Junkyard, Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11, 12 August 2017 a.t.b.
Why here?
Kallen thought as she and Ohgi looked around as they walked through the junkyard. After the meeting on the train, Zero told them to meet him at the junkyard if they agreed to cooperate with him. The group discussed whether they should go, for while he may have saved them in Shinjuku, there was still much about him that was too sketchy for them.
In the end, only they came, remembering his leadership during Shinjuku and choosing to believe this time.
Just this once.
Soon, they saw the masked man standing in the middle of the junkyard, atop a pile of junk, looking over at them.
"I see, so it's only you two then." Zero said, seemingly unbothered by the lack of numbers.
Ohgi grimaced, saying. "I'm sorry, but can you give us a little more time? I'm sure if we explain, we'll get more-"
"No," Zero said. "You two are more than enough."
Both resistance members stare up at him in shock.
"What!?" Kallen shouted. "Are you crazy!? Do you know how many we'll be facing?"
"With you two, the conditions for this task are all but cleared," Zero said, before holding out a picture to them. "Have this made by tomorrow. Don't worry about the inside. Just focus on the exterior."
Kallen and Ohgi look at the image in confusion. They glance at each other before looking back at Zero.
Is this guy serious?
-~-
Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Looks like that part of the plan is secured. Good.
Lelouch thought as he walked back towards the clubhouse, having left the junkyard, and proceeded to change back into his school uniform. To be honest, he never expected the entire group to follow, even if they knew he led them out of Shinjuku.
But that was perfectly fine with him. Those two really were enough.
Now, to make sure everything else goes sm-
Suddenly, a massive pillar of light emerged south of him. Lelouch hears the shouts and gasps as everyone looks directly at the light in shock and awe. Tyres screech as cars swerve, their drivers startled.
What is this?
Lelouch stares wide-eyed at the peculiar event. As the event continues, Lelouch grunts as his left eye aches.
The eye that held his Geass.
He suddenly places his hand over his left eye, feeling the familiar flow of power in his eye as the pillar of light slowly vanishes.
His Geass was flaring up unconsciously.
Lelouch glares at the disappearing pillar of light.
What the hell is this?!
He was still testing the limits of his power, and now to find out that it had even more factors outside of his control? The former prince scowls, the realization leaving an unpleasant taste in his mouth.
He has to figure this out.
Fast.
He walks back to the clubhouse, now at a greater pace, with many thoughts racing through his mind.
One sticks out above the rest.
Geass. A name that has been on his mind ever since Shinjuku. A name that has been unknowingly popping up ever since he received this power. His eye glows, the symbol flapping open like a bird. Just what the hell are you?
-~-
Construction Site – Area 11
"...Triton?" Shu said, the longsword slipping off his limp fingers and falling to the ground. The sword glows, as well as Inori's chest, before the sword turns into silver threads. These threads fly towards Inori, sinking back into her glowing chest. After that, the glow stops, leaving everyone quietly in awe as they watch Inori holding her hands to her chest.
Gai turns back to Shu, smiling. "Haven't heard that name in years. I'm surprised you still remember me."
"I... how... why-" Shu stammers, shocked. From his backpack, Fyu-Neru pokes its head out, beeping and flapping its metal ears happily at Gai.
"You know Gai?" Inori turns to him, surprised.
"We have a long history going back," Gai said, turning to Inori. "He was my best friend from my childhood."
Those words have the group looking at Shu in surprise, who was still gaping at Gai.
Shu finds his words. "W-where-"
A beeping device interrupts him. Gai holds up a hand. "Hold that thought, Shu." He pulls out a foldable tablet and turns it on. "Gai here."
"Gai, picking up enemy reinforcements heading your way. Better get out of there." A young, feminine voice came through the tablet.
"Understood. Gai out." He folds the tablet and faces Shu. "Looks like our reunion will have to wait." He said, turning to the sound of approaching Landspinners. Soon, a black and red Glasgow arrived, its Factsphere glowing as it activated. Shu shifts his position, ready to bolt before seeing Gai looking up at the knightmare without fear.
"Ayase, cover our escape and buy us some time. Leave after 10 minutes." He said before turning to the giant man. "Charlie Team, you will assist her. The rest of you, we're leaving. We got what we came for."
-~-
Around the construction, police and Anti-Bodies vehicles surround the construction site, watching the dust cloud that surrounds the site.
"Do you have a visual?" The police captain asked using his radio. Above him, circled the police gunships, which were surveying the dust cloud.
"Negative, Captain. No sign of the enemy." One pilot said before noticing movement within the dust cloud. "Wait, I see somethin-"
Suddenly, a Slash Harken flies into the police VTOL, engulfing it in an explosion.
"What the-!?"
The Slash Harken reels back, and the dust clears to reveal its owner. A black and red Glasgow stood within the rubble of the construction site, Factsphere open and scanning. In its hands was the standard knightmare rifle.
"They have a knightmare!" The other pilot shouted as he maneuvered his gunship away. "I repeat! Terrorists have a knight-"
The Glasgow fired its rifle at the gunships. Bullets tear through the gunship, causing another explosion. Suddenly, the roar of an engine captures the police and Anti-Bodies' attention as a black SUV barrels out of the dust cloud and smashes through the police barricade.
As the Britannians watched the SUV make its escape, the Glasgow fires on the police and Anti-Bodies vehicles, destroying them. Any surviving members fled, seeking shelter and cover wherever they could find.
Inside the Glasgow sat a young, slender girl with long brown hair in a ponytail and brown eyes, wearing a red and black skintight battle suit. Shinomiya Ayase exhaled as she looked down at the fires engulfing the vehicles before looking down the narrow streets where Gai and the rest escaped.
"Tsugumi, you got eyes on enemy movement?"
"Got a couple of T-4s heading your way, Aya. Direction: 6 o'clock." A feminine voice came out of her communications. The Glasgow twists around to face back, her Factsphere opening up to reveal her enemies to her.
Four T-4 VTOLs flew their way towards her. Zooming in, she noticed they were carrying two knightpolice and two Anti-Bodies knightmares. Upon arriving, the VTOLs dropped the Knightmares onto the construction site rubble. All four were Glasgows, with the Knightpolice having their traditional blue and white colour scheme and the badges engraved, while Anti-Bodies had theirs in white and gray with their symbol.
The group raised their rifles and fired. She swerves, zig-zagging and jumping across the rubble, firing back at them. She aims low, a burst of bullets hitting one knightpolice's knee, dropping it before another burst hits its head, disabling it. As its pilot ejects away, the others continue their fire.
Ayase continues to weave through the hail of bullets, her landspinners screaming as they pushed her Glasgow to high speeds. While the enemies focused on her, Oogumo and his team popped out, previously hidden amongst the rubble. They bring up their shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, lasers aimed at the enemies' backs. Out of their tubes, a barrage of explosives rocketed out, engulfing the last knightpolice in an explosion, while the other two survived but suffered crippling damage.
Seeing the opportunity, Ayase rushes in, her bullets hitting the Anti-Bodies knightmare and knocking its rifle out of its hands, and firing her Slash Harkens at it, taking off one arm and leg.
Before the knightmare could fall, she charges into it, slamming into her opponent and firing into its cockpit. Grabbing the knightmare with the now dead pilot, she spins and drives towards the last knightmare, throwing the dead Knightmare into its comrade, slamming both to the ground. Raising her rifle, she fires at the downed knightmare, killing the last pilot.
Ayase sighs, looking around. She sees Oogumo and his team sticking out from the rubble. "Thanks, Oogumo."
The giant nods at her before he gestures to his team to move down to the street Gai escaped on, where their black SUV waits for them.
She nods back, even though she knows he can't see it. "Tsugumi, what's the next target?" She asks, turning to her communications.
"Direction: Ten o'clock! Distance: 2 km." A young, cheerful girl's voice comes through.
Ayase's eyes widen. "What? That far away? Isn't there anything closer?"
"Hey, you can just withdraw if you don't like that. Gai should be far enough now, and your Glasgow can barely handle what you're putting it under."
The pilot frowns. "It hasn't been a full 10 minutes, though. I have to complete this."
The girl on the radio sighs, as if expecting her answer. " Fine then. Just... huh? Aya! Got another one. Anti-Bodies. Distance: 1000 mete-, w-wait, 700, 400!? How's it moving so fast!? Aya, watch out!"
She heard the whirling of landspinners before twisting around and putting her arms up. Immediately, Ayase cries out as she slams against the cockpit, the heavy impact rattling her and her knightmare. She grunts before recovering and glaring at her opponent. "It's you." She growls, recognises them.
She would never forget this stark white Sutherland and its pilot from that day on the bridge. The two war machines struggle against each other, fist against arms, before the Sutherland pulls up its rifle. Quickly, Ayase reacts and knocks off course, the missing bullets flying past her side. The two knightmares struggle yet again, with the Sutherland trying to line up its rifle at her while Ayase fights against that. Fed up, the Sutherland jumps back and raises its rifle. However, Ayase is quicker on the draw and shoots it out of the Sutherland's hands.
Before any more bullets could land on the Sutherland, however, it suddenly blurs around Ayase. Wide-eyed, Ayase grunts and fires her rifle, pushing her Glasgow to the limit to keep up with the agile Sutherland.
What modifications allow for such speed?!
