Disclaimer
I do not own code Geass or any of its manga. This is written solely for my own enjoyment and that of my readers.
Chapter 2
"I must say Luthur you look … better."
That was an understatement. The regeneration of not just his flesh but the damaged cybernetics was thoroughly bizarre. And since Luthur had removed his now ruined vest it was clear the repairs had been total. Not to mention the fact that it had been accomplished by sucking the very life right out of a man.
"I know my lord. But it's not just his life I absorbed I actually sucked knowledge from his mind." Luthur's eyes were losing their yellow glow first the left one and then the right a few seconds later.
"How much?"
"Primarily anything relating to the last two hours. Enough to know that a knightmare will be blasting its way through that wall within 30 seconds. If you'll excuse me my lord." Luthur ran to the wall and then leapt two meters up in the air the extending arm grabbing a support gantry and pulling him into the shadows of the ceiling.
A knightmare smashed through the wall scattering dust and bent sheet metal. Its factsphere opened the specialized camera instantly gathering data that other cameras would miss. "What the royal guards dead?" The voice was that of a woman as the knightmare raised its rifle at Lelouch. "Who are you what happened here?"
"Give me your knightmare."
"Who the hell do you think you are boy?"
Lelouch grimaced as he came across one of the limitations of his power. Hmm so it does need direct eye contact. "My name is Alan Spacer. My father is a duke. My ID card is in my breast pocket. After you've confirmed it I'd like to request your protection."
"Very well reach your hand into the pocket and hold it up for my camera."
Lelouch grimaced and reached his hand towards his pocket pulling in his two middle fingers grasped by his thumb while his outer fingers were extended. Attack
A small disc flew from the rafters to strike at the top access panel for the knightmare cockpit block. Immediately the disk attached itself and tripped the 2cm emergency access system for retrieving an unconscious pilot.
The Brittanian cursed as her seat shot back out. Before she could do anything a giant figure dropped onto the back of her chair and yanked her out of the cockpit. He used her ponytail to pull her head back so that Lelouch could look directly into her eyes. "Give me your knightmare." Suddenly she calmed.
"Of course the code is XG2-ID2-ID4." she removed her pistol and key and flung them to Lelouch. Right after that the arms tightened around her throat and she was strangled into unconsciousness. After lowering her to the floor Luthur tore her shirt to tie her arms behind her as well as gag her. He then took the ammunition from the guard's weapons and created an ammobelt from their own uniforms before slinging the rifle over his shoulder.
"Luthur how quickly could you disable that knightmare's IFF?"
Luthur didn't even look up. "It's still using Auer pattern 2 configuration for the cockpit hardware. Half a minute with the codes." He paused a moment. "May I take it my lord does not wish to flee the engagement zone?"
"Far from it. In fact I think it is time to speed up our schedule." Lelouch held up the terrorists radio.
Luthur's eyes narrowed and his mouth shifted into a smile any shark would envy.
The Painter
Clovis Vi Brittania was scowling as the 'contact lost' report from his personal guard unit refused to go away. If any of the regular troops found the test subject than the risk to him would be severe. I can't risk anyone in the homeland finding out what I was up to. "Enough Bartley we're running out of time. Order a full purge of the ghetto. We'll tell the people back home it's a case of urban renewal. In my authority as viceroy of area Eleven I Clovis Vi Brittania command this. Kill all elevens in the Shinjuku ghetto
The Knight
"Too Bad"
The honorary Brittanian leapt upwards almost headbutting the lavender haired scientist standing over him. As Suzaku regained his senses he saw a young woman with violet hair and light blue eyes.
"Where am I?"
"Still in the Shinjuku ghetto. I'm afraid." The oddball (although Suzaku kept that thought in his own head) was looking at Suzaku like a mechanic trying to pick which wrench to use.
"We're close to Prince Clovis so really it's the safest place." The woman trailed off before showing Suzaku a broken pocketwatch held in a white handkerchief. "This is what saved you."
"It barely kept the bullet from killing you."
"Is it something precious to you?"
"Ah yes…" Suzaku replied taking the watch. He gazed at its cracked surface memories pulling at his thoughts.
"I believe you Elevens have a god for every object. I guess this one must have been fond of you."
"Er was there anyone around me?"
"Hmm oh no there wasn't."
"I see what's the situation."
"Well they got control of the poison gas although a lot of the Elevens were killed." The lavender haired weirdo gestured to a monitor screen showing Brittanian troops moving down a roadway.
"It seems the culprits have not been caught though."
Suzaku frowned in thought.
