family. More for the trio, it meant that they were seeing one of Lelouch's many half-siblings.
Euphie giggled at Alisa's expression.
"Relax, Alisa, no need to be formal. I just wanted to take time to visit you before I assume my new duties as Sub-Viceroy."
"You're the new Sub-Viceroy?" The brown-haired woman asked, also surprised by the news.
"Yes, so when time allows it, you and I can see each other since you're the only person I really know here."
During the exchange, Suzaku saw the familiar faces in the room and froze on the spot. The blonde hair and eyes were unmistakable, as were Nanoha's own hairstyle and eyes as few women had such an appearance.
"Uh, Mr. Kururugi, you know these people?" Euphemia asked innocently.
"Yes I do, Your Highness…I actually know almost everyone here."
"I am surprised to see you with Princess Euphemia...Suzaku. Other than that, it has been almost seven years since we last saw one another." Alisa began.
"That's a long story," Suzaku replied.
"Maybe we should tell them how we met," Euphie offered as she was intrigued to meet Alias's other guests. Jeremiah was clearly hesitant, but if there was trouble, he would step in.
Inside their underground base below Ashford Academy, two people were before a holographic screen displaying a section of Japan. They saw four dots in the shape of chibi-style faces of Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and Ginga. Peter and Gil observed the map with a grim expression.
"It was only a matter of time before they became involved in this," Graham pointed out.
"True, but I never expected it would be this soon."
"If anything, it was perhaps good luck on top of battle luck you managed to encounter the three Aces. Therefore, you could infect them with your special bacteria and monitor their movements."
"I suppose," Peter said in agreement as the blonde-haired young man had developed a harmless bacteria designed to emit special harmless radiation. With the right equipment, it was a very effective method of monitoring a person without them ever realizing it. Peter's father developed it originally, but the young man modified it, thus enabling him to tell the difference between the radiation signals so he could know who was who.
"We'll need to be ready for a confrontation with them soon."
"I know, but everything is proceeding too quickly."
"Are you talking about the recent attack on Mid-Childa?"
"Yes," Peter said before going on to explain his concerns to the aged former admiral. "I know he wants revenge on Scaglietti and the High Council along with the rest of the Bureau, but to attack so suddenly like this...I thought he was going to wait until Scaglietti began his attempt to take over Mid-Childa with the Saint's Cradle. Using his new spy within their ranks, I thought the Mandarin would have hijacked Scaglietti's plan along with all of his drones to conquer the planet. The Mandarin would force the man to watch while accomplishing the very plan, all stolen from at the last minute. I know it's not enough to simply kill Scaglietti…He wants to break him."
"That probably would have been sweet revenge, which would have been a very painful low blow for Scaglietti."
"Yes, I know, so why attack now and then reveal yourself? It doesn't make sense to me."
"You don't suppose something happened that could have prompted a change in plan?"
"It's possible, but I can't think of what exactly."
"Until we know more, we should proceed cautiously," Graham advised.
"I agree," Peter said with a nod, although deep down, he felt uneasy.
-----
Elsewhere in her room, Quattro was seated at her desk with the Art of War, written by Italian Renaissance political philosopher and historian Niccolò Machiavelli. However, the combat cyborg found the Art of War written by Sun Tzu to be far more engaging and appealing to her. Among the books on Earth, she had looked at Machiavelli's works were among her favorite pieces of literature, although Battle Studies written by Ardant du Picq wasn't bad either. As she was reading, she thought of the recent discussion she and Lelouch had about the strong and weak.
A weak life that can't do anything is no different from an insect's. No matter how many you kill, more will just keep being born. Playing with them and abusing them, throwing them in a cage and watching them suffer...it's supposed to be fun, but…
That was the mindset her creator, Jail Scaglietti had put into her with the help of her older sister Due. She was modeled into a cruel and sadistic woman ideal for long-term infiltration missions and ensured she could manipulate potential targets without becoming soft or conflicted if she grew close to them. For Quattro however, it was for a different purpose after the Doctor decided she could serve as a potential backup commander should, in the unlikely situation, Scaglietti and her sisters be defeated. For instance, should their base on Mid-Childa fall, she could easily activate the self-destruct without feeling any remorse or guilt. Had she been like some of her other sisters, they might have questioned performing such a task and may not even commit the act. Quattro on the other hand wouldn't, thanks to the special conditioning Due gave under Scaglietti's direction to ensure she could fulfill her duty.
After all, within her womb, she did carry a clone of him possessing his memories. Now that the clone was gone from her, her intended purpose was gone as well. It took some time to recover from her near-death at the hands of her own sisters after being set up by an enslaved Due. Without the Doctor in her life, the sadistic and manipulative Number wasn't certain what to do now. Weeks after initially meeting Lelouch, she questioned her continued existence, but an incident allowed her to find new purpose and reason to go on.
Three weeks after meeting Lelouch, the recovered cyborg was struggling to adapt to not just life on Earth. She had been practicing her new abilities Peter had granted her, including improved capabilities similar to Uno now incorporated within her. At the time, Quattro began wearing normal attire, which consisted of a white dress shirt with dark blue pants. Her normal combat suit was a lost cause with Peter creating a new one better for her.
Instead of spending another day in the underground base, Quattro was asked by Peter to assist him with a troublesome matter.
"So let me get this straight…your golden child, Lelouch got himself into some trouble?"
"Yes, apparently Lelouch was at Babel Tower gambling again. Everything went fine until he challenged a man notoriously known as the Black King."
"The Black King? That doesn't sound like an original name."
"Well, the name is nothing to scoff at since the man is a major player in the Britannian Underworld here in Area 11. He is also a prominent member of the Britannian Mafia."
"I think your little pet Mage is screwed."
"Not unless he uses Abyss Soul, but then that could draw the attention of the TSAB and we don't want that."
"Fine, I'll help you…Will be a good chance to try out my new abilities."
"And if you do find them, you might need this," Peter handed Quattro what looked like a large purse. Quattro peaked inside, finding a weapon and something else quite dangerous.
"I'll take care of it."
Using her new abilities, Quattro hacked into the tower's security systems. Using the recorded camera footage, she quickly found Lelouch's location. which was in the penthouse on the top floor. She modified security to remove traces of her and Lelouch from the surveillance footage before taking the elevator.
Normally you needed a security code, but that's no problem for me. I bet Uno couldn't acquire and rewrite security systems like I can now…I wonder what else I am capable of...
Quattro grinned evilly as she reached the penthouse.
"IS: Silver Curtain activate," The Number said before she became invisible. The elevator doors opened whereupon the surprise of the two bodyguards standing by the doors who didn't see anyone inside. Quattro calmly walked out and proceeded to enter the penthouse.
As for Lelouch he was in possibly one of the worst situations possible. He sat tied to a chair with a black eye after having won his chess match against the Black King. Unfortunately for him, he denounced Lelouch as a cheater and brought him up to his penthouse to "educate" the young man. However, the former prince knew it was more of a punishment than so called education as the man was clearly very sadistic intent on torturing him before inevitably killing him.
I got no choice…I got use it.
Don't even think about it, Quattro said, starting a telepathic communication with him.
It's you…
Yes, Peter asked me to save your troublesome hide.
How do you plan on getting me out?
Just watch and I'll prove I'm more capable than you thought.
Suddenly, a large obese man with dark skin and blonde hair with a beard came into the room. He wore a tacky looking brown suit as he approached Lelouch with five of his closest associates, who for the most part handled his businesses more specifically on his behalf. They wore black suits generally, but each one was a little different.
"Now little boy, we're going to give you a lesson in manners," The Black King said with an evil smile before someone behind them began speaking.
"No, how about I give you a lesson and if you don't pay attention, I'll blow us up." Quattro spoke as the Black King and five associates turned around. Quattro stood behind them with a large device, consisting of a metal tank attached to an electronic device with two smaller tanks linked to the larger five-gallon tank. "Now if you try to run or do anything else, I'll let go of this remote."
"Just who the hell are you?" The Black King demanded.
"Oh, I'm just a vicious piece of work, but I know all about you and your friends. As far as the public is concerned at large, you run an international trading and shipping company who has ties with a number of businesses and have several casinos including Babel Tower here in Area 11. To the criminal underworld, you are the Black King who uses his transportation business for illegal activities worldwide as part of an international slave trafficking and smuggling ring…now did I miss anything?"
"You forgot the assassination contacts I helped put out."
"Well, damn it," Quattro said cursing herself as her information dig was incomplete.
Something to practice on I guess.
"Is there a point to this?"
"You and all of your associates here are obvious criminals and are possibly the worst I have ever seen in my life." Quattro began as Lelouch, who everyone else seemingly forgot about, was struggling to free himself. At that moment, the real Quattro appeared next to him, using a knife to cut his bounds while trying to be as quiet as possible.
But…how are you-?
How am I in two places at once? The answer is simple, my Inherent Skill. Those idiots are talking to an illusion of me.
Is the bomb fake as well?
Yes, but I got the real one right here.
Quattro freed Lelouch and as the young man moved off the chair. The young woman set up the real bomb atop the seat, having already armed it. Taking hold of Lelouch, the combat cyborg activated her IS again and vanished before the two slipped out of the room, but Lelouch and Quattro made sure to lock the door from the outside, using a longsword from a weapon display rack to seal the door from the outside. As the two quietly made their escape to the elevator, confusing the guards who stood by even more.
"Perhaps we should ask the boss to check the elevator," a guard as said as it descended.
All the while, the Black King and his associates were stuck talking to an illusionary image of Quattro.
"Not only that, I'm afraid not one of you passes for a decent human being. Your continued existence is a complete insult to morality. I can't say that I'm much better. But oh, who am I kidding? Of course, I am better and now, I think I'll do the world a favor."
"WAIT…the boy is in here with us!" The Black King snapped.
"What boy?"
The gathered turned around, finally realizing Lelouch was gone and on the chair was the real bomb.
"Thank you idiots for being distracted," Quattro said as the illusion vanished. Inside a taxicab, the real combat cyborg pushed the detonator button. A liquid Sakuradite bomb, mixed with a special Ionized Aerosol and Mercury Fulminate solution it into a far more potent explosive, detonated with a devastating result.
The explosive device released a pressure cloud of near microscopical sakuradite particles. Then it released the second part, a charge of over 100 kilowatts that supercharged the cloud with electricity and ignited it. The added electricity turned the cloud into an inferno of around 4000 C°. The end result was that the penthouse was completely destroyed. Not even the corpses of the Black King and his associates survived intact.
"Oh my god, could that be the work of terrorists?!" Quattro exclaimed, acting panicked to the cab driver. "I am glad we left that place when we did!"
"Well, let's get the hell out of here! You said Ashford Academy, right?"
"Yes and please, no need to worry about how we get there."
"I heard that," The driver said before Quattro engaged Lelouch in a telepathic conversation.
So, do you have doubts about my capabilities now?
You pulled that off very well, but you seem fine with wiping out an entire penthouse full of people.
Don't tell me you're not shedding any tears for them?
Lelouch laughed mentally before replying.
Not at all, but you didn't hesitate to kill those men.
I guess you can say that's how I was created.
I see, so Quattro right?
Yes, and your name was Lelouch...
Indeed it was…
Since I went through the trouble of getting you out, I want to know why you even bother with such activates, Quattro inquired, clearly curious about Lelouch's gambling habits. It was clear the young man was very intelligent, yet why he chose to engage in underground chess matches for money seemed like a waste.
The answer is simple…it's because I am bored.
You're bored…well, that was hardly the answer I expected. At the very least, I could see that you did it for the money.
Well, it is true my victories do provide a very nice payout, Lelouch admitted with a smile on his face. But I have no interest in living day to day…not like the other students at the Academy. Until I met Peter and Graham, I was dead, nothing but an impotent corpse existing behind a false guise of life. I went day to day simply going through the motions of living, as if I were a zombie and I always had the feeling that I was gradually dying. I refuse to live that life and…I don't want to lie to myself anymore.
Then what do you want?
I want to change this world.
You? Change this world? A mere student?
Heh, it sounds impossible, I know. But I'm compelled by reasons that drive me to make it happen. I don't care if it's right or wrong, but it's going to happen because I DECIDE it's going to happen.
At that moment Quattro looked into Lelouch's eyes and saw hate, but she saw something else that intrigued her.
And the world will change because of that?
I'll change it…I'll destroy the old world and build a new, better one in its place.
Quattro laughed for a few moments before saying.
Now that's a bold statement. Lelouch, I want to see you live up to those bold words.
Lelouch smiled in response.
Then welcome aboard, Quattro.
Returning to the present, Quattro put down her book, having finished it while reflecting on everything that happened in the last two years while thinking about Lelouch. As time went on, she learned of what events shaped the formerly weak prince into the ruthless and calculating Mage. He was bent on revenge in his agenda against his father's own empire. The very idea of a former prince rebelling to destroy his father's empire seemed impossible to accomplish; seeing Lelouch's success so far and the fact he has considerable support behind him changed her mind.
It was during that time that Quattro had an epiphany.
Lelouch lost everything and was banished to this country expecting to die...but survived and now strives to destroy Britannia.
The former prince as a child, from what Quattro learned, was a pathetic weakling. Despite his physical weakness, Lelouch continued on. Even after suffering beatings from the local Japanese boys, he never gave up, but if anything it only fed the flames of his anger and desire for vengeance against Britannia. Even when the war came and Japan became Area 11, Lelouch still managed to survive that hell along with his friend and little sister.
What didn't kill him only made him stronger. Now, you can't call him a weakling anymore…
It was at that moment that it hit her. Quattro had also experienced a sample of what he endured, which was losing everything and her purpose in life. She was framed as a traitor to her creator and then disposed as one. Now, she was alive and more or less free to determine her own fate. But what could a former sadistic and manipulative cyborg like her do? Living a normal life seemed rather impossible for her all things considered, but that was when Lelouch's words about living as a zombie came to mind. If that is what a normal life meant, it was unacceptable, because Quattro deep down realized she could never accept that…she wanted more.
Being part of a revolution that could change the world and maybe even beyond sounds like a cause at least worthy for me to be a part of, but furthermore the young woman felt a degree of bitterness and betrayal at her creator and sisters.
Quattro was curious to see how far Lelouch will go. From all she had seen, he will go very far as long as conditions remain favorable to him. On the side, however, she planned to make her father and sisters sorry they were too quick to label her a traitor and attempted to kill her. She was going to make them sorry and prove she is superior to and more capable than her father's creations as the ideal revenge against him.
Why…because…
Quattro began thinking as a sinister smile appeared on her face.
Because I'll make it happen…
With her new purpose in mind, the young woman pulled out a new book she kept in a desk drawer. It wasn't a classic piece of literature though, nor was it a book about war and tactics, but rather it was a yellow book simply titled "Dummy's Guide to Relationships, Men and You, Women's Version".
As if on cue, Quattro heard the loud scream of a certain redhead, which could only mean one thing.
I guess that means it must be survey time for Kallen.
Quattro shivered at the thought as she had heard earlier that Kallen had been invited to a late night ladies only get together at the warm bath. Now she knew from Lelouch of what was happening as not only was Kallen being checked out, but they were collecting measurements from her unwillingly.
I should thank Lelouch regarding Milly, but I never thought there would be a bigger pervert than Sein. God forbid if those two ever become friends.
Back at Alisa Bannings mansion, everyone was eating at the dining room table while Jeremiah stood guard. Under the table, Sein raised her head up. The young Number didn't think her tailing of the princess and her tour guide would yield unexpected results like this. Now she was in the room with three of the TSAB's most infamous mages, including one of the Type-Zero combat cyborgs who preceded them. There was no doubt if she stuck around and was mindful to avoid detection, there was probably a good chance Sein could get some good intelligence.
Might lessen the area we would need to be snooping around, but…
Sein thought, but realized she was faced with a crisis as her stomach grumbled. Fortunately, no one heard what probably sounded like a tiger roaring with her stomach, still partly within the floor.
The…the…food smells so good…
Unaware they had another guest present in the room, the group carried on with conversation as Euphemia sat at the head of the table with Alisa on her right. Across from her sat Fate while everyone else sat dotted around the long table. Euphemia and Alisa had met when the young blonde haired girl returned to the Britannian Homeland for a time following the war between Japan and Britannia. They ended up going to the same private school and became close friends, especially as Alisa was left torn about leaving Suzuka behind in Japan.
"Excuse me, Alisa," Hayate interrupted them. "But have you managed to hear from Suzuka recently?"
"No, I still haven't, but," Alisa said before she adopted a sad expression. "I'll tell you more later on after dinner."
"I see, but have you heard anything regarding Lelouch at least?" Hayate asked, forgetting that there was a member of the Royal Family in the room along with a member of the Purist Faction.
"You knew my brother?" Euphemia asked as Hayate realized her mistake.
"Uh," Hayate said before Suzaku decided to take the bullet.
"Your Highness, when your brother was sent to Japan along with his sister Nunnally, they were sent to stay at the Kururugi Estate. I met your brother in late August a year before the invasion. Although we didn't get along at first, after Nunnally and I became better acquainted, she explained the details of what happened that had them sent to Japan."
"I see, so you must be the young boy he mentioned in a letter he sent me."
"Yes, I am…"
"So, how did four meet my brother?" Euphie said addressing Fate, Alisa, Hayate and Nanoha.
"Well, I met him after Suzaku did," Nanoha began retelling her first meeting with Lelouch.
Hayate reclined in the chair, mentally cursing herself for speaking about Lelouch in front of a member of the Royal Family whom she knew Lelouch despised.
Although, come to think of it…
Hayate realized that of all of the members of the Royal Family, she never recalled hearing anything judgmental regarding Euphemia from Lelouch. As Nanoha told Euphie how she and Lelouch met along with Fate, the brown-haired girl couldn't help but remember the first time she had met the former prince.
It was during the year 2009 A.T.B. on Christmas Eve, late afternoon as the sun was setting over Uminari University Hospital.
A nine-year old Hayate Yagami sat alone in her hospital room while on the right-hand side of her bed sat a small, white Christmas tree on the table. On the bed next to her sat a familiar large brown tome with gold trimming on it, including a cross-like emblem. As the girl sat up in her bed, bored out of her mind with little to do, a knock was heard.
"Come in," Hayate called, wondering if it was Signum and the others. When the door opened, she saw two familiar faces, Alisa and Suzuka dressed in their school uniforms. Although Alisa was still wearing her brown coat, Suzuka was carrying hers in her arms. However, there were some faces she didn't recognize: two others were clearly from the same school Alisa and Suzuka went to, but there were three others who possibly did not.
One of them was Suzaku, wearing a red T-shirt with blue jeans. The other boy was Lelouch, wearing a white short-sleeve dress shirt with gray pants and red suspenders. Finally, the girl with them was Nunnally, being pushed into the room by Lelouch.
"Good evening, Hayate-chan," Suzuka greeted before everyone else but Lelouch, Suzaku and Nunnally said.
"Good evening…"
"How are you feeling?" Suzuka asked as everyone approached Hayate's bedside.
"I am so bored, I might pick up another disease," Hayate replied, jokingly prompting most of the assumed girls to laugh.
"Let me introduce you to everyone," Suzuka said before gesturing to Nanoha first.
"I am Nanoha Takamachi."
"Fate Testarossa," Fate said before moving to Suzaku.
"Hello, I am Suzaku Kururugi. And this is..."
"I am Lelouch," The black-haired young man said, believing it was best not to use his surname. "And this is my younger sister, Nunnally."
"Pleased to meet you," Nunnally said, waving in Hayate's direction.
"I am Hayate Yagami. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
"Oh, these are for you," Alisa said, bringing out a bouquet of flowers she concealed from Hayate's view.
Suzuka brought out a Christmas present wrapped in green wrapping paper, tied with a red ribbon bow on top.
"And here is a Christmas present."
Hayate was delighted by the gesture. although Nanoha and the others regrettably didn't bring any presents. It was mostly due to the fact that, for the group at large, this was their first time meeting Hayate. Suzaku, Lelouch and Nunnally were asked to come as the more people who visited Hayate, the better. Lelouch needed some more convincing, but Nanoha and Suzuka succeed after a little persuasion. The discussion went with Alisa talking for the most part, but the mood in the room slightly changed when Hayate's guardians arrived knocking on the door.
"Oh, it must be them," Hayate said before calling out. "Come in!"
"Coming in," Signum said as she, Vita and Shamal entered. Zafira was outside due to his animal form.
"Good evening," Suzuka and Alisa said as the two went to greet the three Wolkenritter.
"Oh good evening, Suzuka and A…" Shamal said, but her sentence stopped just as Fate and Nanoha turned around, the two groups seemingly recognizing one another. Vita instantly ran past them, putting herself in front of Hayate to act as a shield. Vita continued glaring at them until Hayate gently hit her on top of her head with a rolled up magazine.
"Stop that, Vita; that's not how you should treat my guests."
"B-But Hayate-chan," Vita began, but she never finished her sentence, leaving Nanoha to speak.
"Uh…it's nice to meet you, Vita."
"We mean no harm, so don't worry."
"Fine," Signum replied before Shamal, seemingly more at ease for now, offered to everyone else.
"I'll take your coats, so all of you relax."
Shamal took Signum's coat soon by Alisa and Suzuka's. Vita was still glaring at Nanoha which made the young girl feel uneasy.
"Uh, please don't glare at me like that."
"I am not glaring," The red-haired girl snapped back defensively before Hayate sighed.
"Come on, Vita, be a good girl."
Hayate seized the young girl's nose and began playfully squeezing it as a way of lightly scolding the girl.
"Uh well," Nanoha began as she was clearly at a loss for words. As a hushed exchange between Signum and Fate went on, Suzaku couldn't help but comment on the scene.
"You know that Vita kinda acts like you sometimes, Lelouch."
"Huh…I don't act like that," The former prince snapped back, drawing Vita' attention to the black-haired youth. But upon seeing his face, Vita froze seemingly shocked by his appearance in the room.
"Vita, is something wrong?"
"Oh…no…nothing Hayate-chan," Vita replied, snapping back to reality.
The discussion went on for a good hour as the girls were drawn into a large conversation. Strangely, Vita and Hayate's guardians excluded themselves from becoming actively involved, which Lelouch had noticed but didn't inquire of the matter. It wasn't his concern after all, yet couldn't help feeling something was strange. It wasn't that he noticed some obvious tension between Vita and Nanoha, but the fact that Vita was familiar to him somehow.
Why do I get the feeling we have met before?
"Lelouch-san," Hayate began snapping Lelouch back to reality. "Does your sister come to this place for physical therapy, too?"
"Oh…well…no," Lelouch replied quickly.
"That's too bad, it would be nice to have someone else I know take part with me," Hayate replied somewhat saddened by it.
Hayate's thoughts returned to the present, preferring not to remember certain events that came after that visit. Nanoha had finished telling her story of her meeting with Lelouch before Jeremiah calmly came around, coming to a stop behind Suzaku and proceeding to ask.
"Private Kururugi, I apologize to Her Highness, but I must inquire to Prince Lelouch's current whereabouts. If you know something, then I insist you tell me," Jeremiah said with a deadly seriousness in his voice.
"I honestly wish I knew. When the war began and with my father's suicide, we were separated. I don't know what happened to him once the landing forces made landfall midway through the war." Suzaku replied, although some of it both true and false.
"At least I am comforted to know my brother's time in Japan was pleasant. I assume Private Kururugi and you all here were the friends he mentioned in the same letter." Euphie said, surprising Nanoha and the others gathered at the table slightly.
"Thank you, Princess Euphemia, but I do apologize we couldn't tell you that your brother is alive," Fate began as she recalled; she, Nanoha, Hayate and the Wolkenritter were away from Earth before the war began on a mission for the Bureau. However before they returned, they were informed of what had happened and of the Takamachi Family's relocation to Mid-Childa.
No one took what had happened well, but nothing could be done at that point due to the Bureau's strict non-interference policy with the affairs of undeveloped worlds. However to the surprise of Fate and others, Vita went to Earth attempting to find Lelouch and Nunnally. Signum and Hayate were asked to retrieve her before she caused a disturbance, but the red-haired girl was unsuccessful in finding the missing royal siblings.
Once dinner was finished, a VTOL transport arrived to take Euphemia and Jeremiah back to the Viceroy's Palace. Suzaku was left behind as he would receive a ride back to the Toyko Settlement provided by Alisa with Euphemia ensuring for Suzaku's superiors that he wouldn't get into any trouble with them.
However, once Euphemia and Jeremiah were gone, Alisa gave the brown-haired boy her full attention. She had noticed something during his discussion with Euphie regarding Lelouch.
"Okay, where is Lelouch, Suzaku-Kun?"
"Alisa?" Suzaku asked, confused for a moment, which seemed to irritate Alisa even more.
"Don't dare to pull the 'Alisa?' card with me, buster. I knew you well then and I STILL know you. You saw Lelouch recently, you know his likely location, and you found him in the middle of some mess. Am I right?" Alisa snapped reading Suzaku like a book, having caught his expression change during the subject of the presumed dead prince.
Suzaku couldn't help but gape to Alisa's conclusions. Was the girl a psychic or what? Looking to the others, he saw the expressions of worry in the other girls, especially Nanoha's barely concealed hope.
"Yes…yes, I did," Suzaku admitted. "I wasn't expecting to see him, but we ran into each other recently."
"You did, so did you find him in the Tokyo Settlement?"
"No…We actually ran into each other at Shinjuku Ghetto during our skirmish with the resistance forces there."
Chapter 10
Homecoming
Homecoming
It's been about seven years since they left Earth, but now events had prompted a return to Nanoha and Hayate's homeworld. Returning to Japan was not easy for both of them, especially as they sat together inside a spacious living room within a large mansion, located in the middle of a wildlife preserve. Not long after their arrival, their only remaining contact in Japan, now Area 11, invited them to stay at her house. Sitting together on a sofa was Ginga Nakajima wearing formal wear, consisting of a blue skirt with a white shirt complete with a blue jacket and a red bow-tie and wearing black shoes, while next to her was Hayate and Fate.
Like Ginga, the two had adopted more casual wear. Fate wore a white turtleneck shirt with a yellow cross-pattern on the front, a black skirt, brown stockings, red and black shoes, and a black jacket. Her long blonde hair was tied into two long pigtails with light blue ribbons. Hayate's casual wear consisted of pink shorts with a white sweatshirt, complete with a hood and a white shirt underneath.
The trio sat together as Ginga was showed the group images of Shinjuku while reviewing the events that had happened days ago around the same time as the Wyvern Drone Incident on Mid-Childa. Ginga gave them a step-by-step of events that had transpired, although she hadn't told them the reason for the Britannian Army's indiscriminate killing of civilians, which was already very difficult for the young women to bear. Nanoha, Hayate and Fate understood all too well, but nevertheless with their arrival, they intended to get to the bottom of this. Even if it was finding Zero or the Mandarin, they would deal with both problems depending on which one presents itself first.
"So since the incident, there has been no sign of him staying in Shinjuku," Fate inquired to Ginga.
"No, and I have been trying to follow the resistance group he had contacted and collaborated with during the incident. Somehow, he found out the identity of one of their own and contacted that person directly, denying me an opportunity to catch him at the meeting he had arranged. However, I did discover that he met with them to warn them of Clovis's intent, so I waited in Shinjuku when he would come this way to stop the bombers."
"Which lead to your second encounter with Zero, but instead, you ran into his ally." Hayate said as Ginga nodded.
"I never expected it, but now with what happened on Mid-Childa and the fact an ally of his is my brother…I am not sure."
"If we want more information on the Mandarin then we need to capture him and Zero," Nanoha said, joining the conversation.
Her choice of attire consisted of blue jeans and a simple pink shirt. Nanoha stood by one of the large windows, looking out at the open grassy plains where she saw a trio of dogs running around outside.
"Tea anyone?" A fifth voice rang as a young woman around the same age as the three Aces entered the room, carrying a silver tray with a white tea-pot and cups. She had short light brown hair and light green eyes. She wore dark brown shorts and a light brown shirt with long-sleeves and bow tied on the front of it, complete with sandals.
"Oh, thank you, Alisa. Here, let me help you with that." Nanoha tried to help her old childhood friend, Alisa Bannings.
"NO…you are my guests, so please, let me serve you tea." Alisa insisted. Although she had grown up, there were still parts of her personality that were the same. Fate and Hayate chuckled at the exchange as Nanoha simply sweat dropped at Alisa's defiant expression. She then set the plate on the coffee table before the sofa most of the group sat on. "I know you are trying to be nice Nanoha, but I haven't seen you guys in person for almost seven years, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Alisa. I meant no offense!" Nanoha said with her hands, raised up defensively.
Alisa sighed in response before saying, "You haven't changed much..."
"I haven't…"
"Nope, you are still the same, just a little taller."
The old friends plus Ginga were staying at the Bannings Wildlife Preserve, a few miles outside of Nanoha and Hayate's hometown of Uminari City. Alisa was the head of their family's holdings in Area 11, including the Sakuradite Distribution and Shipping Operations near Mount Fuji. However, at the heart of the preserve was the Bannings Mansion. There was a large wide-open yard, where all twenty of Alisa's dogs were allowed to roam free.
At that moment, a maid entered the room. Whispering something into Alisa's ear, the woman opened her eyes wide in shock.
"What's wrong?" Hayate asked, noticing the woman's change in expression.
"Uh…well, it seems we have some unexpected guests."
On cue and led by another maid, Euphie and Suzaku entered with Jeremiah Gottwald in their company.
"E…Euphie," Alisa exclaimed clearly shocked by the third-princess's appearance. "I…I…I mean Princess Euphemia, it's an honor to have you here."
Nanoha, Hayate, Fate and Ginga were surprised as they were in the presence of a member of the Britannian Royal Family. More for the trio, it meant that they were seeing one of Lelouch's many half-siblings.
Euphie giggled at Alisa's expression.
"Relax, Alisa, no need to be formal. I just wanted to take time to visit you before I assume my new duties as Sub-Viceroy."
"You're the new Sub-Viceroy?" The brown-haired woman asked, also surprised by the news.
"Yes, so when time allows it, you and I can see each other since you're the only person I really know here."
During the exchange, Suzaku saw the familiar faces in the room and froze on the spot. The blonde hair and eyes were unmistakable, as were Nanoha's own hairstyle and eyes as few women had such an appearance.
"Uh, Mr. Kururugi, you know these people?" Euphemia asked innocently.
"Yes I do, Your Highness…I actually know almost everyone here."
"I am surprised to see you with Princess Euphemia...Suzaku. Other than that, it has been almost seven years since we last saw one another." Alisa began.
"That's a long story," Suzaku replied.
"Maybe we should tell them how we met," Euphie offered as she was intrigued to meet Alias's other guests. Jeremiah was clearly hesitant, but if there was trouble, he would step in.
Inside their underground base below Ashford Academy, two people were before a holographic screen displaying a section of Japan. They saw four dots in the shape of chibi-style faces of Nanoha, Fate, Hayate and Ginga. Peter and Gil observed the map with a grim expression.
"It was only a matter of time before they became involved in this," Graham pointed out.
"True, but I never expected it would be this soon."
"If anything, it was perhaps good luck on top of battle luck you managed to encounter the three Aces. Therefore, you could infect them with your special bacteria and monitor their movements."
"I suppose," Peter said in agreement as the blonde-haired young man had developed a harmless bacteria designed to emit special harmless radiation. With the right equipment, it was a very effective method of monitoring a person without them ever realizing it. Peter's father developed it originally, but the young man modified it, thus enabling him to tell the difference between the radiation signals so he could know who was who.
"We'll need to be ready for a confrontation with them soon."
"I know, but everything is proceeding too quickly."
"Are you talking about the recent attack on Mid-Childa?"
"Yes," Peter said before going on to explain his concerns to the aged former admiral. "I know he wants revenge on Scaglietti and the High Council along with the rest of the Bureau, but to attack so suddenly like this...I thought he was going to wait until Scaglietti began his attempt to take over Mid-Childa with the Saint's Cradle. Using his new spy within their ranks, I thought the Mandarin would have hijacked Scaglietti's plan along with all of his drones to conquer the planet. The Mandarin would force the man to watch while accomplishing the very plan, all stolen from at the last minute. I know it's not enough to simply kill Scaglietti…He wants to break him."
"That probably would have been sweet revenge, which would have been a very painful low blow for Scaglietti."
"Yes, I know, so why attack now and then reveal yourself? It doesn't make sense to me."
"You don't suppose something happened that could have prompted a change in plan?"
"It's possible, but I can't think of what exactly."
"Until we know more, we should proceed cautiously," Graham advised.
"I agree," Peter said with a nod, although deep down, he felt uneasy.
-----
Elsewhere in her room, Quattro was seated at her desk with the Art of War, written by Italian Renaissance political philosopher and historian Niccolò Machiavelli. However, the combat cyborg found the Art of War written by Sun Tzu to be far more engaging and appealing to her. Among the books on Earth, she had looked at Machiavelli's works were among her favorite pieces of literature, although Battle Studies written by Ardant du Picq wasn't bad either. As she was reading, she thought of the recent discussion she and Lelouch had about the strong and weak.
A weak life that can't do anything is no different from an insect's. No matter how many you kill, more will just keep being born. Playing with them and abusing them, throwing them in a cage and watching them suffer...it's supposed to be fun, but…
That was the mindset her creator, Jail Scaglietti had put into her with the help of her older sister Due. She was modeled into a cruel and sadistic woman ideal for long-term infiltration missions and ensured she could manipulate potential targets without becoming soft or conflicted if she grew close to them. For Quattro however, it was for a different purpose after the Doctor decided she could serve as a potential backup commander should, in the unlikely situation, Scaglietti and her sisters be defeated. For instance, should their base on Mid-Childa fall, she could easily activate the self-destruct without feeling any remorse or guilt. Had she been like some of her other sisters, they might have questioned performing such a task and may not even commit the act. Quattro on the other hand wouldn't, thanks to the special conditioning Due gave under Scaglietti's direction to ensure she could fulfill her duty.
After all, within her womb, she did carry a clone of him possessing his memories. Now that the clone was gone from her, her intended purpose was gone as well. It took some time to recover from her near-death at the hands of her own sisters after being set up by an enslaved Due. Without the Doctor in her life, the sadistic and manipulative Number wasn't certain what to do now. Weeks after initially meeting Lelouch, she questioned her continued existence, but an incident allowed her to find new purpose and reason to go on.
Three weeks after meeting Lelouch, the recovered cyborg was struggling to adapt to not just life on Earth. She had been practicing her new abilities Peter had granted her, including improved capabilities similar to Uno now incorporated within her. At the time, Quattro began wearing normal attire, which consisted of a white dress shirt with dark blue pants. Her normal combat suit was a lost cause with Peter creating a new one better for her.
Instead of spending another day in the underground base, Quattro was asked by Peter to assist him with a troublesome matter.
"So let me get this straight…your golden child, Lelouch got himself into some trouble?"
"Yes, apparently Lelouch was at Babel Tower gambling again. Everything went fine until he challenged a man notoriously known as the Black King."
"The Black King? That doesn't sound like an original name."
"Well, the name is nothing to scoff at since the man is a major player in the Britannian Underworld here in Area 11. He is also a prominent member of the Britannian Mafia."
"I think your little pet Mage is screwed."
"Not unless he uses Abyss Soul, but then that could draw the attention of the TSAB and we don't want that."
"Fine, I'll help you…Will be a good chance to try out my new abilities."
"And if you do find them, you might need this," Peter handed Quattro what looked like a large purse. Quattro peaked inside, finding a weapon and something else quite dangerous.
"I'll take care of it."
Using her new abilities, Quattro hacked into the tower's security systems. Using the recorded camera footage, she quickly found Lelouch's location. which was in the penthouse on the top floor. She modified security to remove traces of her and Lelouch from the surveillance footage before taking the elevator.
Normally you needed a security code, but that's no problem for me. I bet Uno couldn't acquire and rewrite security systems like I can now…I wonder what else I am capable of...
Quattro grinned evilly as she reached the penthouse.
"IS: Silver Curtain activate," The Number said before she became invisible. The elevator doors opened whereupon the surprise of the two bodyguards standing by the doors who didn't see anyone inside. Quattro calmly walked out and proceeded to enter the penthouse.
As for Lelouch he was in possibly one of the worst situations possible. He sat tied to a chair with a black eye after having won his chess match against the Black King. Unfortunately for him, he denounced Lelouch as a cheater and brought him up to his penthouse to "educate" the young man. However, the former prince knew it was more of a punishment than so called education as the man was clearly very sadistic intent on torturing him before inevitably killing him.
I got no choice…I got use it.
Don't even think about it, Quattro said, starting a telepathic communication with him.
It's you…
Yes, Peter asked me to save your troublesome hide.
How do you plan on getting me out?
Just watch and I'll prove I'm more capable than you thought.
Suddenly, a large obese man with dark skin and blonde hair with a beard came into the room. He wore a tacky looking brown suit as he approached Lelouch with five of his closest associates, who for the most part handled his businesses more specifically on his behalf. They wore black suits generally, but each one was a little different.
"Now little boy, we're going to give you a lesson in manners," The Black King said with an evil smile before someone behind them began speaking.
"No, how about I give you a lesson and if you don't pay attention, I'll blow us up." Quattro spoke as the Black King and five associates turned around. Quattro stood behind them with a large device, consisting of a metal tank attached to an electronic device with two smaller tanks linked to the larger five-gallon tank. "Now if you try to run or do anything else, I'll let go of this remote."
"Just who the hell are you?" The Black King demanded.
"Oh, I'm just a vicious piece of work, but I know all about you and your friends. As far as the public is concerned at large, you run an international trading and shipping company who has ties with a number of businesses and have several casinos including Babel Tower here in Area 11. To the criminal underworld, you are the Black King who uses his transportation business for illegal activities worldwide as part of an international slave trafficking and smuggling ring…now did I miss anything?"
"You forgot the assassination contacts I helped put out."
"Well, damn it," Quattro said cursing herself as her information dig was incomplete.
Something to practice on I guess.
"Is there a point to this?"
"You and all of your associates here are obvious criminals and are possibly the worst I have ever seen in my life." Quattro began as Lelouch, who everyone else seemingly forgot about, was struggling to free himself. At that moment, the real Quattro appeared next to him, using a knife to cut his bounds while trying to be as quiet as possible.
But…how are you-?
How am I in two places at once? The answer is simple, my Inherent Skill. Those idiots are talking to an illusion of me.
Is the bomb fake as well?
Yes, but I got the real one right here.
Quattro freed Lelouch and as the young man moved off the chair. The young woman set up the real bomb atop the seat, having already armed it. Taking hold of Lelouch, the combat cyborg activated her IS again and vanished before the two slipped out of the room, but Lelouch and Quattro made sure to lock the door from the outside, using a longsword from a weapon display rack to seal the door from the outside. As the two quietly made their escape to the elevator, confusing the guards who stood by even more.
"Perhaps we should ask the boss to check the elevator," a guard as said as it descended.
All the while, the Black King and his associates were stuck talking to an illusionary image of Quattro.
"Not only that, I'm afraid not one of you passes for a decent human being. Your continued existence is a complete insult to morality. I can't say that I'm much better. But oh, who am I kidding? Of course, I am better and now, I think I'll do the world a favor."
"WAIT…the boy is in here with us!" The Black King snapped.
"What boy?"
The gathered turned around, finally realizing Lelouch was gone and on the chair was the real bomb.
"Thank you idiots for being distracted," Quattro said as the illusion vanished. Inside a taxicab, the real combat cyborg pushed the detonator button. A liquid Sakuradite bomb, mixed with a special Ionized Aerosol and Mercury Fulminate solution it into a far more potent explosive, detonated with a devastating result.
The explosive device released a pressure cloud of near microscopical sakuradite particles. Then it released the second part, a charge of over 100 kilowatts that supercharged the cloud with electricity and ignited it. The added electricity turned the cloud into an inferno of around 4000 C°. The end result was that the penthouse was completely destroyed. Not even the corpses of the Black King and his associates survived intact.
"Oh my god, could that be the work of terrorists?!" Quattro exclaimed, acting panicked to the cab driver. "I am glad we left that place when we did!"
"Well, let's get the hell out of here! You said Ashford Academy, right?"
"Yes and please, no need to worry about how we get there."
"I heard that," The driver said before Quattro engaged Lelouch in a telepathic conversation.
So, do you have doubts about my capabilities now?
You pulled that off very well, but you seem fine with wiping out an entire penthouse full of people.
Don't tell me you're not shedding any tears for them?
Lelouch laughed mentally before replying.
Not at all, but you didn't hesitate to kill those men.
I guess you can say that's how I was created.
I see, so Quattro right?
Yes, and your name was Lelouch...
Indeed it was…
Since I went through the trouble of getting you out, I want to know why you even bother with such activates, Quattro inquired, clearly curious about Lelouch's gambling habits. It was clear the young man was very intelligent, yet why he chose to engage in underground chess matches for money seemed like a waste.
The answer is simple…it's because I am bored.
You're bored…well, that was hardly the answer I expected. At the very least, I could see that you did it for the money.
Well, it is true my victories do provide a very nice payout, Lelouch admitted with a smile on his face. But I have no interest in living day to day…not like the other students at the Academy. Until I met Peter and Graham, I was dead, nothing but an impotent corpse existing behind a false guise of life. I went day to day simply going through the motions of living, as if I were a zombie and I always had the feeling that I was gradually dying. I refuse to live that life and…I don't want to lie to myself anymore.
Then what do you want?
I want to change this world.
You? Change this world? A mere student?
Heh, it sounds impossible, I know. But I'm compelled by reasons that drive me to make it happen. I don't care if it's right or wrong, but it's going to happen because I DECIDE it's going to happen.
At that moment Quattro looked into Lelouch's eyes and saw hate, but she saw something else that intrigued her.
And the world will change because of that?
I'll change it…I'll destroy the old world and build a new, better one in its place.
Quattro laughed for a few moments before saying.
Now that's a bold statement. Lelouch, I want to see you live up to those bold words.
Lelouch smiled in response.
Then welcome aboard, Quattro.
Returning to the present, Quattro put down her book, having finished it while reflecting on everything that happened in the last two years while thinking about Lelouch. As time went on, she learned of what events shaped the formerly weak prince into the ruthless and calculating Mage. He was bent on revenge in his agenda against his father's own empire. The very idea of a former prince rebelling to destroy his father's empire seemed impossible to accomplish; seeing Lelouch's success so far and the fact he has considerable support behind him changed her mind.
It was during that time that Quattro had an epiphany.
Lelouch lost everything and was banished to this country expecting to die...but survived and now strives to destroy Britannia.
The former prince as a child, from what Quattro learned, was a pathetic weakling. Despite his physical weakness, Lelouch continued on. Even after suffering beatings from the local Japanese boys, he never gave up, but if anything it only fed the flames of his anger and desire for vengeance against Britannia. Even when the war came and Japan became Area 11, Lelouch still managed to survive that hell along with his friend and little sister.
What didn't kill him only made him stronger. Now, you can't call him a weakling anymore…
It was at that moment that it hit her. Quattro had also experienced a sample of what he endured, which was losing everything and her purpose in life. She was framed as a traitor to her creator and then disposed as one. Now, she was alive and more or less free to determine her own fate. But what could a former sadistic and manipulative cyborg like her do? Living a normal life seemed rather impossible for her all things considered, but that was when Lelouch's words about living as a zombie came to mind. If that is what a normal life meant, it was unacceptable, because Quattro deep down realized she could never accept that…she wanted more.
Being part of a revolution that could change the world and maybe even beyond sounds like a cause at least worthy for me to be a part of, but furthermore the young woman felt a degree of bitterness and betrayal at her creator and sisters.
Quattro was curious to see how far Lelouch will go. From all she had seen, he will go very far as long as conditions remain favorable to him. On the side, however, she planned to make her father and sisters sorry they were too quick to label her a traitor and attempted to kill her. She was going to make them sorry and prove she is superior to and more capable than her father's creations as the ideal revenge against him.
Why…because…
Quattro began thinking as a sinister smile appeared on her face.
Because I'll make it happen…
With her new purpose in mind, the young woman pulled out a new book she kept in a desk drawer. It wasn't a classic piece of literature though, nor was it a book about war and tactics, but rather it was a yellow book simply titled "Dummy's Guide to Relationships, Men and You, Women's Version".
As if on cue, Quattro heard the loud scream of a certain redhead, which could only mean one thing.
I guess that means it must be survey time for Kallen.
Quattro shivered at the thought as she had heard earlier that Kallen had been invited to a late night ladies only get together at the warm bath. Now she knew from Lelouch of what was happening as not only was Kallen being checked out, but they were collecting measurements from her unwillingly.
I should thank Lelouch regarding Milly, but I never thought there would be a bigger pervert than Sein. God forbid if those two ever become friends.
Back at Alisa Bannings mansion, everyone was eating at the dining room table while Jeremiah stood guard. Under the table, Sein raised her head up. The young Number didn't think her tailing of the princess and her tour guide would yield unexpected results like this. Now she was in the room with three of the TSAB's most infamous mages, including one of the Type-Zero combat cyborgs who preceded them. There was no doubt if she stuck around and was mindful to avoid detection, there was probably a good chance Sein could get some good intelligence.
Might lessen the area we would need to be snooping around, but…
Sein thought, but realized she was faced with a crisis as her stomach grumbled. Fortunately, no one heard what probably sounded like a tiger roaring with her stomach, still partly within the floor.
The…the…food smells so good…
Unaware they had another guest present in the room, the group carried on with conversation as Euphemia sat at the head of the table with Alisa on her right. Across from her sat Fate while everyone else sat dotted around the long table. Euphemia and Alisa had met when the young blonde haired girl returned to the Britannian Homeland for a time following the war between Japan and Britannia. They ended up going to the same private school and became close friends, especially as Alisa was left torn about leaving Suzuka behind in Japan.
"Excuse me, Alisa," Hayate interrupted them. "But have you managed to hear from Suzuka recently?"
"No, I still haven't, but," Alisa said before she adopted a sad expression. "I'll tell you more later on after dinner."
"I see, but have you heard anything regarding Lelouch at least?" Hayate asked, forgetting that there was a member of the Royal Family in the room along with a member of the Purist Faction.
"You knew my brother?" Euphemia asked as Hayate realized her mistake.
"Uh," Hayate said before Suzaku decided to take the bullet.
"Your Highness, when your brother was sent to Japan along with his sister Nunnally, they were sent to stay at the Kururugi Estate. I met your brother in late August a year before the invasion. Although we didn't get along at first, after Nunnally and I became better acquainted, she explained the details of what happened that had them sent to Japan."
"I see, so you must be the young boy he mentioned in a letter he sent me."
"Yes, I am…"
"So, how did four meet my brother?" Euphie said addressing Fate, Alisa, Hayate and Nanoha.
"Well, I met him after Suzaku did," Nanoha began retelling her first meeting with Lelouch.
Hayate reclined in the chair, mentally cursing herself for speaking about Lelouch in front of a member of the Royal Family whom she knew Lelouch despised.
Although, come to think of it…
Hayate realized that of all of the members of the Royal Family, she never recalled hearing anything judgmental regarding Euphemia from Lelouch. As Nanoha told Euphie how she and Lelouch met along with Fate, the brown-haired girl couldn't help but remember the first time she had met the former prince.
It was during the year 2009 A.T.B. on Christmas Eve, late afternoon as the sun was setting over Uminari University Hospital.
A nine-year old Hayate Yagami sat alone in her hospital room while on the right-hand side of her bed sat a small, white Christmas tree on the table. On the bed next to her sat a familiar large brown tome with gold trimming on it, including a cross-like emblem. As the girl sat up in her bed, bored out of her mind with little to do, a knock was heard.
"Come in," Hayate called, wondering if it was Signum and the others. When the door opened, she saw two familiar faces, Alisa and Suzuka dressed in their school uniforms. Although Alisa was still wearing her brown coat, Suzuka was carrying hers in her arms. However, there were some faces she didn't recognize: two others were clearly from the same school Alisa and Suzuka went to, but there were three others who possibly did not.
One of them was Suzaku, wearing a red T-shirt with blue jeans. The other boy was Lelouch, wearing a white short-sleeve dress shirt with gray pants and red suspenders. Finally, the girl with them was Nunnally, being pushed into the room by Lelouch.
"Good evening, Hayate-chan," Suzuka greeted before everyone else but Lelouch, Suzaku and Nunnally said.
"Good evening…"
"How are you feeling?" Suzuka asked as everyone approached Hayate's bedside.
"I am so bored, I might pick up another disease," Hayate replied, jokingly prompting most of the assumed girls to laugh.
"Let me introduce you to everyone," Suzuka said before gesturing to Nanoha first.
"I am Nanoha Takamachi."
"Fate Testarossa," Fate said before moving to Suzaku.
"Hello, I am Suzaku Kururugi. And this is..."
"I am Lelouch," The black-haired young man said, believing it was best not to use his surname. "And this is my younger sister, Nunnally."
"Pleased to meet you," Nunnally said, waving in Hayate's direction.
"I am Hayate Yagami. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
"Oh, these are for you," Alisa said, bringing out a bouquet of flowers she concealed from Hayate's view.
Suzuka brought out a Christmas present wrapped in green wrapping paper, tied with a red ribbon bow on top.
"And here is a Christmas present."
Hayate was delighted by the gesture. although Nanoha and the others regrettably didn't bring any presents. It was mostly due to the fact that, for the group at large, this was their first time meeting Hayate. Suzaku, Lelouch and Nunnally were asked to come as the more people who visited Hayate, the better. Lelouch needed some more convincing, but Nanoha and Suzuka succeed after a little persuasion. The discussion went with Alisa talking for the most part, but the mood in the room slightly changed when Hayate's guardians arrived knocking on the door.
"Oh, it must be them," Hayate said before calling out. "Come in!"
"Coming in," Signum said as she, Vita and Shamal entered. Zafira was outside due to his animal form.
"Good evening," Suzuka and Alisa said as the two went to greet the three Wolkenritter.
"Oh good evening, Suzuka and A…" Shamal said, but her sentence stopped just as Fate and Nanoha turned around, the two groups seemingly recognizing one another. Vita instantly ran past them, putting herself in front of Hayate to act as a shield. Vita continued glaring at them until Hayate gently hit her on top of her head with a rolled up magazine.
"Stop that, Vita; that's not how you should treat my guests."
"B-But Hayate-chan," Vita began, but she never finished her sentence, leaving Nanoha to speak.
"Uh…it's nice to meet you, Vita."
"We mean no harm, so don't worry."
"Fine," Signum replied before Shamal, seemingly more at ease for now, offered to everyone else.
"I'll take your coats, so all of you relax."
Shamal took Signum's coat soon by Alisa and Suzuka's. Vita was still glaring at Nanoha which made the young girl feel uneasy.
"Uh, please don't glare at me like that."
"I am not glaring," The red-haired girl snapped back defensively before Hayate sighed.
"Come on, Vita, be a good girl."
Hayate seized the young girl's nose and began playfully squeezing it as a way of lightly scolding the girl.
"Uh well," Nanoha began as she was clearly at a loss for words. As a hushed exchange between Signum and Fate went on, Suzaku couldn't help but comment on the scene.
"You know that Vita kinda acts like you sometimes, Lelouch."
"Huh…I don't act like that," The former prince snapped back, drawing Vita' attention to the black-haired youth. But upon seeing his face, Vita froze seemingly shocked by his appearance in the room.
"Vita, is something wrong?"
"Oh…no…nothing Hayate-chan," Vita replied, snapping back to reality.
The discussion went on for a good hour as the girls were drawn into a large conversation. Strangely, Vita and Hayate's guardians excluded themselves from becoming actively involved, which Lelouch had noticed but didn't inquire of the matter. It wasn't his concern after all, yet couldn't help feeling something was strange. It wasn't that he noticed some obvious tension between Vita and Nanoha, but the fact that Vita was familiar to him somehow.
Why do I get the feeling we have met before?
"Lelouch-san," Hayate began snapping Lelouch back to reality. "Does your sister come to this place for physical therapy, too?"
"Oh…well…no," Lelouch replied quickly.
"That's too bad, it would be nice to have someone else I know take part with me," Hayate replied somewhat saddened by it.
Hayate's thoughts returned to the present, preferring not to remember certain events that came after that visit. Nanoha had finished telling her story of her meeting with Lelouch before Jeremiah calmly came around, coming to a stop behind Suzaku and proceeding to ask.
"Private Kururugi, I apologize to Her Highness, but I must inquire to Prince Lelouch's current whereabouts. If you know something, then I insist you tell me," Jeremiah said with a deadly seriousness in his voice.
"I honestly wish I knew. When the war began and with my father's suicide, we were separated. I don't know what happened to him once the landing forces made landfall midway through the war." Suzaku replied, although some of it both true and false.
"At least I am comforted to know my brother's time in Japan was pleasant. I assume Private Kururugi and you all here were the friends he mentioned in the same letter." Euphie said, surprising Nanoha and the others gathered at the table slightly.
"Thank you, Princess Euphemia, but I do apologize we couldn't tell you that your brother is alive," Fate began as she recalled; she, Nanoha, Hayate and the Wolkenritter were away from Earth before the war began on a mission for the Bureau. However before they returned, they were informed of what had happened and of the Takamachi Family's relocation to Mid-Childa.
No one took what had happened well, but nothing could be done at that point due to the Bureau's strict non-interference policy with the affairs of undeveloped worlds. However to the surprise of Fate and others, Vita went to Earth attempting to find Lelouch and Nunnally. Signum and Hayate were asked to retrieve her before she caused a disturbance, but the red-haired girl was unsuccessful in finding the missing royal siblings.
Once dinner was finished, a VTOL transport arrived to take Euphemia and Jeremiah back to the Viceroy's Palace. Suzaku was left behind as he would receive a ride back to the Toyko Settlement provided by Alisa with Euphemia ensuring for Suzaku's superiors that he wouldn't get into any trouble with them.
However, once Euphemia and Jeremiah were gone, Alisa gave the brown-haired boy her full attention. She had noticed something during his discussion with Euphie regarding Lelouch.
"Okay, where is Lelouch, Suzaku-Kun?"
"Alisa?" Suzaku asked, confused for a moment, which seemed to irritate Alisa even more.
"Don't dare to pull the 'Alisa?' card with me, buster. I knew you well then and I STILL know you. You saw Lelouch recently, you know his likely location, and you found him in the middle of some mess. Am I right?" Alisa snapped reading Suzaku like a book, having caught his expression change during the subject of the presumed dead prince.
Suzaku couldn't help but gape to Alisa's conclusions. Was the girl a psychic or what? Looking to the others, he saw the expressions of worry in the other girls, especially Nanoha's barely concealed hope.
"Yes…yes, I did," Suzaku admitted. "I wasn't expecting to see him, but we ran into each other recently."
"You did, so did you find him in the Tokyo Settlement?"
"No…We actually ran into each other at Shinjuku Ghetto during our skirmish with the resistance forces there."
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Chapter 11: Acceleration
Alright, now comes the next chapter. It brings a buildup to how the Book of Darkness Incident was related to the war with Japan.
But before then, we'll introduce one of Logos' mentioned major allies, Gray Biaggi. According to sephiroth, he's based on Ali al-Saachez from Gundam 00.
Well, let's get to it.
Two days later, Cornelia vi Britannia arrived in Area 11, following her quick and brutal establishment of Area 18, which up until recently was the Middle Eastern Federation. Now the second princess of the Holy Britannian Empire had taken the position of Viceroy to clean up the former nation of Japan by putting down all forms of resistance against the ruling government. The welcoming ceremony was happening on the private airfield connected to the Viceroy Palace. Euphemia and former Viceroy Clovis were present to greet her along with a large gathering of soldiers in formation to offer a proper welcome.
As Cornelia disembarked the transport plane, followed by her royal guard including her personal Knight, a man around her age with long slick black hair tied into a ponytail wearing glasses. Approaching Clovis and Euphemia, Gilbert G.P. Guilford followed closely behind his princess while behind him was an older and much larger man with a scar across his face, possessing brown hair and a tanned skin tone. Andreas Darlton completed the lineup where among the other members of Cornelia's Royal Guards you could find no better team of Knightmare Frame pilots in the world.
Clovis couldn't help but feel ashamed as Cornelia approached, flanked by her Royal Guards. Upon stopping before the now former viceroy with Euphy standing off to his left, the proclaimed Goddess of Victory looked at her half-brother.
"You don't have to worry about Area 11 anymore, half brother. I'll take care of things here, but you can be sure I'll repay the terrorists for the humiliation you endured."
Cornelia was genuinely being sympathetic as he embarked on the same plane. As the doors closed and prepared for liftoff, Cornelia could only watch the poor prince with shame herself.
"He'll be lucky to avoid being disinherited," The Second Princess commented, prompting Euphemia to guess.
"Are you talking about those experiments?"
"I won't inquire the matter any further. There's no need to put more shame and guilt into him, but he'll be on his knees before he's called onto the Carpet at the Imperial Throne."
"What about Big Brother Schneizel?"
"I talked to him upon my departure. He said he'll do what he can, but there's still a chance he won't be able to prevent him from being locked up in Temple Tower or even execution."
Euphemia fell silently, pitying whatever fate awaited her third brother.
"We can't slack off on what's past. Now is the time to clean up everything in this Area, including his own mess."
Of course, given the gravity of the situation and Clovis's recent failings as Viceroy, it would be an uphill battle.
At Ashford Academy, a somewhat surprising event was taking place as Lelouch and Quattro both arrived in time for their homeroom class. Things were going to be different as the teacher gestured to a new male student who Lelouch instantly recognized, but it took some effort to hide the look of surprise on his face.
"Please introduce yourself to the class," the teacher asked.
"I'll beginning at Ashford Academy, starting today. I am Suzaku Kururugi, it's a pleasure to meet all of you."
Kururugi, isn't that your old friend before Japan became Area 11? Quattro inquired to Lelouch beginning a telepathic conversation.
Yes, but how was he admitted into this school? I know we had some Honorary Britannians from wealthy Japanese Families attend in the past, but they usually didn't stay long due to the harsh discrimination.
Well, the Self-Defense Club is now gone. Things might be better, but still…someone else might have pushed for him to attend.
That is most likely, but who would do that?
Lelouch was unaware that Princess Euphemia was Suzaku's unexpected benefactor. Upon returning, Lloyd and Cecile had gotten word that Euphemia enrolled his name at Ashford Academy, believing that someone his age should be attending school. Lloyd had no issue with it as long as he could serve as a pilot once his new Lancelot was finished. Cecile also thought it was a good idea, agreeing with Euphemia's reasoning.
By the way, don't forget that later this afternoon, we got that meeting with Kyoto.
I know, Lelouch thought as he made eye contact with Suzaku. For a moment, he seemed very surprised to see that Lelouch was in his class, yet was quick to cover it up. The former prince knew it would be best to have a word with Suzaku as soon as possible, but if the two did so privately.
In another corner of the world, specifically in Northwest Highlands of Scotland of the British Isles, near the base of the Carn Eige Mountain was a military base and research facility. Judging from its outer appearance, it had recently been abandoned. But inside, its walls told a different story. Exploring the lower underground levels of the facility were Signum and Vita, who were among the mages not only sent to investigate the site, but they were keeping an eye on Chrono, who lead the group.
Upon investigating and questioning the Bureau Observer in charge of the European Regions, Chrono found documents of abnormal activity in the Scottish Highlands during Britannia's invasion campaign to retake the British Isles. Despite failures in such an ambitious campaign in the past, the development of Britannia's Knightmares, along with newer amphibious models such as the RMI-13 Portman, allowed for a more successful invasion. Attacking the northern waters from Greenland, they finally established landfall and a powerful foothold on the British Isles.
Publically, it was contributed to the genius and clever use of tactics using the new amphibious Knightmares and deploying marines into mainland ahead of the invasion fleet. But from Chrono's review of the observers' files and investigating the base he was in now, it was obvious that someone else was assisting the Britannian Empire. Furthermore, what drew their attention to this base was the fact that someone had been broadcasting an SOS. It wasn't anything normally associated with Earth as this SOS was the kind found on Time-Space Administration Bureau facilities.
"A base out in the middle of the mountains," Vita commented as she and the others went deeper inside. "Just what were they doing out here?"
"I don't think this base was simply a staging point for the Britannian Army's campaign," Signum pointed out as the group reached a pair of heavy doors, leading into a restricted area of the base.
Chrono didn't take an active part in the conversation between the two Wolkenritter as he was waiting for one of his men to undo the electronic locks upon the door.
Moments later, the doors opened, but no one was prepared for what awaited them. They saw what appeared to be a laboratory as the hallway ahead of them had glass walls, revealing a row of people inside tanks filled with what was likely a kind of preservation liquid. Not only that, but on the ground were obvious signs of a battle; the bodies of Britannian soldiers and young children, ranging from the ages of ten to fifteen, laid on the ground dressed in simple white clothing.
"What…is this?" Chrono said, stunned by the scene before him as were the mages in his company. Signum and Vita were equally shocked with the pink-haired warrior being the first to regain her composure.
"I don't know what they were doing, but we missed a coup d'état that must have taken place." Signum pointed out, making her observation based on the position of the bodies in the hall before her.
"I see, so it's likely this base was supposed to have been abandoned as a result of the coup. I imagine they probably were meant to self-destruct this place, but something must have gone wrong." Chrono added.
"Hold on," Vita inserted. "If they were supposed to blow this place up, then why are we still here?"
"The advanced recon group made certain there were no explosives and disabled the self-destruct protocols they found in the power generator room. The system was armed, but it failed to fire, so I don't know if anyone was even able to trigger it or someone stopped it." Chrono said, trying to assure Vita.
"Just the same, we should search this place and take anything that might be useful before anyone realizes that this place is still standing," Signum advised.
"I agree," Chrono replied before turning to the fifteen mages in his company. "Some of you stay here and guard the doors. The rest of you, come with me."
Back at Ashford Academy, the former prince was currently on the roof of a school building, waiting for someone to come after signaling him using an old hand-sign Lelouch had created during his early days in Japan.
"Seven years since we used this," Lelouch said doing a repeat of the signal. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Meeting on the roof just like the old days," Suzaku said as he joined Lelouch by the edge of the rooftop, behind the stone wall surrounding the perimeter of the rooftop.
"Yeah…"
"I am glad you're okay…I was worried," Suzaku said, still concerned for what happened.
"I'm alive and kicking thanks to you, but I have to admit, I thought you had been killed."
"So did I, but when I was recovered, they found that a pocket watch I was keeping on hand that deflected the bullet."
"Talk about lucky. I guess it wasn't your time yet," Lelouch commented, prompting a brief laugh from Suzaku.
"When I woke up, one of the men who were with me said something similar."
"I see, but luck or not, I'm glad you are alright. You almost died trying to protect me."
"Don't worry about it, I was just returning the favor from seven years ago." Suzaku replied as Lelouch seemed distant before a moment instantly reminded the brown-haired young man. "Wait, what about that girl who was inside the capsule?"
"I don't know. We got separated during the fray, but you wouldn't know more about her than me, would you?"
"No, the only ones who really knew anything were the Royal Guards."
"I see."
"So what about you? Do I still call you Lelouch?"
"The records count my old identity among the dead. I go by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge now."
"Oh…"
"But what about you? How did you enroll here?"
"I am surprised as you are. Let's just say, someone believed that a seventeen year old boy should be attending school."
"Who was it?"
"Would you believe me if I said I ran into your half-sister Euphemia?"
"No way," Lelouch said as he was genuinely surprised by that revelation. "Euphemia, but how did you run into her?"
"That is a long story, but it was unexpected."
Back in Scotland on a mountain overlooking the base, Suzuka stood by the edge of the cliff, gripping a pair of binoculars upon realizing not only had the TSAB found the facility, but the self-destruct sequence failed to go off. Behind her was another man, clearly in his forties with long red hair tied into a ponytail, a small beard forming on his chin and yellow eyes. On his back, he was carrying a large Zweihänder-style sword, an Armed Device called Naegling. A blazing red gem was in the middle of the hilt with a bolt-action cartridge loading system built into the blade. Oddly, the blade had a chain-blade wrapped around the edge with a pair of blood red horns forming the hand guard and a spike at the bottom of the hilt. The handle was black with two prongs sticking out from under the hand guard protecting the exhaust.
"The boss won't be happy about this," The red haired man pointed out.
"Your superior may be concerned. I doubt Mandarin-sama is."
"I would be careful, little girl. You must remember who is backing his operations. If my superior's identity is found out, your own boss will be in trouble as well."
"I know," Suzuka replied coldly putting away the binoculars. "I'll take care of this."
"No, my superior asked that I handle this matter. You can double check with your boss and find he gave me the green light already. At the very least, I got to make sure the doctor we detected alive is killed before he can squeal."
"Very well, I suppose you'll be taking a squad of Yoshimitsu Troopers with you?"
"Absolutely," The red haired man replied with a savage grin on his face.
Deep within the base, Chrono, Signum and Vita were exploring with a couple mages as support. After some in-depth exploration, they found a fully prepared laboratory. Judging by the equipment left behind, gene therapy and manipulation experiments had been carried out along with cybernetic augmentation on human test subjects. There were rooms for combat training and lastly one where the failures and rejects were stored for further study. At last, the team reached an office with a computer terminal still active. Chrono took a seat and began trying to access the files within the system to learn more about this place.
"Who would have thought something like this was going on?" Signum replied, finding the body of another test subject. All in all, the signs were perfectly clear that the test subjects had attempted a coup d'état, but the facility was sealed and then poison gas was likely released to put it down. Even so, her blue eyes showed a burning anger at the inhuman experiments that had taken place before her.
"It's one thing if Britannia was behind this, but all of this technology is way above what this planet has." Vita added as Chrono found some entries.
"December 28th 2016 A.T.B. Subject 227: Dismissed as a failure. New subject acquired for artificially creating mages from non-mage subjects," Chrono said reading some of the entries out aloud.
"Creating a mage from a non-mage subject…what do they mean by that?"
"Aside from experimenting on cyborgs and cybernetic conversation, this facility has been researching methods for providing magical talent to those without through other scientific means. Cybernetic implants, genetic manipulation…maybe even both or a combination of other methods."
"And the Observer of this region knew this was going on?" Vita said as the redhead was clearly enraged over the idea.
"I don't think he knew the full extent of what they did here. But no doubt, he was bought off by someone in order to conduct these experiments. Otherwise, they couldn't have built this facility without someone noticing it."
"Yet how could they get virtually all of the observers involved in this…cover up?" Signum asked.
"I doubt Ginga's superior could have been alone in this, but I think someone high up within the Bureau was possibly involved. However, unless we can get Commander Hawkins to talk, all we have is purely circumstantial evidence, which could be easily overturned in court if he has the right lawyers behind him. His lack of properly reporting what has been happening on Earth could also help. We need solid evidence of corruption and even then, the worse that could happen is that he'll be demoted."
"Then we just have to hope there is something in these reports then," Vita said after Chrono finished speaking. At that moment, an alert came from the mages at the entrance of the facility.
"What's wrong?" Chrono asked instantly seeing the worried face of his subordinate.
"Sir, we got incoming! They're coming at us…They're the same enemy troops from…arrrgghh," The mage called out before he was killed, thus causing the communication line to go dead.
"Damn it, I guess the Mandarin must have dispatched a force to demolish this facility or recapture it," Vita said readying her weapon.
"Likely the latter," Signum noted as she was ready for combat.
"I'll establish a connection with my ship and transmit the files. Even if we fight them off, staying here will be too dangerous; they could attempt to reactivate the self-destruct or find another way to destroy this facility. If we can at least hold them off long enough, hopefully, the information these files have could help us in our investigation."
"We'll hold them for as long as you need," Signum said before exchanging looks with Vita before turning to the mages in their company. "The rest of you stay here and protect this room."
Heading out into the hall to intercept the incoming enemy force, Signum and Vita were ready for the enemy.
"Vita, I trust you read my report…if these troopers are the same ones I fought on Mid-Childa."
"Then these guys will likely explode when we beat them. I'll keep a distance from any of the ones I take down."
It wasn't long before three Yoshimitsu Troopers approached them armed with black rifles. The trio began shooting at Signum and Vita. The two Knights blocked their initial shots with Panzerschild shield spells before Vita countered attacked with Schwalbefliegen Claymore. Although the enemy troopers dodged the four large projectiles, the resulting explosions from impacting the walls and floor left them open to Signum's attack. Her armed device burned with flames as she went after one, cleaving its rifle in two.
The troopers barely managed to draw their blades, but Signum had already swiftly dispatched of the one whose rifle she had cut in half. Vita was quick to join in with her hammer ready and going after one while Signum engaged the other. The pink-haired swordswoman engaged the Yoshimitsu Trooper in fierce exchange of sword swings. The hallways were too confining to risk using some of her other techniques, but after discharging a cartridge, she set her sword aflame using Purple Lightning Flash. She pressed her advantage against the trooper who had barely enough time to draw his sword, not giving him not to grip his weapon properly.
"Raketenform," Graf Eisen called out as Vita tried to break through her foe's defense, using the rocket-powered form of her Armed Device.
Neither of the Wolkenritter was willing to allow the Yoshimitsu Troopers to use that special kamikaze ability of theirs and intended to take them down before they had a chance. Fortunately, Signum and Vita were successful in defeating their foes and knocking them out. As a precaution, they kept their unconscious foes a safe distance from both one another and the two Wolkenritter.
"I thought there would have been more of them coming at us," Vita commented noting how easy the fight seemed.
"I know, but these ones aren't as skilled as the ones I fought on Mid-Childa." Signum noticed.
"Group two, we haven't found the target yet," a statically sound from one of the downed troopers said, drawing the attention of the two knights.
"Group three here, we might have a location, concealed within one of the cryogenic storage cells. He likely sealed himself inside of one before the neurotoxin was released."
"Alright…find him and kill him, but make sure you dispose of all traces of the body," their possible superior spoke..
"Roger that," The statically communication said before the line went dead. Part of the helmet the Yoshimitsu Trooper was wearing was broken open from one of Vita's hammer strikes, allowing the two to unexpectedly overhear a communication between their foes.
"There is a survivor, so that's why they haven't been coming at us at full force."
"Most likely, which means this survivor must be a person of interest to them," Signum said, gripping her blade. "I am going to go and rescue him."
"Okay, I'll stay here and protect Chrono and the others," Vita said taking up a defensive position near the entrance to the main office where Chrono was at overseeing the file transfer.
If they change tactics, they might head straight for Chrono if they discover the file transfer is in progress, Signum thought of the risk. It might have been better if we both went to retrieve the survivor and even take some mages with us, but that'll leave Chrono vulnerable to attack, especially if they try to overwhelm us with numbers. There's no telling how many of them are in here. But if they were serious, they might have brought more experienced men for this. So now doubt this team was hastily put together to erase the existence of this place and any survivors.
If that was the case, Signum realized that meant the enemy would likely grow more desperate as time went on. They would need to get the survivor and leave this place before that desperation leads to the entire facility being destroyed.
Not long after Signum departed, Vita's task at defending the hall was put to the test as a group of six machines came towards her. They were floating through the air similar to the gadget drones they had faced previously, but it was already clear that these were different. They were large black polished spheres with a movable eye that emerged from the top, built into its armored body. The sides of the sphere opened up revealing high-velocity machine guns.
With her hammer in hand, Vita was ready to defend the hallway to not let one enemy pass her.
"BRING IT ON!"
Hurrying through the hallways, Signum managed to find her way to the cryogenic storage chamber where the remains of test subjects and other supplies were kept. The room was much larger than some of the other chambers with a high ceiling where mechanical arms used for moving heavy items and openings on walls twenty feet off the ground could be seen. There, she found at least ten Yoshimitsu Troopers searching thoroughly for the survivor. Signum steeled herself for a serious fight as she readied Laevatein by ejecting another cartridge.
"Laevatein!" Signum began as her Device glowed.
"Schlangeform!"
"Go!" The General of the Raging Fire said as the extended snake-like whip blade she wielded was engulfed in flames and launched a sudden surprise attack on the Yoshimitsu Troopers.
"Luminous Dragon," Laevatein called out as she struck six of the enemy troopers, incapacitating them and leaving them unable to fight. However, she still had four more to deal with. Retracting the blades, Laevatein switched back into Schwertform to meet the incoming blades of the enemy troopers. Two sought to engage her at close range while the other two aimed their rifles, intending to provide fire support for their comrades.
Signum parried the sword strikes before dodging a hail of high-velocity bullets. She sidestepped her foes trying to cleave her in two with their katanas. The pink-haired woman followed up her counterattack with an upwards vertical slice, cutting the upper left arm of her foe before quickly delivering an incapacitating cut upon the right and left leg. She finished her attack with a swift roundhouse kick to the head of her foe, dealing with one enemy while having three left. Using a shield to deflect the bullets, Signum moved closer to her next foe to finish him quickly.
Vita was being hard pressed in fighting against the smaller black drones as they unleashed a hail of machine gun fire, attempting to turn the hammer-wielding red head into Swiss cheese. The Hammer Knight managed to dodge them thanks in part to her small size, which gave her an unexpected advantage along with her speed. On the ground behind her laid the broken wreckage of two drones with only four remaining. The way the machines moved and kept firing a seemingly endless stream of bullets made it difficult to get close without being hit. The signs of just how close the bullets were to hitting her were clear on her knight clothing as there were signs of near misses on her shoulder and dress.
Wielding her weapon in its Gigantform, she bashed another drone, causing its internal works to explode. Her situation started to turn around as more black drones were seen approaching from the hallway. But before the battle could progress further, a voice behind her spoke words she had not heard in a long time.
"Eternal Coffin," An electronic male voice said before a single chilling blast shot past Vita while four white bit-like devices flew ahead of her. The freezing beam hit the approaching drones head on, encasing them in solid ice. The beam was reflected off of the bits that had moved into position until all of the black drones had been completely frozen.
Vita turned around and saw Chrono standing there, holding a white and blue staff, his Storage Device Durandal.
"That was unexpected timing," Vita said, dusting a bit of ice from her hair.
"After I finished, I heard gunfire and knew you and Signum likely encountered heavy opposition, but where is Signum?"
Signum had finished clearing out the remainder of the Yoshimitsu Troopers. After taking care to move their still forms to a safe distance away, she began searching the room for the survivor. Checking a few of the most sealed cryo containers, she came upon a man who seemed to be partly frozen in the last one, stumbling out and shivering terribly before Signum seized the man. He had black hair and a light blue collared shirt with a red tie and white lab coat, complete with black pants. The man was panicking, but Signum seized him by the shoulders and shook him.
"Calm down and tell me who you are?"
"I…I…I am Erik Breighner, a DNA Analysis Specialist and Major of Division 666 of the Time Space Administration Bureau," Erik replied, not realizing who he was talking to.
"Division 666; I never heard of that division, explain yourself," Signum demanded, raising her sword to the man's neck as he finally regained full awareness of his surroundings.
"Oh shit," Erik muttered, recognizing Signum. "You're Signum, one of those Knights following the Yagami girl."
"You know about that, but I want to know about your involvement in this place."
"I was only assigned her to help with the experiments of using cybernetics and biochemical procedures to convert humans who possessed no magical talent into combat mages while others were turned into cyborg soldiers." Erik answered, but became more fearful when he saw Signum glare daggers at him. "I swear I was only following orders! When the children fought back and launched a coup, I took cover inside that storage unit to escape the gas from the security system!"
"You are going to answer for what you have done," The pink-haired woman said as her voice couldn't hide her intense dislike for the experiments that had been carried out here. "What is Division 666?"
"Division 666 was a black operations division within the TSAB's main branch that answered only to the High Council. Our group conducted many missions and research projects the high council didn't want the general public and the rest of the Bureau to know about."
"High Council," Signum asked, having never heard of the High Council.
"If you get me out of here alive, I'll tell you everything, including the new base we established in Japan."
"Very well, but you will tell us everything and I'll see to it that you will," Signum said with a subtle anger in her voice.
"So we got ourselves a squealer after all," A new voice said as Erik began panicking as the blood drained from his face.
The red-haired man slowly entered the storage room, wearing a black and blood red battle dress uniform, complete with knee-high polished red armored boots. On his arms were matching claw-like gauntlets. He wore a military supply and tool belt around his waist with a pair of hunting knives in sheaths and a dull gray breastplate with shoulder armor.
"Who are you?" Signum demanded assuming a defensive stance.
"The name is Second Lieutenant Gray Biaggi of Division 666."
"Gray Biaggi," Signum said before a look of realization crossed her features, causing the woman to grip her weapon more tightly than before. A look mixed with disgust and dislike appeared on her face as she glared at the man. "I've heard of you. The Heretic Knight of the Saint Church, excommunicated for murdering his fellow members and killing a dozen innocent civilians on a goodwill mission. Not to mention there have been several reports of you being hostile to your commanders and being far too brutal in your methods of putting down terrorist groups."
"So the famous Signum of the Wolkenritter and leader of her little Knights have heard about me. I am honored."
"Sister Schach has told me all about you. I know that while you were among the strongest of the Church's Knights, you were the most savage...so much that after that incident, you were kicked out. But you were supposed to have been sent to life imprisonment on an orbital prison."
"Well obviously, that is not what happened. Since I am going to kill all of you, I'll simply tell you that someone with some major connections within the Bureau got me transferred to Division 666. Turns out that someone loves my particular brand of doing business and, to be honest, I love my new post." Gray said as he gained a look of bloodlust in his eyes. With his device Naegling in hand and ready, the chain-blades began spinning.
Signum was ready for a vicious fight as Gray unsettlingly broke out into laughter before declaring.
"Now, let's dance!"
Launching at one another at speeds difficult for the eye to follow, a loud noise shot through the air as the blades of two armed devices met in a shower of sparks. After a fierce exchange of blows. the two sword wielders became locked in a deadlock, but the chain blade of Gray's Naegling began spinning, trying to cut through Signum's weapon. The pink-haired woman delivered a head butt to Gray's head, allowing Signum to pull away and launch a counterattack.
Gray recovered quickly and tried to slice Signum in half with a horizontal cut, but the woman dodged it before thrusting forward with her blade yet her foe parried it. The two began to take to the air as Gray headed near the tall ceiling as Erik was taking cover behind some metal crates. After their blades met again in an exchange, more fierce than the last, Signum thrust her blade sword and almost impaled Gray's face. The red-haired warrior turned his head to the side to evade it, but Signum's blade managed to cut his cheek, leaving a cut that drew blood. Instead of grunting or showing sign of pain, the pink-haired woman saw the opposite.
"Now...THIS IS A FIGHT!"
This man is a maniac...just as Sister Schach said.
Using a powerful swing to push Signum back, the woman readied herself for more, but Gray had a different idea in mind. He swung his blade down in front of him as a blood red magic circle below his feet.
That circle...It's just like what Zero and the masked white man were using...
"Now fly my fangs," Gray commanded as eight red spear-head shaped bits materialized around him with blue gems in the center of the three-prong blades. The blood red bits encircled the room and fired crimson beams of energy at Signum, forcing the woman to dodge. Gray came straight at her with his blade raised, eager to cleave the woman in two. Between fighting off her insane foe and his small bit-like devices, the fight was becoming more heated between them.
Signum dodged the first swing and several shots, but Gray delivered a roundhouse kick to her face and stunned her for a moment. The Blazing General recovered and blocked with her scabbard, but pulled back to avoid being shot. Coming together, the eight spearhead-shaped bits rained down a rain of energy upon Signum while Gray released a blade of crimson energy from his sword. It seemed the attacks had hit their mark, engulfing much of the area around Signum in a chain of explosions as well as a good part of the chamber. A blazing arrow of purple mana came instead, flying straight Gray, who barely deflected it in time. As the smoke cleared, Signum stood with her clothes slightly burnt, holding Laevatein in its Bogenform.
"Fly, my falcon!" Signum said before releasing another Sturmfalken arrow.
Gray blocked the arrow as his spearhead bits closed in, but moving out of the way, the pink haired woman got behind her foe just as he cleaved the incoming mana arrow into two. The pink-haired woman delivered a deep slash into the back of her foe, causing Gray to cry out in pain, but Signum took care not to kill him but merely incapacitate him. However to her shock, Gray recovered from that blow that should have ended the fight and punched her in the face, knocking her back.
Before Gray could land a horizontal cleave on her, a certain hammer wielding red-head arrived onto the scene. Vita charged right into the fray, using Graf Eisen in its Raketenform not only to quickly aid Signum, but also increase her swinging speed in the hopes of overwhelming her foe.
Gray dodged and moved left and right to avoid being hit, although he was forced to use his sword to block Signum's strike as she took the opportunity to double team him. Thanks to Chrono and the other mages accompanying him, they shot down the flying bit-like projectile weapons.
The tide of battle was turning against Gray, but as much as he enjoyed a good brawl like this, he had a job to do.
"I could use a hand in here!" Gray shouted out as ten Yoshimitsu Troopers poured into the room with Chrono and the Mages standing with him to engage them head on.
One mage was stabbed to death, but Chrono lead the remaining mages under his command to fend off the rest of their attackers. Noticing the enemy reinforcements coming in, Signum and Vita knew they had to finish this fight and escape. Although Vita was torn by breaking off to help Chrono as another mage got killed and Chrono was in danger of being overwhelmed.
Vita, you have to help him, Signum assured. I got this one.
Okay…
Vita instantly went to Chrono's defense, unleashing a barrage of silver spheres using her Schwalbefliegen to break up their ranks before moving in to join the melee to combat enemy soldiers. Signum was left to battle Gray on her own again, but right before Vita could reach the ground, she was attacked by six of his spearhead bits. A quick Panzerschild deflected most of the shots, but a seventh bit was traveling alone along the ground before suddenly the tip produced a red energy spike.
"Diamond Dust," Durandal called out as Chrono unleashed an area-of-effect spell that froze everything in front of him, catching most of the enemy troopers. Thanks to Vita's attack, it gave him just enough time to prepare the spell and for his remaining subordinates, consisting of two Mages who were left to get out of the way.
A few Yoshimitsu Troopers remained, but their numbers were now much more manageable than minutes ago, when Chrono lost six good men to them. Suddenly, Chrono felt a sharp pain enter his back before looking down to see the tip of a red blade coming out of his chest.
"CHRONO!" Vita called out in horror as Signum's own eyes widened in horror at the potentially fatal wound to the TSAB Admiral.
Gray laughed gleefully before saying.
"Ooops, my bad...I had intended to skewer him through the heart, but with how slow he was, I slipped. Gotta love this new Earth-made Armed Device! Pleasure and business at the same time."
Signum was enraged as she attacked Gray with greatly increased ferocity, hellbent on taking the former Church Knight down while Vita swiftly engaged the enemy troopers. One of the surviving TSAB mages to caught Chrono as he fell while he was choking and convulsing terribly.
"Well, it's a tragedy and so, but you still…have a chance. With both of you, you can pull a quick dimensional Teleport spell. However, as times are, with much luck, he has two local hours. You stay, he dies. One of you tries to pull the Teleport alone, and it will take more than two hours due to the power and again, he dies. Both of you go, and he MAY live. Tick tock, tick tock, the clock is running and the sand of his life it's slipping through your hands, darling. So, what's your call?" Gray taunted, but as for Erik, the final red bit impaled the man through the heart.
"ARRGGGH!" Erik cried out in pain as he fell forward.
"Damnit!" Signum shouted in rage as now the survivor and their best possible lead on the Mandarin was now lost to them.
"Uh…Signum…the Mandarin…the Royal Family of Britannia…they are…" Erik tried to speak, but his eyes lost the glow of life in them as he passed away.
Then in a daring and suicidal move, the last two mages, after helping Vita defeat the last of the enemy soldiers, charged at Gray to engage him head on. The two managed to shove Gray into one of the passages near the ceiling where crates and containers were moved by means of mechanical arms to the hanger for transport.
"Lieutenant Signum, take the Admiral and get out of here!" a blonde haired young man of the two Mages cried out.
"NO!" Signum shouted as she move to re-engage Gray, but one of the Mages used his intelligent device to unleash four blasts of energy to bring down the ceiling cutting her off. Vita was already preparing for an emergency teleport to the ship. "Damnit…those…those," Signum was outraged that not only Chrono was mortally wounded, but now she had allowed two more mages to die in order to save him.
"Signum…we…we got to go. I can't teleport Chrono on my own," Vita said although she was equally as torn up by what had just happened.
"You're right, we can't let their sacrifice be in vain. But mark my words, I'll see to it that monster is brought to justice for this, one way or another."
The two escaped with Chrono in tow, but Signum was determined to make Gray pay for what happened. The homicidal redhead, as expected, swiftly killed the two mages as Vita and Signum escaped with Chrono.
Later that afternoon, Zero stood behind the shadow of a condemned building in one of the ghettos near Shinjuku, along with Graham; Quattro was with them, but she was elsewhere. The former Admiral was in disguise, of course, but Lelouch was still a little apprehensive about the upcoming meeting.
"You're certain this will all go smoothly?"
"I am and we do have the Z-01 Lancelot, something I doubt Kyoto can possibly ignore."
"Just the same, we have Quattro to back us up if things go south. She should be rendezvousing with us in the Lancelot if everything goes well."
"Must you always assume the worst?"
"No, but I'd rather be prepared for every possibility."
Graham smiled as a black limo approached them. The limo came to a stop as the driver's side window was rolled down, revealing a man in his late thirties. He wore a black suit and hat with brown hair, a mustache and brown eyes.
"Please gather your allies and get in the limo as per my master's instructions." The driver told Graham and Lelouch as they compiled and the driver exited the limo. After the driver opened the doors for them politely, the two got in upon which a long drive began.
The drive itself took a few hours as the sun was setting with the limo driving through a long winding tunnel. Lelouch suspected correctly that this was likely an underground road used either for VIPs or vehicles needing to avoid the public roads. The young man suspected where they were going, but he and Graham were silent through the drive. At last, the car stopped before it was carried up on an elevator for a few minutes before stopping. The car continued on for a short distance before the driver exited his limo to let his passengers out.
"Please excuse the inconvenience, the master will see you now."
Graham and Lelouch stepped out of the limo and inside some kind of industrial chamber with a large series of pipes and machinery throughout the room. What got their attention was a large window showing a breathtaking sight. The Toyko Settlement from Mt. Fuji, but this only confirmed Lelouch's suspicious about where their meeting was going to take place.
"We're at the Fuji mines," Graham inquired.
"Indeed, but given who the members of Kyoto are, it shouldn't be surprising they have this much influence and power, isn't that right?" Lelouch said before turning his head to look over his shoulder to a figure hidden behind a curtain.
"Heh," An elderly man with a cane sat behind a curtain, cross-legged on a mat and dressed in dark green kimono robes. He eyed the masked man in the room with him. "This sacred mountain was once known for its clean waters and quiet beauty, but now has been bent to the empire's will. This room along with the rest of this facility is a testament of the hideous violation, a reflection of what Japan has become…it pains me so."
What they thought was a window was not as it faded, revealing a metal wall as Graham turned around, removing his disguise.
"I apologize for not showing my face, but Zero, you wear a mask so I must insist that remove it."
To get his point across, four Glasgows emerged from the shadows from a connecting chamber. With assault rifles in hand, they aimed at Lelouch and Graham.
"You seek an audience with me, Taizo Kirihara, and this is how you treat our reunion?" Lelouch said as he grinned under the mask. Kirihara and his two bodyguards were shocked by the fact that Zero knew who he was. "After all, this isn't the first time we've met, but seven years ago at the Kururugi Shrine along with my sister."
Taizo Kirihara was stunned, but realized who Zero was.
"It's…you…"
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Alright, that is enough, Zero," Graham said stepping forward. "Lord Kirihara, I think it's time we get to the business at hand. But first, I must ask that everyone but me, you and Zero must leave the room."
"What? There is no way we'll do that," One of Kirihara's bodyguards shouted, but Graham exchanged glances with Kirihara who ordered.
"Leave us…NOW!"
Reluctantly, the Knightmare Frames and the bodyguards left the chamber, leaving Kirihara alone with Zero and Graham.
"Would you be so polite to drop the illusion and join us, Lady Kaguya?" Graham sighed.
"But there's no one left in the room!" A female voice called out to the surprise to Kirihara.
"Cute try, Lady Kaguya, but it's time for Kirihara to learn of the full truth and the real enemy in the shadows of Britannia," Graham said as a young fourteen year old girl wearing a red skirt with red and black shoes and blue gems on top of them. Adding to her outfit were a pair of long knee-high socks, a pink shirt with a collar and long white bell-shaped sleeves with blue gems on the black fingerless gloves she wore. She had waist-length black hair styled into two long tails tied with red bows at each end. Kaguya also had green eyes and a pale face like a doll wearing a gold ring-like tiara on her head and holding a staff.
The staff was an Intelligent Device named Yata no Kagami. It was a light blue staff with a small circular mirror sitting at the top with two polished silver rings surrounding it. There was a revolver-style cartridge system installed on the device near the top of the staff.
"All right, Graham-sempai," Kaguya Sumeragi said with sigh, removing the illusion spell she had used to hide her presence.
"Lady Sumeragi, how did you get here?" Kirihara asked, clearly wanting an explanation.
Lelouch was equally surprised by this revelation, but realized quickly where Graham's connections with Kyoto came from.
I see, so that explains Graham's connections with Kyoto…He was dealing with them through Kaguya, but how do they know each other? Did Kaguya's father have dealings with Graham originally?
"I knew Lady Sumeragi's father before he was assassinated during the war. But I think it's time I revealed the full details of my relationship with him and some truths you are presently unaware of, Lord Kirihara," Graham began.
This should prove to be interesting…
Lelouch thought as he silently observed what was happening.
"An incident that happened seven years ago served as a pretext to war between Japan and Britannia, but Lord Sumeragi and I did not realize we were being used by the one who calls himself the Mandarin."
"The Mandarin," The man felt familiar to Kirihara "I've heard of him…the international weapons trader?"
"Yes, but he is much more than that." Graham began before taking a deep breath before he stated. "The Mandarin is in fact not of this planet. He is an alien from a world called Mid-Childa. Seven years ago, I was deceived by agents loyal to the Mandarin with information related to a relic that took the life of a dear friend. I should have realized something was amiss, but my desire to avenge my friend's demise blinded me to the manipulations around me. An innocent Japanese girl had been set up as a scapegoat and two members of the Britannian Royal Family were conveniently set in the same city where the dangerous relic was located. He hoped that when the relic went wild, they would be killed, giving Britannia the perfect justifiable pretence possible."
Lelouch was a little surprised by this; he only thought the reason for being sent to Japan was under the hope that he and Nunnally would be killed. However, the method for it to happen wasn't exactly as he thought it was going to be.
How long did Graham know this?
I think it's about time we tell you everything. We did say when the time was right, didn't we? Graham replied to Lelouch telepathically. Obvious to Lelouch was the fact that Kaguya was looking at him with a love struck look on her face and a bit of blood dripping out of her nose.
But before then, we'll introduce one of Logos' mentioned major allies, Gray Biaggi. According to sephiroth, he's based on Ali al-Saachez from Gundam 00.
Well, let's get to it.
Chapter 11
Acceleration
Acceleration
Two days later, Cornelia vi Britannia arrived in Area 11, following her quick and brutal establishment of Area 18, which up until recently was the Middle Eastern Federation. Now the second princess of the Holy Britannian Empire had taken the position of Viceroy to clean up the former nation of Japan by putting down all forms of resistance against the ruling government. The welcoming ceremony was happening on the private airfield connected to the Viceroy Palace. Euphemia and former Viceroy Clovis were present to greet her along with a large gathering of soldiers in formation to offer a proper welcome.
As Cornelia disembarked the transport plane, followed by her royal guard including her personal Knight, a man around her age with long slick black hair tied into a ponytail wearing glasses. Approaching Clovis and Euphemia, Gilbert G.P. Guilford followed closely behind his princess while behind him was an older and much larger man with a scar across his face, possessing brown hair and a tanned skin tone. Andreas Darlton completed the lineup where among the other members of Cornelia's Royal Guards you could find no better team of Knightmare Frame pilots in the world.
Clovis couldn't help but feel ashamed as Cornelia approached, flanked by her Royal Guards. Upon stopping before the now former viceroy with Euphy standing off to his left, the proclaimed Goddess of Victory looked at her half-brother.
"You don't have to worry about Area 11 anymore, half brother. I'll take care of things here, but you can be sure I'll repay the terrorists for the humiliation you endured."
Cornelia was genuinely being sympathetic as he embarked on the same plane. As the doors closed and prepared for liftoff, Cornelia could only watch the poor prince with shame herself.
"He'll be lucky to avoid being disinherited," The Second Princess commented, prompting Euphemia to guess.
"Are you talking about those experiments?"
"I won't inquire the matter any further. There's no need to put more shame and guilt into him, but he'll be on his knees before he's called onto the Carpet at the Imperial Throne."
"What about Big Brother Schneizel?"
"I talked to him upon my departure. He said he'll do what he can, but there's still a chance he won't be able to prevent him from being locked up in Temple Tower or even execution."
Euphemia fell silently, pitying whatever fate awaited her third brother.
"We can't slack off on what's past. Now is the time to clean up everything in this Area, including his own mess."
Of course, given the gravity of the situation and Clovis's recent failings as Viceroy, it would be an uphill battle.
At Ashford Academy, a somewhat surprising event was taking place as Lelouch and Quattro both arrived in time for their homeroom class. Things were going to be different as the teacher gestured to a new male student who Lelouch instantly recognized, but it took some effort to hide the look of surprise on his face.
"Please introduce yourself to the class," the teacher asked.
"I'll beginning at Ashford Academy, starting today. I am Suzaku Kururugi, it's a pleasure to meet all of you."
Kururugi, isn't that your old friend before Japan became Area 11? Quattro inquired to Lelouch beginning a telepathic conversation.
Yes, but how was he admitted into this school? I know we had some Honorary Britannians from wealthy Japanese Families attend in the past, but they usually didn't stay long due to the harsh discrimination.
Well, the Self-Defense Club is now gone. Things might be better, but still…someone else might have pushed for him to attend.
That is most likely, but who would do that?
Lelouch was unaware that Princess Euphemia was Suzaku's unexpected benefactor. Upon returning, Lloyd and Cecile had gotten word that Euphemia enrolled his name at Ashford Academy, believing that someone his age should be attending school. Lloyd had no issue with it as long as he could serve as a pilot once his new Lancelot was finished. Cecile also thought it was a good idea, agreeing with Euphemia's reasoning.
By the way, don't forget that later this afternoon, we got that meeting with Kyoto.
I know, Lelouch thought as he made eye contact with Suzaku. For a moment, he seemed very surprised to see that Lelouch was in his class, yet was quick to cover it up. The former prince knew it would be best to have a word with Suzaku as soon as possible, but if the two did so privately.
In another corner of the world, specifically in Northwest Highlands of Scotland of the British Isles, near the base of the Carn Eige Mountain was a military base and research facility. Judging from its outer appearance, it had recently been abandoned. But inside, its walls told a different story. Exploring the lower underground levels of the facility were Signum and Vita, who were among the mages not only sent to investigate the site, but they were keeping an eye on Chrono, who lead the group.
Upon investigating and questioning the Bureau Observer in charge of the European Regions, Chrono found documents of abnormal activity in the Scottish Highlands during Britannia's invasion campaign to retake the British Isles. Despite failures in such an ambitious campaign in the past, the development of Britannia's Knightmares, along with newer amphibious models such as the RMI-13 Portman, allowed for a more successful invasion. Attacking the northern waters from Greenland, they finally established landfall and a powerful foothold on the British Isles.
Publically, it was contributed to the genius and clever use of tactics using the new amphibious Knightmares and deploying marines into mainland ahead of the invasion fleet. But from Chrono's review of the observers' files and investigating the base he was in now, it was obvious that someone else was assisting the Britannian Empire. Furthermore, what drew their attention to this base was the fact that someone had been broadcasting an SOS. It wasn't anything normally associated with Earth as this SOS was the kind found on Time-Space Administration Bureau facilities.
"A base out in the middle of the mountains," Vita commented as she and the others went deeper inside. "Just what were they doing out here?"
"I don't think this base was simply a staging point for the Britannian Army's campaign," Signum pointed out as the group reached a pair of heavy doors, leading into a restricted area of the base.
Chrono didn't take an active part in the conversation between the two Wolkenritter as he was waiting for one of his men to undo the electronic locks upon the door.
Moments later, the doors opened, but no one was prepared for what awaited them. They saw what appeared to be a laboratory as the hallway ahead of them had glass walls, revealing a row of people inside tanks filled with what was likely a kind of preservation liquid. Not only that, but on the ground were obvious signs of a battle; the bodies of Britannian soldiers and young children, ranging from the ages of ten to fifteen, laid on the ground dressed in simple white clothing.
"What…is this?" Chrono said, stunned by the scene before him as were the mages in his company. Signum and Vita were equally shocked with the pink-haired warrior being the first to regain her composure.
"I don't know what they were doing, but we missed a coup d'état that must have taken place." Signum pointed out, making her observation based on the position of the bodies in the hall before her.
"I see, so it's likely this base was supposed to have been abandoned as a result of the coup. I imagine they probably were meant to self-destruct this place, but something must have gone wrong." Chrono added.
"Hold on," Vita inserted. "If they were supposed to blow this place up, then why are we still here?"
"The advanced recon group made certain there were no explosives and disabled the self-destruct protocols they found in the power generator room. The system was armed, but it failed to fire, so I don't know if anyone was even able to trigger it or someone stopped it." Chrono said, trying to assure Vita.
"Just the same, we should search this place and take anything that might be useful before anyone realizes that this place is still standing," Signum advised.
"I agree," Chrono replied before turning to the fifteen mages in his company. "Some of you stay here and guard the doors. The rest of you, come with me."
Back at Ashford Academy, the former prince was currently on the roof of a school building, waiting for someone to come after signaling him using an old hand-sign Lelouch had created during his early days in Japan.
"Seven years since we used this," Lelouch said doing a repeat of the signal. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Meeting on the roof just like the old days," Suzaku said as he joined Lelouch by the edge of the rooftop, behind the stone wall surrounding the perimeter of the rooftop.
"Yeah…"
"I am glad you're okay…I was worried," Suzaku said, still concerned for what happened.
"I'm alive and kicking thanks to you, but I have to admit, I thought you had been killed."
"So did I, but when I was recovered, they found that a pocket watch I was keeping on hand that deflected the bullet."
"Talk about lucky. I guess it wasn't your time yet," Lelouch commented, prompting a brief laugh from Suzaku.
"When I woke up, one of the men who were with me said something similar."
"I see, but luck or not, I'm glad you are alright. You almost died trying to protect me."
"Don't worry about it, I was just returning the favor from seven years ago." Suzaku replied as Lelouch seemed distant before a moment instantly reminded the brown-haired young man. "Wait, what about that girl who was inside the capsule?"
"I don't know. We got separated during the fray, but you wouldn't know more about her than me, would you?"
"No, the only ones who really knew anything were the Royal Guards."
"I see."
"So what about you? Do I still call you Lelouch?"
"The records count my old identity among the dead. I go by the name of Lelouch Lamperouge now."
"Oh…"
"But what about you? How did you enroll here?"
"I am surprised as you are. Let's just say, someone believed that a seventeen year old boy should be attending school."
"Who was it?"
"Would you believe me if I said I ran into your half-sister Euphemia?"
"No way," Lelouch said as he was genuinely surprised by that revelation. "Euphemia, but how did you run into her?"
"That is a long story, but it was unexpected."
Back in Scotland on a mountain overlooking the base, Suzuka stood by the edge of the cliff, gripping a pair of binoculars upon realizing not only had the TSAB found the facility, but the self-destruct sequence failed to go off. Behind her was another man, clearly in his forties with long red hair tied into a ponytail, a small beard forming on his chin and yellow eyes. On his back, he was carrying a large Zweihänder-style sword, an Armed Device called Naegling. A blazing red gem was in the middle of the hilt with a bolt-action cartridge loading system built into the blade. Oddly, the blade had a chain-blade wrapped around the edge with a pair of blood red horns forming the hand guard and a spike at the bottom of the hilt. The handle was black with two prongs sticking out from under the hand guard protecting the exhaust.
"The boss won't be happy about this," The red haired man pointed out.
"Your superior may be concerned. I doubt Mandarin-sama is."
"I would be careful, little girl. You must remember who is backing his operations. If my superior's identity is found out, your own boss will be in trouble as well."
"I know," Suzuka replied coldly putting away the binoculars. "I'll take care of this."
"No, my superior asked that I handle this matter. You can double check with your boss and find he gave me the green light already. At the very least, I got to make sure the doctor we detected alive is killed before he can squeal."
"Very well, I suppose you'll be taking a squad of Yoshimitsu Troopers with you?"
"Absolutely," The red haired man replied with a savage grin on his face.
Deep within the base, Chrono, Signum and Vita were exploring with a couple mages as support. After some in-depth exploration, they found a fully prepared laboratory. Judging by the equipment left behind, gene therapy and manipulation experiments had been carried out along with cybernetic augmentation on human test subjects. There were rooms for combat training and lastly one where the failures and rejects were stored for further study. At last, the team reached an office with a computer terminal still active. Chrono took a seat and began trying to access the files within the system to learn more about this place.
"Who would have thought something like this was going on?" Signum replied, finding the body of another test subject. All in all, the signs were perfectly clear that the test subjects had attempted a coup d'état, but the facility was sealed and then poison gas was likely released to put it down. Even so, her blue eyes showed a burning anger at the inhuman experiments that had taken place before her.
"It's one thing if Britannia was behind this, but all of this technology is way above what this planet has." Vita added as Chrono found some entries.
"December 28th 2016 A.T.B. Subject 227: Dismissed as a failure. New subject acquired for artificially creating mages from non-mage subjects," Chrono said reading some of the entries out aloud.
"Creating a mage from a non-mage subject…what do they mean by that?"
"Aside from experimenting on cyborgs and cybernetic conversation, this facility has been researching methods for providing magical talent to those without through other scientific means. Cybernetic implants, genetic manipulation…maybe even both or a combination of other methods."
"And the Observer of this region knew this was going on?" Vita said as the redhead was clearly enraged over the idea.
"I don't think he knew the full extent of what they did here. But no doubt, he was bought off by someone in order to conduct these experiments. Otherwise, they couldn't have built this facility without someone noticing it."
"Yet how could they get virtually all of the observers involved in this…cover up?" Signum asked.
"I doubt Ginga's superior could have been alone in this, but I think someone high up within the Bureau was possibly involved. However, unless we can get Commander Hawkins to talk, all we have is purely circumstantial evidence, which could be easily overturned in court if he has the right lawyers behind him. His lack of properly reporting what has been happening on Earth could also help. We need solid evidence of corruption and even then, the worse that could happen is that he'll be demoted."
"Then we just have to hope there is something in these reports then," Vita said after Chrono finished speaking. At that moment, an alert came from the mages at the entrance of the facility.
"What's wrong?" Chrono asked instantly seeing the worried face of his subordinate.
"Sir, we got incoming! They're coming at us…They're the same enemy troops from…arrrgghh," The mage called out before he was killed, thus causing the communication line to go dead.
"Damn it, I guess the Mandarin must have dispatched a force to demolish this facility or recapture it," Vita said readying her weapon.
"Likely the latter," Signum noted as she was ready for combat.
"I'll establish a connection with my ship and transmit the files. Even if we fight them off, staying here will be too dangerous; they could attempt to reactivate the self-destruct or find another way to destroy this facility. If we can at least hold them off long enough, hopefully, the information these files have could help us in our investigation."
"We'll hold them for as long as you need," Signum said before exchanging looks with Vita before turning to the mages in their company. "The rest of you stay here and protect this room."
Heading out into the hall to intercept the incoming enemy force, Signum and Vita were ready for the enemy.
"Vita, I trust you read my report…if these troopers are the same ones I fought on Mid-Childa."
"Then these guys will likely explode when we beat them. I'll keep a distance from any of the ones I take down."
