"Do you know anything about this weapon?" The teal haired man, Jeremiah Gottwald questioned.
The man was in a small room, in the seat across the table from him was one Atsuko Kagari, to each side of her was a guard. When the girl remained quiet, Jeremiah continued.
"Atsuko Kagari, it was the one used to rob Prince Clovis of his life." The man started, "The barrel striations leave no doubt, and we've done a little homework on you as well. You're the only child of Japan's last acting prime minister, are you not? Your motive here is clear."
"You're making a mistake." Akko spat angrily at the man. "I have never even laid eyes on that gun."
One of the guards kicked the chair out from under her, and Jeremiah picked up the gun before continuing.
"We've found your fingerprints all over this weapon. You're also suspected of murdering members of the Royal Guard, high ranking commanders, and even a general." Gottwald explained, "Come clean now, and you'll be judged as though you were born a Britannian, not some worthless Eleven."
"You're wrong! I've done nothing!" Akko shouted, before the other guard's boot landed in a kick across her face.
Diana strolled into a pizza place that was downtown, ordered, and took a seat at one of the tables that rested in the middle of the room. She glanced around the room, and laid her eyes on an older looking man, who of which seemed to be enjoying a slice of pizza. There he is. The blonde confirmed internally, then got up from her seat. Diana walked toward the man, who seemed to recognize her approach, as he looked at her a little wearily, while chewing on a bite of pizza. Diana waved slightly to show that she wasn't a threat, and got close to the table.
"Are you Huey Klondike?" The blonde asked, a hint of intrigue in her voice, but also an undertone of innocence.
"I am," The man started, while putting a hand over his mouth to cover it. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm a big fan of your books is all," Diana began. "I just thought it would be interesting to meet you."
Huey finished his bite of pizza, then cleared his throat and checked his watch.
"I still have time before my break ends, I guess we could chat for a bit." He then motioned to the seat in front of him, "Please, take a seat."
Diana sat across from him, glanced around the room slightly, then dropped her facade, and activated her geass.
"Now, I'd like you to follow my every command." She said in a low enough voice as to only be heard by who she was talking to.
Once the man seemed to be under her influence, Diana deactivated her geass, and chuckled softly.
"Good, now leave your pizza, and walk with me." With that the two got up and began heading for the door, the guards that accompanied Huey to the parlor followed suit unsure as to who the newcomer was, but they didn't seem to want to object to her being with. Once the four of them, Diana, the man, and his guards, were out the door, Diana turned toward the guards, and looked them in the eyes.
"You two, don't you want to go home?" She asked accusedly, and watched as they fell under the control of her geass.
"Yeah, going home would be great right now." One of them said, then began walking down the road.
"Who needs work anyways?" The other asked and followed.
"Now then, mister Klondike, I wish to meet the Viceroy's secretary, can you arrange that meeting for today?"
The man looked at Diana for a second then nodded.
"As you wish m'lady." He agreed.
"Good. Now should we be on our way?" Diana asked, while walking toward the man's car, which had it's door open by the chauffeur.
Huey followed, and sat next to her, the chauffeur got back into the driver's seat, and began driving. Now then. Diana thought, One step closer.
The car neared the government borough and was stopped at the front gate's checkpoint, before being allowed through. Once inside, the chauffeur was ordered to stay put, and Huey led Diana to the Viceroy's office. When the two arrived, Diana watched as Huey got the guards, and the secretary to come over and meet her. When the three were brought over, Diana activated her geass.
"You three, I demand that you follow my every command." The blonde stated, and waited to deactivate her geass until she saw the effects take hold of her victims. "Now, you guards just return to your posts. As for you, is there anyone meeting with the Viceroy at the moment?"
"Yes," The secretary started and returned to her desk. "But I believe the meeting will end shortly."
"Good." Diana acknowledged, then turned toward Huey, "Now Huey, go get one of those guard's pistols, and head to your office, in two hours, you will shoot yourself."
"As you wish." Huey confirmed, approached the guards, grabbed a pistol, pocketed it, and left. Not too long after a dark skinned woman left the Viceroy's office and headed the same way that Huey just had.
"Now then, tell the Viceroy that an imperial princess is here to see him, and if he asks which one, tell him that it's Bernadette's child, Diana vi Britannia." Diana then turned toward the guards again, after peeking down the hall to make certain the woman from earlier was gone, you two will continue your shifts, finish them, head home, and promptly kill yourselves."