She keeps firing her armaments at the Sutherland, but the knightmare nimbly evades her attempts, faster than its model should be capable of. In the blink of an eye, it rushes at her, appearing directly in front of her, its twin stun tonfas extended, sparks flying off them as the batons became electrified.
Her eyes go wide. Shit.
Quickly, she shifts her Glasgow to lean right as her opponent's baton takes off her shoulder armor. She jumps back, evading its backhand, which glances off her chest. Each blow came with electricity flowing unwelcome into her Glasgow's systems. Ayase growls, dodging what she could and blocking what she couldn't. Still, the damage she incurs builds up as the white Sutherland blitzes through her defenses, pushing her back into the streets, down the escape route.
"Aya! You can't keep up! Fall back!"
"No!" She said, taking another glancing blow that scraped off more armor. "Gai said to hold this position!"
She glances at the timer. Only 5 minutes have passed.
She grunts, taking another glancing blow, which glances off her Glasgow's head.
She isn't blind, though. Forget 5 minutes, she won't last past one.
Having had enough, she rushes forward, landing a straight punch to the Sutherland's chest, knocking it back. She fires her rifle, shooting off one of her opponent's tonfa. Next, she aims low, taking down one landspinner, crippling its agility.
"Ayase!" Ooguma's gruff voice comes through her radio. "Fall back! We've got a plan."
"Got it!"
Ayase immediately backtracks down the street, confident she could make it now with the crippling of her opponent's speed. However, she didn't get far as instead of giving up, the white Sutherland sprints at her, its metal feet slamming against the ground.
What?! She quickly blocks the baton hit, taken aback. How's it still so fast?!
The Sutherland continues its attacks, regardless of its damaged landspinner, as Ayase blocks and dodges whatever she can. However, she notices it's easier this time around.
It's slower. Her lips form a small grin. I can do this.
She continues to block and evade, waiting for her opportunity. She sees it as she dodges her opponent's overextended arm baton strike. Ayase closes in and kicks the Sutherland's leg, knocking it off balance and onto the ground. Ayase grins, aiming her rifle at the downed knightmare's cockpit.
Got ya!
However, shockingly, the Sutherland leaps up faster than its size should physically dictate, dodging the rifle fire while flipping over the Glasgow.
Ayase gapes at this. Regardless of whatever modifications it had, no Sutherland is powerful nor light enough to do this, especially without using Slash Harkens!
The Sutherland lands behind her and swings out her arm baton at her. The red Glasgow jumps back; however, the arm baton strikes the rifle, smacking it away from its user.
"Damn it!" Ayase growls at the loss of her weapon, glaring at her opponent. "You... I ain't losing here!" She shouts, firing her Slash Harkens. Her opponent fires its own set, colliding with her Slash Harkens. This didn't deter Ayase, who charges forward at the Sutherland.
The Sutherland responds by rushing her too, its arm baton raised. The Glasgow, deprived of its rifle, releases and raises its own stun tonfas. The two war machines close the distance between them, ready to end this once and for all.
"Aya! Watch out!"
Suddenly, the building next to them crumbles as an odd white knightmare barrels through. Both Ayase and the Sutherland skid to a halt and jump back, dodging the debris. Ayase gapes at the new knightmare, noting down its features.
Notably, the odd knightmare was more streamlined than they were, with long, thin arms and legs. In one of its hands was a silver knightmare handgun. Over its shoulders were two large panels, and behind its flat feet were two panels resembling landspinners pointing up from its ankles. Its streamlined head also resembled a knight's helm, with two horns and a dark red visor making up its eyes.
What the hell is this?!
Before she could ponder any further, the odd knightmare turned to her, its red visor flashing. "Oh, a terrorist knightmare! Wonderful!"
It then raises its handgun at her and fires. Immediately, its bullets tear through her Glasgow. Ayase cries out, sparks flying around the cockpit as the bullets tear into her arms and legs.
Ayase grunts, fighting with her controls to move, but the damage sustained proves to be too much for the Knightmare Frame. She then watches the odd knightmare pull up its free hand, a long blade springing from its arm. It then rushes ahead, bladed arm aimed at the Glasgow cockpit.
Damn it! Move!
However, try as she might with the handles, the Glasgow would not respond to her commands.
"Bailout!" She hears Tsugumi shouting.
Suddenly, her dashboard flashes red with a message.
[Automatic Ejection]
Ayase lunges forward as she feels the sudden acceleration from the cockpit's rockets. She glares at the two knightmares on her dashboard before the screen goes dark.
Damn it!
-~-
The odd knightmare tilts its head, watching as its opponent ejects. "What? Are you seriously running away?" It said, its arm deep in where the cockpit used to be. "You really think it'll be that easy!?"
It tosses aside the limp and empty Knightmare Frame and chases after the cockpit, the white Sutherland following suit. It speeds down the street when, suddenly, a series of explosions interrupts their pursuit. All around them, improvised explosives go off and the ground quakes and shakes, with an empty building sliding down and falling down on the knightmares.
"Tch." The two knightmares jump away from the falling building and rush across the street, dodging the explosions that were hidden. The odd knightmare then folds its shape inwards, its arms folding in and shifting back, its legs linking up together, and also folding in. Its wing-like and landspinner-like panels shift to touch the ground with tyres extending from them.
The odd knightmare transformed into a compact four-wheel form, dodging the explosions with greater agility than before.
The Sutherland, on the other hand, runs and jumps past the explosions, using its unnatural speed and its Slash Harkens on the surrounding buildings to pull itself out of danger.
After a moment, the explosions finally end, with both machines surviving. The odd knightmare shifts back to its humanoid form, its head swerving around, taking in all the fire, smoke and rising dust clouds that were obscuring their sight.
"So, that was their plan."
Must have had someone plant charges around the street and lead them here. While it failed to kill them, it did buy them time to escape.
The odd knightmare looks back at the direction the cockpit escaped to and rushes past all the fire, smoke and dust, ending up on the other side. Up ahead, it sees the cockpit on the ground, with its parachute lying on the ground nearby.
It draws close and holds up the cockpit. "Empty." It said, looking over the cockpit before crushing it. It looks down the road to see tyre marks that shortly faded away. "Damn it, I was hoping to see who they were." It tosses the crushed cockpit away.
"Well then, I guess it's just you and me then-" It turned to address the Sutherland before noticing its absence. Its head swerves around, seeing that the Sutherland was nowhere to be found.
"Tch. People are so rude these days."
-~-
Away from the battle, a black SUV drives away under the cover of night, avoiding the main road and the enemy forces behind them.
"Okay, looks like we lost them." A tall young man said, looking in the rear-view as he drove away. He had spiky black hair with a blonde streak in the middle and green eyes. "Good work, Ooguma."
"Thanks. Didn't want to deal with whatever that was any longer than we should." Ooguma said, sighing and looking back at the car. "How're you holding up, Ayase?"
The girl in question sat silently in the back seat, frowning. "I'm fine." She muttered.
Ooguma frowns as he can tell she's not, but leaves her be.
Ayase frowns down at her tightly clenched fists.
I failed.
-~-
Anti-Bodies Command Base – Area 11
"What!?" Major Guin glared at the massive screen, which displayed information about the construction site and its aftermath. "What do you mean you can't find out who they are!?"
Rowan frowns. "T-the data. It's corrupted." On the screen came video and pictures of the battle within the site. However, almost all were either heavily pixelated or simply unplayable, as static filled the screen. "We suspect it's from both the energy surge and whatever weapon they had wrecking havoc on the knightmares' systems."
Major Guin growls. "What about before the battle?" He asked.
"While we're still unable to identify the driver, we've been able to identify the girl," Rowan said. On the screen came an image of the young pink-haired girl wearing a red leotard and posing inside some kind of crystal structure. "Inori Yuzuriha, an underground singer going by the name EGOIST. The Elevens call her an idol."
Major Guin frowns and asks. "Well, why is an underground singer going around stealing Sephirah property?"
"We don't know, My Lord. However, we know that she's affiliated with the same terrorists who attacked us," Rowan said, with multiple new images popping up. "We also have reason to suspect that they may also be responsible for the multiple attacks targeting Sephirah." The images displayed the previous terrorist attacks on Sephirah. "They match the previous descriptions of the previous attacks."
Major Guin's finger taps his arm, staring at the image of the idol.
Who are you? What do you know?
He doesn't understand how they could have known what that package actually was. Even he didn't know what it was, other than its name being the Genome.
He looks back at the destroyed knightmares that they recovered from the battle. A personal anti-knightmare weapon?
The knightmares they dragged out from under the rubble were all cut up, missing arms, legs and many other limbs. More frightening was how clean the cuts were. No sign of struggle and bending whatsoever. Whatever the deadly weapon was, it was insanely sharp.
If it even is a weapon. Lately, more and more people with extraordinary abilities have been popping up as the decades have passed. Hell, part of Sephirah's work, and subsequently Anti-Bodies, was the capture and study of such abilities.
Still, if it were a Meta-Ability, why haven't the terrorists used it in their earlier acts? Why now?
Or... could that be the Genome?
He frowns, pondering. If so, why didn't General Yan tell him? Was he planning on displaying this at a later date to His Majesty and the nobles to earn favor?
Still... it couldn't be. All that General Yan had explained to him was that the Genome was simply genetic material from a VIP whose identity was to remain confidential.
...Right?