It wasn't long before three Yoshimitsu Troopers approached them armed with black rifles. The trio began shooting at Signum and Vita. The two Knights blocked their initial shots with Panzerschild shield spells before Vita countered attacked with Schwalbefliegen Claymore. Although the enemy troopers dodged the four large projectiles, the resulting explosions from impacting the walls and floor left them open to Signum's attack. Her armed device burned with flames as she went after one, cleaving its rifle in two.
The troopers barely managed to draw their blades, but Signum had already swiftly dispatched of the one whose rifle she had cut in half. Vita was quick to join in with her hammer ready and going after one while Signum engaged the other. The pink-haired swordswoman engaged the Yoshimitsu Trooper in fierce exchange of sword swings. The hallways were too confining to risk using some of her other techniques, but after discharging a cartridge, she set her sword aflame using Purple Lightning Flash. She pressed her advantage against the trooper who had barely enough time to draw his sword, not giving him not to grip his weapon properly.
"Raketenform," Graf Eisen called out as Vita tried to break through her foe's defense, using the rocket-powered form of her Armed Device.
Neither of the Wolkenritter was willing to allow the Yoshimitsu Troopers to use that special kamikaze ability of theirs and intended to take them down before they had a chance. Fortunately, Signum and Vita were successful in defeating their foes and knocking them out. As a precaution, they kept their unconscious foes a safe distance from both one another and the two Wolkenritter.
"I thought there would have been more of them coming at us," Vita commented noting how easy the fight seemed.
"I know, but these ones aren't as skilled as the ones I fought on Mid-Childa." Signum noticed.
"Group two, we haven't found the target yet," a statically sound from one of the downed troopers said, drawing the attention of the two knights.
"Group three here, we might have a location, concealed within one of the cryogenic storage cells. He likely sealed himself inside of one before the neurotoxin was released."
"Alright…find him and kill him, but make sure you dispose of all traces of the body," their possible superior spoke..
"Roger that," The statically communication said before the line went dead. Part of the helmet the Yoshimitsu Trooper was wearing was broken open from one of Vita's hammer strikes, allowing the two to unexpectedly overhear a communication between their foes.
"There is a survivor, so that's why they haven't been coming at us at full force."
"Most likely, which means this survivor must be a person of interest to them," Signum said, gripping her blade. "I am going to go and rescue him."
"Okay, I'll stay here and protect Chrono and the others," Vita said taking up a defensive position near the entrance to the main office where Chrono was at overseeing the file transfer.
If they change tactics, they might head straight for Chrono if they discover the file transfer is in progress, Signum thought of the risk. It might have been better if we both went to retrieve the survivor and even take some mages with us, but that'll leave Chrono vulnerable to attack, especially if they try to overwhelm us with numbers. There's no telling how many of them are in here. But if they were serious, they might have brought more experienced men for this. So now doubt this team was hastily put together to erase the existence of this place and any survivors.
If that was the case, Signum realized that meant the enemy would likely grow more desperate as time went on. They would need to get the survivor and leave this place before that desperation leads to the entire facility being destroyed.
Not long after Signum departed, Vita's task at defending the hall was put to the test as a group of six machines came towards her. They were floating through the air similar to the gadget drones they had faced previously, but it was already clear that these were different. They were large black polished spheres with a movable eye that emerged from the top, built into its armored body. The sides of the sphere opened up revealing high-velocity machine guns.
With her hammer in hand, Vita was ready to defend the hallway to not let one enemy pass her.
"BRING IT ON!"
Hurrying through the hallways, Signum managed to find her way to the cryogenic storage chamber where the remains of test subjects and other supplies were kept. The room was much larger than some of the other chambers with a high ceiling where mechanical arms used for moving heavy items and openings on walls twenty feet off the ground could be seen. There, she found at least ten Yoshimitsu Troopers searching thoroughly for the survivor. Signum steeled herself for a serious fight as she readied Laevatein by ejecting another cartridge.
"Laevatein!" Signum began as her Device glowed.
"Schlangeform!"
"Go!" The General of the Raging Fire said as the extended snake-like whip blade she wielded was engulfed in flames and launched a sudden surprise attack on the Yoshimitsu Troopers.
"Luminous Dragon," Laevatein called out as she struck six of the enemy troopers, incapacitating them and leaving them unable to fight. However, she still had four more to deal with. Retracting the blades, Laevatein switched back into Schwertform to meet the incoming blades of the enemy troopers. Two sought to engage her at close range while the other two aimed their rifles, intending to provide fire support for their comrades.
Signum parried the sword strikes before dodging a hail of high-velocity bullets. She sidestepped her foes trying to cleave her in two with their katanas. The pink-haired woman followed up her counterattack with an upwards vertical slice, cutting the upper left arm of her foe before quickly delivering an incapacitating cut upon the right and left leg. She finished her attack with a swift roundhouse kick to the head of her foe, dealing with one enemy while having three left. Using a shield to deflect the bullets, Signum moved closer to her next foe to finish him quickly.
Vita was being hard pressed in fighting against the smaller black drones as they unleashed a hail of machine gun fire, attempting to turn the hammer-wielding red head into Swiss cheese. The Hammer Knight managed to dodge them thanks in part to her small size, which gave her an unexpected advantage along with her speed. On the ground behind her laid the broken wreckage of two drones with only four remaining. The way the machines moved and kept firing a seemingly endless stream of bullets made it difficult to get close without being hit. The signs of just how close the bullets were to hitting her were clear on her knight clothing as there were signs of near misses on her shoulder and dress.
Wielding her weapon in its Gigantform, she bashed another drone, causing its internal works to explode. Her situation started to turn around as more black drones were seen approaching from the hallway. But before the battle could progress further, a voice behind her spoke words she had not heard in a long time.
"Eternal Coffin," An electronic male voice said before a single chilling blast shot past Vita while four white bit-like devices flew ahead of her. The freezing beam hit the approaching drones head on, encasing them in solid ice. The beam was reflected off of the bits that had moved into position until all of the black drones had been completely frozen.
Vita turned around and saw Chrono standing there, holding a white and blue staff, his Storage Device Durandal.
"That was unexpected timing," Vita said, dusting a bit of ice from her hair.
"After I finished, I heard gunfire and knew you and Signum likely encountered heavy opposition, but where is Signum?"
Signum had finished clearing out the remainder of the Yoshimitsu Troopers. After taking care to move their still forms to a safe distance away, she began searching the room for the survivor. Checking a few of the most sealed cryo containers, she came upon a man who seemed to be partly frozen in the last one, stumbling out and shivering terribly before Signum seized the man. He had black hair and a light blue collared shirt with a red tie and white lab coat, complete with black pants. The man was panicking, but Signum seized him by the shoulders and shook him.
"Calm down and tell me who you are?"
"I…I…I am Erik Breighner, a DNA Analysis Specialist and Major of Division 666 of the Time Space Administration Bureau," Erik replied, not realizing who he was talking to.
"Division 666; I never heard of that division, explain yourself," Signum demanded, raising her sword to the man's neck as he finally regained full awareness of his surroundings.
"Oh shit," Erik muttered, recognizing Signum. "You're Signum, one of those Knights following the Yagami girl."
"You know about that, but I want to know about your involvement in this place."
"I was only assigned her to help with the experiments of using cybernetics and biochemical procedures to convert humans who possessed no magical talent into combat mages while others were turned into cyborg soldiers." Erik answered, but became more fearful when he saw Signum glare daggers at him. "I swear I was only following orders! When the children fought back and launched a coup, I took cover inside that storage unit to escape the gas from the security system!"
"You are going to answer for what you have done," The pink-haired woman said as her voice couldn't hide her intense dislike for the experiments that had been carried out here. "What is Division 666?"
"Division 666 was a black operations division within the TSAB's main branch that answered only to the High Council. Our group conducted many missions and research projects the high council didn't want the general public and the rest of the Bureau to know about."
"High Council," Signum asked, having never heard of the High Council.
"If you get me out of here alive, I'll tell you everything, including the new base we established in Japan."
"Very well, but you will tell us everything and I'll see to it that you will," Signum said with a subtle anger in her voice.
"So we got ourselves a squealer after all," A new voice said as Erik began panicking as the blood drained from his face.
The red-haired man slowly entered the storage room, wearing a black and blood red battle dress uniform, complete with knee-high polished red armored boots. On his arms were matching claw-like gauntlets. He wore a military supply and tool belt around his waist with a pair of hunting knives in sheaths and a dull gray breastplate with shoulder armor.
"Who are you?" Signum demanded assuming a defensive stance.
"The name is Second Lieutenant Gray Biaggi of Division 666."
"Gray Biaggi," Signum said before a look of realization crossed her features, causing the woman to grip her weapon more tightly than before. A look mixed with disgust and dislike appeared on her face as she glared at the man. "I've heard of you. The Heretic Knight of the Saint Church, excommunicated for murdering his fellow members and killing a dozen innocent civilians on a goodwill mission. Not to mention there have been several reports of you being hostile to your commanders and being far too brutal in your methods of putting down terrorist groups."
"So the famous Signum of the Wolkenritter and leader of her little Knights have heard about me. I am honored."
"Sister Schach has told me all about you. I know that while you were among the strongest of the Church's Knights, you were the most savage...so much that after that incident, you were kicked out. But you were supposed to have been sent to life imprisonment on an orbital prison."
"Well obviously, that is not what happened. Since I am going to kill all of you, I'll simply tell you that someone with some major connections within the Bureau got me transferred to Division 666. Turns out that someone loves my particular brand of doing business and, to be honest, I love my new post." Gray said as he gained a look of bloodlust in his eyes. With his device Naegling in hand and ready, the chain-blades began spinning.
Signum was ready for a vicious fight as Gray unsettlingly broke out into laughter before declaring.
"Now, let's dance!"
Launching at one another at speeds difficult for the eye to follow, a loud noise shot through the air as the blades of two armed devices met in a shower of sparks. After a fierce exchange of blows. the two sword wielders became locked in a deadlock, but the chain blade of Gray's Naegling began spinning, trying to cut through Signum's weapon. The pink-haired woman delivered a head butt to Gray's head, allowing Signum to pull away and launch a counterattack.
Gray recovered quickly and tried to slice Signum in half with a horizontal cut, but the woman dodged it before thrusting forward with her blade yet her foe parried it. The two began to take to the air as Gray headed near the tall ceiling as Erik was taking cover behind some metal crates. After their blades met again in an exchange, more fierce than the last, Signum thrust her blade sword and almost impaled Gray's face. The red-haired warrior turned his head to the side to evade it, but Signum's blade managed to cut his cheek, leaving a cut that drew blood. Instead of grunting or showing sign of pain, the pink-haired woman saw the opposite.
"Now...THIS IS A FIGHT!"
This man is a maniac...just as Sister Schach said.
Using a powerful swing to push Signum back, the woman readied herself for more, but Gray had a different idea in mind. He swung his blade down in front of him as a blood red magic circle below his feet.
That circle...It's just like what Zero and the masked white man were using...
"Now fly my fangs," Gray commanded as eight red spear-head shaped bits materialized around him with blue gems in the center of the three-prong blades. The blood red bits encircled the room and fired crimson beams of energy at Signum, forcing the woman to dodge. Gray came straight at her with his blade raised, eager to cleave the woman in two. Between fighting off her insane foe and his small bit-like devices, the fight was becoming more heated between them.
Signum dodged the first swing and several shots, but Gray delivered a roundhouse kick to her face and stunned her for a moment. The Blazing General recovered and blocked with her scabbard, but pulled back to avoid being shot. Coming together, the eight spearhead-shaped bits rained down a rain of energy upon Signum while Gray released a blade of crimson energy from his sword. It seemed the attacks had hit their mark, engulfing much of the area around Signum in a chain of explosions as well as a good part of the chamber. A blazing arrow of purple mana came instead, flying straight Gray, who barely deflected it in time. As the smoke cleared, Signum stood with her clothes slightly burnt, holding Laevatein in its Bogenform.
"Fly, my falcon!" Signum said before releasing another Sturmfalken arrow.
Gray blocked the arrow as his spearhead bits closed in, but moving out of the way, the pink haired woman got behind her foe just as he cleaved the incoming mana arrow into two. The pink-haired woman delivered a deep slash into the back of her foe, causing Gray to cry out in pain, but Signum took care not to kill him but merely incapacitate him. However to her shock, Gray recovered from that blow that should have ended the fight and punched her in the face, knocking her back.
Before Gray could land a horizontal cleave on her, a certain hammer wielding red-head arrived onto the scene. Vita charged right into the fray, using Graf Eisen in its Raketenform not only to quickly aid Signum, but also increase her swinging speed in the hopes of overwhelming her foe.
Gray dodged and moved left and right to avoid being hit, although he was forced to use his sword to block Signum's strike as she took the opportunity to double team him. Thanks to Chrono and the other mages accompanying him, they shot down the flying bit-like projectile weapons.
The tide of battle was turning against Gray, but as much as he enjoyed a good brawl like this, he had a job to do.
"I could use a hand in here!" Gray shouted out as ten Yoshimitsu Troopers poured into the room with Chrono and the Mages standing with him to engage them head on.
One mage was stabbed to death, but Chrono lead the remaining mages under his command to fend off the rest of their attackers. Noticing the enemy reinforcements coming in, Signum and Vita knew they had to finish this fight and escape. Although Vita was torn by breaking off to help Chrono as another mage got killed and Chrono was in danger of being overwhelmed.
Vita, you have to help him, Signum assured. I got this one.
Okay…
Vita instantly went to Chrono's defense, unleashing a barrage of silver spheres using her Schwalbefliegen to break up their ranks before moving in to join the melee to combat enemy soldiers. Signum was left to battle Gray on her own again, but right before Vita could reach the ground, she was attacked by six of his spearhead bits. A quick Panzerschild deflected most of the shots, but a seventh bit was traveling alone along the ground before suddenly the tip produced a red energy spike.
"Diamond Dust," Durandal called out as Chrono unleashed an area-of-effect spell that froze everything in front of him, catching most of the enemy troopers. Thanks to Vita's attack, it gave him just enough time to prepare the spell and for his remaining subordinates, consisting of two Mages who were left to get out of the way.
A few Yoshimitsu Troopers remained, but their numbers were now much more manageable than minutes ago, when Chrono lost six good men to them. Suddenly, Chrono felt a sharp pain enter his back before looking down to see the tip of a red blade coming out of his chest.
"CHRONO!" Vita called out in horror as Signum's own eyes widened in horror at the potentially fatal wound to the TSAB Admiral.
Gray laughed gleefully before saying.
"Ooops, my bad...I had intended to skewer him through the heart, but with how slow he was, I slipped. Gotta love this new Earth-made Armed Device! Pleasure and business at the same time."
Signum was enraged as she attacked Gray with greatly increased ferocity, hellbent on taking the former Church Knight down while Vita swiftly engaged the enemy troopers. One of the surviving TSAB mages to caught Chrono as he fell while he was choking and convulsing terribly.
"Well, it's a tragedy and so, but you still…have a chance. With both of you, you can pull a quick dimensional Teleport spell. However, as times are, with much luck, he has two local hours. You stay, he dies. One of you tries to pull the Teleport alone, and it will take more than two hours due to the power and again, he dies. Both of you go, and he MAY live. Tick tock, tick tock, the clock is running and the sand of his life it's slipping through your hands, darling. So, what's your call?" Gray taunted, but as for Erik, the final red bit impaled the man through the heart.
"ARRGGGH!" Erik cried out in pain as he fell forward.
"Damnit!" Signum shouted in rage as now the survivor and their best possible lead on the Mandarin was now lost to them.
"Uh…Signum…the Mandarin…the Royal Family of Britannia…they are…" Erik tried to speak, but his eyes lost the glow of life in them as he passed away.
Then in a daring and suicidal move, the last two mages, after helping Vita defeat the last of the enemy soldiers, charged at Gray to engage him head on. The two managed to shove Gray into one of the passages near the ceiling where crates and containers were moved by means of mechanical arms to the hanger for transport.
"Lieutenant Signum, take the Admiral and get out of here!" a blonde haired young man of the two Mages cried out.
"NO!" Signum shouted as she move to re-engage Gray, but one of the Mages used his intelligent device to unleash four blasts of energy to bring down the ceiling cutting her off. Vita was already preparing for an emergency teleport to the ship. "Damnit…those…those," Signum was outraged that not only Chrono was mortally wounded, but now she had allowed two more mages to die in order to save him.
"Signum…we…we got to go. I can't teleport Chrono on my own," Vita said although she was equally as torn up by what had just happened.
"You're right, we can't let their sacrifice be in vain. But mark my words, I'll see to it that monster is brought to justice for this, one way or another."
The two escaped with Chrono in tow, but Signum was determined to make Gray pay for what happened. The homicidal redhead, as expected, swiftly killed the two mages as Vita and Signum escaped with Chrono.
Later that afternoon, Zero stood behind the shadow of a condemned building in one of the ghettos near Shinjuku, along with Graham; Quattro was with them, but she was elsewhere. The former Admiral was in disguise, of course, but Lelouch was still a little apprehensive about the upcoming meeting.
"You're certain this will all go smoothly?"
"I am and we do have the Z-01 Lancelot, something I doubt Kyoto can possibly ignore."
"Just the same, we have Quattro to back us up if things go south. She should be rendezvousing with us in the Lancelot if everything goes well."
"Must you always assume the worst?"
"No, but I'd rather be prepared for every possibility."
Graham smiled as a black limo approached them. The limo came to a stop as the driver's side window was rolled down, revealing a man in his late thirties. He wore a black suit and hat with brown hair, a mustache and brown eyes.
"Please gather your allies and get in the limo as per my master's instructions." The driver told Graham and Lelouch as they compiled and the driver exited the limo. After the driver opened the doors for them politely, the two got in upon which a long drive began.
The drive itself took a few hours as the sun was setting with the limo driving through a long winding tunnel. Lelouch suspected correctly that this was likely an underground road used either for VIPs or vehicles needing to avoid the public roads. The young man suspected where they were going, but he and Graham were silent through the drive. At last, the car stopped before it was carried up on an elevator for a few minutes before stopping. The car continued on for a short distance before the driver exited his limo to let his passengers out.
"Please excuse the inconvenience, the master will see you now."
Graham and Lelouch stepped out of the limo and inside some kind of industrial chamber with a large series of pipes and machinery throughout the room. What got their attention was a large window showing a breathtaking sight. The Toyko Settlement from Mt. Fuji, but this only confirmed Lelouch's suspicious about where their meeting was going to take place.
"We're at the Fuji mines," Graham inquired.
"Indeed, but given who the members of Kyoto are, it shouldn't be surprising they have this much influence and power, isn't that right?" Lelouch said before turning his head to look over his shoulder to a figure hidden behind a curtain.
"Heh," An elderly man with a cane sat behind a curtain, cross-legged on a mat and dressed in dark green kimono robes. He eyed the masked man in the room with him. "This sacred mountain was once known for its clean waters and quiet beauty, but now has been bent to the empire's will. This room along with the rest of this facility is a testament of the hideous violation, a reflection of what Japan has become…it pains me so."
What they thought was a window was not as it faded, revealing a metal wall as Graham turned around, removing his disguise.
"I apologize for not showing my face, but Zero, you wear a mask so I must insist that remove it."
To get his point across, four Glasgows emerged from the shadows from a connecting chamber. With assault rifles in hand, they aimed at Lelouch and Graham.
"You seek an audience with me, Taizo Kirihara, and this is how you treat our reunion?" Lelouch said as he grinned under the mask. Kirihara and his two bodyguards were shocked by the fact that Zero knew who he was. "After all, this isn't the first time we've met, but seven years ago at the Kururugi Shrine along with my sister."
Taizo Kirihara was stunned, but realized who Zero was.
"It's…you…"
"It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Alright, that is enough, Zero," Graham said stepping forward. "Lord Kirihara, I think it's time we get to the business at hand. But first, I must ask that everyone but me, you and Zero must leave the room."
"What? There is no way we'll do that," One of Kirihara's bodyguards shouted, but Graham exchanged glances with Kirihara who ordered.
"Leave us…NOW!"
Reluctantly, the Knightmare Frames and the bodyguards left the chamber, leaving Kirihara alone with Zero and Graham.
"Would you be so polite to drop the illusion and join us, Lady Kaguya?" Graham sighed.
"But there's no one left in the room!" A female voice called out to the surprise to Kirihara.
"Cute try, Lady Kaguya, but it's time for Kirihara to learn of the full truth and the real enemy in the shadows of Britannia," Graham said as a young fourteen year old girl wearing a red skirt with red and black shoes and blue gems on top of them. Adding to her outfit were a pair of long knee-high socks, a pink shirt with a collar and long white bell-shaped sleeves with blue gems on the black fingerless gloves she wore. She had waist-length black hair styled into two long tails tied with red bows at each end. Kaguya also had green eyes and a pale face like a doll wearing a gold ring-like tiara on her head and holding a staff.
The staff was an Intelligent Device named Yata no Kagami. It was a light blue staff with a small circular mirror sitting at the top with two polished silver rings surrounding it. There was a revolver-style cartridge system installed on the device near the top of the staff.
"All right, Graham-sempai," Kaguya Sumeragi said with sigh, removing the illusion spell she had used to hide her presence.
"Lady Sumeragi, how did you get here?" Kirihara asked, clearly wanting an explanation.
Lelouch was equally surprised by this revelation, but realized quickly where Graham's connections with Kyoto came from.
I see, so that explains Graham's connections with Kyoto…He was dealing with them through Kaguya, but how do they know each other? Did Kaguya's father have dealings with Graham originally?
"I knew Lady Sumeragi's father before he was assassinated during the war. But I think it's time I revealed the full details of my relationship with him and some truths you are presently unaware of, Lord Kirihara," Graham began.
This should prove to be interesting…
Lelouch thought as he silently observed what was happening.
"An incident that happened seven years ago served as a pretext to war between Japan and Britannia, but Lord Sumeragi and I did not realize we were being used by the one who calls himself the Mandarin."
"The Mandarin," The man felt familiar to Kirihara "I've heard of him…the international weapons trader?"
"Yes, but he is much more than that." Graham began before taking a deep breath before he stated. "The Mandarin is in fact not of this planet. He is an alien from a world called Mid-Childa. Seven years ago, I was deceived by agents loyal to the Mandarin with information related to a relic that took the life of a dear friend. I should have realized something was amiss, but my desire to avenge my friend's demise blinded me to the manipulations around me. An innocent Japanese girl had been set up as a scapegoat and two members of the Britannian Royal Family were conveniently set in the same city where the dangerous relic was located. He hoped that when the relic went wild, they would be killed, giving Britannia the perfect justifiable pretence possible."
Lelouch was a little surprised by this; he only thought the reason for being sent to Japan was under the hope that he and Nunnally would be killed. However, the method for it to happen wasn't exactly as he thought it was going to be.
How long did Graham know this?
I think it's about time we tell you everything. We did say when the time was right, didn't we? Graham replied to Lelouch telepathically. Obvious to Lelouch was the fact that Kaguya was looking at him with a love struck look on her face and a bit of blood dripping out of her nose.
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Chapter 12: Reformation
Next chapter. Looks like we're gonna have some big revelations as well as big complications with Lelouch's plan.
Two days had passed since the meeting with Kyoto and it went very well with Taizo Kirihara pledging his official support to Lelouch and his new resistance group. All of which included weapons, supplies, funding and strategic intelligence and support. Yet what Lelouch had discovered yesterday about details regarding the dubbed "Book of Darkness Incident" that Graham had withheld from him was shocking to say the least.
Actually, "shocking" was a bit of an understatement.
He never once considered the possibility, but then again, he knew nothing of magic back then. Overall, it was a deceptive and cruel plan. Graham's information on the new Book of Darkness owner came through from agents with ties to the special TSAB group called Division 666. The ultimate purpose of this was to discredit and end Graham's career as he had been poking his nose around into the existence of Division 666 at the time and was becoming more of a dangerous liability. Hayate's selection as the book's new master wasn't mere chance, but somehow the Mandarin had gotten his hands on the Book. He passed it to Hayate, who had been confirmed to have the latent magical potential necessary to handle the book or at least live long enough for her role in his plans to be fulfilled.
Most importantly, Hayate was Japanese, where stage two of the plan came into action.
Nunnally and Lelouch's own relocation to the city where Hayate resided was to put them into the danger zone where upon the book was going out of control. When that happened, they would be killed in the ensuring incident which would have wiped out the city. How it was prevented from destroying the planet was beyond him, but Lelouch suspects the Mandarin must have had a plan in place for that. Ultimately, Britannia would have blamed Japan for developing a dangerous new weapon that malfunctioned, which killed their own prince and princess. It was a more than adequate excuse for war with the small nation, which gave the Mandarin undisrupted access to the Sakuradite Mines. Additionally, since the majority of the terrans who displayed strong magical potential had been found among the Japanese, the nation's conquest provided him with more valuable test subjects.
I knew the Emperor wanted Nunnally and I to be in Japan to die for his convenience, but this…
Lelouch thought as he sat at his desk in class ignoring the teacher's lecture, wrapped up in his own thoughts. Sitting near him, Quattro was a little angry upon hearing about Kaguya and her obvious interest in Zero that left her face atomic red. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what the girl was thinking when she looked at him with blood coming out of her nose.
But the two had more important matters to focus on; the combat cyborg knew the other thing on Lelouch's mind as she recalled a news report early this morning.
Military Authorities report they have surrounded the Saitama Ghetto, a known hiding place for terrorists. Viceroy Cornelia is personally overseeing operations to apprehend the terrorists and access to the area is restricted. Reports indicate that a full-scale assault is inevitable and expected to happen at 6:00 pm when power to the ghetto will be disconnected.
Apprehend the terrorists my ass, Quattro thought as it was obvious to anyone with a brain. The real objective of this operation is to provoke Zero and lure him to the Saitama Ghetto. The fact they're broadcasting the operation start time is further proof of this. Quattro knew Cornelia had been more or less wiping out pockets of resistance throughout Japan. In fact, she heard that yesterday, Cornelia wiped out a base the Japan Liberation Front had established while taking no prisoners.
You are still planning to go to Saitama as soon as class is over? Quattro inquired, reading Lelouch's mind.
Of course…
Surely, you realize it's an obvious trap?
Of course I do, but it could be an opportunity to find some recruits.
How do you propose we do that?
Inside the medical bay of the Arthra, a certain black haired young man was waking up after being unconscious for two whole days from injuries that would have normally killed anyone else. Lucky for him, he made it due to the timely evacuation back to the ship. Chrono woke up, taking his surroundings to recognize his present location. He tried to sit up grunting in pain.
"Don't do this to yourself, Chrono. You're half dead."
Chrono turned his head and saw a familiar face. It was a man who appeared to be as old as he was with mid-back length green hair. He wore a white suit and a blue dress shirt underneath, complete with a matching tie. Lastly, the man has a fair skin complexion and blue eyes with a relieved expression on his face.
"Verossa…when did you show up?"
"I arrived this morning from Mid-Childa by shuttle when Carim and I heard what happened to you, but I also came on behalf of my superiors within Internal Affairs." Verossa Acous explained. "The files you uncovered at that base have left them and my sister, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bureau and Leader of the Saint Church, furious to put it lightly. I think it's enough for me to say that things back at HQ are very messy right now."
"I didn't have time to really look over all of the files, but what exactly did you guys find?"
"Well..." Verossa paused hesitantly. He reached into his white coat and brought out a small pad to give to Chrono.
Chrono activated the Device and began looking over the highlighted files with the first one being titled Ophiuchus. As Chrono read the details of the files, his face paled before turning to Verossa.
"Does Hayate know about this?"
"I…I haven't told her and the others yet, but…this won't be easy to explain."
"Understatement of the century, but we have to tell them as well as everyone else. We'll gather everyone for a conference call. Obviously I can't leave my bed yet."
"Right…I'll talk to Lindy and get everyone together."
Later that day, as the hour of 6 pm was approaching at the Saitama Ghetto, the Viceroy of Area 11, Cornelia was seated upon her throne aboard the G-1 base sitting stationary near the river on the outskirts of the ghetto. Present with her was Dalton and her knight Guilford, along with several Staff Officers monitoring the status of the tight perimeter they established around the ghetto.
"The Saitama Ghetto is completely surrounded and the extra forces we called from Osaka have arrived and completed our encirclement. The Yamato Alliance is located somewhere inside the ghetto; however, half of the people living in this ghetto are cooperating with them. So if we proceed at 1700 hours as planned," Dalton was explaining before Cornelia interrupted him.
"What will be the affect on production?"
"Primary sector output would decrease by 0.02 percent," Dalton replied.
"Within exceptions, you mean? Alright," Cornelia said before turning to signal a military officer, but he wasn't a member of Cornelia's Royal Guard or trusted Command Staff. He had short blonde hair with blue eyes, wearing a gray uniform with a hat on top. "You were among the only survivors aboard the G-1 during the Shinjuku Disaster, right?"
"Yes, your highness," The man replied with a bow.
"Very well. So tell me, are the conditions in the Saitama Ghetto similar," Cornelia asked before finishing her sentence for the confused officer, "To those of Shinjuku?"
"Yes, they are," The office replied still confused about Cornelia's intentions.
"Zero is a criminal with the flair for the theatrical. I have recreated the same conditions that existed in Shinjuku to draw him out. If he is the overconfident type, I suspect he'll come here to try to kill me."
"Viceroy…you would really risk your own life like this?" The officer asked nervously.
"What you fail to understand is that war is a struggle between pride and life."
Taking notice of the increased military presence around the ghetto, Sein was phased through the ground near a run-down government administration building. Thanks to her inherent skill, she was hidden with only a blue gloved hand and a small electronic eye near the tip of the index finger sticking out of the ground, hiding near some trash. At present, Sein was observing a crowd of people facing a group of Britannian soldiers. She arrived just in time to see a man get ruthlessly gunned down. A Japanese man, wearing a suit with glasses, short black hair and brown eyes, horrified by the act spoke.
"My god, why the hell did you do that!? There are even children here! What's going on? We didn't do anything wrong!"
"That's exactly why," The lead soldier replied before explaining. "The people of this ghetto refuse to report the terrorists. You hide them and cover for them, which is treason against the Empire!"
The rest of the men took aim and gunned down the rest of the group.
Wow, and here I thought the civil wars on Orussia were violent. This makes even the worse places on that planet look like Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.
Sein thought before retracting her hand and moving on to a safer vantage point. As she was moving, she contacted Wendi and Dieci.
Hey Wendi and Dieci, we better pack up and move out of the ghetto like...right now!
What is going on Sein-nee? Wendi inquired.
I think this whole area's gonna turn into a warzone. I'll stay to keep an eye on things. Once the coast is cleared, I'll help you guys get out of here.
Back aboard the G-1, Darlton received the report that everyone at the government administration building that acted as the main office for the the ghetto were executed.
"We're done sweeping away those in charge."
"It's about time to set our plan into motion, so shall we begin?" Cornelia replied as Darlton was already opening up a communication line with all of their assembled forces.
"Right," Darlton replied. "Attention all forces; commence the eradication of the Saitama Ghetto. All forces, assume level one battle stations!"
Within moments tanks, Knightmare Frames, soldiers and gunships were moving in to begin wiping out the inhabitants. It wasn't long before all of Saitama Ghetto was experiencing what Shinjuku Ghetto endured not too long ago.
"Suppression of Area Four complete," A military operator announced on communication line before adding. "4th and 11th Mechanized Infantry are sweeping north and south in a pincer movement."
"It's always the same," Lelouch said bitterly. He and Quattro listened in on the military channels and the exchanges between all forces deployed in the area. "Cornelia replaces Clovis, but Britannia is still the same."
Lelouch was wearing a Britannia Ground Forces uniform, complete with the helmet and body armor while Quattro was currently hidden by her IS.
"Were you expecting anything different?"
"Not really," Lelouch replied with a smile before a slash harken hitting the side of a building behind him caught his attention. A Sutherland climbed up the wall, landing on the rooftop of the small building Lelouch was standing upon. The former prince wasn't concerned, but the pilot inside the machine addressed the young man.
"What unit are you from? Unit name and ID, soldier!"
"My name is Jack O'Neil with 3rd Reconnaissance Company," Lelouch said as he drew a disc from his back pouch. "I obtained this disc from one of the terrorists. Could I ask you to transmit it to headquarters, sir?"
"A disc huh?" The pilot replied, exiting his Knightmare Frame. "I still need to verify your ID ,soldier."
"Right, understood," Lelouch said with a grin. The soldier suddenly felt a powerful hand strike him along the side of the neck, knocking him out and as he fell from his machine out cold. Quattro appeared, standing within the open cockpit.
"Stage one done," Quattro said with a smile.
"Right, let's move onto stage two. Let the tryouts begin."
As the battle of Saitama Ghetto was moving into full swing within, the conference room of the Arthra had just about everyone gathered. Verossa entered the room moments later to the surprise of Hayate, who recognized him instantly.
"Verossa you're here, but when did you arrive?"
"I arrived today actually, but I was talking with Chrono. My superiors, Carim and I have been going over the files you guys found in that research facility. Among those we found, which were unsettling in my respects, I feel like it's my duty as both an inspector and a friend that I should mention to you all one particular file titled Ophiuchus."
Verossa brought out a remote and displayed the contents of the file on the monitor behind him.
"Subject HY is the optimal vessel for the Awakening of BOD. If the timetable and series of events go on expected outcome, the collateral of the Vi Britannia siblings will result in the casus belli required for the invasion several months before the expected date." Verossa began reading with a troubled expression upon his face, causing members of the gathering to go pale. "Also, it will ensure a higher social instability, enabling a deeper infiltration for selection efforts."
"HY and BOD," Fate began not wanting to make the connection. "No...they couldn't mean."
"Me and the Book of Darkness," Hayate said as the entry's full meaning hit her with the force of a bullet train. She was trembling at the cold realization that she was an unknowing part of the Mandarin's manipulations. "Lelouch and Nunnally…they were supposed to be killed when the book wild is…is that right?"
"I am afraid so, Hayate," Verossa said with a sad expression as tears began forming in Hayate's eyes.
"Those monsters," Shamal added as she was reeling from the terrible revelation that the Book of Darkness incident had been a set up. "Hayate was deliberately set up to die and they expected her to cause the death of Lelouch and Nunnally, triggering a war."
"There is more…this is from a file regarding genetic profiles of the subjects they were studying." Verossa began reading another entry in the journal included with the files. "We were lucky enough to recover dredges of the data that Admiral Graham recompiled thirty years ago and destroyed. To think that this world is the last site of lineages of the First Culture...Fortunate for us, the TSAB certainly is idiotic to not note the real amount of Earth-born humans that were born with such high potential or such during this time. We have Al-Hazard, yet we can only scrounge shreds of its treasures. The Guardians and the Seal System in the World ensure that only a Regis and a Warlock of their ruling castes, alongside with their Omega Devices can bypass or activate the systems. Curse Graham for thoroughly destroying any mentions of what he had found or knew about it...It seems that we shall have to follow the original plan and ensure the dominance of our allies in Earth, so we can profit off the manpower as the Chronos Seal finally goes down after ten millennia. At least with the conclusion of the Book of Darkness incident, Graham's career will be ruined, allowing us to properly deal with him."
The room was completely silent while Signum and Vita were already furious. Now, this bit of news left them angry and yet completely shocked.
"Al-Hazard," Fate said mentioning the lost city her mother Presea Testarossa had sought. "They found that city, so that…"
"It explains the advanced technology Logos had. When we made this discovery, we asked Yuuno to check through the lowest levels of the Infinite Library where the oldest tomes are kept. He found a drawing identical to one in one of the oldest books in the Library's possession…The magic system we have been seeing Zero and Gray using. It's an Al-Hazard Magic System, a virtually forgotten prototype at that, which was base for Mid-Childan and Belkan Magic Systems, Ancient and Modern obviously," Verossa revealed.
As everyone was reeling from what Verossa was revealing, the same revelation that the Mandarin and his forces control the city of Al-Hazard has the leadership of the Bureau in a panic.
The situation was grim for the members of the Yamato Alliance as the Britannian Forces. It was only a matter of time before their hideout was found and they were killed, but even in their underground hideout, they were still trying to find a way to escape.
"It's hopeless," One member said before another mentioned.
"Can't we break through along the river?"
"They got armor and boats covering it," A third voice replied on verge of losing his cool. "We can't use back roads either."
"Any reinforcements from any of the other ghettos," the leader of the group asked. He was a man with long dark hair wearing thin sunglasses, a green jacket a gray shirt and matching pants.
"One man might get through, but not a whole group."
"Izumi," A man cried out holding a radio.
"Any word from the Toda and Kawaguchi Districts?" Izumi asked hoping the man brought good news.
"I'm sorry, there was nothing, but listen to this," The man replied, holding up the radio as he turned it on.
"This is Zero," Lelouch said from a safe location as the men gathered around the radio, surprised that the mysterious masked man who had repelled a similar incident in Shinjuku had come. "I assume all of you heard about the Shinjuku Incident. If you do what I say, you'll be saved."
Sometime later, a pair of Sutherlands patrolling the streets of the Saitama Ghetto. Seeing no sign of Zero or the Yamato Alliance, some left to believe that Zero was going to be a no show until suddenly they were taken out by rocket launchers fired from Izumi and his group. Watching through one of the many screens from their location with a Sutherland parked nearby was Lelouch and Quattro.
"So, shall I drag Cornelia out or should I make an opening?"
"I doubt it will be that easy. She'll likely send out the Royal Guard before coming herself."
"I agree, so we'll just keep pushing and see what she does." Lelouch replied as he continued to give orders to the resistance fighters using his cell phone. "R1, R2, maintain distance. Draw them back to where R2 is. B7 open fire towards two o'clock," Lelouch ordered as the resistance fighters carried out his orders to the letter as a tank was destroyed by a captured Sutherland.
"P5's team will commence their barrage." Lelouch instructed as a group of resistance piloting other Sutherlands gunned down an unsuspecting group of enemy Britannian Knightmares.
The sudden change in the tide of battle was quickly noticed by the staff officers aboard the G-1.
"Jessie Team, contact lost," A communication officer reported.
"Enemy spotted in G-4-7," A second operator pointed out.
"Jackson Team moving to engage them, but…wait…they have been ambushed," a third operator reported as an older staff officer noted.
"They appear to be using Sutherlands stolen from our own forces."
"Exactly like Shinjuku," The surviving staff officer noted.
Cornelia remained silent as the battle continued. A gunship flying overhead was taken out by a slash harken. Meanwhile, Lelouch continued to press onward, leading the rebels to victory and waiting for Cornelia to either come to the battlefield herself or to try something else.
"R4 fire," Lelouch commanded as he saw on the tactical screen a tank being destroyed. "N1, take the man on the left and P3, take out the bridge and close the route."
With that, a bridge with four knightmare frames, three tanks and five smaller troop transports was destroyed by explosive charges set during the battle. Having sat quietly upon her throne within the G-1 command center, Cornelia finally spoke.
"That's enough. Order all troops to fall back. Further damage and casualties serve no point."
"But Princess Cornelia, with all due respect, we can still fight!" the Staff Officer cried out.
"We can't fight them like this." Cornelia replied as Dalton opened up a communication channel to announce Cornelia's orders.
"All forces, fall back behind ghetto perimeter. Formation doesn't matter. Fall back behind ghetto perimeter at once."
"So Cornelia is changing tactics after all, but we'll need to be sure." Lelouch said as he observed the retreating units on the tactical screen.
"So, you think it's wise to go and blend in with the retreating units? Or do you have something else in mind?" Quattro asked as Lelouch was silent before answering.
"It's true, I could easily blend in, and put me right next to Cornelia. However, the security around the base is too tight for me to stroll in."
"So what will you do?"
As the Britannians were falling back toward the G-1, a single Sutherland suddenly joined them. Cornelia was almost certain her victory was assured.
"Zero is no match. I'll win."
"Huh," The Staff officer was confused as Dalton said.
"Of course, that is why Princess Cornelia is called the Goddess of Victory."
"Shall we go, Guilford my knight?" Cornelia asked of her trusted knight who stood next to her on the left. He bowed formally.
"It is my pleasure to serve and obey you, Your Highness."
Moments later, three Gloucester units with one of them being Guildford's personal unit of rushed out into the ghetto. Lelouch observed the deployment of the Gloucesters and found it amusing.
"Cornelia must be desperate, using her royal guard like this," Lelouch commented, picking up his communicator to contact one of the resistance members. "N1 will re-engage his IFF to operate as a Britannian unit. I want R5's group on hand to ambush them."
"Understood," said a reply before Lelouch hung up while he was thinking.
As my decoy…
"One Knightmare left transmitting an IFF within the city area," Darlton reported, seeing the signal on the tactical map before him.
"Can't you contact it?"
"Scramble a rescue team," another officer suggested before Cornelia commanded.
"No, destroy it."
"He might be a captive of the enemy!" The staff officer said, trying to potentially save a fellow soldier from death.
"I ordered all troops to fall back; I have no use for soldiers who can't follow my orders."
"You heard the Viceroy," Darlton began looking up from the tactical display.
"But," The Staff Officer tried to argue but Cornelia didn't give him the chance.
"Do your duty if it costs you your life. My subordinates follow that code without question."
"We follow and obey, Your Highness," Guilford replied on an open channel as he and his fellow Royal Guardsman charged straight at the lone Sutherland. Even as a few others came to the man's aid upon realizing the Gloucesters weren't going to verify the Sutherland, they fought back. The superior skills and power of both the machines and the pilot led to the battle ending very quickly with the resistance members taken out.
"No confirmation," Lelouch muttered before issuing new orders. "N2, transmit your signal, then fall back to the hospital ruins. P3 and P6, rendezvous with N2 and fire only if attacked."
However Cornelia realized what he was planning. Upon the others, the the Royal Guardsmen stopped following the Sutherland once they got close to the hospital ruins. Lelouch quickly realized what Cornelia had foreseen as he eyed more Gloucesters leaving the G-1 base, moving to back up the three machines.
"No, damn it…P3 and P6, abort the ambush! Fallback at once, abort!"
"Gloucesters have arrived at indicated area, but they see no sign of the enemy," A member of the Royal Guard reported.
"He anticipated my moves. It's possible we really are dealing with Zero." Cornelia replied as a smile appeared on her lips.
"P5 and P7, circle around behind the enemy!" Lelouch ordered but no one replied. "What's wrong? Bome in!"
"P2…N3…damn it!" Lelouch cursed at the lack of response. "B5 and B7 move in!" Lelouch ordered but sadly Izumi and others were beginning to give up. As most of the resistance members abandoned their Sutherlands and discarded their weapons, Sein was observing from a safe place.
"Hey, we surrender! We won't resist, spare us!"
Seriously…they killed everybody else in this place and you think they are going to spare a bunch of two-bit punks like you?
Sein thought as the resistance fighters surrendered with their hands raised. Seconds later, Cornelia gave the order to a Gloucester to mow them down with its anti-personnel machine gun.
Called it!
"P6…P8…what's happening?" Lelouch grew even more frustrated with how the battle was progressing. "B7, circle around and cover B4."
"This is B7, I got a prime target. I'll take him out first."
"No, hold fire! That's a decoy!" Lelouch warned him. "B7, that's an order! Hold fire and fall back!"
"What do you mean? I got this bastard right in my sights."
"B7, fall back! They'll strike from above…B7!" Lelouch called out, but the fool didn't listen as he was impaled from above by a Gloucester. "Idiot…B8, this is Zero. I want a status report!"
"Screw your status report!" B8 said before he was killed.
"Damn it…anyone left alive? Report in from the P group!" Lelouch asked but a notification came in over the Britannian Military Channel.
"Mission Complete. All forces take formation number four."
They have beaten us easily, but that is not how the game is supposed to go, Lelouch thought, angry that the mission had gone completely wrong.
"Attention all Knightmare pilots, open your hatches and reveal your face. I repeat, all pilots open your hatches and show me your faces."
"CORNELIA!" Lelouch shouted before Quattro put a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, if you had been inside that Knightmare Frame when it went with the retreating units, you would have been quite screwed. More importantly, the tryouts failed as the men panicked and didn't have the same motives as you. Furthermore, they lacked discipline. Graham was right, you were becoming a little too sure of yourself. As the simulations were supposed to show you, there are always the human elements and faith in the commander to consider." Quattro pointed out.
"Maybe so, but our initial objective was achieved. The Yamato Alliance didn't make the cut as recruits. So I guess you'll have the honors." Lelouch was seething from what would have been his defeat. Fortunately, he did consider the possibility of this happening. Clovis was a pathetic excuse for a military command while Cornelia was the complete opposite. Her superior and flexible tactics allowed her to turn the battle around. Moreover, what ruined the battle for Lelouch was the fact the resistance members were undisciplined and had dissimilar goals. He had hoped the threat of inevitable annihilation would have ensured they would have followed his orders, but he was obviously mistaken.
He ran into a similar problem when he faced Graham in his last simulated battle. Although his tactics to win were sound, the human element once again interfered. He had troops desert him while others died of disease and the growing length of time the battle took allowed more reinforcements to come from the sea and seal his fate.
But there was a consolation prize at least.
"Gladly," The Combat Cyborg said with an evil smile readying a remote, but she decided to add something else.
Meanwhile back at the line up, Guilford was approaching the only Sutherland that had not opened its hatch. Unknown to anyone, the Sutherland had no one inside at the controls as Quattro had controlled it remotely, having it join the retreating units. Inside was something else Lelouch and Quattro had placed inside to be used at just the right moment.
"Alright, it's your turn," Guilford said, stopping in front of the Sutherland. Before he could get a response, a group of ground troopers reported something unexpected.
"Zero has been spotted!"
Of course, it wasn't the real Zero, but an illusion that Quattro was projecting near the G-1 base. Cornelia was on the ruins of a wrecked building the same height as the G-1, literally allowing Cornelia and Zero to look each other in the eye.
"I knew it. Zero has a flair for the dramatic."
"Let's see how she likes this," Quattro said as she was about to push the button on the remote. At the same time, her illusion of Zero raised his hand to snap his fingers. Just before their Sutherland opened up, revealing something that caused Guilford's eyes to go wide. It was two tanks connected to each other, but it was obvious what the device was.
"Eeveryone, get away! There's a bomb!" Guilford cried out as every instinct he had ever felt was warning him to get far away quickly. The Knight engaged the emergency eject, launching his cockpit block high into the air. Seconds later would he realize that action saved his life as Zero snapped his fingers a second later, which was when Quattro detonated the bomb. It was very much like the one Quattro had used to kill the Black King and his goons, although not as powerful. It was still more than enough to take out a large group of Knightmare Frames.
The windows of the G-1 command center were blown apart by the pressure wave while it weathering the worst, but the Knightmare Frames in close proximity were not so lucky. Cornelia recovered as the windows of the G-1 took the bulk of the resulting explosion before finally shattering. Other than people being covered in broken glass, no one was seriously hurt. The lower section of the G-1 around the front of the vehicle had been badly damaged, however, as parts of the front closer to the center of the explosion looked like they had been scorched off.
Cornelia saw Zero still standing ahead of her, seemingly unfazed by the explosion. Pulling out a handgun she had hidden in the throne she began shooting at Zero with a look of vengeful fury on her face.
"ZERO!"
Not knowing the Zero she saw was an illusion, the man slowly fell back, seemingly falling to the ground before vanishing. Guilford was fine as his cockpit block landed a safe distance away, but laughing at the destruction she caused, Quattro was in a good mood. In contrast, Lelouch was less than pleased with how the day had gone, but he accepted the consolation prize on the other hand. That explosion alone took out most of the retreating Knightmare Frames along with a few members of her Royal Guard. In total, the battle wasn't a total loss for him and neither did Cornelia obtain total victory.
"Let's go," Lelouch said as they left. "I guess the tryouts were a failure."
"I guess this means we'll be using Ohgi's group after all." Quattro inquired.
"We have no choice. Let's take some steps to ensure a repeat of this won't happen."
How devious. Graham will be glad to hear that.
Taking temporary refuge in a subway station, Dieci and Wendi were waiting for their elder sister to come back. Wendi was lying lazily on her Wave Board while Dieci was sitting on a bench holding her cannon. It was fortunate with Sein's help that the group had managed to escape the demolition. However, the incident pushed their plans to find a new place to take up residence much sooner than they planned.
"It's been too long. I hope Sein is alright," Dieci commented while keeping a look out for their missing sister.
"I am sure she's fine. I mean, she can swim through walls and stuff, right?"
"Yes, but not through people," Dieci reminded her younger sister.
Suddenly, the panting and labored breathing of the missing number could be heard. Sein arrived at the rendezvous point, meeting up with Wendi and Dieci with the red-haired Number happy to see her alive and well.
"Are you okay?" Wendi asked her older sister. "You look like you just went a marathon across Mid-Childa!"
"The battle is over, but someone just blew up a whole a lot of the government's troops." Sein said after catching her breath. She had been a little too close to ground zero, but it was times like these when her Deep Diver proved to be a real life saver.
"So, was this Zero character behind it?" Wendi inquired.
"He was, but after he fell, I couldn't find him."
"You think he has some kind of cloaking or invisibility magic?" Dieci asked.
"Maybe, but we can't do much at this point, except find a new place to call a temporary base."
Later that night after making it back to the Academy in one piece, Lelouch was headed up stairs to the second floor of the Student Council Clubhouse, eager to spend some time with Nunnally and sit down for dinner. Lelouch was a little worn out, especially at the long roads home to avoid detection. He was ready to settle down for the evening as Quattro had gone to her room to freshen up.
Lelouch, Peter's telepathic voice said in his mind.
What is it, Peter?
I should warn you we might be facing a potential...issue.
What kind of issue? Lelouch began to ask as he opened the door to the dining room. Instead of seeing just Nunnally, the black-haired teen was greeted by five other familiar faces.
"SURPRISE!" Hayate, Nanoha, Alisa and Fate said together. Lelouch almost fell back on his back it because it was sudden and the last thing he was expecting. The girls were dressed in casual wear, although Suzaku was still in his school uniform. Oddly, he seemed a little nervous around Alisa, who seemed to be among those who planned this surprise for him. Recovering from the shock, Lelouch's mind went to work. Although lacking some facts, he was able to draw some conclusions based on his observation of Suzaku and Alisa's reactions.
Lelouch had known that Suzaku had encountered the girls not too long ago, but how did they find out about him? Did Suzaku mention him to them or did Alisa picked it up and squeezed it out of him? Lelouch's observation of how Alisa watched Suzaku convinced Lelouch it was the latter. Luckily, Nunnally had hidden her device in her pocket. To avoid alerting their guests, Nunnally was using a cane to feel around the room.
"We didn't surprise you too much, did we Lelouch?" Nanoha said happily after reuniting with an old friend they feared dead seven years ago.
"Uh no, you didn't, but I just wasn't expecting company tonight," Lelouch said recovering. "But joking aside, I never thought I would see all of you again."
"I was surprised, too, when Suzaku brought them over. I was worried that you were out late…gambling again?" Nunnally said. Lelouch also knew that the girls would inquire about why Lelouch hadn't been home when they arrived. After all, it wasn't unheard of for Lelouch to be out gambling and any attempts to overly hide what Lelouch was doing would only draw more suspicion on him.
"You're gambling?" Fate looked at him with a slight disapproving expression.
"I need money to raise Nunnally," Lelouch said. It was half true, but it did provide entertainment for him to distract himself from the burning daily routines of normal life.
"We leave you alone for seven years and he's gambling," Alisa said, shaking her head.
"Lelouch, I know you are better than that and you shouldn't be involving yourself with such shady characters," Nanoha began proceeding to scold Lelouch as the TSAB officer within her was taking charge. Noticing Lelouch's less than amused expression on his face, Hayate decided to step in and put a stop to it.
"Come on, why don't we just be happy that we are all reunited as friends?" Hayate said, wanting the people to focus on celebration at hand.
"She's right, we haven't seen Lelouch and Nunnally for seven years. So what if he is gambling? We can deal with it later now, so why don't we just have some fun together tonight?" Fate said voicing her agreement with Hayate. It was enough to get Nanoha to provide the former prince a temporary respite, although it was doubtful she would let Lelouch off so easily.
"It's unexpected, but I think we could make something for this celebration," Lelouch said with a smile, but one more unforeseen complication showed up.
"What's going on here?" Milly Ashford said entering the room, causing Lelouch's higher brain functions to freeze.
On the rooftop of the clubhouse were all the Wolkenritter and Reinforce Zwei, who were providing security for the reunion. Vita had wanted to join them, but they didn't have time to prepare a proper disguise for her as she was stuck in the body of a slowly aging child. However, the Wolkenritter were having a meeting, though they were glad to hear Lelouch and Nunnally had survived the war with Vita by far was the most relieved of the group.
"I wish I could join the party," Rein pouted, sitting on Shamal's shoulder.
"So what's going to happen to Lelouch and Nunnally this time? You don't think the Mandarin might try using them in whatever schemes he has coming up or something?" Vita said concerned for the siblings.
"I don't know. Given that they have been declared legally dead to the world at large, I doubt it. However, I don't think we can rule out a possibility," Signum replied, knowing that even if they are not going to be used as political tools now, she feared they could be used as hostages against the Aces if they were captured.
"But it's not like we can assign someone to watch them all the time," Zafira noted.
"That's true, but," Signum said in agreement, but she noticed that Shamal had been unusually quiet.
"Are you alright, Shamal? You seemed concerned," Vita inquired, noticing the blonde-haired woman's expression.
"Oh, I am sorry. I just found it odd that Nunnally-chan is able to walk again."
"What do you mean?" Signum inquired.
"Earth shouldn't have the medical technology to repair the damage that was inflicted upon her legs," Shamal said. Although she was glad Nunnally could walk again, her restored ability to walk was a red flag. "You don't suppose Lelouch is Zero?"
Signum, Zafira, Vita and Rein looked at Shamal for a moment before the pink-haired swordswoman brushed the comment with an amused smile.
"Come on Shamal, be realistic. Yes, Lelouch would have the right motives for it, but as far as we know, Lelouch has no magical ability. Even if he did, there's no way he could have beaten a close-quarters combat Mage like Nakajima. If Lelouch is in the same physical shape as he was seven years ago, the idea he can take on Nakajima is ludicrous." Signum replied, while resisting the urge to laugh out loud.
"I guess you're right. Still, I just can't shake the feeling I have."
Even as Shamal and Signum continued their discussion Vita was oddly quiet and her face held a distant expression upon it.
Back downstairs in the dining room, Lelouch was worried as Milly's unexpected arrival was the equivalent of a keg of gunpowder being thrown into a raging fire. Seeing so many girls in one room with him and the fact the majority save for Alisa and Fate were obviously Japanese, the former prince feared what Milly would do, which would ultimately lead to terrible embarrassment.
"So Lelouch, who are your guests?" Milly asked, eyeing the newcomers in the room suspiciously.
"Milly, this is Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, Alisa and Suzaku," Lelouch said, introducing his guests while mentally preparing himself for what was coming. "Everyone, this is Milly Ashford, the Student Council President of the Academy."
"Nice to meet you all, but how do you know Lelouch?"
"We knew each other before the war seven years ago," Nanoha answered.
"Seven years ago," Milly said before her eyes narrowed in realization. "Lelouch, does this mean-?"
"Yes, they know of my former life," The former prince revealed.
"Oh, I see," The busty blonde replied before she focused her attention on Nanoha. "You are such a mean boy, Lelouch. You never told me you had a girlfriend when you were a kid."
"WHAT!?" Lelouch and everyone else minus Milly and Nanoha exclaimed. Nanoha's face was beat red while Milly giggled at their expressions. It took Nanoha a few moments to recover as her brain had to restart when she managed to explain.
"Its…uh…nothing like that! We're just very good friends."
"Oh, I am sure," Milly said rolling her eyes playfully before thinking.
Oh boy, Quattro is going to love this.
"Cut it out, Milly," Lelouch said, trying to put a stop to it. Nanoha found that she was drifting into her own memories, thinking of a time she spent an afternoon with Lelouch in late January.
It was sometime after one o'clock. Nanoha and Lelouch were at her parents' café, the original Midori-ya cafe owned by her family in Uminari City. For once, Lelouch didn't have to worry about getting beaten or attacked by Japanese youngsters. It was either they had become used to his presence in town or they simply no longer cared, but Lelouch didn't mind either reason. The two sat together at one of the outdoor tables while each one was enjoying a soft drink.
Serving the two their drinks was none other than Nanoha's own mother, Momoko Takamachi, who bore a striking resemblance to her daughter.
"Are you two doing alright?" Momoko asked.
"We're okay, mom, Thank you."
Lelouch didn't answer immediately, but there was a distant look to his eyes.
"Uh, I'm alright. Thank you, Miss Takamachi."
"If you two need anything else, just ask."
After that Momoko left leaving the two children alone. Nanoha was worried about Lelouch's expression, but she couldn't help feeling that the former prince seemed somehow envious of Nanoha. Even if Lelouch would never admit it, he no doubt wished for his own family to be like Nanoha's, which only made the girl appreciate her parents even more. Her experiences with Fate's situation in dealing with her creator provided an idea into what Lelouch was possibly thinking about. Helping Fate seemed so easy, but for Lelouch, the young girl didn't know what she could really do for him. She wanted to understand him more and seeing him and his sister struggle through so much was tough to watch.
I won't leave you again Lelouch, Nanoha thought as her thoughts returned to the present. She was determined this time not to leave the young man and his sister behind or unprotected.
On the roof, Signum and Shamal seemed amused about something happening below them.
"What's so funny?" Vita inquired at last.
"Just imagine if Nanoha and Lelouch were in a relationship." Shamal began, causing Vita to shiver while Signum seemed a little worried.
"Nanoha...and Lelouch...a couple? Imagine the children between them. Her tendencies to use excessive force and his intelligence and deviousness?"
"You're probably right about that. Mid-Childa would not survive their children," Vita said in agreement. She pictured little Nanoha's with black hair and blue eyes laughing deviously as they are using their Intelligent Devices on everyone around them.
"That truly is a frightening thought," Zafira added before the group heard laughing down below, indicating Lelouch was having a good time.
"If Lelouch and Nanoha do get married, who is the wife here?" Vita asked, prompting Signum to finally laugh.
Chapter 12
Reformation
Reformation
Two days had passed since the meeting with Kyoto and it went very well with Taizo Kirihara pledging his official support to Lelouch and his new resistance group. All of which included weapons, supplies, funding and strategic intelligence and support. Yet what Lelouch had discovered yesterday about details regarding the dubbed "Book of Darkness Incident" that Graham had withheld from him was shocking to say the least.
Actually, "shocking" was a bit of an understatement.
He never once considered the possibility, but then again, he knew nothing of magic back then. Overall, it was a deceptive and cruel plan. Graham's information on the new Book of Darkness owner came through from agents with ties to the special TSAB group called Division 666. The ultimate purpose of this was to discredit and end Graham's career as he had been poking his nose around into the existence of Division 666 at the time and was becoming more of a dangerous liability. Hayate's selection as the book's new master wasn't mere chance, but somehow the Mandarin had gotten his hands on the Book. He passed it to Hayate, who had been confirmed to have the latent magical potential necessary to handle the book or at least live long enough for her role in his plans to be fulfilled.
Most importantly, Hayate was Japanese, where stage two of the plan came into action.
Nunnally and Lelouch's own relocation to the city where Hayate resided was to put them into the danger zone where upon the book was going out of control. When that happened, they would be killed in the ensuring incident which would have wiped out the city. How it was prevented from destroying the planet was beyond him, but Lelouch suspects the Mandarin must have had a plan in place for that. Ultimately, Britannia would have blamed Japan for developing a dangerous new weapon that malfunctioned, which killed their own prince and princess. It was a more than adequate excuse for war with the small nation, which gave the Mandarin undisrupted access to the Sakuradite Mines. Additionally, since the majority of the terrans who displayed strong magical potential had been found among the Japanese, the nation's conquest provided him with more valuable test subjects.
I knew the Emperor wanted Nunnally and I to be in Japan to die for his convenience, but this…
Lelouch thought as he sat at his desk in class ignoring the teacher's lecture, wrapped up in his own thoughts. Sitting near him, Quattro was a little angry upon hearing about Kaguya and her obvious interest in Zero that left her face atomic red. She didn't need to be a mind reader to know what the girl was thinking when she looked at him with blood coming out of her nose.
But the two had more important matters to focus on; the combat cyborg knew the other thing on Lelouch's mind as she recalled a news report early this morning.
Military Authorities report they have surrounded the Saitama Ghetto, a known hiding place for terrorists. Viceroy Cornelia is personally overseeing operations to apprehend the terrorists and access to the area is restricted. Reports indicate that a full-scale assault is inevitable and expected to happen at 6:00 pm when power to the ghetto will be disconnected.
Apprehend the terrorists my ass, Quattro thought as it was obvious to anyone with a brain. The real objective of this operation is to provoke Zero and lure him to the Saitama Ghetto. The fact they're broadcasting the operation start time is further proof of this. Quattro knew Cornelia had been more or less wiping out pockets of resistance throughout Japan. In fact, she heard that yesterday, Cornelia wiped out a base the Japan Liberation Front had established while taking no prisoners.
You are still planning to go to Saitama as soon as class is over? Quattro inquired, reading Lelouch's mind.
Of course…
Surely, you realize it's an obvious trap?
Of course I do, but it could be an opportunity to find some recruits.
How do you propose we do that?
Inside the medical bay of the Arthra, a certain black haired young man was waking up after being unconscious for two whole days from injuries that would have normally killed anyone else. Lucky for him, he made it due to the timely evacuation back to the ship. Chrono woke up, taking his surroundings to recognize his present location. He tried to sit up grunting in pain.
"Don't do this to yourself, Chrono. You're half dead."
Chrono turned his head and saw a familiar face. It was a man who appeared to be as old as he was with mid-back length green hair. He wore a white suit and a blue dress shirt underneath, complete with a matching tie. Lastly, the man has a fair skin complexion and blue eyes with a relieved expression on his face.
"Verossa…when did you show up?"
"I arrived this morning from Mid-Childa by shuttle when Carim and I heard what happened to you, but I also came on behalf of my superiors within Internal Affairs." Verossa Acous explained. "The files you uncovered at that base have left them and my sister, as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bureau and Leader of the Saint Church, furious to put it lightly. I think it's enough for me to say that things back at HQ are very messy right now."
"I didn't have time to really look over all of the files, but what exactly did you guys find?"
"Well..." Verossa paused hesitantly. He reached into his white coat and brought out a small pad to give to Chrono.
Chrono activated the Device and began looking over the highlighted files with the first one being titled Ophiuchus. As Chrono read the details of the files, his face paled before turning to Verossa.
"Does Hayate know about this?"
"I…I haven't told her and the others yet, but…this won't be easy to explain."
"Understatement of the century, but we have to tell them as well as everyone else. We'll gather everyone for a conference call. Obviously I can't leave my bed yet."
"Right…I'll talk to Lindy and get everyone together."
Later that day, as the hour of 6 pm was approaching at the Saitama Ghetto, the Viceroy of Area 11, Cornelia was seated upon her throne aboard the G-1 base sitting stationary near the river on the outskirts of the ghetto. Present with her was Dalton and her knight Guilford, along with several Staff Officers monitoring the status of the tight perimeter they established around the ghetto.
"The Saitama Ghetto is completely surrounded and the extra forces we called from Osaka have arrived and completed our encirclement. The Yamato Alliance is located somewhere inside the ghetto; however, half of the people living in this ghetto are cooperating with them. So if we proceed at 1700 hours as planned," Dalton was explaining before Cornelia interrupted him.
"What will be the affect on production?"
"Primary sector output would decrease by 0.02 percent," Dalton replied.
"Within exceptions, you mean? Alright," Cornelia said before turning to signal a military officer, but he wasn't a member of Cornelia's Royal Guard or trusted Command Staff. He had short blonde hair with blue eyes, wearing a gray uniform with a hat on top. "You were among the only survivors aboard the G-1 during the Shinjuku Disaster, right?"
"Yes, your highness," The man replied with a bow.
"Very well. So tell me, are the conditions in the Saitama Ghetto similar," Cornelia asked before finishing her sentence for the confused officer, "To those of Shinjuku?"
"Yes, they are," The office replied still confused about Cornelia's intentions.
"Zero is a criminal with the flair for the theatrical. I have recreated the same conditions that existed in Shinjuku to draw him out. If he is the overconfident type, I suspect he'll come here to try to kill me."
"Viceroy…you would really risk your own life like this?" The officer asked nervously.
"What you fail to understand is that war is a struggle between pride and life."
Taking notice of the increased military presence around the ghetto, Sein was phased through the ground near a run-down government administration building. Thanks to her inherent skill, she was hidden with only a blue gloved hand and a small electronic eye near the tip of the index finger sticking out of the ground, hiding near some trash. At present, Sein was observing a crowd of people facing a group of Britannian soldiers. She arrived just in time to see a man get ruthlessly gunned down. A Japanese man, wearing a suit with glasses, short black hair and brown eyes, horrified by the act spoke.
"My god, why the hell did you do that!? There are even children here! What's going on? We didn't do anything wrong!"
"That's exactly why," The lead soldier replied before explaining. "The people of this ghetto refuse to report the terrorists. You hide them and cover for them, which is treason against the Empire!"
The rest of the men took aim and gunned down the rest of the group.
Wow, and here I thought the civil wars on Orussia were violent. This makes even the worse places on that planet look like Mr. Rogers' neighborhood.
Sein thought before retracting her hand and moving on to a safer vantage point. As she was moving, she contacted Wendi and Dieci.
Hey Wendi and Dieci, we better pack up and move out of the ghetto like...right now!
What is going on Sein-nee? Wendi inquired.
I think this whole area's gonna turn into a warzone. I'll stay to keep an eye on things. Once the coast is cleared, I'll help you guys get out of here.
Back aboard the G-1, Darlton received the report that everyone at the government administration building that acted as the main office for the the ghetto were executed.
"We're done sweeping away those in charge."
"It's about time to set our plan into motion, so shall we begin?" Cornelia replied as Darlton was already opening up a communication line with all of their assembled forces.
"Right," Darlton replied. "Attention all forces; commence the eradication of the Saitama Ghetto. All forces, assume level one battle stations!"
Within moments tanks, Knightmare Frames, soldiers and gunships were moving in to begin wiping out the inhabitants. It wasn't long before all of Saitama Ghetto was experiencing what Shinjuku Ghetto endured not too long ago.
"Suppression of Area Four complete," A military operator announced on communication line before adding. "4th and 11th Mechanized Infantry are sweeping north and south in a pincer movement."
"It's always the same," Lelouch said bitterly. He and Quattro listened in on the military channels and the exchanges between all forces deployed in the area. "Cornelia replaces Clovis, but Britannia is still the same."
Lelouch was wearing a Britannia Ground Forces uniform, complete with the helmet and body armor while Quattro was currently hidden by her IS.
"Were you expecting anything different?"
"Not really," Lelouch replied with a smile before a slash harken hitting the side of a building behind him caught his attention. A Sutherland climbed up the wall, landing on the rooftop of the small building Lelouch was standing upon. The former prince wasn't concerned, but the pilot inside the machine addressed the young man.
"What unit are you from? Unit name and ID, soldier!"
"My name is Jack O'Neil with 3rd Reconnaissance Company," Lelouch said as he drew a disc from his back pouch. "I obtained this disc from one of the terrorists. Could I ask you to transmit it to headquarters, sir?"
"A disc huh?" The pilot replied, exiting his Knightmare Frame. "I still need to verify your ID ,soldier."
"Right, understood," Lelouch said with a grin. The soldier suddenly felt a powerful hand strike him along the side of the neck, knocking him out and as he fell from his machine out cold. Quattro appeared, standing within the open cockpit.
"Stage one done," Quattro said with a smile.
"Right, let's move onto stage two. Let the tryouts begin."
As the battle of Saitama Ghetto was moving into full swing within, the conference room of the Arthra had just about everyone gathered. Verossa entered the room moments later to the surprise of Hayate, who recognized him instantly.
"Verossa you're here, but when did you arrive?"
"I arrived today actually, but I was talking with Chrono. My superiors, Carim and I have been going over the files you guys found in that research facility. Among those we found, which were unsettling in my respects, I feel like it's my duty as both an inspector and a friend that I should mention to you all one particular file titled Ophiuchus."
Verossa brought out a remote and displayed the contents of the file on the monitor behind him.
"Subject HY is the optimal vessel for the Awakening of BOD. If the timetable and series of events go on expected outcome, the collateral of the Vi Britannia siblings will result in the casus belli required for the invasion several months before the expected date." Verossa began reading with a troubled expression upon his face, causing members of the gathering to go pale. "Also, it will ensure a higher social instability, enabling a deeper infiltration for selection efforts."
"HY and BOD," Fate began not wanting to make the connection. "No...they couldn't mean."
"Me and the Book of Darkness," Hayate said as the entry's full meaning hit her with the force of a bullet train. She was trembling at the cold realization that she was an unknowing part of the Mandarin's manipulations. "Lelouch and Nunnally…they were supposed to be killed when the book wild is…is that right?"
"I am afraid so, Hayate," Verossa said with a sad expression as tears began forming in Hayate's eyes.
"Those monsters," Shamal added as she was reeling from the terrible revelation that the Book of Darkness incident had been a set up. "Hayate was deliberately set up to die and they expected her to cause the death of Lelouch and Nunnally, triggering a war."
"There is more…this is from a file regarding genetic profiles of the subjects they were studying." Verossa began reading another entry in the journal included with the files. "We were lucky enough to recover dredges of the data that Admiral Graham recompiled thirty years ago and destroyed. To think that this world is the last site of lineages of the First Culture...Fortunate for us, the TSAB certainly is idiotic to not note the real amount of Earth-born humans that were born with such high potential or such during this time. We have Al-Hazard, yet we can only scrounge shreds of its treasures. The Guardians and the Seal System in the World ensure that only a Regis and a Warlock of their ruling castes, alongside with their Omega Devices can bypass or activate the systems. Curse Graham for thoroughly destroying any mentions of what he had found or knew about it...It seems that we shall have to follow the original plan and ensure the dominance of our allies in Earth, so we can profit off the manpower as the Chronos Seal finally goes down after ten millennia. At least with the conclusion of the Book of Darkness incident, Graham's career will be ruined, allowing us to properly deal with him."
The room was completely silent while Signum and Vita were already furious. Now, this bit of news left them angry and yet completely shocked.
"Al-Hazard," Fate said mentioning the lost city her mother Presea Testarossa had sought. "They found that city, so that…"
"It explains the advanced technology Logos had. When we made this discovery, we asked Yuuno to check through the lowest levels of the Infinite Library where the oldest tomes are kept. He found a drawing identical to one in one of the oldest books in the Library's possession…The magic system we have been seeing Zero and Gray using. It's an Al-Hazard Magic System, a virtually forgotten prototype at that, which was base for Mid-Childan and Belkan Magic Systems, Ancient and Modern obviously," Verossa revealed.
As everyone was reeling from what Verossa was revealing, the same revelation that the Mandarin and his forces control the city of Al-Hazard has the leadership of the Bureau in a panic.
The situation was grim for the members of the Yamato Alliance as the Britannian Forces. It was only a matter of time before their hideout was found and they were killed, but even in their underground hideout, they were still trying to find a way to escape.
"It's hopeless," One member said before another mentioned.
"Can't we break through along the river?"
"They got armor and boats covering it," A third voice replied on verge of losing his cool. "We can't use back roads either."
"Any reinforcements from any of the other ghettos," the leader of the group asked. He was a man with long dark hair wearing thin sunglasses, a green jacket a gray shirt and matching pants.
"One man might get through, but not a whole group."
"Izumi," A man cried out holding a radio.
"Any word from the Toda and Kawaguchi Districts?" Izumi asked hoping the man brought good news.
"I'm sorry, there was nothing, but listen to this," The man replied, holding up the radio as he turned it on.
"This is Zero," Lelouch said from a safe location as the men gathered around the radio, surprised that the mysterious masked man who had repelled a similar incident in Shinjuku had come. "I assume all of you heard about the Shinjuku Incident. If you do what I say, you'll be saved."
Sometime later, a pair of Sutherlands patrolling the streets of the Saitama Ghetto. Seeing no sign of Zero or the Yamato Alliance, some left to believe that Zero was going to be a no show until suddenly they were taken out by rocket launchers fired from Izumi and his group. Watching through one of the many screens from their location with a Sutherland parked nearby was Lelouch and Quattro.
"So, shall I drag Cornelia out or should I make an opening?"
"I doubt it will be that easy. She'll likely send out the Royal Guard before coming herself."
"I agree, so we'll just keep pushing and see what she does." Lelouch replied as he continued to give orders to the resistance fighters using his cell phone. "R1, R2, maintain distance. Draw them back to where R2 is. B7 open fire towards two o'clock," Lelouch ordered as the resistance fighters carried out his orders to the letter as a tank was destroyed by a captured Sutherland.
"P5's team will commence their barrage." Lelouch instructed as a group of resistance piloting other Sutherlands gunned down an unsuspecting group of enemy Britannian Knightmares.
The sudden change in the tide of battle was quickly noticed by the staff officers aboard the G-1.
"Jessie Team, contact lost," A communication officer reported.
"Enemy spotted in G-4-7," A second operator pointed out.
"Jackson Team moving to engage them, but…wait…they have been ambushed," a third operator reported as an older staff officer noted.
"They appear to be using Sutherlands stolen from our own forces."
"Exactly like Shinjuku," The surviving staff officer noted.
Cornelia remained silent as the battle continued. A gunship flying overhead was taken out by a slash harken. Meanwhile, Lelouch continued to press onward, leading the rebels to victory and waiting for Cornelia to either come to the battlefield herself or to try something else.
"R4 fire," Lelouch commanded as he saw on the tactical screen a tank being destroyed. "N1, take the man on the left and P3, take out the bridge and close the route."
With that, a bridge with four knightmare frames, three tanks and five smaller troop transports was destroyed by explosive charges set during the battle. Having sat quietly upon her throne within the G-1 command center, Cornelia finally spoke.
"That's enough. Order all troops to fall back. Further damage and casualties serve no point."
"But Princess Cornelia, with all due respect, we can still fight!" the Staff Officer cried out.
"We can't fight them like this." Cornelia replied as Dalton opened up a communication channel to announce Cornelia's orders.
"All forces, fall back behind ghetto perimeter. Formation doesn't matter. Fall back behind ghetto perimeter at once."
"So Cornelia is changing tactics after all, but we'll need to be sure." Lelouch said as he observed the retreating units on the tactical screen.
"So, you think it's wise to go and blend in with the retreating units? Or do you have something else in mind?" Quattro asked as Lelouch was silent before answering.
"It's true, I could easily blend in, and put me right next to Cornelia. However, the security around the base is too tight for me to stroll in."
"So what will you do?"
As the Britannians were falling back toward the G-1, a single Sutherland suddenly joined them. Cornelia was almost certain her victory was assured.
"Zero is no match. I'll win."
"Huh," The Staff officer was confused as Dalton said.
"Of course, that is why Princess Cornelia is called the Goddess of Victory."
"Shall we go, Guilford my knight?" Cornelia asked of her trusted knight who stood next to her on the left. He bowed formally.
"It is my pleasure to serve and obey you, Your Highness."
Moments later, three Gloucester units with one of them being Guildford's personal unit of rushed out into the ghetto. Lelouch observed the deployment of the Gloucesters and found it amusing.
"Cornelia must be desperate, using her royal guard like this," Lelouch commented, picking up his communicator to contact one of the resistance members. "N1 will re-engage his IFF to operate as a Britannian unit. I want R5's group on hand to ambush them."
"Understood," said a reply before Lelouch hung up while he was thinking.
As my decoy…
"One Knightmare left transmitting an IFF within the city area," Darlton reported, seeing the signal on the tactical map before him.
"Can't you contact it?"
"Scramble a rescue team," another officer suggested before Cornelia commanded.
"No, destroy it."
"He might be a captive of the enemy!" The staff officer said, trying to potentially save a fellow soldier from death.
"I ordered all troops to fall back; I have no use for soldiers who can't follow my orders."
"You heard the Viceroy," Darlton began looking up from the tactical display.
"But," The Staff Officer tried to argue but Cornelia didn't give him the chance.
"Do your duty if it costs you your life. My subordinates follow that code without question."
"We follow and obey, Your Highness," Guilford replied on an open channel as he and his fellow Royal Guardsman charged straight at the lone Sutherland. Even as a few others came to the man's aid upon realizing the Gloucesters weren't going to verify the Sutherland, they fought back. The superior skills and power of both the machines and the pilot led to the battle ending very quickly with the resistance members taken out.
"No confirmation," Lelouch muttered before issuing new orders. "N2, transmit your signal, then fall back to the hospital ruins. P3 and P6, rendezvous with N2 and fire only if attacked."
However Cornelia realized what he was planning. Upon the others, the the Royal Guardsmen stopped following the Sutherland once they got close to the hospital ruins. Lelouch quickly realized what Cornelia had foreseen as he eyed more Gloucesters leaving the G-1 base, moving to back up the three machines.
"No, damn it…P3 and P6, abort the ambush! Fallback at once, abort!"
"Gloucesters have arrived at indicated area, but they see no sign of the enemy," A member of the Royal Guard reported.
"He anticipated my moves. It's possible we really are dealing with Zero." Cornelia replied as a smile appeared on her lips.
"P5 and P7, circle around behind the enemy!" Lelouch ordered but no one replied. "What's wrong? Bome in!"
"P2…N3…damn it!" Lelouch cursed at the lack of response. "B5 and B7 move in!" Lelouch ordered but sadly Izumi and others were beginning to give up. As most of the resistance members abandoned their Sutherlands and discarded their weapons, Sein was observing from a safe place.
"Hey, we surrender! We won't resist, spare us!"
Seriously…they killed everybody else in this place and you think they are going to spare a bunch of two-bit punks like you?
Sein thought as the resistance fighters surrendered with their hands raised. Seconds later, Cornelia gave the order to a Gloucester to mow them down with its anti-personnel machine gun.
Called it!
"P6…P8…what's happening?" Lelouch grew even more frustrated with how the battle was progressing. "B7, circle around and cover B4."
"This is B7, I got a prime target. I'll take him out first."
"No, hold fire! That's a decoy!" Lelouch warned him. "B7, that's an order! Hold fire and fall back!"
"What do you mean? I got this bastard right in my sights."
"B7, fall back! They'll strike from above…B7!" Lelouch called out, but the fool didn't listen as he was impaled from above by a Gloucester. "Idiot…B8, this is Zero. I want a status report!"
"Screw your status report!" B8 said before he was killed.
"Damn it…anyone left alive? Report in from the P group!" Lelouch asked but a notification came in over the Britannian Military Channel.
"Mission Complete. All forces take formation number four."
They have beaten us easily, but that is not how the game is supposed to go, Lelouch thought, angry that the mission had gone completely wrong.
"Attention all Knightmare pilots, open your hatches and reveal your face. I repeat, all pilots open your hatches and show me your faces."
"CORNELIA!" Lelouch shouted before Quattro put a hand on his shoulder.
"Now, if you had been inside that Knightmare Frame when it went with the retreating units, you would have been quite screwed. More importantly, the tryouts failed as the men panicked and didn't have the same motives as you. Furthermore, they lacked discipline. Graham was right, you were becoming a little too sure of yourself. As the simulations were supposed to show you, there are always the human elements and faith in the commander to consider." Quattro pointed out.
"Maybe so, but our initial objective was achieved. The Yamato Alliance didn't make the cut as recruits. So I guess you'll have the honors." Lelouch was seething from what would have been his defeat. Fortunately, he did consider the possibility of this happening. Clovis was a pathetic excuse for a military command while Cornelia was the complete opposite. Her superior and flexible tactics allowed her to turn the battle around. Moreover, what ruined the battle for Lelouch was the fact the resistance members were undisciplined and had dissimilar goals. He had hoped the threat of inevitable annihilation would have ensured they would have followed his orders, but he was obviously mistaken.
He ran into a similar problem when he faced Graham in his last simulated battle. Although his tactics to win were sound, the human element once again interfered. He had troops desert him while others died of disease and the growing length of time the battle took allowed more reinforcements to come from the sea and seal his fate.
But there was a consolation prize at least.
"Gladly," The Combat Cyborg said with an evil smile readying a remote, but she decided to add something else.
Meanwhile back at the line up, Guilford was approaching the only Sutherland that had not opened its hatch. Unknown to anyone, the Sutherland had no one inside at the controls as Quattro had controlled it remotely, having it join the retreating units. Inside was something else Lelouch and Quattro had placed inside to be used at just the right moment.
"Alright, it's your turn," Guilford said, stopping in front of the Sutherland. Before he could get a response, a group of ground troopers reported something unexpected.
"Zero has been spotted!"
Of course, it wasn't the real Zero, but an illusion that Quattro was projecting near the G-1 base. Cornelia was on the ruins of a wrecked building the same height as the G-1, literally allowing Cornelia and Zero to look each other in the eye.
"I knew it. Zero has a flair for the dramatic."
"Let's see how she likes this," Quattro said as she was about to push the button on the remote. At the same time, her illusion of Zero raised his hand to snap his fingers. Just before their Sutherland opened up, revealing something that caused Guilford's eyes to go wide. It was two tanks connected to each other, but it was obvious what the device was.
"Eeveryone, get away! There's a bomb!" Guilford cried out as every instinct he had ever felt was warning him to get far away quickly. The Knight engaged the emergency eject, launching his cockpit block high into the air. Seconds later would he realize that action saved his life as Zero snapped his fingers a second later, which was when Quattro detonated the bomb. It was very much like the one Quattro had used to kill the Black King and his goons, although not as powerful. It was still more than enough to take out a large group of Knightmare Frames.
The windows of the G-1 command center were blown apart by the pressure wave while it weathering the worst, but the Knightmare Frames in close proximity were not so lucky. Cornelia recovered as the windows of the G-1 took the bulk of the resulting explosion before finally shattering. Other than people being covered in broken glass, no one was seriously hurt. The lower section of the G-1 around the front of the vehicle had been badly damaged, however, as parts of the front closer to the center of the explosion looked like they had been scorched off.
Cornelia saw Zero still standing ahead of her, seemingly unfazed by the explosion. Pulling out a handgun she had hidden in the throne she began shooting at Zero with a look of vengeful fury on her face.
"ZERO!"
Not knowing the Zero she saw was an illusion, the man slowly fell back, seemingly falling to the ground before vanishing. Guilford was fine as his cockpit block landed a safe distance away, but laughing at the destruction she caused, Quattro was in a good mood. In contrast, Lelouch was less than pleased with how the day had gone, but he accepted the consolation prize on the other hand. That explosion alone took out most of the retreating Knightmare Frames along with a few members of her Royal Guard. In total, the battle wasn't a total loss for him and neither did Cornelia obtain total victory.
"Let's go," Lelouch said as they left. "I guess the tryouts were a failure."
"I guess this means we'll be using Ohgi's group after all." Quattro inquired.
"We have no choice. Let's take some steps to ensure a repeat of this won't happen."
How devious. Graham will be glad to hear that.
Taking temporary refuge in a subway station, Dieci and Wendi were waiting for their elder sister to come back. Wendi was lying lazily on her Wave Board while Dieci was sitting on a bench holding her cannon. It was fortunate with Sein's help that the group had managed to escape the demolition. However, the incident pushed their plans to find a new place to take up residence much sooner than they planned.
"It's been too long. I hope Sein is alright," Dieci commented while keeping a look out for their missing sister.
"I am sure she's fine. I mean, she can swim through walls and stuff, right?"
"Yes, but not through people," Dieci reminded her younger sister.
Suddenly, the panting and labored breathing of the missing number could be heard. Sein arrived at the rendezvous point, meeting up with Wendi and Dieci with the red-haired Number happy to see her alive and well.
"Are you okay?" Wendi asked her older sister. "You look like you just went a marathon across Mid-Childa!"
"The battle is over, but someone just blew up a whole a lot of the government's troops." Sein said after catching her breath. She had been a little too close to ground zero, but it was times like these when her Deep Diver proved to be a real life saver.
"So, was this Zero character behind it?" Wendi inquired.
"He was, but after he fell, I couldn't find him."
"You think he has some kind of cloaking or invisibility magic?" Dieci asked.
"Maybe, but we can't do much at this point, except find a new place to call a temporary base."
Later that night after making it back to the Academy in one piece, Lelouch was headed up stairs to the second floor of the Student Council Clubhouse, eager to spend some time with Nunnally and sit down for dinner. Lelouch was a little worn out, especially at the long roads home to avoid detection. He was ready to settle down for the evening as Quattro had gone to her room to freshen up.
Lelouch, Peter's telepathic voice said in his mind.
What is it, Peter?
I should warn you we might be facing a potential...issue.
What kind of issue? Lelouch began to ask as he opened the door to the dining room. Instead of seeing just Nunnally, the black-haired teen was greeted by five other familiar faces.
"SURPRISE!" Hayate, Nanoha, Alisa and Fate said together. Lelouch almost fell back on his back it because it was sudden and the last thing he was expecting. The girls were dressed in casual wear, although Suzaku was still in his school uniform. Oddly, he seemed a little nervous around Alisa, who seemed to be among those who planned this surprise for him. Recovering from the shock, Lelouch's mind went to work. Although lacking some facts, he was able to draw some conclusions based on his observation of Suzaku and Alisa's reactions.
Lelouch had known that Suzaku had encountered the girls not too long ago, but how did they find out about him? Did Suzaku mention him to them or did Alisa picked it up and squeezed it out of him? Lelouch's observation of how Alisa watched Suzaku convinced Lelouch it was the latter. Luckily, Nunnally had hidden her device in her pocket. To avoid alerting their guests, Nunnally was using a cane to feel around the room.
"We didn't surprise you too much, did we Lelouch?" Nanoha said happily after reuniting with an old friend they feared dead seven years ago.
"Uh no, you didn't, but I just wasn't expecting company tonight," Lelouch said recovering. "But joking aside, I never thought I would see all of you again."
"I was surprised, too, when Suzaku brought them over. I was worried that you were out late…gambling again?" Nunnally said. Lelouch also knew that the girls would inquire about why Lelouch hadn't been home when they arrived. After all, it wasn't unheard of for Lelouch to be out gambling and any attempts to overly hide what Lelouch was doing would only draw more suspicion on him.
"You're gambling?" Fate looked at him with a slight disapproving expression.
"I need money to raise Nunnally," Lelouch said. It was half true, but it did provide entertainment for him to distract himself from the burning daily routines of normal life.
"We leave you alone for seven years and he's gambling," Alisa said, shaking her head.
"Lelouch, I know you are better than that and you shouldn't be involving yourself with such shady characters," Nanoha began proceeding to scold Lelouch as the TSAB officer within her was taking charge. Noticing Lelouch's less than amused expression on his face, Hayate decided to step in and put a stop to it.
"Come on, why don't we just be happy that we are all reunited as friends?" Hayate said, wanting the people to focus on celebration at hand.
"She's right, we haven't seen Lelouch and Nunnally for seven years. So what if he is gambling? We can deal with it later now, so why don't we just have some fun together tonight?" Fate said voicing her agreement with Hayate. It was enough to get Nanoha to provide the former prince a temporary respite, although it was doubtful she would let Lelouch off so easily.
"It's unexpected, but I think we could make something for this celebration," Lelouch said with a smile, but one more unforeseen complication showed up.
"What's going on here?" Milly Ashford said entering the room, causing Lelouch's higher brain functions to freeze.
On the rooftop of the clubhouse were all the Wolkenritter and Reinforce Zwei, who were providing security for the reunion. Vita had wanted to join them, but they didn't have time to prepare a proper disguise for her as she was stuck in the body of a slowly aging child. However, the Wolkenritter were having a meeting, though they were glad to hear Lelouch and Nunnally had survived the war with Vita by far was the most relieved of the group.
"I wish I could join the party," Rein pouted, sitting on Shamal's shoulder.
"So what's going to happen to Lelouch and Nunnally this time? You don't think the Mandarin might try using them in whatever schemes he has coming up or something?" Vita said concerned for the siblings.
"I don't know. Given that they have been declared legally dead to the world at large, I doubt it. However, I don't think we can rule out a possibility," Signum replied, knowing that even if they are not going to be used as political tools now, she feared they could be used as hostages against the Aces if they were captured.
"But it's not like we can assign someone to watch them all the time," Zafira noted.
"That's true, but," Signum said in agreement, but she noticed that Shamal had been unusually quiet.
"Are you alright, Shamal? You seemed concerned," Vita inquired, noticing the blonde-haired woman's expression.
"Oh, I am sorry. I just found it odd that Nunnally-chan is able to walk again."
"What do you mean?" Signum inquired.
"Earth shouldn't have the medical technology to repair the damage that was inflicted upon her legs," Shamal said. Although she was glad Nunnally could walk again, her restored ability to walk was a red flag. "You don't suppose Lelouch is Zero?"
Signum, Zafira, Vita and Rein looked at Shamal for a moment before the pink-haired swordswoman brushed the comment with an amused smile.
"Come on Shamal, be realistic. Yes, Lelouch would have the right motives for it, but as far as we know, Lelouch has no magical ability. Even if he did, there's no way he could have beaten a close-quarters combat Mage like Nakajima. If Lelouch is in the same physical shape as he was seven years ago, the idea he can take on Nakajima is ludicrous." Signum replied, while resisting the urge to laugh out loud.
"I guess you're right. Still, I just can't shake the feeling I have."
Even as Shamal and Signum continued their discussion Vita was oddly quiet and her face held a distant expression upon it.
Back downstairs in the dining room, Lelouch was worried as Milly's unexpected arrival was the equivalent of a keg of gunpowder being thrown into a raging fire. Seeing so many girls in one room with him and the fact the majority save for Alisa and Fate were obviously Japanese, the former prince feared what Milly would do, which would ultimately lead to terrible embarrassment.
"So Lelouch, who are your guests?" Milly asked, eyeing the newcomers in the room suspiciously.
"Milly, this is Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, Alisa and Suzaku," Lelouch said, introducing his guests while mentally preparing himself for what was coming. "Everyone, this is Milly Ashford, the Student Council President of the Academy."
"Nice to meet you all, but how do you know Lelouch?"
"We knew each other before the war seven years ago," Nanoha answered.
"Seven years ago," Milly said before her eyes narrowed in realization. "Lelouch, does this mean-?"
"Yes, they know of my former life," The former prince revealed.
"Oh, I see," The busty blonde replied before she focused her attention on Nanoha. "You are such a mean boy, Lelouch. You never told me you had a girlfriend when you were a kid."
"WHAT!?" Lelouch and everyone else minus Milly and Nanoha exclaimed. Nanoha's face was beat red while Milly giggled at their expressions. It took Nanoha a few moments to recover as her brain had to restart when she managed to explain.
"Its…uh…nothing like that! We're just very good friends."
"Oh, I am sure," Milly said rolling her eyes playfully before thinking.
Oh boy, Quattro is going to love this.
"Cut it out, Milly," Lelouch said, trying to put a stop to it. Nanoha found that she was drifting into her own memories, thinking of a time she spent an afternoon with Lelouch in late January.
It was sometime after one o'clock. Nanoha and Lelouch were at her parents' café, the original Midori-ya cafe owned by her family in Uminari City. For once, Lelouch didn't have to worry about getting beaten or attacked by Japanese youngsters. It was either they had become used to his presence in town or they simply no longer cared, but Lelouch didn't mind either reason. The two sat together at one of the outdoor tables while each one was enjoying a soft drink.
Serving the two their drinks was none other than Nanoha's own mother, Momoko Takamachi, who bore a striking resemblance to her daughter.
"Are you two doing alright?" Momoko asked.
"We're okay, mom, Thank you."
Lelouch didn't answer immediately, but there was a distant look to his eyes.
"Uh, I'm alright. Thank you, Miss Takamachi."
"If you two need anything else, just ask."
After that Momoko left leaving the two children alone. Nanoha was worried about Lelouch's expression, but she couldn't help feeling that the former prince seemed somehow envious of Nanoha. Even if Lelouch would never admit it, he no doubt wished for his own family to be like Nanoha's, which only made the girl appreciate her parents even more. Her experiences with Fate's situation in dealing with her creator provided an idea into what Lelouch was possibly thinking about. Helping Fate seemed so easy, but for Lelouch, the young girl didn't know what she could really do for him. She wanted to understand him more and seeing him and his sister struggle through so much was tough to watch.
I won't leave you again Lelouch, Nanoha thought as her thoughts returned to the present. She was determined this time not to leave the young man and his sister behind or unprotected.
On the roof, Signum and Shamal seemed amused about something happening below them.
"What's so funny?" Vita inquired at last.
"Just imagine if Nanoha and Lelouch were in a relationship." Shamal began, causing Vita to shiver while Signum seemed a little worried.
"Nanoha...and Lelouch...a couple? Imagine the children between them. Her tendencies to use excessive force and his intelligence and deviousness?"
"You're probably right about that. Mid-Childa would not survive their children," Vita said in agreement. She pictured little Nanoha's with black hair and blue eyes laughing deviously as they are using their Intelligent Devices on everyone around them.
"That truly is a frightening thought," Zafira added before the group heard laughing down below, indicating Lelouch was having a good time.
"If Lelouch and Nanoha do get married, who is the wife here?" Vita asked, prompting Signum to finally laugh.
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Chapter 13: Cold Observation
Chapter 13 here. Another pause before we spark up to the bigger and most interesting parts of the story.
The following morning at Ashford Academy, Lelouch sat in class with his teacher was busy giving a lecture on Britannian History. The former prince ignored it because in his mind, he was trying to sort out and drown out the feeling of embarrassment he endured last night and trying to mentally prepare himself for what would no doubt come later. Of course, there was the fact that Quattro had been glaring at him all morning, but that was the least of the former prince's worries. With Nanoha, Fate and Hayate back in his life, he will need to act more cautiously, especially if he leaves campus to conduct his activities as Zero.
Peter said he would work out a solution, but he'll be leaving in a few days to assist Kyoto in the developing their new Knightmare Frames.
Lelouch thought, recalling a message he got from the scientist last night. His departure from the academy was written off as taking a leave of absence to tend to a sick relative. It was a good idea given the dangerous possibility of being spotted by Hayate or Fate if they came by the school again.
A worst-case scenario would be if one of them attended the academy as a student, but they would have to suspect me of being Zero for that to happen. No…they wouldn't not just to keep an eye on Nunnally and me because we were pawns in the Mandarin's plans. That's unlikely, so calm down Lelouch, Lelouch was trying to mentally calm himself as he fought off feelings of panic. Regardless, he knew their presence in his civilian life posed a significant risk to exposing his identity as Zero, but were they really watching him?
Only one way to find out, Lelouch thought.
-----
Later that day close to noon, another meeting took place in orbit aboard the Asura. Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, Ginga and Lindy were reviewing information from the battle that took place in Saitama Ghetto yesterday. Although it was announced on the news, there was some debate if Zero would even appear since it was obviously a trap to draw him out. It should be no surprise that Britannia's plan of drawing out Zero involved recreating events the former Viceroy had done during the Shinjuku incident. It was met with general distaste to put it simply.
Yet despite it being an obvious trap, Zero did appear and attempted to lead the rebels operating in the Saitama Ghetto. When Cornelia changed tactics on him and the battle began going poorly, the rebels abandoned Zero, trying to surrender themselves to Cornelia as they were brutally executed without a second thought. The biggest surprise was the so-called appearance of Zero before an explosion destroyed a good portion of Cornelia's Knightmare Frames, claiming two Royal Guards and roughly eighty soldiers.
"There is no way that was Zero. It must be an illusion he was able to create," Ginga said, guessing the Zero they were seeing from footage they collected from the G-1 mobile base before the blast.
"Yes, but does his illusion have a range limitation?" Hayate asked.
"It's hard to say, but we know Zero isn't operating alone, which adds another question: just how many people are working with him?" Lindy offered.
"Too little information to go on, but this world is still deemed undeveloped, which keeps us from investigating more freely to track him down," Fate noted.
It was true with the Earth dubbed an undeveloped world, which limited their abilities to seek out and find Zero and the Mandarin. They couldn't even be at the Saitama Ghetto because of the high risk of revealing magic to the world. Admittedly, Lindy was the most worried because she feared the Aces would be prompted to intervene on the massacring of civilians. Not that she blamed them, of course, but it was something they couldn't do.
"We'll keep a closer eye for possible sightings of Zero. For now, our main objective is tracking down the Mandarin. Chrono and Verossa are conducting an investigation on Britannia's technological development in the last twenty years to see if they can find any clues there. In the meantime, we need to start tracking down the bases of the Japan Liberation Front. If the Mandarin is using soldiers from the old Japanese Army, it's possible there might be a link between them." Lindy said which brought the meeting to the end.
"If there is nothing else, then we should probably go to Earth," Hayate began with a smile.
"What do you mean, Hayate-chan?" Fate asked seemingly confused.
"Lelouch is on the move, according to Shamal," Hayate began before sighing. "He's skipping school."
-----
It was a little after twelve o'clock as Lelouch was sitting on a sofa, facing a rather plump man wearing a blue suit with yellow trim, possessing blonde curly hair, green eyes and a mustache. The man was obviously a noble and Lelouch was just about to win another chess match. Rivalz was glad that Lelouch had gone back to his old habits, but little did he know that this match was serving a higher purpose for the former prince.
"Checkmate," Lelouch said with a devilish smile, causing the noble to break down into tears.
A few minutes later, Lelouch and Rivalz exited the elevator, taking them back to the lobby level. Aside from the money they won, Lelouch had won the noble's clothes, who challenged Lelouch again in a desperate bid to win back his money. With nothing to put on the table, he offered up his own clothes. So having left a humiliated and naked noble behind, Rivalz was clearly cheery over Lelouch's victory. However as the two passed through a small mini-mall to get to Rivalz's bike, the duo was confronted by a certain trio.
"Hello, Lelouch," Hayate beamed with a smile.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting running into you three again," Lelouch said, trying to act as surprised as possible and confirming his suspicions.
I see, so I'm being watched…but it's possibly out of concern for my well being. I don't think they suspect I am Zero, but still I need to be careful. I mustn't do anything that'll tip them off.
If they found out Lelouch was Zero, then the former prince knew he had ranging chances against the Aces individually. Hayate on her own would be more manageable due to her more strategic nature in contrast to his tactical one. Nanoha...he might be able to handle in a one-on-one fight given they have a similar fighting style. However, that would be provided if Lelouch could make combat conditions more in his favor beforehand and ideally have a group to back him up. On the other hand, Fate's skills in close quarters combat and high-speed movements made her among the few Lelouch did not stand a chance against in a one-on-one combat situation.
Fighting all three at once would be suicide.
"Rivalz, this is Hayate, Nanoha and Fate. Old childhood friends and ladies, this is Rivalz, another member of the Student Council." Lelouch said, politely introducing Rivalz to the three.
"Nice to meet you," Rivalz replied as Fate nodded kindly.
"Likewise," Hayate said before Nanoha offered her to hand to shake Rivalz.
"A pleasure…"
"What brings you three here?" Lelouch inquired although he knew the likely reason.
"We were shopping around and then saw you two, so we thought we could hang out. But aren't you supposed to be in school?" Hayate asked before Fate inquired.
"What is that?" The blonde-haired woman asked pointing to a weeping noble was trying to sneak back to his car with a wooden barrel. Looking at the clothes that seemed a bit big for the two teenagers, Fate deduced what had happened. "You're skipping school again for more gambling, aren't you?"
"He lost and wanted double or nothing, but had no money left. So he gambled with the clothes on his back." Lelouch replied boastfully, clearly not regretting his actions.
"Well, he shouldn't have tried it. The guy was too arrogant for his own good," Rivalz said defending his friend.
"You are unbelievable, Lelouch." Just like any other woman, Nanoha nagged the exiled prince. "You can't solve your financial problem with gambling. It's wrong, its bad money and you'll cause more problems to Nunnally-chan if you're addicted to it!" The idea of Lelouch becoming addicted to gambling made her shudder. "And I'm also disappointed with you Rivalz-san; you're just as guilty as he is by association!"
"Well technically, I do have a job," Rivalz defended himself.
"Really?" This caught Nanoha's attention. "What's your job?"
"I work as a bartender." The school boy sheepishly answered; cowering away from his buddy's old friend when she flashed a frown at him.
"A bartender?" Nanoha crossed her arms. "You're still underage!" She sighed, realizing that Lelouch's friend is just as bad as he is. "Do your parents know about this?" She asked, her TSAB officer persona letting loose.
"Uh," Rivalz was clearly at a loss for words.
"Never mind…" The Ace of Aces gave up. "Anyway, Lelouch, as your friend, you really have to stop with this gambling problem of yours. Get a real job like everyone else."
"Work where?" Lelouch asked the obvious.
Nanoha wanted to answer, but felt tongue-tied. Truthfully, with Lelouch being an exiled prince, there are so many opportunities lost for him because he is declared as dead to the world. Even though he has another identity to use, someone recognizing him would be a risk.
"There has to be a job for you somewhere here like…" She looked around to see if she can find any examples to use.
"Come on Nanoha, this isn't really the place for that kind of conversation. Why don't we save it for another time?" Fate said stepping in to defuse the situation.
She knew perfectly well Lelouch's former status as a prince of Britannia made it almost impossible for him to hold a proper job. He could always apply for a low-profile job such as working at a fast-food chain or a gas station where the risk was low, but still there. Of course, that wasn't even considering the fact that Lelouch was too prideful for that taking into account as he also liked being in charge.
Fate regarded Lelouch was a sad expression while thinking.
The future paths for him and Nunnally are too few.
-----
A meeting was held within the conference room at the Viceroy's Palace. Cornelia held this between herself, Guilford, Dalton and a few military commanders. Despite the calm exterior the Goddess of Victory put on, Dalton and Guilford knew that under it, Cornelia li Britannia was furious beyond anything they had ever seen from her. Not only did the explosion kill a majority of the soldiers under her command, but it had also claimed some of her Royal Guard, which almost included Guilford's life had he not ejected when he did.
She won the battle technically, but as far as Cornelia was concerned, it was a defeat as there were too many impurities to enjoy the wine of victory. She failed in her initial objective of capturing Zero and lost a considerable number of men in the endeavor while all she got out of it was merely wiping out another pathetic excuse of a terrorist group.
All in all, the losses outweighed the gains.
"Tell me you have something," Cornelia demanded while her voice hinted at the barely restrained fury within.
"Nothing concrete other than the confirmation he was present at the battle. We found no sign of him having been previously involved with the resistance group we wiped out." Guilford replied before Dalton added.
"Given how they were quick to abandon him once the tide of the battle went against them, I think they only accepted him as a temporary leader in hopes that they would win against us."
Cornelia said nothing, but she was processing all she was hearing. Logically, it made sense because had Zero been truly been behind the resistance group, then the battle might have dragged on a little longer at least. It clearly didn't with his men abandoning him after her Royal Guard came into play. It was likely to assume her death was Zero's primary objective, but his allies had other plans in mind.
-----
Later that afternoon at the Tokyo Concession as the Aces spent the day with Lelouch, watching them from afar was Quattro, whose expression was less than pleased. Her right eyebrow twitching at the sight of Lelouch being so familiar with those girls irritated her. Although she might intervene, she was faced with two problems. One, given her status as a Combat Cyborg, she didn't want to risk revealing her identity given her surname she was using and second...
"Oh, someone is jealous," Milly spoke, mocking but teasing Quattro at the same time.
Milly Ashford was the second problem, thanks to Rivalz telling her who and where Lelouch would be spending his afternoon with, which led to Quattro finding out. Now the duo was observing the group with Milly and Quattro, adopting civilian attire to hide their identities while blending in with the crowds within the Concession. Quattro was wearing blue jeans, a red zip up jacket and a straw hat to hide her hair. Milly wore a white dress, a blue short-sleeve jacket and a watching white hat.
"Be quiet, Milly, and I'm not jealous," Quattro replied, trying to manage what self-control she had on the boiling rage within her.
Why are you so angry anyway? the logical part of the cyborg's mind asked. Those three are hardly a threat to you because if they ever knew about Lelouch being Zero, they would quickly forsake him and throw him into a jail cell to rot.
