Code Geass: Demon's Wrath
Key:
" " - Regular Speech
' ' - Unheard Thoughts
" " - Radio Communication
" " - Amplified Speech / External Speakers / Public Address System (PA System)
Disclaimer - Code Geass is owned by Sunrise Inc.
Chapter I: Crisis at Kawaguchi
Hisheart froze. Mere moments ago, while secretly preparing for Nunnally's upcoming birthday celebration, the prince in exile of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britania, alias Lelouch Lamperouge, had just heard of an ongoing hostage crisis at the well known Lake Kawaguchi resort. Apparently, the famous tourist attraction had been commandeered by various nations' diplomats in order to serve as a meeting point for the latest annual Sakuradite production summit. Incidentally, however, it was this very same location to which his fellow student council members had opted to visit for the weekend, Nunnally in tow. Lelouch had wanted to ensure a surprise for his sister upon returning from the outing, having gone in glee with her friends following the extremely rare blessing and permission from her brother, a smile etched across her angelic face. And now, token of this one moment of intention, she was trapped in hostile territory, surrounded by racist and bigoted J.L.F. troops, doomed to end up as canon fodder along with those few she could call friends.
After several moments of panicked reflection, Lelouch's mind came to a single and unavoidable conclusion.
"I have to save her. I have to be there. I can't let her die like this, not like this!" He spoke out loud, his voice rising from a mere whisper to a deafening roar.
"Sayoko!" He shouted, calling upon his most trusted of maids.
Upon hearing her master's cry, the ever loyal woman appeared in a brisk fashion, having detected the urgency in his voice. "Yes master Lelouch, what it is you need me to do?" She asked, speaking the inquiry in a rapid manner.
"I need you to inform ruben that I am taking the Ganymede and going to save my sister and Milly, along with all the other members. I will not let these fools of men take what little remains precious to me upon this Earth!"
The maid simply nodded, recognizing the ferocity in her employer's voice and the burning flames of rage in his eyes, and quickly made her way to the headmaster's office, where Principle Ashford was no doubt glue to the television screen, worrying over his precious granddaughter that was Millicent.
While Sayoko left in one direction, Lelouch made a beeline for the student club houses' elevator shaft, one which lead to the school's underground tunnels and hangar. Quickly sliding his authorization keycard, he then pressed the button that would take him down towards the ground's lowest levels, where his mother's personal Knightmare was being stored ever since her allies' collective disgrace.
Upon reaching the tunnel, Lelouch ran, his physically uninspiring fitness be damned, straight for the hangar's outer doors, a large, twin set of armored plates, guarding its interiors against all unwarranted entry. Once again using his keycard, Lelouch entered the facility and switched on the interior light's, searching for his target. He found the engine of war, clad in its royal purple and Britannian seal, stating within the very center of the chamber, postponed upon the automated lift that would bring it above ground.
Making his way through the stacks, boxes and crates of various school and festival related materials, Lelouch reached the lifts control panel, activating its display and pulling up the Knightmare's initiation program. Typing in a set of boot up and evaluation commands, he then proceeded to approach the zip line which dropped down before him, inserting his foot in the metal stirrup and grasping the steel wire, allowing it to lift him into the open cockpit which held the controls. Taking his seat and buckling himself into a combat ready position, Lelouch grasped the machine's hand held controls and raced through preliminary motions, ensuring no unwarranted mid - combat breakdowns would occur.
The setup phase complete, Lelouch moved the Ganymede towards the hangar's back most wall, where its original weapons and ammunition had been kept in storage. Both the bus sized rifle and car sized combat knife were outdated by modern standards, but they would have to do in the time being. After all, these products had been Ashford produced weapons, and the Ashford Foundation had yet to disappoint him with anything they had set their minds too.
Armed and mobile, Lelouch ran one last check on the Knightmare's energy levels, currently holding out at approximately 95%. The external batteries, both bulky and vulnerable, had at least the advantage of larger energy storage, meaning he had enough power for at least four to five hours of active combat, give or take. Considering Kawaguchi's distance from the academy, Lelouch would have at least a good two hours of power left upon his arrival, depending on how fast he could make it there.
