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In the War Room

General Mark Lowe grumbled as the traffic honked and buzzed. No matter where you come from, Europe, China, or even Britannia, everyone hates traffic. In this world of one-uping your enemies and hating someone for where they were born, we could all agree on one thing. Traffic is the worst.

Gen. Mark Lowe arrived. Late, as always. It would help if he would be given closer lodgings, but the chance of that was about one in a million. He was only here in the first place because of two reasons. He had a good ability to stay calm under pressure and do a damn good job of whatever he needed to do, but this wasn't the biggest reason.

He made his way to the front desk, exposed his credentials, and moved on. He saw many regular faces, some he knew personally, some he didn't. The corridors were extraordinarily decorated for a military facility. Then again, he was in Pendragon, so that must be expected.

He stopped for a cup of water while on the way to his office on the second to lowest level. It was a mistake.

"Good morning, commie" came a deep, old voice. Mark turned around. It was Gen. Frederic Von Bragg. An old, conservative noble. His strategic ability was in question. The amount of money in his pocket was out of the question.

"Good morning, Von Bragg." Being neutral was the only option. Any sort of resistance would lead to a bad situation.

"How do you do, commie." It wasn't a question. It was a threat.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you. Just heading to my office to get settled." Von Bragg kept his stupid evil smile, the kind of smile a school-yard bully makes.

"You're late today, commie." This was not why he bothered Mark.

"Yes. The traffic was exceptionally awful this morning, and maybe if I got an abode closer to here, I wouldn't to be so damn late all the time."

Damn. I went over my boundaries.

Von Bragg moved himself to an inch from Mark's face.

"Don't you ever speak that way to me again, you commie bastard. It's not my fault your mother was a whore and your father was working class scum. It's not my fault I'm better than you. Now you better take your commie ass to your little corner before I get you court-martialed for insubordination to a commanding officer." Von Bragg and Mark were of equal rank, but no one would care with Von Bragg money in their hands.

On the end of that note, Von Bragg spit at Mark's feet and strutted off, like a peacock, making sure every single undeserved medal was shining. Von Bragg was definitely the person Mark hated most in the world.

Mark was a commoner. This was the real reason he was chosen for the Council of War. He was a decoration, to appeal to the common masses. Very recently, a large explosion of Pro-commoner activity had sprung up. More and more people were promoting more rights for commoners and criticizing the aristocratic system. Of course, the situation boiled over into the military. Many argued that more commoners should be allowed to become officers and knightmare pilots. Even the Council of War, the infamous council of generals that convened to construct the grand strategy of Britannia's many wars. Till now, no commoner had ever been admitted to the Council of War. Mark broke that tradition. Because of that, the most conservative generals call him commie, which means commoner; the more moderate generals dislike him but keep it to themselves, and the most forward-looking generals actually make an effort to be polite.

He sipped his water and moved on.

The leather chair was comfortable. The desk was a good size. The decor was alright. Despite all the hate Mark gets, he was given a rather nice office for a commoner. Most likely he was given this instead of some cupboard was the benevolence of Prince Schneizel. He was, hands down, the most forward looking royal ever to have lived. He would have executive officers that were commoners, women, or even numbers! Numbers, executive officers! My god if Prince Schneizel was anyone other than the military mind he is he would be demoted faster than you can say commoners' rights.

Mark ceased his rambling and began reading through the many daily reports. Federation ships amassing in the South China sea, European diplomats warning Britannia to remove forces from whatever region, all normal for his job, Commander of Homeland Defense, protector of Britannia's heartland. He technically is the last line of defense if Britannia enters another war with a major power. Sadly, funding for Homeland Defense has drastically declined since the end of the Great War. The era of a never-ending fear of European air raids has long since passed.

He shifted his attention to his computer. He bent over and went on to the BBN's website to find something interesting. Nothing. Not a single article was of any sighed. He really had nothing to do. He looked at the time; 11:36. Not even Noon yet. He reclined in his chair, took a sip of some freshly delivered coffee, and relaxed for a moment.