The logic began to win out as Quattro calmed herself at last. Still, she couldn't help feeling angry at the sight of any girl with Lelouch.
Forgetting she was present, Milly Ashford calmly observed Quattro's changing expressions from rage to calm neutrality. It was entertaining to the busty blonde as she knew Quattro and Shirley had an interest in Lelouch, even though it was clear that Quattro was more of a contender. Observing Lelouch with the trio, the blonde saw a likely challenger against Quattro among them. The question was which of the three held feelings for Lelouch, but Milly was certain Nanoha was a likely suspect but that was best explored once she gauged their ranking with Lelouch.
Unaware of the fact they were being spied on, Lelouch and the group eventually made their way through a park in the Concession Area where small shops and kiosks operated by Honorary Britannians could be found. However, another student from Ashford Academy was currently at the Concession. Unlike most walking about, the redhead was here for a different purpose as Kallen was on her cell phone with Ohgi.
"So, tomorrow Zero wants to meet with us," Kallen asked.
"Yeah, I got the location and time already. What happened in Saitama Ghetto is probably what prompted it."
Like most people, Kallen heard about what happened in the Saitama Ghetto, an obvious trap, a recreation of events in Shinjuku Ghetto. Despite that, Zero tried to intervene and do what he did in Shinjuku. Although the news didn't reveal the details, Kallen had found out from Ohgi that Zero had lost the fight. Reasons were due to a combination of Cornelia having far more organized forces and skills as a commander than Clovis while the resistance fighters Zero had been helping abandoned him. What wasn't known that Ohgi found out was that Zero rigged a Sutherland with a powerful explosive that wiped out a good chunk of Cornelia's forces, even taking out some of her Royal Guard.
"He probably wants to join forces with us, but we won't know until we meet him." Ohgi said bringing Kallen from her thoughts.
"I think so, too, but we'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone and pocketing her cell phone, a commotion nearby caught her attention. Kallen saw an Honorary Britannian on his knees, being kicked and bullied by a group of five older Britannian teenagers who were likely part of a gang possibly.
"Come on eleven say something…you are sorry, aren't you?" The lead punk demanded, wearing a black leather jacket left hanging open around the shoulders and kicking the downed Honorary Britannian.
The unfortunate Japanese man they were kicking was a young man lately in his late twenties, possibly having short brown hair with a white shirt, blue jeans and wearing an apron.
"You're sorry, right?" A second Britannian demanded as everyone else cast a glance. Those who were Japanese quickly went back to what they were doing to avoid attracting trouble from the group.
"Bowing your head is what you Elevens do best," The third member of the gang added.
"Eleven," Kallen muttered, but her eyes held a fierce look to them, despite the normal sickly weak girl she projected when out in public and in her school uniform. Before she could intervene a hand grasped her shoulder stopping her. "Lelouch!"
The former prince was standing behind her, having observed the scene from afar. He likely realized Kallen was going to attempt to help the poor man.
"Don't do it. There are five of them, you can't win," Lelouch cautioned as the accompanying girls approached from behind. Noticing what was happening, they were wondering why Lelouch walked off suddenly.
"So you think I should ignore it?"
"Take a good look at that Japanese man," Lelouch said as Kallen took a closer look at the apron he was wearing as did the others, even as the poor man was still being kicked. The image of a hot dog could be seen and with a hot dog cart nearby it was clear the man was the owner of the cart. "If we intervene and help him win, he won't be able to sell a thing tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Britannian slave. That is the price you pay to work in the Settlement."
"Even so," Kallen began.
"It's not right, I know, but what can do you do. If you intervene now, he won't be able to sell anything tomorrow and it could be even worse for him then." Hayate pointed out sadly, although she knew Nanoha and Fate didn't like the scene anymore than Kallen did. Yet they knew just as Lelouch did, there was nothing they could do that would make it better.
Fortunately, the gang moved on, leaving the poor man on the ground. Kallen didn't waste a second and hurried to the beaten man's side and tried to help him up.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Uh…a Britannian student…what can I get for you? How about a nice California Hot Dog?" The vendor asked in an upbeat mood.
Lelouch didn't approach as he kept his distance while Kallen was left with damage control. Nanoha and her two friends just observed the scene sadly.
Elsewhere in a private office, a man in his early twenties with brown hair and a dark blue business suit was relaxing in his office chair before his phone began ringing. Picking up the phone by his name tag labeled "Hades Vandein", the man smiled as he recognized the voice greeting him before a conversation began.
"It looks like your plan worked, sensei. I suffered a little bad press, but the incident destroyed the TSAB's investigation into my company," Hades said, listening to the response of the caller on the other end. "Yes, everything we prepared beforehand worked out after that little demonstration. More importantly, I made sure to transfer those squealers and undercover agents to the factory that was destroyed."
Hades listened to the caller's response before laughing lightly for a moment.
"The courts have cleared me of all charges and the scapegoats we readied have been accepted. As far as the public is concerned, I'm an innocent man with unspeakable corruption happening behind his back. Furthermore, the incident allowed me to get rid those on the Board who had second thoughts about my company's true goals. I trust your agents are handling the disposal?" A few moments of talking took place before Hades asked. "By the way, there is something I wanted to ask you. The attack on Mid-Childa by your drones...you must've wanted something else than those relics. I thought you wanted to wait until Scaglietti was ready to use the Cradle before you made your move, so what changed?"
Listening quietly as the caller on the other end explained, Hades couldn't help but laugh.
"You clever bastard, so that was your objective…I assume you are there now, right? As your student, I have to say, you are a damn genius. Hmhmhm…yes with that…oh, I just imagine the possibilities. I could even conduct my tests with the Eclipse Virus more safely thanks to all of this chaos and the attention your creation is getting."
Hades listened to the caller's response before wrapping up the call.
"Of course, sensei. I'll provide help and support as needed."
Following introductions, Lelouch and the four girls relocated to a smaller park near the highway for a discussion brought up by the incident following the hot dog vendor. The group had found a pair of benches to sit on with Nanoha sitting next to Lelouch on his right. Fate was to his left with Kallen sitting together with Hayate.
"In some ways, Area 11 is better off in some ways than the old Japan ever was. Being made part of the Empire has stabilized its military and economic position in the world. The Japanese can obtain full citizenship through the legal system. It's easy to become an Honorary Britannian, just a matter of pride really. I can understand why they would resist."
"And," Kallen asked before adding. "And knowing all of that, what does Lelouch Lamperouge think about it all? What do you want to do?"
"Nothing," Lelouch replied which came as a slight surprise to Hayate, Nanoha and Fate.
"You know you got a lot of brains, but you hardly apply yourself just like Shirley says. You don't seem to do much with it."
"That is why I don't do anything. That Japanese we saw back there could tell you. He could lead a better life if he bows his head to Britannia."
Kallen's eyes flashed with anger in that instance as something about what Lelouch said sparked something within her. Nanoha quickly stopped her from slapping Lelouch.
"But even so, does that mean it's really right? Is that really living? I can't see you agreeing with that, Lelouch," Nanoha said with a level of neutrality in her voice and stare she exchanged with Kallen. Kallen instantly relented upon seeing the empty stare in her eye, knowing full well of what she had been intending to do. Kallen's brief flash of anger cooled in that instance, which assured Nanoha it was safe to release her hand.
"Yes, that is true."
"Is nothing all you really intend to do?" Hayate asked, but Lelouch didn't answer.
Elsewhere in the Tokyo Settlement, Dieci was nervous about the new location Sein and Wendi decided on. It was true, their new temporary base of operations and living area was far cleaner and unlikely to get bombed or assaulted by the military. Still, the tenth combat cyborg had her concerns.
"Oh come on, Dieci, be happy at our new temporary base!" Wendi said, happily throwing her arm around Dieci's shoulder.
"Not to complain, but Sein, do you really think hiding in an old school club house is really a good idea?" Dieci asked. "What if someone comes here to check it or make use of it?"
Sein took a look around as she sat on an old dusty futon in the old club room.
"It's kinda messy in here, but so far, this is the only safe room we have found," Wendi added as Dieci and Sein surveyed their surroundings once more.
The clubroom the three female cyborgs had taken up temporary residence for their mission on Earth was the old Japan Culture Club, or rather it should have been called a rat's nest. The room was filled with a large number of various Japanese objects, ranging from small toys, old newspaper clippings, books, statues and an old bird bath. Sein and Wendi had moved a lot of the junk out of the room and deposited it into one of the other club rooms deemed a little too hostile or weird to stay in. In fact, before settling in on this room, Sein and Wendi had tried out some of the other rooms, but they were met with difficulties and some traps the previous club members had left behind. Oddly, this lone clubroom was the only one that wasn't weird or rigged with booby traps in anyway, which was upon itself surreal.
"Besides, Dieci, see the rest of the rooms," Sein summarized. "They look as if no one has been in them for two years. Maybe three years?"
"I suppose we should be fine as long as we keep a watch for any students," Dieci said not completely convinced.
"So, what's the name of this school again?" Wendi inquired before Sein answered.
"I think it was called…Ashford…Ashford Academy."
"We should inform the Doctor of our change of location," Dieci suggested.
Unknown to them, a bird sat on a tree branch outside of the window. It moved mechanically like a small robotic drone. With the combat cyborgs spotted and opening communications, an alert was sent out.
Irritated, Quattro drew out her phone when she felt it vibrating. With Milly distracted, the combat cyborg opened her phone to see what was going on. At first, she thought it was Graham trying to contact her. Soon, she realized it was a security alert from one of the security drone monitors around the academy.
This better not be another false alarm...
Quattro kept an eye on Milly as she opened the message and saw to her surprise a live-feed image of Dieci, Sein and Wendi. The trio was opening up communications with likely Uno or the Doctor, but before communications was established. The young cyborg typed in a few commands, trying to hack the signal to listen in as well as piggyback into the lair's computer servers.
So, the Doctor is now involved. Well, I wouldn't doubt the High Council is probably breathing down his neck thanks to those drones on Mid-Childa. This is a good opportunity for me to get some intelligence on the doctor's end, but why pick Ashford Academy as a place to hide?
The combat cyborg observed the scene with interest as she remotely programmed the communication array hidden at the underground base to enable her to hack the signal and into her creator's computer systems at his lair. Once she was successful, while initiating a mole program to conduct a search, Quattro brought the phone to her ear to listen on the conversation.
"So, you three decided on a new location to reside at for the moment?" Uno said appearing on the holographic screen that appeared before the trio.
"We have," Sein reported. "It's cleaner and we shouldn't have to worry about it being bombed or raided by the local military."
"That's good. Any progress regarding the Mandarin?"
"Nothing yet, but we are going to begin by investigating the Viceroy's Palace and see if we can find any clues there."
"A good place to start. As soon as you find something, contact me and the Doctor."
"Okay," Sein said before ending the transmission. By then, it was enough for Quattro. Not only did she have enough time to successfully hack into the doctor's computer systems, but also established a backdoor for herself. When the time came, she could remotely reenter the system later and conduct a more in-depth search for any useful information.
I see, so those three originally settled at Saitama Ghetto, and then relocated to Ashford Academy. I suppose compared to other choices and locations, it's not a bad one. A stroke of good luck for me as now I got a remote access point to the doctor's hideout.
Quattro thought with a devious smile, despite the irritation she was feeling at watching Lelouch being so friendly with Nanoha and the others. At least today, she now has the means of hacking the doctor's computer systems from Earth and can now to observe and collect intelligence from her sisters. Of course, that was provided nothing was done to tip them off to the fact they were being monitored.
Of all of the false alarms we had, I guess Peter's security measures and surveillance drones have finally paid off.
As the afternoon continued on, Fate and Lelouch walked together as Hayate and Nanoha hung back to talk as something was clearly on the young woman's mind. Hayate had a very good suspicion what it was, but as much as she wanted to right now, she knew they couldn't do it. Kallen left the group and went to meet with some friends.
"I'm afraid we can't bring Lelouch and Nunnally-chan with us to Cranagan," And just like that, Hayate dismissed Nanoha's proposal to bring the vi Britannia siblings away from Earth. "We can't just simply bring people with us, especially if they are from war-torn Unadministered Worlds." Hayate explained sadly.
"I know that," Nanoha said, but pleaded. "But can't you do anything?"
"I know how you feel. I also want them to be safe, but right now, the TSAB is tightening their hold onto immigrants from other worlds." Hayate led Nanoha to a small alleyway. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she showed a holographic screen to her friend, displaying multiple arrests and outrages from immigrants from other worlds. "Since the Wyvern drone incident, TSAB is getting more agitated on who is travelling between worlds; they're focusing on foreigners from non-administered worlds." She looked at her friend sadly.
"Oh my," Busy with work and training, Nanoha missed a lot on what was going on with the Cranagan news. There were multiple arrests being done by the TSAB and a lot of foreigners from other worlds were rounded up under suspicion of being part of Logos. In fact, the main article shows a dozen men fighting against TSAB officers equipped with riot shield devices.
As that conversation was going on between the two, Fate took this as a chance to have a private conversation with Lelouch. She was wanted to ensure he did notice the holographic screen of what Hayate was showing Nanoha.
"Where are those two going?" Lelouch inquired, although he had his suspicions.
"I guess they are going to the bathroom perhaps. But since we're alone, there is something I have been meaning to ask you."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm very concerned about what exactly do you intend to do. Future plans?" Fate asked, feeling uncomfortable about the question.
Lelouch didn't answer her immediately, but he took note of the saddened and worried expression upon her face.
"I think you know my future, especially that of Nunnally's, is uncertain right now. There are very few paths open to us."
"I know, but…I wish…I could do something for you two."
"I appreciate it, but there isn't a lot you could do for us."
"I know that, but I don't have to like it."
"I won't argue with you on that," Lelouch said with a slight smile. "I can't say that I like our current situation either. It's something that is necessary, but you have a point…I don't have to like it either."
"You must know that it can't be safe for you two to remain with Ashford Academy. Didn't you say at one time that they were of former nobility and your mother's allies?"
"Yes, and we're being kept primarily as liability insurance," Lelouch said, coldly alarming the blonde haired woman on the inside. It wasn't right and wanted to do something for them, but Fate knew as well as Hayate did that there was nothing they could do for them.
Yet as Fate eyed Lelouch, she kept thinking about what Kallen said to him earlier.
What do you want to do?
Nothing…
That had been Lelouch's response. Given what had happened to him and the anger he displayed at Britannia, Fate was having a hard time believing that statement. It was difficult to explain, but her experience as investigator for the Interdimensional Navy made her question his words. Deep down, Fate couldn't shake the feeling that Lelouch wasn't content with doing nothing. But she couldn't see him as Zero or perhaps, the truth was that she didn't want to.
Recalling what he said years ago.
I am here and I will live. I am living by my own strength and I won't be dead any longer.
Lelouch, are you alive right now?
Fate didn't know what to approach with Lelouch at that moment or how she could ask the question in the proper context.
At Ashford Academy, the green haired immortal, C.C and Quattro were having a conversation while observing the Numbers on Earth. C.C was eating a pizza while Quattro was making adjustments to the security systems while setting up new surveillance equipment for her sisters. Of course, she was taking steps to make sure no one would enter the old student clubhouse building to avoid accidental discovery. It was fortunate that the building hadn't been used in the last year or so and remained abandoned for the most part, though Milly was making plans for the old club rooms to be cleaned out before a contemplated renovation of the building was done.
"Keeping Milly and whoever the poor fool she wants to send in to clear those rooms will be problematic, don't you think?" C.C. started a conversation.
"Yes, but given the reputation of some of those clubs, I can hopefully keep them out. But there's the issue of those three coming across me or signs of us operating here."
"Wasn't this base modified against most of their...Inherent Skills, I think you called them, right?"
"It is against Sein's Deep Dive," Quattro answered before regarding the three sisters on the screen once again. "Even if they can't get in here, I am concerned they would attempt to investigate further if they stumble upon it."
"So, are you planning to drive them out of the academy?"
"I may have no choice, but I have to do so without making them suspicious. Yet, this is an opportunity to collect intelligence from the Doctor and find out what he knows about the Mandarin. Given how the High Council was no doubt involved with the Mandarin, it's possible he might know something we don't."
"Do you think they might have told the Doctor everything about Division 666 then?"
"Oh, I doubt it. They probably don't want the Doctor to know the full nature of their involvement as he'll only use it as blackmail material. The Council, to my knowledge, has already been growing increasingly wary of the Doctor for the last couple of years. I guess you can't really blame them."
"But you did hack his computer network through the open communication those three girls opened with him, right?" C.C. asked.
"I did, but it wouldn't have worked with our communication array here in the academy, given the distance between us and Mid-Childa. I instead created a remote connection on an isolated terminal I am running, going across two dozen networks to hide it. Just a ghost in their system with the Doctor and even Uno unaware of my presence. Much of the system is the same with the self-destruct codes for the facility unchanged."
"So, you're going to blow them up?"
"Not yet," Quattro replied before adding. "Besides, they are to draw the Mandarin's fire, though it still surprises me that they haven't been hit yet. Given what I'm seeing in the lair's systems and logs, he's unaware of what happened to Due. It's only a matter of time before his lair gets hit. Fortunately with that in mind, there is something we can acquire from the Doctor."
"You mean some kind of new weapon or invention?"
"Not quite, but you could say that," Quattro typed a few commands on the keyboard. The screen brought up the face of a young woman with long pink hair within a tube full of a clear liquid with her eyes closed. "This is Number Seven named Sette." The combat cyborg then showed images of another girl with a boyish appear and short brown hair and the last identical to Otto but with longer hair and a slightly more feminine appearance. "And here are Numbers Eight and Twelve, Otto and Deed respectively."
"New combat cyborgs?" C.C. asked, which Quattro nodded before explaining.
"Unlike me, these three are more geared for combat. Deed and Sette are more for close quarters while Otto is designed for ranged combat with her Area-of-Effect type Inherent Skill. From what I have found out, the Doctor is planning to ready them ahead of the plan, so he is working to speed up their completion. But my own work on them remains and so far, there has been no additional mental conditioning."
"What do you mean exactly by mental conditioning?"
"I was working to remove excess elements from the final batch of cyborgs the Doctor was creating. I laid the groundwork, but my assassination put a stop to it. It seems the Doctor wasn't in a rush to activate those three, so there has been little change to their mental condition. That means, I could condition them to join our side."
"Can that really be done?"
"Well, for Otto and Deed, it's hard to say. With Sette, on the other hand, I might be able to pull it off. However, I'll need to win them over when the time comes. Later models have orders implanted into them that if the Doctor and his lair were comprised, the newer generation models were to look to them as their new superiors. All part of the Doctor's back-up plan should the worst happen to him."
"You couldn't invoke this order on the other later generation cyborgs?"
"Unfortunately, they are convinced I'm dead and a traitor, but those three have not been informed of such information. With the video evidence I have, I got proof that the Doctor and his lair have been comprised."
"Are Graham and Peter alright with this plan? They are more concerned of the Doctor's creations and aren't they worried you might..." C.C. said before letting the final half of her sentence trail off.
Quattro shot C.C. a look before she began laughing.
"I would call Graham and Peter crazy if they weren't weary of me. After all, I'm prideful of being a manipulative, sadistic bitch who wouldn't think twice about nuking her own sisters. Heck, compared to Lelouch when he is at his absolute worst, I am a lot nicer than he is. Besides, I'd rather work with Lelouch than those two he's going to be a lot of fun to work with."
"And if the Bureau starts intervening more directly?"
"I doubt they will." Quattro said after shaking her head. "Publicly, we are using weapons and personnel on Earth. Everything else, we cover our tracks. For something like that to happen, most of the Earth would need open weapons and technology on par with the Bureau. And I seriously doubt it'll go smoothly since the nations of the Earth, especially Britannia, would not acknowledge the Bureau. It would be chaos, but how it goes from there is hard to say at this point."
"I see," C.C. replied, but Quattro thought.
That incident with the drones on Mid-Childa alone has no doubt caused a number of changes. Even if by some chance, the TSAB track down and detain the Mandarin, there is no going back to the way things used to be before that incident. Everything has changed and we're just getting started.
Chapter 13
Cold Observation
Cold Observation
The following morning at Ashford Academy, Lelouch sat in class with his teacher was busy giving a lecture on Britannian History. The former prince ignored it because in his mind, he was trying to sort out and drown out the feeling of embarrassment he endured last night and trying to mentally prepare himself for what would no doubt come later. Of course, there was the fact that Quattro had been glaring at him all morning, but that was the least of the former prince's worries. With Nanoha, Fate and Hayate back in his life, he will need to act more cautiously, especially if he leaves campus to conduct his activities as Zero.
Peter said he would work out a solution, but he'll be leaving in a few days to assist Kyoto in the developing their new Knightmare Frames.
Lelouch thought, recalling a message he got from the scientist last night. His departure from the academy was written off as taking a leave of absence to tend to a sick relative. It was a good idea given the dangerous possibility of being spotted by Hayate or Fate if they came by the school again.
A worst-case scenario would be if one of them attended the academy as a student, but they would have to suspect me of being Zero for that to happen. No…they wouldn't not just to keep an eye on Nunnally and me because we were pawns in the Mandarin's plans. That's unlikely, so calm down Lelouch, Lelouch was trying to mentally calm himself as he fought off feelings of panic. Regardless, he knew their presence in his civilian life posed a significant risk to exposing his identity as Zero, but were they really watching him?
Only one way to find out, Lelouch thought.
-----
Later that day close to noon, another meeting took place in orbit aboard the Asura. Hayate, Nanoha, Fate, Ginga and Lindy were reviewing information from the battle that took place in Saitama Ghetto yesterday. Although it was announced on the news, there was some debate if Zero would even appear since it was obviously a trap to draw him out. It should be no surprise that Britannia's plan of drawing out Zero involved recreating events the former Viceroy had done during the Shinjuku incident. It was met with general distaste to put it simply.
Yet despite it being an obvious trap, Zero did appear and attempted to lead the rebels operating in the Saitama Ghetto. When Cornelia changed tactics on him and the battle began going poorly, the rebels abandoned Zero, trying to surrender themselves to Cornelia as they were brutally executed without a second thought. The biggest surprise was the so-called appearance of Zero before an explosion destroyed a good portion of Cornelia's Knightmare Frames, claiming two Royal Guards and roughly eighty soldiers.
"There is no way that was Zero. It must be an illusion he was able to create," Ginga said, guessing the Zero they were seeing from footage they collected from the G-1 mobile base before the blast.
"Yes, but does his illusion have a range limitation?" Hayate asked.
"It's hard to say, but we know Zero isn't operating alone, which adds another question: just how many people are working with him?" Lindy offered.
"Too little information to go on, but this world is still deemed undeveloped, which keeps us from investigating more freely to track him down," Fate noted.
It was true with the Earth dubbed an undeveloped world, which limited their abilities to seek out and find Zero and the Mandarin. They couldn't even be at the Saitama Ghetto because of the high risk of revealing magic to the world. Admittedly, Lindy was the most worried because she feared the Aces would be prompted to intervene on the massacring of civilians. Not that she blamed them, of course, but it was something they couldn't do.
"We'll keep a closer eye for possible sightings of Zero. For now, our main objective is tracking down the Mandarin. Chrono and Verossa are conducting an investigation on Britannia's technological development in the last twenty years to see if they can find any clues there. In the meantime, we need to start tracking down the bases of the Japan Liberation Front. If the Mandarin is using soldiers from the old Japanese Army, it's possible there might be a link between them." Lindy said which brought the meeting to the end.
"If there is nothing else, then we should probably go to Earth," Hayate began with a smile.
"What do you mean, Hayate-chan?" Fate asked seemingly confused.
"Lelouch is on the move, according to Shamal," Hayate began before sighing. "He's skipping school."
-----
It was a little after twelve o'clock as Lelouch was sitting on a sofa, facing a rather plump man wearing a blue suit with yellow trim, possessing blonde curly hair, green eyes and a mustache. The man was obviously a noble and Lelouch was just about to win another chess match. Rivalz was glad that Lelouch had gone back to his old habits, but little did he know that this match was serving a higher purpose for the former prince.
"Checkmate," Lelouch said with a devilish smile, causing the noble to break down into tears.
A few minutes later, Lelouch and Rivalz exited the elevator, taking them back to the lobby level. Aside from the money they won, Lelouch had won the noble's clothes, who challenged Lelouch again in a desperate bid to win back his money. With nothing to put on the table, he offered up his own clothes. So having left a humiliated and naked noble behind, Rivalz was clearly cheery over Lelouch's victory. However as the two passed through a small mini-mall to get to Rivalz's bike, the duo was confronted by a certain trio.
"Hello, Lelouch," Hayate beamed with a smile.
"Oh, I wasn't expecting running into you three again," Lelouch said, trying to act as surprised as possible and confirming his suspicions.
I see, so I'm being watched…but it's possibly out of concern for my well being. I don't think they suspect I am Zero, but still I need to be careful. I mustn't do anything that'll tip them off.
If they found out Lelouch was Zero, then the former prince knew he had ranging chances against the Aces individually. Hayate on her own would be more manageable due to her more strategic nature in contrast to his tactical one. Nanoha...he might be able to handle in a one-on-one fight given they have a similar fighting style. However, that would be provided if Lelouch could make combat conditions more in his favor beforehand and ideally have a group to back him up. On the other hand, Fate's skills in close quarters combat and high-speed movements made her among the few Lelouch did not stand a chance against in a one-on-one combat situation.
Fighting all three at once would be suicide.
"Rivalz, this is Hayate, Nanoha and Fate. Old childhood friends and ladies, this is Rivalz, another member of the Student Council." Lelouch said, politely introducing Rivalz to the three.
"Nice to meet you," Rivalz replied as Fate nodded kindly.
"Likewise," Hayate said before Nanoha offered her to hand to shake Rivalz.
"A pleasure…"
"What brings you three here?" Lelouch inquired although he knew the likely reason.
"We were shopping around and then saw you two, so we thought we could hang out. But aren't you supposed to be in school?" Hayate asked before Fate inquired.
"What is that?" The blonde-haired woman asked pointing to a weeping noble was trying to sneak back to his car with a wooden barrel. Looking at the clothes that seemed a bit big for the two teenagers, Fate deduced what had happened. "You're skipping school again for more gambling, aren't you?"
"He lost and wanted double or nothing, but had no money left. So he gambled with the clothes on his back." Lelouch replied boastfully, clearly not regretting his actions.
"Well, he shouldn't have tried it. The guy was too arrogant for his own good," Rivalz said defending his friend.
"You are unbelievable, Lelouch." Just like any other woman, Nanoha nagged the exiled prince. "You can't solve your financial problem with gambling. It's wrong, its bad money and you'll cause more problems to Nunnally-chan if you're addicted to it!" The idea of Lelouch becoming addicted to gambling made her shudder. "And I'm also disappointed with you Rivalz-san; you're just as guilty as he is by association!"
"Well technically, I do have a job," Rivalz defended himself.
"Really?" This caught Nanoha's attention. "What's your job?"
"I work as a bartender." The school boy sheepishly answered; cowering away from his buddy's old friend when she flashed a frown at him.
"A bartender?" Nanoha crossed her arms. "You're still underage!" She sighed, realizing that Lelouch's friend is just as bad as he is. "Do your parents know about this?" She asked, her TSAB officer persona letting loose.
"Uh," Rivalz was clearly at a loss for words.
"Never mind…" The Ace of Aces gave up. "Anyway, Lelouch, as your friend, you really have to stop with this gambling problem of yours. Get a real job like everyone else."
"Work where?" Lelouch asked the obvious.
Nanoha wanted to answer, but felt tongue-tied. Truthfully, with Lelouch being an exiled prince, there are so many opportunities lost for him because he is declared as dead to the world. Even though he has another identity to use, someone recognizing him would be a risk.
"There has to be a job for you somewhere here like…" She looked around to see if she can find any examples to use.
"Come on Nanoha, this isn't really the place for that kind of conversation. Why don't we save it for another time?" Fate said stepping in to defuse the situation.
She knew perfectly well Lelouch's former status as a prince of Britannia made it almost impossible for him to hold a proper job. He could always apply for a low-profile job such as working at a fast-food chain or a gas station where the risk was low, but still there. Of course, that wasn't even considering the fact that Lelouch was too prideful for that taking into account as he also liked being in charge.
Fate regarded Lelouch was a sad expression while thinking.
The future paths for him and Nunnally are too few.
-----
A meeting was held within the conference room at the Viceroy's Palace. Cornelia held this between herself, Guilford, Dalton and a few military commanders. Despite the calm exterior the Goddess of Victory put on, Dalton and Guilford knew that under it, Cornelia li Britannia was furious beyond anything they had ever seen from her. Not only did the explosion kill a majority of the soldiers under her command, but it had also claimed some of her Royal Guard, which almost included Guilford's life had he not ejected when he did.
She won the battle technically, but as far as Cornelia was concerned, it was a defeat as there were too many impurities to enjoy the wine of victory. She failed in her initial objective of capturing Zero and lost a considerable number of men in the endeavor while all she got out of it was merely wiping out another pathetic excuse of a terrorist group.
All in all, the losses outweighed the gains.
"Tell me you have something," Cornelia demanded while her voice hinted at the barely restrained fury within.
"Nothing concrete other than the confirmation he was present at the battle. We found no sign of him having been previously involved with the resistance group we wiped out." Guilford replied before Dalton added.
"Given how they were quick to abandon him once the tide of the battle went against them, I think they only accepted him as a temporary leader in hopes that they would win against us."
Cornelia said nothing, but she was processing all she was hearing. Logically, it made sense because had Zero been truly been behind the resistance group, then the battle might have dragged on a little longer at least. It clearly didn't with his men abandoning him after her Royal Guard came into play. It was likely to assume her death was Zero's primary objective, but his allies had other plans in mind.
-----
Later that afternoon at the Tokyo Concession as the Aces spent the day with Lelouch, watching them from afar was Quattro, whose expression was less than pleased. Her right eyebrow twitching at the sight of Lelouch being so familiar with those girls irritated her. Although she might intervene, she was faced with two problems. One, given her status as a Combat Cyborg, she didn't want to risk revealing her identity given her surname she was using and second...
"Oh, someone is jealous," Milly spoke, mocking but teasing Quattro at the same time.
Milly Ashford was the second problem, thanks to Rivalz telling her who and where Lelouch would be spending his afternoon with, which led to Quattro finding out. Now the duo was observing the group with Milly and Quattro, adopting civilian attire to hide their identities while blending in with the crowds within the Concession. Quattro was wearing blue jeans, a red zip up jacket and a straw hat to hide her hair. Milly wore a white dress, a blue short-sleeve jacket and a watching white hat.
"Be quiet, Milly, and I'm not jealous," Quattro replied, trying to manage what self-control she had on the boiling rage within her.
Why are you so angry anyway? the logical part of the cyborg's mind asked. Those three are hardly a threat to you because if they ever knew about Lelouch being Zero, they would quickly forsake him and throw him into a jail cell to rot.
The logic began to win out as Quattro calmed herself at last. Still, she couldn't help feeling angry at the sight of any girl with Lelouch.
Forgetting she was present, Milly Ashford calmly observed Quattro's changing expressions from rage to calm neutrality. It was entertaining to the busty blonde as she knew Quattro and Shirley had an interest in Lelouch, even though it was clear that Quattro was more of a contender. Observing Lelouch with the trio, the blonde saw a likely challenger against Quattro among them. The question was which of the three held feelings for Lelouch, but Milly was certain Nanoha was a likely suspect but that was best explored once she gauged their ranking with Lelouch.
Unaware of the fact they were being spied on, Lelouch and the group eventually made their way through a park in the Concession Area where small shops and kiosks operated by Honorary Britannians could be found. However, another student from Ashford Academy was currently at the Concession. Unlike most walking about, the redhead was here for a different purpose as Kallen was on her cell phone with Ohgi.
"So, tomorrow Zero wants to meet with us," Kallen asked.
"Yeah, I got the location and time already. What happened in Saitama Ghetto is probably what prompted it."
Like most people, Kallen heard about what happened in the Saitama Ghetto, an obvious trap, a recreation of events in Shinjuku Ghetto. Despite that, Zero tried to intervene and do what he did in Shinjuku. Although the news didn't reveal the details, Kallen had found out from Ohgi that Zero had lost the fight. Reasons were due to a combination of Cornelia having far more organized forces and skills as a commander than Clovis while the resistance fighters Zero had been helping abandoned him. What wasn't known that Ohgi found out was that Zero rigged a Sutherland with a powerful explosive that wiped out a good chunk of Cornelia's forces, even taking out some of her Royal Guard.
"He probably wants to join forces with us, but we won't know until we meet him." Ohgi said bringing Kallen from her thoughts.
"I think so, too, but we'll just have to wait until tomorrow."
After hanging up the phone and pocketing her cell phone, a commotion nearby caught her attention. Kallen saw an Honorary Britannian on his knees, being kicked and bullied by a group of five older Britannian teenagers who were likely part of a gang possibly.
"Come on eleven say something…you are sorry, aren't you?" The lead punk demanded, wearing a black leather jacket left hanging open around the shoulders and kicking the downed Honorary Britannian.
The unfortunate Japanese man they were kicking was a young man lately in his late twenties, possibly having short brown hair with a white shirt, blue jeans and wearing an apron.
"You're sorry, right?" A second Britannian demanded as everyone else cast a glance. Those who were Japanese quickly went back to what they were doing to avoid attracting trouble from the group.
"Bowing your head is what you Elevens do best," The third member of the gang added.
"Eleven," Kallen muttered, but her eyes held a fierce look to them, despite the normal sickly weak girl she projected when out in public and in her school uniform. Before she could intervene a hand grasped her shoulder stopping her. "Lelouch!"
The former prince was standing behind her, having observed the scene from afar. He likely realized Kallen was going to attempt to help the poor man.
"Don't do it. There are five of them, you can't win," Lelouch cautioned as the accompanying girls approached from behind. Noticing what was happening, they were wondering why Lelouch walked off suddenly.
"So you think I should ignore it?"
"Take a good look at that Japanese man," Lelouch said as Kallen took a closer look at the apron he was wearing as did the others, even as the poor man was still being kicked. The image of a hot dog could be seen and with a hot dog cart nearby it was clear the man was the owner of the cart. "If we intervene and help him win, he won't be able to sell a thing tomorrow. It was his choice to become a Britannian slave. That is the price you pay to work in the Settlement."
"Even so," Kallen began.
"It's not right, I know, but what can do you do. If you intervene now, he won't be able to sell anything tomorrow and it could be even worse for him then." Hayate pointed out sadly, although she knew Nanoha and Fate didn't like the scene anymore than Kallen did. Yet they knew just as Lelouch did, there was nothing they could do that would make it better.
Fortunately, the gang moved on, leaving the poor man on the ground. Kallen didn't waste a second and hurried to the beaten man's side and tried to help him up.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Uh…a Britannian student…what can I get for you? How about a nice California Hot Dog?" The vendor asked in an upbeat mood.
Lelouch didn't approach as he kept his distance while Kallen was left with damage control. Nanoha and her two friends just observed the scene sadly.
Elsewhere in a private office, a man in his early twenties with brown hair and a dark blue business suit was relaxing in his office chair before his phone began ringing. Picking up the phone by his name tag labeled "Hades Vandein", the man smiled as he recognized the voice greeting him before a conversation began.
"It looks like your plan worked, sensei. I suffered a little bad press, but the incident destroyed the TSAB's investigation into my company," Hades said, listening to the response of the caller on the other end. "Yes, everything we prepared beforehand worked out after that little demonstration. More importantly, I made sure to transfer those squealers and undercover agents to the factory that was destroyed."
Hades listened to the caller's response before laughing lightly for a moment.
"The courts have cleared me of all charges and the scapegoats we readied have been accepted. As far as the public is concerned, I'm an innocent man with unspeakable corruption happening behind his back. Furthermore, the incident allowed me to get rid those on the Board who had second thoughts about my company's true goals. I trust your agents are handling the disposal?" A few moments of talking took place before Hades asked. "By the way, there is something I wanted to ask you. The attack on Mid-Childa by your drones...you must've wanted something else than those relics. I thought you wanted to wait until Scaglietti was ready to use the Cradle before you made your move, so what changed?"
Listening quietly as the caller on the other end explained, Hades couldn't help but laugh.
"You clever bastard, so that was your objective…I assume you are there now, right? As your student, I have to say, you are a damn genius. Hmhmhm…yes with that…oh, I just imagine the possibilities. I could even conduct my tests with the Eclipse Virus more safely thanks to all of this chaos and the attention your creation is getting."
Hades listened to the caller's response before wrapping up the call.
"Of course, sensei. I'll provide help and support as needed."
Following introductions, Lelouch and the four girls relocated to a smaller park near the highway for a discussion brought up by the incident following the hot dog vendor. The group had found a pair of benches to sit on with Nanoha sitting next to Lelouch on his right. Fate was to his left with Kallen sitting together with Hayate.
"In some ways, Area 11 is better off in some ways than the old Japan ever was. Being made part of the Empire has stabilized its military and economic position in the world. The Japanese can obtain full citizenship through the legal system. It's easy to become an Honorary Britannian, just a matter of pride really. I can understand why they would resist."
"And," Kallen asked before adding. "And knowing all of that, what does Lelouch Lamperouge think about it all? What do you want to do?"
"Nothing," Lelouch replied which came as a slight surprise to Hayate, Nanoha and Fate.
"You know you got a lot of brains, but you hardly apply yourself just like Shirley says. You don't seem to do much with it."
"That is why I don't do anything. That Japanese we saw back there could tell you. He could lead a better life if he bows his head to Britannia."
Kallen's eyes flashed with anger in that instance as something about what Lelouch said sparked something within her. Nanoha quickly stopped her from slapping Lelouch.
"But even so, does that mean it's really right? Is that really living? I can't see you agreeing with that, Lelouch," Nanoha said with a level of neutrality in her voice and stare she exchanged with Kallen. Kallen instantly relented upon seeing the empty stare in her eye, knowing full well of what she had been intending to do. Kallen's brief flash of anger cooled in that instance, which assured Nanoha it was safe to release her hand.
"Yes, that is true."
"Is nothing all you really intend to do?" Hayate asked, but Lelouch didn't answer.
Elsewhere in the Tokyo Settlement, Dieci was nervous about the new location Sein and Wendi decided on. It was true, their new temporary base of operations and living area was far cleaner and unlikely to get bombed or assaulted by the military. Still, the tenth combat cyborg had her concerns.
"Oh come on, Dieci, be happy at our new temporary base!" Wendi said, happily throwing her arm around Dieci's shoulder.
"Not to complain, but Sein, do you really think hiding in an old school club house is really a good idea?" Dieci asked. "What if someone comes here to check it or make use of it?"
Sein took a look around as she sat on an old dusty futon in the old club room.
"It's kinda messy in here, but so far, this is the only safe room we have found," Wendi added as Dieci and Sein surveyed their surroundings once more.
The clubroom the three female cyborgs had taken up temporary residence for their mission on Earth was the old Japan Culture Club, or rather it should have been called a rat's nest. The room was filled with a large number of various Japanese objects, ranging from small toys, old newspaper clippings, books, statues and an old bird bath. Sein and Wendi had moved a lot of the junk out of the room and deposited it into one of the other club rooms deemed a little too hostile or weird to stay in. In fact, before settling in on this room, Sein and Wendi had tried out some of the other rooms, but they were met with difficulties and some traps the previous club members had left behind. Oddly, this lone clubroom was the only one that wasn't weird or rigged with booby traps in anyway, which was upon itself surreal.
"Besides, Dieci, see the rest of the rooms," Sein summarized. "They look as if no one has been in them for two years. Maybe three years?"
"I suppose we should be fine as long as we keep a watch for any students," Dieci said not completely convinced.
"So, what's the name of this school again?" Wendi inquired before Sein answered.
"I think it was called…Ashford…Ashford Academy."
"We should inform the Doctor of our change of location," Dieci suggested.
Unknown to them, a bird sat on a tree branch outside of the window. It moved mechanically like a small robotic drone. With the combat cyborgs spotted and opening communications, an alert was sent out.
Irritated, Quattro drew out her phone when she felt it vibrating. With Milly distracted, the combat cyborg opened her phone to see what was going on. At first, she thought it was Graham trying to contact her. Soon, she realized it was a security alert from one of the security drone monitors around the academy.
This better not be another false alarm...
Quattro kept an eye on Milly as she opened the message and saw to her surprise a live-feed image of Dieci, Sein and Wendi. The trio was opening up communications with likely Uno or the Doctor, but before communications was established. The young cyborg typed in a few commands, trying to hack the signal to listen in as well as piggyback into the lair's computer servers.
So, the Doctor is now involved. Well, I wouldn't doubt the High Council is probably breathing down his neck thanks to those drones on Mid-Childa. This is a good opportunity for me to get some intelligence on the doctor's end, but why pick Ashford Academy as a place to hide?
The combat cyborg observed the scene with interest as she remotely programmed the communication array hidden at the underground base to enable her to hack the signal and into her creator's computer systems at his lair. Once she was successful, while initiating a mole program to conduct a search, Quattro brought the phone to her ear to listen on the conversation.
"So, you three decided on a new location to reside at for the moment?" Uno said appearing on the holographic screen that appeared before the trio.
"We have," Sein reported. "It's cleaner and we shouldn't have to worry about it being bombed or raided by the local military."
"That's good. Any progress regarding the Mandarin?"
"Nothing yet, but we are going to begin by investigating the Viceroy's Palace and see if we can find any clues there."
"A good place to start. As soon as you find something, contact me and the Doctor."
"Okay," Sein said before ending the transmission. By then, it was enough for Quattro. Not only did she have enough time to successfully hack into the doctor's computer systems, but also established a backdoor for herself. When the time came, she could remotely reenter the system later and conduct a more in-depth search for any useful information.
I see, so those three originally settled at Saitama Ghetto, and then relocated to Ashford Academy. I suppose compared to other choices and locations, it's not a bad one. A stroke of good luck for me as now I got a remote access point to the doctor's hideout.
Quattro thought with a devious smile, despite the irritation she was feeling at watching Lelouch being so friendly with Nanoha and the others. At least today, she now has the means of hacking the doctor's computer systems from Earth and can now to observe and collect intelligence from her sisters. Of course, that was provided nothing was done to tip them off to the fact they were being monitored.
Of all of the false alarms we had, I guess Peter's security measures and surveillance drones have finally paid off.
As the afternoon continued on, Fate and Lelouch walked together as Hayate and Nanoha hung back to talk as something was clearly on the young woman's mind. Hayate had a very good suspicion what it was, but as much as she wanted to right now, she knew they couldn't do it. Kallen left the group and went to meet with some friends.
"I'm afraid we can't bring Lelouch and Nunnally-chan with us to Cranagan," And just like that, Hayate dismissed Nanoha's proposal to bring the vi Britannia siblings away from Earth. "We can't just simply bring people with us, especially if they are from war-torn Unadministered Worlds." Hayate explained sadly.
"I know that," Nanoha said, but pleaded. "But can't you do anything?"
"I know how you feel. I also want them to be safe, but right now, the TSAB is tightening their hold onto immigrants from other worlds." Hayate led Nanoha to a small alleyway. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she showed a holographic screen to her friend, displaying multiple arrests and outrages from immigrants from other worlds. "Since the Wyvern drone incident, TSAB is getting more agitated on who is travelling between worlds; they're focusing on foreigners from non-administered worlds." She looked at her friend sadly.
"Oh my," Busy with work and training, Nanoha missed a lot on what was going on with the Cranagan news. There were multiple arrests being done by the TSAB and a lot of foreigners from other worlds were rounded up under suspicion of being part of Logos. In fact, the main article shows a dozen men fighting against TSAB officers equipped with riot shield devices.
As that conversation was going on between the two, Fate took this as a chance to have a private conversation with Lelouch. She was wanted to ensure he did notice the holographic screen of what Hayate was showing Nanoha.
"Where are those two going?" Lelouch inquired, although he had his suspicions.
"I guess they are going to the bathroom perhaps. But since we're alone, there is something I have been meaning to ask you."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm very concerned about what exactly do you intend to do. Future plans?" Fate asked, feeling uncomfortable about the question.
Lelouch didn't answer her immediately, but he took note of the saddened and worried expression upon her face.
"I think you know my future, especially that of Nunnally's, is uncertain right now. There are very few paths open to us."
"I know, but…I wish…I could do something for you two."
"I appreciate it, but there isn't a lot you could do for us."
"I know that, but I don't have to like it."
"I won't argue with you on that," Lelouch said with a slight smile. "I can't say that I like our current situation either. It's something that is necessary, but you have a point…I don't have to like it either."
"You must know that it can't be safe for you two to remain with Ashford Academy. Didn't you say at one time that they were of former nobility and your mother's allies?"
"Yes, and we're being kept primarily as liability insurance," Lelouch said, coldly alarming the blonde haired woman on the inside. It wasn't right and wanted to do something for them, but Fate knew as well as Hayate did that there was nothing they could do for them.
Yet as Fate eyed Lelouch, she kept thinking about what Kallen said to him earlier.
What do you want to do?
Nothing…
That had been Lelouch's response. Given what had happened to him and the anger he displayed at Britannia, Fate was having a hard time believing that statement. It was difficult to explain, but her experience as investigator for the Interdimensional Navy made her question his words. Deep down, Fate couldn't shake the feeling that Lelouch wasn't content with doing nothing. But she couldn't see him as Zero or perhaps, the truth was that she didn't want to.
Recalling what he said years ago.
I am here and I will live. I am living by my own strength and I won't be dead any longer.
Lelouch, are you alive right now?
Fate didn't know what to approach with Lelouch at that moment or how she could ask the question in the proper context.
At Ashford Academy, the green haired immortal, C.C and Quattro were having a conversation while observing the Numbers on Earth. C.C was eating a pizza while Quattro was making adjustments to the security systems while setting up new surveillance equipment for her sisters. Of course, she was taking steps to make sure no one would enter the old student clubhouse building to avoid accidental discovery. It was fortunate that the building hadn't been used in the last year or so and remained abandoned for the most part, though Milly was making plans for the old club rooms to be cleaned out before a contemplated renovation of the building was done.
"Keeping Milly and whoever the poor fool she wants to send in to clear those rooms will be problematic, don't you think?" C.C. started a conversation.
"Yes, but given the reputation of some of those clubs, I can hopefully keep them out. But there's the issue of those three coming across me or signs of us operating here."
"Wasn't this base modified against most of their...Inherent Skills, I think you called them, right?"
"It is against Sein's Deep Dive," Quattro answered before regarding the three sisters on the screen once again. "Even if they can't get in here, I am concerned they would attempt to investigate further if they stumble upon it."
"So, are you planning to drive them out of the academy?"
"I may have no choice, but I have to do so without making them suspicious. Yet, this is an opportunity to collect intelligence from the Doctor and find out what he knows about the Mandarin. Given how the High Council was no doubt involved with the Mandarin, it's possible he might know something we don't."
"Do you think they might have told the Doctor everything about Division 666 then?"
"Oh, I doubt it. They probably don't want the Doctor to know the full nature of their involvement as he'll only use it as blackmail material. The Council, to my knowledge, has already been growing increasingly wary of the Doctor for the last couple of years. I guess you can't really blame them."
"But you did hack his computer network through the open communication those three girls opened with him, right?" C.C. asked.
"I did, but it wouldn't have worked with our communication array here in the academy, given the distance between us and Mid-Childa. I instead created a remote connection on an isolated terminal I am running, going across two dozen networks to hide it. Just a ghost in their system with the Doctor and even Uno unaware of my presence. Much of the system is the same with the self-destruct codes for the facility unchanged."
"So, you're going to blow them up?"
"Not yet," Quattro replied before adding. "Besides, they are to draw the Mandarin's fire, though it still surprises me that they haven't been hit yet. Given what I'm seeing in the lair's systems and logs, he's unaware of what happened to Due. It's only a matter of time before his lair gets hit. Fortunately with that in mind, there is something we can acquire from the Doctor."
"You mean some kind of new weapon or invention?"
"Not quite, but you could say that," Quattro typed a few commands on the keyboard. The screen brought up the face of a young woman with long pink hair within a tube full of a clear liquid with her eyes closed. "This is Number Seven named Sette." The combat cyborg then showed images of another girl with a boyish appear and short brown hair and the last identical to Otto but with longer hair and a slightly more feminine appearance. "And here are Numbers Eight and Twelve, Otto and Deed respectively."
"New combat cyborgs?" C.C. asked, which Quattro nodded before explaining.
"Unlike me, these three are more geared for combat. Deed and Sette are more for close quarters while Otto is designed for ranged combat with her Area-of-Effect type Inherent Skill. From what I have found out, the Doctor is planning to ready them ahead of the plan, so he is working to speed up their completion. But my own work on them remains and so far, there has been no additional mental conditioning."
"What do you mean exactly by mental conditioning?"
"I was working to remove excess elements from the final batch of cyborgs the Doctor was creating. I laid the groundwork, but my assassination put a stop to it. It seems the Doctor wasn't in a rush to activate those three, so there has been little change to their mental condition. That means, I could condition them to join our side."
"Can that really be done?"
"Well, for Otto and Deed, it's hard to say. With Sette, on the other hand, I might be able to pull it off. However, I'll need to win them over when the time comes. Later models have orders implanted into them that if the Doctor and his lair were comprised, the newer generation models were to look to them as their new superiors. All part of the Doctor's back-up plan should the worst happen to him."
"You couldn't invoke this order on the other later generation cyborgs?"
"Unfortunately, they are convinced I'm dead and a traitor, but those three have not been informed of such information. With the video evidence I have, I got proof that the Doctor and his lair have been comprised."
"Are Graham and Peter alright with this plan? They are more concerned of the Doctor's creations and aren't they worried you might..." C.C. said before letting the final half of her sentence trail off.
Quattro shot C.C. a look before she began laughing.
"I would call Graham and Peter crazy if they weren't weary of me. After all, I'm prideful of being a manipulative, sadistic bitch who wouldn't think twice about nuking her own sisters. Heck, compared to Lelouch when he is at his absolute worst, I am a lot nicer than he is. Besides, I'd rather work with Lelouch than those two he's going to be a lot of fun to work with."
"And if the Bureau starts intervening more directly?"
"I doubt they will." Quattro said after shaking her head. "Publicly, we are using weapons and personnel on Earth. Everything else, we cover our tracks. For something like that to happen, most of the Earth would need open weapons and technology on par with the Bureau. And I seriously doubt it'll go smoothly since the nations of the Earth, especially Britannia, would not acknowledge the Bureau. It would be chaos, but how it goes from there is hard to say at this point."
"I see," C.C. replied, but Quattro thought.
That incident with the drones on Mid-Childa alone has no doubt caused a number of changes. Even if by some chance, the TSAB track down and detain the Mandarin, there is no going back to the way things used to be before that incident. Everything has changed and we're just getting started.
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Chapter 14: The Demon King and His Knights
The next chapter is finished, though the next one is going to take a while. I bet a number of people will something to say about it, considering where we're at in terms of those who've watched Code Geass. The next chapter will take a while since we're planning to expand more on it before posting it up.
Here it goes.
Two days later, a train was speeding across the tracks with Shirley, Nina and Milly. They were on their way to the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center for a fun evening away from the academy, short of a girls' night out event. Sitting in a comfortable cabin, the three girls were excited, although Nina didn't show it because deep down, she was nervous about leaving the Settlement.
"I have never been outside the Tokyo Settlement before! This is my first time!" Shirley exclaimed, looking out a window.
"I bet you wish Lelouch could have come with us, don't you?" Milly teased, stunning Shirley for a moment and allowing the blonde to add in. "Don't be so shy. Tonight, we can stay up all night talking. Why don't we tell each other which boys we like from school?"
"Then I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about then, Miss President," Shirley said giving Milly a suspicious glare, knowing she would dominate that conversation and likely use it to get some information from her for which she can use.
The train then passed through a tunnel, causing Nina to grip her hands in fright. Milly left her seat to kneel before her longtime friend, holding her hands to ease her worries.
"Relax Nina, there are plenty of Britannian tourists at Lake Kawaguchi, so security is fine. Don't be afraid, it's not the ghettos."
"Yes, but…"
"We'll be with you the whole time. We won't leave your side for a second," Milly said reassuringly.
"Uh thanks," Nina said smiling, feeling more assured of her safety.
Exiting the tunnel, the group got a wonderful view of Mt Fuji and their destination, which prompted Shirley to mention.
"Too bad Quattro couldn't come along, but Kallen would've been more than welcomed to come. She is the newest member of the Council after all."
"I know, but I wish we could have brought some of Lelouch's old friends with us," Milly began with a devilish smile.
"Huh, but Suzaku said he couldn't come?" Shirley asked confusingly.
"Oh, you haven't met his other old friends. They are all girls, three of them. But I think one of them has an eye for Lelouch...hee hee...maybe all of them do. Say, do you suppose Lelouch is starting a harem?" Milly said. She obviously exaggerated the facts, but it worked for the blonde teenager's purpose as Shirley's face turned bright pink before exclaiming.
"WHAT!?"
"Ah-coo!"
Lelouch was dressed as Zero, sitting on a sofa in the back of the large two-story mobile home. Trying to do conduct his upcoming activities from Ashford Academy presented far too many risks, he decided to use this as a mobile base of operations.
Quattro noticed the sudden behavior from Lelouch, wearing a black uniform trimmed with gray, a black shirt with matching stockings and high heels. She also wore a black and gray variation of her cape over her shoulders. Her uniform was one of the two optional female uniforms Lelouch had designed with some input from Graham.
"Something wrong?" Quattro asked Lelouch as the two were inside what would be their new mobile headquarters for their new organization.
"I don't know. Maybe I should clean the mask later."
"Maybe, but I think someone was talking about you," Quattro said slyly.
Fate and Shamal were inside a small apartment room they temporary leased, giving them a bird's eye view of the Ashford Academy. The interior of the apartment was empty save for some chairs and a table. There wasn't much else, but the room and its location were more than enough to serve its purpose.
"Lelouch is in class, although he doesn't seem interested," Shamal reported.
"Maybe I am just overreacting," Fate replied as she sat on a wooden chair in the kitchen.
"I know the feeling, but something about this doesn't feel right. I don't want to accuse Lelouch of anything, but I just can't shake the feeling something is amiss. Nunnally regaining her ability to walk, considering the damage to her legs and spine? It shouldn't be possible even with Britannia's most advanced medical technology. It just seems impossible, but Lelouch would have a motive to see Britannian destroyed."
"I know he would have a motive, but does Lelouch even have the capacity to use magic? I observed Lelouch in physical education that rules him out as Zero, especially if you look at the footage between Zero fighting Ginga." Fate noted as Lelouch's physical abilities seem lacking like when he was a child.
Although he used tactics and illusions to his advantage, Fate underwent second thoughts. So Zero has a clever tactical mind…something Lelouch possesses given his proficiently at strategy.
Although one part of Fate felt Lelouch wasn't Zero, another was telling her otherwise.
But unaware to the two members of the Bureau, the Lelouch they were observing was a stand-in for the real Lelouch who was elsewhere.
"Lelouch, they're here," Quattro said before heading up stairs.
"Alright," Lelouch said as the door opened moments later. Outside, Ohgi and his fellow resistance members including Kallen stood outside, seemingly uncertain what do next. "What are you waiting for? Come in."
Ohgi entered first, finding Zero sitting in the rear.
"As of this moment, this will be our hideout."
"So you think joining up with us is a good idea?" Ohgi inquired as Kallen and others soon also entered the large vehicle.
"Yes, we're comrades after all."
"Holy cow," Tamaki muttered, impressed by the interior. "So what is this place?"
"Would you mind if I asked how you came by all this?" Ohgi inquired.
"I borrowed it from a rather libertine nobleman who indulges my requests."
"You asked for it? Just like that?" Ohgi asked genuinely surprised.
"Don't worry, no strings attached," Lelouch as Zero said, assuring his new allies and the first members of the new organization he intended to build. What Lelouch told Ohgi was partly true; in truth, Graham had used his new connections with Kyoto to acquire the trailer through some underground connections within the black market. Quattro then covered up any trails that might allow anyone to trace the purchases back to him.
"This place is huge," Yoshitaka Minami commented.
"Check it out, it even has a second story," Toru Yoshida added.
"On the other hand, no one would suspect us hiding in something like this," Kallen pointed out.
"It even has a TV," Minami said, sitting down on the sofa. The bespectacled man picked up a remote on the table before the large eighty-inch flat-screen on the wall. Upon turning on the TV, the man had unknowingly brought on an emergency news report.
"How is it at the scene?" a male newscaster asked. The scene switched to a female reporter with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a brownish-red suit complete with a skirt and a white dress shirt.
"I am standing outside the Lake Kawaguchi Conversation Center Hotel. The hotel hijackers have identified themselves as members of the Japan Liberation Front. Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably Chairman James were taken hostage as well as several tourists and hotel employees. Here is footage taken by perpetrators where you can see Chairman James along with some students," The reporter said before footage of a group of hostages being held at gunpoint by former members of the Japanese Military. Milly, Shirley and Nina could be seen among the hostages.
"The…student council," Kallen muttered which Lelouch picked up on.
Lelouch, you just heard the news I assume.
Lelouch heard Quattro's voice in his mind.
I know. Is there anything else about this incident? It seems sudden, so could they be involved in this?
I am looking into it. The annual yearly meeting of Sakuradite Producers was supposed to take place today so they are trying to use it to their advantage, although it is a poor one at that. Cornelia will likely sacrifice the hostages if attempts to rescue them fail she won't negotiation with them.
I know, which why there has to be something else. Either they planned this out poorly or there is someone or something else that can make for a worthwhile bargaining chip.
I agree, I'll tell you if I find out anything, Quattro said before she and Lelouch ended their telepathic conversation.
The female announcer continued the conversation, repeating their conversation.
"Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacturing of high-temperature superconductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area 11 is the largest producer of this material, providing 70% of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly national meeting of Sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and other countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover."
"So they made their move," Tamaki commented as Ohgi and the others began talking about the hotel takeover.
"The Japan Liberation Front is easily the largest anti-Britannian faction in Japan, and now their pride is hurt," Ohgi pointed out.
"Because of us?" Minami asked.
"Probably," Ohgi said, unable to think of anything else that could have prompted such a move.
"It doesn't matter," Tamaki cast it out. "Either way, they're going to end up dead."
Lelouch silently listened, but moments later, Quattro began to descend down the stairs.
"Hello Kallen," Quattro began.
"Hello Quattro…QUATTRO!? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Kallen exclaimed in shock.
"Who the hell is this chick!?" Tamaki demanded.
"Quattro. She's from the academy!"
"Isn't it obvious I work for Zero?" Quattro said with a smirk, but Kallen realized just how Zero got that note to her. "I mean, how did you think he found out about you in Ashford Academy, Kallen Stadtfeld? Or do you prefer Kallen Kozuki? I have known about your little double life for some time. Taking cell phone calls from Ohgi while in the Academy is dangerous and while your attempts to hide your true self through a slickly appearance is effective for the most part, there have been moments where you slipped up."
"But why are you working for Zero?"
"I have my personal reasons, but if you are worried about me being trustworthy, then I'll dispel your worries shortly. After all, if I wanted you gone, there are ways in which I could have easily made it happen."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, but didn't you know, Kallen, that the Devil's greatest lie was to make the world believe that he never existed?"
"Quattro, I assume you already know about the news," Zero began, merely playing out a quick excuse to interrupt the two women. He was clearly worried that their little argument could cause his meeting with Ohgi and the others to turn sour.
"Yes, and I got some updates straight from the military," Quattro replied, whipping out a PDA unit to use a medium for her IS to display information on the television screen without freaking out their new allies. She showed them a tactical display of the area around the conversation center in real-time as well as Britannia's attempts so far to rescue the hostages.
"How the hell did you get that?" Ohgi said, both shocked but very impressed at the same time.
"Quattro…let's just say she has a unique way with machines and has skills that enable her to acquire information normally impossible for the average hacker. Therefore, she works with me as an intelligence officer. In fact, it was thanks to her we managed to steal the new prototype weapon the Britannians were going to unleash in Shinjuku Ghetto."
Kallen, Ohgi and the others were stunned by this revelation. But as introductions proceeded, word of the incident already spread to other groups just as quickly it had reached them.
No one was more worried about the situation than Viceroy Cornelia, who was trying to put an end to it. There was just an unforeseen problem that prevented her from taking decisive action. She was aboard the G-1, parked near the only remaining road leading to the hotel as the other two connecting bridges by the shores of the lake collapsed.
Present with her was Guilford and Darlton, who were consulting with three Staff Officers in reviewing their attempts so far to rescue the hostages.
"All bridges with the exception of the main one were destroyed. Our attempts at rescue from the air and water have been unsuccessful. But there is one possible route left that could allow us to develop a possible hostage rescue plan," a Staff Officer explained before displaying on the main monitor for Cornelia. On a tactical layout of the hotel, there was a tunnel that ran below the main bridge towards the foundation of the hotel itself. "The main utilities tunnel running directly below the hotel itself. Our plan is to move in, destroy the foundation block and submerge the hotel. Since the tunnel was built for supply deliveries, it should be able to allow our Sutherlands to move through. Even if the enemy has taken precautions, it should prove to be no problem."
"Very well, proceed," Cornelia ordered as minutes later, three Sutherlands were lowered into the tunnel.
The Sutherlands advanced towards their destinations under the assumption that they were dealing with sub-standard weaponry and old Knightmare Frames. Unfortunately, that misconception would be a costly one. Far ahead was a large mobile weapon with eight-legs and a large cannon built into it. The machine was made from four Glasgows to create a massive walking coilgun dubbed the Type-11/5G Raikō. Inside the double-cockpit of the machine its two pilots, members of the Japanese Liberation Front, detecting the three Sutherlands approaching them.
"Three units detected. As expected, they are moving through the underground tunnel," The first pilot said while his superior complied.
"Roger that, Raikō secondary start-up. Prepare the Super Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon."
"Roger, voltage confirmed."
As the Sutherlands closed in, they picked up the lights of the machine ahead of them.
"I think these guys has Knightmare rifles," the leading pilot spoke. "Spread out and break their ranks."
But even as they were spreading out, preparing to charge right on through, it was too late.
"Super Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon…FIRE!" The second pilot shouted as he pulled the trigger and fired a high velocity shell. Moments after leaving the barrel, two-dozen steel ball bearings tore through three Sutherlands, wiping them out in one shot.
As the Japan Liberation Front was celebrating the success of the Raikō, the Britannians were left shocked by this turn of events.
"Wiped out!?" Dalton exclaimed when news of the Sutherlands' fate reached him.
"It looks like they have modified a Glasgow into a linear cannon," one Staff Officer replied. "There's no way we can break through now!"
"What do we do!?" another officer in more of a panic exclaimed. "If we release the political prisoners as they demand-"
"We cannot show weakness to terrorists!" Cornelia snapped before Guilford approached, lowering his head to her level to whisper into her ear.
"But Princess Euphemia she is…"
"Yes I know," Cornelia said in a calmer tone of voice, but Dalton knew what they were discussing.
"So far it seems they haven't discovered that fact. If they learn that Princess Euphemia is among the hostages, they will no doubt use her as a bargaining chip. She went to the convention only to observe, so she isn't listed among the other guests."
Unfortunately, the Britannians didn't know that the Japan Liberation Front were fully aware of Euphemia's presence. Inside one of the penthouse rooms was a clean-shaven man in his mid-thirties with a box-cut hairstyle, wearing a military uniform with the rank of Captain upon it. He saw before a television set, having a video phone call with Kusakabe.
"The Raikō was a complete success, sir," Captain Ri reported with satisfaction.
"Excellent work, but is Princess Euphemia secured?"
"Yes sir, we have the princess. So far, we haven't made it known yet that we are fully aware of her identity. Not even she knows that we know."
"Good, but I want you to keep it that way for now until tonight. Once our objective is complete, you will use Euphemia as needed. Most importantly, I want this incident to be dragged out as long as possible with everyone watching."
"Don't worry, sir. We're prepared to hold out for days if need be."
Kusakabe laughed before commenting. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. We just need it to last until tonight."
Outside the hotel on the shoreline of the lake was Suzaku, in the company of Cecile and their superior, Lloyd Asplund. Much to their relief, they received the new Lancelot unit to replace the one that was stolen. Although the speed of delivery was surprising, if it put Lloyd in more bearable spirits, then none would question it. However, a seemingly bored Lloyd was sitting along the shore, skipping rocks along the water's surface.
"Can't the Special Corps assist in anyway?" Suzaku asked as he observed Lloyd skip another pebble.
"We are an irregular unit. They don't recognize our chain of command and besides," Lloyd said, stopping midway to toss another stone across the water. Suzaku already knew what his superior was going to say.
"It's too risky to entrust this operation to an Eleven, isn't that right?"
"As I am sure, you know Princess Cornelia is quite discriminating between Britannians and Numbers," the scientist and engineer pointed out.
"So the Japanese are not being accepted enough into your structure then?"
"If that is the case, then what's the point of even having an Honorary Britannian system?" Cecile asked, but no one had an answer for her.
Of course, there was another group who felt inclined to observe events up close, partly because they had nothing else to follow on. Also, being cooped up in the clubroom was proving a little difficult for them.
Three combat cyborgs had chosen a vacant apartment that gave them a good view of the lake and the hotel from a safe distance. Thanks to Dieci, she was able to zoom in on the hotel's exterior and parts of its interior she could see through open windows to get a better idea of what was happening inside.
"So, are we going to see a cop take down all of the terrorists, and then a rooftop explosion?" Wendi asked with a hopeful expression. Sein wasn't sure how to answer her while Dieci was more focused on observing the hotel, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.
"Well, I don't think it's going to play out like that, Wendi..."
"Awwww, but I want to see real-life action like in that movie! You know, where a lone policeman trapped in a building full of terrorists picked them off one by one before having to jump off, holding onto dear life with a fire hose!?" The red-haired number said with stars in her eyes.
"Uh…sure, maybe we will," Sein said rubbing the back of her head, letting Wendi keep dreaming.
"Do you think we'll see the Mandarin's followers involved?" Dieci joined in.
"Well, there are rumors Uno picked up, believing that the ground soldiers used in his attack in Cranagan were former Japanese military," Sein answered. "Besides, we don't have anything else right now."
"I suppose you're right, but how long do you think this will last?"
"Hard to say, but it's better if we wait."
Later in the afternoon, Ohgi, Kallen and the others were moving equipment and items Lelouch brought for them. Despite some concerns about Quattro among their new allies, they were dispelled once they discovered that Zero had the backing of Kyoto behind him, enough proof to ease their concerns.
"Where do you want this?" Tamaki asked.
"Put it by the driver's seat." Ohgi answered while Kallen was upstairs opening another box. She began to overhear a television report, interviewing a man with brown hair, wearing an olive-green suit. His name was Joseph Fenette, Shirley's father who was speaking to the reporter and was obviously distressed by his daughter's situation as a hostage.
"She was only sightseeing! She is still a student, yet these criminals act indiscriminately! Savages…I want to know if Shir…I want to know if my daughter is alright! She hasn't done anything wrong!"
Lelouch as Zero watched the report silently inside the small room he claimed as his office, seated in a chair before a desk with a portable television built into it. Lelouch's thoughts were in conflict as he wanted to do something, but it was far too soon and they were not properly organized yet.
I just barely assembled them and trying to handle this situation could cause a repeat of what happened back in Saitama Ghetto. We can't sit around and do nothing either because knowing Cornelia she would just sacrifice the hostages and, Lelouch was thinking before he realized something. Wait then, why doesn't she make her move? Unless...
"Uh Zero," Kallen said, entering the room and interrupting Lelouch's thoughts. He muted the television report to listen. "What will happen to the hostages?"
"Eventually, there will be no reason to keep those Britannians alive," Lelouch as Zero replied to Kallen, who sadly agreed with him.
"I suppose you're right."
"Hey Zero, should I hand these out to everyone?" Ohgi asked, entering the room with a box full of uniforms similar to what Quattro wore. "As far as gear goes, it's pretty hip, but we're just a resistance group so-"
"Wrong," Zero said, instantly turning around in his chair to face Ohgi, who addressed the surprised man. "We're not a resistance group, is that clear?"
"Then what are we?"
"What we are," Zero said, rising up from his chair to make his declaration. "What we are trying to be...are Knights for Justice!"
-----
Later that night, nothing had changed since the incident began. For the cyborgs, it was becoming almost mind-numbing as they almost regretted their decision to come observe what was turning out to be a dead-end. Dieci, however, with literally nothing better to occupy her time with, kept observing the building looking for any signs of the situation changing or something else that would be worth their time to investigate.
"Man, this is boring. No explosions, no gunfire…NOTHING!" Wendi wailed, expecting more excitement than this.
"This isn't an action movie, Wendi," Dieci said bluntly.
"Alright, we'll give this one more hour and," Sein said with a sigh, deciding it was probably almost time to call it a night when suddenly...
"Sein, the situation is changing. The terrorists have taken a hostage onto the roof," Dieci reported, noticing two bright spotlights to get the attention of the Britannians and ensure they would see what would happen next.
"Huh," Sein said as she thought that was rather sudden, given how much time had passed since the takeover began.
"Oh, so this is where they start executing hostages because their demands have gone unanswered," Wendi said mischievously.
Dieci said nothing, but focused on the event happening on the roof. Thanks to her enhancements, she had the best vision among all of her sisters, which made her perfectly suited for her role as a long-range shooter and sniper. She could see what was happening on the roof in perfect clarity and saw a man probably in his thirties or twenties with black hair, a blue dress shirt and black pants. He had rope wrapped around his torso, bounding his arms. Behind him stood six JLF soldiers armed with guns who were forcing the man towards the edge of the roof.
She could even see the frightened look on the poor man's face clearly from where she was and didn't doubt that he was begging them not to kill him. Sadly, he was pushed over the edge, sending the man down to his death. Dieci felt a tug of pity for the man who had just been killed, but given the situation, she knew this sort of thing was inevitable.
The combat cyborg didn't doubt that the Britannians had seen that, but Dieci had no way of knowing what would be happening next.
It's only as question of when they will execute the next hostage, which will likely be within thirty to sixty minutes, Dieci thought before something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She saw lights being lit up along the road towards the hotel.
"Sein, something else is happening," Dieci reported as she focused on the event happening on the Britannians' side. She saw that their attention was on a news van, but Dieci noticed someone was standing on top of it and focused on that person to get a better look. With a black cape and mask, there was no mistake. "It's Zero. He's…heading straight towards the Britannian military."
"He's what!?" Sein said, equally surprised by such a bold move, if not suicidal. She knew full well of his reputation with the Britannians and the TSAB presently.
As the hijacked news van continued towards the bridge leading to the hotel, the Britannian Military, notably their Sutherlands were moving to surround Zero and cut off any escape routes. At the wheel was Kallen while Ohgi sat shotgun next to her.
"Hey, when Zero went off about justice earlier, what do you think he meant?" Ohgi asked.
"I don't know, but we may die first before we find out. All of our escape routes have been cut off," Kallen answered.
In the back, the mood of the new members Lelouch barely recruited earlier wasn't much better.
"Why didn't we use that other vehicle?" Toru Yoshida commented, prompting Kent Sugiyama to point out.
"So you want the whole world to know what our hideout looks like then?"
"Point taken," Yoshitaka said in agreement.
"I don't know about this Zero character," Naomi said as she had clear doubts about the man. "Are you sure we can trust him?"
"No, that is why I think he looks shifty to me. But if anything goes wrong, I'll do something about it," Tamaki said before bringing his hands together.
"Oh don't worry, everything will work out fine," Quattro said, standing near Sugiyama.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because Zero knows something about the terrorist situation Cornelia knows as well. If she wants a chance to resolve it, then she'll have no choice," Quattro said with a devious smile knowing that the only reason why Cornelia held back was because of Euphemia was among the hostages. A fact she assumed the terrorists were not aware of, but after doing some checking on her own, the combat cyborg confirmed Lelouch's suspicions.
Just before the truck could cross the bridge, Cornelia's personal Knightmare, flanked by Guilford and Dalton's own machines, blocked the truck's path. Zero seemed unfazed by this, but Lelouch began considering his options.
As much as I would love to get back at you for Saitama, you are more useful to me alive. If you do as I predict, I won't need Quattro to deal with you and your men.
It was huge gamble, but the payoff would be huge if it succeeded and the time was at hand to see if it would all go according to plan. The cockpit to Cornelia's machine opened as the Viceroy herself emerged, locking eyes with Zero, even though she couldn't see his face.
"Well, well, we meet again Zero. Are you with the Japan Liberation Front or do you intend to help us? Regardless our concerns take priority over yours for the moment. And so for the humiliation of my half-brother Clovis and the death of my men, I'll take my revenge!" Cornelia declared before drawing a rifle with a sword built into the barrel, pointing it at Zero.
"Cornelia!" Zero began, stopping the woman from shooting him. "Which would you chose: your men who are dead or Euphemia who is still alive?"
The Viceroy was taken aback by the revelation that Zero knew about Euphemia being among the hostages. It was already more than enough for Lelouch to know it was the reason why Cornelia won't take aggressive action.
I knew it and Quattro confirmed it as well. You always dotted on Euphemia after all, so your emotions are getting in the way, which is my advantage.
"It's within my power to save Euphemia for you."
"What do you mean? I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"I can rescue her, I said!" Zero replied, putting Cornelia into a difficult position.
Even you have to see an opportunity in this, Cornelia. You'll let me in, but I will beat you to the punch, I promise you that, Lelouch thought as he was smiling inside his mask.
Dieci was observing the whole exchange from afar, but she couldn't read their lips, especially not those of Zero's due to his mask. However after a few moments of a tense standoff, Cornelia moved her machine aside and allowed Zero to cross the bridge.
"So, what's happening?" Wendi asked.
"The Britannians are allowing Zero across the bridge."
"What did he do to get them to let him go?" Sein asked, wondering about Cornelia's action.
"Maybe a distraction to buy time before the next hostage is executed," Dieci suggested in response.
The truck edged closer to the gates of the hotel's grounds, which were being guarded by members of the Japan Liberation Front. The young man behind the mask couldn't help but wonder how the JLF would treat his arrival.
The JLF would treat me as either their ally or a nuisance. But in any case, I'm sure they can't resist the chance of meeting the infamous Zero.
The guards at the gate stepped aside as they opened for the van, allowing it entry. But as it entered, Lelouch noticed something the moment they passed through the main gate. The van entered a Temporal Force Field, which set off all of the alarms inside Lelouch's mind as he wasn't expecting this.
What is a Temporal Force Field doing here? Could the TSAB…no, they couldn't be involved in this! But then...
No sooner than Lelouch thought about it, he saw four imposing shapes emerge from the lobby of the hotel. They were about five feet tall with cylindrical bodies and four legs with wheels mounted under their feet for quick movements when on flat-surfaces. Lelouch saw the drones aiming their weapons which were a pair of vertically-aligned machine guns mounted on movable turrets on top of their heads.
Well, this explains the failed rescue attempts, Lelouch thought as he called out.
"Abyss Soul Eltreum, Battle Mode!"
The blue orb of Abyss Soul appeared in Lelouch's right hand, but not before the miniature drones opened fire.
Fortunately, four blue spearhead-shaped bits appeared. They created a series of green hexagonal shields that protected Lelouch and the van as Abyss Soul finished transforming into its Device Mode. Abyss Soul had its brand new rifle magazine-style Cartridge System upgrading it into the newly dubbed Abyss Soul Eltreum.
That was very good timing, Quattro.
Lelouch said telepathically to his accomplice, who ordered her Fang-Bits to attack the four drones as they evaded their attempts to shoot them down. Despite deploying a dome shield to weather any attack, the tip of the Fang-like devices began glowing before collision. Instead of being repelled, the bit-like devices bore through the shield before flying through the mini-attack drones and destroying them.
Thank you, Lelouch, Quattro replied mentally before emerging from the van. Her Fangs floated nearby, awaiting further orders from their user. I must remember to thank Peter as well on these Assault Fangs he made for me.
"What the hell was that?" Tamaki exclaimed while Ohgi and Kallen were shocked by what they saw.
"Those things were miniature attack drones designed for enclosed urban environments and buildings," Quattro explained, putting on a black mask that was similar to the visors worn by Ohgi and the others to hide their identities. Hers covered her whole face, save for the top of her head and hair. "They aren't like the larger ones, but they are dangerous to anyone who's unprepared to handle them. It must be why the Britannians had a hard time trying to rescue the hostages in the first place."
"But how could the Japan Liberation Front possess such weapons?" Ohgi asked.
"Well it's not quite the JLF," Zero answered. "Because if they knew who their supplier was, then I doubt they would accept anything from him."
"Who is it?"
"The Mandarin," Quattro answered with venom in her voice at the mention of the name. "He's the real power behind the Britannian war machine and the one of the people most responsible for Japan becoming Area 11."
The group was surprised as expected by the revelation, but Zero didn't have much time to elaborate further as JLF soldiers exited the building, accompanied by two Yoshimitsu Troopers.
"I promise to explain more once we save the hostages and escape," Zero said while ready for battle as was Quattro. "Stay behind me and Quattro and provide cover fire!"
"Right," Ohgi said willing to trust Zero. The others had their doubts still, but it was too late for them to turn back now, so they joined Ohgi in his effort to help the two out.
Quattro made her move first, hurling a pair of grenades between the belligerents. At the same time, her Assault Fangs projected more shields that protected Ohgi, Kallen and the others from gunfire. As the troops guarding the front entrance came in, Yoshida and Naomi engaged them from the left and right of the truck respectively.
The two Yoshimitsu Troopers charged into the smoke emitted from the grenades without realizing they released chaff as well. Their electronic sensors were being disrupted, which caused them to suffer brief moments of disorientation. The confused cyborg soldiers began to renew their charge after getting back to their bearings. Before they knew it, a slicing beam of energy tore through their bodies. Any JLF soldiers stationed at the main entrance into the hotel who were not riddled with bullets by Ohgi's group suffered the same fate. Zero had used the Mirror Prism to deal with them while his conjured bits reflected other beams around the smoke cloud, striking the remaining grunts.
Ohgi and the others were in awe at the display of power Zero was demonstrating.
"Zero, you better go and find the hostages," Quattro suggested.
"Are you sure you can handle things down here?"
"Heh, don't insult me. I'm far more capable than I was back then."
"Alright, I am leaving you and Ohgi in charge down here. Once you clear out the enemies, begin with our plan."
"It will be finished by the time you're done." Quattro said with an assuring smirk on her face.
"Very well. Let's go, Abyss Soul."
"Yes, sir. Seraph Wings." The device said as Zero sported the black wings upon his back before taking off for the floor where the hostages being kept.
"Whoa!" Kallen said clearly impressed, but shocked as well.
"I'll say, right? Zero and I were hoping to give you guys a more proper introduction to…well, you know," Quattro said with a grin.
Quattro and Ohgi's group entered the hotel lobby as another arrived on the scene. Sein's finger emerged from the ground to see the carnage left behind from the short battle that had happened moments ago. Once she was sure the close was clear the combat cyborg emerged from the ground to survey the battlefield, kneeling down by one of the dead troopers.
Hey, these are the same troopers the TSAB fought on Mid-Childa, Sein thought with a smile. She could then overhear more gunfire between the new arrivals and what sounded like more Troopers and drones. We finally got a very good lead now.
An explosion far above her head got her attention, this time being further above the hotel. In order to avoid being caught in much of the action, she sank back into the ground. The young woman decided to move up through the building and get a closer look happening near the vicinity of what was the twentieth floor.
Up above, Lelouch dodged another shot from a powerful new kind of assault rifle wielded by a Yoshimitsu Trooper, which the young man suspected was deadly against mages. Two more would soon join the trooper in shooting at the masked man, but Lelouch didn't want to risk using his shields, fearful that those weapons could potentially penetrate them.
Here we go, the masked man thought before aiming his device at the trooper. A white chain erupted from the weapon, grabbing the trooper by the neck. Lelouch flew straight down with tremendous speed, using his own descent to drag the trooper out through the window or at least force him to drop his weapon. Thanks to its cybernetic enhanced strength, the trooper managed to hold on, but he lost his weapon. Lelouch used this needed opening to quickly point his Device at the soldier, whose head was in his line of sight.
"Barrel Shot," Lelouch's Intelligence Device said it fired a shot that blew off the top half of the cyborg soldier.
His victory didn't last long as the other two troopers had arrived on the scene and was ready to avenge their fallen comrade. Lelouch flew back up at speeds enough to evade gunfire from the cyborgs.
Combat inside the building is too risky, but if I can get rid of the cyborg troopers then the rest I can manage.
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out as twelve blue spheres appeared around him. Flying past the windows, he could see the Yoshimitsu Troopers Abyss Soul was locking on. "FIRE!"
A good section of the room the troopers were in was devastated, but in the chaos of Lelouch's attack, he moved in as Abyss Soul transformed into its Assault Mode.
"Celestial Lance," The device said as energy gathered around the blades before Lelouch impaled a trooper who had his guard down. He was then forced into melee combat against the other who had brought out its own katana to cross blades. Lelouch was holding his own against his cybernetic enhanced foe, but didn't want to drag the fight out.
After being kicked back by his cybernetic foe, Lelouch readied an attack as he charged to cross blades with his foe again. The two exchanged blow after blow for a few moments until their blades were caught in a stalemate again. This time, Lelouch fired a point-blank barrel shot into the trooper's face, killing him just as Lelouch broke away. With the fighting off, his device ejected its empty magazine before Lelouch reloaded it with a new one he had on hand.
The masked youth had ended his fight with the cyborgs just in time as JLF soldiers armed with standard weapons thankfully entered what remained of the room. Lelouch used a protection spell to shield himself from the bullets while his bits entered the room and automatically attacked the enemies shooting at the shield. Hurrying into the hall, Lelouch went for the food storage room, but got an alert from Abyss Soul upon his arrival.
"Master, I detect three enemies inside."
"Lock on to them and see if you can shoot through their weapons," Lelouch ordered as he didn't want the hostages arming themselves, even though he intended to rescue them. Abyss Soul was calculating and scanning the room ahead once again before.
"Locked on," Abyss Soul said as Lelouch noticed the soldiers were ready to take hostages as human shields in a desperate last stand.
"Celestial Shooter…FIRE!" Lelouch ordered as a single focused beam fired out. Just before hitting the door, it separated into three beams, which struck their targets and destroyed their weapons. Part of the door exploding confused the hostages inside and kept them from seeing the spheres of magic energy killing the soldiers who held them captive.
Milly, Shirley and Nina were stunned as were the other hostages, uncertain of what killed the men who had been guarding them. As Lelouch approached the food storage room, a voice called out to him from behind.
"So, you're Zero," Captain Ri said with a sneer.
"Give up already. Everything has now fallen apart for you. And besides, why even do this?" Lelouch inquired turning to face the JLF Captain.
"We want to show the world that the Japanese aren't dead yet! Most of all we want all attention on us for the colonel's sake so he can carry out his operation!" Ri answered as he activated a device on his forearm molded after the Han kote of Samurai armor. He began using magic as a purple Al-Hazard Magic Circle appeared at his feet. In his hands were fireballs forming as Lelouch stood ready with Abyss Soul switching over to Shooter Mode.
"I don't have time for this," Lelouch said as his Device began quickly gathering a large amount of energy.
"Take this, you bastard!" Ri cried out as he launched a flamethrower-style magical attack against Lelouch, but he responded with.
"Twilight Breaker!"
Abyss Soul fired a beam of energy that engulfed the hallway along with Ri and his attack which was overpowered by Lelouch's stronger attack. The fact that he tried to fight him in such an enclosed space was a bad idea given the nature of Lelouch's magic and fighting style.
If he tried close quarters combat with that, this might have been a fight, Lelouch thought while putting away his Device. Too bad he was too cocky and arrogant. If I didn't know any better, I think he was only introduced to magic recently.
He then drew out a handgun as he approached the room where the hostages were.
"Are you all, okay?"
"Huh, who are you?" Milly demanded.
"I am...Zero," he declared before turning his attention to a familiar girl hiding among the hostages with long pink hair and casual clothing. "Princess Euphemia, I am certain your sister will be glad with your safe return."
Euphemia was surprised she was spotted so easily. Her bodyguard next to her, an older woman with short hair seemed poised to defend her, but Zero calmed them down.
"Relax, I have no intention of taking any of you hostage. Once a safe route has been secured, you will be escorted out of the building to safety."
On the Britannian side of things they preparing to make their own move as within the tunnel below the hotel, the Raikō found itself in a bad situation. It was minutes ago that the Raikō was engaged against the brand new Z-01 Lancelot piloted by Suzaku. Unlike the Sutherlands that were effortlessly destroyed, the Lancelot, with its high-mobility frame and its Blaze Luminous MSV particle shield, allowed it to weather most of the shots fired at it so far.
"It broke through Salvo number five! I can't believe it!" The pilot of the machine said as the Lancelot was going to reach them in a matter of minutes at this rate.
"Just don't panic, deploy the quad-linked free fire arm gun batteries, too!" The man sitting behind the pilot declared. "We'll shield this final defense with our lives!"
In the cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku knew his enemy was ready to throw all it had at the Lancelot, so he needed to do something in turn or risk being destroyed. He would rescue Milly, Shirley and Nina no matter what it took, even if he died in the attempt.
"Miss Cecile, it's time for me to use the VARIS," Suzaku declared.
"No, you could be killed!" Cecile warned on the communication channel. The VARIS, short for Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire, was the experimental weapon exclusive at present to the Lancelot, based on revolutionary leaps in railgun technology that fired beam-like rounds. It possessed incredible destructive potential that exceeded what most Knightmare weapons were capable of, but it had yet to be combat tested. It presented a risk of the weapon malfunctioning, which could destroy the gun along with the machine carrying it.
"There is no room for me to evade, I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot!"
Lancelot drew the VARIS taking aim.
"Use maximum output! I don't give a damn if it destroys the guns." The officer behind the weapon controls shouted as he saw the Lancelot readying to fire its weapon at them. "We will die defending this spot, so SMASH HIM!"
The Raikō fired its most powerful shot yet, but the Lancelot simultaneously fired its own shot directly at the incoming shell. Just as it deployed its ball bearings, the railgun shot tore through the main shell. Additionally, the passing of the high-speed shell tore the ball bearings apart, saving the Lancelot before it went clear down the barrel of the Raikō.
The large mobile weapon exploded, destroying the tunnel. Using the explosion as a boost, the Lancelot was launched high into the air, giving it the perfect vantage point for completing its mission. Even Cornelia, despite her disdain of Suzaku, was shocked at the outcome. However, she didn't let the feeling remain long as this meant she had the chance she needed to save Euphie. Suzaku took aim and fired hitting the foundation block, causing the hotel to begin sinking.
However, before Suzaku could land on the ground, he noticed someone standing at one of the windows and observing him. Zooming in on the figure, Suzaku recognized him as Zero from the media coverage of him during the incident at the Viceroy's palace.
"No way," Suzaku muttered while Lelouch was equally surprised by this turn of events.
So they built another one, but no matter, Lelouch thought before hitting the button on a remote detonator.
A chain of explosions tore apart the upper floor of the hotel.
"EUPHIE!" Cornelia shouted.
"MY FRIENDS!" Suzaku jumped into the smoke of the collapsing hotel.
"Warrant Officer Kururugi, don't!" Lloyd ordered as the Lancelot disappeared.
Opposite of them, Wendi was sitting along the shore of the lake with Dieci, shaking her fists happily at the action.
"NOW, THAT IS MORE LIKE IT!" Wendi exclaimed.
"But Wendi, Sein was in there..." Dieci pointed out, concerned about the well-being of her older sister.
At a nearby news van, Dietard, who was very bored at the situation, was more than eager to see the outcome of things. This especially started when he got word that one of their news vans were stolen behind their backs by Zero and his lackeys.
"Can you pick up any cameras from Van #3?" he asked his crew.
"I already told you, Zero took the van!" one responded.
"Then wait until you get a signal from them!"
It is possible that if Zero ever came up, his crew will try to cut off the broadcast. To make sure that doesn't happen, he called his news station to keep it running, claiming any responsibility for what happens. Even so, he still wondered.
What are trying to do, Zero? Was this part of your plan? To show us something?
As the smoke cleared, Lloyd fainted and Cecile sight to see the Lancelot stand fine in the rubble of the hotel. But the pilot inside banged the controls in agony as all hope for the survival of the hostages seemed to be zero. Just about then, a yacht was sailing out from the wrecked harbor that had been near one of the collapsed bridges of the hotel.
Within the lounge of the Arthra were Hayate, Nanoha and Signum. The three were having a discussion on their investigation so far while enjoying dinner. Vita who hurried into the lounge in the middle of their discussion.
"Hayate, please turn on the monitor. Change it to Japan's news networks, right now!" Vita announced.
"Huh? What's wrong, Vita?" Hayate asked.
"He's back, it's Zero!"
Hayate used a remote lying on a table nearby to quickly turn on the monitor. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about changing the channel since it was already on a news program in broadcasted the hostage incident at Lake Kawaguchi. On the screen was the masked man Ginga encountered twice as the eldest child of the Nakajima Family hurried into the lounge.
"My dear Britannians, have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero return them to you unharmed," Zero announced. The scene on the monitor switched to images of the hostages, who were in a number of life rafts surrounding the boat.
Moments later, the scene shifted back to Zero. The camera that was on him pulled back before a set of lights on the front of the yacht were turned on. Ohgi, Kallen, Tamaki and the others minus Quattro were revealed standing behind Zero.
"People! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit! We...are the Black Knights!" Zero declared.
"Black Knights," Nanoha muttered.
"Terrorists referring to themselves as knights?" Signum commented with a hint of anger.
"We of the Black Knights stand by all those who have no weapons to wield…regardless of whether they be Elevens or Britannians!" Zero said before he continued. "The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them! It was a wanton and meaningless act; therefore, they have been punished along with the ringleader."
"He killed them," Shamal said surprised, but she was wondering how it all happened without them knowing about it.
"We didn't know anything about Zero's involvement, but," Fate stopped, looking to her mother for answers, but she had none. The rest of the crew on the bridge were watching the same declaration from the mysterious Zero, who continued his speech.
"Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens. We cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions! I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty or formidable our foe may be!" Zero declared before he wrapped up his speech. "Those of you with power, fear us!" Zero extended one arm out before the other in a flamboyant fashion. "Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
Ending the transmission, Quattro was below deck in one of the rooms with her keyboard and holographic displays surrounding her. All that was left now was to escape the Britannians, but that task would be easy enough. However, the combat cyborg was still troubled. Although it was fortunate on their part that there weren't that many, the appearance of the Mandarin's cyborgs was unexpected.
Had they been more serious and had more of those troopers and attack drones to back them up, things could have turned out differently, Quattro thought. She had an ace up her sleeve to deal with the drones, but decided against using it for now. Still, Lelouch mentioned the whole incident was a distraction, so what was going on to prompt such a large-scale distraction?
On the Arthra, Nanoha and Hayate were speechless at what they just saw. A few members of the crew who were inside the lounge at the time finally spoke. At least one of them broke the silence.
"W-what did we just watch?" A junior officer looked around. This was the first time they encountered something unusual like this as a number missed out the Mandarin's broadcast last time. Zero was a hot topic for gossip after officer Nakajima was brought down by the masked man. To see him in person was completely different than hearsay on the base.
"What are you all gaping at the screen for!?" Vita shouted. "Show's over, get back to work!"
Immediately, everyone woke up from their stupor as they can be seen going back to their posts, hurrying out the lounge. Ginga was left speechless, but a female officer stopped by her.
"Ginga-" the female TSAB officer asked next to the young woman on her way out. "Was that him?" She glanced between the screen and her comrade.
"It's him," Ginga confirmed. She recognized the cape, mask and definitely the voice and the way he spoke.
The last time they tangled, Zero overwhelmed her with a magic system she has never seen before. Now, he has a small army of his own. Her experience over the years as a Ground Forces officer told her that he is a much more dangerous criminal than ever before now that he has allies on his side, which make it just as difficult to arrest him.
Even though both police and criminal were not facing each other; the junior officers standing near Ginga felt tension in the air like an emitting killing intent. The empty looking lens of the mask dehumanized the masked man, but did not frighten the determined young woman from facing him one more time in the field.
"We meet again, Zero," Ginga swore as one junior officer saw her eyes change color for a brief moment. "I won't let you escape from me again."
On the bridge, however, Lindy spoke after sighing at this latest development.
"HQ won't like this," Lindy complained. "They won't like this at all."
Elsewhere at the Yokohama Port by the Tokyo Bay, a certain female was turned off a handheld television she was holding before pocketing it. Suzuka just watched Zero's broadcast while mildly amused by the speech. But simultaneously, she was vexed that they lost all of their men at the hotel.
"Well, the incident did not end as per the plan," Kusakabe commented approaching her.
"Nevertheless, we achieved our objective, but we'll need to do something about this Zero."
"Shall we hunt him down?"
"No, we'll let him run around for now. Have him draw the TSAB's attention until the time is right. As for us, we are one step closer to our goal," Suzuka said as they boarded the Botany Bay, a Britannian-registered Suezmax vessel designed for transporting large amounts of cargo or anything too big for ordinary vessels. A Yoshimitsu Trooper lead them below deck into the cargo hold where awaiting activation were six Wyvern Drones.
"The other two tankers have arrived and off-loaded their cargo in Osaka and at the Onahama Port in Iwaki." Kusakabe noted.
"Excellent," Suzuka smiled at the thought of the six huge drones in the ship.
Here it goes.
Chapter 14
The Demon King and His Knights
The Demon King and His Knights
Two days later, a train was speeding across the tracks with Shirley, Nina and Milly. They were on their way to the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center for a fun evening away from the academy, short of a girls' night out event. Sitting in a comfortable cabin, the three girls were excited, although Nina didn't show it because deep down, she was nervous about leaving the Settlement.
"I have never been outside the Tokyo Settlement before! This is my first time!" Shirley exclaimed, looking out a window.
"I bet you wish Lelouch could have come with us, don't you?" Milly teased, stunning Shirley for a moment and allowing the blonde to add in. "Don't be so shy. Tonight, we can stay up all night talking. Why don't we tell each other which boys we like from school?"
"Then I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about then, Miss President," Shirley said giving Milly a suspicious glare, knowing she would dominate that conversation and likely use it to get some information from her for which she can use.
The train then passed through a tunnel, causing Nina to grip her hands in fright. Milly left her seat to kneel before her longtime friend, holding her hands to ease her worries.
"Relax Nina, there are plenty of Britannian tourists at Lake Kawaguchi, so security is fine. Don't be afraid, it's not the ghettos."
"Yes, but…"
"We'll be with you the whole time. We won't leave your side for a second," Milly said reassuringly.
"Uh thanks," Nina said smiling, feeling more assured of her safety.
Exiting the tunnel, the group got a wonderful view of Mt Fuji and their destination, which prompted Shirley to mention.
"Too bad Quattro couldn't come along, but Kallen would've been more than welcomed to come. She is the newest member of the Council after all."
"I know, but I wish we could have brought some of Lelouch's old friends with us," Milly began with a devilish smile.
"Huh, but Suzaku said he couldn't come?" Shirley asked confusingly.
"Oh, you haven't met his other old friends. They are all girls, three of them. But I think one of them has an eye for Lelouch...hee hee...maybe all of them do. Say, do you suppose Lelouch is starting a harem?" Milly said. She obviously exaggerated the facts, but it worked for the blonde teenager's purpose as Shirley's face turned bright pink before exclaiming.
"WHAT!?"
"Ah-coo!"
Lelouch was dressed as Zero, sitting on a sofa in the back of the large two-story mobile home. Trying to do conduct his upcoming activities from Ashford Academy presented far too many risks, he decided to use this as a mobile base of operations.
Quattro noticed the sudden behavior from Lelouch, wearing a black uniform trimmed with gray, a black shirt with matching stockings and high heels. She also wore a black and gray variation of her cape over her shoulders. Her uniform was one of the two optional female uniforms Lelouch had designed with some input from Graham.
"Something wrong?" Quattro asked Lelouch as the two were inside what would be their new mobile headquarters for their new organization.
"I don't know. Maybe I should clean the mask later."
"Maybe, but I think someone was talking about you," Quattro said slyly.
Fate and Shamal were inside a small apartment room they temporary leased, giving them a bird's eye view of the Ashford Academy. The interior of the apartment was empty save for some chairs and a table. There wasn't much else, but the room and its location were more than enough to serve its purpose.
"Lelouch is in class, although he doesn't seem interested," Shamal reported.
"Maybe I am just overreacting," Fate replied as she sat on a wooden chair in the kitchen.
"I know the feeling, but something about this doesn't feel right. I don't want to accuse Lelouch of anything, but I just can't shake the feeling something is amiss. Nunnally regaining her ability to walk, considering the damage to her legs and spine? It shouldn't be possible even with Britannia's most advanced medical technology. It just seems impossible, but Lelouch would have a motive to see Britannian destroyed."
"I know he would have a motive, but does Lelouch even have the capacity to use magic? I observed Lelouch in physical education that rules him out as Zero, especially if you look at the footage between Zero fighting Ginga." Fate noted as Lelouch's physical abilities seem lacking like when he was a child.
Although he used tactics and illusions to his advantage, Fate underwent second thoughts. So Zero has a clever tactical mind…something Lelouch possesses given his proficiently at strategy.
Although one part of Fate felt Lelouch wasn't Zero, another was telling her otherwise.
But unaware to the two members of the Bureau, the Lelouch they were observing was a stand-in for the real Lelouch who was elsewhere.
"Lelouch, they're here," Quattro said before heading up stairs.
"Alright," Lelouch said as the door opened moments later. Outside, Ohgi and his fellow resistance members including Kallen stood outside, seemingly uncertain what do next. "What are you waiting for? Come in."
Ohgi entered first, finding Zero sitting in the rear.
"As of this moment, this will be our hideout."
"So you think joining up with us is a good idea?" Ohgi inquired as Kallen and others soon also entered the large vehicle.
"Yes, we're comrades after all."
"Holy cow," Tamaki muttered, impressed by the interior. "So what is this place?"
"Would you mind if I asked how you came by all this?" Ohgi inquired.
"I borrowed it from a rather libertine nobleman who indulges my requests."
"You asked for it? Just like that?" Ohgi asked genuinely surprised.
"Don't worry, no strings attached," Lelouch as Zero said, assuring his new allies and the first members of the new organization he intended to build. What Lelouch told Ohgi was partly true; in truth, Graham had used his new connections with Kyoto to acquire the trailer through some underground connections within the black market. Quattro then covered up any trails that might allow anyone to trace the purchases back to him.
"This place is huge," Yoshitaka Minami commented.
"Check it out, it even has a second story," Toru Yoshida added.
"On the other hand, no one would suspect us hiding in something like this," Kallen pointed out.
"It even has a TV," Minami said, sitting down on the sofa. The bespectacled man picked up a remote on the table before the large eighty-inch flat-screen on the wall. Upon turning on the TV, the man had unknowingly brought on an emergency news report.
"How is it at the scene?" a male newscaster asked. The scene switched to a female reporter with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a brownish-red suit complete with a skirt and a white dress shirt.
"I am standing outside the Lake Kawaguchi Conversation Center Hotel. The hotel hijackers have identified themselves as members of the Japan Liberation Front. Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably Chairman James were taken hostage as well as several tourists and hotel employees. Here is footage taken by perpetrators where you can see Chairman James along with some students," The reporter said before footage of a group of hostages being held at gunpoint by former members of the Japanese Military. Milly, Shirley and Nina could be seen among the hostages.
"The…student council," Kallen muttered which Lelouch picked up on.
Lelouch, you just heard the news I assume.
Lelouch heard Quattro's voice in his mind.
I know. Is there anything else about this incident? It seems sudden, so could they be involved in this?
I am looking into it. The annual yearly meeting of Sakuradite Producers was supposed to take place today so they are trying to use it to their advantage, although it is a poor one at that. Cornelia will likely sacrifice the hostages if attempts to rescue them fail she won't negotiation with them.
I know, which why there has to be something else. Either they planned this out poorly or there is someone or something else that can make for a worthwhile bargaining chip.
I agree, I'll tell you if I find out anything, Quattro said before she and Lelouch ended their telepathic conversation.
The female announcer continued the conversation, repeating their conversation.
"Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacturing of high-temperature superconductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area 11 is the largest producer of this material, providing 70% of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly national meeting of Sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and other countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover."
"So they made their move," Tamaki commented as Ohgi and the others began talking about the hotel takeover.
"The Japan Liberation Front is easily the largest anti-Britannian faction in Japan, and now their pride is hurt," Ohgi pointed out.
"Because of us?" Minami asked.
"Probably," Ohgi said, unable to think of anything else that could have prompted such a move.
"It doesn't matter," Tamaki cast it out. "Either way, they're going to end up dead."
Lelouch silently listened, but moments later, Quattro began to descend down the stairs.
"Hello Kallen," Quattro began.
"Hello Quattro…QUATTRO!? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Kallen exclaimed in shock.
"Who the hell is this chick!?" Tamaki demanded.
"Quattro. She's from the academy!"
"Isn't it obvious I work for Zero?" Quattro said with a smirk, but Kallen realized just how Zero got that note to her. "I mean, how did you think he found out about you in Ashford Academy, Kallen Stadtfeld? Or do you prefer Kallen Kozuki? I have known about your little double life for some time. Taking cell phone calls from Ohgi while in the Academy is dangerous and while your attempts to hide your true self through a slickly appearance is effective for the most part, there have been moments where you slipped up."
"But why are you working for Zero?"
"I have my personal reasons, but if you are worried about me being trustworthy, then I'll dispel your worries shortly. After all, if I wanted you gone, there are ways in which I could have easily made it happen."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, but didn't you know, Kallen, that the Devil's greatest lie was to make the world believe that he never existed?"
"Quattro, I assume you already know about the news," Zero began, merely playing out a quick excuse to interrupt the two women. He was clearly worried that their little argument could cause his meeting with Ohgi and the others to turn sour.
"Yes, and I got some updates straight from the military," Quattro replied, whipping out a PDA unit to use a medium for her IS to display information on the television screen without freaking out their new allies. She showed them a tactical display of the area around the conversation center in real-time as well as Britannia's attempts so far to rescue the hostages.
"How the hell did you get that?" Ohgi said, both shocked but very impressed at the same time.
"Quattro…let's just say she has a unique way with machines and has skills that enable her to acquire information normally impossible for the average hacker. Therefore, she works with me as an intelligence officer. In fact, it was thanks to her we managed to steal the new prototype weapon the Britannians were going to unleash in Shinjuku Ghetto."
Kallen, Ohgi and the others were stunned by this revelation. But as introductions proceeded, word of the incident already spread to other groups just as quickly it had reached them.
No one was more worried about the situation than Viceroy Cornelia, who was trying to put an end to it. There was just an unforeseen problem that prevented her from taking decisive action. She was aboard the G-1, parked near the only remaining road leading to the hotel as the other two connecting bridges by the shores of the lake collapsed.
Present with her was Guilford and Darlton, who were consulting with three Staff Officers in reviewing their attempts so far to rescue the hostages.
"All bridges with the exception of the main one were destroyed. Our attempts at rescue from the air and water have been unsuccessful. But there is one possible route left that could allow us to develop a possible hostage rescue plan," a Staff Officer explained before displaying on the main monitor for Cornelia. On a tactical layout of the hotel, there was a tunnel that ran below the main bridge towards the foundation of the hotel itself. "The main utilities tunnel running directly below the hotel itself. Our plan is to move in, destroy the foundation block and submerge the hotel. Since the tunnel was built for supply deliveries, it should be able to allow our Sutherlands to move through. Even if the enemy has taken precautions, it should prove to be no problem."
"Very well, proceed," Cornelia ordered as minutes later, three Sutherlands were lowered into the tunnel.