"Private Kururugi do you have any experience piloting knightmare frames?"
"Well there were the simulator courses."
"Congratulations." The man cried, twirling two gold activator keys in his hand. "How would you like to test one."
"Me but honorary Brittanians aren't…"
"Wonderful the Lancelot it is." The man tucked a key into his pocket. "Follow me."
Suzaku had to jog to keep up with the oddly dressed scientist. After leaving the medical APC they came to another vehicle. In front of which stood two four and a half meter tall humanoid shapes under tarp. Although the second one seemed to have several sharp points sticking out under the cloth.
"Congratulations" The technician cried again. "A totally new knightmare awaits you. If you get in you and your life will be changed forever."
"Whether you want to or not."
The Devil and his Reaper
Lelouch calmly piloted the Sutherland through the wreckage of Shinjuku. Clinging to the cockpit block of the knightmare stood Luthur with Brittanian combat armor jury rigged onto his chest. His head was concealed in a mask of medical bandages looted from a first aid kit and a Brittanian set of camera goggles strapped over his eyes. He tapped a com device bound to his ear. "They're conducting a full purge. The radio chatter is full of 'building cleared' reports."
Lelouch noted the ice in his brother's voice. "Before we proceed we need some outside information." Flipping out his cell phone he speed dialed a number. "Shirley are you near a television? I'm sorry but it's important. Yes you've got me I'm out gambling with my older brother. Please check the news is anything happening in Shinjuku? … I see. Thank you." Hanging up Lelouch reached for his com. "It seems things are simpler then I thought. Clovis has shut down all access to the area, he's classified this operation." An explosion overhead drew the brothers attention as a slash harken darted from the billowing wreck of an ornithopter to the same red Glasgow they'd seen earlier.
"So he can't call for any reinforcements without drawing further attention. Whatever that girl was or knew he must be terrified of anyone getting a hint of it. Even the commander of the royal guard only knew she was very important. And that Clovis used elaborate security measures to protect any information about it." Luthur adjusted the camera goggles strapped to his face to zoom in on the red knightmare. Which was retreating down a side street from a pair of Sutherlands. "He'll have them kill everyone here no matter their race."
"Indeed so we use the terrorists. What do we have in available general inventory?"
"There are two consignments of stock hidden in the area one E one L. However they are in deep storage we would not be able to retrieve them fast enough to affect the situation. However since royal guardsmen are dual trained as infantrymen and knightmare pilots they always like to have some available. So going from what I extracted from our helpful captain I know where we can find some Sutherlands."
"If you could so kindly retrieve them I need to find a white square."
The Queen.
"Damn it" Kallen hissed as the Sutherlands fire barely missed her. Another burst nicked the glasgows head carving a streak along the side.
Suddenly a strange voice blared over the radio "Head west! Use the last of your energy to head west along the tracks."
"Who the hell are you and how did you get this frequency?"
"That does not matter. If you want to win this trust me."
"Win?" Without further ado, Kallen obeyed, leaping her frame and heading west. The Brit Sutherlands following. She sped along the tracks and beheld a Train heading her direction at high speed.
"In return for believing in me we'll help you win. Jump onto the train"
Kallen leapt up onto the caboose kicked off the car behind it and proceeded further along. The lead Sutherland caught the caboose slowing it and the rest of the train down. Jeremiah cursed. "You go after the… "He never finished the sentence as the knightmare who leapt over him was destroyed by a slash harken fired from the building across.
"Friendly fire? What's your rank and serial number." The enemy Sutherland fired again the bullets smashing the Sutherlands right shoulder and landspinner. The train engine growled and picked up speed. "Damn it." Jeremiah punched the eject lever before the Sutherland was run down. The cockpit block shot out of the knightmare and at fifty meters distance deployed parachutes. The knightmare fell over on its damaged leg which was shredded when the train ran it over.
"Thank you." Kallen spoke on the radio "But how did you get hold of a knightmare?"
She stopped speaking when she saw that the knightmare had vanished. Then she saw her group moving along the train tracks towards her.
"Hey Kallen we got them out."
"Really Toshidas group too?"
"Yes they'll all be here soon to."
They all stopped as the door to the train's driver compartment opened. First a dead Britanian officer flopped out followed by a giant of a man. His wore armor too small for him that was held on with jury rigged straps and his face looked like an escapee from a mummy movie. "Are you the leader?" The voice sputtered out of the radio. "That man you see is my lieutenant. We give you everything in that train as a tool to achieve victory. If you want to win listen to my commands!" The giant held up a remote control and the doors on the sides of the carriages opened. In each car were ten new Sutherlands and crates of ammo and equipment. Without a word the bandaged soldier leapt up into the first one and into its cockpit.