"Sir," Rowan said, interrupting his thoughts. "While we couldn't identify the driver, we have a lead." Another image appears on the screen of a massive building complex. "The uniforms they both wore were from the Ashford Academy."
Major Guin studies the academy. This school again...
"Second Lieutenant Daryl Yan, entering the control room."
Suddenly, he hears the door behind him slide open. He turns over to see a young man walk in. He had unruly blonde hair and light violet eyes, and wore a collared gray suit with red lines running down from his chest to his joints.
"Second Lieutenant, welcome." Major Guin said with a smile, arms crossed behind. "To think I would meet the General's son out in the middle of the field."
"Well, when I saw your latest botched attempt, Baron Guin," Daryl flicked his hair up and smirked at Major Guin, whose smile grew strained. "I thought to myself, 'Well, I'm already on the way, so I might as well join in.' So, here I am!" He said with a wide smile.
Major Guin's eye twitched. Why is he always like this?
"Then, are you here by your father's orders?"
Daryl frowns. "No, I just happened to be nearby and saw the perfect opportunity to get some battle data for the Endlave.
"Endlave? You mean that knightmare? You piloted it?"
Daryl smirks. "Like it? It's revolutionary, if I say so myself. Endlave Steiner, I believe that's what DGE Corp called it. They were going to unveil it to those military heads soon. Supposed to be their way to compete with Knightmares and maybe even replace them. And given what happened there, I can't blame them for thinking that. Honestly, feels better than the knightmare I've piloted before." He frowns again. "Although I would have chosen a better name. Can you believe it? They're calling it Endoskeleton Remote Slave Armour. Tch, absolutely abysmal naming sense." He said, shaking his head.
Despite the vehement dislike of the boy, Major Guin knows of the boy's skills in a knightmare. If he thinks he's doing better in that Endlave than a Knightmare, then the machine must be truly something.
"By the way, do you know where that white Sutherland is?" Daryl asked.
"Her? She left."
"Is that so? Who is she?"
Major Guin frowns. "I'm afraid you're going to have to ask Major Madd for that information, since she currently serves under him."
Daryl frowns. "Oh, him. Tch, should have known."
"My Lord," A sitting officer said, drawing both Daryl and Guin's attention. "You're getting a call from Staff General Yan."
Major Guin's face pales while Daryl's frown deepens. "Looks like my dear father wants to have a chat with you." He turns around to leave, the door sliding open. "Well, as entertaining as watching your massive mess was, I have other things to do. Good luck, Baron." Over his shoulder, Daryl gives one last smirk before the door slides closed.
Major Guin growls while Rowan and the officers turn to their respective tasks. He holds a clenched fist before exhaling and turning around. "Pick up the call." He said, schooling his face.
All images and videos fall away as General Yan's frowning face takes up the whole screen.
"My Lord-"
"Major Guin, care to explain to me how this happened?" General Yan cuts him off.
"M-my Lord, we were pursuing the terrorists when-"
"I know what you were doing, Major. What I want to know is how?" General Yan's eyes narrowed. "From my understanding, you had the enemy cornered and held the advantage. Next thing I know, a pillar of light appears, and suddenly, you lose them. Again. So, how?"
Major Guin gulps. "M-my Lord, the leading theory we have is that the terrorists have come into possession of an anti-knightmare of devastating quality."
General Yan is silent for a moment. "And how did terrorists get their hands on such a weapon?"
A cold sweat drips down his forehead. "As of now... w-we don't know. H-however, we do have a lead connecting the terrorists to Ashford Academy! We suspect they may be there!" He quickly added.
"Are you certain?"
"Of course, my lord!" By now, the sweat on his brow had multiplied.
General Yan stares, eyes narrowed, at Major Guin for a moment, the silence within the mobile command base becoming stifling.
"Transfer all the data you have to me and finish this once and for all, Major Guin. Or I'll send someone to finish it for you." General Yan said before cutting off the call.
Silence fills the command bridge, only broken up by the sounds of typing and humming electronics. Major Guin stood in shock before gritting his teeth, clenching his fists, and opening his mouth.
"Investigate that school! Increase the search perimeter around Roppongi! We will find the girl and those terrorists! No matter the cost!"
-~-
Roppongi District, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Maya looks at the chaotic scene before her. Police cars parked across the street, their bright blue and red siren lights illuminating the street as day slowly became night.
What happened here? Terrorists?
A crowd, drawn by the commotion and that bright light from before, formed just outside the safety perimeter. She stood in the crowd, looking across the entire site. She saw the remains of the building, broken and torn up cars and knightmares, as well as fires that were nearly everywhere.
What she found really odd was that Anti-Bodies was also here. She remembered seeing them at the ghetto, especially after the Shinjuku massacre. She remembered the reason they said was that they were there to quarantine the area and clean up after the gas attacks.
Except she knew there were no gas attacks at the ghetto. She knew it was just a cover-up for the massacre.
So, what really happened here?
"I heard they said it was a terrorist attack."
"Really?"
"Tch, the attacks are getting out of hand."
"Yeah, Margrave Jeremiah's got to do something about this."
"Isn't he going to trial that murderous Eleven?"
As the crowd continued to talk, Maya's face grew more grim the longer she stood there. After a moment, she finally leaves the crowd, heading home, abandoning today's plan of getting into the ghetto.
Britannians.
She shook her head at the crowd behind, though she couldn't really blame them for their fear. That devastation back there is shocking.
Was it those terrorists from Shinjuku?
No.
Something's off here.
And whatever it was, it's connected to Anti-Bodies.
Was what happened in Shinjuku also connected?
While her mind continues to ponder, she sees something standing not too far from the crowd. She saw a girl wearing an Ashford Academy uniform, looking at the burning site with a distraught expression. Maya recognized her. She was the same Japanese girl she saw with that boy yesterday, and even today, when she apologized.
Why is she here?
-~-
Ashford Academy Student Council Clubhouse – Area 11
"... right as you can see, the terrorist attack is absolutely terrible to look at."
Lelouch sits at his desk, watching the news reporter standing near the destroyed area on his laptop. The reporter goes on, the camera panning across the entire area, broadcasting the devastation. "Lucky, as of now, I'm getting reports that all the workers have been evacuated. Truly, a miracle for these Britannian men and their families."
Funny, they don't mention the Eleven workers who were probably there. Lelouch thought as he opened up a new tab and searched through all the news articles.
"Hmm, so they're claiming this to be a bioterrorism attack? Odd," Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "Never heard of a chemical or bio weapon capable of producing that light, and they don't report what exactly the terrorists had that allowed them to do this."
He lifts his hand to his left eye, frowning.
"Obviously, this is a cover-up." He said, looking back at his laptop. "Probably to give Anti-Bodies a reason to be there. The key question is how and why Anti-Bodies is connected to this."
He then searches up Sephirah, the parent company of Anti-Bodies. "Anti-Bodies are the paramilitary forces for Sephirah. So, if they're here, then that means whatever the terrorists had most likely came from them. And with it connecting to Geass, they must be involved in what happened in Shinjuku."
His eyes turn to the tab, holding the news article of Anti-Bodies performing clean-up duties in the Shinjuku Ghetto.
Still, He frowned, thoughts racing. It doesn't explain what they were doing with the girl. Did she have a meta-ability to transfer powers to others? If so, were they planning on replicating it? Does Geass also appear in their minds?
His thoughts circled back to the terrorist attack. My answers lay in whatever they stole. It has a connection to my powers, and I suspect to much more than that. So, how do I go about this?
"Lelouch."
He turns to see his door wide open, with his sister outside. "Come on, it's time for dinner."
"Coming right now, Nunnally," Lelouch said, closing his laptop and following his sister. He can leave this matter for a later date. Right now, his priority is saving Suzaku.
"Was that late homework you were doing?" Nunnally asked as her brother walked beside her. "It's unlike you to rush into your room like that as soon as you come home."
Lelouch grimaces. "Oh, yeah. Just some work that slipped my mind, Nunnally."
Nunnally giggles. "I guess you can't always be perfect then, huh, Lelouch?"
Lelouch gives her a soft smile and chuckles. "Haha, yeah. Still, I can at least be perfect for you. That, I can promise."
-~-
Unknown Headquarters, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Inside the black SUV that was now driving down a tunnel, Shu sat quietly at the back of the vehicle, still processing the recent events. He stares at Gai, who sat in the front passenger seat, while Inori sat next to Shu, her eyes going back and forth between the two boys.
Triton... or Gai, as it seems he's going by. It's been forever since he last saw him. Ever since that... moment...
"Shu..."
Suddenly, a touch on his hand startles him out of his thoughts. He looks down to see Inori holding his hand. He looks at her, her eyes staring back at him. "Your hands were shaking."
"Uh," Shu looks back at his hands, never noticing the shake. "T-thank you."
Inori gives a nod.
"We're here," Gai said, making Inori pull her hand back quickly. Shu looks out to see the car pull into what appears to be an underground garage. As they get out of the SUV, Shu looks around to see many people wearing the same uniform as Gai and his people. Some stood on guard, while others worked on a lone Knightmare Frame and on a massive truck with a red and black coffin symbol on its side. However, some people just stood around, looking at them. In fact, some workers stopped and looked at Gai and his team.
