CODE GEASS: Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward
By Anguirus1955
Disclaimer: Code Geass is the intellectual property of Studio Sunrise.
So, here's chapter 04 of the story. Clovis is still alive, Bartley is dead, and the story goes in a different direction for a brief period. As some of you may have noticed, Jeremiah Gottwald is not as fanatical or as zealous as he was in R1, because here he is much more level-headed, due to his changed backstory of being Empress Marianne's Knight. Marianne was born a commoner, which Purebloods look down upon. Jeremiah is the leader of the Purebloods, though mostly as a result of trying to save face after Marianne's death and the fact that he is intentionally trying to keep them under control, although nobody knows this but himself. However, some variations of what happened in canon Episode 04 do occur here, but under very different circumstances. Oh, and a big clue to that stuff I mentioned in the previous chapter's author notes can be found hidden within this chapter if you pay attention.
Villetta Nu is a commoner by birth, and because Jeremiah allowed her into the Purebloods anyway so that she could prove herself and earn a hereditary title such as Baroness (which she has not yet achieved), she is loyal to him. With me so far? Good. Now, I've realized that a Jeremiah x Villetta pairing, while interesting, would be out of the question due to the regulations in place for members of the military. And with both of these characters being in positions where they have to be extremely careful... yeah, that pairing can only happen in a story devoted to it, or one of them has to leave the military, or both of them leave the military, and that ain't happening anytime soon in this story.
So, down goes that ship. However, I was recently suggested a Jeremiah X Sayoko pairing by a reviewer, and while I can see how that has merit, I don't know if I have what it takes to pull it off in a way that seems... convincing and not forced. Alsmash was able to do it in Ice And Fire because he had drastically altered the timeline of events in the series backstory. I am not quite doing that here, at least not to such a degree.
Although... I have thought of a way to pull off the Villetta x Ohgi pairing in the future. It involves temporary amnesia, feigned amnesia, panic attacks, bad karaoke, bonding over pizza, inner struggles with one's sense of right and wrong, an accidental phone call to Tamaki, attempted murder, and finally seduction. I'll leave who does what up to your imaginations until I get to that point, which will be at least another fifteen or so chapters, if not longer.
On a related note, I've decided to make Ohgi a little bit more decisive and capable in this story than he was in canon.
On another note, I'm pretty sure it's obvious just who this "Charlie" that C.C. mentioned is in the previous chapter. I mean, it should be obvious. He's not an OC.
Also, Kewell Soresi is properly introduced in this chapter, and he will differ a little bit from canon, but not too much.
For another note, regarding Suzaku... I'm not sure if I made this clear in Chapter 02, but in this story, Suzaku is already a test pilot for the ASEEC group prior to Shinjuku, so he isn't chosen as the Lancelot's pilot at random. He was assigned to Lloyd's team because the people in charge thought he would probably die while testing out Lloyd's dangerous machines.
One last thing, with Zero being introduced in this chapter, I would like to say that the Zero outfit is exactly the same as it is in the canon series, right down to the last button and glove.
Also, brace yourselves, because this chapter is going to be kind of long compared to the previous one. There's a lot of shit happening in this chapter. Oh, and there are a couple of references to Code MENT here and there, because Code MENT is what renewed my interest in Code Geass after I stopped watching it.
One more thing, Pizza Hut is a proud supporter of the rebellion!
As with all stories that I write, I listen to music while writing to help myself get into a groove or to help myself capture certain feelings while writing. It can help inspire me sometimes. Music that I listened to while writing this chapter include Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007) by Kotaro Nakagawa, The Fifth Element (1997) by Eric Serra, Batman (1989) by Danny Elfman, and Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack (2014) by Martin O'Donnell & Michael Salvatori with new recordings by Skywalker Sound.
Please note that listening to this music while reading the story is not a requirement. I simply provide this as a little something extra to help enhance the reading experience, if you the readers so wish to do so. Most of this music can be found and heard on YouTube or any number of anime soundtrack websites.
Sudden and Suspicious Disclaimer: I also advocate the purchasing and obtaining of official soundtracks through legal means.
Music From Code Geass OST 1 - 2 (2006 - 2007): Zero, Strange Girl, Cold Nobility, Occupied Thinking, Feel Ambivalents, Baked Words, In Justice, Shin Troop.
Music From Batman (1989): Bat Cave, Descent Into Mystery, Batman Theme.
Music From Halo 2 Anniversary (2014): Not A Number, Second Prelude, Trapped In Amber, Builder's Legacy.
Track Order Listing - All After Opening Theme And Before Ending Theme
01. Baked Words (Lelouch plotting/C.C. and pizza), 02. Last Adolescence (Nunnally and Sayoko/Breakfast), 03. Feel Ambivalents (The Purebloods' plan), 04. Bat Cave (Tokyo Tower/Meeting Zero), 05. Shin Troop (1st raid), 06. Builder's Legacy (Convoy/2nd raid), 07. Descent Into Mystery (Box opens/Zero).
Music After Ending Theme
08. Not A Number
OPENING THEME: Princes Of The Universe (By Queen)
CHAPTER 04: Countdown To Zero
Ashford Academy, Saturday Morning, August 19, 2017 ATB
Sitting at a desk nearby, Lelouch glanced over at his doorway as he uploaded all of the audio recordings from his stolen helmet into his laptop. He had already eaten breakfast with Nunnally, so there wouldn't be any reason for her to barge into his room and bother him. However, that still left the green haired girl with a habit of disappearing into thin air whenever he wanted to question her.
Following the induction of Kallen into the Student Council, C.C. had practically disappeared until Lelouch was getting ready for bed, at which point he was too tired to ask her about his Geass and its limitations as he had planned. It was almost as if she had planned to not show up until he was too tired to ask her anything. Given her immortality, Lelouch wouldn't put it past the girl to be capable of such scheming.
In the meantime, as he listened to the recordings of Bartley's various access codes, Lelouch made sure to types them into a wordpad program on his laptop for ease of use later on. He paused the audio and glanced over at the door of his room yet again for a few seconds before resuming his task. It took him at least another thirty minutes, but soon he was finished and had all of the access codes typed down. He quickly saved the file and put it in a folder hidden in the Documents library of his operating system before accessing the folder's properties and marking it as a hidden object, to make sure that no one would find it except himself when he needed it.
It wouldn't do him any good for someone else to find that file on his laptop and start asking questions. He carefully disconnected the cord connecting the helmet to his laptop and stashed the helmet away again. As he returned to his laptop, he began searching for suitable locations to meet with Kallen's cell next weekend.
I need someplace that won't be easily found, but isn't so remote as to make them think I'm leading them into a trap. I also need to make sure that all of them are together when this happens. Decisions, decisions, decisions...
Lelouch was interrupted from his musings when he heard the door to his room open and a familiar tantalizing scent wafted into his nose. Turning around in his chair, Lelouch watched as C.C., wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, walked over to the bed while holding a large box of pizza with the Pizza Hut logo on it. C.C. gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed with a smile on her face as she opened the lid of the box and quickly retrieved a large slice of ham & pineapple pizza.
"I hope you have napkins," Lelouch said warily to her as he eyed the dripping cheese and crumbs falling into the box from the large edible triangle in C.C.'s right hand. C.C. eyed him mischievously, and he rolled his eyes in response with a sigh. "Okay, fine. You don't have to use napkins, but if you make a mess, you're cleaning it up. Got it?" Lelouch asked her sternly.
C.C. nodded her head. It was then that something occurred to Lelouch. "Wait a minute... how did you pay for that?" Lelouch asked, before his eyes widened and he got up from his chair to go over to his dresser and pull out his wallet. The cash inside was the same as it was the previous day, but he noticed that his debit card was missing.
Lelouch turned to look at C.C. with a glare. "Hand it over. Now," Lelouch demanded sternly, holding a hand out for emphasis. C.C. tilted her head at him as she chewed on her pizza like an innocent little angel. Lelouch was not amused as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Cee-Two, give me my debit card," Lelouch demanded again.