And so, without further pause, Lelouch remotely activated the hangar's lift mechanism, hydraulics screeching under the weight of the behemoth it attempted to raise. A minute later, a large, purple machine of death was seen racing towards the occupied convention center.
Ruben Ashford could normally be described as a clam and elegant man.. He was dignified, thought not overly so, and had often been told how his stable state of mind could keep him cool under fire, no matter the situation.
That Ruben Ashford, however, was not present when Sayoko burst into his office. The aged man, gray hairs lining his golden brown scalp, looked as if his very heart had been reached out. He was sweating profusely, a light sheen clearly visible across his face, and appeared as if he had not slept for days, heavy bags under his eyes.
The maid noticed a half - emptied bottle of scotch at his side, drink spilled across his usually pristine desk, testimony to his character, as well as a seemingly unending rambling, the Headmaster's voice barely above that of a whisper.
"This…This can't be happening…" The man said, his voice wavering and uncertain, an edge of panic in his tone.
"Master Ruben?" The Japanese Kunoichi inquired, more in a rhetorical fashion that one in which she believed would have been answered. "Master Ruben?" She voice out a second time, only with greater volume in her inquiry. Seemingly gaining no reaction from her esteemed employer, the woman left the doorway and physically grabbed hold of the panicking grandfather, a firm grip upon his shoulder. "Master Ruben!" Hhe shouted, her patience finally lost.
"Sa…Sa…Sayoko? What on Earth are you doing here?" He finally answered, anxiety now replaced with confusion.
Grateful of her existence having finally been acknowledge, Sayoko relayed Lelouch's message to the man. "Master Lelouch instructed me to inform you that he was taking the Ganymede to save his sister and Milly."
"WHAT!?" The man screeched, shock overcoming whatever fears had plagued him up to this point. "He cannot do that, the boy and his mother's knightmare will be turned into mincemeat if he goes out there! You cannot let him! Find him before it's too…"
Ruben's outburst came at a halt as a Purple Knightmare roared across the school plaza, racing towards the area of conflict. Tired and groggy under the effects of his earlier drinking, the headmaster simply shook his head and sat down upon his chair, worry once again reigning over his emotions.
Confused at the man's seemingly unwarranted anger, Sayoko approached him and asked, "Why do you fear for the young master's life? Did you not inform me that he was a capable pilot?"
Emerging from his shell Ruben looked into the loyal maid's eyes and explained, "The boy has piloting talent's exceeding those of his mother, that is not my worry. What concern's me is that, no matter his level of skill, the Ganymede is simply to old to go on par with the most recent models. That machine of his would be turned into scrap metal in little to no time." Sighing once more, the aged superintendent gazed outside his window, looking upon the lights of the Tokyo Settlement and said, "But God knows, if anything should happen to his sister, the Devil himself will run and hide from the horrors he will bring down upon this world."
And without another word, both employer and employee turned to face the television screen, wondering, hoping on the developments that the news may present in the coming minutes.
Euphemia was frightened. She had, merely moments ago, been enamored with the resorts vast array of public accommodations and various forms of entertainment, running form one room or booth to the next, drinking in her surroundings as if the were her very life source. Cornelia, protective as she was, had almost never let her out of her sight, let alone go anywhere one her own, let alone without some form of security or another, usually some bodyguard or knight. The chance she'd been given upon receiving her elder sister's blessing to visit the convention center while she stayed behind to tend to Area 11's military and administrative duties had been one of the greatest opportunities she could hope for, finally being allowed to wander ever since her first day on the former Japanese mainland.
Unfortunately, however, it seemed that the fun was not too last, the joy of freedom having been quickly pulled out from under her as she was urged into a storage room, former Japanese soldiers seizing the building and holding them hostage. Her only comforts included the one female bodyguard that had been assigned to her by Cornelia, as well as the hope that her older sister would come and save her, a belief she held onto for dear life. And so, as the hours dragged by and night began to fall upon the land of the rising sun, Euphemia li Britannia, 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, hunkered down and waited within the now occupied room, waiting for rescue.
It was then that, out of nowhere, a soothing and angelic voice made itself heard, one which made her worries and fears all but forgotten, replaced by feelings of nostalgia and wonder.
"It's okay Nina, were going to be alright. Onii - sama will come for us, you'll see. He won't let anything happen to me or you as long as he's around, okay? Just stay calm, nothing is going to happen to us."