He was almost asleep when a call came in on his desk phone. Urgent meeting in the War Room. Urgent meeting? Mark was confused. They weren't under attack. There shouldn't be any sort of emergency. Mark began to think he spoke to soon. The Imperial consort Marianne had been assassinated just a week ago and everyone was on high alert. An urgent meeting could be called for anything.

Mark sat at one of the many chairs as the circular lamp lit up the table infront. The colossal round table centered in the wide, mostly dark room was filled with generals of various departments. A couple of men seated were advisors to the Emperor. Nine of the seats were occupied by knights of the round. The three largest seats were empty, reserved for the Emperor, the Prime Minister, and the Knight of One. Most of the men chattered like birds.

A far-off door swung open. His Highness, Prince Schneizel el Britannia, flanked by the Royal Guard, walked through the doorway, which rapidly shut behind him. As he sat down, the other attendees took their seats as well. The seats for the Knight of One and the Emperor remained vacant through the meeting.

"Welcome, Gentleman. I hope this meeting did not interrupt anything important, but as you shall see, this meeting is of international importance and will decide the future of world politics."

Mark shifted his eyes around the room. The Big Board glowed with different dots and symbols on a map of the world, each marking the locations of bases and fleets and troop movements.

"As you may know, there is a developing situation on the East-Asiatic coast involving the dispute of Japan and it's Sakuradite..." Mark saw the very finely prepared buffet on the other side of the room and he began to get hungry.

"His majesty and I have discussed this a great deal and we have come to the only plausible conclusion..." Mark began playing with his pen. He wondered what his wife was up to right now.

"His majesty and I fully believe that our Holy Empire of Britannia, should commit itself to a war of invasion and occupation with Japan, in order to control her vast Sakuradite reserves."

Gen. Mark Lowe nearly gagged.

Lelouch stared lazily outside the airplane window. It was just reaching sunrise in the land of the rising sun. He slept for most of the flight but felt even sleepier than before. Lelouch sighed. Grief was tugging at him constantly. He looked over to left. There, sleeping, lay Lelouch's sister, Nunnally. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her dirty blonde hair cradled her head. Her face, as precious as an Indian gem, remained still and slept. Her folded-up wheelchair lay underneath the seat. Assured that she was okay for now, Lelouch let out a little, brief, genuine, smile. It was the first real smile he gave out since that fateful day, the day his mother was murdered, by his own father.

My Father...he's not my father...at least not to me...not anymore...

Lelouch returned his gaze to the horizon. The sun had now completely lifted itself above the sea. Lelouch could see the coast of Japan.

Japan. It was to be his new home. Exiled and shunned by his family, Lelouch had no regrets. He meant it when he relinquished his own claim to the throne. But Lelouch realized a bright side to all this. At least he wouldn't have to be near his...family during his stay, however long it may last.

Lelouch's mind switched from hindsight to foresight. He wondered what these Kururugi's were like. He barely knew a thing about them, and yet he would be staying with them. He had stayed with other noble families before, but he at least knew them personally before a venture such as living together was made. Lelouch was rather nervous. Indeed, that was a first for Lelouch. His childhood had been so filled with boredom that he early on gave up caring for anything. He wished he was back where he was before, being bored again. His deep reflections were interrupted abruptly.

"Good morning. This is your captain speaking, we shall arrive in Narita international Airport in approximately 20 minutes. Please remain seated for the duration of the flight and landing. Please return any trays and seats into the upright position. If there are any persons asleep next to you, please wake them up now and relay these instructions to them. Thank you."

Lelouch eyed Nunnally.

Sleeping like the infant Jesus...

Lelouch chuckled and whispered into Nunnally's ear, "Nunnally, you have to wake up now." Lelouch gently laid his hand on Nunnally's shoulder. Nunnally shuddered. She lifted her head slowly off of the arm of the chair and yawned, like a cat awakening from a nice cat-nap.

"Brother, are we there yet?"

"Almost, Nunnally. The captain just said how much longer the flight would be. Only 20 minutes till we land." Lelouch noticed that Nunnally was slowly drifting back to sleep.

"Oh, that is a while. Maybe I can just get some more time to...to..." Lelouch prodded Nunnally.

"Come on Nunnally. You need to stay awake. The captain said so. It's only for a little while. Once we get in a car you can sleep, okay?" Nunnally seemed particularly troubled.