C.C. rolled her eyes and stood up before reaching into her blue jeans to retrieve said plastic rectangle. She handed it over to Lelouch and walked back over to the bed before plopping herself down on it again, her pizza still in her mouth the whole time. "Just for that, I'm taking a slice for myself," Lelouch said vindictively as he walked over and snatched a slice out of the box, much to C.C.'s bewilderment.
Lelouch slowly munched on the pizza as he returned to his chair and laptop, resuming his previous task. C.C. watched him with amusement on her face as she heard him cursing when he realized that he was getting grease all over his laptop. I guess he should have gotten a napkin, C.C. mused to herself.
Prince Clovis's Office, The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Later That Afternoon...
Clovis looked at the script in his hands as he went over it word by word. Standing by him were several aides, although none of them had been involved in the production of the script for Bartley's funeral speech. Clovis alone had done that, and now he was preparing himself for what he would be saying in front of the cameras on Monday. Today, of course, he had to worry about another script that had been typed up: the script for announcing Bartley's death to the public.
Looking around the office, Clovis saw Kewell Soresi, a member of the Pureblood Faction, standing at attention. "Soresi, speak," Clovis said. Kewell nodded his head curtly.
"Your Highness, the press is waiting in the main convention hall," Kewell said.
Clovis nodded his head in return. "Of course they are. I just need to go over this script one more time. In the meantime, how is the investigation coming along?" Clovis asked Kewell.
"Margrave Gottwald is still interviewing our surviving troops from the battle. He is being very thorough, as the security systems of the Gee-One had been temporarily disabled just prior to General Asprius's death, giving us no footage of the killers to work with," Kewell explained.
"I already know about the security shutdown!" Clovis snapped. "I want to know if there are any leads so far," he clarified. Kewell inhaled quietly before nodding his head.
"None yet sir, although Lieutenant Nu recalls having a brief memory lapse when her Sutherland was stolen, leaving her unable to identify to perpetrator. However, it is likely that whoever commandeered her Sutherland was responsible for General Asprius's death. As such, her Sutherland is being swept for any and all signs of whoever had commandeered it. Its internal recording systems are also being analyzed, as per Margrave Gottwald's orders," Kewell reported.
"Good. I want any and all updates in the investigation forwarded to me as soon as they develop. I want to know how this happened in the first place," Clovis said, although he already had his suspicions, but he wouldn't dare say them out loud.
A Few Minutes Later, In the Main Convention Hall...
Numerous reporters and journalists were sitting in chairs in front of a podium that had been erected on a red-carpeted floor. Many of them were busy talking amongst themselves or mingling with each other. Several camera operators from a variety of news agencies had set up their equipment around the room as everybody waited for Prince Clovis to arrive.
Sitting in a chair next to one camera operator, Diethard Ried made the occasional nervous glance around the room as he held a note pad in his hand and an audio recorder in another. The notepad held drawings of various cartoon animals. Diethard's most recent cartoon was that of a house cat riding a unicorn across a street while holding a bottle of whiskey in one paw.
"Always, I want to be with you, and make believe with you, and..." Diethard sang quietly to himself as he started up another drawing of a dragon using minivans for shoes while skating across an empty street. He had just finished drawing the wheels of the minivans when the doors of the room opened, causing him to look up as everyone began focusing their attention on Clovis la Britannia. Diethard flipped a page of the notepad to cover his doodles as he turned on his audio recorder and held it out.
Clovis walked up to the podium and allowed a somber expression to cross his face. He tapped the microphones that had been set up in front of him before clearing his throat. "Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen of Area Eleven, it is my most... somber of duties to inform everyone that one of our most prestigious and beloved of heroes, General Bartley Asprius, has fallen in the line of duty," Clovis said in a theatrically somber tone.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, including Diethard. "General Asprius was a devoted soldier of Britannia, a man who took pride in his job and always pushed to make our people safe," Clovis wept for the cameras. "Alas, it has been reported to me and confirmed by troops under his command that he was slain in battle on Thursday while pursuing a group of terrorists into the Shinjuku Ghetto. The investigation into how these terrorists were able to penetrate General Asprius's defensive perimeter and cause his death is still ongoing, but rest assured that we will eventually find the perpetrators and bring them to justice!" Clovis announced.
"This crime will not go unpunished! Those responsible for this travesty, for the murder of this brave man, will be held accountable! Mark my words, for I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to ensure justice for General Asprius, a man who represented the best of Britannia at its core!" Clovis added with gusto.
Kallen's Bedroom, The Stadtfeld Estate...
"This crime will not go unpunished! Those responsible for this travesty, for the murder of this brave man, will be held accountable! Mark my words, for I will leave no stone unturned in my efforts to ensure justice for General Asprius, a man who represented the best of Britannia at its core!"
Sitting on her bed, Kallen Stadtfeld/Kozuki snorted with narrowed eyes at the visage of Clovis on the television screen. "Brave man? Sure, buddy. Whatever you say," Kallen said mockingly as she grabbed the remote and changed to channel, only to find that every channel had been forced to broadcast the same thing. "Oh, give me a break!" Kallen spat before shutting off her TV.
She looked around her room before seeing her cell phone lying on her dresser. She quickly unplugged it and called Ohgi, hoping to hear the voice of someone honest in her ears. The dialing sound rang in her ears as she waited for him to pick up, until she finally heard a clicking noise.
"Yo, what's up?" Ohgi asked over the phone.
"Hey, Ohgi, have you seen the news?" Kallen asked him.
"Who hasn't seen it?" Ohgi asked in response. "Anyway, I've got no idea what Clovis is gonna do in retaliation for what happened to Bartley, but I think we should all lay low for a while before we do anything again," Ohgi said.
"But we managed to wound them!" Kallen retorted. "We should strike again while they're still bleeding!" she added adamantly.
"Yeah, and they're probably already healing their wounds. Look, Kallen, I know you must feel pretty confident after Kay-One helped us on Thursday, but if we get overconfident, we're gonna trip up and get caught. For the time being, just enjoy being at school and having fun with your friends," Ohgi said. "Speaking of which, how are things going at school for you anyway?"
"Oh, school's fine. I was indicted into the Student Council yesterday," Kallen said.
"Um... indicted? You were thrown out?" Ohgi asked her with concern.
"No, I was sworn in," Kallen said, raising an eyebrow in confusion at Ohgi's concern.
"But you just said... Oh! You mean inducted," Ohgi said. Kallen frowned slightly in response to being corrected.
"Uh... y-yeah. Inducted is what I meant to say. Heh-heh," Kallen said with a chuckle, trying to save face as an embarrassed expression marred her features. "Oh! By the way, um... I was contacted by Kay-One yesterday," Kallen said.
"You were!? How did he contact you?" Ohgi asked her. Kallen was about to open her mouth when she remembered her own words to Lelouch the previous day.
"Well... he somehow discovered my phone number," she lied.
"How did he do that?" Ohgi asked her.
"I asked him the same thing, and he told me not to worry about it," she continued lying.
"Uh... I would worry about that Kallen. It means this guy knows who you are. We still don't know anything about him, and even though he helped us out on Thursday, everyone else is still pretty skeptical about this guy. That being said, what did he say when he contacted you?" Ohgi asked her.
"Well... he said he wants to meet up with us next weekend," Kallen answered.
"Did he say where or which day? Did he say what time?" Ohgi asked her.
"No. He said he would have a specific location ready when the time came and he would contact me so that I could tell everyone else. I don't think he has anyone else's phone numbers," Kallen replied.
"Sounds kind of suspicious to me," Ohgi said warily.
"Same here, but after what he did on Thursday, maybe we should at least hear what he has to offer us," Kallen said.
"Alright, I guess. But just be careful, Kallen. For all we know, this could be some kind of trap," Ohgi warned.
"Only one way to find out," Kallen said.
"Alright. I'll talk to ya later. Stay safe, and tell your mother I said hello, will ya?" Ohgi responded.
"I will. You take care too, Ohgi. Bye," Kallen said before hanging up. She then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV again. Clovis's speech had apparently ended and the usual programming had resumed. "Finally," Kallen muttered to herself.