The Sutherlands advanced towards their destinations under the assumption that they were dealing with sub-standard weaponry and old Knightmare Frames. Unfortunately, that misconception would be a costly one. Far ahead was a large mobile weapon with eight-legs and a large cannon built into it. The machine was made from four Glasgows to create a massive walking coilgun dubbed the Type-11/5G Raikō. Inside the double-cockpit of the machine its two pilots, members of the Japanese Liberation Front, detecting the three Sutherlands approaching them.
"Three units detected. As expected, they are moving through the underground tunnel," The first pilot said while his superior complied.
"Roger that, Raikō secondary start-up. Prepare the Super Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon."
"Roger, voltage confirmed."
As the Sutherlands closed in, they picked up the lights of the machine ahead of them.
"I think these guys has Knightmare rifles," the leading pilot spoke. "Spread out and break their ranks."
But even as they were spreading out, preparing to charge right on through, it was too late.
"Super Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannon…FIRE!" The second pilot shouted as he pulled the trigger and fired a high velocity shell. Moments after leaving the barrel, two-dozen steel ball bearings tore through three Sutherlands, wiping them out in one shot.
As the Japan Liberation Front was celebrating the success of the Raikō, the Britannians were left shocked by this turn of events.
"Wiped out!?" Dalton exclaimed when news of the Sutherlands' fate reached him.
"It looks like they have modified a Glasgow into a linear cannon," one Staff Officer replied. "There's no way we can break through now!"
"What do we do!?" another officer in more of a panic exclaimed. "If we release the political prisoners as they demand-"
"We cannot show weakness to terrorists!" Cornelia snapped before Guilford approached, lowering his head to her level to whisper into her ear.
"But Princess Euphemia she is…"
"Yes I know," Cornelia said in a calmer tone of voice, but Dalton knew what they were discussing.
"So far it seems they haven't discovered that fact. If they learn that Princess Euphemia is among the hostages, they will no doubt use her as a bargaining chip. She went to the convention only to observe, so she isn't listed among the other guests."
Unfortunately, the Britannians didn't know that the Japan Liberation Front were fully aware of Euphemia's presence. Inside one of the penthouse rooms was a clean-shaven man in his mid-thirties with a box-cut hairstyle, wearing a military uniform with the rank of Captain upon it. He saw before a television set, having a video phone call with Kusakabe.
"The Raikō was a complete success, sir," Captain Ri reported with satisfaction.
"Excellent work, but is Princess Euphemia secured?"
"Yes sir, we have the princess. So far, we haven't made it known yet that we are fully aware of her identity. Not even she knows that we know."
"Good, but I want you to keep it that way for now until tonight. Once our objective is complete, you will use Euphemia as needed. Most importantly, I want this incident to be dragged out as long as possible with everyone watching."
"Don't worry, sir. We're prepared to hold out for days if need be."
Kusakabe laughed before commenting. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that. We just need it to last until tonight."
Outside the hotel on the shoreline of the lake was Suzaku, in the company of Cecile and their superior, Lloyd Asplund. Much to their relief, they received the new Lancelot unit to replace the one that was stolen. Although the speed of delivery was surprising, if it put Lloyd in more bearable spirits, then none would question it. However, a seemingly bored Lloyd was sitting along the shore, skipping rocks along the water's surface.
"Can't the Special Corps assist in anyway?" Suzaku asked as he observed Lloyd skip another pebble.
"We are an irregular unit. They don't recognize our chain of command and besides," Lloyd said, stopping midway to toss another stone across the water. Suzaku already knew what his superior was going to say.
"It's too risky to entrust this operation to an Eleven, isn't that right?"
"As I am sure, you know Princess Cornelia is quite discriminating between Britannians and Numbers," the scientist and engineer pointed out.
"So the Japanese are not being accepted enough into your structure then?"
"If that is the case, then what's the point of even having an Honorary Britannian system?" Cecile asked, but no one had an answer for her.
Of course, there was another group who felt inclined to observe events up close, partly because they had nothing else to follow on. Also, being cooped up in the clubroom was proving a little difficult for them.
Three combat cyborgs had chosen a vacant apartment that gave them a good view of the lake and the hotel from a safe distance. Thanks to Dieci, she was able to zoom in on the hotel's exterior and parts of its interior she could see through open windows to get a better idea of what was happening inside.
"So, are we going to see a cop take down all of the terrorists, and then a rooftop explosion?" Wendi asked with a hopeful expression. Sein wasn't sure how to answer her while Dieci was more focused on observing the hotel, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary.
"Well, I don't think it's going to play out like that, Wendi..."
"Awwww, but I want to see real-life action like in that movie! You know, where a lone policeman trapped in a building full of terrorists picked them off one by one before having to jump off, holding onto dear life with a fire hose!?" The red-haired number said with stars in her eyes.
"Uh…sure, maybe we will," Sein said rubbing the back of her head, letting Wendi keep dreaming.
"Do you think we'll see the Mandarin's followers involved?" Dieci joined in.
"Well, there are rumors Uno picked up, believing that the ground soldiers used in his attack in Cranagan were former Japanese military," Sein answered. "Besides, we don't have anything else right now."
"I suppose you're right, but how long do you think this will last?"
"Hard to say, but it's better if we wait."
Later in the afternoon, Ohgi, Kallen and the others were moving equipment and items Lelouch brought for them. Despite some concerns about Quattro among their new allies, they were dispelled once they discovered that Zero had the backing of Kyoto behind him, enough proof to ease their concerns.
"Where do you want this?" Tamaki asked.
"Put it by the driver's seat." Ohgi answered while Kallen was upstairs opening another box. She began to overhear a television report, interviewing a man with brown hair, wearing an olive-green suit. His name was Joseph Fenette, Shirley's father who was speaking to the reporter and was obviously distressed by his daughter's situation as a hostage.
"She was only sightseeing! She is still a student, yet these criminals act indiscriminately! Savages…I want to know if Shir…I want to know if my daughter is alright! She hasn't done anything wrong!"
Lelouch as Zero watched the report silently inside the small room he claimed as his office, seated in a chair before a desk with a portable television built into it. Lelouch's thoughts were in conflict as he wanted to do something, but it was far too soon and they were not properly organized yet.
I just barely assembled them and trying to handle this situation could cause a repeat of what happened back in Saitama Ghetto. We can't sit around and do nothing either because knowing Cornelia she would just sacrifice the hostages and, Lelouch was thinking before he realized something. Wait then, why doesn't she make her move? Unless...
"Uh Zero," Kallen said, entering the room and interrupting Lelouch's thoughts. He muted the television report to listen. "What will happen to the hostages?"
"Eventually, there will be no reason to keep those Britannians alive," Lelouch as Zero replied to Kallen, who sadly agreed with him.
"I suppose you're right."
"Hey Zero, should I hand these out to everyone?" Ohgi asked, entering the room with a box full of uniforms similar to what Quattro wore. "As far as gear goes, it's pretty hip, but we're just a resistance group so-"
"Wrong," Zero said, instantly turning around in his chair to face Ohgi, who addressed the surprised man. "We're not a resistance group, is that clear?"
"Then what are we?"
"What we are," Zero said, rising up from his chair to make his declaration. "What we are trying to be...are Knights for Justice!"
-----
Later that night, nothing had changed since the incident began. For the cyborgs, it was becoming almost mind-numbing as they almost regretted their decision to come observe what was turning out to be a dead-end. Dieci, however, with literally nothing better to occupy her time with, kept observing the building looking for any signs of the situation changing or something else that would be worth their time to investigate.
"Man, this is boring. No explosions, no gunfire…NOTHING!" Wendi wailed, expecting more excitement than this.
"This isn't an action movie, Wendi," Dieci said bluntly.
"Alright, we'll give this one more hour and," Sein said with a sigh, deciding it was probably almost time to call it a night when suddenly...
"Sein, the situation is changing. The terrorists have taken a hostage onto the roof," Dieci reported, noticing two bright spotlights to get the attention of the Britannians and ensure they would see what would happen next.
"Huh," Sein said as she thought that was rather sudden, given how much time had passed since the takeover began.
"Oh, so this is where they start executing hostages because their demands have gone unanswered," Wendi said mischievously.
Dieci said nothing, but focused on the event happening on the roof. Thanks to her enhancements, she had the best vision among all of her sisters, which made her perfectly suited for her role as a long-range shooter and sniper. She could see what was happening on the roof in perfect clarity and saw a man probably in his thirties or twenties with black hair, a blue dress shirt and black pants. He had rope wrapped around his torso, bounding his arms. Behind him stood six JLF soldiers armed with guns who were forcing the man towards the edge of the roof.
She could even see the frightened look on the poor man's face clearly from where she was and didn't doubt that he was begging them not to kill him. Sadly, he was pushed over the edge, sending the man down to his death. Dieci felt a tug of pity for the man who had just been killed, but given the situation, she knew this sort of thing was inevitable.
The combat cyborg didn't doubt that the Britannians had seen that, but Dieci had no way of knowing what would be happening next.
It's only as question of when they will execute the next hostage, which will likely be within thirty to sixty minutes, Dieci thought before something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She saw lights being lit up along the road towards the hotel.
"Sein, something else is happening," Dieci reported as she focused on the event happening on the Britannians' side. She saw that their attention was on a news van, but Dieci noticed someone was standing on top of it and focused on that person to get a better look. With a black cape and mask, there was no mistake. "It's Zero. He's…heading straight towards the Britannian military."
"He's what!?" Sein said, equally surprised by such a bold move, if not suicidal. She knew full well of his reputation with the Britannians and the TSAB presently.
As the hijacked news van continued towards the bridge leading to the hotel, the Britannian Military, notably their Sutherlands were moving to surround Zero and cut off any escape routes. At the wheel was Kallen while Ohgi sat shotgun next to her.
"Hey, when Zero went off about justice earlier, what do you think he meant?" Ohgi asked.
"I don't know, but we may die first before we find out. All of our escape routes have been cut off," Kallen answered.
In the back, the mood of the new members Lelouch barely recruited earlier wasn't much better.
"Why didn't we use that other vehicle?" Toru Yoshida commented, prompting Kent Sugiyama to point out.
"So you want the whole world to know what our hideout looks like then?"
"Point taken," Yoshitaka said in agreement.
"I don't know about this Zero character," Naomi said as she had clear doubts about the man. "Are you sure we can trust him?"
"No, that is why I think he looks shifty to me. But if anything goes wrong, I'll do something about it," Tamaki said before bringing his hands together.
"Oh don't worry, everything will work out fine," Quattro said, standing near Sugiyama.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because Zero knows something about the terrorist situation Cornelia knows as well. If she wants a chance to resolve it, then she'll have no choice," Quattro said with a devious smile knowing that the only reason why Cornelia held back was because of Euphemia was among the hostages. A fact she assumed the terrorists were not aware of, but after doing some checking on her own, the combat cyborg confirmed Lelouch's suspicions.
Just before the truck could cross the bridge, Cornelia's personal Knightmare, flanked by Guilford and Dalton's own machines, blocked the truck's path. Zero seemed unfazed by this, but Lelouch began considering his options.
As much as I would love to get back at you for Saitama, you are more useful to me alive. If you do as I predict, I won't need Quattro to deal with you and your men.
It was huge gamble, but the payoff would be huge if it succeeded and the time was at hand to see if it would all go according to plan. The cockpit to Cornelia's machine opened as the Viceroy herself emerged, locking eyes with Zero, even though she couldn't see his face.
"Well, well, we meet again Zero. Are you with the Japan Liberation Front or do you intend to help us? Regardless our concerns take priority over yours for the moment. And so for the humiliation of my half-brother Clovis and the death of my men, I'll take my revenge!" Cornelia declared before drawing a rifle with a sword built into the barrel, pointing it at Zero.
"Cornelia!" Zero began, stopping the woman from shooting him. "Which would you chose: your men who are dead or Euphemia who is still alive?"
The Viceroy was taken aback by the revelation that Zero knew about Euphemia being among the hostages. It was already more than enough for Lelouch to know it was the reason why Cornelia won't take aggressive action.
I knew it and Quattro confirmed it as well. You always dotted on Euphemia after all, so your emotions are getting in the way, which is my advantage.
"It's within my power to save Euphemia for you."
"What do you mean? I have no idea what you are talking about!"
"I can rescue her, I said!" Zero replied, putting Cornelia into a difficult position.
Even you have to see an opportunity in this, Cornelia. You'll let me in, but I will beat you to the punch, I promise you that, Lelouch thought as he was smiling inside his mask.
Dieci was observing the whole exchange from afar, but she couldn't read their lips, especially not those of Zero's due to his mask. However after a few moments of a tense standoff, Cornelia moved her machine aside and allowed Zero to cross the bridge.
"So, what's happening?" Wendi asked.
"The Britannians are allowing Zero across the bridge."
"What did he do to get them to let him go?" Sein asked, wondering about Cornelia's action.
"Maybe a distraction to buy time before the next hostage is executed," Dieci suggested in response.
The truck edged closer to the gates of the hotel's grounds, which were being guarded by members of the Japan Liberation Front. The young man behind the mask couldn't help but wonder how the JLF would treat his arrival.
The JLF would treat me as either their ally or a nuisance. But in any case, I'm sure they can't resist the chance of meeting the infamous Zero.
The guards at the gate stepped aside as they opened for the van, allowing it entry. But as it entered, Lelouch noticed something the moment they passed through the main gate. The van entered a Temporal Force Field, which set off all of the alarms inside Lelouch's mind as he wasn't expecting this.
What is a Temporal Force Field doing here? Could the TSAB…no, they couldn't be involved in this! But then...
No sooner than Lelouch thought about it, he saw four imposing shapes emerge from the lobby of the hotel. They were about five feet tall with cylindrical bodies and four legs with wheels mounted under their feet for quick movements when on flat-surfaces. Lelouch saw the drones aiming their weapons which were a pair of vertically-aligned machine guns mounted on movable turrets on top of their heads.
Well, this explains the failed rescue attempts, Lelouch thought as he called out.
"Abyss Soul Eltreum, Battle Mode!"
The blue orb of Abyss Soul appeared in Lelouch's right hand, but not before the miniature drones opened fire.
Fortunately, four blue spearhead-shaped bits appeared. They created a series of green hexagonal shields that protected Lelouch and the van as Abyss Soul finished transforming into its Device Mode. Abyss Soul had its brand new rifle magazine-style Cartridge System upgrading it into the newly dubbed Abyss Soul Eltreum.
That was very good timing, Quattro.
Lelouch said telepathically to his accomplice, who ordered her Fang-Bits to attack the four drones as they evaded their attempts to shoot them down. Despite deploying a dome shield to weather any attack, the tip of the Fang-like devices began glowing before collision. Instead of being repelled, the bit-like devices bore through the shield before flying through the mini-attack drones and destroying them.
Thank you, Lelouch, Quattro replied mentally before emerging from the van. Her Fangs floated nearby, awaiting further orders from their user. I must remember to thank Peter as well on these Assault Fangs he made for me.
"What the hell was that?" Tamaki exclaimed while Ohgi and Kallen were shocked by what they saw.
"Those things were miniature attack drones designed for enclosed urban environments and buildings," Quattro explained, putting on a black mask that was similar to the visors worn by Ohgi and the others to hide their identities. Hers covered her whole face, save for the top of her head and hair. "They aren't like the larger ones, but they are dangerous to anyone who's unprepared to handle them. It must be why the Britannians had a hard time trying to rescue the hostages in the first place."
"But how could the Japan Liberation Front possess such weapons?" Ohgi asked.
"Well it's not quite the JLF," Zero answered. "Because if they knew who their supplier was, then I doubt they would accept anything from him."
"Who is it?"
"The Mandarin," Quattro answered with venom in her voice at the mention of the name. "He's the real power behind the Britannian war machine and the one of the people most responsible for Japan becoming Area 11."
The group was surprised as expected by the revelation, but Zero didn't have much time to elaborate further as JLF soldiers exited the building, accompanied by two Yoshimitsu Troopers.
"I promise to explain more once we save the hostages and escape," Zero said while ready for battle as was Quattro. "Stay behind me and Quattro and provide cover fire!"
"Right," Ohgi said willing to trust Zero. The others had their doubts still, but it was too late for them to turn back now, so they joined Ohgi in his effort to help the two out.
Quattro made her move first, hurling a pair of grenades between the belligerents. At the same time, her Assault Fangs projected more shields that protected Ohgi, Kallen and the others from gunfire. As the troops guarding the front entrance came in, Yoshida and Naomi engaged them from the left and right of the truck respectively.
The two Yoshimitsu Troopers charged into the smoke emitted from the grenades without realizing they released chaff as well. Their electronic sensors were being disrupted, which caused them to suffer brief moments of disorientation. The confused cyborg soldiers began to renew their charge after getting back to their bearings. Before they knew it, a slicing beam of energy tore through their bodies. Any JLF soldiers stationed at the main entrance into the hotel who were not riddled with bullets by Ohgi's group suffered the same fate. Zero had used the Mirror Prism to deal with them while his conjured bits reflected other beams around the smoke cloud, striking the remaining grunts.
Ohgi and the others were in awe at the display of power Zero was demonstrating.
"Zero, you better go and find the hostages," Quattro suggested.
"Are you sure you can handle things down here?"
"Heh, don't insult me. I'm far more capable than I was back then."
"Alright, I am leaving you and Ohgi in charge down here. Once you clear out the enemies, begin with our plan."
"It will be finished by the time you're done." Quattro said with an assuring smirk on her face.
"Very well. Let's go, Abyss Soul."
"Yes, sir. Seraph Wings." The device said as Zero sported the black wings upon his back before taking off for the floor where the hostages being kept.
"Whoa!" Kallen said clearly impressed, but shocked as well.
"I'll say, right? Zero and I were hoping to give you guys a more proper introduction to…well, you know," Quattro said with a grin.
Quattro and Ohgi's group entered the hotel lobby as another arrived on the scene. Sein's finger emerged from the ground to see the carnage left behind from the short battle that had happened moments ago. Once she was sure the close was clear the combat cyborg emerged from the ground to survey the battlefield, kneeling down by one of the dead troopers.
Hey, these are the same troopers the TSAB fought on Mid-Childa, Sein thought with a smile. She could then overhear more gunfire between the new arrivals and what sounded like more Troopers and drones. We finally got a very good lead now.
An explosion far above her head got her attention, this time being further above the hotel. In order to avoid being caught in much of the action, she sank back into the ground. The young woman decided to move up through the building and get a closer look happening near the vicinity of what was the twentieth floor.
Up above, Lelouch dodged another shot from a powerful new kind of assault rifle wielded by a Yoshimitsu Trooper, which the young man suspected was deadly against mages. Two more would soon join the trooper in shooting at the masked man, but Lelouch didn't want to risk using his shields, fearful that those weapons could potentially penetrate them.
Here we go, the masked man thought before aiming his device at the trooper. A white chain erupted from the weapon, grabbing the trooper by the neck. Lelouch flew straight down with tremendous speed, using his own descent to drag the trooper out through the window or at least force him to drop his weapon. Thanks to its cybernetic enhanced strength, the trooper managed to hold on, but he lost his weapon. Lelouch used this needed opening to quickly point his Device at the soldier, whose head was in his line of sight.
"Barrel Shot," Lelouch's Intelligence Device said it fired a shot that blew off the top half of the cyborg soldier.
His victory didn't last long as the other two troopers had arrived on the scene and was ready to avenge their fallen comrade. Lelouch flew back up at speeds enough to evade gunfire from the cyborgs.
Combat inside the building is too risky, but if I can get rid of the cyborg troopers then the rest I can manage.
"Celestial Shooter," Lelouch called out as twelve blue spheres appeared around him. Flying past the windows, he could see the Yoshimitsu Troopers Abyss Soul was locking on. "FIRE!"
A good section of the room the troopers were in was devastated, but in the chaos of Lelouch's attack, he moved in as Abyss Soul transformed into its Assault Mode.
"Celestial Lance," The device said as energy gathered around the blades before Lelouch impaled a trooper who had his guard down. He was then forced into melee combat against the other who had brought out its own katana to cross blades. Lelouch was holding his own against his cybernetic enhanced foe, but didn't want to drag the fight out.
After being kicked back by his cybernetic foe, Lelouch readied an attack as he charged to cross blades with his foe again. The two exchanged blow after blow for a few moments until their blades were caught in a stalemate again. This time, Lelouch fired a point-blank barrel shot into the trooper's face, killing him just as Lelouch broke away. With the fighting off, his device ejected its empty magazine before Lelouch reloaded it with a new one he had on hand.
The masked youth had ended his fight with the cyborgs just in time as JLF soldiers armed with standard weapons thankfully entered what remained of the room. Lelouch used a protection spell to shield himself from the bullets while his bits entered the room and automatically attacked the enemies shooting at the shield. Hurrying into the hall, Lelouch went for the food storage room, but got an alert from Abyss Soul upon his arrival.
"Master, I detect three enemies inside."
"Lock on to them and see if you can shoot through their weapons," Lelouch ordered as he didn't want the hostages arming themselves, even though he intended to rescue them. Abyss Soul was calculating and scanning the room ahead once again before.
"Locked on," Abyss Soul said as Lelouch noticed the soldiers were ready to take hostages as human shields in a desperate last stand.
"Celestial Shooter…FIRE!" Lelouch ordered as a single focused beam fired out. Just before hitting the door, it separated into three beams, which struck their targets and destroyed their weapons. Part of the door exploding confused the hostages inside and kept them from seeing the spheres of magic energy killing the soldiers who held them captive.
Milly, Shirley and Nina were stunned as were the other hostages, uncertain of what killed the men who had been guarding them. As Lelouch approached the food storage room, a voice called out to him from behind.
"So, you're Zero," Captain Ri said with a sneer.
"Give up already. Everything has now fallen apart for you. And besides, why even do this?" Lelouch inquired turning to face the JLF Captain.
"We want to show the world that the Japanese aren't dead yet! Most of all we want all attention on us for the colonel's sake so he can carry out his operation!" Ri answered as he activated a device on his forearm molded after the Han kote of Samurai armor. He began using magic as a purple Al-Hazard Magic Circle appeared at his feet. In his hands were fireballs forming as Lelouch stood ready with Abyss Soul switching over to Shooter Mode.
"I don't have time for this," Lelouch said as his Device began quickly gathering a large amount of energy.
"Take this, you bastard!" Ri cried out as he launched a flamethrower-style magical attack against Lelouch, but he responded with.
"Twilight Breaker!"
Abyss Soul fired a beam of energy that engulfed the hallway along with Ri and his attack which was overpowered by Lelouch's stronger attack. The fact that he tried to fight him in such an enclosed space was a bad idea given the nature of Lelouch's magic and fighting style.
If he tried close quarters combat with that, this might have been a fight, Lelouch thought while putting away his Device. Too bad he was too cocky and arrogant. If I didn't know any better, I think he was only introduced to magic recently.
He then drew out a handgun as he approached the room where the hostages were.
"Are you all, okay?"
"Huh, who are you?" Milly demanded.
"I am...Zero," he declared before turning his attention to a familiar girl hiding among the hostages with long pink hair and casual clothing. "Princess Euphemia, I am certain your sister will be glad with your safe return."
Euphemia was surprised she was spotted so easily. Her bodyguard next to her, an older woman with short hair seemed poised to defend her, but Zero calmed them down.
"Relax, I have no intention of taking any of you hostage. Once a safe route has been secured, you will be escorted out of the building to safety."
On the Britannian side of things they preparing to make their own move as within the tunnel below the hotel, the Raikō found itself in a bad situation. It was minutes ago that the Raikō was engaged against the brand new Z-01 Lancelot piloted by Suzaku. Unlike the Sutherlands that were effortlessly destroyed, the Lancelot, with its high-mobility frame and its Blaze Luminous MSV particle shield, allowed it to weather most of the shots fired at it so far.
"It broke through Salvo number five! I can't believe it!" The pilot of the machine said as the Lancelot was going to reach them in a matter of minutes at this rate.
"Just don't panic, deploy the quad-linked free fire arm gun batteries, too!" The man sitting behind the pilot declared. "We'll shield this final defense with our lives!"
In the cockpit of the Lancelot, Suzaku knew his enemy was ready to throw all it had at the Lancelot, so he needed to do something in turn or risk being destroyed. He would rescue Milly, Shirley and Nina no matter what it took, even if he died in the attempt.
"Miss Cecile, it's time for me to use the VARIS," Suzaku declared.
"No, you could be killed!" Cecile warned on the communication channel. The VARIS, short for Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire, was the experimental weapon exclusive at present to the Lancelot, based on revolutionary leaps in railgun technology that fired beam-like rounds. It possessed incredible destructive potential that exceeded what most Knightmare weapons were capable of, but it had yet to be combat tested. It presented a risk of the weapon malfunctioning, which could destroy the gun along with the machine carrying it.
"There is no room for me to evade, I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot!"
Lancelot drew the VARIS taking aim.
"Use maximum output! I don't give a damn if it destroys the guns." The officer behind the weapon controls shouted as he saw the Lancelot readying to fire its weapon at them. "We will die defending this spot, so SMASH HIM!"
The Raikō fired its most powerful shot yet, but the Lancelot simultaneously fired its own shot directly at the incoming shell. Just as it deployed its ball bearings, the railgun shot tore through the main shell. Additionally, the passing of the high-speed shell tore the ball bearings apart, saving the Lancelot before it went clear down the barrel of the Raikō.
The large mobile weapon exploded, destroying the tunnel. Using the explosion as a boost, the Lancelot was launched high into the air, giving it the perfect vantage point for completing its mission. Even Cornelia, despite her disdain of Suzaku, was shocked at the outcome. However, she didn't let the feeling remain long as this meant she had the chance she needed to save Euphie. Suzaku took aim and fired hitting the foundation block, causing the hotel to begin sinking.
However, before Suzaku could land on the ground, he noticed someone standing at one of the windows and observing him. Zooming in on the figure, Suzaku recognized him as Zero from the media coverage of him during the incident at the Viceroy's palace.
"No way," Suzaku muttered while Lelouch was equally surprised by this turn of events.
So they built another one, but no matter, Lelouch thought before hitting the button on a remote detonator.
A chain of explosions tore apart the upper floor of the hotel.
"EUPHIE!" Cornelia shouted.
"MY FRIENDS!" Suzaku jumped into the smoke of the collapsing hotel.
"Warrant Officer Kururugi, don't!" Lloyd ordered as the Lancelot disappeared.
Opposite of them, Wendi was sitting along the shore of the lake with Dieci, shaking her fists happily at the action.
"NOW, THAT IS MORE LIKE IT!" Wendi exclaimed.
"But Wendi, Sein was in there..." Dieci pointed out, concerned about the well-being of her older sister.
At a nearby news van, Dietard, who was very bored at the situation, was more than eager to see the outcome of things. This especially started when he got word that one of their news vans were stolen behind their backs by Zero and his lackeys.
"Can you pick up any cameras from Van #3?" he asked his crew.
"I already told you, Zero took the van!" one responded.
"Then wait until you get a signal from them!"
It is possible that if Zero ever came up, his crew will try to cut off the broadcast. To make sure that doesn't happen, he called his news station to keep it running, claiming any responsibility for what happens. Even so, he still wondered.
What are trying to do, Zero? Was this part of your plan? To show us something?
As the smoke cleared, Lloyd fainted and Cecile sight to see the Lancelot stand fine in the rubble of the hotel. But the pilot inside banged the controls in agony as all hope for the survival of the hostages seemed to be zero. Just about then, a yacht was sailing out from the wrecked harbor that had been near one of the collapsed bridges of the hotel.
Within the lounge of the Arthra were Hayate, Nanoha and Signum. The three were having a discussion on their investigation so far while enjoying dinner. Vita who hurried into the lounge in the middle of their discussion.
"Hayate, please turn on the monitor. Change it to Japan's news networks, right now!" Vita announced.
"Huh? What's wrong, Vita?" Hayate asked.
"He's back, it's Zero!"
Hayate used a remote lying on a table nearby to quickly turn on the monitor. Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about changing the channel since it was already on a news program in broadcasted the hostage incident at Lake Kawaguchi. On the screen was the masked man Ginga encountered twice as the eldest child of the Nakajima Family hurried into the lounge.
"My dear Britannians, have no fear. All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero return them to you unharmed," Zero announced. The scene on the monitor switched to images of the hostages, who were in a number of life rafts surrounding the boat.
Moments later, the scene shifted back to Zero. The camera that was on him pulled back before a set of lights on the front of the yacht were turned on. Ohgi, Kallen, Tamaki and the others minus Quattro were revealed standing behind Zero.
"People! Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit! We...are the Black Knights!" Zero declared.
"Black Knights," Nanoha muttered.
"Terrorists referring to themselves as knights?" Signum commented with a hint of anger.
"We of the Black Knights stand by all those who have no weapons to wield…regardless of whether they be Elevens or Britannians!" Zero said before he continued. "The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them! It was a wanton and meaningless act; therefore, they have been punished along with the ringleader."
"He killed them," Shamal said surprised, but she was wondering how it all happened without them knowing about it.
"We didn't know anything about Zero's involvement, but," Fate stopped, looking to her mother for answers, but she had none. The rest of the crew on the bridge were watching the same declaration from the mysterious Zero, who continued his speech.
"Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens. We cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions! I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again, no matter how mighty or formidable our foe may be!" Zero declared before he wrapped up his speech. "Those of you with power, fear us!" Zero extended one arm out before the other in a flamboyant fashion. "Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
Ending the transmission, Quattro was below deck in one of the rooms with her keyboard and holographic displays surrounding her. All that was left now was to escape the Britannians, but that task would be easy enough. However, the combat cyborg was still troubled. Although it was fortunate on their part that there weren't that many, the appearance of the Mandarin's cyborgs was unexpected.
Had they been more serious and had more of those troopers and attack drones to back them up, things could have turned out differently, Quattro thought. She had an ace up her sleeve to deal with the drones, but decided against using it for now. Still, Lelouch mentioned the whole incident was a distraction, so what was going on to prompt such a large-scale distraction?
On the Arthra, Nanoha and Hayate were speechless at what they just saw. A few members of the crew who were inside the lounge at the time finally spoke. At least one of them broke the silence.
"W-what did we just watch?" A junior officer looked around. This was the first time they encountered something unusual like this as a number missed out the Mandarin's broadcast last time. Zero was a hot topic for gossip after officer Nakajima was brought down by the masked man. To see him in person was completely different than hearsay on the base.
"What are you all gaping at the screen for!?" Vita shouted. "Show's over, get back to work!"
Immediately, everyone woke up from their stupor as they can be seen going back to their posts, hurrying out the lounge. Ginga was left speechless, but a female officer stopped by her.
"Ginga-" the female TSAB officer asked next to the young woman on her way out. "Was that him?" She glanced between the screen and her comrade.
"It's him," Ginga confirmed. She recognized the cape, mask and definitely the voice and the way he spoke.
The last time they tangled, Zero overwhelmed her with a magic system she has never seen before. Now, he has a small army of his own. Her experience over the years as a Ground Forces officer told her that he is a much more dangerous criminal than ever before now that he has allies on his side, which make it just as difficult to arrest him.
Even though both police and criminal were not facing each other; the junior officers standing near Ginga felt tension in the air like an emitting killing intent. The empty looking lens of the mask dehumanized the masked man, but did not frighten the determined young woman from facing him one more time in the field.
"We meet again, Zero," Ginga swore as one junior officer saw her eyes change color for a brief moment. "I won't let you escape from me again."
On the bridge, however, Lindy spoke after sighing at this latest development.
"HQ won't like this," Lindy complained. "They won't like this at all."
Elsewhere at the Yokohama Port by the Tokyo Bay, a certain female was turned off a handheld television she was holding before pocketing it. Suzuka just watched Zero's broadcast while mildly amused by the speech. But simultaneously, she was vexed that they lost all of their men at the hotel.
"Well, the incident did not end as per the plan," Kusakabe commented approaching her.
"Nevertheless, we achieved our objective, but we'll need to do something about this Zero."
"Shall we hunt him down?"
"No, we'll let him run around for now. Have him draw the TSAB's attention until the time is right. As for us, we are one step closer to our goal," Suzuka said as they boarded the Botany Bay, a Britannian-registered Suezmax vessel designed for transporting large amounts of cargo or anything too big for ordinary vessels. A Yoshimitsu Trooper lead them below deck into the cargo hold where awaiting activation were six Wyvern Drones.
"The other two tankers have arrived and off-loaded their cargo in Osaka and at the Onahama Port in Iwaki." Kusakabe noted.
"Excellent," Suzuka smiled at the thought of the six huge drones in the ship.
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Chapter 15: Not All Battles Can Be Won
Ahh, finally. Chapter 15 is finished and ready to read. This was another had to do some big edits, but lacked thought for a while in how to do it. This is also a bit of sugary episode, considering the end.
That said, the author is considering pairs between Lelouch the various Nanoha characters. My vote's for Quattro, but seph is also considering pairing with the Vita and the three Aces. I may put up a poll to see what everyone thinks.
Alright, Chapter 15 starts now.
It was one week since the incident in which Zero revealed his Black Knights to the world. Some elements in Area 11 went on as normal such as an illegal transaction between men who were selling much-needed food and clothing goods meant for the Japanese. All of this was taking place in a warehouse near the docks, but as the men finalizing the deal were unaware of the danger closing in from outside.
One of the men was shorter than his partner and the one buying the goods was wearing a light tan-colored suit with a red tie. He had short black hair and blue eyes and was a little on the chunky side unlike the man selling him the goods, who was taller and leaner, wearing a gray suit with a matching tie possessing short brown hair and blue eyes.
"I know it's for welfare, but why waste it on the Elevens?" The shorter of the two men asked.
"That is why I am selling it to you, my friend," The taller of the two replied as another man driving a forklift was loading the supplies onto a truck. "The Eleven population could use a little thinning out if you ask me."
"Your payment will be transferred to your life's account."
"Princess Cornelia is a soldier. This kind of thing doesn't interest her all that much."
Suddenly, the lights went out before gunfire outside was heard. The gunfire went on for a couple of minutes until the seller of the welfare goods cried out.
"Hit the lights! Someone, get those lights back on!"
The shorter man hurried over to a circuit breaker, only for them see a uniformed group of a certain group led by their now iconic masked leader.
"You're…you're Zero!"
"Yes, and you two are illegally selling food and supplies meant for poor Japanese families having difficulties under Britannian rule," Zero said with a tint of disgust in his voice. It was a feeling shared by everyone present, especially Ohgi who knew a few families struggling just to have enough food because of people like them.
Like the others…they were punished.
As the morning sun rose word of the incident at the warehouse had already become public knowledge thanks to video and evidence collected that exposed the illegal sales of welfare goods. Ever since the hotel hijacking, the Black Knights have taken the world by storm. They had become a friend to the weak, just as Zero proclaimed they would. Support for the organization has swelled, and word was that they were getting their hands on some Knightmare Frames. Of course, no one could show that in public, because the group was rebelling against the Holy Britannian Empire that controlled Area 11.
Besides being a target the Holy Britannian Empire, to another group, Zero was a criminal using magic on an undeveloped world and possibly had information on another big threat. Sitting in the conference room aboard the Arthra was Lindy Harlaown with her son for a large video conference meeting.
An emergency meeting was conducted in response to the sudden appearance of Zero and his Black Knights and their surge of activities in the last week. Everyone in TSAB is aware of what is going on Unadministered World #97, including Regius Gaiz, who was present in the teleconferencing. Lindy took charge as the representative for TSAB Earth base and accompanying her and her son were the three Aces and Ginga, recommended by the commander of the Ground Forces to everybody's surprise. Yuuno Scrya could also be seen as he was invited as a neutral party to have his insights regarding the unknown magical system used by Zero.
"The situation has become...complicated," Midget Crowbel stated the obvious. "Now that this Zero is tied into this fight."
"I wouldn't say that he's tied," Lindy said. "There was some speculation from the locals that Zero would show up, he's was never expected to. But we have some insight over what we're dealing with thanks to the incident."
She turned to her son, who gave his report.
"It was fortunate enough that Fate and I were there before the local authorities. It turns out that the hotel jackers were using advanced weaponry, matching exactly to those used by the Mandarin, but we've found nothing else."
"That's excluding what you've found in the recent research facility," Largo assumed.
"I'm afraid so. Verossa's looking more with our current restrictions, but that's all in regards to the Mandarin."
"Thanks to this incident," Lindy wanted to assure. "We can safely assume that the Mandarin has influence within the Japan Liberation Front in Area 11. And based on our current analysis, they're the same ones responsible for the Wyvern attack on Mid-Childa. The question now is how much of the JLF is working with him."
"I think the real question is," one officer retorted. "How come you were unable to arrest the masked man before his public appearance on an entire unadministered world? And now with this Zero fighting against this...Britannian Empire, we have a potential catastrophe here! As if we already have our hands full with the Mandarin."
The Earth representatives were silent as they had nothing to say.
"The most concerning part is how much damage he can potentially do," Midget clarified, calling up the neutral member. "Yunno, I'm sure you're already aware of Genya and Carim's reports, are you not?"
"I am, and I've been looking into any useful files ever since. From the current footage for the Device, I assume it be a Device on par with Nanoha's Raising Heart." Yuuno could see his friend leaning forward and twitching a little from that statement, not really interested in the topic at hand as he continued. "The difference between the two is that while Nanoha's focuses on raw power, Zero's uses precision one on the same level. As of now, he's gauged to be around AAA rank as Ginga presumed and, with proper training, can become even higher than that."
The worry upon Yuuno was mutually shared with the rest of the group. Two of the Aces were a little startled at the fact the mysterious man could reach the levels of Nanoha, who was still twitching over the subject. But this was just at a worst case scenario if Zero was really trained before his appearance and Midget wanted Yuuno to continue more on the case.
"I see, and how about in the Infinity Library? Have you found more on the magic system he uses?"
"Not much luck on that end," Yuuno shook. "All I know is that is from Genya, that he uses the same ancient magic system the men in Logos use. I'll look deeper in the Library, but the problem is there's so much I can do with so little time and information."
"That's not the only problem," Ginga was most concerned with the other dangerous part about Zero, "He's been focusing on building up a public image by attacking the very opposite of just random civilians," She put up multiple recent images pertaining to the Black Knights' activities, specifically of massacred criminal gangs and men hung from buildings. "Other terrorists who attack civilians, politicians, profiteers, syndicates, the local military, whatever the current government wouldn't persecute that would make him a hero to the public." As more images showed the fan appeals such as Zero imitations, her fists tightened. "His masked face is a part of the same problem as it's becoming iconic to the world and no one knows who he is. There rumors that a certain few know, but these are unconfirmed and it's further increasing his popularity. I'm estimating that he'll have more full fledged followers joining his new Black Knights within the following weeks."
"When can we expect his capture?"
The commander of TSAB aerial forces asked. His voice of command implied that he expected a satisfactory answer from the officers assigned on Non-Administered world #97. His position in the interdimensional security organization gave him the power and presence of a man that demands respect from his subordinates.
"I am afraid we have nothing yet to find his whereabouts unfortunately," Lindy regretfully reported. "Even if we could find some of the Black Knights, it would be already be too late to arrest him."
"How difficult it is to capture this criminal!?" One officer retorted. "If anything, I think we're spending too much for this investigation force on Earth! The maintenance for the newer naval models should be a priority. And don't forget the Mandarin is still out there!"
"I agree," Another replied. "The Mandarin is affecting the relations between worlds. The public demand answers about his accomplices and his base of operations. It won't look good for public image if we keep arresting foreigners from non-administered worlds."
And with that, the meeting diverted from its original route as the officers argued among themselves.
Lindy grumbled in her head. Dealing with the political side of TSAB is the reason why she wanted to retire. Despite the threat from the Mandarin and Zero; there are still people that are more concerned with other matters beside public security.
"We're not going to get anywhere like this," Chrono commented as Fate agreed with him. Nanoha and Hayate were silent as they had nothing to really contribute to the meeting, let alone steer it away from its current course.
I don't like politics, Nanoha thought as she held a sour expression on her face. Chrono watched her and shared her annoyance by how off track the meeting had gone, but he was hopeful they would find something soon.
Outside the room, Vita was standing by the door. She already had a feeling of where the meeting was moving. She was jealous of Signum, who got off lucky and was sent to Earth to help Verossa, while she was stuck aboard the ship.
"This stinks!" Vita kicked the wall opposite of the door. "Thanks to Zero, the old guys think we're all slacking off!" The earlier meeting was unbearable to say at least. The Belkan Knight recalled how bad things were during the Belkan era where nobles argue among themselves during times. IT would especially be about their own personal interests and business they wanted to protect during the crisis. The difference between then and now is that shutting up the nobles is a lot easier compared to modern-day high ranked TSAB officers.
Despite how off course the meeting went, she knew the appearance of Zero on television had the higher ranked officers on edge. If anything, the court case with Nakajima's superior officer already panicked several if not a lot of people from the higher-ups. If Vita didn't know any better, some if not all were guilty about something they didn't want to share during the meeting. Of course, such thought was merely speculation on her part.
Deciding to cool her steam off, she went to the cafeteria to get something to eat before proceeding to the gym to lash out. But even there, she could the subject of Zero.
"What do you think of that guy, Zero?"
Vita's ears twitched from hearing the name.
Apparently, the broadcast from earlier in the week was now a popular gossip topic with every officer on board the Arthra. Junior officers can be seen having discussions among themselves.
"What do I think? The man's a crazy vigilante if you ask me."
"How about the recent reports?"
"About the welfare incident? I guess they deserved it."
"No. Just now, the Black Knights had stopped a military force from attacking village. By standing against them! Just like that, no magic or anything!"
"Really? Who the hell would step in front of a military patrol?"
"Where in the Kaisers' names is the world heading to now?"
The masked was becoming so popular one of them actually grabbed a bucket from who knows where and imitated him. Several of his friends chuckled at that until one of them realized Vita watching, who then sighed.
The masked man reminded her of enemy commanders from the old Belkan days. The mask is specifically designed to dehumanize the wearer, yet create a symbol, a symbol for something like hope to his followers. However, doing so means creating doubt among those same followers as they have no idea who is leading them to battle. From the Knight's view, Zero was either overconfident with his leadership or downright cowardly for not showing his face like she does.
Nevertheless, dehumanizing the masked man creates a sense of fear towards his enemies. The lack of a face makes him a mysterious enigma and is not someone people can look at and cringe away without fear or doubt. In other words, this Zero is becoming something non-human with a body shape and appearance of a human being. It unnerved Vita that this Zero is someone she can't see through the mask and just bash his face in.
Back on Earth the three combat cyborgs Sein, Wendi and Dieci were planning their next move.
Sein had managed to escape the explosion and the sinking hotel upon discovering explosives planted around key structure points. Through the island foundation and the utilities tunnel underground, she rest near a white Knightmare to escape the worst of it. After seeing the Black Knights debut, she regrouped with her sisters while chuckling a little redhead sister and returned to their base. Sein then forwarded all of the information she managed to gleam from the incident to Scaglietti, which was proof that they were on the right track.
Other than their attempts to find more information for their creator, they had gotten word from Uno that the Doctor was sending support in the event they found themselves in a combat situation. Dieci was busy reading the newspaper while Wendi was completely absorbed into an old handheld console game she found in one of the clubrooms. Sein was keeping a lookout as it was her turn, waiting until nightfall to begin their next search around the city.
Then, there was a knock on the clubhouse door.
"Huh?" Sein said, worried that it was a student checking the room when a familiar voice was heard.
"Sein, it's me…"
"Oh," Sein said with a hint of surprise, but she went to the door opening it.
Standing before her she appeared to be around ten years old with long white hair that hung below her back. Like the three sisters already there, she wore the same combat suit. The difference was that she wore a dark-colored coat and a patch over her right eye. She had a fair complexion with a gold eye looking up at Sein. Behind her was another of their sisters, wearing a matching blue jacket. She had medium-length red hair and yellow eyes.
"Oh, Cinque and Nove, so the doctor sent both of you," Sein said as she was almost expecting Tre to be sent instead.
Combat Cyborgs numbers Five and Nine respectively stood at the door way. Dieci was a little surprised, didn't show it like Sein as she also expected one of the other older Numbers. Although Cinque was a likely candidate, but she didn't expect Nove would be sent as well.
"It's good to see you three have been doing well," Cinque greeted kindly as she and Nove entered the room with Sein closing the door. "Have you made any progress to finding the Mandarin or this Zero?"
"Nothing yet, but we've been trying to find leads that could direct us to the Japan Liberation Front, but we haven't found anything strong enough yet. However, we have learned about the existence of a group that supplies and funds various resistance groups. We're thinking they might be a good place to investigate."
"I see, so what about Zero?"
"Zero has been harder to track down. For the last week since the hotel jacking, he has been taking out criminals and their hideouts left and right. It's just frustrating as trying to follow the criminal elements here in Area 11. We can't discern a pattern in which he strikes, so everything's been either a hit or miss. Even the police, despite their own efforts and superior resources, have been unable to anticipate where he'll hit. It's like he's one step ahead of everyone."
"Okay then, fill me in on the day-to-day events in Area 11 and anything else about Zero you know. If he and the Mandarin are enemies, then there is a chance he has some information the TSAB and the Doctor don't have."
Sein walked with her older sister as she continued to bring her older sister up to speed. Wendi pulled her eyes off the game she had been playing to notice Nove was present.
"It's so great you are here Nove! Dieci is boring without Sein around," Wendi exclaimed happily.
"It's great to see you too...." Nove said with a disheartened expression, knowing Wendi will probably drive her up a wall.
In another part of the school, C.C. was munching on another pizza while lying on Lelouch's bed in his room. As she was watching a documentary on pizza, she was having a conversation with an unseen guest.
"Things have been getting quite interesting on my end, so how about you?"
The only sound that was heard was the talking of the narrator from the documentary program.
"Sorry, but I promised I wouldn't spoil anything. However, I think this girl Lelouch is working very closely with kinda reminds me of you when you were younger. It could be interesting if they end up as a couple, but your son has quite the competition. It's quite entertaining really."
C.C. grinned, seemingly listening to the response of the person she was sharing a conversation with.
"Oh, did I say something? I thought you didn't care about your son's love life all things considered," C.C. almost laughed at the wordless response she got. "I really wish you could meet some of these girls, so that I can find out which one you might approve of."
Speaking of whom, Lelouch along with Nunnally and Alicia were accompanying Milly and the rest of the Student Council minus Suzaku to the grand opening of the Clovisland Pool. For the first day, the park would be exclusive to special guests only before being opened to the public the following day.
Milly was wearing a two-piece red bikini with a pair of sunglasses over her head. Shirley wore a two-piece skirtini that was blue with white trim. Nina's own swimsuit was a little more modest compared to Shirley and Milly's as hers was a one piece yellow swimsuit. Kallen wore a two-piece strapless black swimsuit with an orange sleeveless shirt held together by one button. Quattro wore her own two-piece swimsuit and hers was blue with a white towel draped over her shoulders. Rivalz was wearing a set of swim-shorts. Nunnally wore a modest two-piece swimsuit that was pink with red trimming and her long hair styled into a pair of pigtails seated in her wheelchair. Sayoko, wearing a swimsuit similar to Nina's, was pushing Nunnally's wheelchair while wearing her maid hat. Walking alongside was Lelouch, who wore a light green button-up shirt as a jacket over the black swim briefs he wore. Under his arm, he was carrying an inflatable pig for Nunnally. Alicia wore a one piece yellow and red swimsuit and was carrying a white inflatable tube.
"I think all things considered this would be a good day for you to relax a little, wouldn't you agree?" Quattro asked approaching Lelouch.
"I suppose," Lelouch replied considering the work in building up the "Knights for Justice" image the Black Knights portrayed. Leading the Black Knights at night and being a student during the day was tough on the young man despite having Sayoko to stand in for him and timely use of Quattro's IS to get some much needed sleep during the day. If anyone who was likely showing fatigue from the double-life, it was Kallen, who passed out in class during the last few days although it was easily written off.
I'm surprised Kallen hasn't passed out now. Maybe she's getting used to it? Quattro commented telepathically.
Indeed, but let's focus on having some fun here today, Lelouch replied, mentally intending to spend time with his sister.
"Huh, Suzaku?" Shirley said, noticing a familiar face by the pool.
Suzaku was wearing a simple pair of blue swim shorts, sitting in a lawn chair by the largest of the pools in the park. Another woman was lying down in a beach chair, wearing a one-piece white swimsuit. The center exposed a decent amount of cleavage, held together by a number of ties down the middle.
The young Honorary Britannian was surprised by their appearance just as he was surprised by theirs.
"Hey there," Milly waved at Suzaku.
"That's a surprise, what are you doing here?" Shirley asked.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Well, I am a local celebrity, Ashford Principle Contacts and all, so I got a VIP invitation and brought everyone along," Milly explained.
"Everyone?" Suzaku inquired before noticing Lelouch, Nunnally, Sayoko, Quattro and Alicia. "Lelouch! And you're here, too, Nunnally?"
"Suzaku!" Nunnally said, happy with the young man's appearance.
"Hey," Lelouch greeted, but Quattro was instantly suspicious.
Wait, I thought he was supposed be working with his superiors in the Engineering Corps?
"I didn't expect you two to show up," Suzaku admitted as Nunnally explained.
"We had to come. When I heard they had finished a pool designed by my big broth…uh…I mean Prince Clovis I had to come and swim in it."
"Swim…uh isn't that-" Suzaku said, but couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He knew Nunnally's current condition made it very difficult for her to swim without some assistance. However, Nunnally laughed in response and knowing what he was trying to say.
"I know, its kinda hard with me being blind, but I can still paddle around in the water though easily enough. So Suzaku, would you like come swimming with me? I bet it would be lots of fun."
"I would love to really, but I am on duty."
"Oh, you're on duty?" Lelouch asked with his curiosity peaked. The silent Quattro merely had her suspicions confirmed.
"That's right," Suzaku answered before moving closer and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Now you should be safe at this distance. You see, I'm here to act as security for the special guest opening speaker."
"Who is it?" Lelouch asked suddenly having a bad feeling about it.
"Its Princess Cornelia," Suzaku answered as Lelouch was both stunned and worried.
Even I didn't hear that, Quattro thought as she picked up no such mention when checking the military channels and communications connected to the Viceroy's Palace.
Lelouch and Nunnally hung as far to the back as they could with Sayoko and Quattro while everyone else were gathered for the opening ceremony taking place. Cornelia took the stage, wearing what was probably the most revealing bikini every which only covered very little with it held together by various black straps. Her sister Euphemia was also present; her bikini, while similar in design, covered up a little more than Cornelia's did and was of a pink and white coloring. Nearby were Dalton and Guilford and they wore swimsuits of their own. Guilford wore green and black shorts while Dalton wore red swim briefs.
After the applause of the crowd died down, Cornelia began speaking. It was clear she was very uncomfortable before the crowd in her current attire despite her efforts to hide it.
Whoever designed that should be shot, Quattro commented on Cornelia's bikini.
"I am pleased to announce that the Clovisland Pool, one of many public works projects made by my brother, has been successfully completed. This recreational facility shall serve as a tribute to all those in the colonies who have dedicated their lives to building the national prestige of Britannia. As we struggle to bring enlightenment to the Elevens," Cornelia went on continuing her speech, unaware that Lelouch was glaring at her.
Cornelia, Lelouch thought with restrained anger behind his glaring stare.
I'll give credit where it's due, Quattro said telepathically to Lelouch. Cornelia really did go to some extremes to hide the fact she would be the special guest speaker here today. She was surprisingly secretive about it because I found no mention of this public appearance anywhere.
Heh, was she worried we would appear or someone else might attempt a terrorist attack here? Lelouch thought while laughing inwardly.
Actually, no. There is a more dangerous and determined enemy she didn't want to deal with especially considering her attire.
What…me?
No…the paparazzi, Quattro answered.
As far as all onlookers were concerned, Lelouch was glaring daggers at Cornelia while Quattro was seemingly passive at the moment.
"Madam President," Shirley whispered to Milly. "Do you see how Lelouch is watching her? It's so intense, it looks like he wants to jump on her."
Milly of course knew the real reason for Lelouch's stare, but knew it would be a bad idea if Shirley was told the truth. It was especially true in a public setting like this one.
"Well, that is only natural for a high school boy seeing a woman with such outstanding… uh… proportions. Right, Suzaku?"
"Uh, I guess so," Suzaku answered, but he also knew that wasn't Lelouch's real reason for glaring at Cornelia.
"Oh, tell me what Princess Cornelia looks like," Nunnally asked before adding. "What is it that boys like about her so much?"
With a mischievous smile, Milly gladly offered an answer. "Well I hear she likes to train her male subjects in certain ways."
"What are you saying, Madam President?" Shirley asked clearly uncertain about it, but then Nunnally turned to her brother.
"In that case, Lelouch could you teach me to do everything Princess Cornelia does? I want to be as popular as she is."
"Uh…what, Nunnally!?" A shocked Shirley exclaimed before her shock turned to worry as she heard Lelouch say.
"Ah, I thought this would be necessary eventually. All right, Nunnally, I'll tell you everything I know in detail."
Shirley's face turned pink as she was clearing misunderstanding what was happening. No one made an effort to correct her as she muttered, "What, Lulu? You too?"
"Get ready, I won't hold back," Lelouch cautioned but Nunnally wasn't worried.
"Okay. I'll try as hard as I can. I'll do whatever it takes to satisfy you."
"Oh, is this one of those beautiful, but dangerous sibling relationships?" Milly mused jokingly while Shirley misinterpreted the situation
"Oh no, this is SO WRONG, Lulu!" Shirley said, now more worried than before as her race turned beat red.
As that exchange was going on, Kallen was deep in thought. Despite feeling tired and preferring to sleep in, a fun day at a swimming pool would have been a decent way to relax. Cornelia's appearance and speech put her into a foul mood, but she also reflected on what Zero and Quattro had told her and the others in Ohgi's group.
Everything was briefed clearly and painfully to Ohgi's resistance cell in a storage facility, with Zero and Quattro standing above crates with lights above them.
"An interdimensional criminal?" Kallen said in shock.
"That's right," Zero confirmed. "We don't know exactly who he is, but the Mandarin is an infamous alien working in Britannia's shadows."
"You gotta be kidding!" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Am I?" Zero asked back. "Would you have believed us if you didn't see the whole thing for yourself? How long do think it would take for you to figure out how to make Knightmares normally from scratch? 10 years? 20? 30? Theoretically, at least, but actual practically would take decades more, if not centuries. Thanks to him and his intelligence, Earth's technology has rocketed over the years with Britannia leading the way."
"So an alien is in charge of this!?"
"Man," Sugiyama said in disbelief. "No wonder why you wanted to keep this a secret until now..."
"Or tell us slowly," Minato added.
"I've heard about the Mandarin before," Ohgi commented. "From what rumors say, he's an international trader who could get you the right weapon for the right price...as long as you had the funds. That included weapons from China, the European Union and even Britannia. Taken no one has seen him in person before, but this..." He trailed off until something reminded him. "But why would the JLF decline his offers?"
"Come again?" Zero gently wanted Ohgi to repeat.
"You said what we fought at the hotel was a rogue faction. I know that he's a person responsible for Japan falling to Britannia, but you also said the real JLF would not accept the weapons we saw if they knew he supplied them. Why is that?"
"How much would you believe that those weapons ran on sakuradite?" Quattro stepped in, which didn't budge their recruits too much as it was expected. She went on for a more shocking detail, "Then would you believe that he was behind the war between Britannia and Japan from the start?"
That raised eyebrows, especially Ohgi's.
"I remember reports about an explosion occurring in Japan before the war. They said Japan was testing a new weapon that provoked a response from Britannia. Are you saying that was-"
"All a cover story," Quattro brushed off. "The real incident was a magic-based one, manipulated by the Mandarin into happening. Because the destruction involved a Britannian prince and his younger sister, that was more than enough for the Empire to declare war. All so the Mandarin would have a more direct route to your precious sakuradite."
There was an intense moment from Ohgi's group that now became the Black Knights. It wasn't surprising that Japan produced 70% of the world's supply of sakuradite. Using the war to gain direct access to Japan's treasure sickened them, recalling all the lives lost for the Mandarin's goals as well as Britannia's.
"And if you thought that was bad," Quattro continued. "How would you react if we also told you he had an additional interest in the Japanese themselves?"
"What do you mean!?" Yoshida retorted.
"I mean he's experimented on your kind since his arrival. Throughout all of Britannia's wars, he's been taking Numbers and prisoners of war as test subjects for super soldiers in his army, his organization called Logos."
"Logos," Minato said silently as the group kept that name in mind.
"In all of his experiments, the Japanese, or what Britannia calls the Elevens, have the highest potential in wielding magical power. That's how he made the cyborg troopers you saw during the hotel hijacking. Who knows? Maybe there's some magic potential in you as well."
"I am an exception to the Japanese case," Zero notified. "I was merely caught within the Mandarin's actions. Quattro was also a victim to his activities and we've joined with many others who want to see Britannia destroyed along with their secret contributor. I'm just leading the way."
"If that's the case," Tamaki demanded, easily angered by the Mandarin's actions. He and the others were clearly disgusted by how the Mandarin was using their people as guinea pigs to serve him, who also served their conquerors. "Why don't you go waste him and all of Britannia right now!?"
"Because then that would bring in another power we would have to face," Zero retorted. "One with capabilities far beyond Logos and Britannia. And since we're talking about an interdimensional scale, you clearly know what I mean."
"What is it?" Kallen asked.
"The TSAB," Quattro answered. "Abbreviated as the Time-Space Administration Bureau."
"They are a police force with the purpose to maintain order in the Dimensional Sea, formed after many devastating wars following its establishment," Zero explained. "Their main purpose is to secure peace in every dimension and monitor all undeveloped worlds."
"Undeveloped worlds?" Ohgi asked.
"Planets like Earth," Quattro defined. "The TSAB believe magic will interfere with its development and bring disastrous consequences."
"Disastrous!?" Tamaki exclaimed in ridicule, understanding the duo's opposition to such a policy. "How bad can we screw it up!? Besides, how would they know anyway?"
"They have invisible observation posts in orbit to prevent interference."
"Basically it all comes to this." Zero interrupted. "If we use magic too openly, Earth will lose its special status and the TSAB will intervene on all of us. Between a Knightmare army and a magical police force, we don't have the strength yet to fight both, let alone one of them." Zero paused so that info would sink into his allies."Our current strategy is to keep a low profile as we are now and expand our forces without making too much noise. Only then, will we have the opportunity for victory."
"Ohgi, you alright?" Naomi noticed him freezing with a weird look before he snapped out of it.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay, just getting overwhelmed by all this."
"So, what will you do now?" the moment of truth arrived as Zero pointed out. "You can pretend like this never happened and continue to fight as you are now. Or you join our cause and take the fight more directly. Be warned, I can promise you a fighting chance but I can't guarantee your survival in the long run. We're playing against stronger players now."
"Would you excuse us for a sec, Zero?" Ohgi immediately thought of emergency group discussion before making that final decision.
"Make it quick."
Ohgi and the others went over to a corner by the warehouse. It the only place the group can have some private time without making Zero suspect they were leaving. Ohgi started off the debate.
"So what do you think of this?"
"I don't know," Kallen surprised the group by showing her doubts first. "Britannia is one thing, but aliens and magic? That sounds way out of our league."
"Come on, Kallen," Tamaki jumped in. "Just think of it like those magical girl cartoon shows from before. You know, but with Zero and all?"
"I know, but we're dealing with multidimensional forces here. Who knows what we'll be pitted against?"
"I agree," Ohgi said before assuring while making a little tilt to Zero. "But even then, this is the truth and these two are probably the only ones we can rely on."
"He's right," Sugiyama supported. "These people sound like they have a plan. And with that kind of firepower, who knows what we can do the Britannians?"
"The only thing now is whether this'll work," Naomi pointed out. "For all we know, he could also be an agent this alien Mandarin."
"Maybe," Ohgi had the same doubts. "But these two sound like they want to help. And it's better them than having no help at all."
"Or be part of Logos," Minato added.
"Saying they're protecting the world while watching us die here," Tamaki held a fist, referring to the TSAB. "What kind of police does that anyway? When an alien is already working for the Britannians?"
"I know, and even I'm unsure why they wouldn't just come to help us. But what Zero's saying is true, I'm not looking back on this, even if it impossible we'll survive this. Wouldn't you agree?"
There were a number of nods coming from the group, though some were delayed as they still had their uncertainties. Only a stunned Kallen did give an answer, which attracted Oghi.
"Uhh, Kallen?"
"Eh?" Kallen jumped from her doze before giving a nod. She was still thinking over what Zero shared them, but had to agree with Ohgi.
"It's settled then."
After that discussion, the group broke from the corner and walked back to their magical allies.
"Have you made your decision yet?" Zero asked.
"Yes we have, but I need to say this first," Ohgi argued. "After seeing what happened today and what you told us, I can't look away from something like this. Right now, I don't exactly understand how things have gone so bad. But if I don't do anything about it, I'll feel even worse. I place you as leader of our group and we're prepared to fight the bigger fight now."
"A bold decision," Zero praised. "Welcome to our world."
But by the end of that discussion, Kallen and the others were still overwhelmed by the revelations. Like Zero told them, it was a contributing factor that if they hadn't seen some of it for themselves, they wouldn't have believed it.
If this Mandarin is behind the war and Britannia, so how are we going to beat someone like that?
Elsewhere in the world, Verossa Acous was exploring the interior of an old warehouse. Instead of Japan, this place was in the Georgian region of the Britannian Homeland. The surrounding area was overgrown with various vegetation and weeds. The warehouse itself appears to have been abandoned for years, judging by all the wear and tear the structure endured from the elements. He came to a set of metal stairs which seemed rusted. After checking them, he determined they were safe and ascended the stairs until he came to an office on the second floor.
The door was open, but all of the windows were shattered and old paper forms and documents were scattered about the floor. A wooden desk was in the center of the room, but the chair behind it was missing a leg and the nearby file cabinets were old and rusted. He even found a bird nest in one of the open drawers.
"Just like the other one I checked out," Verossa mused as he looked over to the wall. He saw a portrait containing a picture of who was likely the company's founder standing in front of his company's sign.
"This doesn't look like a hideout for a terrorist," Signum commented from the doorway.
"Oh, you're here, Signum?" Verossa said, sounding surprised.
"Yes, Chrono didn't want you going alone, especially within the Britannian Homeland."
"Heh well, I doubt I was going to run into any trouble, but I guess you never know."
"So did you find anything?"
"Not really, but this building was once the company headquarters for Sandler Manufacturing Incorporated. According to my information, it was among the companies that was brought together as one of the founding companies for the Donovan Technology Conglomerate. Through its collective think-tank of bringing together the brightest minds within the companies, it is Britannia's major weapons manufacturer and developer of new technologies. Ever since it was founded twenty years ago, it is involved in almost every other technological development and research for the Britannian Empire, either through the company itself or one of its subsidies."
"So why exactly is this place important?"
"Because records state that was one of the fifteen companies brought together to form the Conglomerate which was in 1997 A.T.B, but records I… acquired… from the local city hall shows that Sandler Manufacturing Incorporated has been out of business for over twenty-five years. Even a so called employee from the same company who was credited with designing the solar-power generation systems has been dead for over forty years. Records were altered and adapted to fabricate a cover story, but the original paper documents still exist. I have investigated some of the other founding companies and so far, they have all been dummies using the names and addresses of older companies that have gone under years ago or no one has really heard of nationwide."
"Basically, what you are saying is the Donovan Technology Conglomerate just appeared out of nowhere?" Signum said, taking note of the facts so far.
"Yes, and after its rise, it supported then Prince Charles zi Britannia. Thanks to his new relationship with it, he grew more powerful one year after its foundation. This especially came from being credited as the man who supported and introduced Britannia to working solar power as it became cleaner and much cheaper to produce, replacing all other forms of power. Not long after that, the previous Emperor was overthrown and Charles assumed the throne with the Conglomerate now enjoying the benefits of their ties to the Emperor. Even now, they continue to provide his country with advancements in technology that came one after another over the following years, ultimately aiding Britannia's expansion."
"Why hasn't the TSAB conducted an investigation into these people then?" Signum said as she realized the picture Verossa was painting. Even though it wasn't completely obvious, it was clear someone with access to advanced technology well beyond Earth's current level was reverse engineering it to sell for profit. It was a reasonable move in one's effort to amass resources, wealth and political influence. Even if the leap didn't seem too big, the rate of these developments still should have attracted some attention.
"Well, if what we discovered through Ginga's involvement in this affair wasn't enough...I think it's proof that someone else within the TSAB has been using its own influence to sweep these red flags under the rug."
"I see your point, but what of the Conglomerate's founder?"
"Yes him…so far, records name the CEO, owner and founder as Trevor Donovan. His records claim he was born in Britannia to a small family who rose through the ranks through scientific achievements before using his new wealth and connections with the current Emperor to establish his Conglomerate. His wealth grew even more from his invention of the cell-phone and satellite communications that led to the creation of the Internet and social media."
"Anything else?" Signum inquired.
"Well, he's a reclusive man as only a small few ever met him in person, Despite this, he still runs and manages the company as well as providing new technologies and inventions. I don't know if he is involved with the Mandarin or a decoy with elements of his company being used as a front for the Mandarin's activities."
"Of course, the whole company could be a front."
"Yes, that is true as well. We don't have any hard evidence to prove it now, but we know that these origins are very suspicious and could be part of the Mandarin's organization. I'll be investigating the other related companies, both the rest that helped found it and ones it bought following its creation."
Signum felt uneasy, but it was clear this Trevor Donovan was a possible suspect given what Verossa found so far, or perhaps a decoy.
It was one of the most frustrating elements in their investigation. Just as how the laws the Bureau protected undeveloped worlds from interference, they had a case where someone was using those same laws to hide behind. The creation of a legitimate business empire which has done nothing illegal or anything in the public eye to warrant unwanted attention was an example. If Earth had been a developed world, they likely would have been able to conduct a more thorough investigation more easily. They wouldn't have been overall restricted to being more covert and discreet since they could not expose the existence of magic and other worlds to the people of Earth.
Signum was certain, however, that this mysterious company was a front for the Mandarin to operate on Earth. Perhaps it's cover to build bases and research facilities under the guise of new company buildings for similar purposes.
If that's the case, it would explain on how he could amass sakuradite to use in his weapons, Signum thought before she sighed. Even black market traders have a hard time acquiring some since it only exists richly on Earth.
That would have been probable cause on Mid-Childa to search the company and its facilities given a little more evidence. But on Earth, it was the company of an undeveloped world so they couldn't conduct a more in-depth investigation without some serious proof. And due to the restrictions upon them because of Earth's undeveloped status, collecting that proof was almost impossible.
The following morning at Ashford Academy, a smiling Hayate Yagami was accompanied by Vita, dressed in a 17th century black suit of London style fashion. Complete with a cane, a top hat and a fake mustache, she had the appearance of an English Gentleman. Thanks to transformation magic, Vita appeared identical in age to Hayate, dressed up as a heavy metal rock star. She wore a white T-shirt with a black skull, along with black pants, a matching leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders and black sunglasses. The two were arriving to take part in the event as per the invitation offered by Milly.
On the second floor of her destination was Kallen, wearing the male uniform of an Ashford Academy student. Underneath the open coat was a red shirt with a whistle hanging from a necklace she wore, complete with a white headband.
"So this is the cross-dressing festival," Kallen said reluctantly.
"Yes," Milly began as her choice of attire was a swashbuckler, wearing white tights, a blue and yellow strapped top to match the theme and era of her attire and a large pointed hat with a white feather on top. She even had an era-correct sword hanging from her belt to complete her costume. "It was such a hit last year that we are doing it again."
"It's really fun to dress up like a boy," Nunnally exclaimed happy as she was wearing Lelouch's clothes. It was his red and black trimmed jacket, his black jeans and a matching shirt. Except her hair was styled into two ponytails.
"I guess it's okay for girls, but guys wearing skirts?" Kallen said as she thought the idea would be unacceptable for them. Sayoko stepped in as she was dressed up as a butler.
"They might complain a bit, but can you tell they enjoy it?"
"Last year, we had three people come out after this," Nina revealed as she was dressed up as a classic school boy with green shorts, a matching suit and a hat.
"Well, one of them was our home economics teacher, so I don't think that counts," Shirley said as her attire of choice was dressing up as a police officer.
"Either way, don't tell me you like the idea of seeing the boys dressed up as girls and ruining their own dignity," Quattro said. Her choice of attire was surprising as she wore a blue suit with a bolo-tie and a white lab coat. If her sisters saw her now, they would be almost frightened or possibly amused how close she was to being a doppelgänger of her own creator in both appearance and personality without fully realizing it. Perhaps, it was a sign of some lingering reverence she had for her creator.
"Well yeah, but," Kallen began, uncertain of what she should say.
"Hey, Lelouch, Suzaku, Rivalz! Are you three done yet?"
"No problem we are opening the door now," Suzaku said from the other room. He just finished changing into a pink and red sailor-school uniform used in Japan.
"No wait," Lelouch said suddenly. "Don't open it yet!"
"Why, you're dressed, aren't you?"
"I have to prepare myself to be seen in…lace."
"You don't need to be shy, Lelouch. I think you look lovely," Suzaku complimented.
"Idiot, watch your compliments!"
"Suzaku," Rivalz began as he was dressed up as a busty French maid with a pink dress and white apron. "Are you a little embarrassed?"
"Well, yeah. It's kinda drafty down there," Suzaku said as he lifted up his skirt until Lelouch stopped him.
"Suzaku, don't. It's indecent."
"Indecent? I am a guy, remember?"
"Just don't lift up your…whatever."
Suddenly, the other door leading out into the hall opened and Vita and Hayate walked in. All of Lelouch's mental processes came to a grinding halt as Hayate looked at him in shock as did Vita. No one said a word until Suzaku broke the silence.
"Hayate…and Vita is that you," Suzaku said recognizing the red-haired girl.
"Suzaku is that…Lelouch?" Vita asked, pointing to Lelouch. He was finished putting on a black Victorian style dress with white lace ruffles and a black wing to appear to have longer hair. Everyone was silent until Vita, at first adoring it, began laughing. Hayate also giggled as a sign she was very impressed by Lelouch's dress.
"You look so beautiful in that dress, Lelouch. Why, you make a better looking woman than a man!" Hayate said before she chuckled.
Lelouch wanted to back away, but Hayate quickly closed the distance. She began examining him out of curiousity to the extent Lelouch was willing to play the part of a woman today. Vita was trying in vain to suppress her laughter, but she fell onto the ground laughing hysterically. Now wanting to know who was laughing, Milly and everyone else entered the room. Milly saw Hayate, but all eyes were first on Lelouch. People couldn't contain their impressions of him.
"Wow," Milly exclaimed. "I think I lost all of my self-confidence as a woman!"
"You see, Lelouch? Everyone thinks you are lovely," Suzaku commented.
"Shut up, how can all of you gush like that?" Lelouch said as his face was turning red.
"Hayate, I am glad you could make it," Milly greeted before noticing Vita. "So...is she your sister?"
"Yes she is. I know we look very different from one another."
"Right, it's because you're adopted?"
"You could say that," Hayate answered with a smile. "Vita, this is Milly, a good friend of Lelouch and Suzaku. Everyone, this is Vita."
"So, you knew Lelouch when he was a little kid like Suzaku?" Rivalz asked intrigued.
"Yes we did, I knew Nunnally through the physical therapy sessions we had together. I spent most of my childhood in a wheelchair due to a…illness I was suffering at the time." Hayate explained.
"Oh, so you were close to Nunnally then," Shirley said curious as well. Nina was nervous with another Japanese in the room, but given there was already Sayoko and Suzaku, she eased up a little.
"It's great to see you, Hayate," Nunnally greeted.
"Likewise, but I am sorry to say that Nanoha and Fate couldn't make it as they had other responsibilities to attend to." The young girl mentioned, but Vita gave Hayate a suspicious look while thinking.
That's not completely true. You didn't mention what this festival was going to be about and probably didn't want them to stop you from teasing Lelouch a little.
"It's too bad. I can't see how pretty my brother looks." The wheelchair bound girl mused.
"Don't worry, Nunnally. I am already recording everything with this," Hayate said bringing out a camcorder. "It will also be in high-definition, so you can enjoy this festival once again when you can see once more."
Lelouch went pale as he knew Hayate had ulterior motives for recording the festival. He tried to grab the camera, but Hayate was quicker and gave it to Vita. With a smirk, Vita gladly began recording, seemingly enjoying how much Lelouch was sweating. Now unlike Hayate, the former prince wouldn't dare attempt to snatch it from Vita, knowing the girl had one time beaten Suzaku in a sparring match at the Kururugi Shrine.
Even without my magic, in hand to hand, she would overpower me.
The prince thought as attempting to take the camera from Vita would be trying to take a fish from an angry grizzly bear.
"Now that we are all here, we can begin the festival properly, so it's time for us to crossover on the inside as well…Like so," Milly began clearing her throat before attempting to imitate a more masculine voice. "Now, it's your turn Lelouch."
"Uh…very well then," Lelouch said trying to sound more feminine, which prompted Nunnally and Hayate to giggle and laugh in amusement.
"Hey Kallen, how would you like to play a game of ball?" Shirley said joining the act.
"Uh sure, we can get all nice and sweaty."
"You're good at this Kallen," Suzaku said getting into character and was thus far the most convincing out of all of them.
"And you are right at home in a sailor suit," Kallen shot back while Suzaku took it as a compliment.
"Thanks, I had to wear one for talent night at the barracks."
"Oh, this is getting too good," A snickering Quattro said to herself, getting into character as well.
"Would you like some tea, Miss Luluko," Sayoko offered now in character.
"Luluko?" Lelouch asked, slipping out of character for a moment.
"Yes, in Japan, it's quite often to add 'ko' to a girl's name."
"Oh, so like Sayoko," Nina said who wasn't in character.
"Exactly," Sayoko answered before Milly moved closer to Lelouch and said.
"I can't hold back anymore, Lelouch. I love you so much!" Milly began, which instantly caused a stir among the gathered students.
"Hey hold on! I love Luluko, too!" Shirley declared with a red face.
"Nay, I am the best choice for the beautiful Luluko. I am from a noble house and a proper family, so I am the best natural choice. So please accept my love!" Hayate said. Upon noticing the exchanging glances between Hayate and Milly, the former prince realized something.
I get it, so once you found out Hayate loves cosplay as much you do. You two must have been collaborating before hand and planned this out. You two have set me up.
But it was too late now as the trap had been sprung.
"Let me in on this," Rivalz said before jumping into character. "Madam President, I have always had the hots for you."
"Would you all just stop this!" Lelouch said, unable to maintain his character.
"Scientifically, I am the best and logical choice for Luluko as all of you are incompatible with her. Accept my love instead of these desperate virgins," Quattro said while in both character and with a growing smirk on her face.
"Heh, you are quite popular, Luluko," Kallen commented with a smug expression.
"Kallen, are you after Luluko, too?" Shirley demanded, but Kallen brushed her off.
"Who wants a dog like her?"
"How cruel calling someone a dog!" Suzaku said as he was proving to be WAY too convincing with even tears in his eyes. It was clear with some additional training that Suzaku could have made a very good movie actor. Vita was now torn between wanting to stop it and to keeping on the recording. A third part of her almost wanted to jump in on the action.
"Why, are you all so good at this?" Nina asked nervously.
"Luluko, we're going to get this straight once and for all. Do you love me, Shirley, Quattro, Hayate, Nanoha, Fate or Kallen?" Milly said determined to get it out of him while she and Hayate's attentions were crystal clear to Lelouch.
So that's your game.
"Leave me out of this!" Kallen snapped back.
"How scandalous, seducing seven lovers at once," Suzaku said, trying to add to the drama, laughing on the inside at the situation.
"WOULD YOU ALL JUST CHILL OUT!" Lelouch snapped unable to hold back anymore.
"Hey, no turning back into a boy!" Milly reminded Lelouch as did Nunnally.
"Yes, keep it girly, big brother."
"No…I…I can't take it anymore," Lelouch said as he began to lose balance and then collapse onto the ground, passing out.
Moments later, Nanoha opened the door, having heard the commotion and entered to see everyone in their costumes. Her expression indicated, other than being worried for Lelouch's well-being, that she was trying to grasp why the two genders switched clothes.
"Uh…what the…what…happened to Lelouch?" Nanoha asked, having only arrived at the school to take part in the festival. It seemed Hayate did not share the details with Nanoha.
"Oh, I thought Hayate told you about the cross-dressing festival," Milly said still in character.
"Crossdressing festival," Nanoha said, understanding now that when Hayate mentioned today's school festival, she had left out a few details. Realizing this and the fact that Hayate had wanted to go herself, the woman couldn't help but look at her friend suspiciously.
"I thought you and Fate weren't going to make it," Hayate said smiling nervously.
"I finished my errands early because I wanted to come to the school festival as a guest. Shamal mentioned the invitation Milly gave you when we met her at the party." Nanoha said, but she understood that had she been present, she might have stopped Hayate from whatever she did to poor Lelouch.
"Oh well, the plan failed anyway," Hayate mused jokingly.
"What plan?"
"We were just hoping to find out who Lelouch had his eye on as a girlfriend," The busty blonde admitted.
"Oh so that's it," Nanoha said giving Hayate and Milly a wary gaze. Lelouch was still unconscious on the ground with Quattro observing the passed out former prince.
Face it, Lelouch. This was one fight you lost rather badly I think.
That said, the author is considering pairs between Lelouch the various Nanoha characters. My vote's for Quattro, but seph is also considering pairing with the Vita and the three Aces. I may put up a poll to see what everyone thinks.
Alright, Chapter 15 starts now.
Chapter 15
Not all battles can be won
Not all battles can be won
It was one week since the incident in which Zero revealed his Black Knights to the world. Some elements in Area 11 went on as normal such as an illegal transaction between men who were selling much-needed food and clothing goods meant for the Japanese. All of this was taking place in a warehouse near the docks, but as the men finalizing the deal were unaware of the danger closing in from outside.
One of the men was shorter than his partner and the one buying the goods was wearing a light tan-colored suit with a red tie. He had short black hair and blue eyes and was a little on the chunky side unlike the man selling him the goods, who was taller and leaner, wearing a gray suit with a matching tie possessing short brown hair and blue eyes.
"I know it's for welfare, but why waste it on the Elevens?" The shorter of the two men asked.
"That is why I am selling it to you, my friend," The taller of the two replied as another man driving a forklift was loading the supplies onto a truck. "The Eleven population could use a little thinning out if you ask me."
"Your payment will be transferred to your life's account."
"Princess Cornelia is a soldier. This kind of thing doesn't interest her all that much."
Suddenly, the lights went out before gunfire outside was heard. The gunfire went on for a couple of minutes until the seller of the welfare goods cried out.
"Hit the lights! Someone, get those lights back on!"
The shorter man hurried over to a circuit breaker, only for them see a uniformed group of a certain group led by their now iconic masked leader.
"You're…you're Zero!"
"Yes, and you two are illegally selling food and supplies meant for poor Japanese families having difficulties under Britannian rule," Zero said with a tint of disgust in his voice. It was a feeling shared by everyone present, especially Ohgi who knew a few families struggling just to have enough food because of people like them.
Like the others…they were punished.
As the morning sun rose word of the incident at the warehouse had already become public knowledge thanks to video and evidence collected that exposed the illegal sales of welfare goods. Ever since the hotel hijacking, the Black Knights have taken the world by storm. They had become a friend to the weak, just as Zero proclaimed they would. Support for the organization has swelled, and word was that they were getting their hands on some Knightmare Frames. Of course, no one could show that in public, because the group was rebelling against the Holy Britannian Empire that controlled Area 11.
Besides being a target the Holy Britannian Empire, to another group, Zero was a criminal using magic on an undeveloped world and possibly had information on another big threat. Sitting in the conference room aboard the Arthra was Lindy Harlaown with her son for a large video conference meeting.
An emergency meeting was conducted in response to the sudden appearance of Zero and his Black Knights and their surge of activities in the last week. Everyone in TSAB is aware of what is going on Unadministered World #97, including Regius Gaiz, who was present in the teleconferencing. Lindy took charge as the representative for TSAB Earth base and accompanying her and her son were the three Aces and Ginga, recommended by the commander of the Ground Forces to everybody's surprise. Yuuno Scrya could also be seen as he was invited as a neutral party to have his insights regarding the unknown magical system used by Zero.
"The situation has become...complicated," Midget Crowbel stated the obvious. "Now that this Zero is tied into this fight."
"I wouldn't say that he's tied," Lindy said. "There was some speculation from the locals that Zero would show up, he's was never expected to. But we have some insight over what we're dealing with thanks to the incident."
She turned to her son, who gave his report.
"It was fortunate enough that Fate and I were there before the local authorities. It turns out that the hotel jackers were using advanced weaponry, matching exactly to those used by the Mandarin, but we've found nothing else."
"That's excluding what you've found in the recent research facility," Largo assumed.
"I'm afraid so. Verossa's looking more with our current restrictions, but that's all in regards to the Mandarin."
"Thanks to this incident," Lindy wanted to assure. "We can safely assume that the Mandarin has influence within the Japan Liberation Front in Area 11. And based on our current analysis, they're the same ones responsible for the Wyvern attack on Mid-Childa. The question now is how much of the JLF is working with him."
"I think the real question is," one officer retorted. "How come you were unable to arrest the masked man before his public appearance on an entire unadministered world? And now with this Zero fighting against this...Britannian Empire, we have a potential catastrophe here! As if we already have our hands full with the Mandarin."
The Earth representatives were silent as they had nothing to say.
"The most concerning part is how much damage he can potentially do," Midget clarified, calling up the neutral member. "Yunno, I'm sure you're already aware of Genya and Carim's reports, are you not?"
"I am, and I've been looking into any useful files ever since. From the current footage for the Device, I assume it be a Device on par with Nanoha's Raising Heart." Yuuno could see his friend leaning forward and twitching a little from that statement, not really interested in the topic at hand as he continued. "The difference between the two is that while Nanoha's focuses on raw power, Zero's uses precision one on the same level. As of now, he's gauged to be around AAA rank as Ginga presumed and, with proper training, can become even higher than that."
The worry upon Yuuno was mutually shared with the rest of the group. Two of the Aces were a little startled at the fact the mysterious man could reach the levels of Nanoha, who was still twitching over the subject. But this was just at a worst case scenario if Zero was really trained before his appearance and Midget wanted Yuuno to continue more on the case.
"I see, and how about in the Infinity Library? Have you found more on the magic system he uses?"
"Not much luck on that end," Yuuno shook. "All I know is that is from Genya, that he uses the same ancient magic system the men in Logos use. I'll look deeper in the Library, but the problem is there's so much I can do with so little time and information."
"That's not the only problem," Ginga was most concerned with the other dangerous part about Zero, "He's been focusing on building up a public image by attacking the very opposite of just random civilians," She put up multiple recent images pertaining to the Black Knights' activities, specifically of massacred criminal gangs and men hung from buildings. "Other terrorists who attack civilians, politicians, profiteers, syndicates, the local military, whatever the current government wouldn't persecute that would make him a hero to the public." As more images showed the fan appeals such as Zero imitations, her fists tightened. "His masked face is a part of the same problem as it's becoming iconic to the world and no one knows who he is. There rumors that a certain few know, but these are unconfirmed and it's further increasing his popularity. I'm estimating that he'll have more full fledged followers joining his new Black Knights within the following weeks."
"When can we expect his capture?"
The commander of TSAB aerial forces asked. His voice of command implied that he expected a satisfactory answer from the officers assigned on Non-Administered world #97. His position in the interdimensional security organization gave him the power and presence of a man that demands respect from his subordinates.
"I am afraid we have nothing yet to find his whereabouts unfortunately," Lindy regretfully reported. "Even if we could find some of the Black Knights, it would be already be too late to arrest him."
"How difficult it is to capture this criminal!?" One officer retorted. "If anything, I think we're spending too much for this investigation force on Earth! The maintenance for the newer naval models should be a priority. And don't forget the Mandarin is still out there!"
"I agree," Another replied. "The Mandarin is affecting the relations between worlds. The public demand answers about his accomplices and his base of operations. It won't look good for public image if we keep arresting foreigners from non-administered worlds."
And with that, the meeting diverted from its original route as the officers argued among themselves.
Lindy grumbled in her head. Dealing with the political side of TSAB is the reason why she wanted to retire. Despite the threat from the Mandarin and Zero; there are still people that are more concerned with other matters beside public security.
"We're not going to get anywhere like this," Chrono commented as Fate agreed with him. Nanoha and Hayate were silent as they had nothing to really contribute to the meeting, let alone steer it away from its current course.
I don't like politics, Nanoha thought as she held a sour expression on her face. Chrono watched her and shared her annoyance by how off track the meeting had gone, but he was hopeful they would find something soon.
Outside the room, Vita was standing by the door. She already had a feeling of where the meeting was moving. She was jealous of Signum, who got off lucky and was sent to Earth to help Verossa, while she was stuck aboard the ship.
"This stinks!" Vita kicked the wall opposite of the door. "Thanks to Zero, the old guys think we're all slacking off!" The earlier meeting was unbearable to say at least. The Belkan Knight recalled how bad things were during the Belkan era where nobles argue among themselves during times. IT would especially be about their own personal interests and business they wanted to protect during the crisis. The difference between then and now is that shutting up the nobles is a lot easier compared to modern-day high ranked TSAB officers.
Despite how off course the meeting went, she knew the appearance of Zero on television had the higher ranked officers on edge. If anything, the court case with Nakajima's superior officer already panicked several if not a lot of people from the higher-ups. If Vita didn't know any better, some if not all were guilty about something they didn't want to share during the meeting. Of course, such thought was merely speculation on her part.
Deciding to cool her steam off, she went to the cafeteria to get something to eat before proceeding to the gym to lash out. But even there, she could the subject of Zero.
"What do you think of that guy, Zero?"
Vita's ears twitched from hearing the name.
Apparently, the broadcast from earlier in the week was now a popular gossip topic with every officer on board the Arthra. Junior officers can be seen having discussions among themselves.
"What do I think? The man's a crazy vigilante if you ask me."
"How about the recent reports?"
"About the welfare incident? I guess they deserved it."
"No. Just now, the Black Knights had stopped a military force from attacking village. By standing against them! Just like that, no magic or anything!"
"Really? Who the hell would step in front of a military patrol?"
"Where in the Kaisers' names is the world heading to now?"
The masked was becoming so popular one of them actually grabbed a bucket from who knows where and imitated him. Several of his friends chuckled at that until one of them realized Vita watching, who then sighed.
The masked man reminded her of enemy commanders from the old Belkan days. The mask is specifically designed to dehumanize the wearer, yet create a symbol, a symbol for something like hope to his followers. However, doing so means creating doubt among those same followers as they have no idea who is leading them to battle. From the Knight's view, Zero was either overconfident with his leadership or downright cowardly for not showing his face like she does.
Nevertheless, dehumanizing the masked man creates a sense of fear towards his enemies. The lack of a face makes him a mysterious enigma and is not someone people can look at and cringe away without fear or doubt. In other words, this Zero is becoming something non-human with a body shape and appearance of a human being. It unnerved Vita that this Zero is someone she can't see through the mask and just bash his face in.
Back on Earth the three combat cyborgs Sein, Wendi and Dieci were planning their next move.
Sein had managed to escape the explosion and the sinking hotel upon discovering explosives planted around key structure points. Through the island foundation and the utilities tunnel underground, she rest near a white Knightmare to escape the worst of it. After seeing the Black Knights debut, she regrouped with her sisters while chuckling a little redhead sister and returned to their base. Sein then forwarded all of the information she managed to gleam from the incident to Scaglietti, which was proof that they were on the right track.
Other than their attempts to find more information for their creator, they had gotten word from Uno that the Doctor was sending support in the event they found themselves in a combat situation. Dieci was busy reading the newspaper while Wendi was completely absorbed into an old handheld console game she found in one of the clubrooms. Sein was keeping a lookout as it was her turn, waiting until nightfall to begin their next search around the city.
Then, there was a knock on the clubhouse door.
"Huh?" Sein said, worried that it was a student checking the room when a familiar voice was heard.
"Sein, it's me…"
"Oh," Sein said with a hint of surprise, but she went to the door opening it.
Standing before her she appeared to be around ten years old with long white hair that hung below her back. Like the three sisters already there, she wore the same combat suit. The difference was that she wore a dark-colored coat and a patch over her right eye. She had a fair complexion with a gold eye looking up at Sein. Behind her was another of their sisters, wearing a matching blue jacket. She had medium-length red hair and yellow eyes.
"Oh, Cinque and Nove, so the doctor sent both of you," Sein said as she was almost expecting Tre to be sent instead.
Combat Cyborgs numbers Five and Nine respectively stood at the door way. Dieci was a little surprised, didn't show it like Sein as she also expected one of the other older Numbers. Although Cinque was a likely candidate, but she didn't expect Nove would be sent as well.
"It's good to see you three have been doing well," Cinque greeted kindly as she and Nove entered the room with Sein closing the door. "Have you made any progress to finding the Mandarin or this Zero?"
"Nothing yet, but we've been trying to find leads that could direct us to the Japan Liberation Front, but we haven't found anything strong enough yet. However, we have learned about the existence of a group that supplies and funds various resistance groups. We're thinking they might be a good place to investigate."
"I see, so what about Zero?"
"Zero has been harder to track down. For the last week since the hotel jacking, he has been taking out criminals and their hideouts left and right. It's just frustrating as trying to follow the criminal elements here in Area 11. We can't discern a pattern in which he strikes, so everything's been either a hit or miss. Even the police, despite their own efforts and superior resources, have been unable to anticipate where he'll hit. It's like he's one step ahead of everyone."
"Okay then, fill me in on the day-to-day events in Area 11 and anything else about Zero you know. If he and the Mandarin are enemies, then there is a chance he has some information the TSAB and the Doctor don't have."
Sein walked with her older sister as she continued to bring her older sister up to speed. Wendi pulled her eyes off the game she had been playing to notice Nove was present.
"It's so great you are here Nove! Dieci is boring without Sein around," Wendi exclaimed happily.
"It's great to see you too...." Nove said with a disheartened expression, knowing Wendi will probably drive her up a wall.
In another part of the school, C.C. was munching on another pizza while lying on Lelouch's bed in his room. As she was watching a documentary on pizza, she was having a conversation with an unseen guest.
"Things have been getting quite interesting on my end, so how about you?"
The only sound that was heard was the talking of the narrator from the documentary program.
"Sorry, but I promised I wouldn't spoil anything. However, I think this girl Lelouch is working very closely with kinda reminds me of you when you were younger. It could be interesting if they end up as a couple, but your son has quite the competition. It's quite entertaining really."
C.C. grinned, seemingly listening to the response of the person she was sharing a conversation with.
"Oh, did I say something? I thought you didn't care about your son's love life all things considered," C.C. almost laughed at the wordless response she got. "I really wish you could meet some of these girls, so that I can find out which one you might approve of."
Speaking of whom, Lelouch along with Nunnally and Alicia were accompanying Milly and the rest of the Student Council minus Suzaku to the grand opening of the Clovisland Pool. For the first day, the park would be exclusive to special guests only before being opened to the public the following day.
Milly was wearing a two-piece red bikini with a pair of sunglasses over her head. Shirley wore a two-piece skirtini that was blue with white trim. Nina's own swimsuit was a little more modest compared to Shirley and Milly's as hers was a one piece yellow swimsuit. Kallen wore a two-piece strapless black swimsuit with an orange sleeveless shirt held together by one button. Quattro wore her own two-piece swimsuit and hers was blue with a white towel draped over her shoulders. Rivalz was wearing a set of swim-shorts. Nunnally wore a modest two-piece swimsuit that was pink with red trimming and her long hair styled into a pair of pigtails seated in her wheelchair. Sayoko, wearing a swimsuit similar to Nina's, was pushing Nunnally's wheelchair while wearing her maid hat. Walking alongside was Lelouch, who wore a light green button-up shirt as a jacket over the black swim briefs he wore. Under his arm, he was carrying an inflatable pig for Nunnally. Alicia wore a one piece yellow and red swimsuit and was carrying a white inflatable tube.
"I think all things considered this would be a good day for you to relax a little, wouldn't you agree?" Quattro asked approaching Lelouch.
"I suppose," Lelouch replied considering the work in building up the "Knights for Justice" image the Black Knights portrayed. Leading the Black Knights at night and being a student during the day was tough on the young man despite having Sayoko to stand in for him and timely use of Quattro's IS to get some much needed sleep during the day. If anyone who was likely showing fatigue from the double-life, it was Kallen, who passed out in class during the last few days although it was easily written off.
I'm surprised Kallen hasn't passed out now. Maybe she's getting used to it? Quattro commented telepathically.
Indeed, but let's focus on having some fun here today, Lelouch replied, mentally intending to spend time with his sister.
"Huh, Suzaku?" Shirley said, noticing a familiar face by the pool.
Suzaku was wearing a simple pair of blue swim shorts, sitting in a lawn chair by the largest of the pools in the park. Another woman was lying down in a beach chair, wearing a one-piece white swimsuit. The center exposed a decent amount of cleavage, held together by a number of ties down the middle.
The young Honorary Britannian was surprised by their appearance just as he was surprised by theirs.
"Hey there," Milly waved at Suzaku.
"That's a surprise, what are you doing here?" Shirley asked.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Well, I am a local celebrity, Ashford Principle Contacts and all, so I got a VIP invitation and brought everyone along," Milly explained.
"Everyone?" Suzaku inquired before noticing Lelouch, Nunnally, Sayoko, Quattro and Alicia. "Lelouch! And you're here, too, Nunnally?"
"Suzaku!" Nunnally said, happy with the young man's appearance.
"Hey," Lelouch greeted, but Quattro was instantly suspicious.
Wait, I thought he was supposed be working with his superiors in the Engineering Corps?
"I didn't expect you two to show up," Suzaku admitted as Nunnally explained.
"We had to come. When I heard they had finished a pool designed by my big broth…uh…I mean Prince Clovis I had to come and swim in it."
"Swim…uh isn't that-" Suzaku said, but couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He knew Nunnally's current condition made it very difficult for her to swim without some assistance. However, Nunnally laughed in response and knowing what he was trying to say.
"I know, its kinda hard with me being blind, but I can still paddle around in the water though easily enough. So Suzaku, would you like come swimming with me? I bet it would be lots of fun."
"I would love to really, but I am on duty."
"Oh, you're on duty?" Lelouch asked with his curiosity peaked. The silent Quattro merely had her suspicions confirmed.
"That's right," Suzaku answered before moving closer and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Now you should be safe at this distance. You see, I'm here to act as security for the special guest opening speaker."
"Who is it?" Lelouch asked suddenly having a bad feeling about it.
"Its Princess Cornelia," Suzaku answered as Lelouch was both stunned and worried.
Even I didn't hear that, Quattro thought as she picked up no such mention when checking the military channels and communications connected to the Viceroy's Palace.
Lelouch and Nunnally hung as far to the back as they could with Sayoko and Quattro while everyone else were gathered for the opening ceremony taking place. Cornelia took the stage, wearing what was probably the most revealing bikini every which only covered very little with it held together by various black straps. Her sister Euphemia was also present; her bikini, while similar in design, covered up a little more than Cornelia's did and was of a pink and white coloring. Nearby were Dalton and Guilford and they wore swimsuits of their own. Guilford wore green and black shorts while Dalton wore red swim briefs.
After the applause of the crowd died down, Cornelia began speaking. It was clear she was very uncomfortable before the crowd in her current attire despite her efforts to hide it.
Whoever designed that should be shot, Quattro commented on Cornelia's bikini.
"I am pleased to announce that the Clovisland Pool, one of many public works projects made by my brother, has been successfully completed. This recreational facility shall serve as a tribute to all those in the colonies who have dedicated their lives to building the national prestige of Britannia. As we struggle to bring enlightenment to the Elevens," Cornelia went on continuing her speech, unaware that Lelouch was glaring at her.
Cornelia, Lelouch thought with restrained anger behind his glaring stare.
I'll give credit where it's due, Quattro said telepathically to Lelouch. Cornelia really did go to some extremes to hide the fact she would be the special guest speaker here today. She was surprisingly secretive about it because I found no mention of this public appearance anywhere.
Heh, was she worried we would appear or someone else might attempt a terrorist attack here? Lelouch thought while laughing inwardly.
Actually, no. There is a more dangerous and determined enemy she didn't want to deal with especially considering her attire.
What…me?
No…the paparazzi, Quattro answered.
As far as all onlookers were concerned, Lelouch was glaring daggers at Cornelia while Quattro was seemingly passive at the moment.
"Madam President," Shirley whispered to Milly. "Do you see how Lelouch is watching her? It's so intense, it looks like he wants to jump on her."
Milly of course knew the real reason for Lelouch's stare, but knew it would be a bad idea if Shirley was told the truth. It was especially true in a public setting like this one.
"Well, that is only natural for a high school boy seeing a woman with such outstanding… uh… proportions. Right, Suzaku?"
"Uh, I guess so," Suzaku answered, but he also knew that wasn't Lelouch's real reason for glaring at Cornelia.
"Oh, tell me what Princess Cornelia looks like," Nunnally asked before adding. "What is it that boys like about her so much?"
With a mischievous smile, Milly gladly offered an answer. "Well I hear she likes to train her male subjects in certain ways."
"What are you saying, Madam President?" Shirley asked clearly uncertain about it, but then Nunnally turned to her brother.
"In that case, Lelouch could you teach me to do everything Princess Cornelia does? I want to be as popular as she is."
"Uh…what, Nunnally!?" A shocked Shirley exclaimed before her shock turned to worry as she heard Lelouch say.
"Ah, I thought this would be necessary eventually. All right, Nunnally, I'll tell you everything I know in detail."
Shirley's face turned pink as she was clearing misunderstanding what was happening. No one made an effort to correct her as she muttered, "What, Lulu? You too?"
"Get ready, I won't hold back," Lelouch cautioned but Nunnally wasn't worried.
"Okay. I'll try as hard as I can. I'll do whatever it takes to satisfy you."
"Oh, is this one of those beautiful, but dangerous sibling relationships?" Milly mused jokingly while Shirley misinterpreted the situation
"Oh no, this is SO WRONG, Lulu!" Shirley said, now more worried than before as her race turned beat red.
As that exchange was going on, Kallen was deep in thought. Despite feeling tired and preferring to sleep in, a fun day at a swimming pool would have been a decent way to relax. Cornelia's appearance and speech put her into a foul mood, but she also reflected on what Zero and Quattro had told her and the others in Ohgi's group.
Everything was briefed clearly and painfully to Ohgi's resistance cell in a storage facility, with Zero and Quattro standing above crates with lights above them.
"An interdimensional criminal?" Kallen said in shock.
"That's right," Zero confirmed. "We don't know exactly who he is, but the Mandarin is an infamous alien working in Britannia's shadows."
"You gotta be kidding!" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Am I?" Zero asked back. "Would you have believed us if you didn't see the whole thing for yourself? How long do think it would take for you to figure out how to make Knightmares normally from scratch? 10 years? 20? 30? Theoretically, at least, but actual practically would take decades more, if not centuries. Thanks to him and his intelligence, Earth's technology has rocketed over the years with Britannia leading the way."
"So an alien is in charge of this!?"
"Man," Sugiyama said in disbelief. "No wonder why you wanted to keep this a secret until now..."
"Or tell us slowly," Minato added.
"I've heard about the Mandarin before," Ohgi commented. "From what rumors say, he's an international trader who could get you the right weapon for the right price...as long as you had the funds. That included weapons from China, the European Union and even Britannia. Taken no one has seen him in person before, but this..." He trailed off until something reminded him. "But why would the JLF decline his offers?"
"Come again?" Zero gently wanted Ohgi to repeat.
"You said what we fought at the hotel was a rogue faction. I know that he's a person responsible for Japan falling to Britannia, but you also said the real JLF would not accept the weapons we saw if they knew he supplied them. Why is that?"
"How much would you believe that those weapons ran on sakuradite?" Quattro stepped in, which didn't budge their recruits too much as it was expected. She went on for a more shocking detail, "Then would you believe that he was behind the war between Britannia and Japan from the start?"
That raised eyebrows, especially Ohgi's.
"I remember reports about an explosion occurring in Japan before the war. They said Japan was testing a new weapon that provoked a response from Britannia. Are you saying that was-"
"All a cover story," Quattro brushed off. "The real incident was a magic-based one, manipulated by the Mandarin into happening. Because the destruction involved a Britannian prince and his younger sister, that was more than enough for the Empire to declare war. All so the Mandarin would have a more direct route to your precious sakuradite."
There was an intense moment from Ohgi's group that now became the Black Knights. It wasn't surprising that Japan produced 70% of the world's supply of sakuradite. Using the war to gain direct access to Japan's treasure sickened them, recalling all the lives lost for the Mandarin's goals as well as Britannia's.
"And if you thought that was bad," Quattro continued. "How would you react if we also told you he had an additional interest in the Japanese themselves?"
"What do you mean!?" Yoshida retorted.
"I mean he's experimented on your kind since his arrival. Throughout all of Britannia's wars, he's been taking Numbers and prisoners of war as test subjects for super soldiers in his army, his organization called Logos."
"Logos," Minato said silently as the group kept that name in mind.
"In all of his experiments, the Japanese, or what Britannia calls the Elevens, have the highest potential in wielding magical power. That's how he made the cyborg troopers you saw during the hotel hijacking. Who knows? Maybe there's some magic potential in you as well."
"I am an exception to the Japanese case," Zero notified. "I was merely caught within the Mandarin's actions. Quattro was also a victim to his activities and we've joined with many others who want to see Britannia destroyed along with their secret contributor. I'm just leading the way."
"If that's the case," Tamaki demanded, easily angered by the Mandarin's actions. He and the others were clearly disgusted by how the Mandarin was using their people as guinea pigs to serve him, who also served their conquerors. "Why don't you go waste him and all of Britannia right now!?"
"Because then that would bring in another power we would have to face," Zero retorted. "One with capabilities far beyond Logos and Britannia. And since we're talking about an interdimensional scale, you clearly know what I mean."
"What is it?" Kallen asked.
"The TSAB," Quattro answered. "Abbreviated as the Time-Space Administration Bureau."
"They are a police force with the purpose to maintain order in the Dimensional Sea, formed after many devastating wars following its establishment," Zero explained. "Their main purpose is to secure peace in every dimension and monitor all undeveloped worlds."
"Undeveloped worlds?" Ohgi asked.
"Planets like Earth," Quattro defined. "The TSAB believe magic will interfere with its development and bring disastrous consequences."
"Disastrous!?" Tamaki exclaimed in ridicule, understanding the duo's opposition to such a policy. "How bad can we screw it up!? Besides, how would they know anyway?"
"They have invisible observation posts in orbit to prevent interference."
"Basically it all comes to this." Zero interrupted. "If we use magic too openly, Earth will lose its special status and the TSAB will intervene on all of us. Between a Knightmare army and a magical police force, we don't have the strength yet to fight both, let alone one of them." Zero paused so that info would sink into his allies."Our current strategy is to keep a low profile as we are now and expand our forces without making too much noise. Only then, will we have the opportunity for victory."
"Ohgi, you alright?" Naomi noticed him freezing with a weird look before he snapped out of it.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm okay, just getting overwhelmed by all this."
"So, what will you do now?" the moment of truth arrived as Zero pointed out. "You can pretend like this never happened and continue to fight as you are now. Or you join our cause and take the fight more directly. Be warned, I can promise you a fighting chance but I can't guarantee your survival in the long run. We're playing against stronger players now."
"Would you excuse us for a sec, Zero?" Ohgi immediately thought of emergency group discussion before making that final decision.
"Make it quick."
Ohgi and the others went over to a corner by the warehouse. It the only place the group can have some private time without making Zero suspect they were leaving. Ohgi started off the debate.
"So what do you think of this?"
"I don't know," Kallen surprised the group by showing her doubts first. "Britannia is one thing, but aliens and magic? That sounds way out of our league."