"Come along, my friend," Gai said to Shu, waving him to follow him through a door that led to a hallway. As they walk down it, passing many doors and branching paths, they finally come across a certain door. Inside, Shu saw a massive room, though it was more barren than he expected. Just a group of tables connecting to form two massive tables. One held what looked like a massive map, while the other held a small network of computers. Though one wall held what appeared to be a jumbo screen, and on the screen was displayed the same red coffin symbol he's been seeing. Shu notes the technology in this room.
They have the holographic models!? He looks at the holographic monitors of their computers. How? They're expensive and hard to come by, especially if you're an Eleven.
"Surprised, I take it?" Gai asked with a smirk, glancing back at him before turning back to the room.
"Anything happen after I left, Shibungi?"
In the middle of the room, at the table with the map, a tall, gray-haired man turned to look at Gai. He wore rounded-frame glasses over his gray eyes, as well as a long black coat with thick red lines coming down from his shoulders to his sides, black pants, and black shoes. In the middle of his chest, near the neck, Shu saw the same coffin symbol.
"Nothing too out of the ordinary." Shibungi, shifting his glasses.
"So, that means something did happen."
"That's for you to decide, Gai. Good to see you back, Inori." He nods at the pink-haired girl before looking at Shu.
Gai smiles and raises a hand to Shu. "This is Ouma Shu, an old friend of mine and someone who helped Inori."
Shibungi nods at him with a small smile. "Pleased to meet you."
"T-the pleasure is all mine," Shu said, still glancing around the room nervously.
"I can see you're worried. Rightfully so," Gai said, picking up on his friend's nervousness. "You have nothing to fear, though. You're a guest here at Funeral Parlor."
"Funeral Parlor?"
"The name of our organization." Gai grins, spreading his arms out. "Britannia believes in the Social Darwinist mindset. The strong rule, enjoying their plunder, while the weak die, alone and forgotten. However, that's where we come in."
"Here, the weak are not alone. Here, the weak are not forgotten. In this Parlor, there will always be a funeral song for them. We will always be there for those who are singled out."
Shu stared, eyes wide with awe at the words of his old friend. Is this what he's been doing for these past few years? Fighting Britannia?
"Wait," Shu asked, remembering something Inori said. "What does this have to do with fighting and stealing from Sephirah?"
"There's more to Sephirah than you and anyone else know," Gai said, narrowing his eyes at Shu's hand. "However," He looks back into Shu's eyes. "That'll come later. Inori, take him to one of our rooms and keep an eye on him." He said, then he noticed her injuries. "Maybe you should check on your injuries first, though. Kyo!"
"Hai!" A very young girl steps forward towards the trio. She had brown hair styled in a short ponytail and green eyes. She wore an olive green jacket with a brown hood over a dark green long-sleeve shirt, gray pants and dark green boots. She also had a yellow device hanging from her neck.
She smiles brightly, waving at Inori to follow her. "Come along, Inori. You too." She said, smiling at Shu as well.
Inori nods, then grabs Shu by the hand and leads him out of the room. Shu looks back at Gai one last time before following the girls. Behind them, Gai watches them leave before receiving a call on his tablet. He opens the tablet to see a downtrodden Ayase sitting in her wheelchair.
"I'm sorry, Gai."
-~-
Funeral Parlor Mobile Station – Area 11
Ayase looked down at her hands, fingers fiddling with each other. In front of her was a large screen, where she video-called Gai. After the fight, she and the others escaped to the mobile center truck hidden within the Tokyo Underground tunnels, which were the old metro subway of Japan.
However, instead of feeling relieved, she feels disappointed.
"Ayase. Report your status."
"I... I managed to hold our position long enough. However, I... lost my knightmare." She said, her hands turning into fists.
Not only did she lose the fight, but she also lost her Knightmare Frame, something they were already in short supply of, especially one in working condition. Most of what they had was salvaged whenever they could.
"It was my responsibility. I apologize."
"I see. That is a shame."
Ayase looks up with a hurt expression.
"I gave you such a cruel order in that outdated Knightmare Frame, and yet you claim responsibility?" As Gai spoke, Ayase grew confused. "That must mean I'm a terrible commander, aren't I?"
Ayase's eyes widen. "N-no!" She shouted, waving her arms as her face glowed red. "It was because of my failure! I..."
"I'm kidding, Ayase," Gai said, chuckling and smiling at her. "I'm glad you're safe, truly. Return to base." With that, the call ends.
Ayase looks at the screen with a cheerful expression, cheeks red.
"And Aya's heart soars through the skies!"
The wheelchair bonded girl looks to her side to see a young girl with a mischievous smile. She had black hair styled in the hime cut, grayish-blue eyes, and an electronic headband on top of her head, resembling cat ears. She wore a dark blue and gray tight jumpsuit with various dots all over her body.
"Shut up, Tsugumi!" Ayase shouts out, cheeks still red as Tsugumi cackles.
-~-
DGE Corporation Tower, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Out in the waters near Tokyo Bay, an enormous structure towered over the bay, even when compared to the commercial towers such as Babel Tower.
It stood on top of a massive base on an artificial island with bridges connecting it to the main Tokyo Settlement, and thinning out towards its peak. Eight legs stood from its base to its peak, with three massive rings connecting the land. At its peak was a small complex housing the governing head. Inside, a large, circular, glass and metal complex sat at the center of its base.
However, the most defining element of this structure was the massive double helix in the center, which rose into the air, surrounding the center tower and glowing a bright purple underneath the night sky.
This was the DGE Corp Area 11 Branch Tower, a megastructure that was not only home to one of the largest industrial and tech giants in Area 11 but also the largest hospital in Area 11. This was the headquarters of the DGE Corp Area 11 Branch, a massive Britannian pharmaceutical and industrial conglomerate. It was also home to Sephirah Genomics, a subsidiary of DGE Corp.
Near its peak, inside his private office, General Russell Yan sat by his desk, a wide map of Area 11 behind him. On his desk was a computer hosting a secure call. Upon picking up, a middle-aged man with grey hair and a mustache, wearing a lab coat, appears.
"You know, General, I do find it odd that within the space of one week, you manage to lose two of our most important pieces for the project. One of them under your subordinate's eye, despite your claims to keep the route secret." Shuichiro Keido, head researcher of the project, spoke.
General Yan grits his teeth. "I don't have time for this, Eleven. I have numerous messes to clean up before Margrave Jeremiah and the homeland begin to stick their noses in here, wondering what the hell is happening in Shinjuku and the Settlement. What's the progress on the project?"
Keido lets out a sigh, as if disappointed. "If this is how you're reacting, it's no wonder you lost the Genome to some terrorists. Very well then, the loss of key materials is a significant hurdle in our progress. As of now, any further research into the Void Genome will require us to retrieve what was lost." He narrows his eyes. "And my name is Shuichiro Keido. You'll do well to remember that, General."
General Yan lets out a scoff and scowls. Damn those terrorists! All this chaos, and he has little to show on his side. He needs to retrieve the Genome and sort out this mess before the homeland decides to get properly involved.
"I do suggest you do a thorough clean-up of your messes, General. Any more pieces slip past your fingers, and we risk this project slowing down to a halt." Keido said, ending the call before General Yan could get any last words out.
That damn Eleven!
The General rages, thinking back on all that happened.
How could they have known? Stealing the girl and then the Genome, even knowing which convoy to hit, when there were multiple routes for multiple convoys. No, only he, Bartley, and Keido knew the route was heading for Narita. So, that only left...
A leak.
General Yan lets out a sigh. One thing after another. If this continues, the stress alone will kill him before any terrorists or bureaucrats do.
Enough.
He turns back to his monitor and makes another secure call.
"Colonel Madd, I'm recalling you and your men. Return to the DGE Corp Tower. Now."
-~-
Funeral Parlor Headquarters – Area 11, 13 August 2017 a.t.b
Shu groans as he wakes up to see an unfamiliar ceiling. Confused, he blinks, then looks around, finding himself in a barren room with only a bed and a chair next to him. On it, Inori sat staring at him.
"Inori-san?"
The pink-haired girl nods. "Good morning." She muttered.
The boy, still studying his surroundings, sits up. "Uh... good morning." He said, smiling at her.
The pink-haired girl nods again.
Shu stares down at his hands, still trying to comprehend all that happened yesterday. The chase, the fighting, meeting up with Triton and his group, as well as...
"Shu... please, use me."
He stares down at the mark on his hand.
Suddenly, the door opens with a groan. Both occupants turn to see Gai walking in.
"Hope you had a good rest," Gai said with a smile, closing the door behind him. "Especially after what you went through yesterday."
"Gai," Inori said.
"...Triton," Shu said, making Gai pause.
"It really has been a long time since that name has reached my ears."
"Inori, why don't you go see what Kyo has cooked up for us?"
Inori looks between the two boys.
"Don't worry." Gai smiled. "I just want to catch up with my old friend."
Inori stares at him for a moment before nodding. She gets up from her chair and walks to the door, opening it and leaving, but not before throwing Shu one last look back before the door closed.
"If I'm being honest, I didn't expect you to be a schoolboy at such a prestigious academy," Gai said, sitting on the chair.
Shu chuckles. "Yeah, well, if it makes you feel any better, I didn't expect to find you leading terrorists as well."
"We're not terrorists." Gai immediately shot down the claim, surprising Shu with a look in the eyes and a deep frown.
"Ah, sorry about that."