"Yes, your highness." The two guards stated in unison.
"Ma'am," The secretary began, "The Viceroy will see you now."
Diana walked to the Viceroy's door, and entered. Inside the Viceroy's office, aside from the man himself, and his desk, was another two men. Jeremiah looked tensely at the blonde as she neared to the man's desk.
"Is it true?" The teal haired man asked, his voice edged with emotion, "Are you really-"
"I am." Diana confirmed, "And I have returned to do what I must."
The blonde activated her geass.
"I, Diana vi Britannia, command you, obey my every order!"
Amanda followed the other three resistance members through a dark parking garage, a slight headache stuck with her, This is where she asked us to meet, wasn't it? The redhead asked herself, But where-
"There it is!" Tamaki interrupted Amanda's train of thought while pointing wildly at the vehicle that they were supposed to be looking for.
"Tamaki I swear to god if you yell like that one more time, I will not hesitate to beat the shit out of you." Amanda hissed, while pinching the bridge of her nose.
The brown haired man stopped in his tracks at that, and lagged a bit behind as the group trudged forward, before he rushed to catch up. The group neared the tall vehicle that looked like how it was described to Amanda, and knocked on the side door.
"Enter." They heard a feminine voice call through the intercom system, and the door slid open.
The group walked into the vehicle and were amazed at what they saw within, the interior of the vehicle was large, in one section there was a couch that sat against the wall, a coffee table, and large TV, in another, there was a small sitting area, with a large couch that encircled a table. On one side of that couch sat two woman, Diana, and C.C., the first of which gestured to the resistance.
"Please, take a seat." Diana's hand flowed from gesturing to them to the other side of the couch.
Amanda glanced back at the rest of the resistance members, before taking the first step, the tension in the air was palpable, but her movement seemed to at least get the others to comply. The four resistance members, sat on the opposite side of the rounded couch than the two women, and a tense silence fell over the room. Amanda noticed that Diana seemed to be observing every member of the resistance with rapt curiosity. Ohgi broke the awkward silence by clearing his throat.
"Are you-" He began.
"The one from Shinjuku?" Diana finished his question, "Yes, I am. The name's Diana Cavendish, it's a pleasure to meet you." The blonde outstretched a hand to the resistance cell's leader, to which he took it.
"Kaname Ohgi." He replied curtly.
"Hang on a minute! Why are you shaking that damned Brit's hand Ohgi!?" Tamaki shouted from his place on the couch, before getting to his feet.
Amanda shot up from her seat, and grabbed the loud resistance member by the collar.
"What the hell did I just tell you?" Amanda growled out, "Shut the fuck up. Or I will make you." She threw him back on the couch and sat down again.
"Anyways..." The teal haired man who sat next to Amanda began, "I'm Kento Sugiyama, the loud one's Shinichiro Tamaki, thank you so much for saving us back then... But..."
"Why did you save us?" Amanda finished Sugiyama's question.
"You're right. Why did I save you? I could have easily have let you all get yourselves killed while I lied low and waited for the air to clear." Diana mused aloud, "But I guess you could say, I saw myself in all of you."
"What do you mean?" Ohgi queried, while motioning for Tamaki not to interrupt.
"What I mean is, you and I, we have the same goal, and in turn, a linked future." Diana answered.
"The same goal? Do you mean-" Ohgi continued questioning.
"A free Japan? Yes, and no." Diana began, "I do wish this place, the place I call home to be free of Britannia's shackles, but my goal goes much further than that."
"Further?" Ohgi asked.
"I seek to tear Britannia apart." Diana stated.
"What?" Amanda spat out.
"My ultimate goal is systematically rip the Britannian Empire apart, eliminate every semblance of order within the upper echelons of society, and tear whomever may be sitting on the throne limb from limb." Diana clarified, "I want to completely obliterate Britannia."
"Any moment. Any moment now. It's a sight to see." The voice of a male newscaster sounded through the television in the student council room. "The throngs lining the route. All of them waiting on bated breath. Waiting for the accused murderer of Prince Clovis to pass by. An honorary Britannian and a former Eleven, Atsuko Kagari."