Ashford Academy, Monday Morning, August 21, 2017 ATB
Sitting in front of her bathroom mirror, Nunnally "Lamperouge" held up her contact lenses as she prepared to put them on. She briefly looked into the mirror to take one last look at her natural orange eyes before covering them up with the blue of the contacts. After blinking twice to make sure that they were in place, Nunnally sighed before wheeling herself out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, where Sayoko was waiting for her.
"Are you ready, my lady?" Sayoko asked her with a smile. Nunnally sniffed the air as the smell of bacon and eggs wafted through her nose, along with pancakes. A smile spread across her face as she nodded in response to Sayoko's question. If Sayoko was going to insist that she allow herself to be wheeled to the kitchen instead of doing it herself, then she was going to make sure that she enjoyed it, despite her insecurities about always being wheeled around by another person.
As soon as Sayoko was behind her, Nunnally held an arm out into the air, pointing forward with one finger. "Onward, my noble ninja maid! To breakfast!" Nunnally ordered with the authority of a military general, coupled with an equally serious expression on her face.
Sayoko smiled at Nunnally's attitude before nodding her head. "Yes, my queen!" Sayoko laughed gently in response as she started pushing Nunnally through the bedroom. As they passed through the hallway, Sayoko looked down at the sandy brown hair of her charge before looking up and pausing at the door of the elevator that would take them downstairs.
At The Breakfast Table...
"Aack!" Lelouch cried out as he stepped back from the splashing grease in the skillet. "Stupid sausages!" he spat as he glared at the brown links before him. He grabbed a hand towel and wrapped it around his right hand, wincing as the cloth made contact with the most recent hot spots from the splashing grease. "Where are those fucking oven mitts?" Lelouch grumbled as he turned off the stove and moved the skillet to an inactive burner.
"Hmm... maybe you should just order pizza for breakfast," C.C. suggested as she leaned back in her chair. Lelouch turned and glared at her. "What? You wouldn't have to worry about hot grease," she said in her defense.
Lelouch quietly shook his head at C.C. before turning around and grabbing some plates to put the food onto. He quickly set the table and was just finishing up when Sayoko and Nunnally arrived in the room. "Good morning!" Lelouch chirped at his sister and Sayoko. Nunnally smiled and nodded her head in response.
"Good morning, Master Lelouch," Sayoko said with a very short bow as she wheeled Nunnally over to the table. Lelouch pulled out a chair for Sayoko before sitting down himself. C.C. watched the scene with a serene expression on her face as the small family began eating. After a minute, she joined them.
After thirty minutes, Lelouch checked the clock on the wall and stood up, taking his empty plate over to the sink. "Well, I've got a Student Council meeting to attend in about... twenty minutes, so I need to get the clubroom ready," Lelouch said as he washed his hands.
Nunnally nodded her head, as did Sayoko. C.C. merely raised an eyebrow and went back to slowly eating her food. "Sayoko, please make sure that Cee-Two cleans up after herself when she's done," Lelouch requested as he made his way through the door of the kitchen and into a short hallway.
As he made his way to a staircase, Lelouch pulled out his cell phone and checked it for new messages. Just as he had hoped, there were a series of new messages from the owner of a fabric store he had visited and used his Geass on over the weekend. The suits that he had requested were ready for pickup, and he had used very specific command parameters to make sure that the Geass would not wear off until after the suits had been retrieved. So, Kallen thinks I should do something spectacular, huh? Just wait until she's introduced to Zero, Lelouch thought to himself as he continued making his way up the stairs, quickly pocketing his phone.
When he arrived, he found that Milly was already in the clubroom getting things set up. "Huh, I didn't expect you to be here so... early," Lelouch said. "You could have joined us for breakfast," he added. Milly simply shrugged her shoulders in response.
"So... what's gonna be on the agenda for this morning's meeting?" Lelouch asked her as he walked over to help her set up some chairs.
"Oh, it's mostly just going to be budget concerns and plans for the December trip to Lake Kawaguchi," Milly said. "By the way, are you still gonna pilot the Ganymede for the school festival this year?" Milly asked Lelouch as she leaned against a chair.
"Well, if nobody else shows interest then I guess I have no choice in the matter," Lelouch replied. Milly nodded her head in response. "Milly... I think next week is when we should enroll Cee-Two into the school," Lelouch then stated.
Milly slowly nodded her head in agreement with his statement. "Yeah. I think that's a long enough wait time. Still... I do wish she would try to be more careful with my clothes. I've been finding grease stains on the uniforms that I've given her," she said with a frown.
"I'll talk to her about that," Lelouch said. The next few minutes passed in silence until the clubroom doors opened and the others entered the room, including Kallen, who glanced at Lelouch briefly before making her way over to the table. Lelouch nodded his head curtly before pulling out a chair for her and then sitting down next to her. Kallen eyed him warily, but otherwise kept up her sickly persona as the meeting began.
"All right, now that we're all here, we can work on getting our budget straightened out," Milly announced as she looked over to Nina, who was the treasurer. "Nina, please show us those marvelous graphs and charts that you worked on over the weekend," Milly said with a smile. Nina nodded her head and opened a large folder in her hands to pull out several copies of the Student Council's budget and various financial charts showing what they had available, what was needed by each club, and how things would have to be spread out.
Viceroy's Office, The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Thursday, August 24, 2017 ATB
"So, just tell this to me one more time," Clovis said as he sat behind his desk. Standing in front of him were members of the Pureblood Faction, including Jeremiah Gottwald, Villetta Nu, and Kewell Soresi.
"Of course, Your Highness," Jeremiah said. He then glanced over at Kewell. "Kewell, proceed once more," Jeremiah said, having no desire to actually be the one to propose the plan that Kewell and the other Purebloods had come up with in the past two days.
Kewell nodded his head with a smile before clearing his throat. "Viceroy Prince Clovis, our plan to sniff out the terrorists responsible for General Bartley Asprius's death is really quiet simple. You see, we have no doubt that the terrorists are hiding in the ghettos, but, they were able to acquire Sutherlands during the battle. Because of this, and the fact that we were unable to reacquire them, we know that they must be hiding them somewhere," Kewell explained before stopping to take a breath.
"Go on," Clovis said, resting his chin on the knuckles of one hand as he propped himself up on his table, using his free hand to gesticulate to Kewell. Kewell smirked in response.
"Wherever they are hiding the stolen Sutherlands, we know that the cell must be close by, or at least key members must live in nearby locations to wherever the Knightmares are being stored. If we find the Knightmares, then we can also find the terrorists, or at least reduce their combat ability to a significant degree," Kewell said.
"And you intend to find them by... raiding every building in the ghettos?" Clovis asked him, hiding the fact that he already suspected who Bartley's true killer was.
"Well, not every building, but mostly just the ones large enough to house a Knightmare. Warehouses and the like," Kewell said. "We would, of course, need to bring Knightmares with us in the event that the stolen Sutherlands are activated in retaliation," Kewell added.
"But... if you go in with Knightmares at the start, won't the terrorists figure out what's coming? Certainly, they're numbers, but they aren't complete imbeciles," Clovis said. "I mean, they were smart enough to capable of hijacking a truck containing stolen gas... which still hasn't been returned to our hands," Clovis said darkly.
"Well... we know for a fact that the Elevens in the ghettos are currently dealing with a bit of a drug problem, as are certain Honorary Britannians living in the Concession. We'll disguise our efforts to find the terrorists as drug raids, and we'll arrest every suspicious person we find. And, of course, there may be some damage to various structures as we find the stolen Knightmares and return them to their rightful owners. And some terrorists, or suspected terrorists, may die in the process," Kewell said with a smile.
"So, you want to enact a series of... pogroms?" Clovis asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, that's one way of putting it," Kewell said. "Besides, they're Numbers. Who's going to complain?" Kewell added.
Clovis considered the proposal. I suppose this would make it easier to find Cee-Two. After all, if she's hiding in the ghettos, then the raids might uncover her. At the very least, even if she isn't taken into custody, the raids could at least force her out into the open where she might be reported, then I can send agents in to find and apprehend her, Clovis thought to himself.
"Very well. I give this plan my approval. But... where exactly do you plan to start? Certainly the terrorists won't be stupid enough to hide the stolen Sutherlands in Shinjuku," Clovis asked the trio.