"Okay then big brother. I'll stay awake for as long as I can." She did actually seem tired now, but that was probably her just acting dramatically. Lelouch didn't feel very comfortable anymore. Not that he ever did really these days. The book in his lap was a Japanese phrases and customs book. Lelouch promised himself he would read it over the flight and learn how to deal with his new environment. He never felt the will to open it up.

The plane shook violently, causing Lelouch to lurch forward and back and drop his book. Lelouch quickly reattached his seat belt, feeling ashamed and stupid all the while.

"Sorry about that. We seem to have run into a little unsuspected turbulence. This will set our estimated time of arrival back about...uh...40 minutes or so. The co-pilot and I both apologize for this inconvenience." Lelouch was rather annoyed, at the pilots, at the plane, at mother nature.

"Lelouch, can I go back to sleep? The pilots say we won't arrive for an hour. I'm really tired."

Lelouch chuckled at her child-like behavior. "Nunnally, you've been asleep for so long. Why would you ever want to go back to sleep?"

"Because I don't want to wake up."

Lelouch didn't think Nunnally was a child anymore.

Sukhoy Nos testing site was deathly silent. Everyone knew or at least suspected the implications of what they were about to attempt on this day. Everyone gathered to where they were supposed to be and waited for the moment of truth. Of, course, saying that the testing site was completely silent would be partially untrue. Some men were working on computers, some were tending the electrical wire out in the field, some were just sitting and smoking a cigar. They were all of different nationalities, though most were German or Russian. Their professions varied between the Engineering and Scientific fields, except for a few, which were members of the European government and military.

One man stood out from them all. A crippled, blond, German scientist named Dr. Merkwürdigliebe. He was wearing a maniacal smile and a pair of darkened, thin-rimmed glasses atop a devilish suit. His right arm was gloved with a black leather and would fidget every now and then. He watched the men out in the field preparing the detonation wire just as Dr. Frankenstein watched his creation come to life.

"Mr. President," he began, twisted delight in each syllable, "Don't you think it is time to begin the demonstration?" Alfons Van Bueren, 42-year old Dutch president of the European union, continued to stare at the ominous tower in the distance before he answered.

"...Yes...I agree. Aleksey," Van Bueren motioned to a young officer on the other side of the observation deck, "go get those men behind the safety line. I don't want any avoidable deaths due to carelessness." Dr. Merkwürdigliebe turned his wheelchair and faced Van Bueren, his iconic smile still stuck to his face.

"Mr. President, under the authority granted to me as Director of Weapons Research and Development, I have overseen the construction and preparation of this program. You will find that...this facility...does not lack in cautionary measures. The complex we are standing in right now is made of 14 cm of steel reinforced concrete, alone with 6 cm of bulletproof glass. Why, this place would be invincible to anything under a direct hit! Euagh!" The Doctor's right arm jerked up at that moment but was subsequently put down by the Doctors other, un-gloved arm. It continued to fidget under the pressure of the other arm, but it eventually gave out. To a complete stranger, Dr. Merkwürdigliebe's actions might have been frightening, but the doctor's spasms were well known the members of the research team at Sukhoy Nos and to the president, so no one was phased. The men working on the wire leading to the tower in the distance began to return to the base in a hurry, as if they really wanted to leave. A man in grey uniform with the words labeled EURO-FORCE came though the doorway at the back and approached the president. He whispered something into the president's ear, with Van Bueren listening intently. When the uniformed man was finally done, Van Bueren nodded and whispered something to the officer. Then officer gave a salute and proceeded to return the way he came. The Doctor stared at Van Bueren and smiled again.

"They say it's ready. They've tested the circuits and systems inside the machine several times today. The connection between us and the tower is green, as well." The Doctor's smile widened.

"Excellent, then I do believe it is time." With that, the Doctor faced the 6 cm windows and made a call through a radio sitting on the nearby table. The president, meanwhile, sat down and inspected the dark goggles given to him. A voice came booming in over the intercom.

"Attention. This is not a drill. This is not a drill. All test site crew and research teams are to head to the nearest safe house and receive a pair of protective eye wear which are necessary for viewing of the final test."