"What the hell how did they get hold of these?"
The terrorist's lapse into profanity continued as they boarded the trains and began unloading Kallen just looked shocked.
"You in the glasgow how is your energy?" Kallen answered the radio.
"I have fifteen minutes worth."
"Change your energy filler. Then proceed northwest. They'll be an enemy patrol there soon." Kallen looked up to see the Sutherland the giant was piloting. Somehow he'd applied a dash of white paint to the factsphere. He handed her an energy filler. She had her glasgow take it and ejected the spent one in her core before reloading.
As the terrorists began loading the equipment Luthur led his knightmare along with Kallen. Lelouch moved his knightmare onto the inner level of what had once been a multistory car park. "Q1 its time to lure in some fish K-1 take position four, extended range."
Luthur drew the anti knightmare sniper rifle he'd attached and leapt up onto the support pylon for a fallen motorway.
Kallen started as a deep voice entered her cockpit. "Q-1 this is K-1 I am in position if you could head across the square to the west we can start killing Brits."
Lelouch watched in his Sutherlands factsphere as the Glasgow stepped into the open and was spotted by a pair of VTOL scouts. The IFF sensors showed two Brittanians heading for Q-1.
"R-1 P-2 fire through the wall now." A horizontal hail of assault rounds tore the knights apart.
"Q-1 this is K-1 there are four knightmares heading your way from the south east. Drive towards me and break west on my mark."
Kallen started accelerating towards Luthur as four knightmares burst into the street behind her. Closer. She swerved to dodge their fire and they tightened their formation firing their weapons. Closer. His focused his aim on the lead knightmares right leg. "Mark"
Kallen swerved around the corner and as the Brittanians turned after her the lead knightmare fell as a high powered round shot its right leg out. The second knightmare crashed right into it while the other two were shot clean through their exposed cockpit blocks as they moved either side to avoid collision. The second pilot barely had time to right himself before a round penetrated through the side of his cockpit and took both his legs off at the knee. "You bastard." He screamed through the pain as he forced the Sutherland weapon around. Before another shot shattered the factsphere. He punched the eject just before the third blew up the knightmares Yggdrasill drive. "You goat milking keshhhk bastard if I have to strap rifles onto my legs I will shoot you until you are bleeding out more keskkkkk holes than god intended. I Sir Richard Maxwell will royally kehskkkkk"
"Impressive." K-1 noted as he holstered is rifle and drew his assault rifle. The mans cockpit was out of range but his static garbled tide of abuse still washed over the com before his pod landed in a crater and deactivated its short range radio.
"Still alive Q-1?"
"Roger."
"Good there is work to do."
The battle began to turn against the Brittanians. With clinical precision Lelouch ordered the units around executing Brittanian forces in the inner area while their commanders grew in dismay. "R-4 deploy slash harkens." A bridge collapsed taking infantry with it.
"B-3, B-4 open fire at point seven." A squad of knightmares was felled with rifle fire from above.
"We've lost Graysons unit."
"P1 to P 6 use UN ordinance." An APC was destroyed.
"All forces engage at coordinates specified."
"Filthy Elevens." Knights cried as the Japanese knightmares hit them from three sides and felled them with crossfire.
"The enemy has seized control of our knightmares."
"Q-1 K-1 eliminate enemy flanking force."
Ten knightmares and 35 infantry died as a buildings support beams were detonated with explosives burying them under rubble.
"We've changed the frequency five times how are they doing this?"
"K-1 he should be coming round the corner right now."
A knightmare pilot edged around a building only to find an assault rifle held level with his factsphere. At point blank range.
"Sir Arthur just vanished."
Lelouch sat in his cockpit listening to the sounds of panic. Now then Clovis there are five possible options open to you.
The Painter
In the G-1 command base Clovis rose looking at the tactical screen
"Enough send all forces to the centre of the formation."
"But that will cause our formation to crumble."
"Send everyone to the central location. Break off the forces surrounding the G-1 we know they are there."
The Devil
Lelouch raised an eyebrow as he saw all the encircling forces accelerate for the dead zone he and the terrorists had created. "Well he's chosen the most foolish move possible."
"Q-1 is your map accurate?"
"Yes but it's of the old city."
"That will do. K-1 move to position 4. Now are you ready?
"Hai."
Luthur grinned as he accelerated his knightmare through a wall and down into the street.
"I call check." The Brittanian forces arrived at the centre of the map only to find the Glasgow was not there.