"But…But Nunnally, they've already killed someone…these…these Elevens are going to hurt us! I don't want to die! I just want go home!"
The combination of the natural resemblance of the voice, coupled with her supposedly dead half - sister's name, only encouraged Euphemia to desperately search for the conversation's origin, hoping to find whoever she believed it to be was, in fact, very much alive. Finally, after several moments of quick and furtive glances, the pink - haired princess finally caught onto her target. There, mere feet away from her position, sat a young girl, long auburn hair flowing down behind her back, eyes close and smiling gently. If there had been any doubt in Euphemia's mind as to the identity of the ghost from her past, the wheelchair upon which the young paralytic sat only confirmed her suspicions.
Tears forming at the corner of her eyes at the revelation of her beloved half - sister's survival, the princess quickly focused back upon the ongoing conversation between the cowering student and her compatriots.
"Nina, listen to Nunnally. We're all going to get out of this together and unharmed. Lelouch would never let any harm come to us, do you understand?"
"But Milly, Lelouch is all the way back at Ashford, and he's just a student! How can you expect him to help us?"
As if an answer to Nina's question, a monstrous roar made itself heard within the room, speaker system blaring the statement across the twilight sky.
"YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!"
It had only been a few minutes since the first hostage had been unceremoniously pushed off the resorts roof, and Cornelia li Britannia, commonly referenced to by her enemies under the moniker of the Witch of Britannia, was powerless to save her sister Euphemia. For the past two hours, the warrior princess had been desperately working through scenario after scenario wit her trusted knight and companion Guilford and Darlton, looking for a way to save her younger sibling.
"Damn it all!" She screeched, "There must be some way in which we can rescue Euphy! I refuse to let any harm come to her! This land has already taken the lives of two of my siblings, and hospitalized a third!", anger and malice intermixed within the pageful outburst.
"Princess Cornelia…" Her knight Guilford soothed, "I assure you we are looking into every way of saving her, we just need more time…"
However the knight's attempts at pacifying his liege failed miserably, with Cornelia retorting virtually instantaneously, "And yet we don't have time! What guarantees do we have that these terrorists won't single out Euphy next and simply throw her over the ledge! We cannot afford…"
The princess' rant was cut short by the shrill tone of a radio hailing, the G1's onboard receiver being picked up in a single motion by the nearby General Darlton.
"Yes, what is it?" The scar faced soldier asked, his voice gruff and without yield.
"My Lord!" Answered a soldier, his voice worried and anxious, "There is an approaching Knightmare bearing the royal seal, its moving towards us at top speeds!"
"What!?" He barked, annoyance and anger present within his voice, "The only royal currently within Area 11 are the Viceroy and sub - Vicerine themselves, with only one bearing the royal sigil. What are you talking about soldier!?"
Intrigued and alerted by the serious nature of Darlton's tone, Cornelia ordered one of the command center's onboard technicians to path the incoming message into the interior speakers, allowing all present to listen in on the conversation.
"I can only tell you what I'm seeing general. It appears to be a third generation knightmare frame, royal purple in color and has eight distinct land spinners for feet!"
At the mention of the approaching machine's apparent generation, couple with the vague explanation, a thought came to the warrior's mind.
"The Ganymede!? Thats impossible, i was told that frame was lost with the Ashfords' disgrace!" A mixture of hope and disbelief in her voice, the improbability of truth and illogical notion of hope colliding within her mind.
"Video uplink enabled, it's almost crossed the barrier!" The soldier reported again.
As the image was pulled up on screen, the unmistakable engine of death, Marianne the Flash's Ganymede, was put forth in its full glory, racing at breathtaking speeds towards the convention center. Even more surprising, however, was the lone figure piloting it. Raven black haired covered his head, while cool, amethyst eyes, an inferno of hellfire raging within them, stared straight ahead, unaltered by whatever lay at his sides.
Darlton, upon seeing the teenaged figure, cam to sudden revelation. "Is that…"
"Lelouch…?" Cornelia finished, an aura of joy and bewilderment surrounding her person.
And then a roar, loud as could be, echoed throughout the night sky.
"YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!" He screamed.