"We'll start in Matsumoto, and then move our way back to Shinjuku, then Saitama, followed by another raid in the Osaka ghettos. Those locations are where the largest reports of Refrain abuse have been found," Jeremiah said.
"Refrain?" Clovis asked him, unfamiliar with the drug.
"Yes," Jeremiah began. "Refrain is a drug that stimulates the user's memory centers and allows them to basically 'relive' memories, usually happy ones, as the drug also targets the brain's happiness centers by causing it to release endorphins. However, as the drug begins to wear off, the crash felt by the user is one that often results in hysteria, nightmares, and even paralysis depending on the memories being relived during said crash and the dosage taken. Many users often die as a result of the crash itself, even first timers," Jeremiah explained.
"Some simply end up in comas, but the problem is that the drug, despite its horrific crashes, is extremely addictive, due to its ability to trigger the release of endorphins in the brain. Because of the serious nature of the drug, we can easily use raids on suspected distribution sites as cover for our true intentions," Jeremiah said in a professional voice.
"But... why bother with the cover?" Clovis asked him curiously.
"Your Highness, once the first raid is performed, word will spread throughout the ghettos. By making it look like we are going after drugs and drug dealers, we can ease the suspicions of the terrorists who killed Bartley and stole those Sutherlands as we home in on them. If our intentions are made clear at the very start, then the terrorists will take steps to hide the Sutherlands even deeper into the ghettos, or perhaps even give them to the Japanese Liberation Front to clean their hands," Jeremiah said.
The Japanese Liberation Front, or JLF for short, was the last remaining remnant of the Japanese Army still hiding somewhere throughout Area 11. While no reports had provided any conclusive numbers, it was generally believed that the JLF held a sizable number of Knightmare Frames and at least several hundred soldiers ready for combat. The most noteworthy individual known to be part of the JLF was Kyoshiro Tohdoh, also known as Miracle Worker Tohdoh, as he had been responsible for each of the Japanese Army's victories against the Britannian forces during the Invasion of Japan.
"I see. Letting those Sutherlands fall into the hands of the JLF would prove to be most troublesome," Clovis said, nodding his head in agreement. "Very well, use the drug raids as cover for your true intentions. I will give you one month to find General Bartley's killers with these raids and/or recover those stolen Sutherlands. If there is no progress by then end of September, I will pull the plug on the operation, as the terrorists will have undoubtedly caught on by then," Clovis said.
"The Elevens are stupid, but they're not that stupid," Clovis added, prompting the others to nod their heads in agreement. The Purebloods then left the office, leaving Clovis alone at his desk. Sighing, he spun his chair around and looked out the window at the Concession. C.C. was hiding somewhere out there, he knew it. It would take some time, but eventually, he would catch her.
The Stadtfeld Estate, Saturday Morning, August 26, 2017 ATB
While eating breakfast in the dining room, Kallen felt her phone buzzing. Reaching down, she retrieved the phone and opened it to see who was calling. It was a number she had seen only two nights before. Pressing the TALK button on the screen, Kallen held the phone up to her ears. "Kallen Stadtfeld speaking," Kallen said softly.
"Gather your cell at the Tokyo Tower Observatory by One O'Clock, and then wait at least thirty minutes for me to call you again," Lelouch said over the phone. Kallen nodded her head as she looked over at the clock on the wall. It was only 08:30 in the morning. She would have plenty of time.
"I understand. How do you plan on introducing yourself to the others?" Kallen asked him as she glanced around the dining room. "Oh, you'll see. Trust me, it'll be quite spectacular," Lelouch replied with a snicker, causing Kallen to frown.
I get the feeling this partnership is gonna result in me having a lot of headaches in the future, Kallen thought to herself. "Okay. The Tokyo Tower Observatory, at One. Got it. I'll be waiting, but I can't guarantee that everybody is going to show up," Kallen said into the phone.
"As long as you can get Ohgi and two other members, that'll be enough," Lelouch said.
"Alright. I'm trusting you, so don't screw this up... whatever this is," Kallen said.
"Dont worry. I promise it will be worth it. Just you wait and see, Q-One," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen held the phone away from her ears and looked at it. "Doesn't anyone say 'goodbye' anymore?" she asked rhetorically before setting her phone down and finishing her breakfast of cold cereal and milk.
Tokyo Tower Observatory, Area 11, 12:50 pm...
Standing in front of a large glass window, Kallen listened to the sound of footsteps approaching behind her. Turning around, she noticed Ohgi in his casual getup, with jeans, a green shirt, and a grey jacket. Kallen was wearing similar attire, though only to keep herself from standing out too much. Nearby, Kallen saw Naomi Inoue, Toru Yoshida, and Shinnichiro Tamaki walking around.
"Where are Sugiyama and Minami?" Kallen asked Ohgi.
"They both had to work today," Ohgi replied as he stepped up next to Kallen and looked out the window of the observatory. The cityscape below them was quite grand in its expanse, but it was marred by the fact that many of the structures in the ghettos had been left to rot and crumble. "So, One O'Clock, right?" Ohgi then asked as he kept looking out the window.
"That's what he said," Kallen replied.
"Have you been able to learn anything about him? His name? Where he's from? Why he's helping us?" Ohgi asked her.
"Well... he claims that a family member of his who was crippled in their childhood has suffered because of Britannia's Social Darwinist policies and ideology. His voice also has a certain accent to it, and he also uses certain words and phrases that I've only heard Britannians use," Kallen said.
Ohgi nodded his head. "So... you think he's Britannian?" Ohgi asked her curiously.
"It's a high probability," Kallen said with a nod of her head, keeping the truth to herself, as Lelouch had instructed her.
"Well... I guess you can't choose where you're born," Ohgi said. "Even if he is Britannian... I guess it wouldn't hurt to meet him in person," he added as he turned away from the window to look down at his wristwatch. He then glanced over at the others before they checked their watches.
Soon, Kallen's phone buzzed and she took it out of its protective case to swipe her finger across the screen. "Hello?" she asked into the phone as she held it up to her ear.
"I take it that you are at the observatory?" Lelouch asked her. "That's right. We're here," Kallen said. "I want you to take the outbound train on loop line five. You have ten minutes to get aboard. I will be waiting," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen looked at the phone before locking the case over it and putting it back in her pocket.
Ohgi looked at her expectantly. "Loop line five, outbound. Let's move," Kallen said as she started walking away. Ohgi gestured for the others to follow him and Kallen through the observatory as they made their way down to the rail line platforms.
After reaching the platform, the group made their way onto the outbound train for loop line 5, stepping inside a seemingly empty train car. As soon as the doors closed, Kallen and the others felt the train begin to move.
"Attention all passengers if you become aware of any suspicious items on board, please alert metro personnel by using the nearest inter-telephone," an announcer said over the intercom system.
Kallen and the others took their seats on the train as it slowly moved through the rail system. Kallen soon felt her phone vibrate again before she retrieved it and answered it. "Hello?" she asked.
"I trust you are on the train?" Lelouch asked her. "Yeah. Now what do we do?" Kallen asked him.
"Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?" Lelouch asked her as the train passed over the line between the Tokyo Concession and the ghettos. "The Britannian city. It was built on our sacrifice and made with the sweat and tears of those who were crushed underneath Britannia's foot," Kallen replied with a frown.
"And on your left?" Lelouch asked, forcing Kallen to walk over to the left and look at the ghettos beneath them. "I see our city. Remnants of a desiccated city after the Britannians sucked it dry, leaving it to rot and decay with no concern for those still living in it," Kallen replied bitterly.
"Good answer. Now, please make your way to the front of the train. I have something special waiting for you," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen kept the phone in her hands as she gestured for the others to follow her through the train cars that seemed... eerily abandoned and empty.
"Where is everyone?" Tamaki asked as he looked for signs of other passengers. The train cars were otherwise silent and still. The lack of any life at this time of day gave Tamaki the creeps, at least until they entered the penultimate car, which had dozens of people all staring off into space with strange faint red rings in their eyes.
Stopping in front of a young woman who was staring ahead with a vacant expression, Tamaki waved his hands in front of her. She made no response to his actions. Tamaki repeated this again and again with at least thirteen other people. No one seemed to notice him or respond to anything he said or did. "This is weird, guys. I mean really weird," Tamaki said to Ohgi and the others with a growing sense of unease in his voice.