"What where are they?"
Underground the red Glasgow and the Sutherlands fired their slash harkens at a very specific spot and then sped down the tunnel as concrete cracked and the streets above collapsed into a crater from the combined weight of so many tanks, knightmare and APC's.
"Mate" and both Luthur and Lelouch began laughing in triumph.
The Painter
In the G-1 base Clovis was feeling the chill of terror. Who the hell am I up against here? With the collapse of the formation there was nothing to stop the enemy from charging right towards him. Except. "Lloyd can your toy win this for us."
The scientist adjusted his glasses. "Please your highness, call it the Lancelot."
The Knight
The cloth was pulled back revealing a white knightmare with angled shoulderblades and a horned head. The Lancelot went through the startup sequence as Suzaku familiarized himself with the controls. "Inserting Energy battery. Initiating drive sequence." Inside the Lancelot the small cube of solid sakuradite in the Yggdrasill drive began its rotation.
"Drive sequence started"
"Has there been any report of survivors?" Suzaku knew that every second this fight continued Lelouch and his bodyguard would be in danger.
"I'm afraid not we've lost contact with everyone in the area."
Suzaku gripped the watch in his pocket. If I can disable everyone in the field I can stop the fighting. His eyes became set. "Lancelot launching." The white knightmare took a runners stance and then the landspinners kicked into high gear.
"Well he's a runner straight out the gate." Lloyd laughed as the gale from the Lancelot buffeted him.
The terrorists emerged above ground and under Lelouchs direction began advancing through the rubble towards the G-1's position. Luthur led the second group. Victory was certain. Until the report came in. "There's a single knightmare it's a new one ahgh." Lelouch looked at the board. One of his knightmares was down and his attacker was not showing on the IFF net. A single unit? "P-1 P-2 move to point seven and intercept. R -4 R-2 flank from the west" The terrorists opened up on the enemy only to watch the white knightmare leap left, wall jump off a building and drop two of them with slash harkens while flying through the air. Then before they could get over their shock he spinning kicked them with his landspinners and decapitated R-2 with another pair of slash harkens fired from its arms. "K-1 they've deployed a specialist unit. Get him in the open and hit him with massed fire. P-7 P-8 withdraw to point five to lure him in"
Luthur turned to the five men following him. "Right you're with me."
Luthur led his men onto the buildings above the open intersection as he saw the two knightmares retreating their fire getting more panicked. "Steady, steady lads."
His soldiers readied their rifles even as the two on the ground cried out. "We can't stop it."
"If any of you fire too early I will eat your hearts." The sheer terror of Luthur's words kept the Japanese aim steady.
Then both knightmares were disabled as the white knight hit them. But he stood now in the central square. There was no way the enemy could dodge the counterfire in that position. "Fire." The Japanese opened up only to watch the enemy raise his forearms and their weapons were stopped by Energy shields?
Luthur managed to get a burst past the shields edge but all he managed was to knock the frames horn off. The enemy knightmare immediately launched a single harken and hauled himself onto the opposite roof where he dropped the two knightmares there. The third got shot by accident by the increasingly panicked fire.
Luthur flung a chaos grenade only to see the enemy block it with a single shield while the other arm decapitated his squadmate. Luthur reversed and knew he could not dodge the enemies attack. As the knightmare fired he flung out the Sutherlands left arm to take the hit and then detached it. Using the distraction he fired his gun down and crashed through the floor below as his last soldier ejected. Luthur then accelerated through the internal walls and out the back. "Bastard isn't bothering to kill us. Now that's just insulting."
Lelouch grew increasingly dismayed as the knightmare proceeded to dance around the battlefield disabling his forces one by one. Soon only Q-1 and K-1 were left.
"My lord he's targeted you." Lelouch looked up to see the white knightmare approaching his hideaway. "Damn it." The white knightmare leapt up into his field of vision.
"Are you the one causing all this!" Suzaku's rage filled cry was stopped by Kallen's glasgow moving in to block his attack. He was just about to destroy her with the other arm when the one armed sutherland from before swung around the side of the building with its own slash harken and rammed him forcing the pair of them off the ledge as the enemy commander retreated. The sutherland pulled the trigger on the rifle stuck between them and fired assault rounds down into the Lancelot's leg as they dropped.
Meanwhile Luthur punched the eject on his knightmare and waited to see his enemy fall, helplessly wrapped up in his own knightmare. Only for the knightmare to untangle itself while falling from a thirty story building and fire a slash harken to slow its descent. Not quite fast enough as the knightmare still smashed into the side of the building with enough force that he could see it break its right landspinner. Even so it could have reached him if it didn't turn and grab a falling civilian from the tower.