Everyone within observation deck A immediately put on some form of protective eye wear, All except Dr. Merkwürdigliebe, whose darkened glasses would protect a pair of eyes. The President grew anxious with each passing second.

"Final test is go, I repeat, final test is go. All systems nominal. T-Minus five minutes."

The Doctor spoke up without turning to face Van Bueren.

"Mr. President, what do you plan to do with this weapon?" Van Bueren took a rather long time to answer this.

"I plan to defend my country with it. If what you say what the machine can do is true, then I will surely be able to do just that." The Doctor's smile faded a bit, and he returned his focus towards the center of the test field.

"T-Minus, one minute."

Everyone was tense. They all awaited the final results of years of development. The Doctor's right arm began fidgeting again.

"T-Minus, 30 seconds."

Time seemed to slow for those at the Sukhoy Nos test site that day. The Doctor's arm spasms became worse. Finally, the moment of truth arrived. This was the final verdict. If the project was a failure, it would be cancelled and never again be brought to the interest of European Weapons Research. If it succeeded, that is, if the machine worked, all the world would witness its fury.

"T-Minus, 10 seconds."

Someone in the background coughed.

"9"

A bead of sweat ran down the president's face.

"8"

Some men, a very few, began to pray.

"7"

Everyone froze.

"6"

Dr. Merkwürdigliebe began to count to himself in his native German.

"5"

fünf

"4"

vier

"3"

drei

"2"

zwei

"1"

eins

"0"

Null

An explosive fireball, brighter than 100 suns, erupted from the tower that once was. Even protected by the safety goggles, many people had to shield their eyes with their hands. It was as if the Earth had given birth to a star right then and there. Not only was it bright, it was colossal. Despite the Doctor's statement, Van Bueren felt as if the explosion would swallow them up.

Next, nearly two seconds after the explosion, the shock wave came in. Anybody inside the compound had roughly half a second to witness a swarm of dust clouds rapidly approaching before they rammed the observatory head on. The vibrations caused by the explosion shook the world back and forth, causing Van Bueren to fall and smash his goggles. The Doctor laughed, not at Van Bueren, but at the whole situation. They were the first to harness the power of Zeus' lightning bolts.

Van Bueren stood and he felt humbled by what he just witnessed. An explosion, with an epicenter nearly several kilometers off, almost wrecked an armored bunker. Dr. Merkwürdigliebe was hysterical.

"DID YOU SEE IT MEIN FUHRER? IT WAS GLORIOUS! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! EAGGHH!"

The Doctor's right arm gained a mind of its own and was trying to detach itself from its host. Dr. Merkwürdigliebe bit down hard on the gloved hand.

Van Bueren simply took off his glasses and stared at the daunting mushroom cloud.

And so man learned how to make fire.

And so there it is, the first chapter of this side-project I'm writing. Basically this came along with my recent fascination with the Cold War era. I am learning about it in my English class, and so I've just become interested in the time period and the idea of Nuclear war. Nuclear war is always seen as a game of tic tac toe. The only winning move is not to play. I think of it more like a game of chess. You can lose all your pieces (which will most likely happen in a Thermonuclear War) but you could still win as long as you captured the enemy's king, or nuked their chain of command.

Basically, this series will focus on a sort of Cold War scenario between the three Super powers of the Code Geass World. Each chapter will be divided into three different perspectives. Obviously, Lelouch and Nunnally are trying to get by in a Japan that was ravaged by Britannia's invasion. Gen. Mark Lowe is a hard working common man in his 30's who is desperately trying to prevent the outbreak of an all out nuclear apocalypse while trying to defend himself from enemies in his own work place. And finally, witness the maniacal ramblings of Nuclear Scientist Dr. Merkwürdigliebe., as he develops weapons of mass destruction for the European Union.

I don't know how quickly I will update this. It's technically a side project to my main story I'm writing but I've reached writer's bloc on that story so I think there's a chance this story will be updated at a faster pace.

Please Review! I need Reviews! If you think this is crap, tell me why in a review and maybe I could fix it.

*Edit* Hey all you lurkers, I bet you didn't know that you can write a review even without having a fanfiction profile. If you write a review I'll give you a nice big cookie.