Breaking through the impromptu military barricade, the purple knightmare rocketed towards the connecting bridge, dodging and weaving its way, in a brusque yet elegant fashion, through the many trucks, tanks and armored vehicles that littered the ground in front of it.
Soon however, Lelouch recognized the forms of three distinct Gloucesters blocking his path. Reacting in quick fashion, Lelouch forced his frame into maximum speed, sending the Ganymedes land spinner system into overdrive and forced the 60 ton machine into a crouch - jump, hurtling it over the other Knightmares and landing with definitive crunch upon the bridge in their rear, concrete collapsing and shock - absorbers straining over the immense weight and kinetic energy of the fall, yet continuing on at breathtaking speed towards the men whom had dared to harm Nunnally.
"Did that knightmare just jump?" An awed Darlton asked to nobody in peculiar. Such a move was so difficult to reach that it left even the hardened war veteran in a state of wonder, having never seen the particular action carried out correctly in the entirety of his experience, save for Lady Marianne in one instance while in Area 6 while Cornelia was still under the late empress' tutelage.
"I believe it has." Was the only vocally heard response, having left, maybe inadvertently, his princess and commanders mouth.
For a moment those located within the G1's bridge thought of hailing the lost prince in an attempt to have him retreat, the only reason for the current inactivity of the Britannian forces being the fear for the hostages safety should they have made any unwarranted move. Now, however, and considering the fact that a Prince of the empire, exiled and believed dead for the past 7 years, had simply charged into the fray, those gazing down the one - way access towards the resort tower could only watch as hellfire and death was rained upon the rogue J.L.F. forces. It would be reported, at a later time, that there were no survivors.
Josui Kusakabe was on the verge of a breakdown. Mere moments ago his plan was working as smoothly as clockwork, the next he was facing a demon of a knightmare, tearing through his men, slaughtering all whom even attempted to impose themselves in the machine's way.
Upon first being notified of the aged Knightmare's arrival, the Colonel had ordered the resorts only connecting bridge, hoping to take out the lone machine by sinking it to the lake's floor. Much to his horror, the series of detonations did little to discourage the purple demon, it seemingly accelerating until it reached the forward defenses, unleashing a volley of high explosive rounds into the weak flesh of the Japanese soldiers. What rendered the situation even worse was the skill the pilot displayed, dodging the carefully position anti - knightmare rocket positions, their target simply swerving out of the projectiles way before unloading round after round of anti - personal fire into the building, making sure to avoid whichever floor the hostages were located. The situation was worsened by the fact that none of their missiles seemed to get a lock upon the machine, the lack of a Yggdrasil Drive rendering their heat seeking properties moot.
Before long, the rampant machine was climbing its way up the face of the tower, slash - harkens acting as grappling hooks, and unloaded clip after clip of both anti - amor and anti - personal rounds into each separate floor, killing any J.L.F. forces unfortunate enough to be in its line of fire.
In a mere 10 minutes, Kusakabe's 120 men strong force was reduced to 8, including himself and those present wit him in the buildings penthouse level office.
Suddenly, an enormous crash ringed in the Japanese Colonel ears, his eyes opening only to find himself facing the business - end of an old - fashioned Knightmare rifle, at which point the entire world went dark.
Silence. After what had seemed like an eternity of deepening sound and countless screams, silence had once again fallen upon the Lake Kawaguchi resort. Both she and the other hostages had heard the ungodly roar that had made a presence known within the lake's vicinity, and they had all collectively witness the sheer ferocity and rage it had donned out to those who stood in its way, the screams of anger of a rather young man echoing through the duration of the relentless firefight.
Now however, silence had prevailed. The explosions had ceased, the screaming had gone, and the tale - tale sign of rifle fire were all but gone.
A slow whirr made itself heard, however, as a royal purple Knightmare frame lower itself to to storage room's level, its hand removing the glass panes separating it from the inside. Slowly, but carefully, the bulky machine, now covered in scorch marks and dented plates of armor, made its way into the only intact floor of the building.