Gai sighs, calming down. "It's alright. You aren't the one at fault. That's Britannia. Replacing the truth with their version of the truth."
"Yeah." Shu looked away.
A moment of silence fills the room before Gai looks at him with a contemplative expression.
"I'm sure you've seen what Britannia has done to this nation. Hell, you've lived through it. And if you think that's terrible, Sephirah has done its own fair share of atrocities under the sun."
Shu looks back at him. "Are... you asking me to join you?"
"Yes," Gai said. "I believe that
This was his long-lost friend, leading a resistance group against Britannia and, by the looks of things, Sephirah as well. They were a group fighting against the injustice wrought upon this nation.
Yet...
Why am I hesitating?
Yeah, this was his friend, but the years have clearly changed him from when they were children, so much so that he can barely recognise him.
And what have the years done to Shu?
"Take it, Shu."
Shu closes his eyes and shakes his head. "There's..." He sighs. "There are a lot of people that I don't want to leave behind. My classmates, Hare, Yahiro, and even Haruka. I don't..."
Gai sighs, rubbing his hands. "Normally, I would let you go back to normal life, but as things currently stand, that may very well be impossible."
"Huh?" Shu turns to Gai.
"Shu," Gai stares directly into his eyes, a serious expression on his face. "You, unfortunately, have something that neither we nor Sephirah is willing to let go."
Shu's eyes widen, and he looks down at his hand, the one that held that symbol. Gai looks down on it as well. "Yes, with that in your hand, they'll never leave you alone. With The Power of the King in your hand, you will never be able to live your previous life as before. "
"The Power of the King?"
"It's the power that Sephirah's playing with and the power you now wield in your hand."
Shu studies the symbol on his hand. He thinks back to what he did in that building. He remembers the strength he felt when he held that weapon. How unstoppable he felt. He felt like he was a level above everyone, even knightmares.
Like a king...
The Power of the King, huh?
"Why do they have this? How?" Shu asked, looking up at Gai.
"From what we were able to gather, the Void Genome, what Inori was protecting, could analyze the intron sequences in the human genome and change them, implanting its own sequence, resulting in you having the ability to draw out the power within people and turn them into voids."
"Voids? Inori-san mentioned that word."
"It's the term Sephirah is using to describe what appears as you pull out the item from within."
Shu looks down at his hand, at the symbol on the back of his palm. "This doesn't make any sense."
Gai nods. "It doesn't. We're still trying to make sense of the mechanism behind it all. All you need to understand is that with that in your hand." He points at Shu's hand. "Sephirah will never stop hunting you down."
Silence fills the room as Shu takes in the revelation. He stares down at his hand with a frown. Everyone else either stares at him, awaiting his answer.
"It also doesn't help that we went through a lot of effort and blood to inquire the Genome. As the leader of Funeral Parlor, I can't let all our sacrifices go in vain."
After that, Shu sat silently, trying to take in all that he had just heard. A few moments later, Gai took pity on him.
"It's a lot to take in, I know. I'll give you some time to think this through." He said before standing up and walking to the door. Before he leaves, he looks back at Shu with a smile.
"For what it's worth, Shu, I'm really glad you're okay." He nods at him before leaving the room.
Silence fills the room as Shu looks down, taking in all that Triton had said to him.
Or Gai, as they're calling him now.
Soon, the door opens again. This time, Inori walks in with a tray in her hands.
"Food," She said, sitting next to him and handing him the tray.
"Oh, thank you, Inori-san." He said, taking it and studying the food on it. A loaf of bread with a bowl of soup that smells...
Sniff
...really good!
His stomach grumbles, demanding sustenance, and he obeys. As he eats, his mind's still on Gai's words.
Joining, huh...
Shu looks at Inori, who just sat silently watching him eat.
"Inori-san. If you don't mind me asking, why... why did you join Funeral Parlor?"
Inori looks at him with slightly wide eyes. She's silent for a moment, looking down at her hands, thinking, before looking back at Shu.
"Because Gai said so."
-~-
Highway Bridge, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Soon, the evening fell upon the city, with a crowd of people standing packed in lines on top of the main highway bridge. Many people, including the news, stand on the sides of the road, waiting for the murderous Eleven to arrive.
"Any moment. Any moment now." A news reporter said as he stood by the crowd, the Hi-TV news camera facing him. "What a sight to behold! The throngs line the route!"
As the crowd waits, a girl with a black and white frill headband walks past the news reporter and makes her way to the front of the crowd.
Against her better judgment, Maya Garfield was in the crowd, also awaiting Suzaku's arrival.
Why?
She hardly knows herself.
Was it to save Suzaku Kururugi?
How? Maya thinks as she looks around. Not only was there an enormous crowd here, a lot of soldiers and knightmares stood in front of the throngs of people to make sure they kept off the road and to deliver death to any would-be rescuers.
Then is it for reassurance?
For what? She wasn't even sure he was the voice, especially after what she learned.
She did her research on Kururugi Suzaku, studying his history and learning that he was the son of the last Prime Minister of Japan, Kururugi Genbu, until he abandoned his Japanese heritage, becoming an Honorary Britannian, and worked as a soldier for Britannia.
Is a man such as he really the voice? Maybe he faked his allegiance to Britannia, working to overthrow Britannia from within.
Still... Maya frowns, somewhat unsure of that reasoning.
All this, however, doesn't change the fact that Kururugi Suzaku is about to meet his end, and there's nothing she can do for him.
Maya looked down the road, trying to see the coming escort, hoping that this man was truly not the voice.
-~-
Ashford Academy Student Council Room – Area 11
Within the meeting room, the remaining members of the Student Council were all watching the news. Shirley sat at the corner of the table, closest to the television, while Rivalz sat cross-legged on top of the table.
Milly stood behind the table facing the television, while behind her, Nina sat at her desk, watching as well.
"All of them waiting with bated breath, waiting for the accused murderer of Prince Clovis to pass by." The news reported continued, gesturing to the people behind him.
"Hmm," Rivalz notices something in the background. "Hey, wait a sec, is that Maya?"
"What?" Shirley asked, glancing at him before looking back. She looks at the passing girl and notices the familiar black and white frill headband. "Wait, it is her!"
"Huh," Milly tilted her head at this.
-~-
Elsewhere in the clubhouse, Nunnally sat in her wheelchair, a handheld radio in her hands.
"Honorary Britannian and former Eleven, Suzaku Kururugi."
Her hands clenched around the radio. She sat alone in the dark, with Sayoko on a nighttime errand, and Lelouch wasn't home yet either.
Suzaku.
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
Behind the crowd, the Hi-TV news van sat parked. Inside, Diethard stood watching a monitor with multiple screens, with his two co-workers sitting and working at the monitors.
"Camera 5 is lagging," Diethard said, hand to the communicator on his ear while watching the screens. "Has your team been deployed yet?" He asked, watching the camera in question as he listened to the response.
"What? The Studio? Let them wait. Nothing's been pushed back. Everything's going according to plan. "He said as all the screens switched to a single view of the bridge. "Here we go."
Soon, the cameras show the arrival of the military escort heading their way.
"I-I can see them!" The news reporter shouted as he and everyone turned to look. "They have the suspect! Suzaku Kururugi is heading this way!"
"Like clockwork," Diethard smirks as he turns off his communicator. "What a circus this is." He mutters, smirk dropping as he watches the farce before him. "And I'm just as corrupt as any of them."
"Murderer!"
"Garbage!"
"Damned Eleven!"
"Give us back our Prince!"
The crowd threw out these insults with vitriol at the sitting prisoner. Suzaku took these insults with a solemn look, sitting strapped on a small stool between two soldiers who had their rifles pointed at him as they rode on top of an APC.
Around the APC, four knightmares surrounded the vehicle on each side. In the front, Margrave Jeremiah drove his knightmare with the cockpit open, revealing himself to the crowd as he escorted Suzaku.
Meanwhile, Suzaku held his head down, looking at the vehicle he was on. Whatever verdict the court gave him, he would accept it.
Whether innocent or guilty, he would accept it wholeheartedly.
Whatever it may be.
-~-
Camelot, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
"This is ridiculous!" Mariel shouted, looking over Cecile's shoulders, with Cecile's laptop playing the live broadcast. "Suzaku's innocent! We know that!"
Cecile nods, watching as well. All around them, researchers and technicians worked on the Lancelot.
Away on a nearby monitor, Lloyd shrugs, his focus on what the monitor was displaying. "The court deemed our testimony inadmissible. There's nothing we can do."
"That's not right!" Mariel said, turning to him.
Lloyd looks back at her, a smirk growing on his face. "Is that altruism or humanitarianism, I wonder?"
Cecile turns to him with a frown. "This isn't the time for a game of semantics, Lloyd."
Again, Lloyd shrugs. "Not much else we can do. We all know where this case is heading. We couldn't even reach His Highness from the summit." He turns back to the monitor. "All we can do is cut our losses, really."
Both girls' noses wrinkled, as if they smelled something sour. They turn back to the laptop, frowning as they continue to watch the crowd hurl vitriol at an innocent man.
-~-
Funeral Parlor – Area 11
Shu walks down the hallway, eyes taking in his surroundings. Yesterday, he didn't really pay attention to where he was, focusing on following Inori and Kyo to the medical bay.
Right now, he was doing the same thing. All day, he thought of Gai's question and Inori's answer.