"The next stop is Okubo. Okubo is next. Those wishing to transfer to the Chuo-Soubu line should exit at the next stop. Okubo will be next. Once again. Those wishing to transfer to the Chuo-Soubu line should exit at the next stop," an announcer said over the intercom system, breaking the silence.
Soon, as they entered the front train car, they saw a figure standing in the middle of the car, with two dozen people sitting in the seats around him, all of them in the exact same trance state as the people in the previous car. The dark figure had a large dark blue or purple cape wrapped around them, with a dark rounded helmet that completely obscured their face. It reflected the lights of the train car as the figure slowly looked from left to right at the group.
"Tell me, did you enjoy my tour of the settlement?" the figure asked them, moving an arm out from beneath the cape to make a sweeping gesture with his gloved hand. His voice was male, but there was a slight synth effect underlying it, implying that there was a voice modulator of some kind built into his helmet. Despite this, Kallen still recognized it as Lelouch's voice.
"So... you're Kay-One?" Ohgi asked cautiously.
"That is one alias that I use," K-1 replied, nodding his head in confirmation. "But, from today onward, I have another alias that I wish to be known by... ZERO!" K-1/Zero replied dramatically.
"What!? Come on! There's no way this joker is the guy who helped us in Shinjuku!" Tamaki exclaimed incredulously as he took in the sight of Zero's attire. Inoue raised an eyebrow at Tamaki before returning her attention to the masked man in front of them, occasionally glancing at the seemingly vegetative people around them.
"What did you mean by tour of the settlement? What was the point of that?" Ohgi asked him, ignoring Tamaki's outburst.
"My point was to illustrate the differences between the settlement and the ghettos," Zero replied.
"Yeah, we know," Ohgi said with a frown. "There are a lot of differences between us and them. Very harsh ones at that. And that's why we resist them," he added.
"Yes, but there is a problem in that thinking. For you see, Britannia will not fall to terrorism," Zero said. "In fact, to them, your actions amount to little more than a childish nuisance," he added.
"What did you say!?" Tamaki asked him angrily. "After all the friends and family that we've lost while fighting, you wanna go and claim that we're just a bunch of children!?" Tamaki continued. "That's not quite-" "Fuck you, pal!" Tamaki spat at Zero.
"Look, if you truly wish to change things, then you must know your enemy. It is not people, but Britannia itself! It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent. Take up your sword! Fight for justice!" Zero exclaimed, ignoring Tamaki's outburst.
Kallen felt her jaw drop, before she picked it back up. "Look, that's all well and good for motivational rhetoric, but if you want us to work with you, we're gonna need something a bit more substantial," Kallen said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Yeah, like how about showing us your face, for starters?" Ohgi asked him sternly, his eyes narrowed at the round helmet of Zero.
"Very well, I'll show you. But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I deliver to you the impossible, then I might have earned your trust," he said.
"Deliver... the impossible?" Yoshida mumbled curiously with a raised eyebrow. Ohgi shrugged his shoulders in response, while Inoue looked around at the entranced passengers before focusing her attention on Zero again.
"Bear witness to your... power? What do you mean by that?" Inoue asked him curiously. "Wait a minute... did you cause whatever is wrong with these people!?" she asked him with an edge.
"Indeed I did. I would like to demonstrate this power to you, but first I wish for you all to have some... protection, if you will," Zero said as he lifted a leg and kicked a small box across the floor over to the group. "Inside that box are special glasses with reflective lenses. They will protect you from my power as I demonstrate it to you," Zero explained.
Ohgi cautiously knelt down in front of the box and looked up at Zero as he opened it before looking back down. Inside were at least eight glasses with dark reflective lenses on them. Ohgi slowly passed them around to the others before putting them on himself.
"Okay. So... I guess a demonstration of this power of yours wouldn't be too much to ask?" Ohgi asked Zero.
"I'm waiting for Big Mouth to put his glasses on," Zero said, prompting everyone to turn and look at Tamaki.
"What!? I'll put these on when you can prove to me that everything you're saying is true! I want proof!" Tamaki spat with a scowl on his face.
Zero then sighed in annoyance at Tamaki's refusal to cooperate. "You want proof? Well then, here it is," Zero said in response before a small slot opened up in his helmet, revealing a violet eye that began to glow red.
Kallen and the others noticed the glow emanating from the eye through their glasses, with Kallen having a vague feeling of de ja vu as she saw it. "Now, I command you, Tamaki, to fold your arms and cluck like a chicken for the next sixty seconds!" Zero ordered him.
Red rings appeared in Tamaki's eyes as he followed his instructions. Everyone else's jaws dropped as Tamaki did exactly as Zero had told him. "Bok! Bok! Bo~ok! Bo-bok!" Tamaki clucked repeatedly as he danced around with his arms folded to resemble wings.
Were the circumstances any different, everyone else would have been laughing their asses off at Tamaki's actions. As things were, however, Zero's ability to bend someone to his will by mere words alone had left them feeling anything but jovial. It was... intimidating.
Finally, Tamaki stopped making a bigger ass out of himself than usual and looked around in confusion. "Uh... what's everybody staring at me for?" he asked as he noticed how everyone was focused on him. "What? Is there something on me? Is it a spider? Is it a spider!? Is there a spider on me!?" Tamaki asked hysterically, before Ohgi walked over and slapped him in the face.
"Tamaki, clam down, shut the fuck up, and pay attention!" Ohgi said forcefully as he fixed him with a glare. Tamaki immediately did as instructed. "Oh, and put those damn glasses on! Now, Tamaki!" Ohgi ordered him. Tamaki gulped and immediately put the glasses on his face.
"So, did you enjoy my little demonstration?" Zero asked them.
"What demonstration?" Tamaki asked in confusion, prompting Ohgi to shake his head in dismay.
"For once, you'll have to forgive Big Mouth. You see, anyone under the influence of my power will have no memory of what they did in the duration that they are following my orders after it wears off," Zero explained.
"Uuuuh... guys? What's he talking about?" Tamaki asked his comrades, confused by Zero's words. "Seriously, what's going on here!?" Tamaki asked excitedly.
"Tamaki, shut the fuck up already!" Kallen snapped at the man.
"Yes, or shall I prepare another demonstration?" Zero added.
"For Tamaki's sake, just, [sigh], just go ahead and... do something," Ohgi said in frustration.
"Well, I was under the impression that using your friend... eh, why not?" Zero replied before raising both hands into the air and grabbing a small radio connected to the train's intercom system. "Attention all passengers... Tic Tac Toe," Zero said.
All of the passengers immediately rose from their seats and began twirling around while staying in one place, their eyes blinking on occasion but retaining their faint red glows. As this bizarre dance continued, Zero moved his hands in a manner similar to a music conductor in front of an orchestra. To Kallen and the others, the sight was... surreal, to say the least.
"Oh, I forgot to hook up the music! I knew I was forgetting something," Zero lamented out loud with disappointment in his voice. Meanwhile, the surreal and bizarre dance of living puppets continued around him and the others.
"Okay. That's enough," Ohgi said. The bizarre trance dance continued. "I said that's enough!" Ohgi barked at Zero, causing the latter to stop his motions before grabbing the radio again.
"Attention all passengers... Toe Tac Tic," Zero said, causing everyone to sit down. Their eyes remained red. Zero then focused his attention on Ohgi.
"Alright, I believe you. But... that doesn't mean we trust you," Ohgi said warily. "If you want us to trust you, then we need to know more about you. We need to see your face and know your real name. You've seen our faces, and you know our names. If you want us to work with you, then that means there needs to be a level of trust between us, and right now I don't see any trust, just power and intimidation," Ohgi said with a frown.
Inside the helmet, Lelouch frowned as he considered Ohgi's words. The man certainly had a point regarding the one-sidedness of his knowledge of their identities versus their knowledge of his identity, but could he trust them to keep his identity a secret if he were to reveal it? Clearly, Kallen hadn't told any of them about him, so he knew that he could trust her, at least for the time being. Ohgi seemed earnest, but Tamaki... oh, that big-mouth moron would probably flap his lips about him the moment he was out of sight. And Lelouch knew little to nothing about the other two that had shown up, other than their names and genders.