Luthur smiled "Hmm you are different." He touched his communicator.
"My lord the enemy unit has been slowed but our forces are defeated."
"No matter I'll pick you up at point seven its time for a reunion. Give the order for the remainders to go to ground."
"I will. Q-1 there should be a subway junction still intact at coordinates 23-47. You can hide the Glasgow there."
The Devil and the Reaper
A few minutes later as the remnants of Clovis's infantry began a rather disorganized advance into the centre a pair of soldiers approached the G-1 Base.
"Halt you must show identification to pass this checkpoint."
"Of course but first … let us into the base." The eye flashed red.
"Yes sir."
Inside the base a pair of soldiers in full combat gear and helmets stood outside the entrance to the command bridge. A pair of soldiers approached the larger one had his weapon holstered his right hand was held behind him and his left hand in front of him. "Halt identify yourself or be." He never finished the sentence as a demonic clawed hand reached across the room and its steel fingers punched right through his neck. His fellow said nothing because of the silenced pistol bullet that had struck the weakpoint just below his visor.
In the command room the Brittanian officers tried to bring order out of the mess the terrorists had made of their forces.
"Our forces are reporting no resistance sir but soon we will."
A mighty shout echoed through the room "BANANAS" all of the men turned to see a giant in Brittanian uniform holding a bloodied helmet and another man with a glowing red eye.
The Queen
"Damn it why did you have to stir up the Brits? You only cause trouble for the rest of us."
"Be grateful you asshole we're fighting for you."
Kallen cursed as she stood in the warehouse. The Brittanians had found them and as she listened to the complaints of the others she found herself missing the cold voice of the bandaged man. "Line up the guns I want to finish this vermin quickly." A mother cried a she held her baby close and then.
"Stop fighting. I Clovis Vi Brittania order all units to cease their attack. All the wounded whether Brittanian or Eleven will be treated equally. In my authority as viscount I command this be so." Kallen could not see the expressions of the Brittanians but she knew she was stunned. They did it they actually did it.
The Painter
In a darkened command room Clovis sat back in his throne.
"Well now shall we swap stories or perhaps you'd like a game of chess."
Two figures stood in shadow the slimmer of the two holding a pistol at him.
"My dear Clovis we've been playing chess since the day you took over administration of Area 11. And with one very recent exception you've been an absolutely terrible player."
"I don't understand."
"Of course you don't."
The giant spoke.
"I must admit Clovis I thought the only talent you possessed was for painting but you actually managed to fool us all into thinking that black project of yours was a gas weapon. I suppose even a broken clock is right twice."
"You see we always played chess at the Aires villa Clovis and no matter how hard you tried I would always win. You never could see beyond the obvious."
Clovis felt his spine chill to ice."Who are you?"
The figure stepped into the light and revealed the violet eyes and features of a boy Clovis thought long dead. "I am Lelouch Vi Brittania and I have returned."
"Lelouch everyone thought you were dead. We should return to the homeland at once."
Lelouch sneered "What so me and Nunnally can be used as tools for diplomacy? Perhaps you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place. But we're running out of time. MY mother was a commoner made a knight through her achievements. But that did not sit well with the other consorts did it." Lelouch's face twisted in hatred. "That's why you people murdered my mother."
"What no I swear I didn't have anything to do with it."
"Then who did? The truth cannot be kept from me any longer. Tell me who was responsible for her death." The crane flew forth from his eye.
Clovis stiffened and then his eyes became glazed. "Prince Schniezel and Princess Cornelia they can tell you more."
"They were at the heart of all this?" Clovis hesitated. "Hmm that's all you know isn't it."
"I swear it wasn't me."
"I believe you. Now." Lelouch pressed the pistol into Clovis's eye.
"Wait we may have different mothers but you and I are still blood."
"Of course we are that's why I'm doing this personally."
"Wait." Lelouch stiffened as the giant spoke and Clovis breathed a sigh of relief.
"I need his eyeballs intact my lord. Shoot him in the heart."
"Very well." And Lelouch pointed his pistol downwards and fired.
He watched calmly as Clovis body shuddered and the light fled his eyes.
Then Luthur moved forward and drew out a combat knife. "By the way K-1 bananas?"
"It was what I had for breakfast."
Authors note.
In the darkness of castle Von Harken
Lelouch: His eyeballs?
Derain : Mwahahahah. My brilliance will become clear in time minion.
Luthur: He's been reading girl genius again hasn't he?
Lelouch: Oh yes.