Let Us Bear Our Masks

Akira was roaming the streets of Shinjuku or more accurately the remains of the once populated city now a graveyard for the Japanese. Akira an half Britannian and half Japanese, but he was more attached to his Japanese heritage than Britannia heritage. And because of this he wanted to join a resistance group in fighting badly, but he knew their were too many risks and watched people scrounging for anything.

During the Invasion he saw the horror of Britannia firsthand and by hiding away from soldiers who'd gun down any Japanese in sight it was horrible. In war however Akira found some truly great friends whom met at least once a month after the war. Ryuji, who was his close confidant of a friend. Ann, a three-quarter blood Britannian noble who had Japanese blood from her mother's side. Yusuke, an Artist who lost his parents during the war and worked in Ann's Family for money which worked well for him. Makoto, a studious honorary Britannian who was in school thanks to her sister working for the Britannian Government in area 11. Futaba, a Japanese Hacker and youngest Knightmare designer who worked with Kyoto, but not publicly. Haru, Japanese heiress to Okumura Foods and recently major food supplier for Japanese in area 11 at both a reasonable price but also unofficial partner of the Six Houses of Kyoto. And Goro Akechi, Honorary Britannian whom worked at getting information from Britannian nobles and Britannian companies and send information to the Six Houses in return for some benefits for him and his friends. And there was him, Akira Kurusu, unofficial leader of the group Half Britannian and Japanese who brilliantly stole and sold Britannian information to Japanese Resistance groups.

Akira was being careful and walked towards the most southern point of Shinjuku where in lied a empty building that could see the whole of Shinjuku. Climbing the stairs to the fourth floor he opened the old fire escape door to see the rest of his friends all there.

"Yo, you look like shit." Ryuji said as he looked at me as I walked towards the old couch in the corner and sat.

Ann looked towards Akira, "It had been seven years since the invasion."

"That it has." Said Yusuke as he looked down at Shinjuku trying to remember what the city looked like.

Makoto just sat in silence with Yusuke trying to remember her father who died during the invasion.

"Well don't just be depressed we have to move forward." Futaba tried to say upbeat, but she was just as solemn as the rest of them.

Haru looked at her hands and looked out over group and opened the bag she was carrying, "I have a bag of cookies to share from my company and I want your opinion." Haru said as she offer the new cookies to the group.

"Thank you Haru-san." Akechi said as he looked at his phone trying to see if their was any news that involved major company movements.

Everyone took a cookie and was happy just to remember their more happy memories. And after that they each got into business mode, "So Futaba got the Knightmare you got ready for me?" Akira said deviously.

Futaba grinned, "You got it, she is actually in the ground floor in a tarp that masks Sakuradite traces."

Akechi grinned madly, "Well let's see the this Knightmare." he said as everyone got up and walked down to the ground floor and found the tarp.

The boys all grab a corner and pulled out the nails to reveal a red and black Knightmare. It's head was black with a mask that looked like a demon's smile, the body was look polished and clean red layer that almost looked like a suit and had small orange glass buttons for lights and two black slash harkens with red on the spikes, the legs of the Knightmare were black with a spiked edge on the back side of the legs, and the most beautiful parts the arms which looked like giant red claws with two red covers in each palm. (Imagine mechanical Arsene with chainsaw legs, Guren Radiant Wave Surgers, and without the hat and wings.)

"You made this a true beauty." Akira smirked looking cocky.

Yusuke closed his eyes satisfied, "Indeed it is truest graceful."

"Damn" Ryuji said in awe.

Makoto looked a little disappointed and said hopefully, "Is there any way to get more designs for the rest of us?"

Futaba opened her portable laptop and said, "Sorry but, this is the only design that I can do at the moment as this has a lot of custom parts and I only got this as a reward for my work."

It was unfortunate but everyone understood. And then Ann asked the question.

"What is the name?"

Futaba snickered and said dramatically, "Behold the Lupin Rouge!" And with those words every could see that it was going to make the fields run red.

"It is a custom sixth generation Knightmare that I designed." Futaba said proudly.

Akechi looked with a cruel stare, "What are the features?"

Futaba got into explaining mode, "First, it has a Crush Claws that can in a second can crush any knightmare with ten times the force to crush a diamond and knightmare armor look like tinfoil to its strength, Second, a launch system that can jump at least on to a ten story building without a problem, Third, a set of armor piercing knightmare hand guns nicked named Almighty Rounds that are cheap to make but also amazing in quality and quantity and MVS short sword that makes easy for carrying but efficient for slaughtering."

"And the manual?" Akira asked and Futaba tossed it to him from her bag.

"All yours," She said smugly, "And it has a custom body system that allows the knightmare to move like a human body making it feel like your swinging the sword."

Akira catches the manual a started reading it.

Ann was confused about something, "Isn't the MVS system weapons not finished yet?"

"Nope because," Futaba said cockily, "I stole the plans from both the Earl of Pudding and Rakshasa-san and finished their process and made it better."

While Akira was looking over the manual, everyone else was looking at all the different parts of the Lupin.

As Futaba was looking over the last system checks on her computer Akira finished memorizing the manual with his near photographic memory and gave it to Futaba.

"It is a beauty." Akira said longingly to test it out.

Futaba snickered. "Yes she is with the most perfect set up for you from the information from the simulators that I made for you."

Then they heard a ring and Akira took his phone from Kaname Ohgi and put him on speaker.

"Kaname what is going on?" Akira asked making sure everyone heard.

The voice of Ohgi was panicking, "We stole a chemical weapon from Clovis and we have military on tracks!"

Akira became dead serious, "Where are you now?"

"We are in Shinjuku Naoto is bringing it to Shinjuku Joker-san." Ohgi explained.

"Shit," Akira cursed, "I am in Shinjuku right now I will try to stop the knightmares in pursuit."

Akira climbed into the Lupin.

"Understood." Ohgi said nervously.

Akira turned off the phone and turned on the speakers, "Everyone we need to get out of here, orders find a place to interfere with enemy transmissions and make sure you won't be found by foot soldiers and knightmares, I am heading out."

"Understood!" The rest of the group said heading for the bunker that was a short walk away from the building.

"Now, Let's Dance." Akira said as he turned on the Lupin and launched out the building's old arch and into the street.

Akira's radar pinged two knightmares on his right and turned and set up his launch system sending him up in the air right over the two Britannian pilots who wondered what covered the sun before the one on Akira's right was stab through the pilot controls and killed him instantly.

The guy on the left in shock didn't move and Akira had the Lupin's Claw Grip on the knightmare.

"Your Show is Over." Akira said as he activated the Crush Claw turning the Sutherland into compacted trash.

"Now where to next?" Akira said with bloodthirsty smirk that was complete desired for the Britannians heads.