And yet, that still meant he knew more about them than they knew about him, which was exactly Ohgi's point. I suppose... if I can determine how good they are at keeping a secret, I may reveal myself to them. However... what do I do about Big Mouth? I've already wasted my Geass on him to demonstrate its power to the others, so I can't use it on him again, Lelouch thought to himself. Most of them don't seem all that willing to work with me either, but maybe I can use that to my advantage, Lelouch thought to himself.
"Very well. How about this? If you work with me on the next mission together, and it is successful, I shall reveal myself to those who join me in that mission," Zero proposed. The others looked at each other, trading glances between themselves and Zero before huddling together to begin whispering to each other. When they were done, Ohgi stepped forward.
"Okay... I agree to these terms. But only if the next mission is a success," he said, reaching a hand out. Zero reached forward and grabbed Ohgi's hand to shake it. "Very good. I look forward to working alongside you when the time comes to make my debut to the world," Zero said before pulling away from Ohgi.
"Alright, but how will we contact you?" Ohgi asked Zero.
"Kallen will serve as a liaison for the time being. I have her phone number. She can contact you after I have contacted her," Zero said.
"Yeah, about that," Ohgi said. "How did you get her phone number in the first place? How did you even find out who she was?" Ohgi asked Zero.
"Why, I used my Geass, of course," Zero said. Kallen raised an eyebrow. She could distinctly remember Lelouch telling her to give Milly her contact information when joining the Student Council. When had he used this power on her? She decided she would ask later, when she had returned home, just to be safe.
"Your... Ghee-auss?" Ohgi asked him in confusion.
"That is the name of the power I just demonstrated scant minutes ago," Zero explained.
"When did you use it on Kallen?" Ohgi asked, causing Kallen's eyes to widen.
"I found her shortly after the battle in Shinjuku was over," Zero said vaguely. Kallen looked at him quizzically but decided to hold her tongue for the time being. She would still call him later that night to find out the truth.
"So, now that we have made our agreement, I believe it is time for us to part ways, at least until our next collaboration together. I will contact Kallen when I have found an appropriate time to make my debut to Britannia. In the meantime, I would advise the rest of you to lay low and restock your supplies. I have no doubt that you are low on essential equipment following the Battle of Shinjuku," Zero said.
Ohgi and the others reluctantly nodded their heads in affirmation. The train soon came to a stop and the doors opened. "Until next time. Also, keep the glasses," Zero said as the others disembarked.
"What about these people?" Ohgi asked with concern as he looked at the Geassed passengers of the train.
"Do not worry about the passengers. I will return them to normal before the end of the hour," Zero said as the others stood on an empty platform. After a few more minutes, the doors closed and the train began to move again, leaving the five resistance fighters scratching their heads in confusion and anxiety over their encounter with Zero.
The Matsumoto Ghetto, Area 11, Tuesday Evening, August 29, 2017 ATB
The sun was just setting in the sky as the residents of the Matsumoto Ghetto noticed something unusual happening near the security checkpoints. Small children stood in the streets and watched as a vehicle convoy began to pass through the primary checkpoint, with Britannian Police transports and other vehicles slowly pushing onward through the streets, forcing the children to clamber onto the sidewalks to stay out of the way. This was an unusual sight for many of the younger residents, as the police usually stayed out of the ghetto.
In fact, most Britannians refused to set foot in the ghettos unless they were tracking specific individuals or they were chasing criminals who were trying to hide in the ghetto itself. This was different, however, as there appeared to be Special Operative Action Police, or SOAP, officers in the vehicles. As the name implied, SOAP was a special unit that "cleaned" the streets of Britannia and its colonized Areas.
To some residents of the ghetto, that meant there was either a drug bust or someone had found a resistance hideout. This also meant that there was going to be significant damage to any buildings and bystanders nearby when the SOAP sprang into action after they reached their target. Parents quickly gathered their children and forced them inside their homes, keeping the doors unlocked to show cooperation if the SOAP were to even consider approaching them. The SOAP would just use a locked door as an excuse to break into the premises and wreck the place in search of whatever it was they claimed to be looking for.
As the convoy moved forward, with a small handful of helicopters providing air support, the police eventually arrived at a rundown apartment complex, where at least one legitimate report of Refrain distribution had originated. Once the vehicles had parked themselves in front of the apartment complex, they SOAP officers disembarked and barged into the building with no warning, breaking the front doors. The sound of hard boots tapping on the floors echoed through the hallways and lobby of the building as the SOAP officers began their raid.
The officers marched through hallways covered with peeling paint, with some sections exposing bare drywall and electrical wires. There was a smell of urban decay throughout the building, adding the contempt that the Britannian officers felt toward the Elevens who resided here. The squads quickly moved throughout the building, forcing everyone they found to spread against the walls as they swept the building and broke into every single apartment they came across.
Furniture was overturned, appliances were broken, and no one was spared a violent and aggressive arrest, with guns pointed at them to make things clear, and some residents being tossed around and having limbs twisted before being grabbed and held to the floors of their dilapidated homes, save for an infants sleeping in their beds. But the police made sure to yell obscenities at the children so that they wouldn't feel left out as their parents and everyone else were pushed against walls and handcuffed against their will before being led out into the streets and loaded into SOAP vans.
The same process was repeated at a series of warehouses nearby where several false reports had originated due to their proximity to the real one. By the time night had fallen, over 200 Elevens had been rounded up and taken through the security checkpoint into the Concession, where they found themselves shoved into overcrowded jail cells as they wondered what was going on. No answers were given to them, and anyone who protested their treatment was given a violent punishment to serve as an example to the others who had been arrested.
The Viceroy's Palace, Tokyo Concession, Area 11, Monday, September 11, 2017 ATB
Outside in the front garden's of the Viceroy's Palace, hundreds of Britannian Military officers had gathered, along with dozens or reporters and journalists with cameras surrounding the closed casket that held the corpse of Bartley Asprius. Clovis was standing behind a podium that overlooked the casket as the funeral began. He had memorized his speech after making numerous re-writes the previous night. He now felt confident in himself and what he was about to say.
After all, spewing bullshit in front of cameras was a time-honored family tradition.
"Ahem," Clovis said into the multiple microphones lined up in front of him. It was a rather bright and sunny day, and Clovis had elected to wear some sunglasses to make things easier for himself. "I know that it isn't easy to say goodbye to a friend," he began. "I know how difficult it is to say goodbye to family, but sometimes it's even worse when you never get to say goodbye at all before they are taken from you."
Several members of the press solemnly nodded their heads in agreement, though whether their feelings were genuined or just for show was unknown.
"General Bartley Asprius was more than just a General. He was a friend and confidant. He inspired confidence in those who served him, and he fought for the ideals of Britannia with all of his strength," Clovis continued, his gloved hands clenched into fists.
"He was a brother in arms! His death will not go unpunished, and those savages responsible for his violent and horrific end will find themselves facing justice in due time!" Clovis continued in a dramatic fashion. The reporters and journalists kept eating it up, save for one Diethard Ried, who as able to see through the act. Despite this, Diethard made sure to keep his mouth shut as he held a notepad and an audio recorder in his hands, silently wishing he were anywhere else at that moment.
Ashford Academy, Wednesday Afternoon, September 13, 2017 ATB
Leaning back in his chair, Lelouch sighed before looking around to make sure that the door to his bedroom was locked. C.C. was on the bed with some kind of weird plush toy that she had gotten over the weekend while eating some pizza. She had remembered to bring some paper plates and napkins with her this time, much to Lelouch's satisfaction. He then turned on his laptop and entered his login password before accessing a special folder and changing the properties of it to show the hidden items held within. He then set about opening up an internet connection and made sure to use the special router he had recently acquired before changing his internet settings to use a proxy server.
Using the access codes from Bartley, Lelouch began his task of accessing the Britannian government network for Area 11. Opening up a packet sniffing program, he set about collecting data and network traffic for anything noteworthy, before accessing an e-mail server for the main government borough workers. Everything his software looked at turned out to be rather dull, at least until he came across an e-mail from the Tokyo Settlement Chief of Police designated for Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald.
