This story is set—
Artemis Fowl: Post Time Paradox. Arty has no magic, Angeline knows everything, past!Opal is running amok, human!Opal is in prison, etc.
Code Geass: R2, post Turn 14. Black Knights have been exiled, Rolo and Xingke are on their side, Jeremiah has joined them, Shirley thing happens, half-insane!angsty!Lelouch yay.
Important: when the Geass is activated, the symbol is only visible to Geass-related people. Normals see nothing out of the ordinary.
Double Trouble
by N. Silvutra Mayhem
Collision 01: First Contact
Republic of China
Exact location unknown
"V.V. is dead."
Those had been the first words that C.C. had spoken to him over the video link, after he'd informed her that he'd found the location of the Geass Order. She had been sitting on the seat, knees held close to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around a Cheese-kun plushie. Her eyes had been downcast, staring at the half-empty pizza box on the table near her, but he hadn't gathered a sense of mourning. She'd been in a state of remorse.
United States of Japan, temporary capital Penglai
Zero's Quarters, Ikagura
Three hours ago
"What?"
"You heard me, Lelouch. V.V. is dead."
"That's impossible—how do you know?"
"I just do."
"But he's like you, isn't he? Immortal."
"Somebody took his Code."
"His what?"
"It is the Code which keeps us Code Bearers alive, and which enables me the power of Geass to be granted."
"So it's destroyed."
"Not destroyed. The Code can never be destroyed. Merely transferred."
"Then whoever killed V.V. now possesses his Code."
"Correct."
He hadn't pressed the issue further, but began wondering if he should have. C.C. had said herself that she held no link with V.V., a long time ago.
"My lord," said Jeremiah Gottwald, voice crackling over the radio. "We are approaching our destination."
"Is this location the one you described?" asked Lelouch.
"Affirmative."
"Very well. We descend at landing point F-16."
"Yes, my lord."
"Brother?" asked a new voice.
Lelouch activated the video link to see his 'brother's concerned face. He smiled. "Yes, Rolo?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure," replied Lelouch. "Don't worry. We're just confirming the Order is gone, and then we can safely proceed with the plan. After all, we need a world where we can live in peace, right?"
Rolo nodded. "Right."
Terminating the connection, Lelouch's smile morphed into a scowl. Rolo Haliburton may have called himself a Lamperouge, and acted as his brother, but he would never replace his true sibling. Even though they shared the same purple eyes, and Rolo had Nunnally's soft brown hair, the boy would always be a stranger to the family.
Nunnally, I'm coming.
The endless white sands around them shifted as he brought the Shinkiro into its descent. The magnificent beast rearranged its components to transform from the jet-shaped Fortress Mode to fifteen feet of glossy black steel; its humanoid Knightmare form. Lelouch's landing was textbook form, and a modified Sutherland and a golden Vincent touched down on either side.
Lelouch opened the hatch and descended the cord. When his boots sunk as soon as he stepped onto the sand, and the harsh glare of the desert sun beat heavily against his back, he knew the full Zero outfit – cape, cravat, helmet and facemask – was not a very good choice on his part. Rolo, in his blue Black Knights flight suit, and Jeremiah, in his long trenchcoat, did not show signs of discomfort when they walked up to his side.
In his mental memo, Lelouch made a note to get himself a spare uniform. Even Jeremiah had the sense to wear white!
The headquarters of the Geass Order were a set of ancient ruins, built on the edge of a small mountain. That much had been visible from the sky. It was only now that the presence of intricate markings could be seen, and least of all the flawless lines in the architecture made their mark. It reminded him of nature; he could tell with a glance the presence of several Golden Rectangles within its form.
Lelouch approached, Jeremiah and Rolo flanking his sides. He paused at the entrance briefly to run a leather-gloved hand along a white, stone pillar, taking in the symbols etched there. A crab, twin fishes, a leaf, a raindrop, a dragonfly, a swirl, an acorn and a stylized eight. A repeated pattern in some language unknown.
And then, the next instant, Rolo had moved a foot to the right. A struggling person was pinned beneath one foot, its head forced into the sand. Jeremiah reacted first: flicking out his arm-mounted blade, and keeping it at the person's neck. Lelouch knew without doubt that his brother had activated his Geass – the ability to stop time.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I heard a noise and this person appeared," said Rolo, voice completely level. "I stripped him of his gear and kept him alive because I thought you might want to ask some questions."
Indeed, a helmet, a childlike gun and what looked like a pair of wings attached to a backpack were thrown to one side. It was now that he noticed the person could not have been more than a child, but its pointed ears and a uniform that was undoubtedly military-issue suggested otherwise.
Lelouch could take no chances. If the Geass Order created such an unfeeling assassin in the form of Rolo, there could be more Geass-wielding children with abilities he did not know.
"Good work, Rolo," he said. "Do either of you two recognise him?"
"No, my lord," answered Jeremiah. "But I was not affiliated with the children."
"Rolo?"
Rolo, still smiling from his praise, lost some of his cheer and shook his head. "Sorry, brother."
"That's alright. You've done well." Lelouch knelt down, feeling the warm sand brush against the fabric of his pants, and mentally hoped that he wouldn't find any of it stuck in his clothes. "Jeremiah, lift its head."
The moment Jeremiah dug his fingers into the person's black hair and jerked it upwards, Lelouch had opened the slit on his Zero mask. He did not wear his contacts as Zero, and as soon as they made eye-contact – purple to green – he struck.
"You will answer my questions!" he called.
"Yes, sir," the person replied.
"Who are you?"
"Corporal Bern Kuler, sir."
Vaguely, Lelouch registered Rolo's frown. Could it be a third-party? "Corporal of?"
"The Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance department, sir."
Lelouch smirked. He was onto something.
Lower Elements, Haven City
Deep within LEP Headquarters, Police Plaza
The expression 'dropped everything from shock' did not normally apply. It was difficult for a person to literally drop everything, especially if they were holding something physical, as they would still have it within their hands from the moment the shock began to the moment the shock passed away.
Foaly, innovative, genius centaur extraordinaire, dropped everything from shock.
He could not believe what he was hearing. It was impossible; it...
He glanced down at his feet. The poor wings, his newest prototype, were ruined. He had been working on it for the past three months, nonstop. It was his current pet-project, eating up ten percent of the department's budget, but if it could be functional it would revolutionize wings as they were known today. The damage caused would set him back weeks.
But that wasn't the pressing issue. Foaly slammed the speed dial key in his haste, unable to believe what he was hearing.
It took two rings before the person on the other end picked up. Two rings too long.
"Wha—"
"Commander Kelp!" he shrieked. "This is an emergency! Drop everything and connect to line twelv—"
"Calm down, Foaly. Take a deep breath."
Foaly tried to stop his chest vibrating so he could do so, but he ended up shaking his hindquarters instead. There was a good reason Trouble Kelp rose so quickly in rank: he was a good leader.
Trouble heard the exhalation, and spoke again. "Okay. What's the problem?"
"You-know-those-quarter-centurycheckupsofthe—"
"Slower."
Foaly imagined Trouble kneading his temples. He sighed.
"Just connect to line twelve. Make sure you're sitting down. You'll understand better once I send you the live feed."
[][][][][]
A/N: And here we have it.
This story is at war with my other Code Geass xover for updates (i.e, go read it!), and I use reviews to judge. So. Review? *shameless :D*
Next— Collision 02: It Ain't Pretty