She joined because he said so? What does that mean?
Despite all the talks they had and what happened yesterday, Shu realizes that he really doesn't know that much about Inori. And the same goes for Triton, despite being his childhood friend.
Is that why he was hesitating to join? Is he afraid of finding out what happened?
Shu thinks back to his friends at school. He thinks of Hare, Yahiro, Souta and Kanon. He thinks of Haruka. How would they all react?
Would they be safe if he joined Funeral Parlor? How about himself? Would he be safe? What would happen to his life? He did ride the motorbike through the settlement. Maybe they already know his face and are hunting him down. If he joins, would his life completely change? Could he accept that?
"Take it, Shu."
Or worse... what if he joined and absolutely nothing changed? What if he still remained the same old pathetic Shu? Who couldn't even-
"Voices of the scorned growing ever louder. A testament to the people's love of their Prince. Raining their judgment down on a murderous terrorist."
He hears something and looks up, seeing that he had walked to what was apparently the control room with all the computers and screens. He walks in and sees a lot of Funeral Parlor members, including Gai, watching said computers and screens. The news played on them, showing Suzaku Kururugi being escorted, while the crowds of Britannians on the sides threw vitriol at the Japanese boy.
Shu hears a scoff and turns away to see a tall young boy standing next to him. Behind him was the giant man from before, a young girl wearing a jumpsuit who looked at him with curiosity, and a girl in a wheelchair who eyed him with a raised eyebrow.
"What a charade. I bet you all my money that guy didn't even kill the prince. Probably just grabbed him off the streets." He said, sneering up at the screen.
Shu turns back to the screen. "Why?"
The boy shrugs. "Who knows? And honestly, do you think they care?"
Shu turns back to the screen, finding it to disagree with the man. Britannia has not been kind to the Elevens, so that suggestion was not out of the question. The recent incident at the academy yesterday comes to mind.
"Then, does that mean you're gonna rescue him?" Shu asked, curious about Funeral Parlor's plans.
The man glances at him before looking back at the screen.
"That's up to Gai to decide."
Upon hearing that, Shu's eyes focused on Gai, who silently watched the broadcast with a neutral expression.
Triton.
-~-
Resistance Hideout, Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11
"Margrave Jeremiah, integral in settling this case, will be presiding over this trial as Acting Consul."
In the resistance, Ohgi's group stood watching the news on their old TV.
"There's no way just the three of them can pull this off." Tamaki, sitting by the table, eyes on the screen.
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
Underneath the bridge, on the abutment of the elevated monorails that ran throughout the entire settlement, Ohgi sat waiting inside a unique machine with train cars around him.
"He told us he would do it," Ohgi muttered to himself, hands tight on the handles of the machine. His nerves almost had him wanting to leave this place and forget this outlandish endeavor. Yet...
"He told us that he would save Kururugi Suzaku."
And somehow, someway, he believed him. Maybe it was the conviction in his voice and the confidence in his stature. Maybe it's the almost magnetic charisma that has Ohgi following the masked man's orders. Maybe it was because he had previously led them out of a dangerous situation.
Or maybe, just maybe, he wanted to believe. To believe in the miracle he promised them.
No use thinking about it now. Ohgi shakes his head and focuses.
As he prepares his suit and puts it on, Lelouch's mind races.
This is it.
After this moment, everything was going to change. How much? Even he doesn't truly know.
Lelouch gives a small grin to his mask, a cold sweat running down his face. He had the suit issued by his associate, whom he had saved from the chess match the other day. Of course, he had him forget ever making this suit and destroying any evidence of doing so with his Geass.
Geass.
The power that rested in his eye. Currently, his most powerful tool, and his most mysterious one at that.
And he was going to use it now to save his best friend.
In front of a military escort. In front of the entire world, in fact.
"There's no turning back now," Lelouch said as he put on his mask. "The die's been cast." Zero said as the mask sealed closed.
He would have waited until he had all the pieces for his rebellion, but with Suzaku's life at risk, he will have to speed things up.
After all, Suzaku was his best friend, and he'll be damned to let him die like this.
-~-
As Jeremiah led the escort, a voice came through his earpiece communicator. "Acting Consul Jeremiah."
"What is it?" Jeremiah asked, hand up to his ear.
"Vehicle approaching the main highway on 3rd." The soldier over the radio explained. "We let it through as you instructed, but..."
"Do you believe that the target could be a terrorist vehicle?" Jeremiah asked.
"Well, sir... it's Prince Clovis' car."
Jeremiah's eyes widen. His Highness's car? They were driving up to him in that!? He then smirks.
The audacity is almost enough to make him laugh.
"Well, well, looks like we have a comedian." He said to himself. "Don't worry about it. Just let him through to us." He orders the soldier before turning to the escort, his hand held up high.
"All forces, halt here!"
The convoy immediately comes to a halt, surprising Suzaku and the crowd who were watching.
-~-
Hideout – Area 11
The resistance group was surprised to see the escort stop in the middle of the road.
"Hey, they stopped," Sugiyama said. "They really did it."
Tamaki scoffs. "It's just a coincidence."
"But he said that Jeremiah would do that because he liked to be the center of attention," Yoshida said, remembering Zero's words.
"Coincidence!"
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
What's going on? Maya's mind raced as she tried to figure out the reason for the sudden stop. This can't be just a coincidence.
When the escort arrived, all she saw was Suzaku's sullen expression and Jeremiah's confident expression. Then she saw Jeremiah shifting his hand up to his ear, as if talking to someone, before ordering the halt.
Whatever he heard had him halting the escort in the middle of the bridge.
Why, though?
Was there an attack? Maya looked around, but for the life of her, she couldn't make anything out.
Maybe... something was coming to him.
She looks down the road opposite the military escort, making out a vehicle that was driving up the road to them.
-~-
"This is Site 5," Jeremiah heard over the radio as he saw the vehicle. "Vehicle approaching."
The vehicle was a white, 8-wheeled touring car with a long bonnet, with gold stripes running down its sides. Its driver and passenger seats were out in the open, but at the back sat a white and blue roof tent with doors on either side.
Its whole design speaks of the royal who rides in it.
Or it used to.
The audacity. Jeremiah smirks at the car driving up to him. Still, he had to give them credit. Rocking up to him in the late prince's personal vehicle had to be one of the more interesting ways to die.
-~-
Underneath the bridge, Ohgi watches the news on a portable device that was strapped to one of the dashboard screens within the machine.
"What the hell is he doing?" He asked, eyes wide in disbelief. "He's heading straight for them!"
-~-
"Will they really believe this charade?" Kallen mutters, hands clenched tight on the steering wheel. She wore a white tuxedo jacket with black highlights buttoned to her right side, over a white shirt with a black bow tie, white high-rise pants and black dress shoes. On top of her was a white chauffeur hat with a black and gold band and a purple visor that helped to hide her identity.
As she drove the car, she looked around the interior. While the exterior of the car looked pristine, inside painted an accurate picture of what was really happening. All around her, the vehicle was held together by hopes, dreams and lots and lots of tape. Broken buttons and hanging panels. Rusting metal and loose wires. And lots of tape holding the exterior to the barely working frame of the car.
This was the product of Ohgi and Kallen's long hours in the junkyard.
This is madness. She thought, wondering how the hell she hadn't been blown to kingdom come already.
Somehow, impossibly, his plan seemed to be actually working.
Hope that means she can get out of here alive.
-~-
As the car rolls to a stop before the escort, Jeremiah speaks up. "You dare desecrate His Highness's transport!? Get out of there!"
Suddenly, flames ignited in front of the car tent. The front of the tent burns off as the fire quickly consumes it, revealing the masked figure inside.
"I am Zero!"
Jeremiah, as well as the crowd, stares in surprise at the man and his odd attire.
"Zero?" Maya repeated, looking up at the masked man.
"W-who is this man!? This man, who calls himself Zero, standing before a full military convoy!?" The news reporter asked, the announcement being broadcast everywhere within the empire.
-~-
Ashford Academy Student Council Clubhouse – Area 11
"Is this man somehow related to the suspect, Kururugi?"
"What is all this?" Rivalz asked as he leaned forward, as if trying to look closer. The same could be said of the rest of the Student Council, as everyone gave their full attention to the television.
-~-
In her room, Nunnally tilts her head at this man called Zero.
-~-
Hideout – Area 11
"Who is this man called Zero?"
"What the hell is he doing?" Tamaki asked, as he and everyone within the hideout stared incredulously at the man's bold actions.
-~-
Funeral Parlor Headquarters – Area 11
Shu hears a whistle next to him, coming from the young girl in the jumpsuit. "Whoever this guy is, he knows how to put on a show." She said, drawing some nods from others around him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this scene down here is nothing like you have seen."
Shu looks back at Zero, marking down his odd choice of clothing. He looks like he belongs more in a theatre than where he is now.
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
Inside the news van, Diethard watches Zero with a confused expression. "Zero? What, like nothing?" He asked, the multiple screens giving him multiple angles of Zero.
-~-
Japanese Liberation Front, Narita – Area 11
"Are we gazing at a terrorist? Certainly not the wisest if such is the case."
At the JLF mountain base, many members either sat or knelt to watch the television that was on the ground. In the background, Toudou stands and listens, his back against a pillar with his katana in his hands.