"Well now, just what do we have here?" Lelouch asked himself softly as he read the contents of the e-mail. It was a report on a series of drug raids that had been conducted over the past few weeks throughout the Matsumoto ghettos, the Saitama ghettos, and the various Osaka ghettos. Nearly seven hundred people had been arrested, with almost eighty of them dying while in custody, according to the report.
Something about this seemed strange to Lelouch. Why would the police be reporting to the leader of the Purebloods about their drug raids? Also strange, why would the police in the other settlements be reporting this to the police in Tokyo? Why wouldn't this report be sent straight to the Viceroy? For that matter, why were the Purebloods involved? They were a faction within the Britannian military, not the police, at least as far as Lelouch was aware.
Although, Jeremiah Gottwald sounds familiar to me. I know I've heard that name before somewhere, Lelouch thought to himself as he accessed more e-mails. He soon found a series of e-mails sent back and forth between the police, the Purebloods, and the Viceroy regarding the raids. He also noticed that every e-mail mentioned that nearby warehouses had been searched during each raid, with varying distances between the warehouses and the primary raid locations, some of which weren't even within the same neighborhood as each other.
Why do they keep mentioning warehouses? What's so important about searching the warehouses? Soon, it became clear to Lelouch that these raids held a far greater importance to the Viceroy and Purebloods than just cleaning up the streets. Warehouses can certainly hold drugs in them, but for the police to go out of their way to search warehouses that aren't even within easy walking distance of their primary targets, especially in the ghettos, makes no sense, Lelouch thought to himself.
Unless... the warehouses are the real targets. But then, why not target the warehouses in the first place? What are they looking for that they're playing this game of... covering... their... intentions? Wait a minute... Lelouch thought to himself as the pieces began falling into place.
"They're searching for terrorist cells and stolen Knightmare Frames," Lelouch said to himself in realization. Clever bastards, he thought with a smirk. Lelouch quickly began sifting through e-mail after e-mail in his attempts to find a pattern that would point to the time and location of the next raid. He spent over an hour piecing together the puzzle, before he realized that the raids were eventually going to make their way back to Shinjuku.
Looking at the time between each raid, Lelouch could find no discernible pattern, meaning that while the locations were chosen in advance, the dates were apparently being selected at random. Thus, he would have to search the newest e-mails again to see if his hypothesis regarding Shinjuku was correct or not. And hour later, a new e-mail had passed through the server, and Lelouch soon found his answer.
The next location... was Shinjuku. Back to the starting point, eh? Well then, let us return to the horse we rode in on, Lelouch thought to himself as he slowly turned around to see C.C. sleeping on his bed. Yeah... I'm gonna need to introduce her to Ohgi's cell at some point, Lelouch briefly thought to himself, before he returned his attention the laptop and opened a new tab on his web browser to look up a map of Shinjuku through the Aleph Search Engine*.
Kaname Ohgi's Apartment, One of the Ghettos, Sunday Afternoon, September 17 ATB
Sitting in a stool by his kitchen table, Kaname Ohgi listened as Kallen explained Zero's plan to him. Sitting on a stool nearby was Inoue, while Tamaki and Yoshida were both standing, leaning back against the walls of the small kitchen. After Kallen was finished speaking, Ohgi blinked in surprise.
"Okay... that's completely insane," Ohgi said calmly. "Then again, the man has mind control powers and runs around in a damn superhero costume, so why should I be surprised at all?" he then asked rhetorically. Tamaki nodded his head in agreement.
"But even if his plan is crazy, he still has a point about the raids that have been conducted," Kallen pointed out. Inoue nodded her head in agreement, as did Yoshida. Ohgi placed his hand under his chin and rubbed it in contemplation.
"Well, you've got a point there," Ohgi said, nodding his head. "But... I don't think we can risk using a Knightmare Frame for this operation," he added, shaking his head. "I mean, once we take them out in the open, that's it. And we still haven't fully resupplied ourselves after the Battle last month," Ohgi continued.
"We lost more than half of our team, and most of our equipment. All we've got are some pistols, SMG's, and those Sutherlands, but we don't have any spare ammo for their guns," Ohgi said. "The energy fillers are pretty much the same, but that's the only thing we can reasonably find on the black market, although I'm pretty sure the Sutherlands can use any weapon a Glasgow could handle. Even so, we're not using stolen Knight Pistols anymore," Ohgi continued.
"If we try getting our hands on the ammo needed for those Knight Rifles... that's gonna raise a lot of questions, and with the raids that have been going on lately, I don't know if we can afford to take the risk of the Britannians finding out if they raid the places where we do our business," he finished. "I don't think we can do what Zero needs us to do," he concluded.
"So... what then? We just leave him to go at the Britannians alone?" Kallen asked Ohgi.
"No, but... Kallen, can you call Zero on his phone and talk to him?" Ohgi asked her.
"I'll try," Kallen replied as she took out her phone and dialed Lelouch's cell phone, or at least the secondary disposable phone that he had purchased for his new mission. The phone rang three times before a click was heard on the other end. She had discovered his use of another phone the previous week when she had called him following the demonstration on the train cars to ask him about his use of Geass on her. After confirming that he had indeed used his Geass on her at school to determine that she was the pilot of the red Glasgow in Shinjuku, Lelouch had been forced to tell Kallen the truth about how he known to go after her in the first place. She had almost forgotten about her and Nagata almost running over a motorcycle on the wrong side of the road the day of the Shinjuku Massacre. However, the revelation that the gas canister had held a living human test subject was something that Kallen had found bewildering and sickening, although Lelouch had promised to explain things properly when the time was right. Whenever that would be, however, Kallen had no idea.
"Hello?" Lelouch asked. "Hey, Zero? This is Kallen," Kallen said.
"Ah, Q-One. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Lelouch asked her.
"Um... I've explained the plan to everyone, bu~ut... there's a problem," Kallen said. "I'm listening," Lelouch replied. "Well... we don't have the supplies that you requested. We can't get a hold of them quickly enough to get ready for this weekend," she said.
"That's fine. I think my initial plan may have been overkill anyway," Lelouch replied.
"Hey, Kallen? Can I speak with him?" Ohgi asked. Kallen looked at Ohgi with wide eyes.
"Hold on, Zero? Ohgi wants to speak with you," Kallen said. She had made sure to list Lelouch's secondary phone as K-1 to hide his identity. "I see. Very well, give him the phone," Lelouch said, prompting Kallen to nod her head and hand her cell phone over to Ohgi.
"Hey, Zero, I'd like to ask you a few things," Ohgi said as he held the phone up to his ears. "By all means, ask away," Lelouch replied.
"Look, are you positive that the Britannian's are going to be conducting a raid in Shinjuku this coming Saturday?" Ohgi asked him.
"I'm positive. The e-mails I've intercepted between the Viceroy and the Purebloods confirm that they will be conducting a raid near the old shopping areas where the storage warehouses are located. They're searching for the stolen Sutherlands, and since they expect them to most likely still be somewhere in Shinjuku, they're planning to send in Knight Police as well, piloted by their own Pureblood officers," Lelouch replied.
"Seriously? Do they have warrants for that kind of thing?" Ohgi asked nervously.
"Warrants? Sure, they've got warrants. They're bullshit warrants, but even so I doubt anyone would care about the legality of them anyway, especially not with the raids being conducted in the ghettos of all places," Lelouch replied.
"So... since we can't really use the Sutherlands to beat them back, do you have another plan?" Ohgi asked him. "Do I have another plan? I'm forming it as we speak. In fact... I think I'm already finished drafting it. Wanna hear what it is?" Lelouch asked him in response.
Ohgi gulped as he heard the mischievous tone to Zero's voice. "Sure. Let's hear it," Ohgi said with a worried expression on his face. As Zero explained his new plan to him, his jaws dropped and his eyes widened at the sheer audacity of what Zero was planning.