"Come on, Kallen," Tamaki jumped in. "Just think of it like those magical girl cartoon shows from before. You know, but with Zero and all?"
"I know, but we're dealing with multidimensional forces here. Who knows what we'll be pitted against?"
"I agree," Ohgi said before assuring while making a little tilt to Zero. "But even then, this is the truth and these two are probably the only ones we can rely on."
"He's right," Sugiyama supported. "These people sound like they have a plan. And with that kind of firepower, who knows what we can do the Britannians?"
"The only thing now is whether this'll work," Naomi pointed out. "For all we know, he could also be an agent this alien Mandarin."
"Maybe," Ohgi had the same doubts. "But these two sound like they want to help. And it's better them than having no help at all."
"Or be part of Logos," Minato added.
"Saying they're protecting the world while watching us die here," Tamaki held a fist, referring to the TSAB. "What kind of police does that anyway? When an alien is already working for the Britannians?"
"I know, and even I'm unsure why they wouldn't just come to help us. But what Zero's saying is true, I'm not looking back on this, even if it impossible we'll survive this. Wouldn't you agree?"
There were a number of nods coming from the group, though some were delayed as they still had their uncertainties. Only a stunned Kallen did give an answer, which attracted Oghi.
"Uhh, Kallen?"
"Eh?" Kallen jumped from her doze before giving a nod. She was still thinking over what Zero shared them, but had to agree with Ohgi.
"It's settled then."
After that discussion, the group broke from the corner and walked back to their magical allies.
"Have you made your decision yet?" Zero asked.
"Yes we have, but I need to say this first," Ohgi argued. "After seeing what happened today and what you told us, I can't look away from something like this. Right now, I don't exactly understand how things have gone so bad. But if I don't do anything about it, I'll feel even worse. I place you as leader of our group and we're prepared to fight the bigger fight now."
"A bold decision," Zero praised. "Welcome to our world."
But by the end of that discussion, Kallen and the others were still overwhelmed by the revelations. Like Zero told them, it was a contributing factor that if they hadn't seen some of it for themselves, they wouldn't have believed it.
If this Mandarin is behind the war and Britannia, so how are we going to beat someone like that?
Elsewhere in the world, Verossa Acous was exploring the interior of an old warehouse. Instead of Japan, this place was in the Georgian region of the Britannian Homeland. The surrounding area was overgrown with various vegetation and weeds. The warehouse itself appears to have been abandoned for years, judging by all the wear and tear the structure endured from the elements. He came to a set of metal stairs which seemed rusted. After checking them, he determined they were safe and ascended the stairs until he came to an office on the second floor.
The door was open, but all of the windows were shattered and old paper forms and documents were scattered about the floor. A wooden desk was in the center of the room, but the chair behind it was missing a leg and the nearby file cabinets were old and rusted. He even found a bird nest in one of the open drawers.
"Just like the other one I checked out," Verossa mused as he looked over to the wall. He saw a portrait containing a picture of who was likely the company's founder standing in front of his company's sign.
"This doesn't look like a hideout for a terrorist," Signum commented from the doorway.
"Oh, you're here, Signum?" Verossa said, sounding surprised.
"Yes, Chrono didn't want you going alone, especially within the Britannian Homeland."
"Heh well, I doubt I was going to run into any trouble, but I guess you never know."
"So did you find anything?"
"Not really, but this building was once the company headquarters for Sandler Manufacturing Incorporated. According to my information, it was among the companies that was brought together as one of the founding companies for the Donovan Technology Conglomerate. Through its collective think-tank of bringing together the brightest minds within the companies, it is Britannia's major weapons manufacturer and developer of new technologies. Ever since it was founded twenty years ago, it is involved in almost every other technological development and research for the Britannian Empire, either through the company itself or one of its subsidies."
"So why exactly is this place important?"
"Because records state that was one of the fifteen companies brought together to form the Conglomerate which was in 1997 A.T.B, but records I… acquired… from the local city hall shows that Sandler Manufacturing Incorporated has been out of business for over twenty-five years. Even a so called employee from the same company who was credited with designing the solar-power generation systems has been dead for over forty years. Records were altered and adapted to fabricate a cover story, but the original paper documents still exist. I have investigated some of the other founding companies and so far, they have all been dummies using the names and addresses of older companies that have gone under years ago or no one has really heard of nationwide."
"Basically, what you are saying is the Donovan Technology Conglomerate just appeared out of nowhere?" Signum said, taking note of the facts so far.
"Yes, and after its rise, it supported then Prince Charles zi Britannia. Thanks to his new relationship with it, he grew more powerful one year after its foundation. This especially came from being credited as the man who supported and introduced Britannia to working solar power as it became cleaner and much cheaper to produce, replacing all other forms of power. Not long after that, the previous Emperor was overthrown and Charles assumed the throne with the Conglomerate now enjoying the benefits of their ties to the Emperor. Even now, they continue to provide his country with advancements in technology that came one after another over the following years, ultimately aiding Britannia's expansion."
"Why hasn't the TSAB conducted an investigation into these people then?" Signum said as she realized the picture Verossa was painting. Even though it wasn't completely obvious, it was clear someone with access to advanced technology well beyond Earth's current level was reverse engineering it to sell for profit. It was a reasonable move in one's effort to amass resources, wealth and political influence. Even if the leap didn't seem too big, the rate of these developments still should have attracted some attention.
"Well, if what we discovered through Ginga's involvement in this affair wasn't enough...I think it's proof that someone else within the TSAB has been using its own influence to sweep these red flags under the rug."
"I see your point, but what of the Conglomerate's founder?"
"Yes him…so far, records name the CEO, owner and founder as Trevor Donovan. His records claim he was born in Britannia to a small family who rose through the ranks through scientific achievements before using his new wealth and connections with the current Emperor to establish his Conglomerate. His wealth grew even more from his invention of the cell-phone and satellite communications that led to the creation of the Internet and social media."
"Anything else?" Signum inquired.
"Well, he's a reclusive man as only a small few ever met him in person, Despite this, he still runs and manages the company as well as providing new technologies and inventions. I don't know if he is involved with the Mandarin or a decoy with elements of his company being used as a front for the Mandarin's activities."
"Of course, the whole company could be a front."
"Yes, that is true as well. We don't have any hard evidence to prove it now, but we know that these origins are very suspicious and could be part of the Mandarin's organization. I'll be investigating the other related companies, both the rest that helped found it and ones it bought following its creation."
Signum felt uneasy, but it was clear this Trevor Donovan was a possible suspect given what Verossa found so far, or perhaps a decoy.
It was one of the most frustrating elements in their investigation. Just as how the laws the Bureau protected undeveloped worlds from interference, they had a case where someone was using those same laws to hide behind. The creation of a legitimate business empire which has done nothing illegal or anything in the public eye to warrant unwanted attention was an example. If Earth had been a developed world, they likely would have been able to conduct a more thorough investigation more easily. They wouldn't have been overall restricted to being more covert and discreet since they could not expose the existence of magic and other worlds to the people of Earth.
Signum was certain, however, that this mysterious company was a front for the Mandarin to operate on Earth. Perhaps it's cover to build bases and research facilities under the guise of new company buildings for similar purposes.
If that's the case, it would explain on how he could amass sakuradite to use in his weapons, Signum thought before she sighed. Even black market traders have a hard time acquiring some since it only exists richly on Earth.
That would have been probable cause on Mid-Childa to search the company and its facilities given a little more evidence. But on Earth, it was the company of an undeveloped world so they couldn't conduct a more in-depth investigation without some serious proof. And due to the restrictions upon them because of Earth's undeveloped status, collecting that proof was almost impossible.
The following morning at Ashford Academy, a smiling Hayate Yagami was accompanied by Vita, dressed in a 17th century black suit of London style fashion. Complete with a cane, a top hat and a fake mustache, she had the appearance of an English Gentleman. Thanks to transformation magic, Vita appeared identical in age to Hayate, dressed up as a heavy metal rock star. She wore a white T-shirt with a black skull, along with black pants, a matching leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders and black sunglasses. The two were arriving to take part in the event as per the invitation offered by Milly.
On the second floor of her destination was Kallen, wearing the male uniform of an Ashford Academy student. Underneath the open coat was a red shirt with a whistle hanging from a necklace she wore, complete with a white headband.
"So this is the cross-dressing festival," Kallen said reluctantly.
"Yes," Milly began as her choice of attire was a swashbuckler, wearing white tights, a blue and yellow strapped top to match the theme and era of her attire and a large pointed hat with a white feather on top. She even had an era-correct sword hanging from her belt to complete her costume. "It was such a hit last year that we are doing it again."
"It's really fun to dress up like a boy," Nunnally exclaimed happy as she was wearing Lelouch's clothes. It was his red and black trimmed jacket, his black jeans and a matching shirt. Except her hair was styled into two ponytails.
"I guess it's okay for girls, but guys wearing skirts?" Kallen said as she thought the idea would be unacceptable for them. Sayoko stepped in as she was dressed up as a butler.
"They might complain a bit, but can you tell they enjoy it?"
"Last year, we had three people come out after this," Nina revealed as she was dressed up as a classic school boy with green shorts, a matching suit and a hat.
"Well, one of them was our home economics teacher, so I don't think that counts," Shirley said as her attire of choice was dressing up as a police officer.
"Either way, don't tell me you like the idea of seeing the boys dressed up as girls and ruining their own dignity," Quattro said. Her choice of attire was surprising as she wore a blue suit with a bolo-tie and a white lab coat. If her sisters saw her now, they would be almost frightened or possibly amused how close she was to being a doppelgänger of her own creator in both appearance and personality without fully realizing it. Perhaps, it was a sign of some lingering reverence she had for her creator.
"Well yeah, but," Kallen began, uncertain of what she should say.
"Hey, Lelouch, Suzaku, Rivalz! Are you three done yet?"
"No problem we are opening the door now," Suzaku said from the other room. He just finished changing into a pink and red sailor-school uniform used in Japan.
"No wait," Lelouch said suddenly. "Don't open it yet!"
"Why, you're dressed, aren't you?"
"I have to prepare myself to be seen in…lace."
"You don't need to be shy, Lelouch. I think you look lovely," Suzaku complimented.
"Idiot, watch your compliments!"
"Suzaku," Rivalz began as he was dressed up as a busty French maid with a pink dress and white apron. "Are you a little embarrassed?"
"Well, yeah. It's kinda drafty down there," Suzaku said as he lifted up his skirt until Lelouch stopped him.
"Suzaku, don't. It's indecent."
"Indecent? I am a guy, remember?"
"Just don't lift up your…whatever."
Suddenly, the other door leading out into the hall opened and Vita and Hayate walked in. All of Lelouch's mental processes came to a grinding halt as Hayate looked at him in shock as did Vita. No one said a word until Suzaku broke the silence.
"Hayate…and Vita is that you," Suzaku said recognizing the red-haired girl.
"Suzaku is that…Lelouch?" Vita asked, pointing to Lelouch. He was finished putting on a black Victorian style dress with white lace ruffles and a black wing to appear to have longer hair. Everyone was silent until Vita, at first adoring it, began laughing. Hayate also giggled as a sign she was very impressed by Lelouch's dress.
"You look so beautiful in that dress, Lelouch. Why, you make a better looking woman than a man!" Hayate said before she chuckled.
Lelouch wanted to back away, but Hayate quickly closed the distance. She began examining him out of curiousity to the extent Lelouch was willing to play the part of a woman today. Vita was trying in vain to suppress her laughter, but she fell onto the ground laughing hysterically. Now wanting to know who was laughing, Milly and everyone else entered the room. Milly saw Hayate, but all eyes were first on Lelouch. People couldn't contain their impressions of him.
"Wow," Milly exclaimed. "I think I lost all of my self-confidence as a woman!"
"You see, Lelouch? Everyone thinks you are lovely," Suzaku commented.
"Shut up, how can all of you gush like that?" Lelouch said as his face was turning red.
"Hayate, I am glad you could make it," Milly greeted before noticing Vita. "So...is she your sister?"
"Yes she is. I know we look very different from one another."
"Right, it's because you're adopted?"
"You could say that," Hayate answered with a smile. "Vita, this is Milly, a good friend of Lelouch and Suzaku. Everyone, this is Vita."
"So, you knew Lelouch when he was a little kid like Suzaku?" Rivalz asked intrigued.
"Yes we did, I knew Nunnally through the physical therapy sessions we had together. I spent most of my childhood in a wheelchair due to a…illness I was suffering at the time." Hayate explained.
"Oh, so you were close to Nunnally then," Shirley said curious as well. Nina was nervous with another Japanese in the room, but given there was already Sayoko and Suzaku, she eased up a little.
"It's great to see you, Hayate," Nunnally greeted.
"Likewise, but I am sorry to say that Nanoha and Fate couldn't make it as they had other responsibilities to attend to." The young girl mentioned, but Vita gave Hayate a suspicious look while thinking.
That's not completely true. You didn't mention what this festival was going to be about and probably didn't want them to stop you from teasing Lelouch a little.
"It's too bad. I can't see how pretty my brother looks." The wheelchair bound girl mused.
"Don't worry, Nunnally. I am already recording everything with this," Hayate said bringing out a camcorder. "It will also be in high-definition, so you can enjoy this festival once again when you can see once more."
Lelouch went pale as he knew Hayate had ulterior motives for recording the festival. He tried to grab the camera, but Hayate was quicker and gave it to Vita. With a smirk, Vita gladly began recording, seemingly enjoying how much Lelouch was sweating. Now unlike Hayate, the former prince wouldn't dare attempt to snatch it from Vita, knowing the girl had one time beaten Suzaku in a sparring match at the Kururugi Shrine.
Even without my magic, in hand to hand, she would overpower me.
The prince thought as attempting to take the camera from Vita would be trying to take a fish from an angry grizzly bear.
"Now that we are all here, we can begin the festival properly, so it's time for us to crossover on the inside as well…Like so," Milly began clearing her throat before attempting to imitate a more masculine voice. "Now, it's your turn Lelouch."
"Uh…very well then," Lelouch said trying to sound more feminine, which prompted Nunnally and Hayate to giggle and laugh in amusement.
"Hey Kallen, how would you like to play a game of ball?" Shirley said joining the act.
"Uh sure, we can get all nice and sweaty."
"You're good at this Kallen," Suzaku said getting into character and was thus far the most convincing out of all of them.
"And you are right at home in a sailor suit," Kallen shot back while Suzaku took it as a compliment.
"Thanks, I had to wear one for talent night at the barracks."
"Oh, this is getting too good," A snickering Quattro said to herself, getting into character as well.
"Would you like some tea, Miss Luluko," Sayoko offered now in character.
"Luluko?" Lelouch asked, slipping out of character for a moment.
"Yes, in Japan, it's quite often to add 'ko' to a girl's name."
"Oh, so like Sayoko," Nina said who wasn't in character.
"Exactly," Sayoko answered before Milly moved closer to Lelouch and said.
"I can't hold back anymore, Lelouch. I love you so much!" Milly began, which instantly caused a stir among the gathered students.
"Hey hold on! I love Luluko, too!" Shirley declared with a red face.
"Nay, I am the best choice for the beautiful Luluko. I am from a noble house and a proper family, so I am the best natural choice. So please accept my love!" Hayate said. Upon noticing the exchanging glances between Hayate and Milly, the former prince realized something.
I get it, so once you found out Hayate loves cosplay as much you do. You two must have been collaborating before hand and planned this out. You two have set me up.
But it was too late now as the trap had been sprung.
"Let me in on this," Rivalz said before jumping into character. "Madam President, I have always had the hots for you."
"Would you all just stop this!" Lelouch said, unable to maintain his character.
"Scientifically, I am the best and logical choice for Luluko as all of you are incompatible with her. Accept my love instead of these desperate virgins," Quattro said while in both character and with a growing smirk on her face.
"Heh, you are quite popular, Luluko," Kallen commented with a smug expression.
"Kallen, are you after Luluko, too?" Shirley demanded, but Kallen brushed her off.
"Who wants a dog like her?"
"How cruel calling someone a dog!" Suzaku said as he was proving to be WAY too convincing with even tears in his eyes. It was clear with some additional training that Suzaku could have made a very good movie actor. Vita was now torn between wanting to stop it and to keeping on the recording. A third part of her almost wanted to jump in on the action.
"Why, are you all so good at this?" Nina asked nervously.
"Luluko, we're going to get this straight once and for all. Do you love me, Shirley, Quattro, Hayate, Nanoha, Fate or Kallen?" Milly said determined to get it out of him while she and Hayate's attentions were crystal clear to Lelouch.
So that's your game.
"Leave me out of this!" Kallen snapped back.
"How scandalous, seducing seven lovers at once," Suzaku said, trying to add to the drama, laughing on the inside at the situation.
"WOULD YOU ALL JUST CHILL OUT!" Lelouch snapped unable to hold back anymore.
"Hey, no turning back into a boy!" Milly reminded Lelouch as did Nunnally.
"Yes, keep it girly, big brother."
"No…I…I can't take it anymore," Lelouch said as he began to lose balance and then collapse onto the ground, passing out.
Moments later, Nanoha opened the door, having heard the commotion and entered to see everyone in their costumes. Her expression indicated, other than being worried for Lelouch's well-being, that she was trying to grasp why the two genders switched clothes.
"Uh…what the…what…happened to Lelouch?" Nanoha asked, having only arrived at the school to take part in the festival. It seemed Hayate did not share the details with Nanoha.
"Oh, I thought Hayate told you about the cross-dressing festival," Milly said still in character.
"Crossdressing festival," Nanoha said, understanding now that when Hayate mentioned today's school festival, she had left out a few details. Realizing this and the fact that Hayate had wanted to go herself, the woman couldn't help but look at her friend suspiciously.
"I thought you and Fate weren't going to make it," Hayate said smiling nervously.
"I finished my errands early because I wanted to come to the school festival as a guest. Shamal mentioned the invitation Milly gave you when we met her at the party." Nanoha said, but she understood that had she been present, she might have stopped Hayate from whatever she did to poor Lelouch.
"Oh well, the plan failed anyway," Hayate mused jokingly.
"What plan?"
"We were just hoping to find out who Lelouch had his eye on as a girlfriend," The busty blonde admitted.
"Oh so that's it," Nanoha said giving Hayate and Milly a wary gaze. Lelouch was still unconscious on the ground with Quattro observing the passed out former prince.
Face it, Lelouch. This was one fight you lost rather badly I think.
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Chapter 16: False Smiles
Well, getting this next chapter done proved to quicker than I thought. But for those who know Code Geass, things will start building up pretty soon, so get for a big mess.
But right now, enjoy the next chapter.
It was late afternoon, outside the train terminal at the main military headquarters in the Tokyo Settlement. Cornelia was preparing to head for Kyushu where she intended to take care of disturbances in the area as well as some JLF cells they found operating. It has been two weeks since the hotel hijacking that resulted in public backlash against the Japan Liberation Front. People became more willing to report their whereabouts, which so far moved Cornelia to head out and crush their southern headquarters.
Of course, that wasn't her only intention. Before departing, she called her sister to the station.
"The EU is starting an offensive on the El-Alamein Front, so we need to stop dragging our feet here. It's high time Area 11 was made a satellite nation. I want to solidify domestic affairs, but to do, that we must stamp out terrorism." Cornelia explained to her younger sister before mentioning. "Another problem is the rampant abuse of Refrain among the Elevens; productivity is plummeting. It's coming in on the Chinese Federation's Kyushu Route, so I intend to put an end to it."
"Yes," Euphemia replied. "But be careful."
"You as well, I don't want you leaving the settlement."
"Cornelia, what about the Black Knights and Zero?" Euphemia inquired.
"I'll let them run free a little bit longer. I owe them that for saving your life. However, upon my return," Cornelia began before stopping to cup her sister's cheek with one hand. "Once I clean up this area, I am entrusting it to you, so please try to stay out of harm's way from now on. Alright, Euphie?"
Euphemia didn't say anything, but deep down she felt conflicted by Zero's actions. Like many in Area 11, she noticed a serious difference between him and the other resistance groups in Japan. Yet, something about him seemed familiar...
Elsewhere at Ashford Academy, a tired Kallen put one hand against the wall. She was standing near the entrance to the Student Council room, steadying herself before a loud yawn escaped her mouth.
"Man, this double life sure is a killer..."
Suddenly, noises from inside the room got her attention.
"Come on, Suzaku, hold him down!" Milly commanded.
"Damn it, Suzaku, cut it out!"
The curious Kallen opened the door and entered the Student Council room. Lelouch was tied up in a chair while everyone else was dressed up as cats. Suzaku was wearing a blue cat outfit with a hood and cat ears. Rivalz wore a yellow and brown cat suit, except his had a piece to put on his nose to give him cat-like whiskers and a nose. Shirley wore a form-fitting pink and red cat suit while wearing matching ears on her head using makeup to give herself whiskers. Nina wore a simple tiger-striped cat hat on her head, seated in front of her computer. Milly was dressed in a provocative black and white cat costume that showed off her thighs and figure. She had cat-paw style gloves and makeup as did Shirley and wore black cat ears on her head.
"Stop it! I'm not kidding!" Lelouch shouted as he was tied to a chair. It looked like just Suzaku, Shirley and Rivalz had ganged up on him to put him in a cat costume against his will. They got the makeup on his face along with a set of ears so far. Milly was nearby observing with a smile on her face.
"Sorry, Lelouch, it's the President's orders," Suzaku answered, refusing to help his friend.
"Yeah, like you're not enjoying this at all?" A defiant Lelouch declared as Shirley was struggling to put more makeup on him.
"Would you hold still!?"
Suddenly, Milly noticed that Kallen had arrived so she turned to wave at her.
"Good meow-ning."
"Good…morning, I guess."
The trio stopped to take notice of Kallen's presence.
"What is all this?
"What do you mean? Didn't we tell you? It's our welcome party for Arthur," Rivalz explained. A black cat was sitting on a new cat-castle that had been built recently for the Council's room ever since it was found on school grounds.
"Sounds like fun," Kallen commented.
"Well, classes are postponed. We might as well have some fun, right?" Shirley said. She pointed towards a clothing rack with some extra cat costumes on it with two boxes of accessories next to it. "We set some stuff aside for you over here. To make up for all my getting upset at you before, take your pick."
"What? For me?" Kallen asked before Lelouch joined the conversation.
"She doesn't need a costume. You're already wearing a mask, right?"
Kallen was annoyed, but she sarcastically returned the remark.
"You really are a riot, you know that? You ought to be on television."
"What do you think, Ms. TV Star?" Rivalz asked Shirley, but it left Suzaku a little confused.
"Oh, I thought she meant Lelouch."
Shirley sighed in annoyance before saying, "Would you quit joking about that!? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt! We've been hounded with questions day and night, even in the bath!"
"We haven't been able to leave school grounds in a week!" Milly complained.
"Not that I don't feel for you, but I don't see why we can't leave either!" Rivalz said before a smiling Milly declared.
"Hmm, that's the price of friendship. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 'It matters not that we were born apart. Upon this day, we die as one.'"
"Is that your idea of a love quote?"
"If I go down, then we all do."
"That's a little dark, right, Suzaku?" Rivalz said before turning to Suzaku, who began to weep at the mention of the incident.
"I'm glad…that we could all be together again. You know, like this?"
Rivalz suddenly jumped over Lelouch before grabbing Suzaku by the shoulder. "Come on! We're supposed to be unwinding here!" The young man then used one leg to take Suzaku down to the ground, holding him as everyone began laughing.
"That's what's so refreshing about Suzaku, though." Shirley commented followed by Milly.
"Yeah, but once in awhile, you just want him to get a clue, you know?"
Suzaku tried to speak, but Rivalz started pushing on his cheeks as he held him down.
"Sorry about that."
"Aw, you love it, puddy tat."
Kallen mused over the fact she had helped saved their lives, but of course had no idea of Lelouch's involvement.
"Sorry I am late," Quattro said entering the room, wearing her own cat costume. It was a pink and red striped cat-suit supposedly to be based upon the Chester Cat. Hers was more of a one-piece form fitting suit with pink cat ears on top.
Lelouch sighed as he knew he was in trouble and getting put into a cat costume was inevitable.
At least Hayate isn't around.
Inside their hidden mountain hideout were the five prominent members of the Japan Liberation Front. Four of them sat on a tatmat on the ground of a shrine-like room while a single one sat cross-legged on an elevated platform with a sheathed katana lying before him. The four before him wore identical uniforms of those who served in the former Japan Military. The man with the katana before him was in his early thirties or so with short brown hair. His brown eyes were closed had an intensity to them whenever they opened. His closest followers who sat before him varied in ages, the oldest among them having gray hair and a bulker frame while the other three were younger by comparison.
"Why would the masses flock to those who saved Euphemia?" Kōsetsu Urabe a blue-haired man inquired.
"Even Kyoto said they would send the Black Knights the Guren-Mk II," Ryōga Senba, the oldest among them, noted as well.
"To those would be Robin Hoods!?" Shōgo Asahina, the third male member of the four who wore glasses with a scar on his face, exclaimed.
"They are not part of the resistance! What they did Lake Kawaguchi is proof of that," The only female member among them said. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, her name was Nagisa Chiba.
"By the way, in regards to that," Urabe began to ask. "Has there been any word on Kusakabe's whereabouts?"
"Nothing yet, but Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh, we cannot let this stand!"
Their leader Kyoshiro Tohdoh sat quietly listening, but he didn't have much to offer in suggestions that could change what was already happening.
In a small garden in a large and well guarded estate near Mt. Fuji, a meeting was taking place among six individuals. Known publically as the NAC, to those resistance groups they supported, they were the Six Houses of Kyoto. Taizō Kirihara was present for the meeting as was Kaguya and the other four leaders of the other houses that collectively make up the Kyoto Group.
"Kaguya-sama, with all due respect, why are you giving the Guren Mk-II to the Black Knights?" Tousai Munakata inquired. His attire considered of a dark green business suit with a blue tie and had gray hair and a beard.
"Because I believe they can make a more effective use of it," Kaguya Sumeragi replied calmly.
"But the Japan Liberation Front would have been a wiser choice," Tatsunori Osakabe, a man wearing a black cloak over a black business suit noted.
"The JLF had seven years, yet with everything we have given them, what have they achieved so far? Perhaps this will convince them to step up their efforts."
"With all due respect, Sumeragi-sama," Suzuka also spoke as a member of the Six Houses. Her family was instated as a member of the Kyoto Group during the occupation with the young girl being the new young head of the Tsukimura Engineering Concepts Corporation. "The Black Knights have only become active not too long ago. Don't you think it's premature to put such high expectations on such a small group?"
"I agree with Suzuka-sama," Hidenobu Kubouin said in an agreement. He wore a brown suit with a red tie and had long gray hair tied into a long ponytail.
"The decision has been made." Kirihara said, shooting down any further discussion. "The Black Knights' progress in the past couple of weeks has been impressive, so let's see what they can do with the Guren before we decide on any more concessions."
"Very well, but when you feel obliged to give away a one-of-a-kind weapon to a small Robin Hood band, then I strongly advise you should discuss the matter with the rest of us. You two may be the leaders of this group, but we all have our own interests invested here and should have our say in such decisions." Suzuka said while glaring at the other young woman.
"I will remember that next time," Kaguya replied, but felt uneasy about the purple-haired young woman.
Once the meeting was over, Kaguya and Kirihara were the only ones left behind. After ten minutes upon which they were sure the others were gone, Kirihara spoke with the young heiress.
"I think you need to be more careful. Although you and I are the leaders of the Kyoto House, we cannot risk alienating the other members."
"I understand Kirihara-sama, but you and I both know the Black Knights will succeed where the JLF has so far failed."
"Don't you think it's a little soon for such assumptions?"
"No, but can anyone else achieve the results that will lead to Japan's liberation?"
The following night, having grown tired of sneaking around, the Combat Cyborgs now began being a little aggressive in their pursuit of information under Cinque's command. The group returned to Shinjuku Ghetto, the site of Zero's appearance and first triumph and decided to get some answers. To avoid alerting the local populace to the existence of magic, let alone cyborgs, the girls adopted gray cloaks to mask their appearances.
"All right, maggot, you better start talking!" Nove demanded from the kidnapped victim who she held up against a wall.
Said kidnapped victim happened to be some chump in a lousy homemade Zero outfit. It's obvious from the get-go that the Area 11 guy has no idea how to answer her question. In fact, he looked drunk as if he just walked out of the bar.
Wendi sweat dropped from what seemed to be a deconstruction cliché of a police drama back home. For starters, Nove was not a professional interrogator unless you count pointing her IS at the victim's face. By the looks of it; he seemed more interested in what they are wearing than answering questions.
Her sister on the other hand, was too impatient for the job; looking willing to cave in the man's face than hear answers.
"Wait, you idiot, don't!" Wendi cringed when the man tried to rub her, only to have his face imprinted on the wall by Nove's feet. "Never mind," she had some doubts he would have listened as he was too intoxicated to get anything out of him anyway.
The night may be young, but time was of the essence as the search for Zero was on the offensive for the Numbers. They agreed that they need to conduct extreme methods if they want to weed out the masked man. Otherwise, with the resources they have, they could spend months trying to find him without having to rely on pure luck.
The rest of the combat cyborgs were searching any building establishment they could find that night. They couldn't cover all the ghetto areas at once as and so they decided to scrutinize the area block by block before they moved out to a different area. They began their new method about four days ago and they have covered much ground so far. The fact most of it was deserted at that present allowed them to focus their efforts on areas still with inhabitants.
In one apartment room, Sein made herself at home like a girl wandering through a man's house as she searched the drawers and cabinets. Needless to say, she found nothing out of place expect an old picture of the resident during his youth.
The photo was that of a little red haired girl with blue eyes holding up a completed school assignment with high grades on it. In the background were two school boys with one of them possibly being the owner. Not caring how significant the photo is to her mission, she placed it back in his drawer and closed it gently as the hinges started making noises every time she tried pushing it back in.
The kitchen was bare as it had bottles of sake cleverly hidden by the owner. Other than that, there seemed to be packet of coffee ground and chocolate malt drinks.
One item in particular she did notice from the man's house is a white gooey candy he left behind on the counter with a note saying: Property of Kaname Ohgi. This means you Tamaki. With a smirk on her face, she grabbed the food. Yet upon touching the plate it was on she heard someone coming into the apartment room.
Frowning, she activated her IS and escaped through the wall.
Cinque and Dieci were not having much luck on their end either as another man who knew nothing ran off in fright the former gave a demonstration of throwing her knife-like weapons. She didn't employ her IS with them but pinning the man to the wall without harming him made for a better display which was enough to get the man to talk. Sadly, he knew nothing.
Unlike Nove, the one-eyed Combat Cyborg was much better at interrogation. Even though her child-like appearance was a problematic issue when engaging in such activities, her weapons display was sometimes more than enough.
"I don't think this is working," Dieci said removing her hood. It's unlikely Zero would still be operating in this area."
"His victory and his ability to collaborate with the resistance fighters so well must suggest a past relationship with them," Cinque pointed out. "Someone has to know something."
"I don't disagree, but maybe we shouldn't just jump random civilians."
"I suppose you're right but," Cinque stopped when she heard some kind of fight happening nearby.
The combat cyborgs soon came upon a group of two Britannian men in casual wear, led by another much older one with a white suit and blue tie. The two men were beating up a Japanese man who wore ragged clothing. Although there weren't much details, it was clear some kind of deal had gone bad.
"Look if you can't pay for the merchandise, then you can't have any. If you insist upon it, then we'll just have to teach you a lesson in manners." The lead Britannian said as his two lackeys continued to beat the Japanese man senselessly.
Before Dieci realized, Cinque moved in and used her Stingers in conjunction with her Inherent Skill, Rumble Detonator to infuse energy into her knives. The projectiles upon the Britannian's lackeys before Cinque used her Stingers to pin the man to the wall behind him after kicking him in the stomach. Dieci had her Enormous Cannon ready to provide additional intimidation if it was needed.
"W-Who the hell are you!?" The man whiplashed by the sight of the one-eyed girl.
"We have some question for you. If you answer, I may let you go. At least you won't end up like these two here. Tell me what was this about?" Cinque asked coldly.
"That filthy monkey on the ground wanted more Refrain, but he didn't have the money."
"I see," Cinque replied as she had heard about Refrain. Even though she already learned about it during their investigation, she asked the man. "Tell me what you know of it."
"It's...a popular psychotropic drug, makes you think you went back to a peaceful time in the past. It's declared illegal as it's a highly addictive deliriant, but rumors state the drug was created by us Britannians. They say we made it in order to lull the local Number populations into states of blissful death."
"So I see, and judging by what happened in Area 11, I assume you've targeted the Japanese with it." Cinque analyzed as she witnessed the downed Japanese man starting to leave. It was hard for him as she learned about the harmful effects and the unbearable abuse from the Britannians, but against Elevens and Honorary Britannians alike. But there was something else more important. "I doubt you produce the drug yourself, so who supplies it? Tell me where you get your stockpile from."
"But…but they'll kill me!" The Britannian man said weakly before Cinque hurled a Stinger into the air above before using her IS to detonate it in the air.
"I am the one you should be worried about, so tell me."
The following morning at Ashford Academy, two young men were sitting inside the Student Council room. Lelouch was seated at the table reading a magazine with an article about the Black Knights. Suzaku was by the cat-castle playing with Arthur using a toy mouse tried to a string on a stick.
"I can't believe you cried yesterday, it's so embarrassing."
"It's called honesty!" Suzaku retorted before Arthur bit his hand.
"Well, good thing the Black Knights were there. That's all I can say," Lelouch replied sarcastically, ignoring the fact that Suzaku was in pain. After getting the cat off his hand, the Japanese teen was about to speak, but the door opened. Vita surprisingly walked in with a Visitor's Pass clipped to her white shirt that had a black skull imprinted on it. Under the short-sleeve shirt, she wore another with gray and black stripes, a wide collar and long sleeves. She also wore black and white striped socks and black boots. Lastly, there was a black skirt with a red belt on it. She was using transformation magic again to appear older.
"If they really wanted to catch criminals, why don't they join the police I wonder?" Suzaku asked.
"They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I intend to agree," Lelouch answered prompting Suzaku to answer back.
"They may not be effective right now, but they can invoke change from within."
"Yeah, and in the process, they would get tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy," The black-haired youth shot back.
"If they don't do everything in their power to change things that might hold water! Otherwise, all that is just...self-righteous posturing!"
"Self-righteous posturing?" Lelouch asked in ridicule.
"I mean...what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self-satisfying gratification."
"Uh, hello? You two know I am right here!?" Vita said, feeling a little irritated that she was being ignored, let alone the kind of conversation they were having in front of a secret TSAB officer.
"Vita, uh...I didn't know you were there," Suzaku said completely surprised while Lelouch was surprised by only the fact that they didn't notice her enter the room. "Anyway, it's about time for me to go back to base so see you later."
"Hey!" An irritated Vita said before Suzaku hurried out the door.
"Back to base, that was an interesting choice of words." Lelouch began bitterly. " Go back…implying that is where he thinks he belongs."
"The guy has to work. He joined the army, after all."
"I suppose, but I still can't wrap my mind around why he did it."
"Come on, Lelouch, you're being kind of depressing. How about a game?" Vita asked, prompting Lelouch to raise an eyebrow.
A short time later, Lelouch and Vita were out on one of the sports fields, playing a game of crochet. Vita was unsurprisingly good at the game, having spent an amount of her free time playing against the senior citizens when Lelouch was a child. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Vita winning a tournament before the war between Japan and Britannia. So it was probably no surprise that Vita was outperforming him.
"You're not like you used to be Lelouch," Vita commented after her ball passed through the rings and hit the wooden peg.
"Sorry, but I haven't played this game for seven years."
"Shame on you then," Vita said as she stepped aside to watch Lelouch make his move. After hitting the ball, it missed the rings, prompting the young man to sigh. "Anyway, I hope you weren't too scared by what happened."
"If you mean the cross-dresser festival, I think I recovered fine," Lelouch replied quickly, although his cheeks were a little red.
"But I am curious. if you don't mind. You aren't in a relationship with a girl, right? I mean...not in the romantic sense, but even then, do you even have an eye for anyone?" Vita inquired. Although Lelouch might have shot it down, considering that Vita was asking to really see if he was already with someone or was he even considering it.
"Well, between taking care of Nunnally and earning money from my chess matches, I haven't considered the possibility, to be honest. I doubt entering a relationship with any of the girls on campus would be a good because of my…well you know," Lelouch answered.
"Makes sense. After all of the students only know Lelouch Lamperouge, not not your real identity."
"Exactly. That might cause complications if word of it got out. Besides, I think most of the girls are more interested in my looks than anything else."
"I don't doubt it," Vita said before she took her turn. "But what about Hayate, Nanoha or Fate?" The red-haired inquired.
"Well, one of them would be a better choice. Unlike most of the girls here in the Academy, they know full well of my circumstances. It would at least be close to an honest relationship all things considered. But what about those three? Are they in a relationship having an eye for someone."
"That's...kinda hard to say right now," Vita replied, feeling a nervous as she wasn't too sure about that.
"What about you then?"
"HUH!?" Vita said causing her face to turn red.
"Sorry about that," Lelouch replied jokingly.
"Don't do that again," Vita said with a stern expression, but her face was red for a different reason.
Later that night in the warehouse district of the Tokyo Settlement, it was a quarter past midnight. The Black Knights were gathered in one of the alleyways in-between warehouses. This time, they brought Kallen's Glasgow with them as the young woman sat in the pilot chair with the cockpit hatch open. Everyone else was waiting for the signal from Zero while Quattro was putting herself into position elsewhere.
"Man, I can't believe this," Tamaki began. "Just what is Zero thinking? After all of his talking about bringing down Britannia and the Mandarin, he has us running around helping the police."
"Still feels pretty good to have the will of the people behind us," Ohgi commented before Sugiyama added.
"Yeah, we're like total heroes on the net!"
Tamaki was still less than pleased about it, but still Kallen was depressed about it. Ohgi didn't know it, but recent events have caused her relationship with her mother, who has been working as a maid at the Stadtfeld residence, to become further strained. Even after knowing the true nature of the war and the real power behind Britannia, the young woman couldn't help but feel doubtful about their cause.
"Are we in the right? I don't know anymore."
"Kallen," Ohgi said, now sensing something was bothering Kallen.
"Look there, it's the signal from Zero," Yoshida reported seeing a blinking green light in the distance.
"I know he has magic, but just how many tricks does he have?" Tamaki commented.
"What you want to see him pull a rabbit out of his mask?" Inoue joked as a few Black Knights laughed while moving out.
Inside the warehouse that was their target, Cinque was hiding in the rafters above, looking down on the activity happening below her. She saw a number of men unpacking crates, which concealed under bags of flour were boxes filled with carefully packed samples of Refrain. Aside from the men unpacking storing the newly arrived drug products, there were at least a dozen men armed with weapons patrolling the area below her as they remained unaware of her presence.
"Is the shipment for Nagoya ready?" A man who appeared to be the leader of the drug ring asked.
"Yeah, we're almost done." An answer came from one of the members.
"It's all nice and peaceful in the Settlement, huh?" Another commented, feeling comfortable hiding under the noses of the police.
If Zero's intent is to take out criminal elements then an establishment like this would be something he cannot ignore. Cinque thought as their new plan was to stake out at a very likely target of the Black Knights instead of trying to intercept them. Anticipating where Zero will strike next obviously won't work, so their best chance was to wait at a place where he is likely to strike.
Suddenly, shots from a large machine-gun like weapon tore through the warehouse gate until it came down. The Black Knights led by Tamaki armed with assault rifles entered.
"The Black Knights have arrived!"
With seven already dead from their initial attack that opened the gate, the Black Knights continued their advance, firing on the drug dealers who tried to flee. Others tried to shoot back with their own rifles, but the tide quickly changed when Kallen entered in her Glasgow with its anti-personnel weapon.
"A Knightmare!," One man cried out before dropping his weapon to run away.
"Screw this, I am out of here!" Another said before he started running from Kallen who proceeded to gun them down.
Cinque continued to observe, but she decided to inform her sisters their plan as a success.
Sein, make sure you retreat to somewhere away from the battle happening below.
Don't worry Cinque-nee-sama. I heard the gunfire.
Good, Cinque replied telepathically before addressing Nove. Nove, do you see anyone else approaching the warehouse?
Dieci doesn't see anyone else.
Alright, once Zero and his men clean out the rest of the opposition, we'll move in as planned and…
Cinque-nee-sama, a Knightmare is attacking us! Wendi's worried voice came.
It's a Knightpolice Unit, Dieci added. I don't know how it knew we were here, but it's shooting at us.
Over at their location about a dozen warehouses away, Nove dodged the anti-personnel fire from the LE-E106 Knightpolice's machine pistol. To make the situation even more precarious than before, a trio of small remote-controlled cars were speeding after the Knightmare. The toy cars resembled military jeeps: one of them had a small camera on it while the other two were armed with miniaturized weapons. As the third car with the camera hung back, the two cars moved in to attack, shooting at small miniguns built onto the roofs.
One of them barely gazed Nove's arm before she realized another attack was coming from below, but she had the Knightpolice unit to worry about. She went on the offensive firing energy bullets from her Gun Knuckle. The shots inflicted damage upon the upper torso, but even after shooting off the head and was damaged to point its ejection block should have activated, the Knightmare was still operating.
The police unit kept shooting at Nove as it still seemed to know where it was aiming. Nove delivered a kick that destroyed the Knightmare Frame's gun. Jumping on top of the cockpit with help from her Air Liner, she used a focused burst to blast through it. Yet after she did, the redhead found that there was no one inside the machine, save for an already dead police officer who was likely the original pilot. Nove was launched into the air when the ejection system finally activated. She lost her balance and landed on the ground hard before she could recover in time.
The attack didn't end as the three cyborgs were now faced with sniper fire. Dieci had almost been hit with a headshot if she hadn't moved her head at the last second. She and Wendi were forced to take cover as they had a hard time determining where the shooter was. They also had the small remote control attack cars to deal with as well, yet Nove was trying to recover.
Wendi managed to avoid getting shot and recover Nove before the unknown attacker could land a headshot on her. A bullet flew past Wendi, narrowly missing her own head, but she lost a few strains of red hair as the bullet grazed her ear.
The shots were coming from a control cab on top of a large crane used for moving large shipping containers by train or truck. Sein tried to surprise the gunner from below, but found that the floor below had been covered in an organic compound that made it impossible for her IS to work. Cinque came to provide support as she would draw the shooter's attention, allowing Sein to subdue whoever was shooting at them.
Using her Stinger with her Rumble Detonator, Cinque set off a chain of explosions around the control cab to confuse the shooter and provide a smoke screen for Sein to move in with the one-eyed cyborg joining to assist. After their tactical success, they found an anti-material sniper rifle, but no shooter. Instead, they found the rifle attached to a mobile mount, complete with a camera and wireless control device. Therefore, the weapon was being fired remotely.
"Who the heck is doing this?" Sein asked examining the gun mount.
"Someone who knew we were coming. Otherwise, why grease the floor below with an organic material that was made specifically so you can't pass through?" Cinque said as she was very suspicious, but couldn't think of anyone who as much as knew they were coming.
"Cinque-nee-sama….LOOK OUT!" Nove shouted as the two combat cyborgs turned and saw an anti-tank warhead flying straight at them.
Without thinking twice, the two cyborgs leapt from the cab as the anti-tank round blew up the control cab, falling along with the debris. Wendi arrived with her board and caught the two as they fell. They landed and met up with Nove and Dieci in a safe spot nearby. The cyborgs were left with little choice but to write off tonight's mission as a failure and with that last explosion, it was enough noise for one to call in the authorities.
"Our mission failed, the Black Knights are probably gone," Cinque said before adding. "However, this enemy seems familiar with us and that is concerning. How did they find out about our mission?"
She and the cyborgs could see no other way. Evidence points to that someone had known they were coming and planned a surprise attack on them or made it as a distraction. With any possible evidence destroyed that could have revealed details, the Numbers only left for Ashford Academy before the police arrived.
Tossing the bazooka she had just used, the Quattro was a little upset. The train they were riding on to escape moved further and further away from the warehouse district as the cyborg closed the door to the cargo-car they were riding in. She was hoping to kill Cinque at least, but despite the failure of her secondary objective, she succeeded in keeping her sisters occupied for Zero to finish and conducted her battle test successfully.
Ever since she managed to control the Lancelot remotely, Quattro had been trying to find ways to further develop and improve on that ability by controlling more than one unit at once. The small toys that she armed with miniature weapons, which she self-destructed to avoid giving clues to her sisters after they served their purpose, the mobile weapon mount and Knightpolice unit were all part of a test for the young woman. Given that it was successful, she could move on from small toys to objects much larger she can control.
The Knightpolice unit came from a corrupt cop who had been helping the drug operation in the area. When Quattro found him, she easily dispatched him to keep him from interfering. The operation to wipe out the drug dealers and shut down their operations then went smoothly. However, there was one additional issue regarding the operation on that front.
Among the drugged victims they found, there was one who was of special importance to Kallen.
"I…can't…believe it," the broken redhead said.
Knowing Kallen's mother when he was younger, Ohgi was also saddened at the woman's current state. He had known Kallen's mother was working as a maid at the Stadtfeld Estate, but never knew why. Kallen had told him because she couldn't let go of Mr. Stadtfeld. That changed based on what she was saying despite her mind being high on Refrain. It was becoming slowly apparent that her reason wasn't for an old lover but for her daughter. If Ohgi hadn't insisted on bringing her along, Kallen probably wouldn't have found out. However, the former school teacher knew that Kallen probably wouldn't have abandoned her own mother willingly, despite what she might say of her.
The abuse she got at the Stadtfeld Estate probably became too much to bear so…
Ohgi thought, coming to the conclusion that led to Kallen's mother using Refrain.
"I was a fool," Kallen said regretfully.
I am here for you Kallen, as I already have been, Kallen remembered the words her mother said to her.
"You can be a Britannian now, which means you can use the phone and go wherever you want. No one will be able to hurt you, my darling," Kallen's mother said, still under the effects of Refrain. Kallen couldn't help but weep for her mother she had mistreated, unaware of her real reasons for being a maid in that household.
Lelouch as Zero was standing by calmly observing. He had no intention of judging Kallen, but the expression on her face was a familiar one to him.
Kallen knows once her mother exits that Refrain high, she'll be invalid for a time. But, the face I see is that of someone who doesn't want to accept what the world just dealt her.
"Mother…I…I am going to change things! So we can live together again!" Kallen said softly to her mother who wasn't responding. Yet Kallen's eyes burned with new determination.
The day after, the TSAB Earth team got word like the rest of the world about the Black Knights putting the Refrain ring on ice. In the Tokyo Settlement, Fate Testarossa had come on a late Saturday afternoon to visit Lelouch. Even though there was no evidence of him being Zero, which was comforting for the blonde-haired woman, she couldn't shake the suspicion from her mind completely. With some free time, Fate decided to pay Lelouch a visit and catch up with him, but she was joined by someone unexpected.
"Testarossa," Signum said, walking to catch up with Fate.
The pink-haired leader of Wolkenritter was wearing casual clothing consisting of a dark red skirt, black stockings, and a wide-collar purple sweatshirt. Underneath was a white dress shirt with an open collar.
"Oh, it's you Signum-san," Fate greeted, but she was a little surprised by the woman's presence.
"I thought it was about time I pay Lelouch and Nunnally a visit," Signum said, knowing what Fate was thinking.
"I see, he would be surprised to see you then," Fate said before the two continued on their way to the Student Council Club House.
Once inside, the two made their way up to the dining room on the second floor where they found Lelouch spending time with Nunnally. The girl seated in her wheelchair was making origami as her older brother observed. On the table was an assortment of different origami animals and objects all made by Nunnally.
"Well Nunnally, it looks like we have some guests," Lelouch said, noticing Signum and Fate after Sayoko led them into the dining room.
"Who is it?"
"Hello Nunnally," Fate said approaching following by Signum.
"I have to say, I was wondering when I would see you," Lelouch said recognizing Signum.
"It has been awhile, hasn't it?"
"Likewise. Good to see you doing well, Signum," The former prince said to the pink-haired woman.
"I apologize I couldn't attend the party," Signum offered, but Lelouch shrugged it off.
"Don't worry about it. You had your hands full with your affairs, so there is no need for you to apologize."
"I am happy to see you again, Signum," Nunnally chipped in happily.
"Thank you, Nunnally-chan. I am sorry we had to leave suddenly, leaving you three behind in this warzone. I know you probably heard this from the others already, but it left a bad taste in my mouth all things considered." Signum said with a hint of regret in her voice. It was one thing if they were leaving them behind on a peaceful planet, but it was another matter when said area turned into a violent warzone. It was a similar feeling shared by Nanoha and the others.
"I understand and appreciate the thought. Come on, how about you two sit down? I'll have Sayoko get us some tea," Lelouch offered as he went into the kitchen to get some tea along with some cups.
Cinque was having a discussion with Uno while Sein was helping Nove tend to her injuries, which were minor for the most part. Despite the disaster, they were all fine. They had gotten close to Zero, but someone expected them. Neither Uno or Cinque could be certain if Zero had gotten wind of their plan or they were too aggressive in their hunt for information on him that could have alerted him.
"I think you should leave Zero be for now. Let him think we have lost interest."
"I think that would be best as well," Cinque said in agreement. "Fighting here has limited our capabilities because we are trying not to expose ourselves to both the locals and the TSAB."
"Which is why the Doctor and I think you should be pursuing the Japan Liberation Front instead," Uno advised. "We know there is a connection between them and the Mandarin, but we do not know anything else beyond that. Find their headquarters and find out if only a fraction or the organization as a whole has sided with the Mandarin. At present, we are regarding the Mandarin as a serious threat to us."
"We'll begin our investigations in areas where they still have influence."
"Very well, but I advise you be more discreet."
"Understood," The one-eyed cyborg replied, but her older sister had more to say.
"However, if you do happen upon Zero or an opportunity to collect information from him, then you are welcomed by all means to acquire it. Any information they could have on the Mandarin would be useful to us."
"Of course," Cinque replied before ending the transmission.
Unbeknownst to the Numbers, their currently presumed dead older sister was monitoring the transmission with a smile. Quattro's train of thought was interrupted when Lotte and C.C. erupted into a huge argument over who would have the last slice of pizza while Aria tried to break it up. Quattro merely took one look at the scene and sighed before returning to what she was doing moments ago.
As the evening rolled around, Signum and Fate ended up staying late, so Nunnally suggested they should stay for dinner despite some initial reluctance from all parties involved. Fortunately, Lelouch planned on preparing dinner, so he had extra he could serve to their additional guests. After the food was made, everyone sat down together to eat with Nunnally the first to comment on Lelouch's cooking.
"It's delicious! You did it again, big brother."
It's filet mignon de porc à l'Avesnoise. I noticed we had a lot of pork in the refrigerator. Guess it's fortunate you two stayed for dinner."
"Then we helped you cleared it out then," Fate said jokingly.
"The help is appreciated; I hate to see a lot of good meat go to waste."
"Lelouch, this sauce has an unusual sweetness to it. What did you use?" Nunnally inquired.
"Madeira Wine, the meat was marinated in wine, vinegar and beer."
"Oh my, I might get drunk," The blind girl joked.
"Don't worry about that, Nunnally," Lelouch said to assure the young girl that would not happen.
"You have become quite the impressive cook, Lelouch," Signum commented.
"Thank you, but Hayate deserves credit though. She did help me improve my own skills in cooking," Lelouch admitted as Hayate also helped refine and teach him other domestic skills to make him more self-reliant. "I imagine though, she must have become quite the cook herself since I last saw her."
"She has gotten better with time," Signum replied as she wasn't much of a critic when it came to cooking; it was clear that both Lelouch and Hayate had their own styles for cooking. However, it was suffice to say that both teenagers were excellent. "Your use of ingredients is interesting and a little exotic it seems."
"Well, thank you. But if you don't mind me asking, how have you been doing? I assume you have been busy since this is the first time I have seen you since I met Hayate last time." Lelouch inquired.
"I have been traveling around as a kendo instructor. As you know with the situation in Area 11, finding a suitable group of students to teach has been troublesome. I haven't found a suitable place yet to settle down yet and establish a dojo." Signum said as what she told Lelouch was partly true. She was considering becoming a kendo instructor on Mid-Childa but hadn't found any students or a place where she could become an instructor. Therefore, she was likely to not follow through it.
"I can only imagine, but what about you?" Lelouch said turning his attention to Fate. "I don't think I had a chance to ask you, Nanoha and Hayate about what you three are up to."
Fate began sweating a little as she was trying to come up with something to tell Lelouch. A part of her disliked the idea of lying, but Fate knew that she couldn't tell the real purpose of their presence in Japan.
How…how do I respond to that? Fate thought as she was scrambling to come up with an idea. Signum couldn't help, but smirk at how ill-prepared she was. The idea of lying to him was bad enough, but trying to come up with something that Lelouch wouldn't suspect as a lie was difficult.
Thankfully, Fate was saved when the door opened.
"Hello, I am back," Sayoko greeted before noticing Lelouch's guests. "Oh, I didn't know you had company over."
"It was a little last minute, but Sayoko, this is Signum. She is a relative of Hayate's and you already know Fate."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Signum-san," Sayoko greeted.
"Likewise," The pink-haired warrior replied before Nunnally asked.
"You're home early, Sayoko."
"I am sorry about that, Nunnally-chan. The Ashford Family needed help with a personal matter."
"It can't be helped Sayoko. You do work for the Ashford Academy, so when you have to do something you have to do it," Lelouch said before the blind girl inquired once more.
"So how did the meeting go?"
"Meeting?" Fate asked, feeling thankful for the change of subjects.
"Milly had to meet with another suitor today," Lelouch answered, but Signum suspected there was more to it.
"Ashford was once a noble family right? Isn't that what you mentioned seven years ago?"
"That is correct, but the Ashfords want to regain their lost status and prestige. The only way to do that is to marry their own daughter off to the son of a noble family," Lelouch explained before Fate offered her own opinion.
"How out-dated. I am not a fan of arranged marriages, especially when it's only for such swallow benefits."
"I don't disagree, but this suitor is actually number thirty-one," Lelouch began as Fate was surprised Milly had held off being married off for that long.
"It was just like all of the other times, too," Sayoko added. "She leaves them so dazed that their eyes are crossed."
"So that is why you are back so soon," Nunnally commented with a chuckle.
"Leave it to madam president," Lelouch said with a hint of being impressed with Milly's long streak of avoiding the marriage altar so far.
"Is Milly interested in someone else?" Fate inquired before Lelouch answered.
"I doubt it, but I think Milly wants to stay free a little while longer."
"I wonder about that," Sayoko began to say. "You wouldn't know it, but she is actually very shy. She just hides it, that's all."
Why do I get the feeling that isn't entirely true? Fate thought as based on all she had heard about Milly Ashford and seen of the girl. "Shy" didn't seem to be part of her character.
"Well, since you took care of Milly when she was younger, you should know right?" Nunnally asked.
Sayoko laughed before suddenly remembering something. The maid brought a paper bag she was carrying to the young girl at the dinner table.
"Oh Nunnally-chan, this is for you."
"What is it?" Lelouch asked as Sayoko dug into the paper bag to draw out the object in question while she answered.
"It's something to follow-up on the Thousand Cranes."
"I wanted something else that makes wishes come true. I want to learn more Japanese tradition," Nunnally added. Like the shock of Lelouch and Signum, Fate eyed the object Sayoko brought out from the bag worryingly.
"This is it, Nunnally-chan," Sayoko said, giving Nunnally a doll made of straw. The maid held a set of sharpened nails and a hammer while the blind girl examined the doll she was given.
"Is…that," Lelouch said as he was shocked and deeply worried by the doll Nunnally had now.
"Well, Nunnally-chan wanted something really strong, so I thought-"
"This doll feels kinda strange, like it's made out of some kind of plant or something."
"That's right, it's bundled out of straw. It comes with these five-inch nails which I sharpened up just for you."
Lelouch, Signum and Fate observed the scene. It was agreed among the three that they had some serious doubts that voodoo dolls were part of Japanese tradition. Maybe there was something they missed apparently?
But what was more worrying was the manner upon which Nunnally would use the doll.
But right now, enjoy the next chapter.
Chapter 16
False Smiles
False Smiles
It was late afternoon, outside the train terminal at the main military headquarters in the Tokyo Settlement. Cornelia was preparing to head for Kyushu where she intended to take care of disturbances in the area as well as some JLF cells they found operating. It has been two weeks since the hotel hijacking that resulted in public backlash against the Japan Liberation Front. People became more willing to report their whereabouts, which so far moved Cornelia to head out and crush their southern headquarters.
Of course, that wasn't her only intention. Before departing, she called her sister to the station.
"The EU is starting an offensive on the El-Alamein Front, so we need to stop dragging our feet here. It's high time Area 11 was made a satellite nation. I want to solidify domestic affairs, but to do, that we must stamp out terrorism." Cornelia explained to her younger sister before mentioning. "Another problem is the rampant abuse of Refrain among the Elevens; productivity is plummeting. It's coming in on the Chinese Federation's Kyushu Route, so I intend to put an end to it."
"Yes," Euphemia replied. "But be careful."
"You as well, I don't want you leaving the settlement."
"Cornelia, what about the Black Knights and Zero?" Euphemia inquired.
"I'll let them run free a little bit longer. I owe them that for saving your life. However, upon my return," Cornelia began before stopping to cup her sister's cheek with one hand. "Once I clean up this area, I am entrusting it to you, so please try to stay out of harm's way from now on. Alright, Euphie?"
Euphemia didn't say anything, but deep down she felt conflicted by Zero's actions. Like many in Area 11, she noticed a serious difference between him and the other resistance groups in Japan. Yet, something about him seemed familiar...
Elsewhere at Ashford Academy, a tired Kallen put one hand against the wall. She was standing near the entrance to the Student Council room, steadying herself before a loud yawn escaped her mouth.
"Man, this double life sure is a killer..."
Suddenly, noises from inside the room got her attention.
"Come on, Suzaku, hold him down!" Milly commanded.
"Damn it, Suzaku, cut it out!"
The curious Kallen opened the door and entered the Student Council room. Lelouch was tied up in a chair while everyone else was dressed up as cats. Suzaku was wearing a blue cat outfit with a hood and cat ears. Rivalz wore a yellow and brown cat suit, except his had a piece to put on his nose to give him cat-like whiskers and a nose. Shirley wore a form-fitting pink and red cat suit while wearing matching ears on her head using makeup to give herself whiskers. Nina wore a simple tiger-striped cat hat on her head, seated in front of her computer. Milly was dressed in a provocative black and white cat costume that showed off her thighs and figure. She had cat-paw style gloves and makeup as did Shirley and wore black cat ears on her head.
"Stop it! I'm not kidding!" Lelouch shouted as he was tied to a chair. It looked like just Suzaku, Shirley and Rivalz had ganged up on him to put him in a cat costume against his will. They got the makeup on his face along with a set of ears so far. Milly was nearby observing with a smile on her face.
"Sorry, Lelouch, it's the President's orders," Suzaku answered, refusing to help his friend.
"Yeah, like you're not enjoying this at all?" A defiant Lelouch declared as Shirley was struggling to put more makeup on him.
"Would you hold still!?"
Suddenly, Milly noticed that Kallen had arrived so she turned to wave at her.
"Good meow-ning."
"Good…morning, I guess."
The trio stopped to take notice of Kallen's presence.
"What is all this?
"What do you mean? Didn't we tell you? It's our welcome party for Arthur," Rivalz explained. A black cat was sitting on a new cat-castle that had been built recently for the Council's room ever since it was found on school grounds.
"Sounds like fun," Kallen commented.
"Well, classes are postponed. We might as well have some fun, right?" Shirley said. She pointed towards a clothing rack with some extra cat costumes on it with two boxes of accessories next to it. "We set some stuff aside for you over here. To make up for all my getting upset at you before, take your pick."
"What? For me?" Kallen asked before Lelouch joined the conversation.
"She doesn't need a costume. You're already wearing a mask, right?"
Kallen was annoyed, but she sarcastically returned the remark.
"You really are a riot, you know that? You ought to be on television."
"What do you think, Ms. TV Star?" Rivalz asked Shirley, but it left Suzaku a little confused.
"Oh, I thought she meant Lelouch."
Shirley sighed in annoyance before saying, "Would you quit joking about that!? The whole thing's a huge pain in the butt! We've been hounded with questions day and night, even in the bath!"
"We haven't been able to leave school grounds in a week!" Milly complained.
"Not that I don't feel for you, but I don't see why we can't leave either!" Rivalz said before a smiling Milly declared.
"Hmm, that's the price of friendship. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms: 'It matters not that we were born apart. Upon this day, we die as one.'"
"Is that your idea of a love quote?"
"If I go down, then we all do."
"That's a little dark, right, Suzaku?" Rivalz said before turning to Suzaku, who began to weep at the mention of the incident.
"I'm glad…that we could all be together again. You know, like this?"
Rivalz suddenly jumped over Lelouch before grabbing Suzaku by the shoulder. "Come on! We're supposed to be unwinding here!" The young man then used one leg to take Suzaku down to the ground, holding him as everyone began laughing.
"That's what's so refreshing about Suzaku, though." Shirley commented followed by Milly.
"Yeah, but once in awhile, you just want him to get a clue, you know?"
Suzaku tried to speak, but Rivalz started pushing on his cheeks as he held him down.
"Sorry about that."
"Aw, you love it, puddy tat."
Kallen mused over the fact she had helped saved their lives, but of course had no idea of Lelouch's involvement.
"Sorry I am late," Quattro said entering the room, wearing her own cat costume. It was a pink and red striped cat-suit supposedly to be based upon the Chester Cat. Hers was more of a one-piece form fitting suit with pink cat ears on top.
Lelouch sighed as he knew he was in trouble and getting put into a cat costume was inevitable.
At least Hayate isn't around.
Inside their hidden mountain hideout were the five prominent members of the Japan Liberation Front. Four of them sat on a tatmat on the ground of a shrine-like room while a single one sat cross-legged on an elevated platform with a sheathed katana lying before him. The four before him wore identical uniforms of those who served in the former Japan Military. The man with the katana before him was in his early thirties or so with short brown hair. His brown eyes were closed had an intensity to them whenever they opened. His closest followers who sat before him varied in ages, the oldest among them having gray hair and a bulker frame while the other three were younger by comparison.
"Why would the masses flock to those who saved Euphemia?" Kōsetsu Urabe a blue-haired man inquired.
"Even Kyoto said they would send the Black Knights the Guren-Mk II," Ryōga Senba, the oldest among them, noted as well.
"To those would be Robin Hoods!?" Shōgo Asahina, the third male member of the four who wore glasses with a scar on his face, exclaimed.
"They are not part of the resistance! What they did Lake Kawaguchi is proof of that," The only female member among them said. She had short brown hair and brown eyes, her name was Nagisa Chiba.
"By the way, in regards to that," Urabe began to ask. "Has there been any word on Kusakabe's whereabouts?"
"Nothing yet, but Lieutenant Colonel Tohdoh, we cannot let this stand!"
Their leader Kyoshiro Tohdoh sat quietly listening, but he didn't have much to offer in suggestions that could change what was already happening.
In a small garden in a large and well guarded estate near Mt. Fuji, a meeting was taking place among six individuals. Known publically as the NAC, to those resistance groups they supported, they were the Six Houses of Kyoto. Taizō Kirihara was present for the meeting as was Kaguya and the other four leaders of the other houses that collectively make up the Kyoto Group.
"Kaguya-sama, with all due respect, why are you giving the Guren Mk-II to the Black Knights?" Tousai Munakata inquired. His attire considered of a dark green business suit with a blue tie and had gray hair and a beard.
"Because I believe they can make a more effective use of it," Kaguya Sumeragi replied calmly.
"But the Japan Liberation Front would have been a wiser choice," Tatsunori Osakabe, a man wearing a black cloak over a black business suit noted.
"The JLF had seven years, yet with everything we have given them, what have they achieved so far? Perhaps this will convince them to step up their efforts."
"With all due respect, Sumeragi-sama," Suzuka also spoke as a member of the Six Houses. Her family was instated as a member of the Kyoto Group during the occupation with the young girl being the new young head of the Tsukimura Engineering Concepts Corporation. "The Black Knights have only become active not too long ago. Don't you think it's premature to put such high expectations on such a small group?"
"I agree with Suzuka-sama," Hidenobu Kubouin said in an agreement. He wore a brown suit with a red tie and had long gray hair tied into a long ponytail.
"The decision has been made." Kirihara said, shooting down any further discussion. "The Black Knights' progress in the past couple of weeks has been impressive, so let's see what they can do with the Guren before we decide on any more concessions."
"Very well, but when you feel obliged to give away a one-of-a-kind weapon to a small Robin Hood band, then I strongly advise you should discuss the matter with the rest of us. You two may be the leaders of this group, but we all have our own interests invested here and should have our say in such decisions." Suzuka said while glaring at the other young woman.
"I will remember that next time," Kaguya replied, but felt uneasy about the purple-haired young woman.
Once the meeting was over, Kaguya and Kirihara were the only ones left behind. After ten minutes upon which they were sure the others were gone, Kirihara spoke with the young heiress.
"I think you need to be more careful. Although you and I are the leaders of the Kyoto House, we cannot risk alienating the other members."
"I understand Kirihara-sama, but you and I both know the Black Knights will succeed where the JLF has so far failed."
"Don't you think it's a little soon for such assumptions?"
"No, but can anyone else achieve the results that will lead to Japan's liberation?"
The following night, having grown tired of sneaking around, the Combat Cyborgs now began being a little aggressive in their pursuit of information under Cinque's command. The group returned to Shinjuku Ghetto, the site of Zero's appearance and first triumph and decided to get some answers. To avoid alerting the local populace to the existence of magic, let alone cyborgs, the girls adopted gray cloaks to mask their appearances.
"All right, maggot, you better start talking!" Nove demanded from the kidnapped victim who she held up against a wall.
Said kidnapped victim happened to be some chump in a lousy homemade Zero outfit. It's obvious from the get-go that the Area 11 guy has no idea how to answer her question. In fact, he looked drunk as if he just walked out of the bar.
Wendi sweat dropped from what seemed to be a deconstruction cliché of a police drama back home. For starters, Nove was not a professional interrogator unless you count pointing her IS at the victim's face. By the looks of it; he seemed more interested in what they are wearing than answering questions.
Her sister on the other hand, was too impatient for the job; looking willing to cave in the man's face than hear answers.
"Wait, you idiot, don't!" Wendi cringed when the man tried to rub her, only to have his face imprinted on the wall by Nove's feet. "Never mind," she had some doubts he would have listened as he was too intoxicated to get anything out of him anyway.
The night may be young, but time was of the essence as the search for Zero was on the offensive for the Numbers. They agreed that they need to conduct extreme methods if they want to weed out the masked man. Otherwise, with the resources they have, they could spend months trying to find him without having to rely on pure luck.
The rest of the combat cyborgs were searching any building establishment they could find that night. They couldn't cover all the ghetto areas at once as and so they decided to scrutinize the area block by block before they moved out to a different area. They began their new method about four days ago and they have covered much ground so far. The fact most of it was deserted at that present allowed them to focus their efforts on areas still with inhabitants.
In one apartment room, Sein made herself at home like a girl wandering through a man's house as she searched the drawers and cabinets. Needless to say, she found nothing out of place expect an old picture of the resident during his youth.
The photo was that of a little red haired girl with blue eyes holding up a completed school assignment with high grades on it. In the background were two school boys with one of them possibly being the owner. Not caring how significant the photo is to her mission, she placed it back in his drawer and closed it gently as the hinges started making noises every time she tried pushing it back in.
The kitchen was bare as it had bottles of sake cleverly hidden by the owner. Other than that, there seemed to be packet of coffee ground and chocolate malt drinks.
One item in particular she did notice from the man's house is a white gooey candy he left behind on the counter with a note saying: Property of Kaname Ohgi. This means you Tamaki. With a smirk on her face, she grabbed the food. Yet upon touching the plate it was on she heard someone coming into the apartment room.
Frowning, she activated her IS and escaped through the wall.
Cinque and Dieci were not having much luck on their end either as another man who knew nothing ran off in fright the former gave a demonstration of throwing her knife-like weapons. She didn't employ her IS with them but pinning the man to the wall without harming him made for a better display which was enough to get the man to talk. Sadly, he knew nothing.
Unlike Nove, the one-eyed Combat Cyborg was much better at interrogation. Even though her child-like appearance was a problematic issue when engaging in such activities, her weapons display was sometimes more than enough.
"I don't think this is working," Dieci said removing her hood. It's unlikely Zero would still be operating in this area."
"His victory and his ability to collaborate with the resistance fighters so well must suggest a past relationship with them," Cinque pointed out. "Someone has to know something."
"I don't disagree, but maybe we shouldn't just jump random civilians."
"I suppose you're right but," Cinque stopped when she heard some kind of fight happening nearby.
The combat cyborgs soon came upon a group of two Britannian men in casual wear, led by another much older one with a white suit and blue tie. The two men were beating up a Japanese man who wore ragged clothing. Although there weren't much details, it was clear some kind of deal had gone bad.
"Look if you can't pay for the merchandise, then you can't have any. If you insist upon it, then we'll just have to teach you a lesson in manners." The lead Britannian said as his two lackeys continued to beat the Japanese man senselessly.
Before Dieci realized, Cinque moved in and used her Stingers in conjunction with her Inherent Skill, Rumble Detonator to infuse energy into her knives. The projectiles upon the Britannian's lackeys before Cinque used her Stingers to pin the man to the wall behind him after kicking him in the stomach. Dieci had her Enormous Cannon ready to provide additional intimidation if it was needed.
"W-Who the hell are you!?" The man whiplashed by the sight of the one-eyed girl.
"We have some question for you. If you answer, I may let you go. At least you won't end up like these two here. Tell me what was this about?" Cinque asked coldly.
"That filthy monkey on the ground wanted more Refrain, but he didn't have the money."
"I see," Cinque replied as she had heard about Refrain. Even though she already learned about it during their investigation, she asked the man. "Tell me what you know of it."
"It's...a popular psychotropic drug, makes you think you went back to a peaceful time in the past. It's declared illegal as it's a highly addictive deliriant, but rumors state the drug was created by us Britannians. They say we made it in order to lull the local Number populations into states of blissful death."
"So I see, and judging by what happened in Area 11, I assume you've targeted the Japanese with it." Cinque analyzed as she witnessed the downed Japanese man starting to leave. It was hard for him as she learned about the harmful effects and the unbearable abuse from the Britannians, but against Elevens and Honorary Britannians alike. But there was something else more important. "I doubt you produce the drug yourself, so who supplies it? Tell me where you get your stockpile from."
"But…but they'll kill me!" The Britannian man said weakly before Cinque hurled a Stinger into the air above before using her IS to detonate it in the air.
"I am the one you should be worried about, so tell me."
The following morning at Ashford Academy, two young men were sitting inside the Student Council room. Lelouch was seated at the table reading a magazine with an article about the Black Knights. Suzaku was by the cat-castle playing with Arthur using a toy mouse tried to a string on a stick.
"I can't believe you cried yesterday, it's so embarrassing."
"It's called honesty!" Suzaku retorted before Arthur bit his hand.
"Well, good thing the Black Knights were there. That's all I can say," Lelouch replied sarcastically, ignoring the fact that Suzaku was in pain. After getting the cat off his hand, the Japanese teen was about to speak, but the door opened. Vita surprisingly walked in with a Visitor's Pass clipped to her white shirt that had a black skull imprinted on it. Under the short-sleeve shirt, she wore another with gray and black stripes, a wide collar and long sleeves. She also wore black and white striped socks and black boots. Lastly, there was a black skirt with a red belt on it. She was using transformation magic again to appear older.
"If they really wanted to catch criminals, why don't they join the police I wonder?" Suzaku asked.
"They probably don't think the cops are up to the job. I intend to agree," Lelouch answered prompting Suzaku to answer back.
"They may not be effective right now, but they can invoke change from within."
"Yeah, and in the process, they would get tangled up in red tape and bureaucracy," The black-haired youth shot back.
"If they don't do everything in their power to change things that might hold water! Otherwise, all that is just...self-righteous posturing!"
"Self-righteous posturing?" Lelouch asked in ridicule.
"I mean...what constitutes evil in their eyes? What standards are they using? It's nothing but self-satisfying gratification."
"Uh, hello? You two know I am right here!?" Vita said, feeling a little irritated that she was being ignored, let alone the kind of conversation they were having in front of a secret TSAB officer.
"Vita, uh...I didn't know you were there," Suzaku said completely surprised while Lelouch was surprised by only the fact that they didn't notice her enter the room. "Anyway, it's about time for me to go back to base so see you later."
"Hey!" An irritated Vita said before Suzaku hurried out the door.
"Back to base, that was an interesting choice of words." Lelouch began bitterly. " Go back…implying that is where he thinks he belongs."
"The guy has to work. He joined the army, after all."
"I suppose, but I still can't wrap my mind around why he did it."
"Come on, Lelouch, you're being kind of depressing. How about a game?" Vita asked, prompting Lelouch to raise an eyebrow.
A short time later, Lelouch and Vita were out on one of the sports fields, playing a game of crochet. Vita was unsurprisingly good at the game, having spent an amount of her free time playing against the senior citizens when Lelouch was a child. Now that he thought about it, he recalled Vita winning a tournament before the war between Japan and Britannia. So it was probably no surprise that Vita was outperforming him.
"You're not like you used to be Lelouch," Vita commented after her ball passed through the rings and hit the wooden peg.
"Sorry, but I haven't played this game for seven years."
"Shame on you then," Vita said as she stepped aside to watch Lelouch make his move. After hitting the ball, it missed the rings, prompting the young man to sigh. "Anyway, I hope you weren't too scared by what happened."
"If you mean the cross-dresser festival, I think I recovered fine," Lelouch replied quickly, although his cheeks were a little red.
"But I am curious. if you don't mind. You aren't in a relationship with a girl, right? I mean...not in the romantic sense, but even then, do you even have an eye for anyone?" Vita inquired. Although Lelouch might have shot it down, considering that Vita was asking to really see if he was already with someone or was he even considering it.
"Well, between taking care of Nunnally and earning money from my chess matches, I haven't considered the possibility, to be honest. I doubt entering a relationship with any of the girls on campus would be a good because of my…well you know," Lelouch answered.
"Makes sense. After all of the students only know Lelouch Lamperouge, not not your real identity."
"Exactly. That might cause complications if word of it got out. Besides, I think most of the girls are more interested in my looks than anything else."
"I don't doubt it," Vita said before she took her turn. "But what about Hayate, Nanoha or Fate?" The red-haired inquired.
"Well, one of them would be a better choice. Unlike most of the girls here in the Academy, they know full well of my circumstances. It would at least be close to an honest relationship all things considered. But what about those three? Are they in a relationship having an eye for someone."
"That's...kinda hard to say right now," Vita replied, feeling a nervous as she wasn't too sure about that.
"What about you then?"
"HUH!?" Vita said causing her face to turn red.
"Sorry about that," Lelouch replied jokingly.
"Don't do that again," Vita said with a stern expression, but her face was red for a different reason.
Later that night in the warehouse district of the Tokyo Settlement, it was a quarter past midnight. The Black Knights were gathered in one of the alleyways in-between warehouses. This time, they brought Kallen's Glasgow with them as the young woman sat in the pilot chair with the cockpit hatch open. Everyone else was waiting for the signal from Zero while Quattro was putting herself into position elsewhere.
"Man, I can't believe this," Tamaki began. "Just what is Zero thinking? After all of his talking about bringing down Britannia and the Mandarin, he has us running around helping the police."
"Still feels pretty good to have the will of the people behind us," Ohgi commented before Sugiyama added.
"Yeah, we're like total heroes on the net!"
Tamaki was still less than pleased about it, but still Kallen was depressed about it. Ohgi didn't know it, but recent events have caused her relationship with her mother, who has been working as a maid at the Stadtfeld residence, to become further strained. Even after knowing the true nature of the war and the real power behind Britannia, the young woman couldn't help but feel doubtful about their cause.
"Are we in the right? I don't know anymore."
"Kallen," Ohgi said, now sensing something was bothering Kallen.
"Look there, it's the signal from Zero," Yoshida reported seeing a blinking green light in the distance.
"I know he has magic, but just how many tricks does he have?" Tamaki commented.
"What you want to see him pull a rabbit out of his mask?" Inoue joked as a few Black Knights laughed while moving out.
Inside the warehouse that was their target, Cinque was hiding in the rafters above, looking down on the activity happening below her. She saw a number of men unpacking crates, which concealed under bags of flour were boxes filled with carefully packed samples of Refrain. Aside from the men unpacking storing the newly arrived drug products, there were at least a dozen men armed with weapons patrolling the area below her as they remained unaware of her presence.
"Is the shipment for Nagoya ready?" A man who appeared to be the leader of the drug ring asked.
"Yeah, we're almost done." An answer came from one of the members.
"It's all nice and peaceful in the Settlement, huh?" Another commented, feeling comfortable hiding under the noses of the police.
If Zero's intent is to take out criminal elements then an establishment like this would be something he cannot ignore. Cinque thought as their new plan was to stake out at a very likely target of the Black Knights instead of trying to intercept them. Anticipating where Zero will strike next obviously won't work, so their best chance was to wait at a place where he is likely to strike.
Suddenly, shots from a large machine-gun like weapon tore through the warehouse gate until it came down. The Black Knights led by Tamaki armed with assault rifles entered.
"The Black Knights have arrived!"
With seven already dead from their initial attack that opened the gate, the Black Knights continued their advance, firing on the drug dealers who tried to flee. Others tried to shoot back with their own rifles, but the tide quickly changed when Kallen entered in her Glasgow with its anti-personnel weapon.
"A Knightmare!," One man cried out before dropping his weapon to run away.
"Screw this, I am out of here!" Another said before he started running from Kallen who proceeded to gun them down.
Cinque continued to observe, but she decided to inform her sisters their plan as a success.
Sein, make sure you retreat to somewhere away from the battle happening below.
Don't worry Cinque-nee-sama. I heard the gunfire.
Good, Cinque replied telepathically before addressing Nove. Nove, do you see anyone else approaching the warehouse?
Dieci doesn't see anyone else.
Alright, once Zero and his men clean out the rest of the opposition, we'll move in as planned and…
Cinque-nee-sama, a Knightmare is attacking us! Wendi's worried voice came.
It's a Knightpolice Unit, Dieci added. I don't know how it knew we were here, but it's shooting at us.
Over at their location about a dozen warehouses away, Nove dodged the anti-personnel fire from the LE-E106 Knightpolice's machine pistol. To make the situation even more precarious than before, a trio of small remote-controlled cars were speeding after the Knightmare. The toy cars resembled military jeeps: one of them had a small camera on it while the other two were armed with miniaturized weapons. As the third car with the camera hung back, the two cars moved in to attack, shooting at small miniguns built onto the roofs.
One of them barely gazed Nove's arm before she realized another attack was coming from below, but she had the Knightpolice unit to worry about. She went on the offensive firing energy bullets from her Gun Knuckle. The shots inflicted damage upon the upper torso, but even after shooting off the head and was damaged to point its ejection block should have activated, the Knightmare was still operating.
The police unit kept shooting at Nove as it still seemed to know where it was aiming. Nove delivered a kick that destroyed the Knightmare Frame's gun. Jumping on top of the cockpit with help from her Air Liner, she used a focused burst to blast through it. Yet after she did, the redhead found that there was no one inside the machine, save for an already dead police officer who was likely the original pilot. Nove was launched into the air when the ejection system finally activated. She lost her balance and landed on the ground hard before she could recover in time.
The attack didn't end as the three cyborgs were now faced with sniper fire. Dieci had almost been hit with a headshot if she hadn't moved her head at the last second. She and Wendi were forced to take cover as they had a hard time determining where the shooter was. They also had the small remote control attack cars to deal with as well, yet Nove was trying to recover.
Wendi managed to avoid getting shot and recover Nove before the unknown attacker could land a headshot on her. A bullet flew past Wendi, narrowly missing her own head, but she lost a few strains of red hair as the bullet grazed her ear.
The shots were coming from a control cab on top of a large crane used for moving large shipping containers by train or truck. Sein tried to surprise the gunner from below, but found that the floor below had been covered in an organic compound that made it impossible for her IS to work. Cinque came to provide support as she would draw the shooter's attention, allowing Sein to subdue whoever was shooting at them.
Using her Stinger with her Rumble Detonator, Cinque set off a chain of explosions around the control cab to confuse the shooter and provide a smoke screen for Sein to move in with the one-eyed cyborg joining to assist. After their tactical success, they found an anti-material sniper rifle, but no shooter. Instead, they found the rifle attached to a mobile mount, complete with a camera and wireless control device. Therefore, the weapon was being fired remotely.
"Who the heck is doing this?" Sein asked examining the gun mount.
"Someone who knew we were coming. Otherwise, why grease the floor below with an organic material that was made specifically so you can't pass through?" Cinque said as she was very suspicious, but couldn't think of anyone who as much as knew they were coming.
"Cinque-nee-sama….LOOK OUT!" Nove shouted as the two combat cyborgs turned and saw an anti-tank warhead flying straight at them.
Without thinking twice, the two cyborgs leapt from the cab as the anti-tank round blew up the control cab, falling along with the debris. Wendi arrived with her board and caught the two as they fell. They landed and met up with Nove and Dieci in a safe spot nearby. The cyborgs were left with little choice but to write off tonight's mission as a failure and with that last explosion, it was enough noise for one to call in the authorities.
"Our mission failed, the Black Knights are probably gone," Cinque said before adding. "However, this enemy seems familiar with us and that is concerning. How did they find out about our mission?"
She and the cyborgs could see no other way. Evidence points to that someone had known they were coming and planned a surprise attack on them or made it as a distraction. With any possible evidence destroyed that could have revealed details, the Numbers only left for Ashford Academy before the police arrived.
Tossing the bazooka she had just used, the Quattro was a little upset. The train they were riding on to escape moved further and further away from the warehouse district as the cyborg closed the door to the cargo-car they were riding in. She was hoping to kill Cinque at least, but despite the failure of her secondary objective, she succeeded in keeping her sisters occupied for Zero to finish and conducted her battle test successfully.
Ever since she managed to control the Lancelot remotely, Quattro had been trying to find ways to further develop and improve on that ability by controlling more than one unit at once. The small toys that she armed with miniature weapons, which she self-destructed to avoid giving clues to her sisters after they served their purpose, the mobile weapon mount and Knightpolice unit were all part of a test for the young woman. Given that it was successful, she could move on from small toys to objects much larger she can control.
The Knightpolice unit came from a corrupt cop who had been helping the drug operation in the area. When Quattro found him, she easily dispatched him to keep him from interfering. The operation to wipe out the drug dealers and shut down their operations then went smoothly. However, there was one additional issue regarding the operation on that front.
Among the drugged victims they found, there was one who was of special importance to Kallen.
"I…can't…believe it," the broken redhead said.
Knowing Kallen's mother when he was younger, Ohgi was also saddened at the woman's current state. He had known Kallen's mother was working as a maid at the Stadtfeld Estate, but never knew why. Kallen had told him because she couldn't let go of Mr. Stadtfeld. That changed based on what she was saying despite her mind being high on Refrain. It was becoming slowly apparent that her reason wasn't for an old lover but for her daughter. If Ohgi hadn't insisted on bringing her along, Kallen probably wouldn't have found out. However, the former school teacher knew that Kallen probably wouldn't have abandoned her own mother willingly, despite what she might say of her.
The abuse she got at the Stadtfeld Estate probably became too much to bear so…
Ohgi thought, coming to the conclusion that led to Kallen's mother using Refrain.
"I was a fool," Kallen said regretfully.
I am here for you Kallen, as I already have been, Kallen remembered the words her mother said to her.
"You can be a Britannian now, which means you can use the phone and go wherever you want. No one will be able to hurt you, my darling," Kallen's mother said, still under the effects of Refrain. Kallen couldn't help but weep for her mother she had mistreated, unaware of her real reasons for being a maid in that household.
Lelouch as Zero was standing by calmly observing. He had no intention of judging Kallen, but the expression on her face was a familiar one to him.
Kallen knows once her mother exits that Refrain high, she'll be invalid for a time. But, the face I see is that of someone who doesn't want to accept what the world just dealt her.
"Mother…I…I am going to change things! So we can live together again!" Kallen said softly to her mother who wasn't responding. Yet Kallen's eyes burned with new determination.
The day after, the TSAB Earth team got word like the rest of the world about the Black Knights putting the Refrain ring on ice. In the Tokyo Settlement, Fate Testarossa had come on a late Saturday afternoon to visit Lelouch. Even though there was no evidence of him being Zero, which was comforting for the blonde-haired woman, she couldn't shake the suspicion from her mind completely. With some free time, Fate decided to pay Lelouch a visit and catch up with him, but she was joined by someone unexpected.
"Testarossa," Signum said, walking to catch up with Fate.
The pink-haired leader of Wolkenritter was wearing casual clothing consisting of a dark red skirt, black stockings, and a wide-collar purple sweatshirt. Underneath was a white dress shirt with an open collar.
"Oh, it's you Signum-san," Fate greeted, but she was a little surprised by the woman's presence.
"I thought it was about time I pay Lelouch and Nunnally a visit," Signum said, knowing what Fate was thinking.
"I see, he would be surprised to see you then," Fate said before the two continued on their way to the Student Council Club House.
Once inside, the two made their way up to the dining room on the second floor where they found Lelouch spending time with Nunnally. The girl seated in her wheelchair was making origami as her older brother observed. On the table was an assortment of different origami animals and objects all made by Nunnally.
"Well Nunnally, it looks like we have some guests," Lelouch said, noticing Signum and Fate after Sayoko led them into the dining room.
"Who is it?"
"Hello Nunnally," Fate said approaching following by Signum.
"I have to say, I was wondering when I would see you," Lelouch said recognizing Signum.
"It has been awhile, hasn't it?"
"Likewise. Good to see you doing well, Signum," The former prince said to the pink-haired woman.
"I apologize I couldn't attend the party," Signum offered, but Lelouch shrugged it off.
"Don't worry about it. You had your hands full with your affairs, so there is no need for you to apologize."
"I am happy to see you again, Signum," Nunnally chipped in happily.
"Thank you, Nunnally-chan. I am sorry we had to leave suddenly, leaving you three behind in this warzone. I know you probably heard this from the others already, but it left a bad taste in my mouth all things considered." Signum said with a hint of regret in her voice. It was one thing if they were leaving them behind on a peaceful planet, but it was another matter when said area turned into a violent warzone. It was a similar feeling shared by Nanoha and the others.
"I understand and appreciate the thought. Come on, how about you two sit down? I'll have Sayoko get us some tea," Lelouch offered as he went into the kitchen to get some tea along with some cups.
Cinque was having a discussion with Uno while Sein was helping Nove tend to her injuries, which were minor for the most part. Despite the disaster, they were all fine. They had gotten close to Zero, but someone expected them. Neither Uno or Cinque could be certain if Zero had gotten wind of their plan or they were too aggressive in their hunt for information on him that could have alerted him.
"I think you should leave Zero be for now. Let him think we have lost interest."
"I think that would be best as well," Cinque said in agreement. "Fighting here has limited our capabilities because we are trying not to expose ourselves to both the locals and the TSAB."
"Which is why the Doctor and I think you should be pursuing the Japan Liberation Front instead," Uno advised. "We know there is a connection between them and the Mandarin, but we do not know anything else beyond that. Find their headquarters and find out if only a fraction or the organization as a whole has sided with the Mandarin. At present, we are regarding the Mandarin as a serious threat to us."
"We'll begin our investigations in areas where they still have influence."
"Very well, but I advise you be more discreet."
"Understood," The one-eyed cyborg replied, but her older sister had more to say.
"However, if you do happen upon Zero or an opportunity to collect information from him, then you are welcomed by all means to acquire it. Any information they could have on the Mandarin would be useful to us."
"Of course," Cinque replied before ending the transmission.
Unbeknownst to the Numbers, their currently presumed dead older sister was monitoring the transmission with a smile. Quattro's train of thought was interrupted when Lotte and C.C. erupted into a huge argument over who would have the last slice of pizza while Aria tried to break it up. Quattro merely took one look at the scene and sighed before returning to what she was doing moments ago.
As the evening rolled around, Signum and Fate ended up staying late, so Nunnally suggested they should stay for dinner despite some initial reluctance from all parties involved. Fortunately, Lelouch planned on preparing dinner, so he had extra he could serve to their additional guests. After the food was made, everyone sat down together to eat with Nunnally the first to comment on Lelouch's cooking.
"It's delicious! You did it again, big brother."
It's filet mignon de porc à l'Avesnoise. I noticed we had a lot of pork in the refrigerator. Guess it's fortunate you two stayed for dinner."
"Then we helped you cleared it out then," Fate said jokingly.
"The help is appreciated; I hate to see a lot of good meat go to waste."
"Lelouch, this sauce has an unusual sweetness to it. What did you use?" Nunnally inquired.
"Madeira Wine, the meat was marinated in wine, vinegar and beer."
"Oh my, I might get drunk," The blind girl joked.
"Don't worry about that, Nunnally," Lelouch said to assure the young girl that would not happen.
"You have become quite the impressive cook, Lelouch," Signum commented.
"Thank you, but Hayate deserves credit though. She did help me improve my own skills in cooking," Lelouch admitted as Hayate also helped refine and teach him other domestic skills to make him more self-reliant. "I imagine though, she must have become quite the cook herself since I last saw her."
"She has gotten better with time," Signum replied as she wasn't much of a critic when it came to cooking; it was clear that both Lelouch and Hayate had their own styles for cooking. However, it was suffice to say that both teenagers were excellent. "Your use of ingredients is interesting and a little exotic it seems."
"Well, thank you. But if you don't mind me asking, how have you been doing? I assume you have been busy since this is the first time I have seen you since I met Hayate last time." Lelouch inquired.
"I have been traveling around as a kendo instructor. As you know with the situation in Area 11, finding a suitable group of students to teach has been troublesome. I haven't found a suitable place yet to settle down yet and establish a dojo." Signum said as what she told Lelouch was partly true. She was considering becoming a kendo instructor on Mid-Childa but hadn't found any students or a place where she could become an instructor. Therefore, she was likely to not follow through it.
"I can only imagine, but what about you?" Lelouch said turning his attention to Fate. "I don't think I had a chance to ask you, Nanoha and Hayate about what you three are up to."
Fate began sweating a little as she was trying to come up with something to tell Lelouch. A part of her disliked the idea of lying, but Fate knew that she couldn't tell the real purpose of their presence in Japan.
How…how do I respond to that? Fate thought as she was scrambling to come up with an idea. Signum couldn't help, but smirk at how ill-prepared she was. The idea of lying to him was bad enough, but trying to come up with something that Lelouch wouldn't suspect as a lie was difficult.
Thankfully, Fate was saved when the door opened.
"Hello, I am back," Sayoko greeted before noticing Lelouch's guests. "Oh, I didn't know you had company over."
"It was a little last minute, but Sayoko, this is Signum. She is a relative of Hayate's and you already know Fate."
"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Signum-san," Sayoko greeted.
"Likewise," The pink-haired warrior replied before Nunnally asked.
"You're home early, Sayoko."
"I am sorry about that, Nunnally-chan. The Ashford Family needed help with a personal matter."
"It can't be helped Sayoko. You do work for the Ashford Academy, so when you have to do something you have to do it," Lelouch said before the blind girl inquired once more.
"So how did the meeting go?"
"Meeting?" Fate asked, feeling thankful for the change of subjects.
"Milly had to meet with another suitor today," Lelouch answered, but Signum suspected there was more to it.
"Ashford was once a noble family right? Isn't that what you mentioned seven years ago?"
"That is correct, but the Ashfords want to regain their lost status and prestige. The only way to do that is to marry their own daughter off to the son of a noble family," Lelouch explained before Fate offered her own opinion.
"How out-dated. I am not a fan of arranged marriages, especially when it's only for such swallow benefits."
"I don't disagree, but this suitor is actually number thirty-one," Lelouch began as Fate was surprised Milly had held off being married off for that long.
"It was just like all of the other times, too," Sayoko added. "She leaves them so dazed that their eyes are crossed."
"So that is why you are back so soon," Nunnally commented with a chuckle.
"Leave it to madam president," Lelouch said with a hint of being impressed with Milly's long streak of avoiding the marriage altar so far.
"Is Milly interested in someone else?" Fate inquired before Lelouch answered.
"I doubt it, but I think Milly wants to stay free a little while longer."
"I wonder about that," Sayoko began to say. "You wouldn't know it, but she is actually very shy. She just hides it, that's all."
Why do I get the feeling that isn't entirely true? Fate thought as based on all she had heard about Milly Ashford and seen of the girl. "Shy" didn't seem to be part of her character.
"Well, since you took care of Milly when she was younger, you should know right?" Nunnally asked.
Sayoko laughed before suddenly remembering something. The maid brought a paper bag she was carrying to the young girl at the dinner table.
"Oh Nunnally-chan, this is for you."
"What is it?" Lelouch asked as Sayoko dug into the paper bag to draw out the object in question while she answered.
"It's something to follow-up on the Thousand Cranes."
"I wanted something else that makes wishes come true. I want to learn more Japanese tradition," Nunnally added. Like the shock of Lelouch and Signum, Fate eyed the object Sayoko brought out from the bag worryingly.
"This is it, Nunnally-chan," Sayoko said, giving Nunnally a doll made of straw. The maid held a set of sharpened nails and a hammer while the blind girl examined the doll she was given.
"Is…that," Lelouch said as he was shocked and deeply worried by the doll Nunnally had now.
"Well, Nunnally-chan wanted something really strong, so I thought-"
"This doll feels kinda strange, like it's made out of some kind of plant or something."
"That's right, it's bundled out of straw. It comes with these five-inch nails which I sharpened up just for you."
Lelouch, Signum and Fate observed the scene. It was agreed among the three that they had some serious doubts that voodoo dolls were part of Japanese tradition. Maybe there was something they missed apparently?
But what was more worrying was the manner upon which Nunnally would use the doll.
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Chapter 17: Raising An Army
Before I post up the next clean chapter, I have some big news that all readers should listen.
The one after this is going to be the Battle of Narita, but this is when things really start to diverge from canon Geass. It won't be until Yokosuka where things really go off the rails, but this is the splitting point. So those who read this should now start watching this as very new developments will come up. There will additionally be a battle between Lelouch and the Aces, but it'll be on a separate chapter. The whole battle will be separated into two parts, which I'll put up at the same time, so I suggest you really stay tuned.
Well, until then, here's the next chapter that'll bring up preparation for the Battle of Narita.
Four days later, Lelouch and Quattro were busy going over applications on possible new members of the Black Knights. Now that they built up their reputation and made their intentions and methods clear, it was time to begin amassing followers. The challenge ahead of the two was not only selecting the right people for the Black Knights. They also needed to be mindful not to carelessly recruit spies from Logos, Britannia or even the TSAB.
The two were working inside the underground base as Lelouch was reviewing a set of application forms. Each came with the name of the person, level of education and a personality profile. One applicant in particular interested him. Unlike the others he had been carefully reviewing, this one was a Britannian.
"Isn't it surprising, don't you think, that a Britannian would be interested in joining our organization?" Quattro commented, looking up from her computer to glance over at Lelouch. The two sat together in the conference room, using laptops to review the applications.
"He looks too confident to be a spy. An extremist perhaps?" Lelouch said as he read the information on the application.
Name: Diethard Ried
Education: Imperial Britannia Central University's Faculty of Law
Occupation: Producer and Member of the Press Staff at Hi-TV, Tokyo Settlement Branch
"It's impressive at how the number of people wishing to join us keep growing." Quattro said as she finished through another profile.
"It was easier than I thought, too," Lelouch said before adding. "Although I bitterly hate the Britannians, I cannot condone terrorism. That is the most prevailing view of most Japanese in Area 11."
"That is true," Quattro said as she began to understand more of the core reasons why Lelouch adopted the "Knights for Justice" stance.
If one were to look at the Japanese in Area 11 and then divide them into groups, they would have three groups. The first group would be the Japanese unable to accept Britannian rule and seek to rebel against the system through whatever means. The second group belonged to those Japanese who benefit well from Britannian rule. These were made of wealthy landowners and industrialists like the Kyoto Group as well as the other members of Japanese high society who quickly became Honorary Britannians. The last group was really the middle majority who disliked Britannia, but were not comfortable with terrorism. Proof of this was the large amount of popularity and support they were receiving, which was already exceeding that of the Japan Liberation Front.
Lelouch created the Black Knights to draw more support and recruits from the middle ground between those who hated Britannia rule with a passion and those who accepted because they benefited from it. Also being on the moral high ground has its own advantages as well. Quattro chuckled at the thought. Even amoral cyborgs should know the advantages of being on high ground like that, she finished commenting herself before concluding.
"And because of our stance as "Knights for Justice", the Japanese people will support us."
"Yes. It's a huge help that people don't report our activities to the Britannians, which makes it easier for us to operate. Also, I got word from Graham that Kyoto will be sending us more Knightmares. The number of informants has grown as well. The Japanese cannot resist jumping on the bandwagon; just give them a well-grounded buzz whistle and off they go."
"Hence why our organization is the heroes of the people. Honestly, it's shocking none of the other organizations like the JLF thought of this. It's funny that they were supposed to be, yet they became no different than a group of violent thugs." Quattro said with her own smirk.
"Well, who doesn't love a hero? And what better hero than a Knight?"
"Somehow I doubt neither heroes nor knights would say something like that," Quattro mused.
"What, you don't think so?"
At the Viceroy's Palace, a certain Goddess of Victory was having a late night meeting with her closest aides. Besides dealing with the various anti-government forces in Area 11, they were facing a more problematic issue that continued to plague the Viceroy as it hampered her efforts to pacify the Area.
"I hate to speak ill of Clovis like this, but my half-brother was a really incompetent commander," Cornelia said as she entered her office followed by her two subordinates. Her mood worsened as she scanned through documents Dalton brought to her.
Although Cornelia had yet to learn everything about Area 11 in regards to Military Affairs, her Royal Guard she brought with her was an exception. The soldiers stationed at Area 11 were not her own personal soldiers, but those under the former Viceroy Clovis. Each Area and its own Viceroy were given a degree of discretion and the military troops deployed were fairly independent. In short, Britannian soldiers in an Area would come under the command of that Area's Viceroy.
"Are you unhappy with the generals appointed to each military precinct?" Dalton inquired.
"It's not a problem with the individual generals, but the power they have is too much."
Area 11 was divided into five military precincts and ruled respectively. There was East A precinct, Middle B, West C, Hokkaido D and North East E Precinc. Each of them had military forces led by a general, allocated to each precinct to maintain order. For Cornelia, the current arrangement was disturbing as she felt power and direction was too scattered. It was because the generals who held the highest power in their precinct were too independent. It might have been fine in the event of an emergency, but to leave personnel and promotion matters up to them was simply unheard of. Cornelia believed in a military with more centralized power and the current set up of Area 11 went against this.
"And that is why something as idiotic as this occurs!" Cornelia said without hiding the disgust in her voice.
She toss the documents she had been reviewing onto her desk. It was a report compelling unjust personnel movements that Cornelia had assigned someone in secret to investigate for her. Before coming to Area 11, she had arranged beforehand for this investigation to be carried out, showing patterns of irregular promotions. Many of which were those with connections or move through personal preference. What annoyed Cornelia was how many there were, too much trouble to hold an individual hearing for every single one of them.
"I knew there would be some," Cornelia began before adding. "But I never imagined this many. If useless soldiers are gaining power through blood relations and money, it's no wonder why terrorists were taking advantage of them left and right."
"What shall we do then?" Dalton asked before cautioning. "It's given we'll punish the heads of affairs, but I can only imagine the confusion and the damage to the military infrastructure fixing all of this would cause."
"If we don't, then the bureau will lose face and the incompetence of one soldier will ruin the motivation of a hundred. However, it's true that it's too many for us to deal with."
"Then why not judge and decide based on actual ability?" Guilford suggested.
"Ability?" Cornelia asked before her Knight nodded and explained.
"Even though they reached their position unjustly, there may be some who have appropriate skills. No matter what their route to their position was, there could be some who serve their post just and humbly possessing proper skills. I suggest you leave in those who have the power and the performance and demote those who don't quite reach the bar."
"I see," Cornelia said, considering the idea before Guilford further elaborated.
"Of course, if we do that, then the fairness of the dispensation will be in question. So we should investigate the past performance of the suspicious ones and balance out the achievements with the crime."
"That's pretty interesting," Dalton commented. "But the moral question would still remain. Besides, if we take that route, we ourselves would be considered as playing personal preference in deciding the positions. And that's what we are criticizing."
"Yes, so demotions would apply to everyone." Cornelia agreed to her Knight's idea. "After that, we will look at abilities and those we want to keep will receive a new letters of appointment. It would be just a formality, but it should hold water. After all, it's required to keep the competent ones in the military. As long as our investigation is correct the first time around, we would reaffirm our authority in the eye of the precincts."
It wasn't exactly an honest way of handling it, but a policymaker couldn't keep his or her hands clean. It was still something that needed to be done and as Second Princess of the Empire, no one understood that fact better than Cornelia. So long as it benefited the public, it would be fine.
I'll clean up this area for you, brother. But more so, it will be my tribute to Lelouch and Nunnally who died here.
The following morning Lelouch was heading out. Instead of going to the Black Knights, the young man thought to spend some time alone. Of course, Lelouch wanted to make certain that Nanoha and the others were not motioning him; when he checked this morning, their positions were shown to be on the Arthra. With everything happening, Lelouch wanted some time with his thoughts as the former prince had a lot on his mind. It wasn't so much his activities as Zero he was thinking about, but he knew certain battles would be unavoidable in the future.
I'll have to face the TSAB at some point, which means a conflict between me and the three Aces is inevitable.
A part of Lelouch hoped that wouldn't happen, only because his chances of winning direct combat against them was rather slim. He had haven't begun to take Signum and Vita into account yet, so his chances didn't look too good.
My best hope is to avoid combat with them for now. I will have to face them sooner or later, so I must find others who can help me even the playing field.
However, Lelouch was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice a certain young mahogany-haired woman approaching from behind.
"Hello Lelouch," Nanoha greeted, which almost caused Lelouch to jump out of his skin.
"Nanoha, I didn't even hear you coming!" Lelouch said after snapping out of his thoughts.
"You were pretty deep in thought then, I guess. I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"
"No, not really. I have a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Oh, I see. Anything I could help you with?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Lelouch denied. It was a lapse on his part that he lost his cool as he was taken by surprise with Nanoha's presence.
Nanoha on the other hand, scrutinized his face as if she's a lie detector. With her hands on her back, she bent her back forward a bit as her eyes focus on her childhood friend. "Really?" She asked in a very long sing-song voice, emphasizing every syllable like a little kid.
It was as if these two teenagers were nine year-old children again as the problems of the world and at work felt like they never existed. Internally, Lelouch was sweating, trying to think of something to say to keep Nanoha from becoming too suspicious of him. It was bad enough that Fate was suspicious of him and he didn't want Nanoha to be on the same boat as her.
"I was just thinking about plans for the future," Lelouch replied as it was close to an honest answer he could give. Anything else he could lie about might lead the young woman to see through it.
"What brought that on?"
"I guess a lot of things are going on now," Lelouch admitted, but not intending to leave out certain details.
"Anything I could help with?" Nanoha asked.
"I doubt it, but what exactly have you been up to?" Lelouch asked. "I tried to ask Fate, but didn't get a chance to properly ask her."
The girl began sweating a little as she wondered what she should tell Lelouch.
I…I can't tell him I work for the Time Space Administration Bureau; I would be in serious trouble for that one. Nanoha thought worryingly, but she wasn't exactly comfortable with telling a lie to her friends.