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
As Kallen grits her teeth, fear coursing through her veins, Zero stares at Suzaku, who stares back.
Is he an Eleven? Suzaku thought.
Now, to return the favor, Suzaku. Lelouch thought as he grinned within his mask.
"I've seen enough, Zero," Jeremiah said, pulling out his handgun. "This little show of yours is over." He then fired a shot into the sky.
Suddenly, from above, four knightmares began air-dropping from their Knightmare carrier VTOLs. Upon landing, the knightmares surrounded Zero and pointed their rifles at him. Kallen gasps as she looks around, seeing no way out. However, Zero stands still, his cloak fluttering due to the air displaced by the surrounding war machines.
As the VTOLs fly away, Jeremiah grins at Zero. "Before I end this, why don't you lose that mask of yours?"
The crowd remains silent as they watch the masked man slowly lift a hand up to his mask. However, instead of grabbing, he suddenly raises his hand to the sky and snaps his fingers.
Suddenly, the rest of the roof tent explodes from a capsule Zero had discreetly thrown behind him. The smoke quickly dissipates, revealing a large half-spherical capsule.
A very familiar half-spherical capsule.
"What the-!?" Jeremiah's eyes widen, recognizing the capsule.
"Lord Jeremiah, be careful! That-" Villetta shouted, standing in her open cockpit.
"All forces, hold your fire!" Jeremiah quickly shouts out. He couldn't afford them shooting now.
That's right, Jeremiah. Lelouch smirks underneath his mask. You never saw inside this thing, so you assume it holds poison gas.
However, Suzaku recognizes the capsule and its actual truth behind it. "Wait, you don't under-" He tries to speak up, but the orange collar around activates and sends an electric shock through his throat. "UGH!"
"What is that thing?" Maya mutters, staring at the capsule. Around her, the crowd mumbles, wondering what that device was. Whatever it was, it had the Britannians shaken, with Jeremiah ordering not to fire, not willing to risk any damage to the capsule.
She then looked at Zero, who just stood there in the face of it all, seemingly unafraid despite the amount of firepower directed at him.
Who are you? She thought, never taking her eyes off him.
-~-
Funeral Parlor Headquarters – Area 11
"That capsule... Gai..."
"I know, Shibungi," Gai said, his eyes narrowing on that capsule behind Zero. "I know. And I may have a suspicion on where she may have gone."
Shu looks between the two and the capsule.
Gai looks at him, noticing his glances. "I can't exactly tell you, given your current status."
Shu looks at the capsule, then an idea comes to his mind. "It's related to this, isn't it?" He asked, lifting his hand to look at the symbol. He looks at Gai, who stares back.
All around, the Funeral Parlor members remained silent, glancing between the two young men.
Gai sighs before looking back at the capsule. "Yes, you're correct. That capsule relates to the power you now wield."
Shu looks back at the screen, focusing on the capsule and the masked man who was standing beside it.
Who are you?
-~-
Anti-Bodies Mobile Command Base, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
Major Guin stares with eyes wide open at the sight of the capsule.
That's the capsule Anti-Bodies was set to retrieve after that fiasco in Shinjuku. After hours of searching, they found nothing but soot, ash and rubble at its last sighted location and had deemed the device destroyed during the battle.
Clearly, it's not! Major Guin grits his teeth. Already, this day has been going to shit after the failure of capturing the Genome, with him having to deal with the police and the news asking for questions he didn't want to answer. Now, another terrorist is in possession of what was once theirs!
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
"You bastard," Jeremiah growls. The crowd around clamors on, unaware of the danger they are in. "He took every Britannian here hostage. And he's done it without them even knowing it!"
He raises his gun at Zero, who speaks up. "You intend to shoot me? I think you know fully well what will happen."
On the sides, Maya leans forward, a small smile growing on her face as she glances between Jeremiah and Zero.
-~-
Inside the news van, Diethard is trying to get the cameras into a better position. "Unit 6, bring up the sound! And shove that camera up his face!"
"But sir, it's too hairy out here."
Diethard frowns, then scoffs. "Tch, amateurs." He grabs a spare camera and rushes out of the van towards Zero.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah grimaces as he lowers his handgun. "Fine. What are your demands?" He asked, conceding.
"An exchange. This, for Kururugi." Zero said.
Jeremiah narrows his eyes. "Like hell! He's charged with high treason for murdering a prince! I can't hand him over!"
"No, you're mistaken, Jeremiah. He's no murderer."
Diethard finally makes it past the crowd and right onto the middle of the road, lifting his camera to face and broadcast Zero's mask for all to see.
"The man who killed Clovis..." Zero turns towards Diethard's camera.
"Was myself!"
A sudden commotion fills the air as the crowd all gasp at the revelation. Maya stared wide-eyed at Zero, slack-jawed, while Diethard had a massive, wide smile on his face.
-~-
Camelot – Area 11
"No way!" Mariel shouted, leaning forward towards the laptop.
"Unbelievable!" Cecile shouted as well.
"So, the true culprit finally comes out!" Lloyd said with a smile. Soon after Zero's arrival, he got curious and decided to watch along with them.
And boy, was he glad he did!
-~-
Japanese Liberation Front Headquarters – Area 11
"W-what does this mean!? This masked man called Zero..."
The members of the JLF were just as shocked as the crowds were. Even Toudou stepped away from the pillar and faced the screen.
-~-
Highway Bridge – Area 11
"No, we can't be sure of who he is. Regardless, he claims to be the real assassin! So, where does this leave the current culprit?"
Suzaku stares, shocked at the supposed killer. So, he's the one who did it?
"For a single Japanese man, you'll save scores of precious Britannians. I find that to be a bargain." Zero said, as Diethard moved to the side for a better angle, camera still running.
This is all one big performance for him. Diethard realizes with a wild grin on his face.
"He's mad! MAD, I tell you!" Jeremiah shouts at Zero and points his handgun at him, finally having had enough of the masked man's plays. "Disguising this truck as His Highness's!? He'll pay the price for mocking the crown!"
All the knightmares leveled their weapons at him, yet Zero continued, unfazed. "Careful now, you don't want the public to learn of 'Orange', do you?"
"Orange?" Jeremiah asked, lowering his handgun and furrowing his brow in confusion.
"Orange? What's he talking about?" One soldier guarding Suzaku asked.
"I don't know." The other one said.
The crowd also picks up on the topic of Orange. As they clamor to discuss it, Maya furrows her brow. Orange?
Zero taps his foot on the roof. On cue, Kallen drives the car forward slowly. "If I die, it will all go public! If you don't want to happen..."
"What are you talking about? What is this!?" Jeremiah asked, still baffled by the man's words.
Suddenly, on the left side of Zero's mask, a slit slides open, revealing his glowing left eye solely to Jeremiah.
"You will do everything in your power to let us go. Your prisoner as well!"
Once again, the sigil flaps its wings and Geass enters Jeremiah's mind, bending his will to Zero's.
Jeremiah's body relaxes and nods. "Very well." He then turns to the two soldiers guarding Suzaku. "You there, release the prisoner!"
Everyone within earshot had their eyes shoot up wide at the words of the man. Suzaku and the soldiers, as well as Villetta, Kewell, and even the other knightmare pilots, looked at Jeremiah as if he had gone mad. Even Kallen was shocked, not expecting the man to hand him over so easily.
"What are you doing, My Lord!?" Villetta shouts.
"Get that man over here!" Jeremiah ignored her, continuing to order the two soldiers, who glanced at each other in hesitation.
"Should we?"
"But..."
Jeremiah growled, growing impatient. "Hand that man over! Nobody gets in his way!"
"What the hell are you doing!?" Kewell shouted from behind him, as he also stood up from his open cockpit.
"Lord Kewell, this is an order!" Jeremiah said, glaring at him.
Eventually, the soldiers released Suzaku from his restraints and left him to walk towards Zero, who jumped off Clovis' personal transport and approached him as well.
-~-
"It's hard to tell what's happening from here, but it appears that Kururugi's release has been brokered." The news reporter said. Seeing this on his portable, Ohgi pulls on a red lever.
Suddenly, the machine he's in shifts and stands, revealing two thin white legs with landspinners, a thin white torso that swung open and two long thin white arms. It also had a black torso, which held the cockpit, and a white head with protruding red eyes.
This was the MR-1 Knightmare Frame, a civilian design meant for heavy manual labor. It lacks the standard weapon specs of its military predecessors, aside from its chest-mounted Slash Harkens and cockpit ejection system. But what it lacked in combat power, it made up for in being cheap and easy to use.
-~-
As Suzaku and Zero got closer and stood face to mask, the surrounding crowd cried out, demanding to know why the prisoner was being released and why Zero wasn't arrested already.
"So, who the hell are- UGH!" Yet again, as Suzaku tries to speak, the shock corner that was left on activates again, cutting him off.
"As I thought, they didn't allow you to speak." Zero said, seeing the shock corner and its effects. Behind him, Kallen steps out of the vehicle and makes her way towards the duo.
"If they get away, we'll lose everything!" Villetta said as she quickly entered her knightmare, unwilling to allow this to continue.
"Zero," Kallen spoke up, arriving next to Zero. "It's time to go."
"Very well then." He said, bringing up a hand from his cloak to reveal a detonator. "Till next time."
He presses down on the trigger.
Immediately, purplish smoke is vented out of the large capsule, frightening the crowd into screaming and running, as they're caught in the smoke cloud.