The student council members sat around and watched in between finishing up their work, on screen the camera flashed between showing the crowds and the Knightmares that stood one the sides of the road.
"I can see them! They have the suspect! Atsuko Kagari is headed this way!"
The camera zoomed in on the approaching vehicles, three Knightmares, and the prisoner escort vehicle. Two Knightmares took up the rear, and the other led the convoy, with Jeremiah standing on the open seat of his frame.
"Voices of scorn growing ever louder. Voices bearing testament to a people's love of their prince. Raining their judgement down on a terrorist." The newscaster continued.
"I can't believe that one girl killed Clovis, and his entire upper staff." Frank commented, while not looking up from his work.
"It is hard to believe, but apparently she's the only one the evidence could've pointed to, so it had to have been her." Andrew added.
"Margrave Jeremiah, integral in settling this case, will be presiding over the trial as acting consul." The newscaster stated.
Just then, on screen, Jeremiah's Knightmare was destroyed by a multitude of shots from behind it, and in an instant, the bridge lit up with gunfire, the cameras cut back to the studio, rather than what was occurring on the bridge.
"We can't tell what's going on out there, but it seems as though a firefight has ensued on the bridge, casualties are unknown at this point, but this is assuredly the act of terrorists." The newscaster stated solemnly.
"Oh my god." Hannah shakily breathed out.
Suddenly footage of the bridge returned, and what was shown was the Knightmare that shot first, opened up. Stood upon it's seat was a masked figure, they wore a black cloak and suit, with an extravagantly popped collar. Their mask was a solid black mass, with spikes extruding from the back of it, and one glowing red gem in the middle of it, a red line etched it's way from the top of the mask, through the gem, and down to the bottom, as though the mask itself was cracked.
"I," The masked figure began with a heavily distorted voice, and the camera zoomed in, seemingly for dramatic effect, "Am Noir."
Diana looked around at the chaos she had caused, and smiled behind her mask. The Knightmares under her command began moving toward their designated escape routes, which would lead them into the tunnels underneath the Tokyo Settlement. Diana then sighed before continuing her speech.
"I have come to clear miss Kagari's name, and put to rest the belief that Clovis la Britannia was angelic in death." She began, "Atsuko Kagari, however justified it may have seemed to have been, or what proof may have been pinned to her, did not kill prince Clovis. No. The one who killed Clovis had far more justification."
Diana pulled out a cellphone from within her ornate suit, and pressed one of the buttons.
"Just now, all the little details of a secret project your beloved prince had his men working on was posted on mass onto the web." Diana started, "And before you discredit it as false information, here are a few of the last words of the prince himself."
She pressed another button on the phone, and suddenly the distorted voice of Noir could be heard from the loud speakers of the Knightmare Diana stood upon.
"Clovis la Britannia, what was Code R?" The voice asked.
"Code R," Clovis began, "Was an attempt at immortality."
"And how was that attempt made?" Noir questioned.
"Through the process of human experimentation." The prince responded.
"Were those involved, whether scientist, or test subject alike, there voluntarily?" Noir asked.
"No." Came the prince's curt reply.
"What was done to the test subjects?" Noir questioned.
"We tested their humanity." Clovis responded.
"How exactly?" Noir prodded.
"To list a few, we removed the organs of fully awake and aware subjects, peeled off the skin of others, burnt, drowned, poisoned, and otherwise pushed their bodies past the breaking point." Clovis started, "To summarize, we found every extent the body could go through, and sought to push it further."
After a long silence, the recording continued.
"You willfully killed, and permanently maimed thousands of test subjects, Japanese, and Britannian alike, in the pursuit of expanding the lifespan of yourself, and those loyal few that you wished to stick with you, and then to hide your sins, you liquidated the population of the Shinjuku Ghetto?" Noir concluded.
"Correct." Clovis confirmed.
The recording ended there, and the silence of the world was near deafening. Diana looked back into the camera directly in front of her, and continued.
"The one who killed Clovis was not Atsuko Kagari." The distorted voice of the blonde stated, "No. The one who killed Clovis was one of the last test subjects."
With that, the blonde receded back into the cockpit of her Knightmare, and turned it toward Akko. After extending one of the giant hands, the Japanese girl hopped on, and sat down. Diana then proceeded to speed off toward her escape route.