"Well, I'm working actually." Nanoha answered as vaguely as possible. Of course, she was lousy liar as she showed signs way too obvious for the exiled prince to pick up. She looked away from him as if preventing her childhood friend from looking at it.
"Working?" As a law enforcement officer from an alien planet, Lelouch thought, but he did not dare to voice out the rest of the sentence he picked up from his head. "Where?"
"It's not worth mentioning," Nanoha said, quickly hoping to end the subject.
Lelouch eyed her suspiciously before he seemingly sought to pity her.
"Nanoha, I understand things in Area 11 are rough. If you don't want to tell me, then that's fine. I imagine it's not one worth boasting about," Lelouch said before asking. "You're not working as a maid under Alisa, are you?"
Nanoha's higher brain functions came to a grinding halt as her cheeks puffed like a balloon.
"IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT!" Nanoha exclaimed in defense while her face was red from embarrassment. "How can you think I would work such a job?"
"Because there are probably worse jobs you could have ended up with."
"Geez Lelouch, thanks for the vote of confidence. Did you think I would be working as a waitress or something?"
"No, but I am not exactly sure what kind of job you would be able to land in all things." Lelouch answered knowing Nanoha's true occupation.
Unknown to the duo, Shamal and Vita were observing them, prompting the redhead to comment.
"I guess the couple is arguing again. I wonder how the role of the wife between them will be decided."
Back at Ashford Academy, despite using her new sonar device, there were some things she couldn't easily perceive at times. Even without it, she knew her surroundings in the Student Council building very well. But the problem was when things came that didn't belong there. This was so for Nunnally today as she was met with a large dog.
Even with her device, she couldn't tell what kind it was. What she knew for certain was that it was about as tall as her when seated in her wheelchair and it was very fluffy. It was also quite cute causing Nunnally to smile as it nuzzled its nose into Nunnally's open hand as a sign that it was a very friendly dog.
"Uh, doggy?" Nunnally said innocently uncertain what to do. She couldn't exactly wander around the school to look for its owner.
Now that I think about it you can't have animals on campus. Arthur's a special exception. Nunnally thought, which only compounded the situation even further. Sayoko was out visiting a sick relative in the hospital today and her own brother would be out until this evening. Everyone else she knew was off doing their own devices.
"I know, let's wait until brother comes home," Nunnally said with the dog barking once seemingly in response.
Suddenly though, the dog lifted its head up, aware of someone else. Before Nunnally could realize it, the dog hurried through the hall and leapt onto someone, tackling them to the ground. It wasn't an attack, more of a playful action.
"Doggy!" Nunnally called out before moving her wheelchair, but also thinking.
It's annoying I have to be in this more often to avoid blowing big brother's cover.
"Easy there," Fate said, recovering from the shock of having a large heavy ball of fur pounce her as it affectionately licked her face.
"Oh Fate, it's you," The girl said, recognizing Fate's voice.
"I didn't know you had a new pet, Nunnally."
"She isn't mine. I think she wandered in here, but I don't know who the owner is."
"I see, but where are Lelouch and Sayoko?"
"My brother is out right now. Sayoko had to visit a relative in the hospital. She was supposed to have been back by now."
"Then you're alone," Fate inquired.
"Carim's nosy foster-brother is getting too close, don't you think?" Gray said out loud while standing in a large office with transparent walls that showed a vast cityscape around them.
The redhead killer was standing by the window, looking down from the two-hundred floor of the tallest building in the Britannian Empire, owned by its most powerful conglomerate. Gray listened for the response of his employer, who sat on a white sofa in the middle of the room. His interests were recent events on a large holographic monitor with three screens showing details of events in Japan. A larger screen showed the Memento Mori satellite weapon again, taking out another TSAB research facility and most of the surrounding city on one of their administrative worlds.
"There isn't much the TSAB can do against us without hard evidence," The man said, dressed in a white suit with a black collar-dress shirt underneath and a red tie. "Just let him waddle around in the dirt for now. Besides, we'll be dealing with her sister and the others as we lay out the groundwork for the next step of the plan."
"Understood, but," Gray trailed as he eyed on the more recent events. "What about those brats running around in Japan? We've been getting some complaints over the nuisances they're making."
"Let them go for now as they're also playing in my hands. Regardless of how the situation in Japan turns out, all the cards are already ours. However, keeping Charles and V.V. in line has become a bit of an annoyance."
"Should we eliminate them and install our replacements?"
"No, it's too soon. We'll wait for a more ideal opportunity for a change in leadership."
"And Scaglietti?"
The man at the sofa was silent for a moment before saying, "We'll be dealing with him soon enough. I preferred a better moment where I could break him by stealing his dreams, but as you know, unforeseen events have forced my hand."
"Understood, sir. I am with you until the end."
"Thank you, Gray. I really appreciate that."
Back downtown in the Tokyo Settlement, Nanoha and Lelouch were spending some quality time together. One of their activities had Lelouch wearing protective gear, specifically a visor over his face. In his hand was a paintball gun with the young man hiding behind a slab of concrete. Lelouch cautiously peaked out from behind the slab, but pulled back just in time to avoid a paintball round fired at him. Appropriately, Lelouch was wearing a green and brown camouflaged loose-fitting suit to wear over his clothes with a paintball mask.
"Stop hiding Lelouch!" Nanoha said from across the battlefield with a strangely emotionally neutral voice and the same kind of gear.
"So you can shoot me?" Lelouch shot back. He poked out to fire a few wild shots in the directions of Nanoha's voice, hoping to hit her.
How did I let her talk me into this? The black-haired teen thought, he remembering a discussion on activities the two friends could do. Nanoha suggested the two to go paintball shooting, saying it would be fun. Yeah right, more fun for her than me.
Lelouch couldn't help but wonder if Nanoha was somehow upset with him, causing Lelouch's mind to go into overdrive over a number of possibilities.
Has she figured out that I am Zero? No, that can't be possible.
The boy cautiously crawled along the ground, moving away from the wall he had been pinned down, hoping to get a better vantage point.
Fate and Nunnally were discussing what to do with the dog that had wandered into the Student Council Clubhouse. It had a collar, so there was no doubt an owner. How the dog got into the campus was a mystery since only Arthur was allowed. Fate had some ideas, but she didn't like leaving Nunnally home alone, so she would have to wait until Sayoko or Lelouch returned home. In the meantime, the dog took up the habit of sitting at Nunnally's feet while her wheelchair was parked at the table.
"This is a Great Pyrenees," Fate began describing what kind of dog their unexpected guest was. "These are the kind of dogs you would see used commonly by most shepherds who have the courage to face wolves. You could say they are like guardians. When raised properly, they are very loyal to their owners."
"Really?" Nunnally said as the two continued their conversation.
"Yes, I have read about them, but I never actually saw one before."
"That reminds me, how is Arf doing these days? Last time I saw her, she was a puppy, so I imagine she must have gotten quite big," Nunnally asked.
"Well you could say that," Fate replied, withholding the fact that her familiar was adopting a child form to avoid draining too much mana from her. "She is doing quite well though."
"I'm glad to hear that! But what about Yunno? Does Nanoha still have Yuuno?"
Fate thought about her response carefully before answering.
"She does, but right now he is with relatives."
"Really? I bet Yuuno must be getting really old," Nunnally said innocently, although she knew the truth about Yuuno being a human.
The blonde-haired woman chuckled at the comment, knowing for Yuuno that it was the exact opposite. He was still young in comparison to the age Nunnally believed he was at for a ferret to be well the average lifespan of seven to ten years.
"Well, I think he is still young, given how energetic Yuuno still is."
"That is good to hear," Nunnally said as the two girls continued their conversation. Both were feeling uncomfortable at the secrets they were keeping from one another.
Back at the paintball range, Lelouch had narrowly evaded Nanoha, who had almost hit him. With hiding places becoming fewer and fewer, the young man had to land a shot or lose. Taking cover in a ditch behind a stone wall, the black-haired former prince was trying to listen for sounds of Nanoha's approach, but everything was so quiet right now. Either Nanoha wasn't moving or she was just moving so slowly and carefully that she wasn't making a sound. Overall, the silence sent a chill down Lelouch's spine. Deep down, he was really hoping he would never have to face Nanoha as Zero. Both his chances of winning and the dread consumed him despite his efforts to brush it aside.
A feeling of instinct shot through him as Lelouch turned around and fired shooting a surprised Nanoha in the shoulder who barely evaded, but she fired off a shot nailing Lelouch square in the chest.
"I win," Nanoha said, glancing at the spot of yellow paint on her right shoulder.
"I shot you first," Lelouch declared, pointing to the same spot.
"Not in the chest," the girl replied calmly.
"You're a sore loser, Nanoha," Lelouch shot back, which instantly caused Nanoha's eyebrow to begin twitching slightly in response. "You just can't accept I landed a shot on you before," Lelouch was saying.
He was suddenly interrupted by Nanoha, who proceeded to unload all of the paintballs on Lelouch, literally gunning the former prince down.
Later that day, Nunnally and Fate finished enjoying lunch as the dog sat quietly by Nunnally. Being ever watchful of its temporary master, the two began to wonder what the dog's name was.
"The collar didn't mention the dog's name, right?" Nunnally inquired.
"No. it didn't, but I can tell you the dog is a male."
"What do you suppose the dog is called…Wait, I know. Snow, right?" The girl answered kindly, prompting the dog to bark. Fate wasn't so sure about that and decided to try something.
"Spot."
"Woof!"
"Tiger."
"Woof!"
"Bob."
"Woof!"
"Lelouch!"
"Woof!"
"This dog answers to everything you say," Fate said, shaking her head. "We can't figure out its name that way."
"Oh, okay then, so how about we name her Suza…uh, I mean Beth for now."
Fate smiled and was intrigued by how instantaneous and interesting Nunnally's ideas were.
Shortly after that, Nunnally and Fate readied a game on the table to occupy themselves since there wasn't much the two plus one dog could do. The game in question consisted of a red bowl-shaped arena while each of the two girls held a top ready in a special launcher.
"Ready…go," Nunnally said signaling the release of their tops, which Fate had done in sync with Nunnally.
The two tops were released and spinning in the arena. Finally, the two tops came together and began to push one another back each time they made contact. This went on for a short bit before Fate's sumo top was knocked over.
"Who won?" Nunnally asked hearing one of the tops knocked over.
"I hate to admit it, but I lost," Fate answered.
"Well, we could play again," Nunnally offered as it was only a game. What mattered was that she was enjoying herself.
As the two prepared for a rematch, Fate was thinking. Although Signum teased her at times for being such a worrywart, no one could blame her for being such. The fact that her best friend had come close to losing her own life, of not permanently crippled, worried her so much that she flunked the officer's exam three times. That was something else Signum teased her about whenever the opportunity was appropriate.
Then, there was Lelouch and Nunnally, whose lives she had been deeply concerned for since they left Earth. If the ten-year old boy was left in a nation that had become a bloody warzone wasn't worrisome, his crippled and blind sister was even more. To top it off, they were the banished prince and princess from a nation who would have benefited more if they had died. When you consider all of these factors, no one could blame Fate for being the worrywart Signum claimed for those close to her.
I know we can't do anything for them, but…I just can't easily accept we have to leave them behind.
Fate thought while masking her concerns she held for the siblings. Her own limitations was a serious problem and even if Lelouch had the means, trying to care for Nunnally would be no small feat. That was especially true as they are trying to hide from a world that would see them killed.
I want to ask, but…
The young woman wanted to know what plans Lelouch had, although she had a feeling of discomfort in her heart. She reasoned that Nunnally might not be the best person to ask, but Lelouch might dodge the question if she tried asking him.
Even as children he was so secretive, but I can't imagine him at this stage not having many paths open to him.
"Nunnally, I am home," Lelouch called from the doorway as Beth rose up, aware of the new visitors.
Beth didn't run and pounce on the young man as it did to Fate, but the blonde-haired woman was surprised when Lelouch entered the living room.
"Welcome home brother," Nunnally greeted.
"Nanoha, you were with Lelouch," Fate said surprised. She soon saw the state Lelouch's hair was in. "Uh…what happened to him?"
Lelouch's hair had mostly yellow and blue paint splattered about it. Nanoha had some but she didn't have quite as much.
"You must mean the paint? Well, Lelouch and I did a round of paintball against one another and I think we got carried away," Nanoha answered with an innocent smile which only prompted Fate to give her a wary stare.
Carried away? The last time you said that was when you and Signum turned what should have been a combat tactics exhibition for Headquarters into a brawl, Fate thought, remembering a certain incident.
During an exhibition, Nanoha and Signum were paired to have a mock battle meant to display the use of tactics during a combat situation. Yet somehow during the exhibition, both Nanoha and Signum began to go all out against one another. Degrading the tactics exhibition, it turned into a mere, if not very intense, brawl. Even though Nanoha denied it, Fate could tell by the expressions between Nanoha and Signum that both of them enjoyed fighting to the full extent of their abilities. However, this only worried Fate more so over Nanoha's well being since the incidents a few years back. She couldn't risk Nanoha pushing herself too far or being put in a wheelchair for life.
She was told NOT to push herself so hard in a battle, yet she still does when she gets carried away.
Signum wasn't much better as she encouraged it during that fight wanting to fight Nanoha with the full extent of her abilities. Anything else she said would be insulting to both of them.
Fate mentally sighed before regarding Lelouch. Despite trying to hide it, he was clearly embarrassed over the situation.
"I only ended up like this because someone is a sore loser," Lelouch said with a straight face.
"You lost, not me," Nanoha defended herself stubbornly, crossing her arms and looking away.
Oh I see, so you befriended Lelouch, Fate thought for a moment before smiling and thinking. Just be glad, Lelouch, that she didn't use Raising Heart on you. Being gunned down by a paintball gun is a light slap on the wrist compared to a Starlight Breaker.
Suddenly, the Beth's barking got their attention. Instead of the expression of shock at a dog inside the clubhouse, Lelouch was surprised but he seemed to recognize the dog.
"Oh, so this is where you have been, Sebastian," Lelouch said addressing the dog by its real name.
"Sebastian!?" Fate and Nunnally both exclaimed.
"Yes, this is Milly's dog. With classes out for today, she brought her here to play on the grounds of the academy. She then wandered off when Milly was distracted."
"Oh I see," Fate said, relieved that Lelouch knew who the dog's owner was.
"Sebastian," Lelouch called out, prompting the dog to bark. "You see it barks when you call its name."
For some reason that confused Nanoha and both Fate and Nunnally began laughing.
It was one week later a little past mid-night at a empty warehouse on the Tokyo Bay waterfront.
The Black Knights were meeting at a new location where they received new ten new Knightmares. An additional one that had a customized head with red plates and gold horns. First mistaken as Glasgows, the pilots were corrected as they were Type-10R Burais, with the special one standing out as a commander unit.
But the one unit that stood out the most was the one that attracted the attention of the Black Knights' core members. Its red armor and unique frame was easily distinguishable from the other machines, but its signature weapon was within its silver claw-like hand on the right. It was called the Type-02 Guren Mk-II, the first purely Japanese Knightmare.
"Those guys at Kyoto...They believe in us," Kent Sugiyama noted.
"Japan's completely first Knightmare," Inoue said as they weren't expecting such a machine.
"Man, I'm loving this," Tamaki commented.
"Tamaki-san, could you help me with this?" One of the new female recruits called out.
"Newbies...What can you do about them?" Inoue commented as the senior officials minus Kallen walked away to address the needs of the new recruits.
Once they were gone, Kallen turned and saw Zero emerging from the shadows.
"First Tamaki, now Inoue and the others," Zero commented. "They are treating this like it's a party."
"Well, can you blame them? This is incredible that Kyoto has given us such a machine."
"I understand it being surprising all things considered, but," Zero tossed Kallen a red activation key that she caught.
"What is this?"
"The Guren-Mk II is yours now, Kallen."
"Huh?" Kallen exclaimed for a moment, shocked at news before trying to modesty claim. "But we have plenty of machines and we need the Guren's defenses to protect you!"
"Nonsense," Zero said flatly. "You are the most skilled pilot among all of us. Your skills combined with the Guren's capabilities make you the ideal pilot to draw forth the machine's full potential. I already have a Burai ready, so it'll be wasted on me. Besides, you have a reason to fight."
Kallen was silent, but she understood what Zero was saying.
"Yes sir," The redhead replied before Ohgi approached the group with some news.
"Zero, you got a second?"
"What is it?"
"We got some unexpected intelligence from a Britannian trying to join the Black Knights," Ohgi explained, handing Zero a folder containing detailed information. His covered expression was a mix of shock and worry as he waited for Ohgi to finish giving further details. "It would be risky to contact him even through indirect channels, but this information isn't something we can ignore."
"I agree, but…in two weeks we'll be going hiking to the Narita Mountains. We have much preparation ahead of us."
Ohgi was stunned, but he didn't object.
"Very well then…"
"What is going on?" Quattro asked arriving a little late to the meeting.
"We got a new development," Zero said, handing the combat cyborg the papers.
"I haven't heard anything about this," Quattro said with a hint of surprise. "Either this information is false or the Britannians must be really going out of their way to keep word of this from spreading."
"Just the same, we can't ignore this."
"Right, I'll look into it."
One week later inside the conference room aboard the Arthra were the Aces along with Chrono, Ginga, Signum and Verossa. On their agenda for today was two maojr topics the participant had in mind. The first was what Verossa had learned during his investigation.
"In my investigation of the Donovan Technology Conglomerate and its elusive CEO and founder, I am certain that they are involved with the Mandarin. I investigated Britannia's patent office and found that most of the Conglomerate's revolutionary inventors have been long dead. When I investigated the physical paperwork records of their hometowns they hailed from, the original birth certificates and death certificates were proof of this. All other digital records were altered."
"But how much of the company is involved?" Fate asked.
"I don't know, but somehow, its founder is involved."
"We need more evidence. We can't be certain if this founder has ties or someone else close to the CEO is using his elusiveness to his advantage. It could mislead us in the wrong direction," Chrono said before Verossa added.
"As of right now, we have no word on Donovan's places of residences. He is only rumored to live in a penthouse suite at the top of his company headquarters, one of Britannia's tallest buildings and most noteworthy landmarks known as Spiral Tower."
And that began the next major topic, initiated by Ginga.
"May we have another lead? There has been word of the Britannians preparing a major military operation. We got reports of Viceroy Cornelia moving against a major stronghold of the Japan Liberation Front in the Ōu Mountains, located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū. However, we got unconfirmed reports that the Britannians are moving a much larger force to the Narita Mountains in the Chiba Prefecture, located in the Kantō region."
"The movements to the Ōu Mountains could be a distraction," Hayate offered. "I heard rumors down on Earth that the JLF had their main headquarters there."
"It's a reasonable given Narita's importance if the rumors are true," Chrono said with one hand on his chin, thinking about the possibility. "We'll need to confirm the rumors, but if not, I think our best chance is to have teams at both Narita and Ōu. We know for certain the Mandarin's men belong to the JLF, so there's a chance we'll see them make a move against the Britannians."
"How should we do the teams?" Fate asked.
"Nanoha, Signum, Shamal and Zafira will be team one for Narita. Hayate, Vita, Ginga and Fate will be team two heading to the Ōu Mountains. We'll have both battles under observation, so if the Mandarin's forces make an appearance, we can act and hopefully capture a high-ranking member of his group who could provide information for us. The only problem will be doing it without the Britannians seeing us or either side attack with advanced weaponry. Any questions?"
No one opposed.
-----
What had been once used as an underground bomb shelter seven years ago served as a base for the Black Knights, located in one of the more deserted ghettos near Shinjuku. Kallen and Quattro stood near the Guren as the redhead woman completed another training regime in adapting to the new machine. To the surprise of the Black Knights, Kallen was adapting to and mastering the Guren much faster than they had expected. In a way, they thought the red machine had been literally built for her.
However, there was one unresolved matter that had to be settled.
"Here is the activation key," Kallen handed Quattro the keys to her old Glasgow. Said key resembled an USB drive, which Quattro can't help but chuckle briefly. "The Glasgow is all yours now."
"My sweet sixteen," Quattro mocked jokingly. "A used car, how cheap."
Pocketing the key in her cape, the young woman left Kallen to continue training. The combat cyborg wasn't internally thrilled with the Glasgow, but she found use of it after some modifications and changes. In her mind, it would be convenient for her IS on the battlefield without anyone seeing her.
Making her way down the hall, the young woman came to a room that had been set aside for Zero's use. Knocking on the door, the young woman waited for a response from the only person she knew was inside the room.
"Enter," Lelouch as Zero called from outside.
Quattro walked inside and found Lelouch dressed in the mask and cape of his Zero outfit. By him was a small holographic projector that displayed a three-dimensional map of the Narita Mountains, complete with all necessary information, including geological data and vegetation. Any other necessary information was almost completely available, including the mountains' altitude which was about two kilometers at its highest point.
The combat cyborg knew Lelouch was using the map and all other information she had helped collect. Quattro had managed to collect even more information, but it was scary at best showing the degree of secrecy in which the Britannians were moving and preparing the forces. She had yet to collect data on the strategies Cornelia would employ and where she and her Royal Guard would be positioned. To leave no stone unturned, Lelouch has planned out twenty-four different strategies to cover all possibilities. He had no intention of making the same mistake in Saitama Ghetto. But Lelouch once again was at work, planning out another strategy in which he would start from square one.
"You seemed pleased with yourself," Quattro commented.
"Very," Lelouch replied. "The addition of the Guren-Mk II and Kallen's advancement towards mastery has been a huge help. I have made the appropriate adjustments to my plans accordingly."
"I see," The combat cyborg said, but she knew as well as Lelouch did that the odds against them were very steep. Based on all of the information they found, the most likely number of enemy forces they would be facing would be around one hundred and fifty Knightmares and numerous ground forces with a number of armored arterially divisions. And due the secrecy, those numbers could be a lot higher. In contrast, their force consisted of the Guren-Mk II, ten Burais and a few dozen Black Knight members. And that excluded the core group consisting of Ohgi's team, Quattro and Zero himself. Even with the magic they agreed to keep limited, compared to the Britannians, it was very tragic by numbers alone.
The two couldn't make fun of the Japan Liberation Front either. They were comparably better off with at least around forty to fifty Knightmares, excluding what other tanks and vehicles they still held even after the war, but they were still outnumbered. Quattro and Lelouch had discussed the Japan Liberation Front recently and the conclusion they came to about the organization was the simple fact that it needed to die out.
Unlike other resistance groups, the JLF was composed of former members of the Japanese military. Their training and discipline, as well as equipment and weapons they had, gave them a huge advantage in fighting Britannia. However, in the past seven years, their success was very limited. Neither Lelouch nor Quattro had to guess that the Japan Liberation Front had no chance of liberating Japan.
They are using old tactics and civilian-endangering methods that failed them seven years ago. And their lack of willingness to recruit and expand their ranks has weakened them.
On the other hand, the situation ahead of them did present an opportunity. The Black Knights was growing as it was receiving more donations and apps of more people wanting to join. Adding military trained personnel into their ranks would enrich the organization as a whole. They still need to be careful not to take in any agents or drop their guard against sudden attacks, but if their plan at Narita goes well, the results would be spectacular. They'll receive huge gains and deal a huge blow to Britannia, especially if they can capture Cornelia.
"My problem in all of my plans is the limited manpower we have and the experience the new recruits have so far. We can't create a proper diversion or isolate Cornelia's troops and even if we manage to fight them, they wouldn't fall for any diversionary tactics," Lelouch explained, seemingly aware of Quattro's curiosity.
"Yes, I noticed that."
"We need someone to hold off the rest of the troops, but we don't…" Lelouch's words trailed off as he realized something, causing him to smile under his mask. "Wait…holding them off is too passive and if we fight normally, we would lose. So why don't we try something new, but classic at the same time?"
"What are you proposing?"
"I am thinking of an opposite to a pincer operation. We're going to need a few things to make this work and the Guren's main weapon is the key."
Lelouch explained his plan and the needed equipment with an intellect that no young man his age should possess.
The one after this is going to be the Battle of Narita, but this is when things really start to diverge from canon Geass. It won't be until Yokosuka where things really go off the rails, but this is the splitting point. So those who read this should now start watching this as very new developments will come up. There will additionally be a battle between Lelouch and the Aces, but it'll be on a separate chapter. The whole battle will be separated into two parts, which I'll put up at the same time, so I suggest you really stay tuned.
Well, until then, here's the next chapter that'll bring up preparation for the Battle of Narita.
Chapter 17
Raising an Army
Raising an Army
Four days later, Lelouch and Quattro were busy going over applications on possible new members of the Black Knights. Now that they built up their reputation and made their intentions and methods clear, it was time to begin amassing followers. The challenge ahead of the two was not only selecting the right people for the Black Knights. They also needed to be mindful not to carelessly recruit spies from Logos, Britannia or even the TSAB.
The two were working inside the underground base as Lelouch was reviewing a set of application forms. Each came with the name of the person, level of education and a personality profile. One applicant in particular interested him. Unlike the others he had been carefully reviewing, this one was a Britannian.
"Isn't it surprising, don't you think, that a Britannian would be interested in joining our organization?" Quattro commented, looking up from her computer to glance over at Lelouch. The two sat together in the conference room, using laptops to review the applications.
"He looks too confident to be a spy. An extremist perhaps?" Lelouch said as he read the information on the application.
Name: Diethard Ried
Education: Imperial Britannia Central University's Faculty of Law
Occupation: Producer and Member of the Press Staff at Hi-TV, Tokyo Settlement Branch
"It's impressive at how the number of people wishing to join us keep growing." Quattro said as she finished through another profile.
"It was easier than I thought, too," Lelouch said before adding. "Although I bitterly hate the Britannians, I cannot condone terrorism. That is the most prevailing view of most Japanese in Area 11."
"That is true," Quattro said as she began to understand more of the core reasons why Lelouch adopted the "Knights for Justice" stance.
If one were to look at the Japanese in Area 11 and then divide them into groups, they would have three groups. The first group would be the Japanese unable to accept Britannian rule and seek to rebel against the system through whatever means. The second group belonged to those Japanese who benefit well from Britannian rule. These were made of wealthy landowners and industrialists like the Kyoto Group as well as the other members of Japanese high society who quickly became Honorary Britannians. The last group was really the middle majority who disliked Britannia, but were not comfortable with terrorism. Proof of this was the large amount of popularity and support they were receiving, which was already exceeding that of the Japan Liberation Front.
Lelouch created the Black Knights to draw more support and recruits from the middle ground between those who hated Britannia rule with a passion and those who accepted because they benefited from it. Also being on the moral high ground has its own advantages as well. Quattro chuckled at the thought. Even amoral cyborgs should know the advantages of being on high ground like that, she finished commenting herself before concluding.
"And because of our stance as "Knights for Justice", the Japanese people will support us."
"Yes. It's a huge help that people don't report our activities to the Britannians, which makes it easier for us to operate. Also, I got word from Graham that Kyoto will be sending us more Knightmares. The number of informants has grown as well. The Japanese cannot resist jumping on the bandwagon; just give them a well-grounded buzz whistle and off they go."
"Hence why our organization is the heroes of the people. Honestly, it's shocking none of the other organizations like the JLF thought of this. It's funny that they were supposed to be, yet they became no different than a group of violent thugs." Quattro said with her own smirk.
"Well, who doesn't love a hero? And what better hero than a Knight?"
"Somehow I doubt neither heroes nor knights would say something like that," Quattro mused.
"What, you don't think so?"
At the Viceroy's Palace, a certain Goddess of Victory was having a late night meeting with her closest aides. Besides dealing with the various anti-government forces in Area 11, they were facing a more problematic issue that continued to plague the Viceroy as it hampered her efforts to pacify the Area.
"I hate to speak ill of Clovis like this, but my half-brother was a really incompetent commander," Cornelia said as she entered her office followed by her two subordinates. Her mood worsened as she scanned through documents Dalton brought to her.
Although Cornelia had yet to learn everything about Area 11 in regards to Military Affairs, her Royal Guard she brought with her was an exception. The soldiers stationed at Area 11 were not her own personal soldiers, but those under the former Viceroy Clovis. Each Area and its own Viceroy were given a degree of discretion and the military troops deployed were fairly independent. In short, Britannian soldiers in an Area would come under the command of that Area's Viceroy.
"Are you unhappy with the generals appointed to each military precinct?" Dalton inquired.
"It's not a problem with the individual generals, but the power they have is too much."
Area 11 was divided into five military precincts and ruled respectively. There was East A precinct, Middle B, West C, Hokkaido D and North East E Precinc. Each of them had military forces led by a general, allocated to each precinct to maintain order. For Cornelia, the current arrangement was disturbing as she felt power and direction was too scattered. It was because the generals who held the highest power in their precinct were too independent. It might have been fine in the event of an emergency, but to leave personnel and promotion matters up to them was simply unheard of. Cornelia believed in a military with more centralized power and the current set up of Area 11 went against this.
"And that is why something as idiotic as this occurs!" Cornelia said without hiding the disgust in her voice.
She toss the documents she had been reviewing onto her desk. It was a report compelling unjust personnel movements that Cornelia had assigned someone in secret to investigate for her. Before coming to Area 11, she had arranged beforehand for this investigation to be carried out, showing patterns of irregular promotions. Many of which were those with connections or move through personal preference. What annoyed Cornelia was how many there were, too much trouble to hold an individual hearing for every single one of them.
"I knew there would be some," Cornelia began before adding. "But I never imagined this many. If useless soldiers are gaining power through blood relations and money, it's no wonder why terrorists were taking advantage of them left and right."
"What shall we do then?" Dalton asked before cautioning. "It's given we'll punish the heads of affairs, but I can only imagine the confusion and the damage to the military infrastructure fixing all of this would cause."
"If we don't, then the bureau will lose face and the incompetence of one soldier will ruin the motivation of a hundred. However, it's true that it's too many for us to deal with."
"Then why not judge and decide based on actual ability?" Guilford suggested.
"Ability?" Cornelia asked before her Knight nodded and explained.
"Even though they reached their position unjustly, there may be some who have appropriate skills. No matter what their route to their position was, there could be some who serve their post just and humbly possessing proper skills. I suggest you leave in those who have the power and the performance and demote those who don't quite reach the bar."
"I see," Cornelia said, considering the idea before Guilford further elaborated.
"Of course, if we do that, then the fairness of the dispensation will be in question. So we should investigate the past performance of the suspicious ones and balance out the achievements with the crime."
"That's pretty interesting," Dalton commented. "But the moral question would still remain. Besides, if we take that route, we ourselves would be considered as playing personal preference in deciding the positions. And that's what we are criticizing."
"Yes, so demotions would apply to everyone." Cornelia agreed to her Knight's idea. "After that, we will look at abilities and those we want to keep will receive a new letters of appointment. It would be just a formality, but it should hold water. After all, it's required to keep the competent ones in the military. As long as our investigation is correct the first time around, we would reaffirm our authority in the eye of the precincts."
It wasn't exactly an honest way of handling it, but a policymaker couldn't keep his or her hands clean. It was still something that needed to be done and as Second Princess of the Empire, no one understood that fact better than Cornelia. So long as it benefited the public, it would be fine.
I'll clean up this area for you, brother. But more so, it will be my tribute to Lelouch and Nunnally who died here.
The following morning Lelouch was heading out. Instead of going to the Black Knights, the young man thought to spend some time alone. Of course, Lelouch wanted to make certain that Nanoha and the others were not motioning him; when he checked this morning, their positions were shown to be on the Arthra. With everything happening, Lelouch wanted some time with his thoughts as the former prince had a lot on his mind. It wasn't so much his activities as Zero he was thinking about, but he knew certain battles would be unavoidable in the future.
I'll have to face the TSAB at some point, which means a conflict between me and the three Aces is inevitable.
A part of Lelouch hoped that wouldn't happen, only because his chances of winning direct combat against them was rather slim. He had haven't begun to take Signum and Vita into account yet, so his chances didn't look too good.
My best hope is to avoid combat with them for now. I will have to face them sooner or later, so I must find others who can help me even the playing field.
However, Lelouch was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice a certain young mahogany-haired woman approaching from behind.
"Hello Lelouch," Nanoha greeted, which almost caused Lelouch to jump out of his skin.
"Nanoha, I didn't even hear you coming!" Lelouch said after snapping out of his thoughts.
"You were pretty deep in thought then, I guess. I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"
"No, not really. I have a lot on my mind, that's all."
"Oh, I see. Anything I could help you with?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Lelouch denied. It was a lapse on his part that he lost his cool as he was taken by surprise with Nanoha's presence.
Nanoha on the other hand, scrutinized his face as if she's a lie detector. With her hands on her back, she bent her back forward a bit as her eyes focus on her childhood friend. "Really?" She asked in a very long sing-song voice, emphasizing every syllable like a little kid.
It was as if these two teenagers were nine year-old children again as the problems of the world and at work felt like they never existed. Internally, Lelouch was sweating, trying to think of something to say to keep Nanoha from becoming too suspicious of him. It was bad enough that Fate was suspicious of him and he didn't want Nanoha to be on the same boat as her.
"I was just thinking about plans for the future," Lelouch replied as it was close to an honest answer he could give. Anything else he could lie about might lead the young woman to see through it.
"What brought that on?"
"I guess a lot of things are going on now," Lelouch admitted, but not intending to leave out certain details.
"Anything I could help with?" Nanoha asked.
"I doubt it, but what exactly have you been up to?" Lelouch asked. "I tried to ask Fate, but didn't get a chance to properly ask her."
The girl began sweating a little as she wondered what she should tell Lelouch.
I…I can't tell him I work for the Time Space Administration Bureau; I would be in serious trouble for that one. Nanoha thought worryingly, but she wasn't exactly comfortable with telling a lie to her friends.
"Well, I'm working actually." Nanoha answered as vaguely as possible. Of course, she was lousy liar as she showed signs way too obvious for the exiled prince to pick up. She looked away from him as if preventing her childhood friend from looking at it.
"Working?" As a law enforcement officer from an alien planet, Lelouch thought, but he did not dare to voice out the rest of the sentence he picked up from his head. "Where?"
"It's not worth mentioning," Nanoha said, quickly hoping to end the subject.
Lelouch eyed her suspiciously before he seemingly sought to pity her.
"Nanoha, I understand things in Area 11 are rough. If you don't want to tell me, then that's fine. I imagine it's not one worth boasting about," Lelouch said before asking. "You're not working as a maid under Alisa, are you?"
Nanoha's higher brain functions came to a grinding halt as her cheeks puffed like a balloon.
"IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT!" Nanoha exclaimed in defense while her face was red from embarrassment. "How can you think I would work such a job?"
"Because there are probably worse jobs you could have ended up with."
"Geez Lelouch, thanks for the vote of confidence. Did you think I would be working as a waitress or something?"
"No, but I am not exactly sure what kind of job you would be able to land in all things." Lelouch answered knowing Nanoha's true occupation.
Unknown to the duo, Shamal and Vita were observing them, prompting the redhead to comment.
"I guess the couple is arguing again. I wonder how the role of the wife between them will be decided."
Back at Ashford Academy, despite using her new sonar device, there were some things she couldn't easily perceive at times. Even without it, she knew her surroundings in the Student Council building very well. But the problem was when things came that didn't belong there. This was so for Nunnally today as she was met with a large dog.
Even with her device, she couldn't tell what kind it was. What she knew for certain was that it was about as tall as her when seated in her wheelchair and it was very fluffy. It was also quite cute causing Nunnally to smile as it nuzzled its nose into Nunnally's open hand as a sign that it was a very friendly dog.
"Uh, doggy?" Nunnally said innocently uncertain what to do. She couldn't exactly wander around the school to look for its owner.
Now that I think about it you can't have animals on campus. Arthur's a special exception. Nunnally thought, which only compounded the situation even further. Sayoko was out visiting a sick relative in the hospital today and her own brother would be out until this evening. Everyone else she knew was off doing their own devices.
"I know, let's wait until brother comes home," Nunnally said with the dog barking once seemingly in response.
Suddenly though, the dog lifted its head up, aware of someone else. Before Nunnally could realize it, the dog hurried through the hall and leapt onto someone, tackling them to the ground. It wasn't an attack, more of a playful action.
"Doggy!" Nunnally called out before moving her wheelchair, but also thinking.
It's annoying I have to be in this more often to avoid blowing big brother's cover.
"Easy there," Fate said, recovering from the shock of having a large heavy ball of fur pounce her as it affectionately licked her face.
"Oh Fate, it's you," The girl said, recognizing Fate's voice.
"I didn't know you had a new pet, Nunnally."
"She isn't mine. I think she wandered in here, but I don't know who the owner is."
"I see, but where are Lelouch and Sayoko?"
"My brother is out right now. Sayoko had to visit a relative in the hospital. She was supposed to have been back by now."
"Then you're alone," Fate inquired.
"Carim's nosy foster-brother is getting too close, don't you think?" Gray said out loud while standing in a large office with transparent walls that showed a vast cityscape around them.
The redhead killer was standing by the window, looking down from the two-hundred floor of the tallest building in the Britannian Empire, owned by its most powerful conglomerate. Gray listened for the response of his employer, who sat on a white sofa in the middle of the room. His interests were recent events on a large holographic monitor with three screens showing details of events in Japan. A larger screen showed the Memento Mori satellite weapon again, taking out another TSAB research facility and most of the surrounding city on one of their administrative worlds.
"There isn't much the TSAB can do against us without hard evidence," The man said, dressed in a white suit with a black collar-dress shirt underneath and a red tie. "Just let him waddle around in the dirt for now. Besides, we'll be dealing with her sister and the others as we lay out the groundwork for the next step of the plan."
"Understood, but," Gray trailed as he eyed on the more recent events. "What about those brats running around in Japan? We've been getting some complaints over the nuisances they're making."
"Let them go for now as they're also playing in my hands. Regardless of how the situation in Japan turns out, all the cards are already ours. However, keeping Charles and V.V. in line has become a bit of an annoyance."
"Should we eliminate them and install our replacements?"
"No, it's too soon. We'll wait for a more ideal opportunity for a change in leadership."
"And Scaglietti?"
The man at the sofa was silent for a moment before saying, "We'll be dealing with him soon enough. I preferred a better moment where I could break him by stealing his dreams, but as you know, unforeseen events have forced my hand."
"Understood, sir. I am with you until the end."
"Thank you, Gray. I really appreciate that."
Back downtown in the Tokyo Settlement, Nanoha and Lelouch were spending some quality time together. One of their activities had Lelouch wearing protective gear, specifically a visor over his face. In his hand was a paintball gun with the young man hiding behind a slab of concrete. Lelouch cautiously peaked out from behind the slab, but pulled back just in time to avoid a paintball round fired at him. Appropriately, Lelouch was wearing a green and brown camouflaged loose-fitting suit to wear over his clothes with a paintball mask.
"Stop hiding Lelouch!" Nanoha said from across the battlefield with a strangely emotionally neutral voice and the same kind of gear.
"So you can shoot me?" Lelouch shot back. He poked out to fire a few wild shots in the directions of Nanoha's voice, hoping to hit her.
How did I let her talk me into this? The black-haired teen thought, he remembering a discussion on activities the two friends could do. Nanoha suggested the two to go paintball shooting, saying it would be fun. Yeah right, more fun for her than me.
Lelouch couldn't help but wonder if Nanoha was somehow upset with him, causing Lelouch's mind to go into overdrive over a number of possibilities.
Has she figured out that I am Zero? No, that can't be possible.
The boy cautiously crawled along the ground, moving away from the wall he had been pinned down, hoping to get a better vantage point.
Fate and Nunnally were discussing what to do with the dog that had wandered into the Student Council Clubhouse. It had a collar, so there was no doubt an owner. How the dog got into the campus was a mystery since only Arthur was allowed. Fate had some ideas, but she didn't like leaving Nunnally home alone, so she would have to wait until Sayoko or Lelouch returned home. In the meantime, the dog took up the habit of sitting at Nunnally's feet while her wheelchair was parked at the table.
"This is a Great Pyrenees," Fate began describing what kind of dog their unexpected guest was. "These are the kind of dogs you would see used commonly by most shepherds who have the courage to face wolves. You could say they are like guardians. When raised properly, they are very loyal to their owners."
"Really?" Nunnally said as the two continued their conversation.
"Yes, I have read about them, but I never actually saw one before."
"That reminds me, how is Arf doing these days? Last time I saw her, she was a puppy, so I imagine she must have gotten quite big," Nunnally asked.
"Well you could say that," Fate replied, withholding the fact that her familiar was adopting a child form to avoid draining too much mana from her. "She is doing quite well though."
"I'm glad to hear that! But what about Yunno? Does Nanoha still have Yuuno?"
Fate thought about her response carefully before answering.
"She does, but right now he is with relatives."
"Really? I bet Yuuno must be getting really old," Nunnally said innocently, although she knew the truth about Yuuno being a human.
The blonde-haired woman chuckled at the comment, knowing for Yuuno that it was the exact opposite. He was still young in comparison to the age Nunnally believed he was at for a ferret to be well the average lifespan of seven to ten years.
"Well, I think he is still young, given how energetic Yuuno still is."
"That is good to hear," Nunnally said as the two girls continued their conversation. Both were feeling uncomfortable at the secrets they were keeping from one another.
Back at the paintball range, Lelouch had narrowly evaded Nanoha, who had almost hit him. With hiding places becoming fewer and fewer, the young man had to land a shot or lose. Taking cover in a ditch behind a stone wall, the black-haired former prince was trying to listen for sounds of Nanoha's approach, but everything was so quiet right now. Either Nanoha wasn't moving or she was just moving so slowly and carefully that she wasn't making a sound. Overall, the silence sent a chill down Lelouch's spine. Deep down, he was really hoping he would never have to face Nanoha as Zero. Both his chances of winning and the dread consumed him despite his efforts to brush it aside.
A feeling of instinct shot through him as Lelouch turned around and fired shooting a surprised Nanoha in the shoulder who barely evaded, but she fired off a shot nailing Lelouch square in the chest.
"I win," Nanoha said, glancing at the spot of yellow paint on her right shoulder.
"I shot you first," Lelouch declared, pointing to the same spot.
"Not in the chest," the girl replied calmly.
"You're a sore loser, Nanoha," Lelouch shot back, which instantly caused Nanoha's eyebrow to begin twitching slightly in response. "You just can't accept I landed a shot on you before," Lelouch was saying.
He was suddenly interrupted by Nanoha, who proceeded to unload all of the paintballs on Lelouch, literally gunning the former prince down.
Later that day, Nunnally and Fate finished enjoying lunch as the dog sat quietly by Nunnally. Being ever watchful of its temporary master, the two began to wonder what the dog's name was.
"The collar didn't mention the dog's name, right?" Nunnally inquired.
"No. it didn't, but I can tell you the dog is a male."
"What do you suppose the dog is called…Wait, I know. Snow, right?" The girl answered kindly, prompting the dog to bark. Fate wasn't so sure about that and decided to try something.
"Spot."
"Woof!"
"Tiger."
"Woof!"
"Bob."
"Woof!"
"Lelouch!"
"Woof!"
"This dog answers to everything you say," Fate said, shaking her head. "We can't figure out its name that way."
"Oh, okay then, so how about we name her Suza…uh, I mean Beth for now."
Fate smiled and was intrigued by how instantaneous and interesting Nunnally's ideas were.
Shortly after that, Nunnally and Fate readied a game on the table to occupy themselves since there wasn't much the two plus one dog could do. The game in question consisted of a red bowl-shaped arena while each of the two girls held a top ready in a special launcher.
"Ready…go," Nunnally said signaling the release of their tops, which Fate had done in sync with Nunnally.
The two tops were released and spinning in the arena. Finally, the two tops came together and began to push one another back each time they made contact. This went on for a short bit before Fate's sumo top was knocked over.
"Who won?" Nunnally asked hearing one of the tops knocked over.
"I hate to admit it, but I lost," Fate answered.
"Well, we could play again," Nunnally offered as it was only a game. What mattered was that she was enjoying herself.
As the two prepared for a rematch, Fate was thinking. Although Signum teased her at times for being such a worrywart, no one could blame her for being such. The fact that her best friend had come close to losing her own life, of not permanently crippled, worried her so much that she flunked the officer's exam three times. That was something else Signum teased her about whenever the opportunity was appropriate.
Then, there was Lelouch and Nunnally, whose lives she had been deeply concerned for since they left Earth. If the ten-year old boy was left in a nation that had become a bloody warzone wasn't worrisome, his crippled and blind sister was even more. To top it off, they were the banished prince and princess from a nation who would have benefited more if they had died. When you consider all of these factors, no one could blame Fate for being the worrywart Signum claimed for those close to her.
I know we can't do anything for them, but…I just can't easily accept we have to leave them behind.
Fate thought while masking her concerns she held for the siblings. Her own limitations was a serious problem and even if Lelouch had the means, trying to care for Nunnally would be no small feat. That was especially true as they are trying to hide from a world that would see them killed.
I want to ask, but…
The young woman wanted to know what plans Lelouch had, although she had a feeling of discomfort in her heart. She reasoned that Nunnally might not be the best person to ask, but Lelouch might dodge the question if she tried asking him.
Even as children he was so secretive, but I can't imagine him at this stage not having many paths open to him.
"Nunnally, I am home," Lelouch called from the doorway as Beth rose up, aware of the new visitors.
Beth didn't run and pounce on the young man as it did to Fate, but the blonde-haired woman was surprised when Lelouch entered the living room.
"Welcome home brother," Nunnally greeted.
"Nanoha, you were with Lelouch," Fate said surprised. She soon saw the state Lelouch's hair was in. "Uh…what happened to him?"
Lelouch's hair had mostly yellow and blue paint splattered about it. Nanoha had some but she didn't have quite as much.
"You must mean the paint? Well, Lelouch and I did a round of paintball against one another and I think we got carried away," Nanoha answered with an innocent smile which only prompted Fate to give her a wary stare.
Carried away? The last time you said that was when you and Signum turned what should have been a combat tactics exhibition for Headquarters into a brawl, Fate thought, remembering a certain incident.
During an exhibition, Nanoha and Signum were paired to have a mock battle meant to display the use of tactics during a combat situation. Yet somehow during the exhibition, both Nanoha and Signum began to go all out against one another. Degrading the tactics exhibition, it turned into a mere, if not very intense, brawl. Even though Nanoha denied it, Fate could tell by the expressions between Nanoha and Signum that both of them enjoyed fighting to the full extent of their abilities. However, this only worried Fate more so over Nanoha's well being since the incidents a few years back. She couldn't risk Nanoha pushing herself too far or being put in a wheelchair for life.
She was told NOT to push herself so hard in a battle, yet she still does when she gets carried away.
Signum wasn't much better as she encouraged it during that fight wanting to fight Nanoha with the full extent of her abilities. Anything else she said would be insulting to both of them.
Fate mentally sighed before regarding Lelouch. Despite trying to hide it, he was clearly embarrassed over the situation.
"I only ended up like this because someone is a sore loser," Lelouch said with a straight face.
"You lost, not me," Nanoha defended herself stubbornly, crossing her arms and looking away.
Oh I see, so you befriended Lelouch, Fate thought for a moment before smiling and thinking. Just be glad, Lelouch, that she didn't use Raising Heart on you. Being gunned down by a paintball gun is a light slap on the wrist compared to a Starlight Breaker.
Suddenly, the Beth's barking got their attention. Instead of the expression of shock at a dog inside the clubhouse, Lelouch was surprised but he seemed to recognize the dog.
"Oh, so this is where you have been, Sebastian," Lelouch said addressing the dog by its real name.
"Sebastian!?" Fate and Nunnally both exclaimed.
"Yes, this is Milly's dog. With classes out for today, she brought her here to play on the grounds of the academy. She then wandered off when Milly was distracted."
"Oh I see," Fate said, relieved that Lelouch knew who the dog's owner was.
"Sebastian," Lelouch called out, prompting the dog to bark. "You see it barks when you call its name."
For some reason that confused Nanoha and both Fate and Nunnally began laughing.
It was one week later a little past mid-night at a empty warehouse on the Tokyo Bay waterfront.
The Black Knights were meeting at a new location where they received new ten new Knightmares. An additional one that had a customized head with red plates and gold horns. First mistaken as Glasgows, the pilots were corrected as they were Type-10R Burais, with the special one standing out as a commander unit.
But the one unit that stood out the most was the one that attracted the attention of the Black Knights' core members. Its red armor and unique frame was easily distinguishable from the other machines, but its signature weapon was within its silver claw-like hand on the right. It was called the Type-02 Guren Mk-II, the first purely Japanese Knightmare.
"Those guys at Kyoto...They believe in us," Kent Sugiyama noted.
"Japan's completely first Knightmare," Inoue said as they weren't expecting such a machine.
"Man, I'm loving this," Tamaki commented.
"Tamaki-san, could you help me with this?" One of the new female recruits called out.
"Newbies...What can you do about them?" Inoue commented as the senior officials minus Kallen walked away to address the needs of the new recruits.
Once they were gone, Kallen turned and saw Zero emerging from the shadows.
"First Tamaki, now Inoue and the others," Zero commented. "They are treating this like it's a party."
"Well, can you blame them? This is incredible that Kyoto has given us such a machine."
"I understand it being surprising all things considered, but," Zero tossed Kallen a red activation key that she caught.
"What is this?"
"The Guren-Mk II is yours now, Kallen."
"Huh?" Kallen exclaimed for a moment, shocked at news before trying to modesty claim. "But we have plenty of machines and we need the Guren's defenses to protect you!"
"Nonsense," Zero said flatly. "You are the most skilled pilot among all of us. Your skills combined with the Guren's capabilities make you the ideal pilot to draw forth the machine's full potential. I already have a Burai ready, so it'll be wasted on me. Besides, you have a reason to fight."
Kallen was silent, but she understood what Zero was saying.
"Yes sir," The redhead replied before Ohgi approached the group with some news.
"Zero, you got a second?"
"What is it?"
"We got some unexpected intelligence from a Britannian trying to join the Black Knights," Ohgi explained, handing Zero a folder containing detailed information. His covered expression was a mix of shock and worry as he waited for Ohgi to finish giving further details. "It would be risky to contact him even through indirect channels, but this information isn't something we can ignore."
"I agree, but…in two weeks we'll be going hiking to the Narita Mountains. We have much preparation ahead of us."
Ohgi was stunned, but he didn't object.
"Very well then…"
"What is going on?" Quattro asked arriving a little late to the meeting.
"We got a new development," Zero said, handing the combat cyborg the papers.
"I haven't heard anything about this," Quattro said with a hint of surprise. "Either this information is false or the Britannians must be really going out of their way to keep word of this from spreading."
"Just the same, we can't ignore this."
"Right, I'll look into it."
One week later inside the conference room aboard the Arthra were the Aces along with Chrono, Ginga, Signum and Verossa. On their agenda for today was two maojr topics the participant had in mind. The first was what Verossa had learned during his investigation.
"In my investigation of the Donovan Technology Conglomerate and its elusive CEO and founder, I am certain that they are involved with the Mandarin. I investigated Britannia's patent office and found that most of the Conglomerate's revolutionary inventors have been long dead. When I investigated the physical paperwork records of their hometowns they hailed from, the original birth certificates and death certificates were proof of this. All other digital records were altered."
"But how much of the company is involved?" Fate asked.
"I don't know, but somehow, its founder is involved."
"We need more evidence. We can't be certain if this founder has ties or someone else close to the CEO is using his elusiveness to his advantage. It could mislead us in the wrong direction," Chrono said before Verossa added.
"As of right now, we have no word on Donovan's places of residences. He is only rumored to live in a penthouse suite at the top of his company headquarters, one of Britannia's tallest buildings and most noteworthy landmarks known as Spiral Tower."
And that began the next major topic, initiated by Ginga.
"May we have another lead? There has been word of the Britannians preparing a major military operation. We got reports of Viceroy Cornelia moving against a major stronghold of the Japan Liberation Front in the Ōu Mountains, located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū. However, we got unconfirmed reports that the Britannians are moving a much larger force to the Narita Mountains in the Chiba Prefecture, located in the Kantō region."
"The movements to the Ōu Mountains could be a distraction," Hayate offered. "I heard rumors down on Earth that the JLF had their main headquarters there."
"It's a reasonable given Narita's importance if the rumors are true," Chrono said with one hand on his chin, thinking about the possibility. "We'll need to confirm the rumors, but if not, I think our best chance is to have teams at both Narita and Ōu. We know for certain the Mandarin's men belong to the JLF, so there's a chance we'll see them make a move against the Britannians."
"How should we do the teams?" Fate asked.
"Nanoha, Signum, Shamal and Zafira will be team one for Narita. Hayate, Vita, Ginga and Fate will be team two heading to the Ōu Mountains. We'll have both battles under observation, so if the Mandarin's forces make an appearance, we can act and hopefully capture a high-ranking member of his group who could provide information for us. The only problem will be doing it without the Britannians seeing us or either side attack with advanced weaponry. Any questions?"
No one opposed.
-----
What had been once used as an underground bomb shelter seven years ago served as a base for the Black Knights, located in one of the more deserted ghettos near Shinjuku. Kallen and Quattro stood near the Guren as the redhead woman completed another training regime in adapting to the new machine. To the surprise of the Black Knights, Kallen was adapting to and mastering the Guren much faster than they had expected. In a way, they thought the red machine had been literally built for her.
However, there was one unresolved matter that had to be settled.
"Here is the activation key," Kallen handed Quattro the keys to her old Glasgow. Said key resembled an USB drive, which Quattro can't help but chuckle briefly. "The Glasgow is all yours now."
"My sweet sixteen," Quattro mocked jokingly. "A used car, how cheap."
Pocketing the key in her cape, the young woman left Kallen to continue training. The combat cyborg wasn't internally thrilled with the Glasgow, but she found use of it after some modifications and changes. In her mind, it would be convenient for her IS on the battlefield without anyone seeing her.
Making her way down the hall, the young woman came to a room that had been set aside for Zero's use. Knocking on the door, the young woman waited for a response from the only person she knew was inside the room.
"Enter," Lelouch as Zero called from outside.
Quattro walked inside and found Lelouch dressed in the mask and cape of his Zero outfit. By him was a small holographic projector that displayed a three-dimensional map of the Narita Mountains, complete with all necessary information, including geological data and vegetation. Any other necessary information was almost completely available, including the mountains' altitude which was about two kilometers at its highest point.
The combat cyborg knew Lelouch was using the map and all other information she had helped collect. Quattro had managed to collect even more information, but it was scary at best showing the degree of secrecy in which the Britannians were moving and preparing the forces. She had yet to collect data on the strategies Cornelia would employ and where she and her Royal Guard would be positioned. To leave no stone unturned, Lelouch has planned out twenty-four different strategies to cover all possibilities. He had no intention of making the same mistake in Saitama Ghetto. But Lelouch once again was at work, planning out another strategy in which he would start from square one.
"You seemed pleased with yourself," Quattro commented.
"Very," Lelouch replied. "The addition of the Guren-Mk II and Kallen's advancement towards mastery has been a huge help. I have made the appropriate adjustments to my plans accordingly."
"I see," The combat cyborg said, but she knew as well as Lelouch did that the odds against them were very steep. Based on all of the information they found, the most likely number of enemy forces they would be facing would be around one hundred and fifty Knightmares and numerous ground forces with a number of armored arterially divisions. And due the secrecy, those numbers could be a lot higher. In contrast, their force consisted of the Guren-Mk II, ten Burais and a few dozen Black Knight members. And that excluded the core group consisting of Ohgi's team, Quattro and Zero himself. Even with the magic they agreed to keep limited, compared to the Britannians, it was very tragic by numbers alone.
The two couldn't make fun of the Japan Liberation Front either. They were comparably better off with at least around forty to fifty Knightmares, excluding what other tanks and vehicles they still held even after the war, but they were still outnumbered. Quattro and Lelouch had discussed the Japan Liberation Front recently and the conclusion they came to about the organization was the simple fact that it needed to die out.
Unlike other resistance groups, the JLF was composed of former members of the Japanese military. Their training and discipline, as well as equipment and weapons they had, gave them a huge advantage in fighting Britannia. However, in the past seven years, their success was very limited. Neither Lelouch nor Quattro had to guess that the Japan Liberation Front had no chance of liberating Japan.
They are using old tactics and civilian-endangering methods that failed them seven years ago. And their lack of willingness to recruit and expand their ranks has weakened them.
On the other hand, the situation ahead of them did present an opportunity. The Black Knights was growing as it was receiving more donations and apps of more people wanting to join. Adding military trained personnel into their ranks would enrich the organization as a whole. They still need to be careful not to take in any agents or drop their guard against sudden attacks, but if their plan at Narita goes well, the results would be spectacular. They'll receive huge gains and deal a huge blow to Britannia, especially if they can capture Cornelia.
"My problem in all of my plans is the limited manpower we have and the experience the new recruits have so far. We can't create a proper diversion or isolate Cornelia's troops and even if we manage to fight them, they wouldn't fall for any diversionary tactics," Lelouch explained, seemingly aware of Quattro's curiosity.
"Yes, I noticed that."
"We need someone to hold off the rest of the troops, but we don't…" Lelouch's words trailed off as he realized something, causing him to smile under his mask. "Wait…holding them off is too passive and if we fight normally, we would lose. So why don't we try something new, but classic at the same time?"
"What are you proposing?"
"I am thinking of an opposite to a pincer operation. We're going to need a few things to make this work and the Guren's main weapon is the key."
Lelouch explained his plan and the needed equipment with an intellect that no young man his age should possess.
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Chapter 18: Ou, Narita
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate it that is).
And now, the moment we've been waiting for. The must-see pinnacle point of the Geass X Nanoha fanfic where things begin to change dramatically.
I present to you….the battles of Ou...and Narita.
(July 3rd 2017 A.T.B.)
"Sector Five, nothing to report," A man wearing a dark green uniform and with black hair said. He was a soldier talking into a telephone receiver on the table inside a small cabin. "Right, the next scheduled report will be in two hours."
"Of course, there is nothing to report."
A second man wearing an identical uniform said, but he had brown hair and matching eyes. He sat down at a table in the middle of the room where before him was a game of Go that was in progress. At the present, the cabin the two soldiers resided in was an outpost set up at the top of Narita on its highest point, right in the middle of the Japan Liberation Front's sphere of influence.
"This area is controlled by the Japan Liberation Front," The second JLF soldier continued to boast. "No one can just stroll right in-"
Suddenly, the door opened and the two soldiers reacted by seizing their rifles. They saw nothing come in, feeling only a strong gust of wind.
"We got to do something about that door," The first soldier said before hearing the sound of something rolling on the ground.
A pair of small silver balls rolled towards the men. Before they could pick them up, they released a potent gas that engulfed the two men. They struggled for a moment before they collapsed onto the ground. Once the gas cleared, the door opened again with Quattro and Lelouch dressed as Zero entering the small cabin.
The combat cyborg pulled out a small device, attaching it to the phone to automatically provide the required responses every two hours.
"Now, the way should be cleared," Lelouch noted while Quattro was smiling.
"Let's summon the others now."
Down the side of the mountain, a Burai was watching the mountain with its Factosphere on. A green light could be seen shining from the mountain's summit, confirming that it path was cleared.
"I have confirmed the signal. Move to Waypoint Two," The pilot of the Burai reported before the Black Knights travelled up the mountain with Kallen in the Guren Mk-II. They knew what was coming, but they didn't quite know the full extent of the operation they would be facing though, which would be for the best.
The Britannian Army was completing their preparations to launch a full scale attack on the Narita Mountains. Aboard their G-1 command base, Cornelia and her staff officers were discussing their plan of attack with an unexpected spectator.
"We're certain that the Japan Liberation Front's main headquarters is somewhere in this area," Darlton summarized to the guest, who was no more than Sub-Viceroy Euphemia. "As those aware of this operation know, we've split up four whole battalions into seven smaller units. Once we have Her Highness's signal, we'll surround the enemy in one fell swoop and wipe them out."
"And you're sure the enemy won't be outside the encirclement line?" Euphemia inquired about a certain someone, who Cornelia's men understood what she was talking about.
"Not to worry, this was made to be a top secret operation by the Viceroy's order," Darlton assured. "Furthermore, our ground forces will be blocking all mountain roads, bridges, and highways to cut off all possible escape routes."
"Plus, we have the battle up at the Ōu mountains," her sister added, which let loose a little in secrecy to act as a decoy battle. "Whether he takes the bait or not, any intervention will lead to his demise."
While the men on board were confident of their plan, the Sub-Viceroy had another concern as she observed the monitor. Unlike most of the units, there was a special orange one that followed the G-1.
"What's this one following us?" Euphemia asked.
"That's the A.S.E.E.C. Unit," Darlton answered as he went on.
"So that's Suzaku then," Euphemia said to herself.
"Usually, Honorary Britannians are not allowed to pilot Knightmares, but that one is an exception."
"It's under order of their backer, Second Prince Schneizel," another officer added. "They want the pilot to have battle experience, so we have no say over their preference."
The G-1 came to a complete stop, followed by the surrounding units in the area.
"All forces are now in place," an officer reported to Cornelia.
"Very well," Cornelia raised up from her throne. "Guildford, Darlton and I will board our own Knightmares." She turned to her sister with an order that somewhat surprised the officers. "Euphie, you're in control over the G-1 and the units in this area. Take charge of the medical teams and logistics and keep this base in position. Do not move from this spot," When Euphemia nodded, Cornelia wrapped her orders. "I'll give you the signal when we are ready."
"Yes, Your Highness," the Staff Officers affirmed as Cornelia left with her personal guard.
But as they left to the Knightmare hangers, Guildford had another concern. Cornelia noticed as her Knight got closer to her.
"What is it, Guildford?"
"It's Euphemia, Your Highness. Shouldn't she be working in the Bureau or one of the ministries?"
"I know what you mean," Cornelia understood about her grave concern over her sister's safety. "She's very stubborn about this, however. She wants to see actual combat for herself."
"I understand," Guildford saw how Cornelia adapted to the situation and didn't speak anymore of it.
Cornelia wasn't in the mood for family matters as her mind was focused on the Japan Liberation Front. Now that the JLF was down to their last few bases and command, it was time for her to eliminate all major resistance in Area 11 and complete the biggest milestone of her agenda as Viceroy.
You, the Japan Liberation Front, whose time has been left behind, she thought as she prepared to enter her Knightmare. You have forgotten basic human decency thanks to your delusional dream of a bygone golden age. And now for Clovis and the Royal Family members who died here, you shall fall and rot to nothingness.
Unknown to most of the parties involved and each other, there were others observing the battlefield, one group made of TSAB Mages. The group settled atop an office building while Shamal, in her Knight Clothing, was maintaining a barrier to conceal their presence. Nanoha was also on standby with her own Barrier Jacket while Signum was ready with Zafira in his humanoid form.
An advanced communication array was displayed to monitor the communication frequencies of the Britannians and the Japan Liberation Front. Even though the three Wolkenritter knew what was coming, Nanoha was uneasy and the pink-haired swordswoman picked up on it.
"Relax Takamachi," Signum began. "I know a battle is about to begin, but there is no reason for you to feel so nervous. We won't be taking part in it."
"It's not that, but," Nanoha began but hesitated. "It's just that a lot of people will end up killed. Won't they just surrender?"
"There is no point," Signum said in response. "The Britannians understand that as well."
"No point? But they have to know they will be badly outnumbered, won't they?"
"Even though the odds will be against them, even if their chances of winning are low, they won't surrender."
"But why? That's just crazy!"
"Look at it from their perspective," Signum began to explain adopting a solemn expression. "If they were to surrender, they would like be tortured and brutally interrogated for information. Then to serve as a warning to everyone else, they would be executed. If they are lucky, they might get a life-sentence in prison. They don't want that fate, even though they cannot win, so they will fight out of the slight chance that they'll survive and escape."
Nanoha had nothing further to say. She couldn't ignore the pained feeling in her heart that many of her fellow countrymen were going to die, and herself watching.
Nearby, Dieci was occupying a high floor of an abandoned office buildings near the edge of town distant from the mountain. Despite the distance, her enhanced eye allowed her to act as a spotter for her sisters. As she waited, the said Numbers who would be combing the mountain, looking for signs of the Mandarin or any members of the JLF who could be connected to him.
It was all so quiet, but it just wasn't the empty office she was in. The rest of the town seemed to be a ghost town. She hardly saw anyone out on the streets other than some Britannian soldiers.
So this is what being near a battlefield feels like...Complete silence before the battle begins, Dieci thought before returning to watch out for her sisters.
Elsewhere along the mountains, a brown-hooded figure was standing on a large rock. He was by a dirt path with a large log cabin below. Though focused on the pathway and unaware of anything going on himself, the person underneath couldn't resist the grinning on his face.
Up on the summit Lelouch and Quattro were patiently waiting inside the cabin at the summit of the mountain. Midway through their wait, the combat cyborg had some troubling news.
"Lelouch, I know it's late to mention this, but we might have a big complication here."
"What kind of complication? Has Cornelia changed her strategy?"
"No, it's the TSAB," Quattro reported after checking on a screen showing the map of Japan which gave the locations for the four tagged members. "Worse yet, Nanoha's down at the base of the mountain. Fate and Hayate are miles away in the northern regions of Japan, but she may not be alone."
Lelouch's face hardened, but he couldn't call off the operation now. Still...
"They must've learned about the upcoming battle," Lelouch sighed about one relieving thing. "Good thing we're limiting radio contact here. At least that'll keep them from picking us up."
"They're probably not here for us," Quattro assumed. "Considering the hotel jacking, they're more likely for the Mandarin's men should he be involved."
"I doubt the Mandarin will intervene in this battle. From what intelligence Graham has gathered, the JLF as a whole isn't aware of what some of its members are doing."
With that in mind, Lelouch was almost convinced that the elements of the JLF that sided with the Mandarin would also gain from the loss of their headquarters since the leaders and those not siding with them would be wiped out. However, the young man faced the problem that Nanoha was in the area, which would mean trouble if he met her in combat.
"We can't back out now, Quattro. We have to proceed as planned."
"You know she'll try to intervene and attack you first chance she gets," she reminded him of his status under TSAB eyes.
"Then we'll need to be mindful not to then," Lelouch replied, knowing that Britannia and Cornelia didn't know about magic. He knew Nanoha and whoever was with her wouldn't attempt to attack during the battle since the risk of exposure would be high. More than likely, she would wait to get him when he was alone and away from everyone to minimize the possibility of witnesses.
It boils down to keeping the existence of magic hidden.
"Lelouch, they have arrived," Quattro said as the rest of the Black Knights arrived.
"Right, let us begin," Lelouch said, putting the Zero mask back on.
Quattro and Lelouch walked outside to greet Ohgi and the others, but off to the side, they saw Kallen staring at what had been her Glasgow.
The red paint had been replaced with black primarily, but it had some blue trim. It's back had a sensor and communication suite to act as both a cover and a way to boost Quattro's IS and abilities.
"What have you done!?" Kallen screeched at the sight of her old Glasgow being repainted from her red paint job. To say that she holds attachment to her old steed would be a justifiable, but the teenage rebel was aware that her classmate from Ashford always had that crazy streak.
"What do you think I did?" Quattro's glasses gleamed white as she smirked at the work she had done for her new steed. "I gave your old horse a new makeover. Red is not my color at all; it stands out too much. Wouldn't you agree?" The combat cyborg smiled coyly at her red haired comrade.
"Bitch, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kallen cursed.
"Of course I am," Quattro replied with a chuckle.
Ignoring the two Lelouch went straight to Ohgi.
"Alright, let's begin placing these excavators."
Across Japan at the Ōu Mountains were Hayate, Fate, Reinforce Zwei, Vita and Ginga. They all found an old abandoned cabin to use as an observation post yet distant to avoid exposure. The battle had already begun and so far, the battle was proceeding in favor of the Britannian Military. Despite the distance, Fate and Hayate remained aware of what was happening thanks to a portable tactical hologram device they brought. They observed the movements and positions of the various soldiers and Knightmare Frames out on the battlefield.
"This battle is completely one-sided," Vita commented, glancing at the three-dimensional map of the mountain range area.
"The Britannians are better organized and their weaponry is better than what the Japan Liberation Front has," Ginga pointed out, but also noticed the tactics the JLF were using were poorly thought out. She may not have been the military type, but even she could notice obvious flaws.
The Britannian Army were using long-range attacks to soften up the enemy. By scattering the stragglers and using the ensuing chaos, they picked the terrorists off with well-timed hit and run tactics. Once the defenders were taken down, it was likely they would move in on the main base, an old steel mill factory that had been abandoned for almost twenty years.
"It looks like the JLF won't go down quickly no matter happens," Hayate said as it seemed too soon to be concluded.
"The battle at Narita hasn't started either." Fate added.
"Right," Hayate agreed. "We'll stay with this battle until it's concluded."
However, she couldn't shake off how much she had a bad feeling about this.
Inside an underground cavern below the steel mill, the shockwaves of shells from above shook the interior slightly. Suzuka wasn't bothered by the tremors in the leas and neither was Kusakabe, who stood beside her. They were overlooking a trio of Wyvern Drones as the final checks before activation were being made.
"It's time we collect some combat data on the drones battling Knightmare Frames," Suzuka smirked.
The excavators were working as they dug deep into the Narita mountains, using data collected by Quattro. If it worked, then the excavators should dig their way to the mountain's groundwater that flowed deep underground. Beside the fear that they were attempting something never been done before, but there was another problem Lelouch would need to deal with. He was determined to avoid the same problem he ran into at Saitama, but what he chose as his strategy was a very dangerous one.
In fact, it was probably the worst possible strategy one could use. Instead of fighting the Britannian Forces from the rear, they would adopt a strategy of fighting with one's back against a wall. Instead of attacking from the rear, the Black Knights that snuck through the enemy formations and were placed right in the center of the approaching forces by gathering on the summit. There would be no place to run or hide. Not only was the situation disadvantageous, but you were effectively putting yourself on the chopping block. If you wanted to survive, your only option was to get rid of the enemy in front of you.
A natural reason why this was the worst strategy as that there were many dangerous risks in using such a strategy. Soldiers who became suicidal and then couldn't carry on through with orders were worthless. If they completely lost the will to fight, ignored orders, and surrendered without permission, essentially it was suicide. A situation like that is what had happened to Lelouch at Saitama, even though he wasn't using this strategy at the time.
This was a strategy that did not succeed, but there were chances that in one in a billion that it did and it was recorded in history books.
Of course, even if there were successful cases, that didn't mean they didn't succeed by chance. The reason for success was due to a number of factors with some being careful planning and precise rationality. The mentality of every person under your command was a key component as everyone person was one step away from hysteria, especially when the situation was presented to them. There was fear and despair towards death and the anxiety towards life was hanging by a thread about to fall off.
The main challenge would be to tip this balance over a different component.
At the edge of despair, paint a colorful hope, and change fear to courage and preparedness. Although limited, it creates morale at its height. That was how the backlash worked; people become more active when they find out something they thought was impossible is now possible, leading to them to work harder. So what was necessary to make them think that?
The answer is two things, the most important factors in making this strategy work.
The first is trust towards the command, if they believed in the leader that he would do something, that would show them something. At times, it could lead to overconfidence, but that was also absolutely necessary on the battlefield.
And finally, the second reason is that in order to give rise to hope, you had to show results.
"It has begun," Lelouch as Zero said as he saw transport planes in the skies around the mountain.
Ohgi and the others soon realized their situation as the entire mountain was quickly surrounded through a series of carefully well planned out troop and Knightmare Frame movements. When Cornelia launched to personally lead the battle the hidden armies instantly sprang into action, quickly encircling the mountain. It was indeed a very impressive well planned deployment.
"The hell!?" Tamaki began before turning to Zero. "You gotta be kidding me! Those troops coming in have the entire area surrounded, there is no way out!"
"We have already been cut off. Our only chance of surviving is to fight."
"What, we can't fight the Britannians!" Naomi began as she and many of the Black Knights were obviously afraid.
"Then why were you all in a resistance group?" Quattro asked mockingly. "Surely not to pass out cookies and play nice with everyone."
"So let me get this straight. We're surrounded and you want us to fight them head on?" Tamaki demanded.
"But we're fighting Cornelia!" Sugiyama added to Tamaki's comments. "Her forces are far stronger than anything we have encountered!"
Zero remained calm as he simply countered.
"Correct, it would be a miracle if we can win this."
"Zero, what are you saying?" Ohgi demanded.
"Even messiahs had to perform miracles if they are to be acknowledged. So we must produce our own miracle."
"Now look, pulling this off isn't going to be cheap. The cost could be our lives," Tamaki shouted angrily as he readied his rifle in what was probably a coup attempt. "I knew it was insane to make you our leader! It should've been me!"
Before Tamaki could aim, Zero drew a gun. The stunned Japanese man froze as in a shocking move, Zero flipped the gun over in a gesture of handing it to him before pointing out.
"Our path of retreat has been cut off. If you think you can win without me, then shoot me! Someone! Anyone!"
Tamaki was rendered a combination of dumbstruck and speechless as everyone else. No one was certain how to respond to the situation before them while Quattro was grinning.
After a long silence Zero spoke, "Since you joined the Black Knights, you have only two choices. You may either live with me...or you shall perish with me!"
Down the mountain, the battle was truly about to begin as the Britannian forces were slowly closing the noose they had formed around the mountain. Inside the Japan Liberation Front's main base, General Tatewaki Katase was inside the command center with other members of the Command Staff. The situation was already looking increasingly grim from them.
"We are completely surrounded, sir. Our underground reserve forces were captured all at once," A JLF officer reported before another added.
"General Katase, we have received a message from Cornelia's forces demanding our surrender."
"Imbecile!" Katase snapped. "If we fall here, then the whole resistance movement falls with us!"
"Then General, do we engage the enemy or do we dig in?" A JLF Major asked.
"Where is Tohdoh?"
"He went to Kyoto to receive the custom Burai units with the Four Holy Swords. If he's on schedule, he should be returning soon."
Katase sighed before saying.
"Tohdoh won't make it in time," Katase turned to his men sitting at their stations. "Prepare to send out the Burais! We'll break the encirclement on one-side and evacuate. We'll show them the Japanese spirit and pride; this is our moment of truth!"
Euphemia li Britannia was on the bridge of the G-1. Despite her reluctance, Cornelia agreed and put Euphy in charge of her assigned units as well as the evacuation of the civilians from the area. With her were Cornelia's staff officers, who were providing coordination and instruction from the G-1 and assist Euphemia in her duties as the de-facto second-in-command.
"We believe the enemy's main base is located here in the mountains, but we haven't pinpointed it yet," A staff officer was explaining with a laser pointer on a two-dimensional tactical map. "However, without a list of their collaborators, we cannot burn down everything with our aerial bombing."
Euphemia remained silent and listened as another staff officer joined in.
"The enemy will engage our encirclement and try to break through at one point, which we can then determine where their main base is."
"Our forces are divided into three fronts," the staff officer with the laser pointer explained. "The forces commanded by General Dalton, General Alex and Viceroy Cornelia. As for our flanking forces…"
Suddenly, the map began to fizzle out, which the staff officers knew what was causing it.
"It's ECM, which means the enemy is going to make its move."
Moving up rocky terrain was Dalton as he was leading a large troop of Sutherlands and Gloucesters. He was in his own Gloucester that was armed with a large cannon. Some of the Gloucesters following behind him were armed with similar weapons as they continued their ascent up the mountain.
"The main enemy force should be coming out any time now. Switch over to ECM-mode, link up on Channel Alpha-4," Dalton ordered before popping one final question to his men. "The enemy, what are we calling them again?"
"Burais sir," A fellow pilot replied.
"Right, they are like pseudo-Glasgows, so watch out for them."
"Yes my lord," the same pilot replied.
On another side of the mountain, Cornelia and Guilford were the first to come across enemy troops as a hidden hanger launch point opened up. Trees slid to the side before three Burai Units emerged from the ground. Seemingly impressed and finding that the warrior within was hoping for a decent challenge, especially from the famous Tohdoh, Cornelia began to quickly move to engage them.
"How clever, they turned this whole mountain into a fortress," Cornelia commented as her custom RPI-209 Gloucester accelerated to her first targets of the battle.
"Your highness, please pull back," Guilford cautioned pulling up alongside the princess in his own Gloucester.
"Guilford, don't treat me like I am another one of your women," The princess replied before boldly charging after the three JLF Knightmares.
"It's Cornelia!" One JLF soldier said, recognizing the horns and the white cape that belonged to Cornelia's custom Gloucester.
"Don't panic, take down the leader," The squad leader of the three Burai units ordered, but Cornelia didn't slow down as she easily dodged the bullets from their rifles. With one mighty swing of her lance, Cornelia knocked all three of them to the ground before quickly impaling one of them. Cornelia moved to dodge fire from a stationary artillery battery that was attacking from an elevated position nearby, which Guilford swiftly dispatched.
"Very well, I'll cover you from the rear."
Cornelia possessed a smirk on her face before declaring, "Well, Cornelia is here! Is there any who can challenge me!?"
Back at the Ōu Mountains, the battle conditions were about to drastically change. The Britannians were finishing the mop up of the Japan Liberation Front as their troops were closing in to seize victory. Fate and Hayate were considering leaving the air when a very large Wide Area Forcefield was being cast over the entire battlefield area and beyond. All of the Britannian Army's communications were blacked out, cutting them off from the rest of the world.
"A temporal barrier, but who created it?" Hayate said as everyone was alert. Her partner Reinforce was also ready for whatever was about to happen.
"I think we found them," The blonde-haired Enforcer said as she witnessed from afar. Three Wyvern Drones erupted from the ground near the steel mill before engaging the stunned Britannian army. Upon surfacing, the drones opened their mouths, but instead of pressurized water, a powerful burst of intense heat-like energy shot out and demolished a number of Sutherlands. It was obvious that their water cutters had been replaced with powerful plasma cannons.
"I'll contact the ship and pass word along to Nanoha and the others," Ginga reported.
The call came in as Nanoha and Signum were both informed of the situation unfolding at the Ōu Mountains. At first, Nanoha and Shamal wanted to leave immediately, but Signum stopped them.
"The rest of you should remain here. Three drones appearing just like that," Signum began before shaking her head. "I don't like it. It could be a distraction to draw us away from Narita."
"But," Nanoha wanted to protest, but she saw the reasoning behind Signum's words.
"Zafira, Shamal, stay with Nanoha. I'll go back up Hayate-sama and the others."
Departing quickly through the use of a transportation spell, the pink-haired warrior left the three behind to observe events.
"Since Signum is gone, there is something I have wanted to ask you Nanoha," Shamal began.
"What is it?"
"So, is it true...that you befriended Lelouch?"
"Huh?" The question surprised the young girl as she wasn't expecting that subject to come up.
At the summit of the mountain, Lelouch was ready to make his move. He sat in the cockpit of his commander-unit Burai looking over the current state of the battle thanks to real-time data Quattro was feeding him. Cornelia had the Japan Liberation Front concerned and despite their efforts, they were simply outnumbered and badly outgunned. Dalton and Alex's troops were advancing upon the JLF headquarters, which had been found by the former. Cornelia and her troops took up positions to secure the general area to prevent anyone from escaping.
A very logical formation Cornelia, Lelouch thought before removing his mask. But even, so it's predictable….as is your location.
"All preparations are complete and the final calculations are in," Quattro said on an open communication channel. "I should point out that no one has attempted this before, so the destruction could be much more than anticipated."
"As long as it wipes out the Britannians in its path and achieves the desired results, it will be fine. Even if the town is in danger, they should've had more than sufficient time to evacuate."
Quattro smiled, "Very well. Order Kallen to use Electrode Three."
"Then let us begin," Lelouch said before switching channels to an open intercom. All members of the Black Knights could hear him, including those inside the cockpits of their machines. "All preparations are now complete! Listen up, we, the Black Knights will launch a surprise attack from the summit of the mountain. Upon my order, we will all charge towards Point Three. The objective of this operation is to capture Cornelia, Second Princess of Britannia."
"I don't want to die!" One Black Knight member cried out, rushing to his station.
"We got no choice, but we got Zero with us! We'll make a miracle happen!"
"Yeah, let's make a miracle happen!"
Although she was worried during the tense standoff between Tamaki and Zero, but the situation resolved itself. The Black Knights have now acknowledged him as their leader and stood behind his plan fully. It was a risky gambit, but it was time to see if it will all pay off.
"Kallen, use Electrode Three," Zero ordered as the Guren Mk-II moved into position. "Finish it in one blow."
"Got it, powering up Radiant Wave Surger," Kallen replied as she rested the Guren's silver claw atop a custom-made port for the main weapon. Once power levels were satisfactory, Kallen readied the trigger as she settled into the motorbike style cockpit.
"Firing...NOW!"
An intense burst of heat energy erupted from the emitter on the silver claw. It travelled all the way down the excavator to deep underground. The intense heat was released into the groundwater, reacting in a matter of someone scooping red hot magma into the water below.
The results were spontaneous as the ground above began to shake.
"It worked!" Kallen exclaimed as a chain reaction began.
Even when far away from the battlefield, the cloaked figure could feel a little rumbling from the ground. This caused the grinning man to stop for a moment, curious to know what was happening. Through his senses, he looked up to the mountain where at the very summit, rocks started to break. By then, he wasn't sure whether to smile or not.
However, the first to feel the actual shaking was the Japan Liberation Front, particularly those in the main headquarters. It was a trembling that felt like it came from the depths of the Earth, although their kind was used to things like this before. Nonetheless, the men couldn't help grabbing onto something to keep balance.
"Wha...What's happening!?" the old General in charge was clinging onto two nearby tables, one of them being the command one.
They could hear a lot of chatter coming from their troops fighting outside the base as well.
"A-An earthquake? At a time like this!? UUUAAAGGHHH--" a JLF Burai pilot said as his line went dead.
"We were never given any prediction this would be coming!" An officer confirmed as Katase inquired his officers.
"Should the base hold together!?"
"This cabin was made to withstand earthquakes, so at least our section will be okay!"
They were interrupted as the shaking got even more intense, nearly forcing the officers to the ground as the cabin tried to hold. Katase wondered if this was the divine wind the gods finally gave them. He, like the others, broke any free chains of thought as something suddenly slammed on the main headquarters. Most of the officers including the General were forced onto the ground as the younger officers were barely clinging to stay up.
The one who really knew what was happening was Darlton further down, overlooking the the JLF base. He knew earthquakes were fairly common in Area 11 from time to time with intensities around two or three. But if anyone knew beforehand that had been caused by man instead of nature, it would be cause for alarm.
BEEP!
That sound was the alert for the Knightmare's auto-balance system going off. All at once, the trembling turned violent just how it reached the JLF base, but it wasn't an earthquake anymore. The thing that had started the earthquake was something occurred near the ground.
"What!?" Dalton exclaimed as his Gloucester slipped and a terrible realization came to the seasoned veteran. It wasn't the Knightmare that was slipping, but the ground itself. "A landslide!" he cried out, but the moment he did, the rate of destruction accelerated.
A little before the JLF and Darlton's realizations, Cinque, Nove, Wendi and Sein were further up the mountain near the lodge where the Japan Liberation Front's main base was. Cinque was on Wendi's board while Nove was on her Air Liner The group was mindful of the advancing Britannian troops and was being careful to avoid detection. Sein was partly phased into the ground below as Cinque was giving her younger sister a set of orders.
"We don't have a lot of time, so you'll have to be quick," Cinque began. "Look for the General's office and check around for anything about the Mandarin. The officers should be at the command center, so it should be empty. And just the same as always, watch your back."
"Sure thing, Cinque-nee-sama! I'll be careful."
Suddenly as the group were previously going to flee, the Numbers appeared to be moving away. It took Sein two seconds to realize her sisters weren't moving, she was. Had Cinque reacted much quicker, they could have stopped Sein from being swept away.
"SEIN!" Wendi cried out as the three cyborgs barely pulled away to avoid being caught in the gushing torrent of mud and rock. They could only watch as Sein had been engulfed.
"This is," Euphemia stood dismayed in front of the G1 base's main panel. The staff officers around her were panicking and screaming.
"No way, there's no way there could be a landslide this big!"
"Retreat, sound a retreat! Alex and Dalton's troops are going to be wiped out by that landslide!"
It was as if the mountain itself was opposing the Britannian forces. The area near the summit shuddered, exploding with dirt and boulders coming down. By the time they realized what was going on, it was too late to escape. The blue dots in the path of the landslide indicating allies began turning red all at once as the landslide consumed them until most of the screen was filled with the word "LOST". Euphemia was stunned, but she composed herself before she screamed.
"CORNELIA!"
From their vantage point in the town below, Nanoha, Shamal and Zafira were seeing the landslide grow in both size and destructive capability. It was spreading like a folding fan starting from the peak of the mountain and coming directly towards them. They quickly realized the landslide was going to hit the town head on.
Suddenly, Zafira leapt from the building and headed straight for the edge of town.
"Zafira, come back!" Shamal cried out.
The landslide had already easily decimated Cornelia's forces; crushing the Knightmares and tanks as if the machines were made out of paper. Foot soldiers were flattened by the large boulders and the earth swept them away down the mountain like a tidal wave. Not even assault rifles and rocket launchers can stand against the devastating power of Mother Nature once provoked. None of them had a chance to scream as they found themselves buried alive under the earth. Now at this trate, that same mudslide was threatening to wipe out an entire town and everyone in it.
"NO!" Instinctively, Zafira positioned himself before the oncoming mudslide outside of town. He tried somewhat to increase his speed as he stood ready to do what he can to stop the landslide while hoping no one would see it.
"ZAFIRA!" Shamal shouted at her fellow Knight as she and Nanoha were hurrying to him. She knew what he was intending to do as she cared about the well being of the civilians. However, even she was not foolish enough to reveal magic to the Earth people. It was also foolish to reveal magic to whoever caused this landslide as the timing was too much of a coincidence for it not to be man-made.
Zafira saw a quick glance, spotting both JLF and Britannian Knightmares swallowed by the earth, dirt and boulders.
"Rarrrrrggghhhh!" The Guardian Beast screamed to the sky, projecting what seemed to be an unlimited number of shield spells in front of him. Despite the incoming mud and rock bombarding the shield like a giant tsunami, the shields were holding.
"What is going on there?" Euphemia asked nobody in particular when a big lump appeared. The landslide flow suddenly stopping outside of the center of town and diverting more to the sides.
Quattro, observing the landslide above could also see the sudden change and added the Nanoha tag on this mix. Though this was of no consequence, she had an understanding what was going on. Furthermore, she noticed the lump starting gain ground again, causing her to smirking at some unexpected benefit from this.
Zafira could feel his muscles overstretched from the amount of power he's unleashing. The shields somehow manage to halt the flow, but they soon gave out. Having expended too much of his strength to hurry and deploy, the shield fell as the liquefied earth overwhelmed him.
"Aggggh!" His screams of terror were silenced, buried under layers of dirt, mud, earth and boulders piling on top of him. He struggled to get out from the situation as his right hand tried to grab onto something before disappearing underneath and being swept away towards the town.
"ZAFIRA!" Shamal and Nanoha cried out as they hurried, knowing the wolf-man now needed saving himself. But with the landslide coming after them, Nanoha could set up a shield long enough to defend the pair from the landslide. It was little effort as Shamal quickly teleported the two out just in time before the mud could overwhelm them as well.
Far away, Hayate felt a sharp pain in her chest, causing her to bend sharply and lose focus.
Zafira...
The landslide that threatened the town slowed dramatically thanks to the sudden event. Only the sides continued to move at a quicker rate as they filled the outskirts of the town with mud and rock, burying all Britannian troops and nearby civilians in it. Fortunately for those at the center, only the buildings closest to the mountains were buried as the mud finally lost its momentum.
The landslide had stopped, but the battle wasn't over.
Cornelia was thinking fast as she had just been out of the way. She quickly ruled out the idea of the mudslide being a natural disaster; the timing seemed to be too unlikely. If it was intentionally caused, then it was likely caused by someone who would attack during the resulting confusion. With Alex and Dalton's troops gone, she and her own forces not caught in the landslide were semi-isolated for the time.
"New enemy force confirmed moving from the summit. Karius's troops are moving to intercept them." A man on an open commutation channel reported.
I knew it, Cornelia thought as that confirmed her suspicions. "Guilford," she addressed her knight.
"Yes?"
"We're to fallback for now. The foot soldiers should divert to the side and rescue the injured. Have the tanks support them."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"All Knightmares should maintain the battlefront and repel the enemy's offense. There might be more places that could crumble, so advise them to take caution when moving. In the meantime, has there been any word about Dalton?"
"Nothing yet, I'm afraid."
"Hurry, he's not the kind of man who would die from something like this. No, I won't let him die...Tell me when you get any word on his status."
"Emergency report from Karius's unit!" The man's voice was tense as he relayed the report.
"What's wrong?"
The next lined alert everyone who was hearing or monitoring the line.
"The new enemy detected on the summit...it isn't the Japan Liberation Front. They think it's...the Black Knights! It's Zero!"
Speeding down from the summit in full force with the Black Knights, Lelouch was eager to see his plan succeed now.
"Cornelia has only limited reinforcements headed her way. Smash right through them!"
"Yeah! We can do this now!" Tamaki said as he and the other Black Knights were fired up.
To ensure their victory, Quattro hung back in her own machine and began using her Silver Curtain to amplify the confusion sweeping the battlefield. As the small group of Burais slowed as instructed, another force representing the Black Knights came from behind as their numbers nearly doubled.
Karius unit found themselves ambushed along the way with another group of Burais appearing out of nowhere from a hill on the left as alerts and alarms were going off inside their cockpits. They reacted accordingly defending themselves against the ambush their sensors were picking up. However, all of their shots either seemed to have or went through the Burais without destroying them. The Sutherlands around them were getting wiped out by the real Burais until at last only one unit remained firing randomly.
"WHY THE FUCK CAN'T I HIT ANY OF YOU!!!"
Before the man could waste more bullets, Kallen seized the last Sutherland from behind with the Guren's right hand, holding machine in place. The Radiant Wave Surger caused the enemy machine to begin puffing up like a balloon before the Sutherland exploded. Kallen retracted the claw, feeling pleased with her powerful machine more than ever.
Elsewhere, Naomi was leading a small squad of Black Knights. They were lurking atop of a hill overlooking a group of tanks moving to reinforce Cornelia's flank.
"Alright, you people know the game plan. We are supposed to watch their backs, so ready…aim…FIRE!" Naomi ordered as anti-tank rockets picked off the tanks one by one.
On foot, some Black Knights were moving to deal with the foot soldiers accompanying the armed vehicles to further hammer and damage the Britannian army's capability to fight. This only intensified the conflict with casualties on all sides steadily rising.
The battle raged on as Shamal and Nanoha were at the last spot where they saw their comrade consumed by the landslide. Nanoha fired shots from her Raising Heart to clear away mud with Shamal using her abilities to find Zafira. However, the Ace was distracted by the chatter also going on in their array.
Upon hearing the incident with Karius Unit, similar incidents were happening through the chatter. While the Japan Liberation Front took advantage of the chaos to regroup, none of them were understanding what was happening either.
"New enemy units coming from Point Seven!...What, it went through? How could they...AGGH!"
"This Wilson's Unit! Black Knight forces are coming from the road at Point Three, please assist!"
"Got a lock on enemy target, firing!"
"Watch your fire, it's me!"
"What!? EYYAAGH---!"
"038 here! Be advised, incoming enemy Burais are designated as friendlies, I repeat! Enemy units are friends!"
"New forces coming all over. Aggh, they're everywhere!"
"Then shoot everywhere, dammit!"
"D Infantry Company here! The Black Knights have attacked our escorts and the underground prisoners are escaping! We need backup now!"
The continuous messages of sudden attacks from the Black Knights and the JLF, followed by the constant chatter of Britannians hitting each other under the false guise of enemy forces really alarmed the two Mages.
Even without Shamal saying, "Let's find Zafira, quickly," Nanoha was already working harder, both from the Japanese gaining the upper hand and Zero sudden presence on the battlefield.
But complicating matters was one obstacle for Lelouch as Quattro warned.
"Bad news, looks like the broadcast didn't affect all of the Britannian units."
"Which unit?"
"Cornelia's Royal Guard."
"So I figured," Lelouch could understand the last difficulty as of now.
"Sorry, but looks like their units are too different from the regular ones. And it's not like we can get Kallen over either."
"Don't worry. With the confusion happening, something should come up to our advantage."
"Yes but...Hold up."
"What's the matter?"
"There's an enemy force approaching Cornelia from behind. They're coming from the main town."
"Has the TSAB intervened?...No, that can't be; it's too crowded out here. Then which team made the move?"
"Doesn't look like one of ours. Looks like it's Tohdoh of the JLF. It seems like he caught wind of your plan."
Lelouch wasn't sure about the end statement, but was enlightened by this sudden event as they were informed when they received their Knightmares from Kyoto.
"Good, they'll hold off the Royal Guard, which is just what we need."
Coming from behind the Royal Guard were two large trucks that were raising Knightmares from the ground. The trucks were automatically enroute through a forest and into a mound for an ambush point.
Having been away to collect the new custom machines from Kyoto, Tohdoh had returned just in time for the turning of the tide. He was heard ordering to his elite forces after witnessing recent events..
"Listen up, the landslide has already decimated the main Britannian forces and our allies up ahead are holding off the remainder. If it is true this was manmade, this should allow us to hit the Royal Guard from behind. Strike fast now and capture Cornelia! Take revenge for what happened seven years ago!"
"Yes sir!" Tohdoh's followers complied. "By the honor of the Four Holy Swords!"
Out of the blue, a Burai variant emerged from the forest, swiftly cutting down a Sutherland. Additional frames of the new Type-1R Burai Kai appeared, whose distinguishing features were a pair of long, trailing antennae mounted on the back of the head and a chainsaw "Brake Blade" katana. Less obvious was the fact that the machines were upgraded to match the RPI-209 Gloucester in terms of performance. A total of five of them cleaved a Sutherland in two with their Brake Blades as one stood out with a lighter green color scheme on its limbs.
The situation was getting ugly as Tohdoh and the Holy Swords engaged Cornelia's Royal Guard head on. They easily cut down the Sutherlands accompanying them, but Guilford rushed forward. He crossed weapons with Tohdoh with his lance held back Tohdoh's Brake Blade.
"Your Highness, leave them to us!" Guildford said as he struggled. "You must withdraw for now!"
The rest of her royal guard moved to engage the rest of Tohdoh's squad.
"Very well, I know a way to turn this around. After you drive them back, rendezvous with me at Point Nine," Cornelia ordered.
"Point Nine?" Guilford muttered, seemingly confused for a moment before realizing what she was intending. "I understand."
With Tohdoh and his men distracted, Cornelia quickly made a retreat from the area while Tohdoh decided to contact his superior.
"I am sorry for the late arrival, General," Tohdoh said on an open channel with General Katase.
"Tohdoh, we have been waiting!" Katase relieved at Tohdoh's arrival.
"General, please send all remaining units to join me here."
"Can you beat them?"
"Yes, but only if we can hold off their main force," Tohdoh explained as he broke away from the blade lock. "We now have a chance to turn the entire war around!"
At the G-1, Euphemia was dealing with a crisis herself much like her sister. She was facing the Staff Officers, who were determined to have her order the G-1 to the battlefield to support and rescue the Viceroy.
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, you must mobilize the G-1 to prevent a disaster!"
"No we can't," Euphy said while clearly struggling with her own personal feelings.
"But Guilford is pinned down and he can't get to Princess Cornelia!"
"No, we can't! There is a field hospital and civilians who have been evacuated and gathered here. Besides, the Viceroy ordered me that no matter what, the G-1 isn't to move from its assigned position. That's why!"
Euphy was interrupted when a video call came in upon. She saw Suzaku's face sitting in the cockpit of the Lancelot with Lloyd and Cecile in the background as well.
"ASEEC, reporting for duty." Lloyd said in a snide tone.
"Insolence!" The staff officer snapped.
"You people are irregulars! You are supposed to be quiet and observe!" Another one added.
"Yes but," Cecile said politely before Lloyd finished for her.
"But all of this waiting around is boring."
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, I beseech you order us into the battle." Suzaku requested.
"How transparent, you just want the glory of rescuing the Viceroy!?" The third Staff Officer snapped.
"Our whole army is out there and you think one unit is going to make the difference with an Eleven pilot!?"
"Right right," Lloyd said, brushing the comments aside before pointing out. "But what's the harm? If it's just one pilot, it won't reflect back poorly on you if we fail, right?"
Euphy was ignoring the whole exchange and noticed Suzaku moving his lips to say something which the girl read.
Euphy, The pink haired girl thought. Seeing something in the boy allowed her to quell her own panicking emotions within her. She knew the boy well enough that he wasn't seeking personal glory or anything of the short. This young man could do what had to be done, allowing her to comply with her sister's orders.
"I understand, deploy the Lancelot immediately!"
"You got it!" Lloyd exclaimed happily.
"Thank you very much, Your Highness," Cecile said before ending communications.
Across Japan at the Ōu Mountains, Jeremiah Gottwald was in a bad situation.
It was supposed to have been a simple mop up of a resistance base and they were given more than enough firepower and troops to do it. Just when the battle was in their favor, the terrorists unleashed some kind of new weapon he had never seen before. They barely had time to react when they fired a powerful energy weapon that wiped out most of their front line troops. Lord Kewell was among the casualties, caught in the plasma cannon of a winged machines.
They tried to fight back, but their weapons weren't having much effect against their armor as bullets from their rifles bounced off. The missiles they fired had similar effects to Chaos mines, claiming more of their men's lives, including some of the tank battalions that provided ranged support. Even when the tanks fired shells at them, the drones effortless dodged their attacks before wipe out any enemies close to them with either their missiles or limbs.
"What are those things?" Jeremiah said to himself. "They're like a pack of wild animals!"
Jeremiah kept a distance because he knew close quarters with those things in a Sutherland would be suicide. Sadly, not too many of his fellow soldiers agreed and if the turret rail-guns didn't kill them, then the unfolding MVS swords did.
It was turning into a one-side slaughter as far as Jeremiah could see. The only sensible option would be for them to retreat as they had sustained too many losses since the appearance of the drones.
"All forces concentrate fire on one of them!" The man leading their forces ordered.
"No, you fool! That won't work!" Jeremiah objected. Being vulnerable to attack from the other two machines, trying to take them out one at a time using superior fire power clearly wasn't going to work. Despite his own rank, there was nothing Jeremiah could do as the desperate soldiers and Knightmares focused their attention and attack on one of the drones with a hail of bullets and missiles were sent. Deploying its gun turrets, it began shooting most of the incoming missiles down while the other two drones aided before launching a coordinated counterattack. Although the bullets fired hit their mark, the damage was minor at best. The creatures this time attacked with their deployed turret guns, having reserved them to test out their new plasma cannons as they began mopping up the last of Britannian troops.
"We have to retreat! We don't have the firepower to deal with machines like them!" Jeremiah said on an open channel.
"Lord Jeremiah, we cannot-" Villetta was saying before she screamed and the line went day. A drone had just ended her life using its unfolded swords to cleave her Sutherland along with three others in two.
"Villetta!" Jeremiah cried out before realizing he was the last one left with the three drones advancing to finish him off. Thinking fast and knowing he was as good as dead, he rushed at the three machines.
Before the hawk-like drone could fire its weapons, Jeremiah fired his Slash Harkens that embed into the machine's turret guns, stopping them from operating. As the slash-harkens retracted, pulling Jeremiah's machine to the drone, the drone was opening its mouth to fire its plasma cannon.
Jeremiah rammed his machine's hand into the cannon inside the drone's open mouth before quickly using the ejection system to escape. His Knightmare exploded along with the plasma cannon, inflicting serious damage to its head and destroying its primarily weapon. The battle was over with perhaps Jeremiah being the sole survivor as his ejection block landed not so far, hidden in the forests. Despite some external damage one having severe damage to its head, the drones were still functional.
From the sky above, a black cloud emerged and a white Belkan Triangle appeared at its center. In the air, Hayate Yagami was in her Knight Clothing, holding her device Schwertkreuz. Her hair had turned to a pale brown as a result of her unison with Reinforce Zwei.
"Approach from beyond, mistletoe branches, become spears of the silver moon, shoot and pierce!" Hayate chanted as a dozen white lights suddenly appeared in the black cloud forming over the drones. "Petrifying spears, Mistilteinn," Hayate's finished spell aria unleashed a dozen spears of light as they rained down with the drones deploying their anti-magic shields to repel them.
The attack was only a distraction as from below Vita, Ginga and Fate were moving in.
Fate attacked the legs of the damaged drone with her using Bardiche Assault in its Zanber mode, utilizing Sprite Zanber to cleave through its legs. The crippled drone fell back, but activated its FLOAT system to levitate in order to compensate for its lost legs. Their attack didn't end there as Vita joined the fight, attacking the drone's damaged head with Graf Eisen's limit-breaking Zerstörungsform, driving its drill tip through its head. Once it was disabled and likely to self-destruct at any moment, Vita swung the hammer vertically and knocked the drone off its feet. she sent it flying towards its fellow drones in hopes the explosion of its self-destruct would damage them.
Ginga joined the fight standing with Fate as the drone exploded. Unfortunately, the other two drones evaded and moved away from the exploding machine.
"Those things think pretty quickly," Fate noted while Ginga cracked her knuckles.
"Then let's finish this quickly before they get wiser."
"I am ready for more," Vita replied, joining the two Mages together to challenge the two drones.
Meanwhile, Hayate was met by Signum, who had arrived on the scene.
"Signum?" Hayate began surprised to see the woman present.
"I believed you and the others would need back-up against the drones."
"I suppose we could use some help, but what about Nanoha and the others?"
"I told them to stay behind and monitor the situation at Narita, but," Signum was explaining but soon noticed that Hayate felt a sharp pain in her chest and forced her to bend forward, stopping her for a moment. "Are you okay?"
"I…I am fine, but let's finish things here quickly."
Signum wasn't entirely convinced if Hayate was alright. For now, she agreed with her mistress that they had a job to do as they couldn't drop what they were doing and leave. Nodding, Signum went to join Fate and others in combating the Wyvern Drones.
Please save Zafira…Shamal and Nanoha, Hayate said reaching out telepathically to Shamal as she was aware of what had happened to Zafira although it pained her that she couldn't go to aid them right now as she had to support her friends down below.
He'll be fine, Hayate-sama. Nanoha and Shamal are there, Reinforce said.
I hope so; I do have faith in them.
Down below, Signum made her presence known by transforming her device Laevatein into its Bogenform.
"Fly my falcon," Signum said before releasing the arrow-like bolt as her device spoke upon its release.
"Sturmfalken!"
One of the machines was struck with the arrow, causing it to lose its balance briefly, but regained it after few seconds. The two machines pulled back and used their Banshee Fields, but to the surprise of the overseers, the field had no effect on any of them. Using a Flash Step, Signum attacked the drones as they were in the process of unleashing the field. Her sword became covered in flames in preparation for her Purple Lightning Flash. Combining the speed she gained from her descent and her flash-step, she drove her sword into the top of the machine's head. She dragged her blade down along its back until she had nearly cut it in half.
"Signum," Fate said surprised at her unexpected arrival.
"These earplugs Mariel developed worked," Signum commented as everyone who had been sent out was given a set of prototype earplugs. These blocked out all other sounds during its activation and were regulated by either the wearer or their device thanks to input and information from Nanoha and Vita.
"Signum, why are you here?" Ginga inquired.
"I believed you needed my help more, so let's finish the last one off."
Back at Narita, the situation was looking more hopeless for the Britannian Army as Guilford and his men were pinned down. Worse yet, Dalton, who had survived the landslide, was still managing to rally any survivors to him.
"This is General Andreas Darlton, please come in all nearby forces!"
"We're still here, General," one friendly Britannian voice came as they regrouped. "But not many of us are left."
"We can't reach General Alex," a female pilot reported. "It looks like his unit's been completely wiped out."
"What exactly are our total casualties?"
"We've lost contact with about eighty percent of our forces and steadily rising."
"EIGHTY PERCENT!?" Darlton exclaimed, wishfully thinking that was just an exaggeration. "Our military structure can barely pull itself together from this kind of damage!"