"You cowardly Elevens!" Villetta shouted from her knightmare, leveling her rifle at Zero and the group. However, Jeremiah, already inside his knightmare, intercepts her and smacks her rifle upward, bullets flying high into the air. "Lord Jeremiah!? What are you doing!?"
"You heard me! Let them get away!" Jeremiah shouted at her, the mind behind his eyes no longer his.
In the chaos, Zero grabs Suzaku and rushes to the bridge railing, jumping off along with Kallen, who follows right after them.
"They're not alone at all!" Kewell saw them jumping and chased after them. "They jumped right off!"
Underneath the bridge, Ohgi saw them and fired his Slash Harkens. As the two large hooks flew forward into a supporting bridge column, a net unfurled in between the two cables, catching the falling group, slowing them down, and dropping them into an open, empty train car.
"It worked!" Ohgi giggles as he sees them land inside, exactly as planned. "Now, we can-" His voice gets caught in his throat as he watches with wide eyes Kewell's Sutherland scaling down, rifle pointed at him.
Before he could fire, however, a massive flash of red light engulfed the knightmare, followed swiftly by a loud explosion. Surprised, Oghi looks around for the cause and sees Kallen standing in the car, arms pointed at the flaming knightmare. She pants, sweating heavily, before she collapses.
Zero catches before she hits the ground, his mask glancing between her and the engulfed knightmare. Impressive.
Ohgi shakes his head and shifts the knightmare into compact mode, pulling the carts away as he begins the escape down the rails.
Meanwhile, the smoke that covered Kewell's Sutherland dissipates, revealing that he and his knightmare survived their impromptu combustion, though not without damage as the shed paint and sparking limbs reveal.
"Damn it," Kewell cursed within his knightmare, fiddling with his controls, trying to move while his dashboard flashed red with multiple warnings and reports about the damage sustained to the frame. "What the hell was that!?"
"Lord Kewell!" Kewell looks to his side and notices Jeremiah's Sutherland hanging next to him, rifle pointed at him. "If you had just followed my orders from the beginning, you would not be suffering this humiliation! Let this be an example to all forces. Obey my orders and help them get away!"
-~-
Further down the bridge, Maya looks over the bridge railing, having witnessed everything that transpired.
So it is you. She watches the train carrying Zero escaping, her small smile growing wider.
Zero.
-~-
Abandoned Theatre Entrance, Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11
Kallen panted, sweat pouring down her forehead as she rested her back on an old coach. After they had actually pulled off the plan to save Suzaku Kururugi, they hightailed it to one of their group spots. An abandoned theatre that used to be popular around here before the invasion.
She's not alone, as not only was Ohgi there, sitting next to her, but the others in the resistance were there too. Minami and Sugiyama stood behind the coach, while Inoue and Yoshida sat down on a bench, and Tamaki leaned on a nearby pillar.
She looks down at her shaking hands. Never in her life has she ever radiated something as large as a Sutherland. Sure, she's tested it whenever she could, testing out her limits. Yet, she's never tried a Knightmare before, at least not all of it at once.
"Here," Ohgi handed her a water bottle. "Looks like you could use some water." As she sits up to grab the bottle and open it, Ohgi rubs the back of his head, looking thankfully at her. "And... I know I'm not the biggest fan of your using your Meta-Ability, but thanks. You really saved me back there."
Kallen pauses, looking at him before smiling and nodding, turning to drink her water.
"Man, I didn't think he could make it," Sugiyama said, still in awe of what he had just witnessed.
"Yeah, like who is this guy?" Yoshida asked.
"It's bullshit!" Tamaki said, scowling. "How many times is a bluff like that going to work?"
"You have to admit, though. Who could have pulled that off?" Ohgi asked, leaning forward, his hands clasped together. "Even the Japan Liberation Front couldn't do this, and certainly not me." He said, looking down at his hands before looking at Tamaki. "We all thought a war with Britannia was impossible. But maybe, just maybe, with him, it's possible."
Hearing this, Kallen turns her head towards the door leading to the theatre, with Zero and Suzaku Kururugi inside.
Is it really possible? With him?
-~-
Abandoned Theatre, Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11
"It looks like you were treated very harshly." Zero said, speaking in Japanese while observing the bruises on Suzaku. He stood on top of the collapsed roof debris that had landed in the empty audience seats. Suzaku stood not too far, on the stairs separating the seats, his removed restraints and shock collar hanging behind him on the railings.
"Now you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you wish to change the world, then join me!" Zero said, moonlight falling on him.
Suzaku was silent for a moment, staring at him, before speaking. "So, is it true? Did you really kill Prince Clovis?" He asked.
"This is war. It's natural to kill the enemy commander."
"And the poison gas?" Suzaku asked, his eyes narrowing on Zero. "All the people you held hostage?"
"Colored smoke. Nothing more than a bluff to help with the exchange. The result? Not a single death."
"Result? Of course, that's all you care about," Suzaku mutters, looking down with a sad smile on his face.
Zero holds out his hand to him. "Join me. The Britannia you serve is a worthless nation."
"Perhaps that's true..." Suzaku said, before looking up at Zero. "However, this nation... it can be changed for the better within."
Changed!? The notion baffled Lelouch.
"And any results gained by contemptible means are worthless." With that said, Suzaku turns and walks away, towards a torn-down wall.
"Wait, where are you going!?"
"I have a court-martial beginning in an hour," Suzaku answered, continuing his walk.
Zero clenches his fist. "Are you mad!? The only reason they're giving you a trial is to find you guilty! The judge, the prosecution and the defense!" He explained, trying to reason with him.
"Rules are rules," Suzaku said. "And if I don't go, they'll crack down harder on the Elevens and Honorary Britannians."
"But you'll die!"
"I don't mind."
"Don't be an idiot!"
Suzaku stops, his back facing Zero. "An old friend of mine used to say that about me. That I'm being a fool." He looks down with a sad smile. "I guess that's my personal flaw."
He then looks back at Zero. "I'd try to bring you in, but you would just kill me. And if I'm going to die, it's going to be in the service of the people." He gives a small smile. "Still, I thank you for saving me." He then continues his walk out of the hole in the wall, towards the glistening skyline of the Tokyo Settlement in the distance.
Lelouch grits his teeth, watching his friend walk back seemingly to a life of servitude and, possibly, his death with no regard to his safety whatsoever.
"You fool!"
-~-
Ashford Academy Student Council Clubhouse – Area 11
Inside her dining room, Nunnally smiles as she listens to her radio.
"Yes, apparently Private Kururugi has made contact with the authorities. It would seem that Zero had released him. However, now that the original charge against him has been thrown into question, it's very possible that Kururugi will be found innocent and acquitted."
"Thank goodness." She said, relieved that her long-time friend was safe.
Suddenly, she hears the door slide open from behind her. "Sayoko?" She asked, turning her head towards the door.
However, instead of Sayoko, what stood at the door was a green-haired and gold-eyed woman.
-~-
Pendragon Outskirts, Pendragon – Holy Empire of Britannia
Within her office, early in the morning, Integra watches the nighttime events of Suzaku's failed execution and subsequent rescue on her laptop.
"Quite an interesting watch to witness."
As the reporter went on about Suzaku's return, Integra glanced to her side to see a tall man reveal himself from the shadows of the room. Almost as if appearing from them.
He wore a long crimson coat over a black double-breasted suit, matching black trousers, a pair of dark brown leather riding boots and a white, long-sleeved shirt with a red cravat. On top, he wore a wide red cowboy hat with a pair of heavily tinted circular sunglasses covering his eyes.
Despite his eyes being covered, his wide smile couldn't hide his enjoyment.
"Really?" She asked, raising a brow. "Thought such things wouldn't interest you."
The man chuckles. "Certainly not in the beginning, no. There's very little to be found in seeing a dead man walking towards his grave. His rescuer, on the other hand."
The man's sunglasses focus on the image of Zero being displayed on the screen. "There's something about him. Something that wants me to watch him, to see what he'll do next."
"Hmm." Integra turns back to the laptop. "Well, he's certainly got a theatrical flair to his antics."
He's certainly more interesting than any other terrorist. She can't remember any individual wearing such a costume and committing acts while doing so.
"Worrying about him isn't our job, however. That's for OSI to figure out." She stated, closing the news tabs, and began her work.
"Though I am curious about this 'Orange'."
"Oh, pray tell?" The man asked.
"A lot has been happening within Area 11, more so than what's normal for a colony of its size. Some attributed to poor government handling, while others appear to be more... abnormal." She said, pulling up an image of the massive pillar of light illuminating the city.
The man hums, expression unchanging.
"Add to what our agents report as peculiar behavior, especially from Anti-Bodies, the massive spikes of mana we're detecting and whatever the hell 'Orange' is, and it doesn't take a genius to see that something's afoot in Area 11."
"You believe it to be our enemies?"
"Definitely. However, we need confirmation." She looks up at him, staring through the sunglasses. "Alucard, you will take the police girl and a couple of our men to Area 11 and investigate the cause of these phenomena."
The man, Alucard, grins. "And if they prove to be a threat?"
Integra's eyes harden. "Eliminate them."
Alucard's grin grows even wider, his arm across his chest as he bows before her, the air shifting around him, almost as if it got impossibly darker for a moment.
"As you wish, master."