The sound of a depressurizing cockpit, couple with the release of mechanical locks, signaled the sortie of the machine's pilot. There, a young man, covered in head to toe in what appeared to be his own blood, liquid emanating from a rather impressive head would, slid down the Knightmare's zip line. Upon reaching the floor, he stumbled, visibly disoriented and physically weakened by his recent endeavor's. However, despite his state, one that left most of the hostages in a state of shock and awe, the boy made a beeline towards a young girl in a wheelchair, pulling her into his grasp and clinging to her as if his very life depended on it.
"Onii - sama is here Nuna…Your brother's here, tour safe now…" Despite the supposedly reassuring words, the feeling of a hot liquid upon her brother's form quickly overwhelmed her feeling of joy, concern and alert now taking command.
"Lelouch, are you okay? Do you need help?" Nunnally asked, her fear growing by the second.
"Brother's ok Nuna…Brother's ok…" And then his voice trailed off, Lelouch having lost consciousness, his wound and physical exhaustion, coupled with his mental stress, finally taking their toll on the boy."
"Lelouch!" Nunnally cried out, "Lelouch wake up! Answer me brother! Answer me!" He voice was hysterical, heartbreaking to all those watching.
Regaining her senses after having watched the both touching and scarring scene, Euphemia quickly sprung into action. Addressing her bodyguard, the young royal order, "Contact the G1 immediately, have them prepare the medical facility at once! I don't care what it takes, but save my brother's life!"
Onboard the G1, Cornelia and her staff could only gawk at the remnants that was, less than a day ago, one of Japan's most widely known tourist attractions. The building was a skeleton, metal supports beams and half standing concrete walls now making up a large portion of the once renowned and beautiful structure. Corpses and parts of what was once enemy forces littered the ground, their equipment in shambles and bodies in peaces. Blood covered the area, leaving behind a scene of a war zone - like massacre.
In all honesty, Cornelia felt proud, her half - brother having single handedly annihilated the J.L.F. troops in nothing but an outdated and unprotected Knightmare, his movements and strikes having truly cemented her belief that he was, indeed, Marianne son. However, it was in silent agreement with the remainder of her staff that the boy's actions had unnerved them, the blood - lust apparent in his absolutely lethal attack leaving many judging his sanity and their intestines in knots.
"My Lady, I recommend we move it at once." Guilford had said as soon as the firing had stopped. He had been the first to have come to his senses, his suggestion quickly bringing Cornelia to her own.
Pressing down upon the G1's speaker system, the Witch of Britania barked out her orders in the most authoritarian tone she could manage, "All forces, converge on the hotel this instant! Wit out any and all stragglers on sight and secure the hostages!"
Immediately following her declaration, the G1 was being hailed yet again by another radio channel.
"Hello, this is Samantha Gregor, personal guard of her Highness Euphemia li Britannia under the direct orders of Viceroy Cornelia li Britannia. I am requesting and immediate medical response team under her highness' orders. The pilot of the Knightmare frame is gravely injured and requires immediate medical attention if he is to survive his injuries."
The original shock of this new piece of information past, Cornelia's protective instincts instantly kicked in, doing her into overdrive.
"Guilford, gather up the two best doctors in the G1's medical bay and bring them to the hostages immediately! I want Lelouch see and sound, as well as ALIVE before the sun comes out. If he dies I will personally hold you responsible, understood!" The utter ferocity in the command left Cornelia's Knight no room for discussion, not that there would be anyways, and forced him to comply, his pace brisk and rapid as he made his way to the infirmary.
"Darlton" She said, "I'm going to meet my brother and sister, you are in command for the time being." and without a second glance, the Witch of Britannia left the command bridge, hot on her Knight of Honor's tail.
'You are the devil Prince Lelouch' Darlton thought.
In the storage room, the majority of the hostages had started getting up from there sitting positions, stretching their limbs after several hours of tense fright, waiting for the arrival of Britannian soldiers. Of these persons, however, most were carefully eyeing the young man whom had to appeared to have single - handedly saved them from a possibly gruesome fate, his body crimson in color and his skin an ashen pale. The young girl, apparently his sister, was frantically trying to have him wake up, a goal she was failing at miserably.
Suddenly the rooms double doors flew open, a squadron of ten colonial soldiers entering the room and ensuring the hostages safety. Behind them came two doctors and a Knight, sword gleaming under the moonlit sky, themselves followed by none - other than the second princess herself, Cornelia.