Cannon fire then came from what appeared to be the main JLF base they were tracking. The soldiers returned fire as chatter grew within their pilots.
"What should we do now?"
"Change of priorities," Darlton ordered. "All forces fall back down to the mountain and find a way across. We need to regroup with Cornelia!"
"But sir, the JLF headquarters is right in front of us," a soldier pointed out. "They'll easily attack us from behind!"
"Don't be a fool! If Cornelia gets captured by these Elevens, then this battle is a complete loss for us!"
He was interrupted as his Gloucester slammed him onto the side. Darlton's men came under attack from what remained of the JLF's military strength. They lost about all of their Knightmares save for the ones Tohdoh and his followers, but still had plenty of tanks and artillery batteries left to launch a counterattack.
"A pincer attack! Dammit!"
The worst was yet to come as Cornelia was traveling alone through a canyon towards Point Nine. Her plan was that Guilford would lure the enemy into the canyon so she and Guildford could ambush them in a sandwich maneuver. It was a dangerous move using both herself and her knight as bait, but it was effective if executed right. However, there was one problem with the plan Cornelia had conceived.
Zero had predicted it…
Instead of being alone in the canyon, Cornelia came upon the strange red machine where she would have picked as the perfect ambush spot. Instead she had walked right into an ambush with the new red Knightmare blocking her way.
"CORNELIA!" the pilot shouted at her as the Guren Mk II charged at her.
"Lowborn scum!" Cornelia shot back. She thrusted forward with her lance, but the Guren skillfully dodged it. Cornelia countered by using her slash-harkens to retreat up to the canyon walls. Stopping for a moment, Cornelia made an obvious observation of her enemy. "What's this? It's not just a customized unit."
Alarms in Cornelia's cockpit went off, alerting her to someone who was targeting her. She jumped off the cliffs just in time to evade rifle fire and found three Burais.
Inside the gold-horned one, Zero contacted cornelia on an open channel.
"Can you hear me, Cornelia?"
"ZERO!"
"Shall we celebrate our reunion? Of course, you will have to surrender to us first. After that, there are a few questions I want to ask you. And in case you're wondering, your reinforcements will not get here in time. I win this time."
"You're a fool, Zero!" Cornelia said defiantly before turning her attention to the Guren. "This one…if I take it out, them I'm free and clear!"
Cornelia began by firing her assault rifle at the Guren, which in turn skillfully evaded her shots. The Viceroy used one of her Slash Harkens, but Kallen caught it with the Guren's fork knife.
"You got some moves," The Viceroy said before attacking with her lance. Kallen once again caught it and used the Radiant Wave Surger to superheat the weapon along with the arm holding it. Realizing the danger though, Cornelia detached the arm from her machine, but soon her left arm was rendered useless when Zero shot from behind. "You coward, attacking me from behind!"
"Really? And your own methods don't show acts of cowardice?"
Realizing her situation was hopeless with her chances of survival zero, Cornelia opened a communication channel to her Knight.
"Guilford, my dear knight…you and Dalto,n protect Euphy."
"Your Highness," Guilford exclaimed in alarm.
"I won't surrender…As an Imperial Princess, I'll fight to the last breath!"
"PRINCESS CORNELIA!" Guilford cried out in horror, but suddenly something unexpected happened.
The side of the canyon wall erupted. Having used the VARIS to clear all of the obstacles in his path, the Lancelot stood. With the Guren and Zero reeling from the unexpected arrival of the white machine, the Lancelot was before Cornelia's damaged machine.
"Are you alright Viceroy? I'm here to help."
"Kururugi, but who authorized you?" Cornelia asked surprised by the young man's appearance as she had ordered them to be observers only.
"Hey, isn't that Knightmare Frame the same one from-" Tamaki began before Ohgi finished his sentence.
"Yeah, it's the same one from the hotel hijacking incident."
"It's him AGAIN!?" Lelouch said as he could barely contain his rage and annoyance despite having stolen the first Lancelot. Now the second one was proving to be a nuisance. "Guren Mk-II, destroy that machine immediately! It has interfered with our plans enough."
"Right!" Kallen replied as she went to engage the Lancelot head on and the two machines would find themselves evenly matched.
The Lancelot began its attack by firing its VARIS rifle at the Guren. To the shock of Suzaku, the red knightmare frame was easily dodging all of his shots before charging straight at him. Suzaku ducked and evaded the first strike before attempting to kick it. The Guren countered by seizing its foot that had the Sand Board attached, which the Lancelot had used to travel up the liquefied slope quickly. The red machine unleashed its Radiant Wave Surger, prompting Suzaku to disengage it from his foot.
The Guren destroyed the Sand Board, but to gain an advantage, Suzaku disengaged the remaining board and kicked it off to send it flying at the Guren. Kallen batted the device aside and began her attack on the Lancelot anew, forcing Suzaku to draw one of the MSV blades for a close-quarters battle.
A fierce and quick-paced exchange of kicks and strikes took place as the two machines and their pilots were evenly matched despite a difference in armament. Suzaku fired the Lancelot's chest mounted slash-harkens, but Kallen blocked and destroyed them with the Guren's Radiant Wave Surger. Another rapid exchange of blows took place with neither landing a blow on the other. Kallen then caught the Lancelot's MSV sword destroying it with the Radiant Wave Surger.
However, Suzaku had the Lancelot release the sword in time right before he fired the VARIS at point-blank range. The Guren blocked it, using a sustained blast from the Radiant Wave Surger as a last-ditch effort shield.
"It blocked it..." Suzaku said ,but the round he fired was still trying to continue its course.
Unfortunately for Kallen, in the heat of the battle, she didn't realize how close she was to the edge of a steep cliff. The force of the VARIS and Kallen trying to push forward caused the ground below her to give way, sending the Guren trembling down the mountain. Ohgi and Tamaki quickly went after her to check if she was alright.
"Kallen, are you okay?" Ohgi asked as he and Tamaki arrived on the scene.
"Yeah, I am fine," Kallen replied although she was shaken up from the fall.
"Ohgi, how is the Guren Mk-II?" Lelouch asked.
"The right hand is wrecked. We got to fix it," Ohgi reported seeing the damage the right hand had sustained.
Ohgi heard Zero seething in anger before he ordered. "All Black Knights retreat, this is becoming a war of attrition! Fall back to your escape points! Retreat!" After that announcement he opened up a private communication to Quattro. "Quattro, I need you for something important."
"What do you mean?"
After a short conversation, he retreated from the area by using his Burai to scale the canyon wall and flee into the forest. Instead of going after the fleeing Black Knights, Suzaku went to the kneeling Cornelia's side.
"Your Highness?" Suzaku asked, having seemingly succeeded.
"Go after Zero," a visibly angry Cornelia ordered.
"But!"
"Go after Zero! My energy filler is just drained! NOW GO!"
"Yes, Your Highness," Suzaku said before taking off after Zero.
Once Suzaku was gone Cornelia opened up a communication to Guilford.
"Guilford, relay this order to all forces, prepare to retreat," Cornelia ordered to a stunned Guilford. "I refuse to waste the lives of anymore of my men. I have seen Kururugi after Zero, but in the meantime, order all troops to fall back into formation and fall back cautiously. We have to face facts...we've been beaten today."
"Very well, Your Highness. I'll try to get to your location soon, but these Knightmares still have us pinned down."
"Understood, but please hurry."
Right after ending communications something went wrong inside the cockpit of Cornelia's machine. The screens went black and the cockpit hatch opened. Before Cornelia could react, she heard a high-pitched noise next to her right ear. In seconds, she felt her entire body go numb.
"Just breathe Viceroy," Quattro said, appearing behind Cornelia with her Glasgow after deactivating her Silver Curtain. "Zero was right. Your pride wouldn't allow you to let him escape, so you foolishly sent your own protector after him. Now that he drew the Lancelot away with himself, I can easily capture you."
Damn it…I can't move, Cornelia said as her entire body was paralyzed.
"A magnificent device isn't it? This Sonic Taser delivers a high-pitched sonic frequency that attacks the enemy's auditory system, overloading their nervous system and causing their entire body to lock up. The paralysis last for fifteen minutes when it will slowly begin to wear off. However, you may not recover from this as quickly," Quattro said, coming around to face the paralyzed Cornelia. Upon which, he injected her with a powerful tranquilizer solution guaranteed to keep her knocked out for a few hours.
Unaware of what became of the Viceroy, the Lancelot pursued Zero's Burai further into the forests dotting the Narita Mountain range. Despite the Burai trying to fend off the oncoming Lancelot, a well placed shot from its VARIS shot off its arm. A second shot took out the left leg and the Burai crashed into the ground, ejecting its cockpit block. When Suzaku rushed to the crashed block, he was shocked to find it empty.
"What the? But how…where's Zero?"
The real Zero had abandoned his commanding Burai long before the Lancelot gave chase and was escaping the area on foot. Despite the last-minute interference from the Lancelot, the main objective had been achieved and Cornelia was now their captive. Now he just had to escape.
Sadly, there was one more interference destined to get in his way. Halfway down the mountain, Zero found himself suddenly trapped inside a Temporal Force Field. Instantly alert, he activated Soul Abyss into its Shooter Mode. On the inside of his mask, Lelouch was sweating as he feared who his opponent would be. Going into Narita and even before he began his plans here, he risked a confrontation.
I guess it was inevitable...
Turning around, Lelouch came face to face with Nanoha in her Barrier Jacket in Aggressor Mode, with Raising Heart in Axel Shooter Mode.
And now, the moment we've been waiting for. The must-see pinnacle point of the Geass X Nanoha fanfic where things begin to change dramatically.
I present to you….the battles of Ou...and Narita.
Chapter 18
Ou, Narita
Ou, Narita
(July 3rd 2017 A.T.B.)
"Sector Five, nothing to report," A man wearing a dark green uniform and with black hair said. He was a soldier talking into a telephone receiver on the table inside a small cabin. "Right, the next scheduled report will be in two hours."
"Of course, there is nothing to report."
A second man wearing an identical uniform said, but he had brown hair and matching eyes. He sat down at a table in the middle of the room where before him was a game of Go that was in progress. At the present, the cabin the two soldiers resided in was an outpost set up at the top of Narita on its highest point, right in the middle of the Japan Liberation Front's sphere of influence.
"This area is controlled by the Japan Liberation Front," The second JLF soldier continued to boast. "No one can just stroll right in-"
Suddenly, the door opened and the two soldiers reacted by seizing their rifles. They saw nothing come in, feeling only a strong gust of wind.
"We got to do something about that door," The first soldier said before hearing the sound of something rolling on the ground.
A pair of small silver balls rolled towards the men. Before they could pick them up, they released a potent gas that engulfed the two men. They struggled for a moment before they collapsed onto the ground. Once the gas cleared, the door opened again with Quattro and Lelouch dressed as Zero entering the small cabin.
The combat cyborg pulled out a small device, attaching it to the phone to automatically provide the required responses every two hours.
"Now, the way should be cleared," Lelouch noted while Quattro was smiling.
"Let's summon the others now."
Down the side of the mountain, a Burai was watching the mountain with its Factosphere on. A green light could be seen shining from the mountain's summit, confirming that it path was cleared.
"I have confirmed the signal. Move to Waypoint Two," The pilot of the Burai reported before the Black Knights travelled up the mountain with Kallen in the Guren Mk-II. They knew what was coming, but they didn't quite know the full extent of the operation they would be facing though, which would be for the best.
The Britannian Army was completing their preparations to launch a full scale attack on the Narita Mountains. Aboard their G-1 command base, Cornelia and her staff officers were discussing their plan of attack with an unexpected spectator.
"We're certain that the Japan Liberation Front's main headquarters is somewhere in this area," Darlton summarized to the guest, who was no more than Sub-Viceroy Euphemia. "As those aware of this operation know, we've split up four whole battalions into seven smaller units. Once we have Her Highness's signal, we'll surround the enemy in one fell swoop and wipe them out."
"And you're sure the enemy won't be outside the encirclement line?" Euphemia inquired about a certain someone, who Cornelia's men understood what she was talking about.
"Not to worry, this was made to be a top secret operation by the Viceroy's order," Darlton assured. "Furthermore, our ground forces will be blocking all mountain roads, bridges, and highways to cut off all possible escape routes."
"Plus, we have the battle up at the Ōu mountains," her sister added, which let loose a little in secrecy to act as a decoy battle. "Whether he takes the bait or not, any intervention will lead to his demise."
While the men on board were confident of their plan, the Sub-Viceroy had another concern as she observed the monitor. Unlike most of the units, there was a special orange one that followed the G-1.
"What's this one following us?" Euphemia asked.
"That's the A.S.E.E.C. Unit," Darlton answered as he went on.
"So that's Suzaku then," Euphemia said to herself.
"Usually, Honorary Britannians are not allowed to pilot Knightmares, but that one is an exception."
"It's under order of their backer, Second Prince Schneizel," another officer added. "They want the pilot to have battle experience, so we have no say over their preference."
The G-1 came to a complete stop, followed by the surrounding units in the area.
"All forces are now in place," an officer reported to Cornelia.
"Very well," Cornelia raised up from her throne. "Guildford, Darlton and I will board our own Knightmares." She turned to her sister with an order that somewhat surprised the officers. "Euphie, you're in control over the G-1 and the units in this area. Take charge of the medical teams and logistics and keep this base in position. Do not move from this spot," When Euphemia nodded, Cornelia wrapped her orders. "I'll give you the signal when we are ready."
"Yes, Your Highness," the Staff Officers affirmed as Cornelia left with her personal guard.
But as they left to the Knightmare hangers, Guildford had another concern. Cornelia noticed as her Knight got closer to her.
"What is it, Guildford?"
"It's Euphemia, Your Highness. Shouldn't she be working in the Bureau or one of the ministries?"
"I know what you mean," Cornelia understood about her grave concern over her sister's safety. "She's very stubborn about this, however. She wants to see actual combat for herself."
"I understand," Guildford saw how Cornelia adapted to the situation and didn't speak anymore of it.
Cornelia wasn't in the mood for family matters as her mind was focused on the Japan Liberation Front. Now that the JLF was down to their last few bases and command, it was time for her to eliminate all major resistance in Area 11 and complete the biggest milestone of her agenda as Viceroy.
You, the Japan Liberation Front, whose time has been left behind, she thought as she prepared to enter her Knightmare. You have forgotten basic human decency thanks to your delusional dream of a bygone golden age. And now for Clovis and the Royal Family members who died here, you shall fall and rot to nothingness.
Unknown to most of the parties involved and each other, there were others observing the battlefield, one group made of TSAB Mages. The group settled atop an office building while Shamal, in her Knight Clothing, was maintaining a barrier to conceal their presence. Nanoha was also on standby with her own Barrier Jacket while Signum was ready with Zafira in his humanoid form.
An advanced communication array was displayed to monitor the communication frequencies of the Britannians and the Japan Liberation Front. Even though the three Wolkenritter knew what was coming, Nanoha was uneasy and the pink-haired swordswoman picked up on it.
"Relax Takamachi," Signum began. "I know a battle is about to begin, but there is no reason for you to feel so nervous. We won't be taking part in it."
"It's not that, but," Nanoha began but hesitated. "It's just that a lot of people will end up killed. Won't they just surrender?"
"There is no point," Signum said in response. "The Britannians understand that as well."
"No point? But they have to know they will be badly outnumbered, won't they?"
"Even though the odds will be against them, even if their chances of winning are low, they won't surrender."
"But why? That's just crazy!"
"Look at it from their perspective," Signum began to explain adopting a solemn expression. "If they were to surrender, they would like be tortured and brutally interrogated for information. Then to serve as a warning to everyone else, they would be executed. If they are lucky, they might get a life-sentence in prison. They don't want that fate, even though they cannot win, so they will fight out of the slight chance that they'll survive and escape."
Nanoha had nothing further to say. She couldn't ignore the pained feeling in her heart that many of her fellow countrymen were going to die, and herself watching.
Nearby, Dieci was occupying a high floor of an abandoned office buildings near the edge of town distant from the mountain. Despite the distance, her enhanced eye allowed her to act as a spotter for her sisters. As she waited, the said Numbers who would be combing the mountain, looking for signs of the Mandarin or any members of the JLF who could be connected to him.
It was all so quiet, but it just wasn't the empty office she was in. The rest of the town seemed to be a ghost town. She hardly saw anyone out on the streets other than some Britannian soldiers.
So this is what being near a battlefield feels like...Complete silence before the battle begins, Dieci thought before returning to watch out for her sisters.
Elsewhere along the mountains, a brown-hooded figure was standing on a large rock. He was by a dirt path with a large log cabin below. Though focused on the pathway and unaware of anything going on himself, the person underneath couldn't resist the grinning on his face.
Up on the summit Lelouch and Quattro were patiently waiting inside the cabin at the summit of the mountain. Midway through their wait, the combat cyborg had some troubling news.
"Lelouch, I know it's late to mention this, but we might have a big complication here."
"What kind of complication? Has Cornelia changed her strategy?"
"No, it's the TSAB," Quattro reported after checking on a screen showing the map of Japan which gave the locations for the four tagged members. "Worse yet, Nanoha's down at the base of the mountain. Fate and Hayate are miles away in the northern regions of Japan, but she may not be alone."
Lelouch's face hardened, but he couldn't call off the operation now. Still...
"They must've learned about the upcoming battle," Lelouch sighed about one relieving thing. "Good thing we're limiting radio contact here. At least that'll keep them from picking us up."
"They're probably not here for us," Quattro assumed. "Considering the hotel jacking, they're more likely for the Mandarin's men should he be involved."
"I doubt the Mandarin will intervene in this battle. From what intelligence Graham has gathered, the JLF as a whole isn't aware of what some of its members are doing."
With that in mind, Lelouch was almost convinced that the elements of the JLF that sided with the Mandarin would also gain from the loss of their headquarters since the leaders and those not siding with them would be wiped out. However, the young man faced the problem that Nanoha was in the area, which would mean trouble if he met her in combat.
"We can't back out now, Quattro. We have to proceed as planned."
"You know she'll try to intervene and attack you first chance she gets," she reminded him of his status under TSAB eyes.
"Then we'll need to be mindful not to then," Lelouch replied, knowing that Britannia and Cornelia didn't know about magic. He knew Nanoha and whoever was with her wouldn't attempt to attack during the battle since the risk of exposure would be high. More than likely, she would wait to get him when he was alone and away from everyone to minimize the possibility of witnesses.
It boils down to keeping the existence of magic hidden.
"Lelouch, they have arrived," Quattro said as the rest of the Black Knights arrived.
"Right, let us begin," Lelouch said, putting the Zero mask back on.
Quattro and Lelouch walked outside to greet Ohgi and the others, but off to the side, they saw Kallen staring at what had been her Glasgow.
The red paint had been replaced with black primarily, but it had some blue trim. It's back had a sensor and communication suite to act as both a cover and a way to boost Quattro's IS and abilities.
"What have you done!?" Kallen screeched at the sight of her old Glasgow being repainted from her red paint job. To say that she holds attachment to her old steed would be a justifiable, but the teenage rebel was aware that her classmate from Ashford always had that crazy streak.
"What do you think I did?" Quattro's glasses gleamed white as she smirked at the work she had done for her new steed. "I gave your old horse a new makeover. Red is not my color at all; it stands out too much. Wouldn't you agree?" The combat cyborg smiled coyly at her red haired comrade.
"Bitch, you're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kallen cursed.
"Of course I am," Quattro replied with a chuckle.
Ignoring the two Lelouch went straight to Ohgi.
"Alright, let's begin placing these excavators."
Across Japan at the Ōu Mountains were Hayate, Fate, Reinforce Zwei, Vita and Ginga. They all found an old abandoned cabin to use as an observation post yet distant to avoid exposure. The battle had already begun and so far, the battle was proceeding in favor of the Britannian Military. Despite the distance, Fate and Hayate remained aware of what was happening thanks to a portable tactical hologram device they brought. They observed the movements and positions of the various soldiers and Knightmare Frames out on the battlefield.
"This battle is completely one-sided," Vita commented, glancing at the three-dimensional map of the mountain range area.
"The Britannians are better organized and their weaponry is better than what the Japan Liberation Front has," Ginga pointed out, but also noticed the tactics the JLF were using were poorly thought out. She may not have been the military type, but even she could notice obvious flaws.
The Britannian Army were using long-range attacks to soften up the enemy. By scattering the stragglers and using the ensuing chaos, they picked the terrorists off with well-timed hit and run tactics. Once the defenders were taken down, it was likely they would move in on the main base, an old steel mill factory that had been abandoned for almost twenty years.
"It looks like the JLF won't go down quickly no matter happens," Hayate said as it seemed too soon to be concluded.
"The battle at Narita hasn't started either." Fate added.
"Right," Hayate agreed. "We'll stay with this battle until it's concluded."
However, she couldn't shake off how much she had a bad feeling about this.
Inside an underground cavern below the steel mill, the shockwaves of shells from above shook the interior slightly. Suzuka wasn't bothered by the tremors in the leas and neither was Kusakabe, who stood beside her. They were overlooking a trio of Wyvern Drones as the final checks before activation were being made.
"It's time we collect some combat data on the drones battling Knightmare Frames," Suzuka smirked.
The excavators were working as they dug deep into the Narita mountains, using data collected by Quattro. If it worked, then the excavators should dig their way to the mountain's groundwater that flowed deep underground. Beside the fear that they were attempting something never been done before, but there was another problem Lelouch would need to deal with. He was determined to avoid the same problem he ran into at Saitama, but what he chose as his strategy was a very dangerous one.
In fact, it was probably the worst possible strategy one could use. Instead of fighting the Britannian Forces from the rear, they would adopt a strategy of fighting with one's back against a wall. Instead of attacking from the rear, the Black Knights that snuck through the enemy formations and were placed right in the center of the approaching forces by gathering on the summit. There would be no place to run or hide. Not only was the situation disadvantageous, but you were effectively putting yourself on the chopping block. If you wanted to survive, your only option was to get rid of the enemy in front of you.
A natural reason why this was the worst strategy as that there were many dangerous risks in using such a strategy. Soldiers who became suicidal and then couldn't carry on through with orders were worthless. If they completely lost the will to fight, ignored orders, and surrendered without permission, essentially it was suicide. A situation like that is what had happened to Lelouch at Saitama, even though he wasn't using this strategy at the time.
This was a strategy that did not succeed, but there were chances that in one in a billion that it did and it was recorded in history books.
Of course, even if there were successful cases, that didn't mean they didn't succeed by chance. The reason for success was due to a number of factors with some being careful planning and precise rationality. The mentality of every person under your command was a key component as everyone person was one step away from hysteria, especially when the situation was presented to them. There was fear and despair towards death and the anxiety towards life was hanging by a thread about to fall off.
The main challenge would be to tip this balance over a different component.
At the edge of despair, paint a colorful hope, and change fear to courage and preparedness. Although limited, it creates morale at its height. That was how the backlash worked; people become more active when they find out something they thought was impossible is now possible, leading to them to work harder. So what was necessary to make them think that?
The answer is two things, the most important factors in making this strategy work.
The first is trust towards the command, if they believed in the leader that he would do something, that would show them something. At times, it could lead to overconfidence, but that was also absolutely necessary on the battlefield.
And finally, the second reason is that in order to give rise to hope, you had to show results.
"It has begun," Lelouch as Zero said as he saw transport planes in the skies around the mountain.
Ohgi and the others soon realized their situation as the entire mountain was quickly surrounded through a series of carefully well planned out troop and Knightmare Frame movements. When Cornelia launched to personally lead the battle the hidden armies instantly sprang into action, quickly encircling the mountain. It was indeed a very impressive well planned deployment.
"The hell!?" Tamaki began before turning to Zero. "You gotta be kidding me! Those troops coming in have the entire area surrounded, there is no way out!"
"We have already been cut off. Our only chance of surviving is to fight."
"What, we can't fight the Britannians!" Naomi began as she and many of the Black Knights were obviously afraid.
"Then why were you all in a resistance group?" Quattro asked mockingly. "Surely not to pass out cookies and play nice with everyone."
"So let me get this straight. We're surrounded and you want us to fight them head on?" Tamaki demanded.
"But we're fighting Cornelia!" Sugiyama added to Tamaki's comments. "Her forces are far stronger than anything we have encountered!"
Zero remained calm as he simply countered.
"Correct, it would be a miracle if we can win this."
"Zero, what are you saying?" Ohgi demanded.
"Even messiahs had to perform miracles if they are to be acknowledged. So we must produce our own miracle."
"Now look, pulling this off isn't going to be cheap. The cost could be our lives," Tamaki shouted angrily as he readied his rifle in what was probably a coup attempt. "I knew it was insane to make you our leader! It should've been me!"
Before Tamaki could aim, Zero drew a gun. The stunned Japanese man froze as in a shocking move, Zero flipped the gun over in a gesture of handing it to him before pointing out.
"Our path of retreat has been cut off. If you think you can win without me, then shoot me! Someone! Anyone!"
Tamaki was rendered a combination of dumbstruck and speechless as everyone else. No one was certain how to respond to the situation before them while Quattro was grinning.
After a long silence Zero spoke, "Since you joined the Black Knights, you have only two choices. You may either live with me...or you shall perish with me!"
Down the mountain, the battle was truly about to begin as the Britannian forces were slowly closing the noose they had formed around the mountain. Inside the Japan Liberation Front's main base, General Tatewaki Katase was inside the command center with other members of the Command Staff. The situation was already looking increasingly grim from them.
"We are completely surrounded, sir. Our underground reserve forces were captured all at once," A JLF officer reported before another added.
"General Katase, we have received a message from Cornelia's forces demanding our surrender."
"Imbecile!" Katase snapped. "If we fall here, then the whole resistance movement falls with us!"
"Then General, do we engage the enemy or do we dig in?" A JLF Major asked.
"Where is Tohdoh?"
"He went to Kyoto to receive the custom Burai units with the Four Holy Swords. If he's on schedule, he should be returning soon."
Katase sighed before saying.
"Tohdoh won't make it in time," Katase turned to his men sitting at their stations. "Prepare to send out the Burais! We'll break the encirclement on one-side and evacuate. We'll show them the Japanese spirit and pride; this is our moment of truth!"
Euphemia li Britannia was on the bridge of the G-1. Despite her reluctance, Cornelia agreed and put Euphy in charge of her assigned units as well as the evacuation of the civilians from the area. With her were Cornelia's staff officers, who were providing coordination and instruction from the G-1 and assist Euphemia in her duties as the de-facto second-in-command.
"We believe the enemy's main base is located here in the mountains, but we haven't pinpointed it yet," A staff officer was explaining with a laser pointer on a two-dimensional tactical map. "However, without a list of their collaborators, we cannot burn down everything with our aerial bombing."
Euphemia remained silent and listened as another staff officer joined in.
"The enemy will engage our encirclement and try to break through at one point, which we can then determine where their main base is."
"Our forces are divided into three fronts," the staff officer with the laser pointer explained. "The forces commanded by General Dalton, General Alex and Viceroy Cornelia. As for our flanking forces…"
Suddenly, the map began to fizzle out, which the staff officers knew what was causing it.
"It's ECM, which means the enemy is going to make its move."
Moving up rocky terrain was Dalton as he was leading a large troop of Sutherlands and Gloucesters. He was in his own Gloucester that was armed with a large cannon. Some of the Gloucesters following behind him were armed with similar weapons as they continued their ascent up the mountain.
"The main enemy force should be coming out any time now. Switch over to ECM-mode, link up on Channel Alpha-4," Dalton ordered before popping one final question to his men. "The enemy, what are we calling them again?"
"Burais sir," A fellow pilot replied.
"Right, they are like pseudo-Glasgows, so watch out for them."
"Yes my lord," the same pilot replied.
On another side of the mountain, Cornelia and Guilford were the first to come across enemy troops as a hidden hanger launch point opened up. Trees slid to the side before three Burai Units emerged from the ground. Seemingly impressed and finding that the warrior within was hoping for a decent challenge, especially from the famous Tohdoh, Cornelia began to quickly move to engage them.
"How clever, they turned this whole mountain into a fortress," Cornelia commented as her custom RPI-209 Gloucester accelerated to her first targets of the battle.
"Your highness, please pull back," Guilford cautioned pulling up alongside the princess in his own Gloucester.
"Guilford, don't treat me like I am another one of your women," The princess replied before boldly charging after the three JLF Knightmares.
"It's Cornelia!" One JLF soldier said, recognizing the horns and the white cape that belonged to Cornelia's custom Gloucester.
"Don't panic, take down the leader," The squad leader of the three Burai units ordered, but Cornelia didn't slow down as she easily dodged the bullets from their rifles. With one mighty swing of her lance, Cornelia knocked all three of them to the ground before quickly impaling one of them. Cornelia moved to dodge fire from a stationary artillery battery that was attacking from an elevated position nearby, which Guilford swiftly dispatched.
"Very well, I'll cover you from the rear."
Cornelia possessed a smirk on her face before declaring, "Well, Cornelia is here! Is there any who can challenge me!?"
Back at the Ōu Mountains, the battle conditions were about to drastically change. The Britannians were finishing the mop up of the Japan Liberation Front as their troops were closing in to seize victory. Fate and Hayate were considering leaving the air when a very large Wide Area Forcefield was being cast over the entire battlefield area and beyond. All of the Britannian Army's communications were blacked out, cutting them off from the rest of the world.
"A temporal barrier, but who created it?" Hayate said as everyone was alert. Her partner Reinforce was also ready for whatever was about to happen.
"I think we found them," The blonde-haired Enforcer said as she witnessed from afar. Three Wyvern Drones erupted from the ground near the steel mill before engaging the stunned Britannian army. Upon surfacing, the drones opened their mouths, but instead of pressurized water, a powerful burst of intense heat-like energy shot out and demolished a number of Sutherlands. It was obvious that their water cutters had been replaced with powerful plasma cannons.
"I'll contact the ship and pass word along to Nanoha and the others," Ginga reported.
The call came in as Nanoha and Signum were both informed of the situation unfolding at the Ōu Mountains. At first, Nanoha and Shamal wanted to leave immediately, but Signum stopped them.
"The rest of you should remain here. Three drones appearing just like that," Signum began before shaking her head. "I don't like it. It could be a distraction to draw us away from Narita."
"But," Nanoha wanted to protest, but she saw the reasoning behind Signum's words.
"Zafira, Shamal, stay with Nanoha. I'll go back up Hayate-sama and the others."
Departing quickly through the use of a transportation spell, the pink-haired warrior left the three behind to observe events.
"Since Signum is gone, there is something I have wanted to ask you Nanoha," Shamal began.
"What is it?"
"So, is it true...that you befriended Lelouch?"
"Huh?" The question surprised the young girl as she wasn't expecting that subject to come up.
At the summit of the mountain, Lelouch was ready to make his move. He sat in the cockpit of his commander-unit Burai looking over the current state of the battle thanks to real-time data Quattro was feeding him. Cornelia had the Japan Liberation Front concerned and despite their efforts, they were simply outnumbered and badly outgunned. Dalton and Alex's troops were advancing upon the JLF headquarters, which had been found by the former. Cornelia and her troops took up positions to secure the general area to prevent anyone from escaping.
A very logical formation Cornelia, Lelouch thought before removing his mask. But even, so it's predictable….as is your location.
"All preparations are complete and the final calculations are in," Quattro said on an open communication channel. "I should point out that no one has attempted this before, so the destruction could be much more than anticipated."
"As long as it wipes out the Britannians in its path and achieves the desired results, it will be fine. Even if the town is in danger, they should've had more than sufficient time to evacuate."
Quattro smiled, "Very well. Order Kallen to use Electrode Three."
"Then let us begin," Lelouch said before switching channels to an open intercom. All members of the Black Knights could hear him, including those inside the cockpits of their machines. "All preparations are now complete! Listen up, we, the Black Knights will launch a surprise attack from the summit of the mountain. Upon my order, we will all charge towards Point Three. The objective of this operation is to capture Cornelia, Second Princess of Britannia."
"I don't want to die!" One Black Knight member cried out, rushing to his station.
"We got no choice, but we got Zero with us! We'll make a miracle happen!"
"Yeah, let's make a miracle happen!"
Although she was worried during the tense standoff between Tamaki and Zero, but the situation resolved itself. The Black Knights have now acknowledged him as their leader and stood behind his plan fully. It was a risky gambit, but it was time to see if it will all pay off.
"Kallen, use Electrode Three," Zero ordered as the Guren Mk-II moved into position. "Finish it in one blow."
"Got it, powering up Radiant Wave Surger," Kallen replied as she rested the Guren's silver claw atop a custom-made port for the main weapon. Once power levels were satisfactory, Kallen readied the trigger as she settled into the motorbike style cockpit.
"Firing...NOW!"
An intense burst of heat energy erupted from the emitter on the silver claw. It travelled all the way down the excavator to deep underground. The intense heat was released into the groundwater, reacting in a matter of someone scooping red hot magma into the water below.
The results were spontaneous as the ground above began to shake.
"It worked!" Kallen exclaimed as a chain reaction began.
Even when far away from the battlefield, the cloaked figure could feel a little rumbling from the ground. This caused the grinning man to stop for a moment, curious to know what was happening. Through his senses, he looked up to the mountain where at the very summit, rocks started to break. By then, he wasn't sure whether to smile or not.
However, the first to feel the actual shaking was the Japan Liberation Front, particularly those in the main headquarters. It was a trembling that felt like it came from the depths of the Earth, although their kind was used to things like this before. Nonetheless, the men couldn't help grabbing onto something to keep balance.
"Wha...What's happening!?" the old General in charge was clinging onto two nearby tables, one of them being the command one.
They could hear a lot of chatter coming from their troops fighting outside the base as well.
"A-An earthquake? At a time like this!? UUUAAAGGHHH--" a JLF Burai pilot said as his line went dead.
"We were never given any prediction this would be coming!" An officer confirmed as Katase inquired his officers.
"Should the base hold together!?"
"This cabin was made to withstand earthquakes, so at least our section will be okay!"
They were interrupted as the shaking got even more intense, nearly forcing the officers to the ground as the cabin tried to hold. Katase wondered if this was the divine wind the gods finally gave them. He, like the others, broke any free chains of thought as something suddenly slammed on the main headquarters. Most of the officers including the General were forced onto the ground as the younger officers were barely clinging to stay up.
The one who really knew what was happening was Darlton further down, overlooking the the JLF base. He knew earthquakes were fairly common in Area 11 from time to time with intensities around two or three. But if anyone knew beforehand that had been caused by man instead of nature, it would be cause for alarm.
BEEP!
That sound was the alert for the Knightmare's auto-balance system going off. All at once, the trembling turned violent just how it reached the JLF base, but it wasn't an earthquake anymore. The thing that had started the earthquake was something occurred near the ground.
"What!?" Dalton exclaimed as his Gloucester slipped and a terrible realization came to the seasoned veteran. It wasn't the Knightmare that was slipping, but the ground itself. "A landslide!" he cried out, but the moment he did, the rate of destruction accelerated.
A little before the JLF and Darlton's realizations, Cinque, Nove, Wendi and Sein were further up the mountain near the lodge where the Japan Liberation Front's main base was. Cinque was on Wendi's board while Nove was on her Air Liner The group was mindful of the advancing Britannian troops and was being careful to avoid detection. Sein was partly phased into the ground below as Cinque was giving her younger sister a set of orders.
"We don't have a lot of time, so you'll have to be quick," Cinque began. "Look for the General's office and check around for anything about the Mandarin. The officers should be at the command center, so it should be empty. And just the same as always, watch your back."
"Sure thing, Cinque-nee-sama! I'll be careful."
Suddenly as the group were previously going to flee, the Numbers appeared to be moving away. It took Sein two seconds to realize her sisters weren't moving, she was. Had Cinque reacted much quicker, they could have stopped Sein from being swept away.
"SEIN!" Wendi cried out as the three cyborgs barely pulled away to avoid being caught in the gushing torrent of mud and rock. They could only watch as Sein had been engulfed.
"This is," Euphemia stood dismayed in front of the G1 base's main panel. The staff officers around her were panicking and screaming.
"No way, there's no way there could be a landslide this big!"
"Retreat, sound a retreat! Alex and Dalton's troops are going to be wiped out by that landslide!"
It was as if the mountain itself was opposing the Britannian forces. The area near the summit shuddered, exploding with dirt and boulders coming down. By the time they realized what was going on, it was too late to escape. The blue dots in the path of the landslide indicating allies began turning red all at once as the landslide consumed them until most of the screen was filled with the word "LOST". Euphemia was stunned, but she composed herself before she screamed.
"CORNELIA!"
From their vantage point in the town below, Nanoha, Shamal and Zafira were seeing the landslide grow in both size and destructive capability. It was spreading like a folding fan starting from the peak of the mountain and coming directly towards them. They quickly realized the landslide was going to hit the town head on.
Suddenly, Zafira leapt from the building and headed straight for the edge of town.
"Zafira, come back!" Shamal cried out.
The landslide had already easily decimated Cornelia's forces; crushing the Knightmares and tanks as if the machines were made out of paper. Foot soldiers were flattened by the large boulders and the earth swept them away down the mountain like a tidal wave. Not even assault rifles and rocket launchers can stand against the devastating power of Mother Nature once provoked. None of them had a chance to scream as they found themselves buried alive under the earth. Now at this trate, that same mudslide was threatening to wipe out an entire town and everyone in it.
"NO!" Instinctively, Zafira positioned himself before the oncoming mudslide outside of town. He tried somewhat to increase his speed as he stood ready to do what he can to stop the landslide while hoping no one would see it.
"ZAFIRA!" Shamal shouted at her fellow Knight as she and Nanoha were hurrying to him. She knew what he was intending to do as she cared about the well being of the civilians. However, even she was not foolish enough to reveal magic to the Earth people. It was also foolish to reveal magic to whoever caused this landslide as the timing was too much of a coincidence for it not to be man-made.
Zafira saw a quick glance, spotting both JLF and Britannian Knightmares swallowed by the earth, dirt and boulders.
"Rarrrrrggghhhh!" The Guardian Beast screamed to the sky, projecting what seemed to be an unlimited number of shield spells in front of him. Despite the incoming mud and rock bombarding the shield like a giant tsunami, the shields were holding.
"What is going on there?" Euphemia asked nobody in particular when a big lump appeared. The landslide flow suddenly stopping outside of the center of town and diverting more to the sides.
Quattro, observing the landslide above could also see the sudden change and added the Nanoha tag on this mix. Though this was of no consequence, she had an understanding what was going on. Furthermore, she noticed the lump starting gain ground again, causing her to smirking at some unexpected benefit from this.
Zafira could feel his muscles overstretched from the amount of power he's unleashing. The shields somehow manage to halt the flow, but they soon gave out. Having expended too much of his strength to hurry and deploy, the shield fell as the liquefied earth overwhelmed him.
"Aggggh!" His screams of terror were silenced, buried under layers of dirt, mud, earth and boulders piling on top of him. He struggled to get out from the situation as his right hand tried to grab onto something before disappearing underneath and being swept away towards the town.
"ZAFIRA!" Shamal and Nanoha cried out as they hurried, knowing the wolf-man now needed saving himself. But with the landslide coming after them, Nanoha could set up a shield long enough to defend the pair from the landslide. It was little effort as Shamal quickly teleported the two out just in time before the mud could overwhelm them as well.
Far away, Hayate felt a sharp pain in her chest, causing her to bend sharply and lose focus.
Zafira...
The landslide that threatened the town slowed dramatically thanks to the sudden event. Only the sides continued to move at a quicker rate as they filled the outskirts of the town with mud and rock, burying all Britannian troops and nearby civilians in it. Fortunately for those at the center, only the buildings closest to the mountains were buried as the mud finally lost its momentum.
The landslide had stopped, but the battle wasn't over.
Cornelia was thinking fast as she had just been out of the way. She quickly ruled out the idea of the mudslide being a natural disaster; the timing seemed to be too unlikely. If it was intentionally caused, then it was likely caused by someone who would attack during the resulting confusion. With Alex and Dalton's troops gone, she and her own forces not caught in the landslide were semi-isolated for the time.
"New enemy force confirmed moving from the summit. Karius's troops are moving to intercept them." A man on an open commutation channel reported.
I knew it, Cornelia thought as that confirmed her suspicions. "Guilford," she addressed her knight.
"Yes?"
"We're to fallback for now. The foot soldiers should divert to the side and rescue the injured. Have the tanks support them."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"All Knightmares should maintain the battlefront and repel the enemy's offense. There might be more places that could crumble, so advise them to take caution when moving. In the meantime, has there been any word about Dalton?"
"Nothing yet, I'm afraid."
"Hurry, he's not the kind of man who would die from something like this. No, I won't let him die...Tell me when you get any word on his status."
"Emergency report from Karius's unit!" The man's voice was tense as he relayed the report.
"What's wrong?"
The next lined alert everyone who was hearing or monitoring the line.
"The new enemy detected on the summit...it isn't the Japan Liberation Front. They think it's...the Black Knights! It's Zero!"
Speeding down from the summit in full force with the Black Knights, Lelouch was eager to see his plan succeed now.
"Cornelia has only limited reinforcements headed her way. Smash right through them!"
"Yeah! We can do this now!" Tamaki said as he and the other Black Knights were fired up.
To ensure their victory, Quattro hung back in her own machine and began using her Silver Curtain to amplify the confusion sweeping the battlefield. As the small group of Burais slowed as instructed, another force representing the Black Knights came from behind as their numbers nearly doubled.
Karius unit found themselves ambushed along the way with another group of Burais appearing out of nowhere from a hill on the left as alerts and alarms were going off inside their cockpits. They reacted accordingly defending themselves against the ambush their sensors were picking up. However, all of their shots either seemed to have or went through the Burais without destroying them. The Sutherlands around them were getting wiped out by the real Burais until at last only one unit remained firing randomly.
"WHY THE FUCK CAN'T I HIT ANY OF YOU!!!"
Before the man could waste more bullets, Kallen seized the last Sutherland from behind with the Guren's right hand, holding machine in place. The Radiant Wave Surger caused the enemy machine to begin puffing up like a balloon before the Sutherland exploded. Kallen retracted the claw, feeling pleased with her powerful machine more than ever.
Elsewhere, Naomi was leading a small squad of Black Knights. They were lurking atop of a hill overlooking a group of tanks moving to reinforce Cornelia's flank.
"Alright, you people know the game plan. We are supposed to watch their backs, so ready…aim…FIRE!" Naomi ordered as anti-tank rockets picked off the tanks one by one.
On foot, some Black Knights were moving to deal with the foot soldiers accompanying the armed vehicles to further hammer and damage the Britannian army's capability to fight. This only intensified the conflict with casualties on all sides steadily rising.
The battle raged on as Shamal and Nanoha were at the last spot where they saw their comrade consumed by the landslide. Nanoha fired shots from her Raising Heart to clear away mud with Shamal using her abilities to find Zafira. However, the Ace was distracted by the chatter also going on in their array.
Upon hearing the incident with Karius Unit, similar incidents were happening through the chatter. While the Japan Liberation Front took advantage of the chaos to regroup, none of them were understanding what was happening either.
"New enemy units coming from Point Seven!...What, it went through? How could they...AGGH!"
"This Wilson's Unit! Black Knight forces are coming from the road at Point Three, please assist!"
"Got a lock on enemy target, firing!"
"Watch your fire, it's me!"
"What!? EYYAAGH---!"
"038 here! Be advised, incoming enemy Burais are designated as friendlies, I repeat! Enemy units are friends!"
"New forces coming all over. Aggh, they're everywhere!"
"Then shoot everywhere, dammit!"
"D Infantry Company here! The Black Knights have attacked our escorts and the underground prisoners are escaping! We need backup now!"
The continuous messages of sudden attacks from the Black Knights and the JLF, followed by the constant chatter of Britannians hitting each other under the false guise of enemy forces really alarmed the two Mages.
Even without Shamal saying, "Let's find Zafira, quickly," Nanoha was already working harder, both from the Japanese gaining the upper hand and Zero sudden presence on the battlefield.
But complicating matters was one obstacle for Lelouch as Quattro warned.
"Bad news, looks like the broadcast didn't affect all of the Britannian units."
"Which unit?"
"Cornelia's Royal Guard."
"So I figured," Lelouch could understand the last difficulty as of now.
"Sorry, but looks like their units are too different from the regular ones. And it's not like we can get Kallen over either."
"Don't worry. With the confusion happening, something should come up to our advantage."
"Yes but...Hold up."
"What's the matter?"
"There's an enemy force approaching Cornelia from behind. They're coming from the main town."
"Has the TSAB intervened?...No, that can't be; it's too crowded out here. Then which team made the move?"
"Doesn't look like one of ours. Looks like it's Tohdoh of the JLF. It seems like he caught wind of your plan."
Lelouch wasn't sure about the end statement, but was enlightened by this sudden event as they were informed when they received their Knightmares from Kyoto.
"Good, they'll hold off the Royal Guard, which is just what we need."
Coming from behind the Royal Guard were two large trucks that were raising Knightmares from the ground. The trucks were automatically enroute through a forest and into a mound for an ambush point.
Having been away to collect the new custom machines from Kyoto, Tohdoh had returned just in time for the turning of the tide. He was heard ordering to his elite forces after witnessing recent events..
"Listen up, the landslide has already decimated the main Britannian forces and our allies up ahead are holding off the remainder. If it is true this was manmade, this should allow us to hit the Royal Guard from behind. Strike fast now and capture Cornelia! Take revenge for what happened seven years ago!"
"Yes sir!" Tohdoh's followers complied. "By the honor of the Four Holy Swords!"
Out of the blue, a Burai variant emerged from the forest, swiftly cutting down a Sutherland. Additional frames of the new Type-1R Burai Kai appeared, whose distinguishing features were a pair of long, trailing antennae mounted on the back of the head and a chainsaw "Brake Blade" katana. Less obvious was the fact that the machines were upgraded to match the RPI-209 Gloucester in terms of performance. A total of five of them cleaved a Sutherland in two with their Brake Blades as one stood out with a lighter green color scheme on its limbs.
The situation was getting ugly as Tohdoh and the Holy Swords engaged Cornelia's Royal Guard head on. They easily cut down the Sutherlands accompanying them, but Guilford rushed forward. He crossed weapons with Tohdoh with his lance held back Tohdoh's Brake Blade.
"Your Highness, leave them to us!" Guildford said as he struggled. "You must withdraw for now!"
The rest of her royal guard moved to engage the rest of Tohdoh's squad.
"Very well, I know a way to turn this around. After you drive them back, rendezvous with me at Point Nine," Cornelia ordered.
"Point Nine?" Guilford muttered, seemingly confused for a moment before realizing what she was intending. "I understand."
With Tohdoh and his men distracted, Cornelia quickly made a retreat from the area while Tohdoh decided to contact his superior.
"I am sorry for the late arrival, General," Tohdoh said on an open channel with General Katase.
"Tohdoh, we have been waiting!" Katase relieved at Tohdoh's arrival.
"General, please send all remaining units to join me here."
"Can you beat them?"
"Yes, but only if we can hold off their main force," Tohdoh explained as he broke away from the blade lock. "We now have a chance to turn the entire war around!"
At the G-1, Euphemia was dealing with a crisis herself much like her sister. She was facing the Staff Officers, who were determined to have her order the G-1 to the battlefield to support and rescue the Viceroy.
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, you must mobilize the G-1 to prevent a disaster!"
"No we can't," Euphy said while clearly struggling with her own personal feelings.
"But Guilford is pinned down and he can't get to Princess Cornelia!"
"No, we can't! There is a field hospital and civilians who have been evacuated and gathered here. Besides, the Viceroy ordered me that no matter what, the G-1 isn't to move from its assigned position. That's why!"
Euphy was interrupted when a video call came in upon. She saw Suzaku's face sitting in the cockpit of the Lancelot with Lloyd and Cecile in the background as well.
"ASEEC, reporting for duty." Lloyd said in a snide tone.
"Insolence!" The staff officer snapped.
"You people are irregulars! You are supposed to be quiet and observe!" Another one added.
"Yes but," Cecile said politely before Lloyd finished for her.
"But all of this waiting around is boring."
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, I beseech you order us into the battle." Suzaku requested.
"How transparent, you just want the glory of rescuing the Viceroy!?" The third Staff Officer snapped.
"Our whole army is out there and you think one unit is going to make the difference with an Eleven pilot!?"
"Right right," Lloyd said, brushing the comments aside before pointing out. "But what's the harm? If it's just one pilot, it won't reflect back poorly on you if we fail, right?"
Euphy was ignoring the whole exchange and noticed Suzaku moving his lips to say something which the girl read.
Euphy, The pink haired girl thought. Seeing something in the boy allowed her to quell her own panicking emotions within her. She knew the boy well enough that he wasn't seeking personal glory or anything of the short. This young man could do what had to be done, allowing her to comply with her sister's orders.
"I understand, deploy the Lancelot immediately!"
"You got it!" Lloyd exclaimed happily.
"Thank you very much, Your Highness," Cecile said before ending communications.
Across Japan at the Ōu Mountains, Jeremiah Gottwald was in a bad situation.
It was supposed to have been a simple mop up of a resistance base and they were given more than enough firepower and troops to do it. Just when the battle was in their favor, the terrorists unleashed some kind of new weapon he had never seen before. They barely had time to react when they fired a powerful energy weapon that wiped out most of their front line troops. Lord Kewell was among the casualties, caught in the plasma cannon of a winged machines.
They tried to fight back, but their weapons weren't having much effect against their armor as bullets from their rifles bounced off. The missiles they fired had similar effects to Chaos mines, claiming more of their men's lives, including some of the tank battalions that provided ranged support. Even when the tanks fired shells at them, the drones effortless dodged their attacks before wipe out any enemies close to them with either their missiles or limbs.
"What are those things?" Jeremiah said to himself. "They're like a pack of wild animals!"
Jeremiah kept a distance because he knew close quarters with those things in a Sutherland would be suicide. Sadly, not too many of his fellow soldiers agreed and if the turret rail-guns didn't kill them, then the unfolding MVS swords did.
It was turning into a one-side slaughter as far as Jeremiah could see. The only sensible option would be for them to retreat as they had sustained too many losses since the appearance of the drones.
"All forces concentrate fire on one of them!" The man leading their forces ordered.
"No, you fool! That won't work!" Jeremiah objected. Being vulnerable to attack from the other two machines, trying to take them out one at a time using superior fire power clearly wasn't going to work. Despite his own rank, there was nothing Jeremiah could do as the desperate soldiers and Knightmares focused their attention and attack on one of the drones with a hail of bullets and missiles were sent. Deploying its gun turrets, it began shooting most of the incoming missiles down while the other two drones aided before launching a coordinated counterattack. Although the bullets fired hit their mark, the damage was minor at best. The creatures this time attacked with their deployed turret guns, having reserved them to test out their new plasma cannons as they began mopping up the last of Britannian troops.
"We have to retreat! We don't have the firepower to deal with machines like them!" Jeremiah said on an open channel.
"Lord Jeremiah, we cannot-" Villetta was saying before she screamed and the line went day. A drone had just ended her life using its unfolded swords to cleave her Sutherland along with three others in two.
"Villetta!" Jeremiah cried out before realizing he was the last one left with the three drones advancing to finish him off. Thinking fast and knowing he was as good as dead, he rushed at the three machines.
Before the hawk-like drone could fire its weapons, Jeremiah fired his Slash Harkens that embed into the machine's turret guns, stopping them from operating. As the slash-harkens retracted, pulling Jeremiah's machine to the drone, the drone was opening its mouth to fire its plasma cannon.
Jeremiah rammed his machine's hand into the cannon inside the drone's open mouth before quickly using the ejection system to escape. His Knightmare exploded along with the plasma cannon, inflicting serious damage to its head and destroying its primarily weapon. The battle was over with perhaps Jeremiah being the sole survivor as his ejection block landed not so far, hidden in the forests. Despite some external damage one having severe damage to its head, the drones were still functional.
From the sky above, a black cloud emerged and a white Belkan Triangle appeared at its center. In the air, Hayate Yagami was in her Knight Clothing, holding her device Schwertkreuz. Her hair had turned to a pale brown as a result of her unison with Reinforce Zwei.
"Approach from beyond, mistletoe branches, become spears of the silver moon, shoot and pierce!" Hayate chanted as a dozen white lights suddenly appeared in the black cloud forming over the drones. "Petrifying spears, Mistilteinn," Hayate's finished spell aria unleashed a dozen spears of light as they rained down with the drones deploying their anti-magic shields to repel them.
The attack was only a distraction as from below Vita, Ginga and Fate were moving in.
Fate attacked the legs of the damaged drone with her using Bardiche Assault in its Zanber mode, utilizing Sprite Zanber to cleave through its legs. The crippled drone fell back, but activated its FLOAT system to levitate in order to compensate for its lost legs. Their attack didn't end there as Vita joined the fight, attacking the drone's damaged head with Graf Eisen's limit-breaking Zerstörungsform, driving its drill tip through its head. Once it was disabled and likely to self-destruct at any moment, Vita swung the hammer vertically and knocked the drone off its feet. she sent it flying towards its fellow drones in hopes the explosion of its self-destruct would damage them.
Ginga joined the fight standing with Fate as the drone exploded. Unfortunately, the other two drones evaded and moved away from the exploding machine.
"Those things think pretty quickly," Fate noted while Ginga cracked her knuckles.
"Then let's finish this quickly before they get wiser."
"I am ready for more," Vita replied, joining the two Mages together to challenge the two drones.
Meanwhile, Hayate was met by Signum, who had arrived on the scene.
"Signum?" Hayate began surprised to see the woman present.
"I believed you and the others would need back-up against the drones."
"I suppose we could use some help, but what about Nanoha and the others?"
"I told them to stay behind and monitor the situation at Narita, but," Signum was explaining but soon noticed that Hayate felt a sharp pain in her chest and forced her to bend forward, stopping her for a moment. "Are you okay?"
"I…I am fine, but let's finish things here quickly."
Signum wasn't entirely convinced if Hayate was alright. For now, she agreed with her mistress that they had a job to do as they couldn't drop what they were doing and leave. Nodding, Signum went to join Fate and others in combating the Wyvern Drones.
Please save Zafira…Shamal and Nanoha, Hayate said reaching out telepathically to Shamal as she was aware of what had happened to Zafira although it pained her that she couldn't go to aid them right now as she had to support her friends down below.
He'll be fine, Hayate-sama. Nanoha and Shamal are there, Reinforce said.
I hope so; I do have faith in them.
Down below, Signum made her presence known by transforming her device Laevatein into its Bogenform.
"Fly my falcon," Signum said before releasing the arrow-like bolt as her device spoke upon its release.
"Sturmfalken!"
One of the machines was struck with the arrow, causing it to lose its balance briefly, but regained it after few seconds. The two machines pulled back and used their Banshee Fields, but to the surprise of the overseers, the field had no effect on any of them. Using a Flash Step, Signum attacked the drones as they were in the process of unleashing the field. Her sword became covered in flames in preparation for her Purple Lightning Flash. Combining the speed she gained from her descent and her flash-step, she drove her sword into the top of the machine's head. She dragged her blade down along its back until she had nearly cut it in half.
"Signum," Fate said surprised at her unexpected arrival.
"These earplugs Mariel developed worked," Signum commented as everyone who had been sent out was given a set of prototype earplugs. These blocked out all other sounds during its activation and were regulated by either the wearer or their device thanks to input and information from Nanoha and Vita.
"Signum, why are you here?" Ginga inquired.
"I believed you needed my help more, so let's finish the last one off."
Back at Narita, the situation was looking more hopeless for the Britannian Army as Guilford and his men were pinned down. Worse yet, Dalton, who had survived the landslide, was still managing to rally any survivors to him.
"This is General Andreas Darlton, please come in all nearby forces!"
"We're still here, General," one friendly Britannian voice came as they regrouped. "But not many of us are left."
"We can't reach General Alex," a female pilot reported. "It looks like his unit's been completely wiped out."
"What exactly are our total casualties?"
"We've lost contact with about eighty percent of our forces and steadily rising."
"EIGHTY PERCENT!?" Darlton exclaimed, wishfully thinking that was just an exaggeration. "Our military structure can barely pull itself together from this kind of damage!"
Cannon fire then came from what appeared to be the main JLF base they were tracking. The soldiers returned fire as chatter grew within their pilots.
"What should we do now?"
"Change of priorities," Darlton ordered. "All forces fall back down to the mountain and find a way across. We need to regroup with Cornelia!"
"But sir, the JLF headquarters is right in front of us," a soldier pointed out. "They'll easily attack us from behind!"
"Don't be a fool! If Cornelia gets captured by these Elevens, then this battle is a complete loss for us!"
He was interrupted as his Gloucester slammed him onto the side. Darlton's men came under attack from what remained of the JLF's military strength. They lost about all of their Knightmares save for the ones Tohdoh and his followers, but still had plenty of tanks and artillery batteries left to launch a counterattack.
"A pincer attack! Dammit!"
The worst was yet to come as Cornelia was traveling alone through a canyon towards Point Nine. Her plan was that Guilford would lure the enemy into the canyon so she and Guildford could ambush them in a sandwich maneuver. It was a dangerous move using both herself and her knight as bait, but it was effective if executed right. However, there was one problem with the plan Cornelia had conceived.
Zero had predicted it…
Instead of being alone in the canyon, Cornelia came upon the strange red machine where she would have picked as the perfect ambush spot. Instead she had walked right into an ambush with the new red Knightmare blocking her way.
"CORNELIA!" the pilot shouted at her as the Guren Mk II charged at her.
"Lowborn scum!" Cornelia shot back. She thrusted forward with her lance, but the Guren skillfully dodged it. Cornelia countered by using her slash-harkens to retreat up to the canyon walls. Stopping for a moment, Cornelia made an obvious observation of her enemy. "What's this? It's not just a customized unit."
Alarms in Cornelia's cockpit went off, alerting her to someone who was targeting her. She jumped off the cliffs just in time to evade rifle fire and found three Burais.
Inside the gold-horned one, Zero contacted cornelia on an open channel.
"Can you hear me, Cornelia?"
"ZERO!"
"Shall we celebrate our reunion? Of course, you will have to surrender to us first. After that, there are a few questions I want to ask you. And in case you're wondering, your reinforcements will not get here in time. I win this time."
"You're a fool, Zero!" Cornelia said defiantly before turning her attention to the Guren. "This one…if I take it out, them I'm free and clear!"
Cornelia began by firing her assault rifle at the Guren, which in turn skillfully evaded her shots. The Viceroy used one of her Slash Harkens, but Kallen caught it with the Guren's fork knife.
"You got some moves," The Viceroy said before attacking with her lance. Kallen once again caught it and used the Radiant Wave Surger to superheat the weapon along with the arm holding it. Realizing the danger though, Cornelia detached the arm from her machine, but soon her left arm was rendered useless when Zero shot from behind. "You coward, attacking me from behind!"
"Really? And your own methods don't show acts of cowardice?"
Realizing her situation was hopeless with her chances of survival zero, Cornelia opened a communication channel to her Knight.
"Guilford, my dear knight…you and Dalto,n protect Euphy."
"Your Highness," Guilford exclaimed in alarm.
"I won't surrender…As an Imperial Princess, I'll fight to the last breath!"
"PRINCESS CORNELIA!" Guilford cried out in horror, but suddenly something unexpected happened.
The side of the canyon wall erupted. Having used the VARIS to clear all of the obstacles in his path, the Lancelot stood. With the Guren and Zero reeling from the unexpected arrival of the white machine, the Lancelot was before Cornelia's damaged machine.
"Are you alright Viceroy? I'm here to help."
"Kururugi, but who authorized you?" Cornelia asked surprised by the young man's appearance as she had ordered them to be observers only.
"Hey, isn't that Knightmare Frame the same one from-" Tamaki began before Ohgi finished his sentence.
"Yeah, it's the same one from the hotel hijacking incident."
"It's him AGAIN!?" Lelouch said as he could barely contain his rage and annoyance despite having stolen the first Lancelot. Now the second one was proving to be a nuisance. "Guren Mk-II, destroy that machine immediately! It has interfered with our plans enough."
"Right!" Kallen replied as she went to engage the Lancelot head on and the two machines would find themselves evenly matched.
The Lancelot began its attack by firing its VARIS rifle at the Guren. To the shock of Suzaku, the red knightmare frame was easily dodging all of his shots before charging straight at him. Suzaku ducked and evaded the first strike before attempting to kick it. The Guren countered by seizing its foot that had the Sand Board attached, which the Lancelot had used to travel up the liquefied slope quickly. The red machine unleashed its Radiant Wave Surger, prompting Suzaku to disengage it from his foot.
The Guren destroyed the Sand Board, but to gain an advantage, Suzaku disengaged the remaining board and kicked it off to send it flying at the Guren. Kallen batted the device aside and began her attack on the Lancelot anew, forcing Suzaku to draw one of the MSV blades for a close-quarters battle.
A fierce and quick-paced exchange of kicks and strikes took place as the two machines and their pilots were evenly matched despite a difference in armament. Suzaku fired the Lancelot's chest mounted slash-harkens, but Kallen blocked and destroyed them with the Guren's Radiant Wave Surger. Another rapid exchange of blows took place with neither landing a blow on the other. Kallen then caught the Lancelot's MSV sword destroying it with the Radiant Wave Surger.
However, Suzaku had the Lancelot release the sword in time right before he fired the VARIS at point-blank range. The Guren blocked it, using a sustained blast from the Radiant Wave Surger as a last-ditch effort shield.
"It blocked it..." Suzaku said ,but the round he fired was still trying to continue its course.
Unfortunately for Kallen, in the heat of the battle, she didn't realize how close she was to the edge of a steep cliff. The force of the VARIS and Kallen trying to push forward caused the ground below her to give way, sending the Guren trembling down the mountain. Ohgi and Tamaki quickly went after her to check if she was alright.
"Kallen, are you okay?" Ohgi asked as he and Tamaki arrived on the scene.
"Yeah, I am fine," Kallen replied although she was shaken up from the fall.
"Ohgi, how is the Guren Mk-II?" Lelouch asked.
"The right hand is wrecked. We got to fix it," Ohgi reported seeing the damage the right hand had sustained.
Ohgi heard Zero seething in anger before he ordered. "All Black Knights retreat, this is becoming a war of attrition! Fall back to your escape points! Retreat!" After that announcement he opened up a private communication to Quattro. "Quattro, I need you for something important."
"What do you mean?"
After a short conversation, he retreated from the area by using his Burai to scale the canyon wall and flee into the forest. Instead of going after the fleeing Black Knights, Suzaku went to the kneeling Cornelia's side.
"Your Highness?" Suzaku asked, having seemingly succeeded.
"Go after Zero," a visibly angry Cornelia ordered.
"But!"
"Go after Zero! My energy filler is just drained! NOW GO!"
"Yes, Your Highness," Suzaku said before taking off after Zero.
Once Suzaku was gone Cornelia opened up a communication to Guilford.
"Guilford, relay this order to all forces, prepare to retreat," Cornelia ordered to a stunned Guilford. "I refuse to waste the lives of anymore of my men. I have seen Kururugi after Zero, but in the meantime, order all troops to fall back into formation and fall back cautiously. We have to face facts...we've been beaten today."
"Very well, Your Highness. I'll try to get to your location soon, but these Knightmares still have us pinned down."
"Understood, but please hurry."
Right after ending communications something went wrong inside the cockpit of Cornelia's machine. The screens went black and the cockpit hatch opened. Before Cornelia could react, she heard a high-pitched noise next to her right ear. In seconds, she felt her entire body go numb.
"Just breathe Viceroy," Quattro said, appearing behind Cornelia with her Glasgow after deactivating her Silver Curtain. "Zero was right. Your pride wouldn't allow you to let him escape, so you foolishly sent your own protector after him. Now that he drew the Lancelot away with himself, I can easily capture you."
Damn it…I can't move, Cornelia said as her entire body was paralyzed.
"A magnificent device isn't it? This Sonic Taser delivers a high-pitched sonic frequency that attacks the enemy's auditory system, overloading their nervous system and causing their entire body to lock up. The paralysis last for fifteen minutes when it will slowly begin to wear off. However, you may not recover from this as quickly," Quattro said, coming around to face the paralyzed Cornelia. Upon which, he injected her with a powerful tranquilizer solution guaranteed to keep her knocked out for a few hours.
Unaware of what became of the Viceroy, the Lancelot pursued Zero's Burai further into the forests dotting the Narita Mountain range. Despite the Burai trying to fend off the oncoming Lancelot, a well placed shot from its VARIS shot off its arm. A second shot took out the left leg and the Burai crashed into the ground, ejecting its cockpit block. When Suzaku rushed to the crashed block, he was shocked to find it empty.
"What the? But how…where's Zero?"
The real Zero had abandoned his commanding Burai long before the Lancelot gave chase and was escaping the area on foot. Despite the last-minute interference from the Lancelot, the main objective had been achieved and Cornelia was now their captive. Now he just had to escape.
Sadly, there was one more interference destined to get in his way. Halfway down the mountain, Zero found himself suddenly trapped inside a Temporal Force Field. Instantly alert, he activated Soul Abyss into its Shooter Mode. On the inside of his mask, Lelouch was sweating as he feared who his opponent would be. Going into Narita and even before he began his plans here, he risked a confrontation.
I guess it was inevitable...
Turning around, Lelouch came face to face with Nanoha in her Barrier Jacket in Aggressor Mode, with Raising Heart in Axel Shooter Mode.
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Chapter 19: Between Demons
And now, the other part.
A short time ago, Nanoha and Shamal had managed to rescue Zafira, who was in a very critical condition thanks to the landslide.
While Shamal prepared a teleportation spell, she contacted the Arthra.
"Admiral, we found our suspects here."
"Did the Mandarin's men attack Narita as well?" Lindy inquired.
"No, it's not the Mandarin at all. It's Zero; he and the Black Knights came out of nowhere."
"What happened?"
"Apparently," Nanoha joined before she paused. "He's triggered...a landslide."
"A what?"
"Zero triggered a landslide at the top of Narita," Shamal explained more clearly. "The nearby town was nearly wiped out and both his Black Knights and the JLF are on a rampage against the Britannians. They're using magic to support them."
"Are you in pursuit of him?" the alert Lindy demanded.
"Nanoha is going ahead. How about the others?"
"They're already engaging with the Mandarin's forces. It looks like they won't be able to assist you. What about Zafira?
"Zafira is severely wounded and needs treatment quickly. Nanoha will have to do it alone."
"I understand. In addition, I'll release a restriction for her. For now, get up here and so we can take care of Zafira."
Shamal and Nanoha nodded just as the former finished the spell to return to the ship with the Guardian Beast.
Nanoha activated her Axel Fins and searched the mountains for Zero. He wasn't the Mandarin, but he was using magic in the battle and a person of interest to the TSAB who could have valuable intelligence if they could capture him. It was moments later she spotted her prey and seconds ago she cast a Temporal Force-Field to trap her target. The man before her turned around calmly and had his Device as if he had known what the barrier meant and who he was facing.
Nanoha Takamachi landed on the ground with her Barrier Jacket and Raising Heart ready. Zero stood before her calm and composed even as she called out to him.
"Hold it!"
"Do not interfere in affairs that do not concern you!" Zero said sharply with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"You can not be using magic in the local affairs of an undeveloped world!"
Lelouch coldly laughed as he manifested his Seraph Wings.
"Undeveloped? Have you not noticed the leaps in technology Britannia has made in the last twenty years? This is a local affair, but as far as I'm concerned, the Bureau has no right to interfere like this. Cornelia has questions that I want answered and no one will stop me."
I didn't want to fight her, but I got no choice now…it was inevitable.
"Then why don't we talk about it? You have information on a terrorist who has been threatening many worlds aligned with the TSAB."
"I might, but even if I did give it to you, I doubt your superiors would act on it."
"Why do you say that?"
"Haven't you realized it by now? The TSAB is corrupted to the core. Even if not all of its leaders are corrupt, the very founders have caused the creation of the Mandarin and would sooner sweep most of this under the rug to preserve its reputation. I wouldn't be surprised if you and your friends would be slated to be executed just to silence you." Lelouch said, hoping to avoid combat with Nanoha or at least shake her emotionally to give himself an edge.
"No…that is not true!" Nanoha tried to shrug off his rants, determined to use force if needed be to get Zero to comply. "But regardless, I have to take you in."
"Then we have nothing further to say," Lelouch hardened his resolve and prepared himself for a head on battle with one of the strongest Mages the TSAB had to offer. "But, I will say this…I will not lose to you!"
"Scatter Shot," The AI of Lelouch's device said, firing a scattered energy shot at point-blank range.
Nanoha managed to raise a barrier up in time to deflect the shots. When the smoke cleared, Zero vanished, but Nanoha knew he was hiding nearby as she saw him taking to the air. But based on everything they had been learning about him, the young woman wondered if it was the real Zero or an illusion meant to lure her into a trap. Taking aim, Nanoha decided not to take any chances.
"Raising Heart; Axel Shooter," Nanoha began as Raising Heart locked onto the masked man.
"Locked on…"
"Shoot!" Nanoha commanded as over a dozen pink beams flew at Zero. As expected, it was an illusion, but that was when the attack came.
An Abyss Buster flew past Nanoha, tearing through a few trees as Lelouch tried to flank her. She soon saw him emerge from the forest, attempting to relocate to a better location. Nanoha chased after him, unaware it was another fake; the real one was taking aim while he had his reflective mirrors already. His Abyss Soul was loading another cartridge as it was preparing to fire. Nanoha caught up and shot down the illusion, but Lelouch began shooting at her behind.
Nanoha skillfully dodged and moved to the sides to evade Lelouch's shots before speeding high into the air to do a midair flip. Turning around, she went straight for her foe with a look of determination in her eyes that made Lelouch shudder.
No matter what happens…I can't lose, Lelouch thought as he deployed his bits along with his reflective mirrors as they began firing on Nanoha. The mirrors additionally positioned themselves to bounce the missed shots right back at their target, forcing the girl on the defensive. Her shoulder and dress portions were grazed by Lelouch's shots, but in the middle of that, the former prince fired a shot from his Abyss Soul on one of his mirrors. Nanoha moved to evade, but the shot hit her left shoulder, landing the first real blow since the battle began.
Realizing she had been hit, a hardened glint appeared in the girl's eyes before using another Axel Shooter to counter attack. The mirrors moving around Zero not only deflected the shots, but sent them right back at her, forcing Nanoha to evade as Zero pressed his attack. She was being chased by Zero all the while, but she was planning a counterattack, now realizing her foe was more skilled than she had initially realized.
He's good…really good. I don't think he could have achieved such a high level of combat skills on his own, Nanoha thought as she was assessing her enemy. As Nanoha dodged more rapid shots from Zero's device and the bits flying around him, the young woman began to realize something. Wait…no it makes sense, Nanoha thought until she was certain. He's attacking with quick shots and those bits to keep me on the defensive and from using my stronger spells. He intends to wear me down.
It was known that Nanoha was more of a mid-range to long-range combatant as a mage, although her magical abilities and skills were well-rounded. If need be, she could hold her own in close quarters against the likes of Signum and Vita. Deciding to change tactics, Nanoha suddenly turned around and charged right at Zero. Using a protection spell to deflect most of the shots being fired at her, she countering with another Axel shooter.
Surprised by the young woman's sudden change in tactics, Zero stopped and raised a shield to deflect the shots. It was enough for Nanoha to break Zero momentum, allowing her to take aim.
"Divine," Raising Heart began as Nanoha was ready to use one of her signature moves. Zero responded in kind.
"Abyss," Abyss Soul said before both devices said together followed by their wielders.
"Buster!"
"Shoot!"
The two attacks collided with one another in-between the two mages, trying to overpower one another. The two attacks cancelled each other out, resulting in a large explosion. Dust and rock were thrown around with a mix of splinters from trees that had been blown apart by the blast. Lelouch used the destruction to quickly retreat to a distance to rethink his plan of attack.
I can't risk dragging this battle out. Nanoha is no fool, Lelouch thought, taking into account the fact she was a tactical instructor for the Aerial Tactical Instructor Corps. There was a likely possibility that Nanoha would realize some of his battle tactics if he used them for too long. Lelouch had hoped to wear Nanoha down and then, while keeping her off-balance by constantly attacking her and preventing her from casting her more destructive spells, he could land a decisive shot to end the battle.
"Abyss Soul; activate Eclipse Mode," Lelouch said to his device.
"Are you sure, master?"
"There is no avoiding it now," Lelouch replied.
He had hoped to keep the Eclipse Mode as trump card should be he forced into a bad situation against the TSAB and the Mandarin's followers. With conditions as they were, Lelouch saw that he had little choice. He had weighed his options and the possible outcomes all in his mind and he came to the following conclusions.
Dragging this fight is out of the question. The longer this fight goes on, the more at risk I become of being attacked by Fate, Hayate or the Wolkenritter. Even though Quattro confirmed they're all far north from here, how long would it be before they arrive at Narita?
The only way was to win and defeat Nanoha as soon as possible. He recognized he'll have to use multiple tactics and maneuvers if he has a chance of winning, but he couldn't rush the battle. Otherwise, one mistake on his end could mean his defeat.
Even so, I still have one more trump card to play if worst-case scenario plays out.
"Eclipse Mode engaged," Abyss Soul said as it and Lelouch began to transform.
The device transformed as the head of its Assault Mode widened and thickened to form a pair of demon wings. The prongs moved closer together, almost coming together to form a spear, but with a small gap between them remaining. The fins were gold while the rest of the spearhead-like top with its jewel near the base was polished silver. A set of fins sprout from the gaps with two on each side and the butt was given a rocket engine. Next, Lelouch's Zero attire was upgraded with a pair of black greaves on his legs, matching boots and a pair of forearm gauntlets. A belt also appeared around his waist that was gold in color. The flaps of his upper coat grew longer, but only just to accommodate his new appearance. His transformation now complete, Lelouch drew out a new cartridge for his device after the old one was ejected.
"Eclipse Mode engaged," Abyss Soul said before Lelouch inserted the new cartridge. "Reload!"
Nanoha had found her foe, but was surprised by his change in form, especially that his device underwent. Gripping her own device tightly, Nanoha moved to engage Lelouch head on, unaware of the fact she would be battling one of her own friends.
"HiMAT combat mode enabled," Abyss Soul said as it loaded in two cartridges.
Lelouch quickly took to the air as his bits came to his aid, laying down some cover fire to keep Nanoha back. She replied with several powerful shots from her Raising Heart as the battle resumed with Nanoha chasing after Zero. His mirrors came into play, bouncing back some of the shots fired at Zero's pursuer, but this only irritated Nanoha.
I got to do something about those mirrors, Nanoha thought while trying to determine the best way of dealing with them before an idea came to mind.
"Axel shooter," Nanoha said before taking aim as a dozen spheres of pink light appeared around her. "Shoot!"
The shots fired hit the mirrors instead of Lelouch, but some of them reflected upon Lelouch with the angle they struck, turning his own defense against him. Lelouch narrowly used a defense spell to protect himself, but quickly summoned his mirrors away. Lelouch was annoyed, but he was impressed at the same time with Nanoha's tactical thinking.
Two can play at that game!
Lelouch fired a Scatter Shot, but this time to bounce his shots off of his own mirrors at Nanoha. He missed the girl when Nanoha, realizing what he would do, stopped in mid-flight and allowed the shots fly past her. However, the Scatter Shot was merely a feint as Lelouch rushed her and tried to hit her with his Abyss Soul, but it was a feint on top of another. After his missed swing, Lelouch pointed Abyss Soul to the ground and fired off a powerful shot of energy where he had the butt of his device pointed straight up at Nanoha. Riding the recoil of the firing, the end of the device slammed into the young woman's stomach, stunning and knocking the wind out of her. Rolling off to the side in mid-air while using her free hand to clutch her stomach, Nanoha didn't see rocket high into the air where Zero instantly readied a much stronger Abyss Shooter.
"Abyss…Shooter!"
The powerful beam fired from Lelouch's device went straight for its target, who was just barely recovering. She looked over her shoulder just in time see the Abyss Shooter about to hit its mark. With no time to dodge, the beam hit Nanoha and the resulting impact destroyed a good several yards of the forest around her. As the smoke and dust began to settle after that explosion, Lelouch was breathing heavily, trying to recover from using that attack as it was a little more taxing than he had thought.
I really hope that puts her out of commission, Lelouch thought as he loaded another cartridge.
Suddenly, a retaliatory blast of pink energy was shot at him. Unlike the others, this one was a lot stronger, yet Lelouch dodged it just the same. When the dust cleared, he saw Nanoha standing there, but her Barrier Jacket had changed along with even her pigtails being thicker and longer than before.
Her Barrier Jacket now appeared similar to her Sacred Mode, although it was now bulkier with the large blue cuffs. She also wore a black and gold trimmed undershirt with the white jacket she wore on top. Her device also changed with the head of her Raising Heart's Buster Mode, widening and extending away from the main body. It's prongs moved closer together and a set of fins sprouted from the gaps. The end of her device resembled a golden spearhead set with a jewel, which generated two sets of energy wings and a rocket engine.
That was too close. I should thank Lindy later for letting me deactivate my limiter for this mission, Nanoha thought, having engaged her Exceed mode thanks to the removal of her limiter.
"This isn't over yet," Nanoha said with determination in her voice as the battle between the two reassumed with Lelouch now rethinking his combat strategy. However, he was put on the defensive as he was dodging more of Nanoha's attacks. With her Exceed Mode active, her speed and power was much stronger than it was before. Nanoha aggressively pursued her masked foe, firing one pink colored beam after another at her fleeing target, who was barely staying ahead of her. Realizing that keeping the chase going in the air was going to be risky, Lelouch dived down towards the trees below.
Moving to the left and right while performing the occasion mid-air roll, Lelouch managed to avoid being shot down while using the trees as shields. Their chase continued through the forest, but as Nanoha pursued him, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu. Chasing her masked foe like this caused her to remember her last major battle against Fate during the Jewel Seed Incident. It was confusing, but she couldn't help feeling that there was something familiar about the fight in a sense, though she was certain that Zero had no ties to Fate.
Why does this feel familiar somehow…could I have met Zero before?
Using his Device, Lelouch fired off another round of Scatter Shot. Instead of targeting Nanoha directly, he began shooting apart the trees around her, trying to spread leaves and debris around her in order to hinder her sight and maybe slow her down. Nanoha realized what Zero was trying to do and deployed a shield to negate his attempt, but Zero turned around and rocketed straight for Nanoha. Expecting an attack at first, Nanoha fired a shot, but a round shield from Lelouch blocked it. Shots from Lelouch's bits fired upon her, forcing Nanoha to deflect the attack, but she managed to destroy one. Lelouch zipped past Nanoha a second later, but in passing, he seized her right leg with his Chain Whip.
"Accelerate Charge System activated," Abyss Soul declared as the head of the device sprouted four blue energy wings.
Flying away at high-speeds, Lelouch proceeded to drag Nanoha around, intending to slam her into the trees around her in the hopes of defeating her. After slamming into one tree, Nanoha quickly engaged Raising Heart's own Accelerate Charge System in response, generating its own set of pink-colored mana wings around the Device's head. At the moment, Lelouch felt the chain tighten as Nanoha picked up speed. The masked man dismissed the spell, releasing Nanoha and sending her flying off at a high-speed into a tree. At the last moment, Nanoha performed a mid-air flip and landed both feet on the tree before launching herself towards Zero.
"Assault Flame," Lelouch said as a blue blade of energy formed at the tip of Abyss Soul. He and Nanoha began to engage in a game of chicken against one another with the two foes speeding towards the other on a collision course. One of Lelouch's bits opened fire while using the reflective mirrors Lelouch had floating about to bounce his shots around Nanoha.
"Raising Heart…A.C.S Driver," Nanoha said as her device's jewel glowed, acknowledging the command to use the spell. The Strike Flame spear appeared at the tip of her device.
Rushing even faster towards Zero, the reflective shields caught in the wake of her A.C.S Driver spell were destroyed along with the bit that had been shooting at her while she had dodged them. Seeing the danger posed by her spell, Lelouch decided to respond in kind as he used his own version of the A.C.S Driver spell in order to match Nanoha and hopefully end the battle between them. They met in the center of the barrier, which was managing to hold on despite the growing intensity of the fight between the two Mages. Their speed left only a trail of pink and blue as they collided not only once but twice, eventually forming a double-helix pattern they ascended higher into the air before breaking off and charging at one another again.
The panting Lelouch made a hard turn in the air and flew straight at his foe while Nanoha did the same. The two were on another collision course as the young woman was beginning to show signs of slight fatigue. The two collided once again, but this time the two were caught in a deadlock. The blades on their devices were caught against the other with Lelouch struggling to overpower the magical titan. However amidst their deadlock, Nanoha was preparing to fire a point-blank shot from her Device at him.
"Divine," Nanoha began with Lelouch having no choice but to respond in kind, knowing what would happen.
"Abyss," Lelouch began, but he was two seconds too slow as Nanoha got off the first shot.
"BUSTER," Nanoha shouted as she hit Zero with a point-blank Divine Buster, which knocked the young man back. Nanoha quickly restrained her masked foe with a binding spell to hold him. She didn't waste time preparing to deliver the coup de grâce upon Zero with her signature attack as she was gathering mana for it.
"Starlight Breaker," Raising Heart said as Nanoha was preparing to use it on Lelouch.
Lelouch's eyes widened in horror upon realizing what she was intending to finish him. He struggled like mad to escape, but didn't have enough strength to break her binding spell.
"I can't lose like this…Abyss Soul…activated Overdrive!"
"But master-"
"There is no other way!" Lelouch said as his device reluctantly compiled.
"Yes sir, activate Overdrive," Abyss Soul said as its vents near the top opened up. Instead of steam, they began releasing condensed mana as he began surrounding Lelouch.
"Starlight…BREAKER!" Nanoha shouted moments later as she collected a sphere of mana that was double the size of the average Knightmare. At the moment she finished her declaration, the devastating magical attack was unleashed with Zero seemingly caught in the blast.
Across Japan at another battleground Fate, Signum, Hayate, Ginga and Vita were handling the last drone fighting against them. Unlike the last two, the third one was putting up a better fight thanks in part to its learning and adaptive AI. Though still trying to overcome its opponents, but it was outnumbered against considerably experienced and powerful foes unlike the average mage the machines were capable of slaughtering by the hundreds. But the enemies the machine was fighting had someone who had fought one of their own before, which tipped the balance in the TSAB agents' favor.
The drone fired its missile contained within one of its wing-like arms while preparing to fire its mouth-mounted cannon. The mages dodged the missiles, although Vita used her Schwalbefliegen to shoot down most of them, allowing Fate and Signum to move in for an attack. The drone swung with its sword, trying to cut down the charging mages. Fate and Signum parried the blade, allowing Ginga to attack it from above using Storm Tooth.
The machine's head was damaged, but it kept on fighting by trying to launch missiles from its back in a desperate last stand against its enemies. Fate was moving in to strike it down as her device transformed into its Zanber form as she used Jet Zanber to cut down the drone before it can fire. But suddenly, the air around them began growing cold with snow falling. A moment later, Fate was forced to evade a shower of large icicles that were the sizes of spears.
After evading them, a large icicle in the shape of a giant spear was hurled straight at her. Once again it missed her with Fate evading to the side.
A strong gust of freezing wind began to pick up, blowing around the battlefield as Fate could feel the cold wind, causing her to shiver slightly. The others were being affected by it as well. At that moment, four Yoshimitsu Troops appeared on the battlefield, but thanks to their armor, the cold wasn't affecting them. However, a familiar voice spoke as a figure in black with another signature mask appeared alongside the cyborg troopers.
"Fate Testarossa, Hayate Yagami, it is a pleasure to finally meet both of you," The Mandarin spoke, greeting the two and their comrades with a polite bow.
"It's you," Signum said with a calm fury in her eyes as all fell upon the masked leader of Logos.
"I assume no introductions are required of me, but just for the sake of proper manners I indeed am the Mandarin."
"Are you Simon Testarossa?" Fate demanded.
"I could be or could not be him. Regardless, all of the weapons and technology you have seen are his legacy. However, they were weapons the TSAB High Council wanted developed to give them an edge against rouge Mages or those too dangerous for a Mage to combat. Did you seriously think all of the weapons you've seen so far were developed so easily without anyone noticing?"
The group was clearly unnerved by the revelation, but that wasn't their concern right now. The man had already caused a lot of devastating and death in his wake. As well as having manipulated events of the Book of Darkness, he was someone they needed to take down.
"That doesn't matter, because we intend to arrest you regardless." Ginga declared, breaking the uneasy silence.
"A pity I am not actually here for you to carry out that threat. I have someone else who will be more than happy to entertain you in my steed." The Mandarin said as Suzuka approached the group with Kusakabe walking besides her. "I believe you all know each other."
Hayate, Fate, Signum and Vita's faces paled in horror. Although she looked different, her hair, eyes and face were recognizable. But the black uniform she was wearing alarmed them in more ways than one as Fate hesitatingly asked.
"Is that you...Suzuka?"
Suzuka said nothing, but she was glaring at her old friends with murderous intent, which prompted Hayate to demand.
"What have you done to her!?"
"Me?" The Mandarin began genuinely surprised before adding. "If you mean training her to wield Al-Hazardian magic and then giving her cybernetic and bio-augmentations through nanomachines to strengthen her body and magical ability, then yes, I am responsible for that. But if you really want to know why she works for me, it's because you people cruelly abandoned her and your other friends on Earth. This poor girl lost everything as she saw her entire family wiped out before her eyes. She had to watch as the soldiers who killed her family and did unspeakable things to the older sister, but got lucky as the newly formed members of the Japan Liberation Front saved her. After the first meeting of the newly made Kyoto House I found and offered her a chance for vengeance against Britannia and those who abandoned her."
"You manipulated her, didn't you!?"
"Oh no, I did nothing of the sort. I could've if I wanted to, but there was no need because this poor girl was -how should I put this delicately- broken. The trauma of witnessing the demise of her parents and what was done to her sister left her emotionally shattered. She lacked any meaningful purpose save for one thing…vengeance, and it's something I can relate to. She already got a taste of it when she was on Mid-Childa commanding my forces there for me."
"She," Signum began before a terrible realization dawned on her. "She led the attack on the city that day during the Wyvern Drone Incident?"
"No, she never would have done that!" Fate said trying to dismiss the claim, but Suzuka spoke.
"I am upset that Nanoha didn't enjoy the drones I had sent to play with her. But don't worry, next time, I'll have plenty more for her to have fun with."
"Stop this, Suzuka! This isn't you!" Vita said trying to reason with the vengeful teen.
"My soul was broken and I re-forged it into a weapon," Suzuka said as the ground around her began to freeze and her left eye began glowing red. A ring of magical runes appeared around her right arm before a katana-style sword composed of pure mana converted into the ice element. "Like my own body….a sword of frozen hatred. You left your countrymen to die and I lost everything, so now I am going to teach all of you what that is like."
"I hope you'll enjoy yourselves," The Mandarin's apparently holographic image faded away.
"Don't do this, Suzuka! We can help you!" Hayate made one last effort to reason with the girl.
"Help me? HELP!? ME!? You abandoned me and my family! You can help me by letting me kill you!" Suzuka said as her once calm face in a moment of anger twisted into a murderous and deranged expression. The damaged Drone became active once more as it moved to protect its master while the troopers readied to engage the TSAB mages.
The smoke was clearing after Nanoha fired and seemingly hit Zero with her Starlight Breaker. But once the last of the smoke cleared, she saw no trace of the masked Mage. Nanoha couldn't understand it. As far as she knew, she had hit her mark, but before she could think about it further, her device detected an incoming attack.
"Master, above you," Rising Heart warned just in time. Nanoha instinctively threw up a magical barrier to block the attack, which was surprisingly powerful as it nearly broke through the barrier and pushed Nanoha back.
"What the!?" Nanoha was left speechless as the origin of that attack had come from Zero. Not only did he evade her Starlight Breaker after breaking through her binding spell, but something was different now. Zero's whole body was glowing bright red as he was moving at high speeds, which left afterimages in his wake. Zero went on the offensive, rising one burst of magical energy after another from the tip of Abyss Soul while moving to the left and right so quickly that Nanoha was having a hard time targeting him.
I got only three minutes to finish this before the effects of Overdrive wear off, but can my body take it?
Lelouch thought as he could feel his usage of the Overdrive of his device was putting his muscles under a lot of strain. He felt the very idea that his muscles could tear themselves apart at any moment if his body wasn't strong enough. That was one of the more dangerous drawbacks of using the Overdrive, great power and heightened combat ability, which included faster reflexes and speed as well as ten-times the magical power of its user for a short time. The Overdrive pushes the user's body well-beyond its natural limits, putting a terrible strain on the body that could at worst kill him or cripple him for life. Even if Lelouch survives its usage, he'll be completely exhausted and at Nanoha's mercy if he doesn't defeat her within three minutes.
Nanoha was on the defensive as she was being overwhelmed by Zero's high-speed hit and run attacks as he was speeding about her firing one shot after another to keep her from fighting back properly before Zero rushed and delivered a kick on her right shoulder pushing her down towards the ground. But Lelouch knew it wasn't going to be enough as he had to hit Nanoha with everything he has if he wants to come out of this fight with his true identity kept safe and Nanoha unable to pursue him. Calling his remaining two bits to him Lelouch had them follow him as he rushed Nanoha again who this time unleashed an Axel Shooter to counterattack, but her attacks missed as Lelouch evaded them just barely.
"Binding," Lelouch command as he fired his own Scatter Shot in response, but the attack was only a feint in order to capture Nanoha with his own binding spell. The bits wrapped around Nanoha, trapping her in place with threads of blue mana. Lelouch retreated higher into the air as he poured what was left of his strength into one final attack. Nanoha stopped struggling for a moment long enough to look up and she saw the giant sphere of blue mana forming. The spell Zero was casting worked similar to her Starlight Breaker, condensing the stray magical energy in the area into a large sphere.
That sphere is bigger than the Starlight Breaker I first used on Fate, Nanoha thought with a look of worry. She had serious doubts she could be able to weather such a blow let alone block it. Struggling harder than before, Nanoha broke some of the binds to free her right arm, but Lelouch was ready. The former prince was conflicted over striking one of his friends down like this and hesitated for a brief moment. He remembered what was at stake and used that to harden his resolve as he declared.
"Twilight…BREAKER!" Lelouch declared as he struck the massive sphere of magical energy he had created. This one was easily double the size of the Black Knight's mobile headquarters, if not a little bigger due to its sphere shape.
Seeing that she would not be able to break the remaining binds in time, Nanoha desperately attempted a Multi-Defenser spell, putting at least five shields ahead of the path of Lelouch's attack. The blast of intense magical power was unleashed, being augmented by the power Lelouch was receiving from the release of his Overdrive.
Despite resistance, Nanoha watched in shock as Zero's finall attack vaporized her barriers like tissue paper before hitting her directly engulfing her in the blast as she thought.
So...this is what it feels like...
The resulting impact also devastated much of the forest around them with trees either destroyed in the immediate blast or uprooted by the pressure wave unleashed. The barrier meant to contain the battle couldn't hold anymore and so imploded, leaving a section of forest where the fight had taken place to be laid to waste.
A nearby white Knightmare that was leaving the area stopped as the attack blew through the forest. The pilot turned around and froze as it was the aftermath of the blast in a form similar to a large beam.
"Are….are you seeing this, Lloyd?" the pilot spoke as the camera observed.
"Ah...ha?" Lloyd merely said as another voice cut them.
"Warrant Officer, please fall back immediately! We have a serious emergency!"
Without question, the white Knightmare just left.
An exhausted Zero was breathing heavily as he felt the effects of the Overdrive mode wear off. He saw Nanoha below, lying in the center of the crater that his Twilight Breaker created. She was alive, but her entire right arm up to the shoulder was bare and her dress was still holding together, but very torn and ripped as was the black uniform top.
Unable to remain in the air, Lelouch fell onto the ground below with no strength to move.
Every inch of his body was in pain with his muscles feeling like a raw meat. The pain was unbearable, but Lelouch was still incapable of movement due to having used up all of his strength. He was still conscious, but the young man knew he was in trouble unless he could get away from the area immediately. If any of Nanoha's friends were to arrive next, he was as good as caught. But against all odds, he saw Nanoha stirring as the battered mage was crawling to get to her back up on her feet. Due to the damage she had taken along with being exhausted from the battle, Nanoha was slow to rise, being forced to use her device as a makeshift crutch.
How…how is she still standing? A hit like that should have taken her down! I can't move, I am finished! Lelouch thought as a tried and irritate Nanoha slowly approached her paralyzed masked foe.
"I guess I am just in time," Quattro said as she appeared behind Nanoha, wearing a black helmet-like mask with a voice scrambler to conceal her identity. Nanoha didn't have a chance to react as Quattro swiftly paralyzed her with the Sonic Taser right before making her appearance known. "Sorry, but I can't let you unmask Zero. It will just spoil everything we have been working so hard to achieve."
Nanoha finally collapsed onto the ground in a heap with her whole body numb.
"Oh don't worry, it will wear off," Quattro said, not wasting a moment as she picked up Lelouch. Using her IS Silver Curtain to mask their escape, the two vanished.
A few moments later Shamal arrived on the scene and found Nanoha.
"Nanoha, what happened? Where's Zero?" Shamal called to her paralyzed friend. "Nanoha? Nanoha!"
Shamal did a quick on her vitals and sighed when she saw nothing critical. She contacted the Arthra.
As the older woman was tending to the paralyzed mage, what had happened did not go unnoticed. Watching from a distance, having caught a glimpse of the battle, Dieci was surprised as the woman she saw take Zero away looked strangely familiar.
No, that can't be…Quattro is dead and we all saw the body.
Fate and Suzuka crossed blades as the battle at the JLF base dragged on. Fate didn't see anything that resembled a device in Suzuka's possession, but the girl's magic was somehow manifesting at will. The only conclusion Fate could come to that her device was somehow internalized within Suzuka's body, which seemed impossible, but she thought it was best to keep an open mind given the technology they were facing. So far, Fate was on the defensive as she was trying to read and understand Suzuka's style of combat. If she knew how her magic worked exactly, she could best disable her quickly so they could capture her. A problem soon arose with that strategy because Suzuka was not like the previous criminals Fate dealt with as an Enforcer. She never encountered one like Suzuka, who was one of her oldest friends and unconsciously made Fate hesitate in bringing to bear everything she had. Suzuka's own attacks were also swift, deadly and precise as she intended with every strike to kill the blonde woman.
After parrying her ice sword, Suzuka leapt back and hurled the sword right at her foe before Fate deflected it. Suzuka conjured a dozen large icicles above her before she sent them flying at the blonde mage, intending to impale her with one of them. Fate evaded some of them while one she batted aside with her device, but two of them tore through her white cape and another had come too close cutting her right cheek.
Suzuka smiled at having drawn first blood.
"Is that the best you got?" Suzuka demanded as she created a pair of thin discs made of ice. Once she leapt into the air to avoid Fate's counterattack with Bardiche Assault, she somersaulted to evade before hurling the razor-sharp discs of ice at her enemy.
Fate ducked to dodge them, but so far, the two had only continued trading blows with one another. Wishing to break the stalemate between them, Fate tried to unleash a Trident Smasher, but Suzuka barely evaded the attack. The enhanced mage countered with an area-of-effect spell that sent a wave of freezing rain at her blonde-haired foe, causing whatever the rain hit to begin freezing into ice. Realizing the danger as her left arm beginning to freeze over, Fate quickly moved away to put some distance between her and Suzuka and escape the spell's area-of-effect.
The TSAB Enforcer tried to remove the ice that had formed on her limbs, but it wasn't coming off despite her efforts. The cold environment now within the barrier that was containing their battle didn't help matters for the blonde Mage. Suzuka closed the distance between them with her two ice swords in hand, slashing at the woman and trying to land a blow. Seeing an opening, Fate was slashed across the stomach. It wasn't a fatal strike, but the frozen weapon had other effects that would infect and begin leaving additional damage.
Backing away while trying to ignore the wound, Fate couldn't take her eyes off of the sadistic smirk that was upon Suzuka's face. She was still having difficulty accepting that this had become of one of Nanoha's dearest childhood friends.
She had to have been brainwashed, because this can't be the Suzuka we remember.
"You are not as skilled as I have been lead to believe," Suzuka said as she was about to continue the fight when Kusakabe intervened putting a hand on her shoulder.
"We have to retreat."
"NO, I WANT TO KILL HER!" Suzuka snapped.
"Her friends will be on us any moment now," Kusakabe warned as the damaged Wyvern Drone was defeated by Ginga. Vita and Signum, with support from Hayate, were also about to finish the troopers. The duo would be badly outnumbered and outgunned against five foes despite one being wounded. "The Mandarin commands that you cannot fall here."
Suzuka's facial features calmed down, displaying a more collected and serious expression in seconds.
"Yes, you are right. We must retreat, but this isn't over." Suzuka said, using a powerful ice spell to blanket the entire battlefield with snow allowing the duo to quickly escape using a transport spell.
The snow cleared and the area around them grew warmer. Suzuka and Kusakabe was gone just as Vita finished off the last of the Yoshimitsu troopers. Delivering a swift hammer strike, she knocked it across the ground as a precaution should the cyborg trooper self-destruct. Signum and Vita were with Fate as the woman dropped onto one knee with her wound was affecting her. IT appeared that the strike had done something else.
"We need to get Fate back to the ship for medical attention," Signum suggested, noticing the pained expression on her comrade's face.
"Do you think that blade was poisoned?" Vita asked.
"I don't think so, but the wound looks like it is being infected by frostbite." Signum said calmly. Inward, she knew this only meant Fate needed medical help and she worried for the potential complications this wound could cause her if not treated quickly.
"I'll speak with Admiral Chrono," Ginga offered. "We'll have an investigation team sent down to this base after we can secure it."
"Alright, but I think Signum and Vita should stay with you." Hayate said before she returned to the Arthra with a wounded Fate in tow.
-----
The dust from the battle of Narita began to settle as Guilford was frantically searching the area where he last had contact with Cornelia to seek her Knightmare. Accompanying him were a couple Sutherlands who were going to provide armed escort for the Princess and her Knight safely off the battlefield. When they finally came upon her immobile machine, Guilford paled when he saw the cockpit open and no one was inside. Without thinking, Guilford left the cockpit of his own Gloucester before using a wire cable to disembark the machine to examine the open cockpit to search for signs of his princess.
I should have never left Princess Cornelia's side, I shouldn't have left!
Upon reaching the cockpit, Guilford saw no signs of blood or anything to suggest Cornelia was injured. At the base of the machine near the open cockpit, the Knight did notice signs of two people present, suggesting that Cornelia wasn't alone.
But why did she open her cockpit?
Logically, Cornelia would have remained inside the safety of her machine until recovery arrived. It would have been too dangerous for her to venture out on her own this high up on the mountain. The only conclusions Guilford came to were either that Cornelia was forced to exit her machine or someone forcibly opened the machine from the outside. Guilford was leaning towards the second possibility as he saw no sign of electrical fire or anything else that might have prompted Cornelia to leave the safety of her cockpit.
"Contact the G-1; tell them to ready search parties." Guilford began calmly. Although he was hiding it well, he was worried for the Princess's safety. "We need to find Princess Cornelia!" he exclaimed with worry in his voice, fearing the Princess had been captured.
The question was, who had captured her? Was it the Black Knights or the Liberation Front?
Chapter 19
Between Demons
Between Demons
A short time ago, Nanoha and Shamal had managed to rescue Zafira, who was in a very critical condition thanks to the landslide.
While Shamal prepared a teleportation spell, she contacted the Arthra.
"Admiral, we found our suspects here."
"Did the Mandarin's men attack Narita as well?" Lindy inquired.
"No, it's not the Mandarin at all. It's Zero; he and the Black Knights came out of nowhere."
"What happened?"
"Apparently," Nanoha joined before she paused. "He's triggered...a landslide."
"A what?"
"Zero triggered a landslide at the top of Narita," Shamal explained more clearly. "The nearby town was nearly wiped out and both his Black Knights and the JLF are on a rampage against the Britannians. They're using magic to support them."
"Are you in pursuit of him?" the alert Lindy demanded.
"Nanoha is going ahead. How about the others?"
"They're already engaging with the Mandarin's forces. It looks like they won't be able to assist you. What about Zafira?
"Zafira is severely wounded and needs treatment quickly. Nanoha will have to do it alone."
"I understand. In addition, I'll release a restriction for her. For now, get up here and so we can take care of Zafira."
Shamal and Nanoha nodded just as the former finished the spell to return to the ship with the Guardian Beast.
Nanoha activated her Axel Fins and searched the mountains for Zero. He wasn't the Mandarin, but he was using magic in the battle and a person of interest to the TSAB who could have valuable intelligence if they could capture him. It was moments later she spotted her prey and seconds ago she cast a Temporal Force-Field to trap her target. The man before her turned around calmly and had his Device as if he had known what the barrier meant and who he was facing.
Nanoha Takamachi landed on the ground with her Barrier Jacket and Raising Heart ready. Zero stood before her calm and composed even as she called out to him.
"Hold it!"
"Do not interfere in affairs that do not concern you!" Zero said sharply with a hint of irritation in his voice.
"You can not be using magic in the local affairs of an undeveloped world!"
Lelouch coldly laughed as he manifested his Seraph Wings.
"Undeveloped? Have you not noticed the leaps in technology Britannia has made in the last twenty years? This is a local affair, but as far as I'm concerned, the Bureau has no right to interfere like this. Cornelia has questions that I want answered and no one will stop me."
I didn't want to fight her, but I got no choice now…it was inevitable.
"Then why don't we talk about it? You have information on a terrorist who has been threatening many worlds aligned with the TSAB."
"I might, but even if I did give it to you, I doubt your superiors would act on it."
"Why do you say that?"
"Haven't you realized it by now? The TSAB is corrupted to the core. Even if not all of its leaders are corrupt, the very founders have caused the creation of the Mandarin and would sooner sweep most of this under the rug to preserve its reputation. I wouldn't be surprised if you and your friends would be slated to be executed just to silence you." Lelouch said, hoping to avoid combat with Nanoha or at least shake her emotionally to give himself an edge.
"No…that is not true!" Nanoha tried to shrug off his rants, determined to use force if needed be to get Zero to comply. "But regardless, I have to take you in."
"Then we have nothing further to say," Lelouch hardened his resolve and prepared himself for a head on battle with one of the strongest Mages the TSAB had to offer. "But, I will say this…I will not lose to you!"
"Scatter Shot," The AI of Lelouch's device said, firing a scattered energy shot at point-blank range.
Nanoha managed to raise a barrier up in time to deflect the shots. When the smoke cleared, Zero vanished, but Nanoha knew he was hiding nearby as she saw him taking to the air. But based on everything they had been learning about him, the young woman wondered if it was the real Zero or an illusion meant to lure her into a trap. Taking aim, Nanoha decided not to take any chances.
"Raising Heart; Axel Shooter," Nanoha began as Raising Heart locked onto the masked man.
"Locked on…"
"Shoot!" Nanoha commanded as over a dozen pink beams flew at Zero. As expected, it was an illusion, but that was when the attack came.
An Abyss Buster flew past Nanoha, tearing through a few trees as Lelouch tried to flank her. She soon saw him emerge from the forest, attempting to relocate to a better location. Nanoha chased after him, unaware it was another fake; the real one was taking aim while he had his reflective mirrors already. His Abyss Soul was loading another cartridge as it was preparing to fire. Nanoha caught up and shot down the illusion, but Lelouch began shooting at her behind.
Nanoha skillfully dodged and moved to the sides to evade Lelouch's shots before speeding high into the air to do a midair flip. Turning around, she went straight for her foe with a look of determination in her eyes that made Lelouch shudder.