Upon seeing the state of the 'lost' prince, both Guilford's and Cornelia's faces turned pale, fearing for the worst. The boy seemed to have lost simply too much blood to survive, his facial expression resembling that of a corpse. The medical staff brought along by Guilford, however, immediately swooped in and carried the boy off in a stretcher, initially prevented by the crippled girl that was desperately attempting to hold onto his body.
"No, don't take him away please! Onii - sama come back! Please don't take him away from me again!" She wailed, her sobs growing by the second.
It was a this moment that both Euphemia and Cornelia closed in on their sister's fragile and shacking form, attempting to assure her that her brother would be, in fact, alright.
"Shuu Nuna. Me and Euphy are here now. Lelouch is going to be alright, we have the best medical staff tacking care of him right now." She soothed, hopping to calm down the blind and crippled girl, wheelchair abandoned and tipped over at her side.
"Are you telling me the truth? Is Onii - sama going to be okay? Is he safe?" She asked, her tone expressing both anxiety and exhaustion.
"Yes." Replied Cornelia, "Your brother is going to be alright. For now we have to get you and Euphy out of here and back to the Viceroy's palace, you'll be safe there. For now I have to check up on something." And with that phrase Cornelia had both her sister's escorted back to the G1, a contingency of six guards protecting the duo. She had just found two of her supposedly 'dead' siblings. She was not going to lose them again.
As the room was cleared of hostage, only Cornelia and another two guards remained, the princess approaching the now scared Ganymede. It was, for all intensive purposes, unchanged from how she had remembered it as Marianne's captain of the guard. Its limbs were now fractured, its armor shredded, and electronics fried. It was nothing short of a Miracle that Lelouch had been able to pilot the machine to such ends, something which cost him considering the horrifying amount of blood cacheing the cockpit's walls, a sight that caused her stomach to knot itself up.
Returning to the present situation, Cornelia barked out what could have been her hundredth order for the night, ordering the Knightmare to be brought to her as soon as possible, before walking out the door and back to the G1.
Outside the G1, the student council members sat upon the concrete ground, exhausted from their latest ordeal. While the hostage situation had definitely played a role in their current state of mind, it was the highly unexpected arrival of Lelouch, in a Knightmare no less, that left them in a state of shock, culminated furthermore by his horrifying appearance upon having left the Ganymede's cockpit.
"Is he going to be okay Ms. Prez?" Asked Shirley, whom had almost gone virtually berserk over her not - so - secret crush's welfare, had not Nunnally already beaten her to the punch.
"He should be, although I'm pretty sure he won't be up for regular student council activities for a while considering his current state. Even Britannian medical science is good enough to get him on his feet from this day to the next." Milly replied, her attempt at joviality lose by the fatigue that encompassed her mind.
"Who would have thought that Lelouch, of all people, would have been capable of…well…that…" Stated Rivalz, his finger pointing towards the remnants of their past prison.
"I'm just happy we all got out of there alive…" A so far silent Nina stated shyly, though a glint in her otherwise dead eyes express sincere relief and, more importantly, gratitude towards her current situation.
"In any case," The buxom Ashford blond interjected, "I think its high tide we head home. Let's go guys, grandfather sent us a taxi as soon as he heard that we were safe and sound."
And without another word, the Ashford Academy student council made there way towards the awaiting cars, there one which being that of reaching their beds.
Cecile was all but a tad - bit worried of her bosses behavior. Upon recognizing the purple Knightmare, Lloyd had become positively euphoric, and feeling compounded as he observed the movements and motions its pilot had put the elder Knightmare frame through, motions that should have been all but impossible, almost akin to what his current devices, Suzaku, regularly did with his experimental Knightmare, the Lancelot. Words could no longer describe his happiness when, on top of this all, he was informed the pilot was, infant, the son of Marianne the Flash, a detail which caused him to literally holler in joy at the moon.
"I must get my hands on him Cecile! He's perfect, perfect I tell you! Imagine the data we can gather with him as our pilot!"
And so the crazed scientists ramblings went on, drifting into the background as his female assistant eyed Suzaku, noticing his rather downtrodden expression.
"Is everything all right Suzaku?" She asked in a motherly and caring way.
"I'm fine." He simply replied, "I'm fine."