No matter what happens…I can't lose, Lelouch thought as he deployed his bits along with his reflective mirrors as they began firing on Nanoha. The mirrors additionally positioned themselves to bounce the missed shots right back at their target, forcing the girl on the defensive. Her shoulder and dress portions were grazed by Lelouch's shots, but in the middle of that, the former prince fired a shot from his Abyss Soul on one of his mirrors. Nanoha moved to evade, but the shot hit her left shoulder, landing the first real blow since the battle began.
Realizing she had been hit, a hardened glint appeared in the girl's eyes before using another Axel Shooter to counter attack. The mirrors moving around Zero not only deflected the shots, but sent them right back at her, forcing Nanoha to evade as Zero pressed his attack. She was being chased by Zero all the while, but she was planning a counterattack, now realizing her foe was more skilled than she had initially realized.
He's good…really good. I don't think he could have achieved such a high level of combat skills on his own, Nanoha thought as she was assessing her enemy. As Nanoha dodged more rapid shots from Zero's device and the bits flying around him, the young woman began to realize something. Wait…no it makes sense, Nanoha thought until she was certain. He's attacking with quick shots and those bits to keep me on the defensive and from using my stronger spells. He intends to wear me down.
It was known that Nanoha was more of a mid-range to long-range combatant as a mage, although her magical abilities and skills were well-rounded. If need be, she could hold her own in close quarters against the likes of Signum and Vita. Deciding to change tactics, Nanoha suddenly turned around and charged right at Zero. Using a protection spell to deflect most of the shots being fired at her, she countering with another Axel shooter.
Surprised by the young woman's sudden change in tactics, Zero stopped and raised a shield to deflect the shots. It was enough for Nanoha to break Zero momentum, allowing her to take aim.
"Divine," Raising Heart began as Nanoha was ready to use one of her signature moves. Zero responded in kind.
"Abyss," Abyss Soul said before both devices said together followed by their wielders.
"Buster!"
"Shoot!"
The two attacks collided with one another in-between the two mages, trying to overpower one another. The two attacks cancelled each other out, resulting in a large explosion. Dust and rock were thrown around with a mix of splinters from trees that had been blown apart by the blast. Lelouch used the destruction to quickly retreat to a distance to rethink his plan of attack.
I can't risk dragging this battle out. Nanoha is no fool, Lelouch thought, taking into account the fact she was a tactical instructor for the Aerial Tactical Instructor Corps. There was a likely possibility that Nanoha would realize some of his battle tactics if he used them for too long. Lelouch had hoped to wear Nanoha down and then, while keeping her off-balance by constantly attacking her and preventing her from casting her more destructive spells, he could land a decisive shot to end the battle.
"Abyss Soul; activate Eclipse Mode," Lelouch said to his device.
"Are you sure, master?"
"There is no avoiding it now," Lelouch replied.
He had hoped to keep the Eclipse Mode as trump card should be he forced into a bad situation against the TSAB and the Mandarin's followers. With conditions as they were, Lelouch saw that he had little choice. He had weighed his options and the possible outcomes all in his mind and he came to the following conclusions.
Dragging this fight is out of the question. The longer this fight goes on, the more at risk I become of being attacked by Fate, Hayate or the Wolkenritter. Even though Quattro confirmed they're all far north from here, how long would it be before they arrive at Narita?
The only way was to win and defeat Nanoha as soon as possible. He recognized he'll have to use multiple tactics and maneuvers if he has a chance of winning, but he couldn't rush the battle. Otherwise, one mistake on his end could mean his defeat.
Even so, I still have one more trump card to play if worst-case scenario plays out.
"Eclipse Mode engaged," Abyss Soul said as it and Lelouch began to transform.
The device transformed as the head of its Assault Mode widened and thickened to form a pair of demon wings. The prongs moved closer together, almost coming together to form a spear, but with a small gap between them remaining. The fins were gold while the rest of the spearhead-like top with its jewel near the base was polished silver. A set of fins sprout from the gaps with two on each side and the butt was given a rocket engine. Next, Lelouch's Zero attire was upgraded with a pair of black greaves on his legs, matching boots and a pair of forearm gauntlets. A belt also appeared around his waist that was gold in color. The flaps of his upper coat grew longer, but only just to accommodate his new appearance. His transformation now complete, Lelouch drew out a new cartridge for his device after the old one was ejected.
"Eclipse Mode engaged," Abyss Soul said before Lelouch inserted the new cartridge. "Reload!"
Nanoha had found her foe, but was surprised by his change in form, especially that his device underwent. Gripping her own device tightly, Nanoha moved to engage Lelouch head on, unaware of the fact she would be battling one of her own friends.
"HiMAT combat mode enabled," Abyss Soul said as it loaded in two cartridges.
Lelouch quickly took to the air as his bits came to his aid, laying down some cover fire to keep Nanoha back. She replied with several powerful shots from her Raising Heart as the battle resumed with Nanoha chasing after Zero. His mirrors came into play, bouncing back some of the shots fired at Zero's pursuer, but this only irritated Nanoha.
I got to do something about those mirrors, Nanoha thought while trying to determine the best way of dealing with them before an idea came to mind.
"Axel shooter," Nanoha said before taking aim as a dozen spheres of pink light appeared around her. "Shoot!"
The shots fired hit the mirrors instead of Lelouch, but some of them reflected upon Lelouch with the angle they struck, turning his own defense against him. Lelouch narrowly used a defense spell to protect himself, but quickly summoned his mirrors away. Lelouch was annoyed, but he was impressed at the same time with Nanoha's tactical thinking.
Two can play at that game!
Lelouch fired a Scatter Shot, but this time to bounce his shots off of his own mirrors at Nanoha. He missed the girl when Nanoha, realizing what he would do, stopped in mid-flight and allowed the shots fly past her. However, the Scatter Shot was merely a feint as Lelouch rushed her and tried to hit her with his Abyss Soul, but it was a feint on top of another. After his missed swing, Lelouch pointed Abyss Soul to the ground and fired off a powerful shot of energy where he had the butt of his device pointed straight up at Nanoha. Riding the recoil of the firing, the end of the device slammed into the young woman's stomach, stunning and knocking the wind out of her. Rolling off to the side in mid-air while using her free hand to clutch her stomach, Nanoha didn't see rocket high into the air where Zero instantly readied a much stronger Abyss Shooter.
"Abyss…Shooter!"
The powerful beam fired from Lelouch's device went straight for its target, who was just barely recovering. She looked over her shoulder just in time see the Abyss Shooter about to hit its mark. With no time to dodge, the beam hit Nanoha and the resulting impact destroyed a good several yards of the forest around her. As the smoke and dust began to settle after that explosion, Lelouch was breathing heavily, trying to recover from using that attack as it was a little more taxing than he had thought.
I really hope that puts her out of commission, Lelouch thought as he loaded another cartridge.
Suddenly, a retaliatory blast of pink energy was shot at him. Unlike the others, this one was a lot stronger, yet Lelouch dodged it just the same. When the dust cleared, he saw Nanoha standing there, but her Barrier Jacket had changed along with even her pigtails being thicker and longer than before.
Her Barrier Jacket now appeared similar to her Sacred Mode, although it was now bulkier with the large blue cuffs. She also wore a black and gold trimmed undershirt with the white jacket she wore on top. Her device also changed with the head of her Raising Heart's Buster Mode, widening and extending away from the main body. It's prongs moved closer together and a set of fins sprouted from the gaps. The end of her device resembled a golden spearhead set with a jewel, which generated two sets of energy wings and a rocket engine.
That was too close. I should thank Lindy later for letting me deactivate my limiter for this mission, Nanoha thought, having engaged her Exceed mode thanks to the removal of her limiter.
"This isn't over yet," Nanoha said with determination in her voice as the battle between the two reassumed with Lelouch now rethinking his combat strategy. However, he was put on the defensive as he was dodging more of Nanoha's attacks. With her Exceed Mode active, her speed and power was much stronger than it was before. Nanoha aggressively pursued her masked foe, firing one pink colored beam after another at her fleeing target, who was barely staying ahead of her. Realizing that keeping the chase going in the air was going to be risky, Lelouch dived down towards the trees below.
Moving to the left and right while performing the occasion mid-air roll, Lelouch managed to avoid being shot down while using the trees as shields. Their chase continued through the forest, but as Nanoha pursued him, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of déjà vu. Chasing her masked foe like this caused her to remember her last major battle against Fate during the Jewel Seed Incident. It was confusing, but she couldn't help feeling that there was something familiar about the fight in a sense, though she was certain that Zero had no ties to Fate.
Why does this feel familiar somehow…could I have met Zero before?
Using his Device, Lelouch fired off another round of Scatter Shot. Instead of targeting Nanoha directly, he began shooting apart the trees around her, trying to spread leaves and debris around her in order to hinder her sight and maybe slow her down. Nanoha realized what Zero was trying to do and deployed a shield to negate his attempt, but Zero turned around and rocketed straight for Nanoha. Expecting an attack at first, Nanoha fired a shot, but a round shield from Lelouch blocked it. Shots from Lelouch's bits fired upon her, forcing Nanoha to deflect the attack, but she managed to destroy one. Lelouch zipped past Nanoha a second later, but in passing, he seized her right leg with his Chain Whip.
"Accelerate Charge System activated," Abyss Soul declared as the head of the device sprouted four blue energy wings.
Flying away at high-speeds, Lelouch proceeded to drag Nanoha around, intending to slam her into the trees around her in the hopes of defeating her. After slamming into one tree, Nanoha quickly engaged Raising Heart's own Accelerate Charge System in response, generating its own set of pink-colored mana wings around the Device's head. At the moment, Lelouch felt the chain tighten as Nanoha picked up speed. The masked man dismissed the spell, releasing Nanoha and sending her flying off at a high-speed into a tree. At the last moment, Nanoha performed a mid-air flip and landed both feet on the tree before launching herself towards Zero.
"Assault Flame," Lelouch said as a blue blade of energy formed at the tip of Abyss Soul. He and Nanoha began to engage in a game of chicken against one another with the two foes speeding towards the other on a collision course. One of Lelouch's bits opened fire while using the reflective mirrors Lelouch had floating about to bounce his shots around Nanoha.
"Raising Heart…A.C.S Driver," Nanoha said as her device's jewel glowed, acknowledging the command to use the spell. The Strike Flame spear appeared at the tip of her device.
Rushing even faster towards Zero, the reflective shields caught in the wake of her A.C.S Driver spell were destroyed along with the bit that had been shooting at her while she had dodged them. Seeing the danger posed by her spell, Lelouch decided to respond in kind as he used his own version of the A.C.S Driver spell in order to match Nanoha and hopefully end the battle between them. They met in the center of the barrier, which was managing to hold on despite the growing intensity of the fight between the two Mages. Their speed left only a trail of pink and blue as they collided not only once but twice, eventually forming a double-helix pattern they ascended higher into the air before breaking off and charging at one another again.
The panting Lelouch made a hard turn in the air and flew straight at his foe while Nanoha did the same. The two were on another collision course as the young woman was beginning to show signs of slight fatigue. The two collided once again, but this time the two were caught in a deadlock. The blades on their devices were caught against the other with Lelouch struggling to overpower the magical titan. However amidst their deadlock, Nanoha was preparing to fire a point-blank shot from her Device at him.
"Divine," Nanoha began with Lelouch having no choice but to respond in kind, knowing what would happen.
"Abyss," Lelouch began, but he was two seconds too slow as Nanoha got off the first shot.
"BUSTER," Nanoha shouted as she hit Zero with a point-blank Divine Buster, which knocked the young man back. Nanoha quickly restrained her masked foe with a binding spell to hold him. She didn't waste time preparing to deliver the coup de grâce upon Zero with her signature attack as she was gathering mana for it.
"Starlight Breaker," Raising Heart said as Nanoha was preparing to use it on Lelouch.
Lelouch's eyes widened in horror upon realizing what she was intending to finish him. He struggled like mad to escape, but didn't have enough strength to break her binding spell.
"I can't lose like this…Abyss Soul…activated Overdrive!"
"But master-"
"There is no other way!" Lelouch said as his device reluctantly compiled.
"Yes sir, activate Overdrive," Abyss Soul said as its vents near the top opened up. Instead of steam, they began releasing condensed mana as he began surrounding Lelouch.
"Starlight…BREAKER!" Nanoha shouted moments later as she collected a sphere of mana that was double the size of the average Knightmare. At the moment she finished her declaration, the devastating magical attack was unleashed with Zero seemingly caught in the blast.
Across Japan at another battleground Fate, Signum, Hayate, Ginga and Vita were handling the last drone fighting against them. Unlike the last two, the third one was putting up a better fight thanks in part to its learning and adaptive AI. Though still trying to overcome its opponents, but it was outnumbered against considerably experienced and powerful foes unlike the average mage the machines were capable of slaughtering by the hundreds. But the enemies the machine was fighting had someone who had fought one of their own before, which tipped the balance in the TSAB agents' favor.
The drone fired its missile contained within one of its wing-like arms while preparing to fire its mouth-mounted cannon. The mages dodged the missiles, although Vita used her Schwalbefliegen to shoot down most of them, allowing Fate and Signum to move in for an attack. The drone swung with its sword, trying to cut down the charging mages. Fate and Signum parried the blade, allowing Ginga to attack it from above using Storm Tooth.
The machine's head was damaged, but it kept on fighting by trying to launch missiles from its back in a desperate last stand against its enemies. Fate was moving in to strike it down as her device transformed into its Zanber form as she used Jet Zanber to cut down the drone before it can fire. But suddenly, the air around them began growing cold with snow falling. A moment later, Fate was forced to evade a shower of large icicles that were the sizes of spears.
After evading them, a large icicle in the shape of a giant spear was hurled straight at her. Once again it missed her with Fate evading to the side.
A strong gust of freezing wind began to pick up, blowing around the battlefield as Fate could feel the cold wind, causing her to shiver slightly. The others were being affected by it as well. At that moment, four Yoshimitsu Troops appeared on the battlefield, but thanks to their armor, the cold wasn't affecting them. However, a familiar voice spoke as a figure in black with another signature mask appeared alongside the cyborg troopers.
"Fate Testarossa, Hayate Yagami, it is a pleasure to finally meet both of you," The Mandarin spoke, greeting the two and their comrades with a polite bow.
"It's you," Signum said with a calm fury in her eyes as all fell upon the masked leader of Logos.
"I assume no introductions are required of me, but just for the sake of proper manners I indeed am the Mandarin."
"Are you Simon Testarossa?" Fate demanded.
"I could be or could not be him. Regardless, all of the weapons and technology you have seen are his legacy. However, they were weapons the TSAB High Council wanted developed to give them an edge against rouge Mages or those too dangerous for a Mage to combat. Did you seriously think all of the weapons you've seen so far were developed so easily without anyone noticing?"
The group was clearly unnerved by the revelation, but that wasn't their concern right now. The man had already caused a lot of devastating and death in his wake. As well as having manipulated events of the Book of Darkness, he was someone they needed to take down.
"That doesn't matter, because we intend to arrest you regardless." Ginga declared, breaking the uneasy silence.
"A pity I am not actually here for you to carry out that threat. I have someone else who will be more than happy to entertain you in my steed." The Mandarin said as Suzuka approached the group with Kusakabe walking besides her. "I believe you all know each other."
Hayate, Fate, Signum and Vita's faces paled in horror. Although she looked different, her hair, eyes and face were recognizable. But the black uniform she was wearing alarmed them in more ways than one as Fate hesitatingly asked.
"Is that you...Suzuka?"
Suzuka said nothing, but she was glaring at her old friends with murderous intent, which prompted Hayate to demand.
"What have you done to her!?"
"Me?" The Mandarin began genuinely surprised before adding. "If you mean training her to wield Al-Hazardian magic and then giving her cybernetic and bio-augmentations through nanomachines to strengthen her body and magical ability, then yes, I am responsible for that. But if you really want to know why she works for me, it's because you people cruelly abandoned her and your other friends on Earth. This poor girl lost everything as she saw her entire family wiped out before her eyes. She had to watch as the soldiers who killed her family and did unspeakable things to the older sister, but got lucky as the newly formed members of the Japan Liberation Front saved her. After the first meeting of the newly made Kyoto House I found and offered her a chance for vengeance against Britannia and those who abandoned her."
"You manipulated her, didn't you!?"
"Oh no, I did nothing of the sort. I could've if I wanted to, but there was no need because this poor girl was -how should I put this delicately- broken. The trauma of witnessing the demise of her parents and what was done to her sister left her emotionally shattered. She lacked any meaningful purpose save for one thing…vengeance, and it's something I can relate to. She already got a taste of it when she was on Mid-Childa commanding my forces there for me."
"She," Signum began before a terrible realization dawned on her. "She led the attack on the city that day during the Wyvern Drone Incident?"
"No, she never would have done that!" Fate said trying to dismiss the claim, but Suzuka spoke.
"I am upset that Nanoha didn't enjoy the drones I had sent to play with her. But don't worry, next time, I'll have plenty more for her to have fun with."
"Stop this, Suzuka! This isn't you!" Vita said trying to reason with the vengeful teen.
"My soul was broken and I re-forged it into a weapon," Suzuka said as the ground around her began to freeze and her left eye began glowing red. A ring of magical runes appeared around her right arm before a katana-style sword composed of pure mana converted into the ice element. "Like my own body….a sword of frozen hatred. You left your countrymen to die and I lost everything, so now I am going to teach all of you what that is like."
"I hope you'll enjoy yourselves," The Mandarin's apparently holographic image faded away.
"Don't do this, Suzuka! We can help you!" Hayate made one last effort to reason with the girl.
"Help me? HELP!? ME!? You abandoned me and my family! You can help me by letting me kill you!" Suzuka said as her once calm face in a moment of anger twisted into a murderous and deranged expression. The damaged Drone became active once more as it moved to protect its master while the troopers readied to engage the TSAB mages.
The smoke was clearing after Nanoha fired and seemingly hit Zero with her Starlight Breaker. But once the last of the smoke cleared, she saw no trace of the masked Mage. Nanoha couldn't understand it. As far as she knew, she had hit her mark, but before she could think about it further, her device detected an incoming attack.
"Master, above you," Rising Heart warned just in time. Nanoha instinctively threw up a magical barrier to block the attack, which was surprisingly powerful as it nearly broke through the barrier and pushed Nanoha back.
"What the!?" Nanoha was left speechless as the origin of that attack had come from Zero. Not only did he evade her Starlight Breaker after breaking through her binding spell, but something was different now. Zero's whole body was glowing bright red as he was moving at high speeds, which left afterimages in his wake. Zero went on the offensive, rising one burst of magical energy after another from the tip of Abyss Soul while moving to the left and right so quickly that Nanoha was having a hard time targeting him.
I got only three minutes to finish this before the effects of Overdrive wear off, but can my body take it?
Lelouch thought as he could feel his usage of the Overdrive of his device was putting his muscles under a lot of strain. He felt the very idea that his muscles could tear themselves apart at any moment if his body wasn't strong enough. That was one of the more dangerous drawbacks of using the Overdrive, great power and heightened combat ability, which included faster reflexes and speed as well as ten-times the magical power of its user for a short time. The Overdrive pushes the user's body well-beyond its natural limits, putting a terrible strain on the body that could at worst kill him or cripple him for life. Even if Lelouch survives its usage, he'll be completely exhausted and at Nanoha's mercy if he doesn't defeat her within three minutes.
Nanoha was on the defensive as she was being overwhelmed by Zero's high-speed hit and run attacks as he was speeding about her firing one shot after another to keep her from fighting back properly before Zero rushed and delivered a kick on her right shoulder pushing her down towards the ground. But Lelouch knew it wasn't going to be enough as he had to hit Nanoha with everything he has if he wants to come out of this fight with his true identity kept safe and Nanoha unable to pursue him. Calling his remaining two bits to him Lelouch had them follow him as he rushed Nanoha again who this time unleashed an Axel Shooter to counterattack, but her attacks missed as Lelouch evaded them just barely.
"Binding," Lelouch command as he fired his own Scatter Shot in response, but the attack was only a feint in order to capture Nanoha with his own binding spell. The bits wrapped around Nanoha, trapping her in place with threads of blue mana. Lelouch retreated higher into the air as he poured what was left of his strength into one final attack. Nanoha stopped struggling for a moment long enough to look up and she saw the giant sphere of blue mana forming. The spell Zero was casting worked similar to her Starlight Breaker, condensing the stray magical energy in the area into a large sphere.
That sphere is bigger than the Starlight Breaker I first used on Fate, Nanoha thought with a look of worry. She had serious doubts she could be able to weather such a blow let alone block it. Struggling harder than before, Nanoha broke some of the binds to free her right arm, but Lelouch was ready. The former prince was conflicted over striking one of his friends down like this and hesitated for a brief moment. He remembered what was at stake and used that to harden his resolve as he declared.
"Twilight…BREAKER!" Lelouch declared as he struck the massive sphere of magical energy he had created. This one was easily double the size of the Black Knight's mobile headquarters, if not a little bigger due to its sphere shape.
Seeing that she would not be able to break the remaining binds in time, Nanoha desperately attempted a Multi-Defenser spell, putting at least five shields ahead of the path of Lelouch's attack. The blast of intense magical power was unleashed, being augmented by the power Lelouch was receiving from the release of his Overdrive.
Despite resistance, Nanoha watched in shock as Zero's finall attack vaporized her barriers like tissue paper before hitting her directly engulfing her in the blast as she thought.
So...this is what it feels like...
The resulting impact also devastated much of the forest around them with trees either destroyed in the immediate blast or uprooted by the pressure wave unleashed. The barrier meant to contain the battle couldn't hold anymore and so imploded, leaving a section of forest where the fight had taken place to be laid to waste.
A nearby white Knightmare that was leaving the area stopped as the attack blew through the forest. The pilot turned around and froze as it was the aftermath of the blast in a form similar to a large beam.
"Are….are you seeing this, Lloyd?" the pilot spoke as the camera observed.
"Ah...ha?" Lloyd merely said as another voice cut them.
"Warrant Officer, please fall back immediately! We have a serious emergency!"
Without question, the white Knightmare just left.
An exhausted Zero was breathing heavily as he felt the effects of the Overdrive mode wear off. He saw Nanoha below, lying in the center of the crater that his Twilight Breaker created. She was alive, but her entire right arm up to the shoulder was bare and her dress was still holding together, but very torn and ripped as was the black uniform top.
Unable to remain in the air, Lelouch fell onto the ground below with no strength to move.
Every inch of his body was in pain with his muscles feeling like a raw meat. The pain was unbearable, but Lelouch was still incapable of movement due to having used up all of his strength. He was still conscious, but the young man knew he was in trouble unless he could get away from the area immediately. If any of Nanoha's friends were to arrive next, he was as good as caught. But against all odds, he saw Nanoha stirring as the battered mage was crawling to get to her back up on her feet. Due to the damage she had taken along with being exhausted from the battle, Nanoha was slow to rise, being forced to use her device as a makeshift crutch.
How…how is she still standing? A hit like that should have taken her down! I can't move, I am finished! Lelouch thought as a tried and irritate Nanoha slowly approached her paralyzed masked foe.
"I guess I am just in time," Quattro said as she appeared behind Nanoha, wearing a black helmet-like mask with a voice scrambler to conceal her identity. Nanoha didn't have a chance to react as Quattro swiftly paralyzed her with the Sonic Taser right before making her appearance known. "Sorry, but I can't let you unmask Zero. It will just spoil everything we have been working so hard to achieve."
Nanoha finally collapsed onto the ground in a heap with her whole body numb.
"Oh don't worry, it will wear off," Quattro said, not wasting a moment as she picked up Lelouch. Using her IS Silver Curtain to mask their escape, the two vanished.
A few moments later Shamal arrived on the scene and found Nanoha.
"Nanoha, what happened? Where's Zero?" Shamal called to her paralyzed friend. "Nanoha? Nanoha!"
Shamal did a quick on her vitals and sighed when she saw nothing critical. She contacted the Arthra.
As the older woman was tending to the paralyzed mage, what had happened did not go unnoticed. Watching from a distance, having caught a glimpse of the battle, Dieci was surprised as the woman she saw take Zero away looked strangely familiar.
No, that can't be…Quattro is dead and we all saw the body.
Fate and Suzuka crossed blades as the battle at the JLF base dragged on. Fate didn't see anything that resembled a device in Suzuka's possession, but the girl's magic was somehow manifesting at will. The only conclusion Fate could come to that her device was somehow internalized within Suzuka's body, which seemed impossible, but she thought it was best to keep an open mind given the technology they were facing. So far, Fate was on the defensive as she was trying to read and understand Suzuka's style of combat. If she knew how her magic worked exactly, she could best disable her quickly so they could capture her. A problem soon arose with that strategy because Suzuka was not like the previous criminals Fate dealt with as an Enforcer. She never encountered one like Suzuka, who was one of her oldest friends and unconsciously made Fate hesitate in bringing to bear everything she had. Suzuka's own attacks were also swift, deadly and precise as she intended with every strike to kill the blonde woman.
After parrying her ice sword, Suzuka leapt back and hurled the sword right at her foe before Fate deflected it. Suzuka conjured a dozen large icicles above her before she sent them flying at the blonde mage, intending to impale her with one of them. Fate evaded some of them while one she batted aside with her device, but two of them tore through her white cape and another had come too close cutting her right cheek.
Suzuka smiled at having drawn first blood.
"Is that the best you got?" Suzuka demanded as she created a pair of thin discs made of ice. Once she leapt into the air to avoid Fate's counterattack with Bardiche Assault, she somersaulted to evade before hurling the razor-sharp discs of ice at her enemy.
Fate ducked to dodge them, but so far, the two had only continued trading blows with one another. Wishing to break the stalemate between them, Fate tried to unleash a Trident Smasher, but Suzuka barely evaded the attack. The enhanced mage countered with an area-of-effect spell that sent a wave of freezing rain at her blonde-haired foe, causing whatever the rain hit to begin freezing into ice. Realizing the danger as her left arm beginning to freeze over, Fate quickly moved away to put some distance between her and Suzuka and escape the spell's area-of-effect.
The TSAB Enforcer tried to remove the ice that had formed on her limbs, but it wasn't coming off despite her efforts. The cold environment now within the barrier that was containing their battle didn't help matters for the blonde Mage. Suzuka closed the distance between them with her two ice swords in hand, slashing at the woman and trying to land a blow. Seeing an opening, Fate was slashed across the stomach. It wasn't a fatal strike, but the frozen weapon had other effects that would infect and begin leaving additional damage.
Backing away while trying to ignore the wound, Fate couldn't take her eyes off of the sadistic smirk that was upon Suzuka's face. She was still having difficulty accepting that this had become of one of Nanoha's dearest childhood friends.
She had to have been brainwashed, because this can't be the Suzuka we remember.
"You are not as skilled as I have been lead to believe," Suzuka said as she was about to continue the fight when Kusakabe intervened putting a hand on her shoulder.
"We have to retreat."
"NO, I WANT TO KILL HER!" Suzuka snapped.
"Her friends will be on us any moment now," Kusakabe warned as the damaged Wyvern Drone was defeated by Ginga. Vita and Signum, with support from Hayate, were also about to finish the troopers. The duo would be badly outnumbered and outgunned against five foes despite one being wounded. "The Mandarin commands that you cannot fall here."
Suzuka's facial features calmed down, displaying a more collected and serious expression in seconds.
"Yes, you are right. We must retreat, but this isn't over." Suzuka said, using a powerful ice spell to blanket the entire battlefield with snow allowing the duo to quickly escape using a transport spell.
The snow cleared and the area around them grew warmer. Suzuka and Kusakabe was gone just as Vita finished off the last of the Yoshimitsu troopers. Delivering a swift hammer strike, she knocked it across the ground as a precaution should the cyborg trooper self-destruct. Signum and Vita were with Fate as the woman dropped onto one knee with her wound was affecting her. IT appeared that the strike had done something else.
"We need to get Fate back to the ship for medical attention," Signum suggested, noticing the pained expression on her comrade's face.
"Do you think that blade was poisoned?" Vita asked.
"I don't think so, but the wound looks like it is being infected by frostbite." Signum said calmly. Inward, she knew this only meant Fate needed medical help and she worried for the potential complications this wound could cause her if not treated quickly.
"I'll speak with Admiral Chrono," Ginga offered. "We'll have an investigation team sent down to this base after we can secure it."
"Alright, but I think Signum and Vita should stay with you." Hayate said before she returned to the Arthra with a wounded Fate in tow.
-----
The dust from the battle of Narita began to settle as Guilford was frantically searching the area where he last had contact with Cornelia to seek her Knightmare. Accompanying him were a couple Sutherlands who were going to provide armed escort for the Princess and her Knight safely off the battlefield. When they finally came upon her immobile machine, Guilford paled when he saw the cockpit open and no one was inside. Without thinking, Guilford left the cockpit of his own Gloucester before using a wire cable to disembark the machine to examine the open cockpit to search for signs of his princess.
I should have never left Princess Cornelia's side, I shouldn't have left!
Upon reaching the cockpit, Guilford saw no signs of blood or anything to suggest Cornelia was injured. At the base of the machine near the open cockpit, the Knight did notice signs of two people present, suggesting that Cornelia wasn't alone.
But why did she open her cockpit?
Logically, Cornelia would have remained inside the safety of her machine until recovery arrived. It would have been too dangerous for her to venture out on her own this high up on the mountain. The only conclusions Guilford came to were either that Cornelia was forced to exit her machine or someone forcibly opened the machine from the outside. Guilford was leaning towards the second possibility as he saw no sign of electrical fire or anything else that might have prompted Cornelia to leave the safety of her cockpit.
"Contact the G-1; tell them to ready search parties." Guilford began calmly. Although he was hiding it well, he was worried for the Princess's safety. "We need to find Princess Cornelia!" he exclaimed with worry in his voice, fearing the Princess had been captured.
The question was, who had captured her? Was it the Black Knights or the Liberation Front?
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Chapter 20: The Tides Shift
Because I'm finished with about all the edits for the current chapters (except possibly 21), I think I'll wrap this up for now and send in Chapter 20. As expected, we have the aftermath from the previous battles.
Fate stirred as she awoke from sleeping through the medical treatment on her stomach wound. She was inside the infirmary aboard the Arthra when she saw a few familiar faces by her bedside. Lindy was present, of course, but she had an expression of relief upon her gentle face. Next to her was Nanoha, but her badly damaged appearance caught the blonde-haired woman's attention. She had a bandages wrapped around her forehead, but on closer inspection, she noticed her arms were drenched in bandages as well.
"Nanoha, what happened to you?" Fate asked worryingly.
"Don't worry about me," Nanoha said, dodging the questioning. "We're more worried about you. The cut you received infected your wound with frostbite, which could have complicated things if it wasn't treated quickly."
"I am feeling better now, but I thought that blade was poisoned."
"It wasn't from what Shamal's examination revealed," Lindy began as she joined the conversation. "When you were hit by that ice blade, your wound showed the early stages of frostbite. Given how fast your condition had been progressing, it could have left some lasting tissue damage if not worse."
"I see, thank you, but what happened to Nanoha?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," The mage answered, still trying to redirect the line of questioning.
"She and Zero fought at Narita. Although it was very close, Nanoha was hit by a surprise attack after recovering from Zero's strongest attack, who then escaped," Lindy answered. Nanoha's face turned pink from embarrassment as she didn't take what had happened very well. Technically, she should have won, but the fact that Zero got away soured the wine of victory.
"Zero beat….Nanoha!?" Fate asked as she was left slack-jawed for a few moments.
"He didn't beat me!" Nanoha countered quickly. "But you know…it was kinda strange. When I fought Zero, he felt familiar somehow. I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu throughout that fight, which reminded me of when we fought over seven years ago."
"Really? So did you recognize his fighting style?" Lindy inquired.
"No, it's nothing like that, but it's just….I have this gut feeling that I know Zero somehow."
At an old warehouse outside of the town by the base of Narita, the investigating Numbers on Earth were reporting to their creator on events at Narita. Jail Scaglietti finished reviewing the data and footage of the landslide Zero had caused to wipe out a good portion Cornelia's forces. His face could be seen on the holographic video call-screen. The four cyborgs were also reviewing the data, but upon finishing, the Doctor turned to his daughters.
"A brilliant move if you don't mind damaging the environment," Scaglietti gave his two cents. "I'm impressed how callous he is. This Zero…"
"Good thing we weren't in that," Wendi replied. "He literally blew up the mountain!"
Cinque only sighed from the emitters and excavators she and Wendi found at the summit.
"And where's Sein right now?"
The combat cyborg in question entered the room. Sein in another room undergoing a bath to clean up and rest from what was a near-death experience. Despite having been almost swallowed up by the landslide, Cinque, Wendi and Nove were successful in recovering their sister as she barely got out alive. Now, compared to when she was recovered, Sein was much cleaner, though her combat suit took much longer.
"You look so much better compared to earlier when you looked like hell, Sein!" Wendi noted with a slight chuckle, remembering how the sixth combat cyborg had been covered in with even branches and leaves stuck in her hair.
"I had dirt in places I didn't even know I had," Sein said with a sigh. "I'm just happy to be clean again."
"Anyway," Jail said, politely interrupting his creations. "There is the subject of this person Dieci observed carrying Zero away following Zero's clash against Nanoha Takamachi."
"Who is that?" Nove asked.
"I think that was Quattro." Dieci said, earning doubtful glances from her sisters present. "The cape and her ability to disappear are identical to hers."
"That's impossible; Quattro is dead," Cinque pointed out calmly.
"What if….Quattro has become an undead zombie who has risen from her grave to extract revenge?" Wendi said with a grin. Everyone merely looked at her and sweat-dropped.
"Uh, okay...but still the doctor has her corpse in storage, right?" Cinque said noting an obvious fact known to all of them.
"Actually, we don't," Uno said, joining the conversation as another screen with her face appeared next to her creator. "Pardon my interruption, Doctor, but I took the liberty to conduct an examination on Quattro's remains that we kept in storage. I had the idea when reviewing Cinque's earlier report regarding the incident, in which they attempted to investigate Zero and the Black Knights. Then when hearing about what happened regarding Cinque's earlier initial report regarding Narita, it had to be checked out."
Jail was surprised by this, but still he didn't seem overly troubled for his first cyborg creation to have taken the initiative like this. It was clear that Uno had her suspicions regarding the attempt on Cinque and her group's life because it was set up by someone familiar with their abilities. Otherwise, how could they have set such a potentially dangerous trap? Of course, there were some of the instances where Zero and his organization had been receiving help from someone with magical abilities. Common sights were cloaking, mask their allies and enemies as well as affecting electronics, all of which were things Quattro was easily capable of.
"I see, so what did you learn?"
"Although the DNA test came back positive, I performed another test to find out the exact age of the organic materials making up the corpse. It turns out they are less than a week old."
"What does that mean?" Wendi said while disappointed that her zombie theory was a bust.
"It means the corpse of Quattro we have had been grown in lab a few days before her supposed demise. We all know she had been active for much longer than that. In short, it means someone helped Quattro fake her demise, leaving us to believe she was dead."
"But I know I had hit her," Dieci was seemingly relieved that she didn't actually kill one of her own sisters. But she did show disappointment that she failed a task, despite not enjoying it in the least and was actually against it.
"I relieved the footage from your shot. Despite the seriousness of the wounds, if Quattro had gotten immediate help, then there is a sixty percent chance she could survive."
"But how did this person find out?" Cinque asked.
"Good question. There shouldn't have been anyway Quattro should have known. We need to capture this person and confirm if it is Quattro. If it is, then she must be retrieved for questioning." Jail said laying out new orders for his creations unaware that his communications were being monitored by a third-party.
Inside Zero's office aboard the Black Knights' trailer, Quattro was standing in the center of the room with her holographic monitors and keyboard controls surrounding her in their usual fashion.
"So, little Dieci managed to see me….Oh well, this was inevitable at some point I suppose," Quattro mused to herself before thinking.
I think it's about time I put my plan into effect and acquired some new recruits.
The next day back at Ashford Academy, the former prince was lying in pod in the medical wing of the underground facility. He was recovering from his use of the Overdrive inside a regeneration pod, which helped heal any lasting damage. Even after resting, Lelouch was rather sluggish in his movements, so as soon as they returned to Ashford, he went into the pod for treatment. Although Peter's serum would have healed him quickly, due to having an unmodified body like Peter and Quattro, his body could potentially suffer cellular damage from repeated use. Therefore, the longer pod treatment was a safer alternative. Sitting inside a room set aside as his office of sorts, Graham was sitting at his desk. He was talking to Quattro regarding her intentions and the plans she laid out for the former Admiral.
"So you intend to go ahead with your plan to 'liberate' your three youngest sisters?"
"I do," Quattro answered. "With my sisters suspecting I am alive now, it would be best to make my move while they remain uncertain of my status. They learned about the double that was made to take my place, so Scaglietti will begin taking steps to enhance security. So far, he remains unaware of all of the backdoors and system traps I have already laid within his hideout computer systems."
"But are you certain these sisters will work with us?"
"I understand your concerns. Before I was so viciously betrayed, I was in the middle of reconditioning their minds to remove any excess and unnecessary elements to make them more effective combatants. My work was left largely untouched, which I think was because the Doctor had no need to awaken them. I completed the final touches and added in a few things to ensure they would be loyal to me and by extension Lelouch."
"I see...Speaking of Lelouch, I need to have a word with him once he comes out of the pod."
"Of course, I had a feeling you would."
"I advise you to take Sayoko with you since her skills should provide you with some assistance if required. Take Aria, too."
"Very well. I'll also borrow Peter's transport ship."
The following afternoon back on Mid-Childa, a meeting among the top brass of the TSAB was taking place among most of its members through long-range communications. Regius Gaiz was more vocal than he was usually, but he had a new target in his crosshairs.
"HOW COME OUR GROUP OF SO CALLED BEST MAGES CAN'T EVEN CAPTURE A SINGLE VIGILANTE!?" Regius said, slamming his fist on the table to display his frustration with the apparent incompetence. "Then as if that wasn't bad enough, you allowed leaders of the Mandarin's group to slip through your fingers!"
"Zero's appearance at Narita was unexpected," Lindy explained, keeping a composed face while growing annoyed at Regius's shouting. "But we have confirmed that the Mandarin is operating his forces from Japan on Earth."
"Besides, you haven't exactly made any more progress towards capturing leading members of the Mandarin's faction either, have you?" Carim Gracia pointed out calmly.
Those words silenced Regius, but earned a glare from the older man.
"That is enough," Midget Crowbel said sharply.
"No one has been successful in capturing any noteworthy followers of the Mandarin. So far, only Admiral Harlaown has been closer to apprehending one than anyone else presently." Largo Kiel noted before giving Lindy his full attention. "I want to continue your mission and apprehend one of these commanders at the next chance. You have proven that the Mandarin has a vested interest in Earth, so keep searching and see if you can find out more about the nature of his operations."
"Understood sir, but what of our other findings?" Lindy inquired with a solemn expression.
"Of course," Midget said before adopting a serious expression and opening another line. "Fleet Admiral Bill Strannix, could you take the floor? We would like to have a word with you regarding a related matter?"
Taking the floor was a man in his late fifties with black and graying hair around his ears. He had green eyes covered by black rimmed glasses and broad shoulders, wearing a decorated TSAB Naval Uniform. Adjusting his glasses with one hand, the man spoke.
"I assume this is regarding the matter related to a hidden terrorist research lab that was found?" Strannix began.
"Yes it is. Our records show that Erik Breighner, a DNA Analysis Specialist among those involved in this matter, formerly served under your medical research division you had operated before disbanding it." Midget said as she narrowed her eyes as she did not want to linger on the subject for too long. It was both a shameful and horrific thought to know that a previously unknown division the legendary admirals were unaware of had been conducting such inhumane experiments. The worst part was trying to keep news of it from spilling out.
"That was a couple of years ago, but yes, he was formerly under my employ. He received reassignment to the Main Branch's Medical and Research Facility here on Mid-Childa, but we haven't exactly kept in touch."
"I see, but you have been cooperative in our investigation so far."
"Yes, but with all due respect, I hope you are not implying I am somehow involved in this."
"No, but we are asking that all officers gathered here to conduct an in-depth investigation of any irregular activities or anything that seems out of the ordinary. We must check through our ranks and remove anyone working for the Mandarin. Given Breighner's previous employment under you, I would like you to oversee the investigation on the Navy's end of this matter."
"I understand, I will deliver results."
"Lieutenant General Gaiz, I'll expect the same from your end as well."
"Yes madam, I'll oversee it personally."
"Now, if there is nothing else, then this meeting is over."
After the meeting, Regius Gaiz was meeting with his personal assistant. She was a young woman in her early twenties with short light brown hair, wearing glasses and a TSAB Capital Defense Corps uniform.
"We have finished reworking our defenses around Mid-Childa as ordered sir," Auris Gaiz reported.
"At least someone here is competent. How about the arrangements for the second team to dispatch to Earth?"
"We're ready sir, but there are some personnel issues to resolve. Otherwise, everything should be ready by tomorrow."
"Good, have them hurry. Make sure all mages we recruit for this are at least A-rank at least."
"Understood, sir."
In another corner of Mid-Childa, specifically in the woodlands found in east, was the underground base of Dr. Jail Scaglietti. The location was unknown to just about everyone on the planet save for a perhaps a few people. Inside one of the many laboratories within the complex were three incubation pods with slumbering Combat Cyborgs at the ready, floating inside a culture fluid and awaiting activation. Arriving to conduct a final inspection upon them was Uno, who had left the finalization of their development to automated programs.
It's sooner than we intended for them, but I suppose there is no other way.
Uno approached the control console to review and ensure all aspects of development had been carried out properly. She then felt a high-pitch sound invaded her ears before her whole body began to go limp.
"Just breathe Uno," Quattro said, appearing behind Uno as the woman's eyes widened, but was completely paralyzed to do anything else. Quattro slowly guided her collapsing bodyto the ground before resting her against the control console so she could speak with her face to face. For this special occasion, Quattro had returned to her old hair style of using two pig-tails and was wearing her glasses again. "How I love this device," Quattro noted holding up the Sonic Taser.
Uno looked up at her presumed dead younger sister, but couldn't say anything due to the taser's effects.
"Relax, the effects are only temporary, but more than enough time for me to complete my objective."
Sayoko entered with a black shinobi-style uniform, complete with a mask to hide her face. The maid had ever remained present on the top of her head. Standing with her was Aria, who assumed her masked man form once more, but instead of a white uniform, she wore that of the Black Knights.
Quattro began working the console to ensure the adjustment she made were still in place.
"Excellent, everything I did before my so-called betrayal and managed to do remotely has remained intact. How perfect. Time to awaken them," Quattro said triumphantly while Uno was shocked.
She was adjusting and working on them remotely, but how?
"Wondering how I did it, Uno? I was able to bypass your computer's firewalls and move about the doctor's computer mainframe like a ghost thanks to my enhanced and augmented abilities. That excludes a few…extra capabilities that my rescuer from a few years ago gave me when he salvaged my near dead body. He left that copy behind to fool you, and you and Jail fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. Seriously Uno, you are slipping, aren't you?"
Quattro was busy typing in commands before she hit one last button that began draining the culture fluid from the incubator tubes. As the fluid got to their waist line, the eyes of the newly awakened cyborgs opened, fitted into their new combat suits during the final stages of their development.
"Good day sisters and happy birthday," Quattro said with a grin before presenting to Sayoko and Aria. "I'll introduce you, this is Sette." The cyborg said with a hint of pride in her voice. the first cyborg was a woman in her late teens or early twenties with waist-length pink hair and dark pink eyes. She wore the standard combat suit used by the other Numbers.
"Her Inherent Skill is Slaughter Arms, of which she can handle and control freely her Inherent Equipment, the Boomerang Blades. When used successfully, which by controlling the trajectory of the thrown Boomerang Blades, she makes them a very effective mid-range and long-range weapons with barrier breaking abilities."
Moving down the line, Quattro addressed the second youngest sibling.
"This one is called Otto," Quattro said, pointing at the boyish looking girl. She appeared to be around the ages of 14 to 16 with short brown spiky hair with green eyes. Unlike the other combat suits worn by Quattro's siblings, the one Otto wore had a pair of baggy matching pants in conjunction with the normal suit, but over that was a short-sleeve matching jacket. "Her Inherent Skill is Ray Storm, also known as the Storm of Optical Vortex, which is an area-of-effect attack with force field abilities. Her pants and jacket are also part of her Inherent Equipment, Stealth Jacket, which protects her from regular search and scanning magic."
Quattro approached and faced the youngest of the trio.
"And finally, this is Otto's genetic twin, Deed," The elder cyborg said as Deed looked different from her twin with only their physical ages identical. In contrast to Otto, Deed had longer brown hair that reached to her waist and brownish-red eyes. Like Sette, she wore the standard combat suit as did most of the other Numbers. "Also unlike Otto's Inherent Skill, Deed's own is the opposite called Twin Blades. Given her natural proficiency with two knife-shaped handles, she can project red-energy blades to be used as a pair of swords. Her basic combat style allows for instantaneous acceleration and raiding from dead space to deliver a critical hit. I can only imagine that after they are upgraded, they would be far more formidable."
"So what happens now?" Aria asked with her disguised male voice.
"This is what happens," Quattro answered before turning her attention to her sisters. "Sette, Otto, Deed, I am sure you three recognize me as your elder sister Quattro, correct?"
"Affirmative," Sette replied while the other two merely nodded.
"Very good. However, as of right now, I shall be invoking Directive Order 66 based on this footage here and proof that this place has been comprised," Quattro began to explain as the shocked Uno never heard of such an order before. "Directive Order 66 is as you are aware of since the Doctor programmed this order into a biochip implanted into your brain during development. The order is as followed: In the event the Doctor and a majority of the Numbers save for me are incapacitated or the Doctor and commanding Numbers are no longer fit to command, then I am to initiate the process to scuttle this base and all within it. Sisters Sette, Otto and Deed are to obey my orders from that moment. Hence, I assume full command of operations until the birth of the Doctor's clone within my womb."
Quattro explained as the last part of that order would be impossible to fulfill since she no longer carried the clone. That directive had implemented at her suggestion to her creator when he had laid out her own set of orders. Her purpose was to follow command if the Doctor was either killed or captured inside his base along with most of her sisters. This was primarily to ensure that Quattro could be protected as the clone of the doctor went through its birthing process and could receive assistance with its birth.
"This order was made to ensure my authority as new acting leader until the Doctor could be born again in the event that any other surviving sisters attempted to question or usurp my authority, such as when I would set the base's self-destruction."
That last bit was something I added in later, Quattro thought before bringing up her own holographic console. She played the video Due left for her that showed her younger sisters that the Doctor's Base was compromised and he was no longer fit to command them. Watching and listening to this revelation, Uno was brought about a worrying realization.
If this is true, then the Mandarin has been aware of all of our plans and knows our location.
"My sisters, as you can see, the Doctor has failed to take proper precautions. He has doomed himself and our other sisters through his lack of foresight in that matter and verifying the facts. I was to be executed for no reason than being conveniently fooled into killing me because my abilities represented a possible threat to the Mandarin's plans. With this, do I have your loyalty as your new commander?"
The three sisters regarded one another for a moment, before Otto and Deed nodded and Sette said.
"Confirmed. Chain of command is compromised and incapable of properly leading. We acknowledge the change of superiors and recognize you as our leader."
"Excellent," Quattro noted. "Now all that is left is to recover a few things and make our escape. And I know just the perfect distraction we can use." The combat cyborg began entering commands into the console.
"Some of the Gadget Drones going wild and the self-destruct warming up should do the trick."
Moments later inside what served as both his private sanctum and command center stood Jail Scaglietti. Reviewing the data he had on his large holographic screen before him, he noticed someone was going on. Alarms in one of the hallways had been triggered as a number of Type I Gadget Drones left one of the storage rooms Scaglietti was keeping them in until they were needed.
"Uno…Uno, where are you?" Scaglietti called, trying to communicate with his assistant.
Quattro's voice from behind replied instead.
"I'm sorry, but Uno will be unavailable for about fifteen to twenty minutes."
"Quattro," Jail said, turning around with a look of surprise at both Quattro being present and her altered appearance.
Seeing him again brought internal turmoil to Quattro's heart. He was her creator, her initial inspiration and idol, yet…He didn't even waver in accepting the evidence he found without checking it or giving her a chance, ordering her execution. Jail seemed to have sensed it as he moved back and the eyes of Quattro betrayed her feelings.
"Hello Doc…No…Father," Quattro sighed. "It's been a long time. I see you and the others have been well since you know…you tried to have me killed? But as you can see, the news of my death had been greatly exaggerated."
"So I see."
"For the record, you didn't kill the real traitor. I'd been merely set up as both a test and disposal as my capabilities were seen as a potentially dangerous hindrance. Thus, the Mandarin wanted said hindrance suppressed. The video that Uno has seen should explain the issue," Quattro stopped to take her creator's expression of surprise. "However, I'm taking my youngest sisters with me. If you care for the others, order them to stay on Earth. Right now, the Mandarin knows where most, if not all, of your bases and hideouts are. It'll be a matter of weeks, if not days, for the Mandarin to aim his forces against you."
"What? Why he would aim his forces at me!?"
"A price for too much greed and past sins, Father. Does Simon Testarossa ring a bell for you?"
Jail's eyes widened at that statement.
"Obviously, you made the logical inference. If he's acting like we think, he has either long since or right now eliminated the Brains," Quattro noted. After much deliberation between her and Peter, the two agreed that the only other logical reason Simon might have attacked Mid-Childa earlier was to cover his assassination of the Brains. Although it wasn't confirmed, if he was successful, Jail's reactions should provide Quattro with some clues to what'll transpire. "He's going to kick off another wave of his attacks. Right now, he's aiming to foster insurrection, but he'll be using the chaos then to hunt you down. Go low father, and try to survive. And if you have enough common sense, destroy the Cradle. That damn thing must not fall in the Mandarin's hands. Through Due, he is aware of your intentions for it."
"But all of my other plans-" Jail began, but Quattro cut him off.
"They have been compromised, but if you are feeling bold, then go ahead and try to continue them. I could have easily have finished you off here, but keeping all of you alive does help draw the Mandarin's attention off of me and Zero."
"What exactly do you plan on doing then?"
"Why, I intend to prepare for the coming war and see where Zero intends to go. We both know at this point, there is no going back to how things were. Everything has been changed forever."
An explosion suddenly rattled the chamber they were in.
"I guess that means Tre must be engaging the drones I have unleashed. I should cut this short as I got places to go and wars to win. I'll show all how it's done, so goodbye, Doctor. Remember, make the correct choice of action after this because your life depends on it."
"Wait, Quattro!" Jail began, but the holographic illusion quickly vanished.
Tre used a combination of her Inherent Skill, Ride Impulse together with her Inherent Equipment, a set of eight purple energy wings on her arms and legs, to destroy a renegade Gadget Drone by using high-speed hit and run tactics. She easily outmaneuvered the drones, but their numbers were considerable and could overwhelm her if she got careless.
What on Mid-Childa is going on here? Why have these drones suddenly gone berserk?
Tre contemplated for a moment before being forced to evade laser fire from the remaining six drones advancing upon her.
"Ride Impulse," Tre activated her Inherent Skill once again, using the energy wings in her arms as blades and by going straight through a drone to cleaving it in half. Another one was destroyed seconds later.
I better find Uno. She'll know what is going on.
The remaining four drones before her blocked her path to the room Uno was supposed to be in. Moving faster than the eye can follow, Tre made short work of resistance in her path by destroying one with her blades. She speeding past in-between two of the drones just as they fired their own energy weapons, shooting one and damaging another from the explosion for Tre to quickly finish off. With nothing else in her way, Tre entered the room where she found Uno on the ground.
"Uno, are you alright?"
She knelt down beside her paralyzed older sister who was unable to speak.
"Who did this to you? What happened?"
Uno struggled to say something, but no words came from her mouth. She gestured to Tre to examine the control console that Quattro left active. Getting up to look at the screen, her eyes widened in horror as she saw that the self-destruct was counting down. About two minutes remained before all of the passages would be locked down and the entire base destroyed soon afterwards. With no idea how to stop the self-destruct, the third-eldest combat cyborg tried to open communications to the one person who could help her.
"Doctor, someone has activated the self-destruct and we got less than two minutes remaining," Tre said with a worry tone of voice as soon as she saw the face of her creator. The expression of disbelief and concern mixed upon his face concerned the female cyborg.
"I see," Jail said before quickly regaining his composure. "Listen to me carefully and I'll tell you how to disarm the self-destruct."
It was close, but by the time the countdown got to twenty seconds, Tre had disarmed the self-destruct with her creator's assistance. But regardless, the threat of the self-destruct and the Gadget Drones they went renegade had served its purpose. Quattro and her newly awakened sisters were already long gone with assistants and returning to Earth.
Aboard the Arthra, Shamal sat by a hospitalized yet recovering Zafira was quietly observing Nanoha as she was busy practicing her shooting spells on moving targets. Although her injuries were healing, the two Wolkenritter were more concerned with the young woman's current mental state. News of Suzuka serving as one of the Mandarin's commanders, although she was kept hidden the fact she was also responsible for leading the attack on Mid-Childa, was not accepted very well. She may seem calm right now, but the two Wolkenritter suspected that the opposite was true on the inside.
I am worried about Nanoha, Shamal said as she was having a telepathic conversation with the Guardian Beast.
I understand your concern, Shamal, but there isn't much we can do for her.
I know that, Zafira. I can only imagine what must be going on internally for her. Finding out one of your best friends has committed such acts and is bent on revenge against you….not to mention she tried to kill Fate-san.
This is a serious problem. Nanoha has never faced someone of Suzuka's current mental temperament. I don't doubt Nanoha is strong and formidable, but against someone who will be hell-bent on killing you...It's someone Nanoha has never faced before. I also doubt Suzuka will come along quietly, presenting another problem.
What do you mean by that exactly? Shamal was growing increasingly concerned by where this conversation was heading.
Capturing or incapacitating Suzuka will be a difficult task given how her fight against Fate went. I fear it may come down to lethal force.
But you know Nanoha-san would never resort to that.
I know, which gives Suzuka an advantage. The rest would depend on Nanoha and if she can do what is needed to end the battle.
Shamal didn't continue the conversation further, but her concerns were growing as she feared the worst could happen if Suzuka and Nanoha would meet in combat. How could Nanoha stop Suzuka without resulting to more harsher methods of combat? Although she doubt it would come down to lethal force, her former best friend would do all she could to kill Nanoha. Trying to resolve the matter will be very difficult and dangerous.
-----
The ship's cafeteria was where the rest of the Wolkenritter could be found. Vita and Signum were having lunch together while their mistress Hayate was meeting with Fate, Lindy and Chrono to discuss their next move.
"What now?" Over at the cafeteria, numerous TSAB officers assigned on Earth can be seen having they had coffee from home, along with military rations they are familiar with over the years of service with the multi-versal peace-keeping forces. They were all discussing among themselves regarding what happened in the past few battles. Vita would've been less irritated if it was about the Mandarin and the encounters at the Ōu Mountains and Fate battle with Suzuka. But the hottest topic of conversation was not of Ōu, but Narita.
"Can't I eat in peace?" Vita bit the spoon in her mouth; nearly tearing it off with her teeth. She only wanted to have a peaceful lunch only for the whole cafeteria to be buzzing about the latest news about Zero defeating Nanoha, or at least that's how they saw it. It wasn't unexpected, she was already shaken and tight ever since she learned about the aftermath from the briefing by the TSAB's top brass. The fact they were talking about him was infuriating her more than enough.
Have you heard? Zero beat Takamichi!
You're kidding me, right? We're talking the Ace of Aces here! TSAB's cream of the crop!
Maybe he sucker punched her from the back?
That makes even less sense. This is the White Devil we're talking here! Her pink beams of doom would have taken out anyone!
Are we really going to make a fuss about this? It's obviously hearsay that it's fake.
Oh really? Did you see the other guys bringing her in on a stretcher?
That could mean anything! She's just tired, that's all!
And where's Zero now? He's probably planning to destroy more mountains!
Dude, be careful what you ask for. Next thing you know, he sinks the whole country to the ocean!
Can we not talking about people dying en masse while I'm eating? Great, thanks a lot! I just lost my appetite!
Yeah, speaking of which, did you see what happened to Zafira? The dude was buried under a giant boulder! I'm surprised he's still alive.
You think that's bad? Try watching people getting squished to paste. That'll wake you up all night.
I hate you guys, you know that?
True to Vita's statement, the younger officers looked like they're having a heated discussion about what has transpired at Narita. The Knight of Hammer could see them whispering with their friends and fellow officers, probably thinking that they're being discreet about it. The look of their faces were easy to read as everybody had two feelings in common: disbelief and scared shitless.
Imagine you're Zero. You really have to at least be A rank to even lay a scratch on Takamichi.
The only person who didn't join the bandwagon was the Nakajima girl. Unlike her peers, she sported an angry look on her face as she attacked the plate of rice before her. It would seem that she shared the same resentment as Vita.
"Girls look, I know Zero's dangerous, but it doesn't mean I'm going to quit so soon," She assured her friends. Having to watch the landslide with everyone else including the High Command, it was clear that the masked man was far more resourceful that she imagined the last time they clashed. "I still have a score to settle with him," She bumped her fists to show how tough she was in front of her friends.
"Ginga's right! She already tangled Zero once, she can do it again!" One girl gave her support.
"Yeah, just don't get crushed by a mountain-" A guy her age remarked as he passed through her table, only to be silenced by angry glares from the female officers.
It still wasn't enough for to calm Vita down.
"I'll kill to get some peace and quiet around this joint!" Vita repeated as she stabbed her meat with a fork with enough force to actually make three holes on the plate. It was enough to attract Signum across from her. "Wherever I go, it's Zero! This Zero that...so what if the guy causes an avalanche!? You and I have seen a lot from the Belkan era and you don't see me gushing over everything the guy pulls off!"
"Patience Vita, there's no need to complain. It is understandable that Zero, as I hate to admit, made an….impression among the young cadets-" Signum gave a glare at the officers before they scrambled away in fear of her wrath. "We've seen a lot back in the day, hence why we aren't as affected as everybody else."
"Don't tell me you're going to praise him, too," Vita groaned; chewing a piece of meat in her mouth.
"Considering that he nearly wiped out the Britannian forces?" Signum retorted as she slapped an Area 11 newspaper in front of her her aloof comrade. "Cornelia is missing from battle if you read today's news. The Black Knights are being held as the No. 1 suspects."
"No shit, they have her," Vita swallowed with a single gulp as she saw the headline. "Huh, would you look at that? 400 Mid-Childan credits say she'll be on the news headlines deader than dead by the end of the week."
It would be considered bad taste to enjoy someone's suffering but the Britannians did conquer Japan. In extension...
"We'll see," Signum drank her cup of coffee. "But I would be careful saying such things around Hayate-sama. You know how she feels about such things."
The next morning, a recovered Lelouch was walking alongside Quattro returning successfully from her mission. The young man had much to do since his forced bed-rest such as dealing with Cornelia now that she was a prisoner within the underground complex. However, given the three combat cyborgs who had been more or less recruited into the Black Knights, the former prince was interested in meeting them. Upon their arrival in the vacant training simulator, they found C.C. already getting acquainted.
"Well, you three are rather boring," C.C. said with a sigh of disappointment. "Are you sure these three will be helpful?"
"I know they are not the most sociable of my sisters, but I assure you. Their combat abilities will be a different story, especially after Peter can provide them with upgrades like he did to me."
"Really?" C.C. said seemingly doubtful of it. "I'll be watching them then."
"Hey Lelouch, Gil-sama wants to see you." Lotte said, running into the room.
"I guess we'll have to wait on introductions until later," Lelouch said with a look of annoyance as he had a strong feeling what this was about.
"Someone's in trouble," The smirk on Quattro's face is more than enough to sour Lelouch's mood. The battle of Narita was not exactly a complete disaster, but the blunders that occurred was something that old man Graham was not able to look the other way from. After the two youngsters spotted the disappointed look on his face, even his familiars are wary of the sudden mood whiplash.
"Shut up," Lelouch gave her the look. He may be a tactical genius, but he is also a seventeen year old teenager. The rebel phase was not just being literal in his Zero persona, but also in his attitude. That was at least amongst one another of course.
As Lelouch walked away to meet with Graham, the green-haired immortal turned to Quattro.
"So what now?"
"Well, since we'll have some time, I know Sette has been eager to try out the combat simulator. You can observe her combat skills along with Deed and Otto if you'd like. I should be…on hand just in case."
Entering the war room that belonged to Gil, Lelouch spotted the old man standing in front of him with his back turned against him. One thing the former prince noticed was the old man wearing a Black Knight style uniform, which was modeled after his old TSAB admiral uniform.
"Lelouch," Gil turned to him, his eyes piercing the younger boy. "Do you know why I call you here?"
Lelouch sighed, having a clue what the older man is talking about.
"This is about not telling the Black Knights about Narita, isn't it?"
"Precisely," Gil sat down at his desk. "Sit Lelouch, I believe this will be a long talk about your conduct on the field."
Not having a choice, Lelouch walked towards the desk. He sat opposite to the former admiral.
"In all my years of being an officer I have never seen anything like what you did. Not even Gaiz did something like this in his early days." Gil stated, reminiscing a certain TSAB Officer who dabbled in the world of politics in TSAB and lost all of his innocence after entering office. "Tell me Lelouch, why did you it? Why did you not tell your Black Knights..." Gil emphasized on the word Black knights. "About the operation in Narita and enticed Tamaki to shoot you?" He looked at the young tactician straight in the eye like an actual officer reprimanding his subordinate. "And let's not forget pulling a gun on the said chap."
"I'm sure Quattro gave you all of the details of what happened," Lelouch answered, frowning at the older man. "The Black Knights won't take any initiative against Cornelia unless they have no choice. There was neither time nor equipment to train them beforehand the moment my sister devised the plan to bring down the JLF. As field commander, I placed them in a situation where they had no choice but to fight."
"In other words, sink or swim." Graham summarized.
"Correct."
"Lelouch…" Gil sighed, feeling a headache in knowing that young tactician has a lot to learn despite his intellect. "Do you know that what you did was callous? If Tamaki actually shot you, everyone would have died and the operation would have been a complete failure with your sister killing everyone. Or in another way, pointing your gun at your soldier does not instill confidence in your troops."
"I did not intend to shoot him-"
"No, Lelouch. You forced them into combat without letting them know beforehand. Normally, I wouldn't mind you making use of miracles. As you put it your troops seem to be convinced with your successes, but what you need is increased troop morale. What you don't need especially now is your Black Knights losing faith in you. Pointing a gun, a gun that can kill a man with a single bullet, is not what I would see a leader would do. You know who does that? A dictator or a tyrant. They force people against their will to do whatever pleases them."
"I told you, I have no intention of shooting Tamaki-" Lelouch anger rose. Hearing the words tyrant and dictator brought memories about his social Darwinist father to mind.
"No excuses. If you are what you claim to be, Lelouch, you would have never pointed a gun at your own soldier. You're not bringing miracles, you are forcing your men to do things against their will. As much as you would like to believe, becoming Zero is turning you into someone like your father-"
And that was it. Lelouch slammed his hands against the desk. Ignoring the pain, his face distorted into something ugly. It even made the older man cringe that the boy can pull of something like that.
"Don't even go there!" Lelouch warned with barely restrained anger that could be seen on his face. He had nearly unleashed a more emotional outburst, but the former prince managed to restrain himself in time. "Don't you dare compare me to that man. I am nothing like him."
"Listen Lelouch," Gil scolded. "If you are serious about Zero and his merry men of Black Knights, you have to treat this seriously. No more of that nonsense from Narita because if you keep using such methods, you are only setting up conditions that could lead your own men to turn on you."
"Sure you know better than I do. Why not you lead the Black Knights?" For some reason, Lelouch inquired due in part to his own pride getting the better of him. Instead, he felt like riling up the old man to do whatever he wants. His brain is continuously telling him to pipe down, but for some reason, he can't.
"It's your group not mine, Lelouch," Gil answered. "I'm here to advise you, which is why I decided to help out with the organizational structure for the Black Knights."
"Wait, what?" Lelouch's brain froze after that tidbit.
"Let's see, I know I place here somewhere..." The older man got out from his chair; rummaging through old documents. "Found it! Here's old papers about TSAB squads you can look up at," he placed the pile in front of Lelouch as dust flew into his face.
"Wait, you can't order me around…" Outside the room, Quattro rolled her eyes, hearing Lelouch whining.
They're my army…as large half a dozen TSAB squads, Quattro remarked in her head about she told Lelouch about her sisters. And they have what? Five or six members each?
"Now let's see….hah, we can use this as a reference. Harlaown's records are still here."
Lelouch had enough of this intervention. The Black Knights was his personal army and he won't let anyone, not even Gil Graham, interfere with his field. He already found a purpose in life after being a living corpse for so long. He won't have anyone tell him that he's nothing but a failure.
"You're not my commanding officer! Don't tell me what to do!" Lelouch snapped at the old man's face before quickly leaving the room, not wishing to discuss the matter further
"Teenagers…" Gil sighed in relief; knowing that the worst is over. "That could have gone better than I expected."
Lelouch was walking down the hall with a frustrated look on his face. He didn't notice Quattro and the twins spying on him thanks the Silver Curtain, but a certain green haired woman approached him.
"Ah, Big Baby finally shows up his face," Lelouch gave a glare to the green haired witch, flashing a smirk at him.
"I don't need to hear that from you. And no, I wasn't sulking," he stated, bringing one hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on.
Maybe that's why I am little stressed today, because of everything that happened at Narita.
Lelouch began to wonder if he wasn't fully one-hundred percent yet and contemplated if he should rest a little more. He still had to confront Cornelia, not wishing to have an emotional outburst as he does so recently. On the other hand though, he wondered if his fight against Nanoha left him more mentally stressed out compared to everything else. He was concerned about the TSAB's response to his conflict with her since besting the "Ace of the Aces" was something they wouldn't take lying down.
"Sure you are," C.C replied coyly, which did nothing to soothe Lelouch from further teasing. "You know, there is nothing to be ashamed about sulking for someone your age. It's perfectly normal; you react accordingly to when you get scolded by your father."
"The old man's not my dad," The tone used by the prince made it perfectly clear that he did not see the older man as his own father. However, one can detect the sense of longing from his voice as if he despised himself for saying those words. It didn't help that there was hesitation in his tone of voice, which the green haired witch caught ever so easily for someone with her wisdom and understanding of human psychology.
"It's best not to lie to yourself," C.C avoided his gaze. "I've seen many times people not being honest with themselves. It never ends in a happy ending."
"I'm fighting a war," Lelouch retorted. "I'm not counting for a happy ending and a harsh critic is to be expected from a performance review. I can't improve if I don't have a third party telling me what went wrong with my plans after the operations."
"There is more to this at stake than a petty grudge, my dear prince." She advised him like a wise sage from the mountains. Of course, she never expected an answer out of him. A hand placed on her shoulder was also not within her expectations.
"Do not call me that ever again."
Chapter 20
The Tides Shift
The Tides Shift
Fate stirred as she awoke from sleeping through the medical treatment on her stomach wound. She was inside the infirmary aboard the Arthra when she saw a few familiar faces by her bedside. Lindy was present, of course, but she had an expression of relief upon her gentle face. Next to her was Nanoha, but her badly damaged appearance caught the blonde-haired woman's attention. She had a bandages wrapped around her forehead, but on closer inspection, she noticed her arms were drenched in bandages as well.
"Nanoha, what happened to you?" Fate asked worryingly.
"Don't worry about me," Nanoha said, dodging the questioning. "We're more worried about you. The cut you received infected your wound with frostbite, which could have complicated things if it wasn't treated quickly."
"I am feeling better now, but I thought that blade was poisoned."
"It wasn't from what Shamal's examination revealed," Lindy began as she joined the conversation. "When you were hit by that ice blade, your wound showed the early stages of frostbite. Given how fast your condition had been progressing, it could have left some lasting tissue damage if not worse."
"I see, thank you, but what happened to Nanoha?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," The mage answered, still trying to redirect the line of questioning.
"She and Zero fought at Narita. Although it was very close, Nanoha was hit by a surprise attack after recovering from Zero's strongest attack, who then escaped," Lindy answered. Nanoha's face turned pink from embarrassment as she didn't take what had happened very well. Technically, she should have won, but the fact that Zero got away soured the wine of victory.
"Zero beat….Nanoha!?" Fate asked as she was left slack-jawed for a few moments.
"He didn't beat me!" Nanoha countered quickly. "But you know…it was kinda strange. When I fought Zero, he felt familiar somehow. I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu throughout that fight, which reminded me of when we fought over seven years ago."
"Really? So did you recognize his fighting style?" Lindy inquired.
"No, it's nothing like that, but it's just….I have this gut feeling that I know Zero somehow."
At an old warehouse outside of the town by the base of Narita, the investigating Numbers on Earth were reporting to their creator on events at Narita. Jail Scaglietti finished reviewing the data and footage of the landslide Zero had caused to wipe out a good portion Cornelia's forces. His face could be seen on the holographic video call-screen. The four cyborgs were also reviewing the data, but upon finishing, the Doctor turned to his daughters.
"A brilliant move if you don't mind damaging the environment," Scaglietti gave his two cents. "I'm impressed how callous he is. This Zero…"
"Good thing we weren't in that," Wendi replied. "He literally blew up the mountain!"
Cinque only sighed from the emitters and excavators she and Wendi found at the summit.
"And where's Sein right now?"
The combat cyborg in question entered the room. Sein in another room undergoing a bath to clean up and rest from what was a near-death experience. Despite having been almost swallowed up by the landslide, Cinque, Wendi and Nove were successful in recovering their sister as she barely got out alive. Now, compared to when she was recovered, Sein was much cleaner, though her combat suit took much longer.
"You look so much better compared to earlier when you looked like hell, Sein!" Wendi noted with a slight chuckle, remembering how the sixth combat cyborg had been covered in with even branches and leaves stuck in her hair.
"I had dirt in places I didn't even know I had," Sein said with a sigh. "I'm just happy to be clean again."
"Anyway," Jail said, politely interrupting his creations. "There is the subject of this person Dieci observed carrying Zero away following Zero's clash against Nanoha Takamachi."
"Who is that?" Nove asked.
"I think that was Quattro." Dieci said, earning doubtful glances from her sisters present. "The cape and her ability to disappear are identical to hers."
"That's impossible; Quattro is dead," Cinque pointed out calmly.
"What if….Quattro has become an undead zombie who has risen from her grave to extract revenge?" Wendi said with a grin. Everyone merely looked at her and sweat-dropped.
"Uh, okay...but still the doctor has her corpse in storage, right?" Cinque said noting an obvious fact known to all of them.
"Actually, we don't," Uno said, joining the conversation as another screen with her face appeared next to her creator. "Pardon my interruption, Doctor, but I took the liberty to conduct an examination on Quattro's remains that we kept in storage. I had the idea when reviewing Cinque's earlier report regarding the incident, in which they attempted to investigate Zero and the Black Knights. Then when hearing about what happened regarding Cinque's earlier initial report regarding Narita, it had to be checked out."
Jail was surprised by this, but still he didn't seem overly troubled for his first cyborg creation to have taken the initiative like this. It was clear that Uno had her suspicions regarding the attempt on Cinque and her group's life because it was set up by someone familiar with their abilities. Otherwise, how could they have set such a potentially dangerous trap? Of course, there were some of the instances where Zero and his organization had been receiving help from someone with magical abilities. Common sights were cloaking, mask their allies and enemies as well as affecting electronics, all of which were things Quattro was easily capable of.
"I see, so what did you learn?"
"Although the DNA test came back positive, I performed another test to find out the exact age of the organic materials making up the corpse. It turns out they are less than a week old."
"What does that mean?" Wendi said while disappointed that her zombie theory was a bust.
"It means the corpse of Quattro we have had been grown in lab a few days before her supposed demise. We all know she had been active for much longer than that. In short, it means someone helped Quattro fake her demise, leaving us to believe she was dead."
"But I know I had hit her," Dieci was seemingly relieved that she didn't actually kill one of her own sisters. But she did show disappointment that she failed a task, despite not enjoying it in the least and was actually against it.
"I relieved the footage from your shot. Despite the seriousness of the wounds, if Quattro had gotten immediate help, then there is a sixty percent chance she could survive."
"But how did this person find out?" Cinque asked.
"Good question. There shouldn't have been anyway Quattro should have known. We need to capture this person and confirm if it is Quattro. If it is, then she must be retrieved for questioning." Jail said laying out new orders for his creations unaware that his communications were being monitored by a third-party.
Inside Zero's office aboard the Black Knights' trailer, Quattro was standing in the center of the room with her holographic monitors and keyboard controls surrounding her in their usual fashion.
"So, little Dieci managed to see me….Oh well, this was inevitable at some point I suppose," Quattro mused to herself before thinking.
I think it's about time I put my plan into effect and acquired some new recruits.
The next day back at Ashford Academy, the former prince was lying in pod in the medical wing of the underground facility. He was recovering from his use of the Overdrive inside a regeneration pod, which helped heal any lasting damage. Even after resting, Lelouch was rather sluggish in his movements, so as soon as they returned to Ashford, he went into the pod for treatment. Although Peter's serum would have healed him quickly, due to having an unmodified body like Peter and Quattro, his body could potentially suffer cellular damage from repeated use. Therefore, the longer pod treatment was a safer alternative. Sitting inside a room set aside as his office of sorts, Graham was sitting at his desk. He was talking to Quattro regarding her intentions and the plans she laid out for the former Admiral.
"So you intend to go ahead with your plan to 'liberate' your three youngest sisters?"
"I do," Quattro answered. "With my sisters suspecting I am alive now, it would be best to make my move while they remain uncertain of my status. They learned about the double that was made to take my place, so Scaglietti will begin taking steps to enhance security. So far, he remains unaware of all of the backdoors and system traps I have already laid within his hideout computer systems."
"But are you certain these sisters will work with us?"
"I understand your concerns. Before I was so viciously betrayed, I was in the middle of reconditioning their minds to remove any excess and unnecessary elements to make them more effective combatants. My work was left largely untouched, which I think was because the Doctor had no need to awaken them. I completed the final touches and added in a few things to ensure they would be loyal to me and by extension Lelouch."
"I see...Speaking of Lelouch, I need to have a word with him once he comes out of the pod."
"Of course, I had a feeling you would."
"I advise you to take Sayoko with you since her skills should provide you with some assistance if required. Take Aria, too."
"Very well. I'll also borrow Peter's transport ship."
The following afternoon back on Mid-Childa, a meeting among the top brass of the TSAB was taking place among most of its members through long-range communications. Regius Gaiz was more vocal than he was usually, but he had a new target in his crosshairs.
"HOW COME OUR GROUP OF SO CALLED BEST MAGES CAN'T EVEN CAPTURE A SINGLE VIGILANTE!?" Regius said, slamming his fist on the table to display his frustration with the apparent incompetence. "Then as if that wasn't bad enough, you allowed leaders of the Mandarin's group to slip through your fingers!"
"Zero's appearance at Narita was unexpected," Lindy explained, keeping a composed face while growing annoyed at Regius's shouting. "But we have confirmed that the Mandarin is operating his forces from Japan on Earth."
"Besides, you haven't exactly made any more progress towards capturing leading members of the Mandarin's faction either, have you?" Carim Gracia pointed out calmly.
Those words silenced Regius, but earned a glare from the older man.
"That is enough," Midget Crowbel said sharply.
"No one has been successful in capturing any noteworthy followers of the Mandarin. So far, only Admiral Harlaown has been closer to apprehending one than anyone else presently." Largo Kiel noted before giving Lindy his full attention. "I want to continue your mission and apprehend one of these commanders at the next chance. You have proven that the Mandarin has a vested interest in Earth, so keep searching and see if you can find out more about the nature of his operations."
"Understood sir, but what of our other findings?" Lindy inquired with a solemn expression.
"Of course," Midget said before adopting a serious expression and opening another line. "Fleet Admiral Bill Strannix, could you take the floor? We would like to have a word with you regarding a related matter?"
Taking the floor was a man in his late fifties with black and graying hair around his ears. He had green eyes covered by black rimmed glasses and broad shoulders, wearing a decorated TSAB Naval Uniform. Adjusting his glasses with one hand, the man spoke.
"I assume this is regarding the matter related to a hidden terrorist research lab that was found?" Strannix began.
"Yes it is. Our records show that Erik Breighner, a DNA Analysis Specialist among those involved in this matter, formerly served under your medical research division you had operated before disbanding it." Midget said as she narrowed her eyes as she did not want to linger on the subject for too long. It was both a shameful and horrific thought to know that a previously unknown division the legendary admirals were unaware of had been conducting such inhumane experiments. The worst part was trying to keep news of it from spilling out.
"That was a couple of years ago, but yes, he was formerly under my employ. He received reassignment to the Main Branch's Medical and Research Facility here on Mid-Childa, but we haven't exactly kept in touch."
"I see, but you have been cooperative in our investigation so far."
"Yes, but with all due respect, I hope you are not implying I am somehow involved in this."
"No, but we are asking that all officers gathered here to conduct an in-depth investigation of any irregular activities or anything that seems out of the ordinary. We must check through our ranks and remove anyone working for the Mandarin. Given Breighner's previous employment under you, I would like you to oversee the investigation on the Navy's end of this matter."
"I understand, I will deliver results."
"Lieutenant General Gaiz, I'll expect the same from your end as well."
"Yes madam, I'll oversee it personally."
"Now, if there is nothing else, then this meeting is over."
After the meeting, Regius Gaiz was meeting with his personal assistant. She was a young woman in her early twenties with short light brown hair, wearing glasses and a TSAB Capital Defense Corps uniform.
"We have finished reworking our defenses around Mid-Childa as ordered sir," Auris Gaiz reported.
"At least someone here is competent. How about the arrangements for the second team to dispatch to Earth?"
"We're ready sir, but there are some personnel issues to resolve. Otherwise, everything should be ready by tomorrow."
"Good, have them hurry. Make sure all mages we recruit for this are at least A-rank at least."
"Understood, sir."
In another corner of Mid-Childa, specifically in the woodlands found in east, was the underground base of Dr. Jail Scaglietti. The location was unknown to just about everyone on the planet save for a perhaps a few people. Inside one of the many laboratories within the complex were three incubation pods with slumbering Combat Cyborgs at the ready, floating inside a culture fluid and awaiting activation. Arriving to conduct a final inspection upon them was Uno, who had left the finalization of their development to automated programs.
It's sooner than we intended for them, but I suppose there is no other way.
Uno approached the control console to review and ensure all aspects of development had been carried out properly. She then felt a high-pitch sound invaded her ears before her whole body began to go limp.
"Just breathe Uno," Quattro said, appearing behind Uno as the woman's eyes widened, but was completely paralyzed to do anything else. Quattro slowly guided her collapsing bodyto the ground before resting her against the control console so she could speak with her face to face. For this special occasion, Quattro had returned to her old hair style of using two pig-tails and was wearing her glasses again. "How I love this device," Quattro noted holding up the Sonic Taser.
Uno looked up at her presumed dead younger sister, but couldn't say anything due to the taser's effects.
"Relax, the effects are only temporary, but more than enough time for me to complete my objective."
Sayoko entered with a black shinobi-style uniform, complete with a mask to hide her face. The maid had ever remained present on the top of her head. Standing with her was Aria, who assumed her masked man form once more, but instead of a white uniform, she wore that of the Black Knights.
Quattro began working the console to ensure the adjustment she made were still in place.
"Excellent, everything I did before my so-called betrayal and managed to do remotely has remained intact. How perfect. Time to awaken them," Quattro said triumphantly while Uno was shocked.
She was adjusting and working on them remotely, but how?
"Wondering how I did it, Uno? I was able to bypass your computer's firewalls and move about the doctor's computer mainframe like a ghost thanks to my enhanced and augmented abilities. That excludes a few…extra capabilities that my rescuer from a few years ago gave me when he salvaged my near dead body. He left that copy behind to fool you, and you and Jail fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. Seriously Uno, you are slipping, aren't you?"
Quattro was busy typing in commands before she hit one last button that began draining the culture fluid from the incubator tubes. As the fluid got to their waist line, the eyes of the newly awakened cyborgs opened, fitted into their new combat suits during the final stages of their development.
"Good day sisters and happy birthday," Quattro said with a grin before presenting to Sayoko and Aria. "I'll introduce you, this is Sette." The cyborg said with a hint of pride in her voice. the first cyborg was a woman in her late teens or early twenties with waist-length pink hair and dark pink eyes. She wore the standard combat suit used by the other Numbers.
"Her Inherent Skill is Slaughter Arms, of which she can handle and control freely her Inherent Equipment, the Boomerang Blades. When used successfully, which by controlling the trajectory of the thrown Boomerang Blades, she makes them a very effective mid-range and long-range weapons with barrier breaking abilities."
Moving down the line, Quattro addressed the second youngest sibling.
"This one is called Otto," Quattro said, pointing at the boyish looking girl. She appeared to be around the ages of 14 to 16 with short brown spiky hair with green eyes. Unlike the other combat suits worn by Quattro's siblings, the one Otto wore had a pair of baggy matching pants in conjunction with the normal suit, but over that was a short-sleeve matching jacket. "Her Inherent Skill is Ray Storm, also known as the Storm of Optical Vortex, which is an area-of-effect attack with force field abilities. Her pants and jacket are also part of her Inherent Equipment, Stealth Jacket, which protects her from regular search and scanning magic."
Quattro approached and faced the youngest of the trio.
"And finally, this is Otto's genetic twin, Deed," The elder cyborg said as Deed looked different from her twin with only their physical ages identical. In contrast to Otto, Deed had longer brown hair that reached to her waist and brownish-red eyes. Like Sette, she wore the standard combat suit as did most of the other Numbers. "Also unlike Otto's Inherent Skill, Deed's own is the opposite called Twin Blades. Given her natural proficiency with two knife-shaped handles, she can project red-energy blades to be used as a pair of swords. Her basic combat style allows for instantaneous acceleration and raiding from dead space to deliver a critical hit. I can only imagine that after they are upgraded, they would be far more formidable."
"So what happens now?" Aria asked with her disguised male voice.
"This is what happens," Quattro answered before turning her attention to her sisters. "Sette, Otto, Deed, I am sure you three recognize me as your elder sister Quattro, correct?"
"Affirmative," Sette replied while the other two merely nodded.
"Very good. However, as of right now, I shall be invoking Directive Order 66 based on this footage here and proof that this place has been comprised," Quattro began to explain as the shocked Uno never heard of such an order before. "Directive Order 66 is as you are aware of since the Doctor programmed this order into a biochip implanted into your brain during development. The order is as followed: In the event the Doctor and a majority of the Numbers save for me are incapacitated or the Doctor and commanding Numbers are no longer fit to command, then I am to initiate the process to scuttle this base and all within it. Sisters Sette, Otto and Deed are to obey my orders from that moment. Hence, I assume full command of operations until the birth of the Doctor's clone within my womb."
Quattro explained as the last part of that order would be impossible to fulfill since she no longer carried the clone. That directive had implemented at her suggestion to her creator when he had laid out her own set of orders. Her purpose was to follow command if the Doctor was either killed or captured inside his base along with most of her sisters. This was primarily to ensure that Quattro could be protected as the clone of the doctor went through its birthing process and could receive assistance with its birth.
"This order was made to ensure my authority as new acting leader until the Doctor could be born again in the event that any other surviving sisters attempted to question or usurp my authority, such as when I would set the base's self-destruction."
That last bit was something I added in later, Quattro thought before bringing up her own holographic console. She played the video Due left for her that showed her younger sisters that the Doctor's Base was compromised and he was no longer fit to command them. Watching and listening to this revelation, Uno was brought about a worrying realization.
If this is true, then the Mandarin has been aware of all of our plans and knows our location.
"My sisters, as you can see, the Doctor has failed to take proper precautions. He has doomed himself and our other sisters through his lack of foresight in that matter and verifying the facts. I was to be executed for no reason than being conveniently fooled into killing me because my abilities represented a possible threat to the Mandarin's plans. With this, do I have your loyalty as your new commander?"
The three sisters regarded one another for a moment, before Otto and Deed nodded and Sette said.
"Confirmed. Chain of command is compromised and incapable of properly leading. We acknowledge the change of superiors and recognize you as our leader."
"Excellent," Quattro noted. "Now all that is left is to recover a few things and make our escape. And I know just the perfect distraction we can use." The combat cyborg began entering commands into the console.
"Some of the Gadget Drones going wild and the self-destruct warming up should do the trick."
Moments later inside what served as both his private sanctum and command center stood Jail Scaglietti. Reviewing the data he had on his large holographic screen before him, he noticed someone was going on. Alarms in one of the hallways had been triggered as a number of Type I Gadget Drones left one of the storage rooms Scaglietti was keeping them in until they were needed.
"Uno…Uno, where are you?" Scaglietti called, trying to communicate with his assistant.
Quattro's voice from behind replied instead.
"I'm sorry, but Uno will be unavailable for about fifteen to twenty minutes."
"Quattro," Jail said, turning around with a look of surprise at both Quattro being present and her altered appearance.
Seeing him again brought internal turmoil to Quattro's heart. He was her creator, her initial inspiration and idol, yet…He didn't even waver in accepting the evidence he found without checking it or giving her a chance, ordering her execution. Jail seemed to have sensed it as he moved back and the eyes of Quattro betrayed her feelings.
"Hello Doc…No…Father," Quattro sighed. "It's been a long time. I see you and the others have been well since you know…you tried to have me killed? But as you can see, the news of my death had been greatly exaggerated."
"So I see."
"For the record, you didn't kill the real traitor. I'd been merely set up as both a test and disposal as my capabilities were seen as a potentially dangerous hindrance. Thus, the Mandarin wanted said hindrance suppressed. The video that Uno has seen should explain the issue," Quattro stopped to take her creator's expression of surprise. "However, I'm taking my youngest sisters with me. If you care for the others, order them to stay on Earth. Right now, the Mandarin knows where most, if not all, of your bases and hideouts are. It'll be a matter of weeks, if not days, for the Mandarin to aim his forces against you."
"What? Why he would aim his forces at me!?"
"A price for too much greed and past sins, Father. Does Simon Testarossa ring a bell for you?"
Jail's eyes widened at that statement.
"Obviously, you made the logical inference. If he's acting like we think, he has either long since or right now eliminated the Brains," Quattro noted. After much deliberation between her and Peter, the two agreed that the only other logical reason Simon might have attacked Mid-Childa earlier was to cover his assassination of the Brains. Although it wasn't confirmed, if he was successful, Jail's reactions should provide Quattro with some clues to what'll transpire. "He's going to kick off another wave of his attacks. Right now, he's aiming to foster insurrection, but he'll be using the chaos then to hunt you down. Go low father, and try to survive. And if you have enough common sense, destroy the Cradle. That damn thing must not fall in the Mandarin's hands. Through Due, he is aware of your intentions for it."
"But all of my other plans-" Jail began, but Quattro cut him off.
"They have been compromised, but if you are feeling bold, then go ahead and try to continue them. I could have easily have finished you off here, but keeping all of you alive does help draw the Mandarin's attention off of me and Zero."
"What exactly do you plan on doing then?"
"Why, I intend to prepare for the coming war and see where Zero intends to go. We both know at this point, there is no going back to how things were. Everything has been changed forever."
An explosion suddenly rattled the chamber they were in.
"I guess that means Tre must be engaging the drones I have unleashed. I should cut this short as I got places to go and wars to win. I'll show all how it's done, so goodbye, Doctor. Remember, make the correct choice of action after this because your life depends on it."
"Wait, Quattro!" Jail began, but the holographic illusion quickly vanished.
Tre used a combination of her Inherent Skill, Ride Impulse together with her Inherent Equipment, a set of eight purple energy wings on her arms and legs, to destroy a renegade Gadget Drone by using high-speed hit and run tactics. She easily outmaneuvered the drones, but their numbers were considerable and could overwhelm her if she got careless.
What on Mid-Childa is going on here? Why have these drones suddenly gone berserk?
Tre contemplated for a moment before being forced to evade laser fire from the remaining six drones advancing upon her.
"Ride Impulse," Tre activated her Inherent Skill once again, using the energy wings in her arms as blades and by going straight through a drone to cleaving it in half. Another one was destroyed seconds later.
I better find Uno. She'll know what is going on.
The remaining four drones before her blocked her path to the room Uno was supposed to be in. Moving faster than the eye can follow, Tre made short work of resistance in her path by destroying one with her blades. She speeding past in-between two of the drones just as they fired their own energy weapons, shooting one and damaging another from the explosion for Tre to quickly finish off. With nothing else in her way, Tre entered the room where she found Uno on the ground.
"Uno, are you alright?"
She knelt down beside her paralyzed older sister who was unable to speak.
"Who did this to you? What happened?"
Uno struggled to say something, but no words came from her mouth. She gestured to Tre to examine the control console that Quattro left active. Getting up to look at the screen, her eyes widened in horror as she saw that the self-destruct was counting down. About two minutes remained before all of the passages would be locked down and the entire base destroyed soon afterwards. With no idea how to stop the self-destruct, the third-eldest combat cyborg tried to open communications to the one person who could help her.
"Doctor, someone has activated the self-destruct and we got less than two minutes remaining," Tre said with a worry tone of voice as soon as she saw the face of her creator. The expression of disbelief and concern mixed upon his face concerned the female cyborg.
"I see," Jail said before quickly regaining his composure. "Listen to me carefully and I'll tell you how to disarm the self-destruct."
It was close, but by the time the countdown got to twenty seconds, Tre had disarmed the self-destruct with her creator's assistance. But regardless, the threat of the self-destruct and the Gadget Drones they went renegade had served its purpose. Quattro and her newly awakened sisters were already long gone with assistants and returning to Earth.
Aboard the Arthra, Shamal sat by a hospitalized yet recovering Zafira was quietly observing Nanoha as she was busy practicing her shooting spells on moving targets. Although her injuries were healing, the two Wolkenritter were more concerned with the young woman's current mental state. News of Suzuka serving as one of the Mandarin's commanders, although she was kept hidden the fact she was also responsible for leading the attack on Mid-Childa, was not accepted very well. She may seem calm right now, but the two Wolkenritter suspected that the opposite was true on the inside.
I am worried about Nanoha, Shamal said as she was having a telepathic conversation with the Guardian Beast.
I understand your concern, Shamal, but there isn't much we can do for her.
I know that, Zafira. I can only imagine what must be going on internally for her. Finding out one of your best friends has committed such acts and is bent on revenge against you….not to mention she tried to kill Fate-san.
This is a serious problem. Nanoha has never faced someone of Suzuka's current mental temperament. I don't doubt Nanoha is strong and formidable, but against someone who will be hell-bent on killing you...It's someone Nanoha has never faced before. I also doubt Suzuka will come along quietly, presenting another problem.
What do you mean by that exactly? Shamal was growing increasingly concerned by where this conversation was heading.
Capturing or incapacitating Suzuka will be a difficult task given how her fight against Fate went. I fear it may come down to lethal force.
But you know Nanoha-san would never resort to that.
I know, which gives Suzuka an advantage. The rest would depend on Nanoha and if she can do what is needed to end the battle.
Shamal didn't continue the conversation further, but her concerns were growing as she feared the worst could happen if Suzuka and Nanoha would meet in combat. How could Nanoha stop Suzuka without resulting to more harsher methods of combat? Although she doubt it would come down to lethal force, her former best friend would do all she could to kill Nanoha. Trying to resolve the matter will be very difficult and dangerous.
-----
The ship's cafeteria was where the rest of the Wolkenritter could be found. Vita and Signum were having lunch together while their mistress Hayate was meeting with Fate, Lindy and Chrono to discuss their next move.
"What now?" Over at the cafeteria, numerous TSAB officers assigned on Earth can be seen having they had coffee from home, along with military rations they are familiar with over the years of service with the multi-versal peace-keeping forces. They were all discussing among themselves regarding what happened in the past few battles. Vita would've been less irritated if it was about the Mandarin and the encounters at the Ōu Mountains and Fate battle with Suzuka. But the hottest topic of conversation was not of Ōu, but Narita.
"Can't I eat in peace?" Vita bit the spoon in her mouth; nearly tearing it off with her teeth. She only wanted to have a peaceful lunch only for the whole cafeteria to be buzzing about the latest news about Zero defeating Nanoha, or at least that's how they saw it. It wasn't unexpected, she was already shaken and tight ever since she learned about the aftermath from the briefing by the TSAB's top brass. The fact they were talking about him was infuriating her more than enough.
Have you heard? Zero beat Takamichi!
You're kidding me, right? We're talking the Ace of Aces here! TSAB's cream of the crop!
Maybe he sucker punched her from the back?
That makes even less sense. This is the White Devil we're talking here! Her pink beams of doom would have taken out anyone!
Are we really going to make a fuss about this? It's obviously hearsay that it's fake.
Oh really? Did you see the other guys bringing her in on a stretcher?
That could mean anything! She's just tired, that's all!
And where's Zero now? He's probably planning to destroy more mountains!
Dude, be careful what you ask for. Next thing you know, he sinks the whole country to the ocean!
Can we not talking about people dying en masse while I'm eating? Great, thanks a lot! I just lost my appetite!
Yeah, speaking of which, did you see what happened to Zafira? The dude was buried under a giant boulder! I'm surprised he's still alive.
You think that's bad? Try watching people getting squished to paste. That'll wake you up all night.
I hate you guys, you know that?
True to Vita's statement, the younger officers looked like they're having a heated discussion about what has transpired at Narita. The Knight of Hammer could see them whispering with their friends and fellow officers, probably thinking that they're being discreet about it. The look of their faces were easy to read as everybody had two feelings in common: disbelief and scared shitless.
Imagine you're Zero. You really have to at least be A rank to even lay a scratch on Takamichi.
The only person who didn't join the bandwagon was the Nakajima girl. Unlike her peers, she sported an angry look on her face as she attacked the plate of rice before her. It would seem that she shared the same resentment as Vita.
"Girls look, I know Zero's dangerous, but it doesn't mean I'm going to quit so soon," She assured her friends. Having to watch the landslide with everyone else including the High Command, it was clear that the masked man was far more resourceful that she imagined the last time they clashed. "I still have a score to settle with him," She bumped her fists to show how tough she was in front of her friends.
"Ginga's right! She already tangled Zero once, she can do it again!" One girl gave her support.
"Yeah, just don't get crushed by a mountain-" A guy her age remarked as he passed through her table, only to be silenced by angry glares from the female officers.
It still wasn't enough for to calm Vita down.
"I'll kill to get some peace and quiet around this joint!" Vita repeated as she stabbed her meat with a fork with enough force to actually make three holes on the plate. It was enough to attract Signum across from her. "Wherever I go, it's Zero! This Zero that...so what if the guy causes an avalanche!? You and I have seen a lot from the Belkan era and you don't see me gushing over everything the guy pulls off!"
"Patience Vita, there's no need to complain. It is understandable that Zero, as I hate to admit, made an….impression among the young cadets-" Signum gave a glare at the officers before they scrambled away in fear of her wrath. "We've seen a lot back in the day, hence why we aren't as affected as everybody else."
"Don't tell me you're going to praise him, too," Vita groaned; chewing a piece of meat in her mouth.
"Considering that he nearly wiped out the Britannian forces?" Signum retorted as she slapped an Area 11 newspaper in front of her her aloof comrade. "Cornelia is missing from battle if you read today's news. The Black Knights are being held as the No. 1 suspects."
"No shit, they have her," Vita swallowed with a single gulp as she saw the headline. "Huh, would you look at that? 400 Mid-Childan credits say she'll be on the news headlines deader than dead by the end of the week."
It would be considered bad taste to enjoy someone's suffering but the Britannians did conquer Japan. In extension...
"We'll see," Signum drank her cup of coffee. "But I would be careful saying such things around Hayate-sama. You know how she feels about such things."
The next morning, a recovered Lelouch was walking alongside Quattro returning successfully from her mission. The young man had much to do since his forced bed-rest such as dealing with Cornelia now that she was a prisoner within the underground complex. However, given the three combat cyborgs who had been more or less recruited into the Black Knights, the former prince was interested in meeting them. Upon their arrival in the vacant training simulator, they found C.C. already getting acquainted.
"Well, you three are rather boring," C.C. said with a sigh of disappointment. "Are you sure these three will be helpful?"
"I know they are not the most sociable of my sisters, but I assure you. Their combat abilities will be a different story, especially after Peter can provide them with upgrades like he did to me."
"Really?" C.C. said seemingly doubtful of it. "I'll be watching them then."
"Hey Lelouch, Gil-sama wants to see you." Lotte said, running into the room.
"I guess we'll have to wait on introductions until later," Lelouch said with a look of annoyance as he had a strong feeling what this was about.
"Someone's in trouble," The smirk on Quattro's face is more than enough to sour Lelouch's mood. The battle of Narita was not exactly a complete disaster, but the blunders that occurred was something that old man Graham was not able to look the other way from. After the two youngsters spotted the disappointed look on his face, even his familiars are wary of the sudden mood whiplash.
"Shut up," Lelouch gave her the look. He may be a tactical genius, but he is also a seventeen year old teenager. The rebel phase was not just being literal in his Zero persona, but also in his attitude. That was at least amongst one another of course.
As Lelouch walked away to meet with Graham, the green-haired immortal turned to Quattro.
"So what now?"
"Well, since we'll have some time, I know Sette has been eager to try out the combat simulator. You can observe her combat skills along with Deed and Otto if you'd like. I should be…on hand just in case."
Entering the war room that belonged to Gil, Lelouch spotted the old man standing in front of him with his back turned against him. One thing the former prince noticed was the old man wearing a Black Knight style uniform, which was modeled after his old TSAB admiral uniform.
"Lelouch," Gil turned to him, his eyes piercing the younger boy. "Do you know why I call you here?"
Lelouch sighed, having a clue what the older man is talking about.
"This is about not telling the Black Knights about Narita, isn't it?"
"Precisely," Gil sat down at his desk. "Sit Lelouch, I believe this will be a long talk about your conduct on the field."
Not having a choice, Lelouch walked towards the desk. He sat opposite to the former admiral.
"In all my years of being an officer I have never seen anything like what you did. Not even Gaiz did something like this in his early days." Gil stated, reminiscing a certain TSAB Officer who dabbled in the world of politics in TSAB and lost all of his innocence after entering office. "Tell me Lelouch, why did you it? Why did you not tell your Black Knights..." Gil emphasized on the word Black knights. "About the operation in Narita and enticed Tamaki to shoot you?" He looked at the young tactician straight in the eye like an actual officer reprimanding his subordinate. "And let's not forget pulling a gun on the said chap."
"I'm sure Quattro gave you all of the details of what happened," Lelouch answered, frowning at the older man. "The Black Knights won't take any initiative against Cornelia unless they have no choice. There was neither time nor equipment to train them beforehand the moment my sister devised the plan to bring down the JLF. As field commander, I placed them in a situation where they had no choice but to fight."
"In other words, sink or swim." Graham summarized.
"Correct."
"Lelouch…" Gil sighed, feeling a headache in knowing that young tactician has a lot to learn despite his intellect. "Do you know that what you did was callous? If Tamaki actually shot you, everyone would have died and the operation would have been a complete failure with your sister killing everyone. Or in another way, pointing your gun at your soldier does not instill confidence in your troops."
"I did not intend to shoot him-"
"No, Lelouch. You forced them into combat without letting them know beforehand. Normally, I wouldn't mind you making use of miracles. As you put it your troops seem to be convinced with your successes, but what you need is increased troop morale. What you don't need especially now is your Black Knights losing faith in you. Pointing a gun, a gun that can kill a man with a single bullet, is not what I would see a leader would do. You know who does that? A dictator or a tyrant. They force people against their will to do whatever pleases them."
"I told you, I have no intention of shooting Tamaki-" Lelouch anger rose. Hearing the words tyrant and dictator brought memories about his social Darwinist father to mind.
"No excuses. If you are what you claim to be, Lelouch, you would have never pointed a gun at your own soldier. You're not bringing miracles, you are forcing your men to do things against their will. As much as you would like to believe, becoming Zero is turning you into someone like your father-"
And that was it. Lelouch slammed his hands against the desk. Ignoring the pain, his face distorted into something ugly. It even made the older man cringe that the boy can pull of something like that.
"Don't even go there!" Lelouch warned with barely restrained anger that could be seen on his face. He had nearly unleashed a more emotional outburst, but the former prince managed to restrain himself in time. "Don't you dare compare me to that man. I am nothing like him."
"Listen Lelouch," Gil scolded. "If you are serious about Zero and his merry men of Black Knights, you have to treat this seriously. No more of that nonsense from Narita because if you keep using such methods, you are only setting up conditions that could lead your own men to turn on you."
"Sure you know better than I do. Why not you lead the Black Knights?" For some reason, Lelouch inquired due in part to his own pride getting the better of him. Instead, he felt like riling up the old man to do whatever he wants. His brain is continuously telling him to pipe down, but for some reason, he can't.
"It's your group not mine, Lelouch," Gil answered. "I'm here to advise you, which is why I decided to help out with the organizational structure for the Black Knights."
"Wait, what?" Lelouch's brain froze after that tidbit.
"Let's see, I know I place here somewhere..." The older man got out from his chair; rummaging through old documents. "Found it! Here's old papers about TSAB squads you can look up at," he placed the pile in front of Lelouch as dust flew into his face.
"Wait, you can't order me around…" Outside the room, Quattro rolled her eyes, hearing Lelouch whining.
They're my army…as large half a dozen TSAB squads, Quattro remarked in her head about she told Lelouch about her sisters. And they have what? Five or six members each?
"Now let's see….hah, we can use this as a reference. Harlaown's records are still here."
Lelouch had enough of this intervention. The Black Knights was his personal army and he won't let anyone, not even Gil Graham, interfere with his field. He already found a purpose in life after being a living corpse for so long. He won't have anyone tell him that he's nothing but a failure.
"You're not my commanding officer! Don't tell me what to do!" Lelouch snapped at the old man's face before quickly leaving the room, not wishing to discuss the matter further
"Teenagers…" Gil sighed in relief; knowing that the worst is over. "That could have gone better than I expected."
Lelouch was walking down the hall with a frustrated look on his face. He didn't notice Quattro and the twins spying on him thanks the Silver Curtain, but a certain green haired woman approached him.
"Ah, Big Baby finally shows up his face," Lelouch gave a glare to the green haired witch, flashing a smirk at him.
"I don't need to hear that from you. And no, I wasn't sulking," he stated, bringing one hand to his head, feeling a headache coming on.
Maybe that's why I am little stressed today, because of everything that happened at Narita.
Lelouch began to wonder if he wasn't fully one-hundred percent yet and contemplated if he should rest a little more. He still had to confront Cornelia, not wishing to have an emotional outburst as he does so recently. On the other hand though, he wondered if his fight against Nanoha left him more mentally stressed out compared to everything else. He was concerned about the TSAB's response to his conflict with her since besting the "Ace of the Aces" was something they wouldn't take lying down.
"Sure you are," C.C replied coyly, which did nothing to soothe Lelouch from further teasing. "You know, there is nothing to be ashamed about sulking for someone your age. It's perfectly normal; you react accordingly to when you get scolded by your father."
"The old man's not my dad," The tone used by the prince made it perfectly clear that he did not see the older man as his own father. However, one can detect the sense of longing from his voice as if he despised himself for saying those words. It didn't help that there was hesitation in his tone of voice, which the green haired witch caught ever so easily for someone with her wisdom and understanding of human psychology.
"It's best not to lie to yourself," C.C avoided his gaze. "I've seen many times people not being honest with themselves. It never ends in a happy ending."
"I'm fighting a war," Lelouch retorted. "I'm not counting for a happy ending and a harsh critic is to be expected from a performance review. I can't improve if I don't have a third party telling me what went wrong with my plans after the operations."
"There is more to this at stake than a petty grudge, my dear prince." She advised him like a wise sage from the mountains. Of course, she never expected an answer out of him. A hand placed on her shoulder was also not within her expectations.
"Do not call me that ever again."
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