"You've got to be kidding," Ohgi said once Zero was finished outlaying his new plan. "Nope! I'm pretty sure you can get this taken care of before the weekend. Call me Friday evening after you have everything prepared. Zero out," Zero said before hanging up. Ohgi then gave the phone to Kallen and began telling the others about Zero's new plan.
The Shinjuku Ghetto, Saturday Evening, September 23, 2017 ATB
Sitting in the cockpit of a Police Glasgow, Jeremiah Gottwald frowned as he and the other Knight Police began moving through the checkpoint to enter the Shinjuku Ghetto. They were heading to the Nishi-Shinjuku district, which had remained mostly untouched during the battle in August, although one wouldn't be able to tell due to most of its structures not having been fixed up since the Invasion had ended. Due to the shift in economy and the construction of the Tokyo Concession as the new economic hub for the region, the few surviving skyscrapers in the district had been converted into housing units for the residing Elevens in the ghetto.
Behind his Glasgow were five other such machines, each manned by Purebloods, including Villetta Nu, Kewell Soresi, James Machlin, Tyler Eckhardt, and Thomas Palmer. Machlin, Eckhardt, and Palmer were skilled Knights and could easily hold their own in an outdated Glasgow, so Jeremiah didn't worry too much about them. Still, the Knight Police were stripped down from the military units they had originally been. The Pureblood Knights would have to keep that fact in mind if they encountered trouble.
Jeremiah had initially given the planning of the Shinjuku raid to Kewell, but he had quickly realized that Kewell was a bit more zealous than he had anticipated. The man had wanted Sutherlands to be brought in along with the police, since the terrorists had most definitely caught on to their ploy by now. Kewell's point certainly had merit, but Jeremiah had also considered it to be overkill. Instead, he'd decided that using Knight Police was more appropriate, since the police were supposed to be the ones conducting the raid.
Kewell had been reluctant at first, but eventually he had given in, although only on the condition that he and other Purebloods be the ones to pilot the Knight Police. Jeremiah had then been forced to pull some strings with the police to make this happen, until Clovis simply handed over a short letter telling the police to let the Purebloods do as they wished. Personally, Jeremiah didn't want any Knightmares to be used at all, since doing so would only ensure that the terrorists would fight back with the stolen Sutherlands in his mind.
Checking the Factsphere monitor one more time, Jeremiah sighed as the convoy passed through the streets of the ghetto. They would be approaching the target area soon enough, and then the SOAP officers would be set loose onto the streets. At least with him there, he could control their actions a little bit so that the officers didn't destroy everything in sight.
Still, as the minutes passed by, Jeremiah found himself checking his Factsphere monitor once again for signs of trouble. The streets were empty, and most of the residents were hiding in their homes, or what was left of their homes anyway. Jeremiah sighed in boredom. Nothing had been found in any of the previous raids, save for some actual containers of Refrain that had been subsequently confiscated by the police, and a handful of small arms dealers who were not involved with the terrorist cells throughout the ghettos, instead preferring to do business with the remnants of various gangs.
Eventually, the convoy reached the Nishi-Shinjuku district, and the SOAP officers were soon deployed from their vans to begin the operation. Using the Factsphere sensor, Jeremiah watched as the officers leapt into action. Dozens of armored men and women burst into apartments and began arresting everyone in sight. No shots had been fired as of yet, although there were certainly screams from terrified residents as the SOAP officers apprehended them.
Chairs were broken and tables were thrown aside in the various rooms of the buildings. Men and women were forcefully woken from their slumber and young children were scared out of their minds. Fornicating couples, sex workers and clients, and even common thieves were all rudely interrupted in the middle of their activities by the SOAP officers. People were held down to ground, thrown against walls, and forcibly restrained as the officers trashed and wrecked the rooms they were in, destroying furniture and personal possessions with no rhyme or reason.
Several minutes passed by as the raid continued, until something showed up on the Factsphere monitor. Raising an eyebrow, Jeremiah opened a com channel to contact the others. "Nu, Soresi, Machlin, Palmer, Eckhardt, check your Factsphere monitors. We've got someone moving toward us," Jeremiah said as he saw the image of a van approaching the raid location.
"Who the hell would deliberately drive toward a police raid?" Jeremiah asked himself curiously. The van didn't appear to be a news van, and they hadn't brought any news teams with them for this particular raid, so who the hell was this? It couldn't have been the terrorists, Jeremiah was certain. The terrorists would have used the Sutherlands to approach them in an effort at intimidation. Maybe someone took a wrong turn, Jeremiah thought to himself as the innocuous-looking van became clearer on the Factsphere monitor, until he noticed the large box on the top of it.
It was a large party box, with magnetic clamps that could be engaged and disengaged at will via remote. At that moment, Jeremiah remembered Clovis's words about the poison gas canister still being lost, and he inhaled with a gulp. "All units, this is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. We have an incoming vehicle of unknown origin. Stand by for further orders," Jeremiah said over the com and radio before he opened the back of his cockpit to sit up as the street lights illuminated the van.
Inside the van, Kallen slowly lifted her foot off of the gas pedal as they approached the Britannian SOAP convoy. She could see dozens of Japanese civilians being led out of the various buildings in various states of undress. Men, women, children, and elderly alike were all being forced to line up against walls with their hands cuffed behind their backs. In the passenger seat, Ohgi held the remote for the party box in his hands, his eyes narrowing as he saw the SOAP officers arresting everyone.
"Well, maybe the others were right to not join us this time," Ohgi said as he saw nearly two dozen SOAP officers take positions near their vans with carbines aimed at their van. "Kallen, how far away did he say we could be?" Ohgi asked the redhead.
"At least two hundred and sixty-seven meters, but we gotta be closer for this to work. They have to see what we're carrying on top of the van for Zero to pull this off," Kallen said. Ohgi glanced down at the MP5 that laid on the floor by his feet, hoping that he wouldn't need to use it. He and Kallen were both wearing handkerchiefs to cover their faces, along with some face paint and wigs, but thankfully the van had a tinted windshield.
However, spotlights were soon being shone on their vehicle, and Kallen brought the van to a halt. "Here it is. Miracle time," Kallen said shakily. "I hope this works," she added before picking up her phone. "Zero... we've arrived," Kallen said after hearing him pickup.
"Good. Now let me show you a miracle," Lelouch said before hanging up. Kallen pocket the phone in her outfit as she waited.
Picking up a megaphone, Jeremiah Gottwald held out a hand. "You there! Identify yourselves! This is a police raid! Step out of the vehicle and identify yourselves at once!" Jeremiah ordered firmly.
Soon, the box on the top of the van opened as the clamps disengaged, revealing a humanoid figure and a large cylindrical object covered by a tarp. A small megaphone rested in the figure's hands. The figure was wearing a strange dark blue outfit with a black cape and a black and blue-tinted helmet, obscuring their features.
The costumed figure soon opened their cape in a grand gesture, before raising the megaphone to speak through it. "Attention, Britannian police and Purebloods accompanying them!" the figure shouted through the megaphone. "I know the truth behind your illegal raids and detainment of innocent Japanese civilians!"
Jeremiah scowled at the masked man. "Look, whoever you are, this is a legally sanctioned police operation, given permission by Viceroy Prince Clovis himself!" Jeremiah shouted in return. "Identify yourself at once and if you are cooperative, we may show you leniency," Jeremiah added.
"Heh-heh. Leniency? Please, spare me your hollow words! I know that you seek the hands which took the life of General Bartley Asprius and his command staff. You need look no further, Margrave Gottwald, for those hands belong to me!" the masked figure shouted, using his free hand to point at himself.
"You're the one who killed General Bartley?" Jeremiah asked incredulously as he looked at the masked lunatic on the top of the van.
"Indeed! You must let those innocent people go, for the culprit you seek stands before you on this van! I am General Bartley's killer! I am the man who turned the tide at Shinjuku! I... am ZERO!"
ENDING THEME: A Kind Of Magic, by Queen
PREVIEW OF NEXT TIME
On the next chapter of Two Steps Forward, One Step Backward, Zero, Kallen, and Ohgi engage a standoff with the Purebloods in Shinjuku, with Zero deciding whether or not to use "Orange" to achieve victory.
Author's Notes: And that was the fourth chapter! Zero has made his big debut, and things are finally rolling! The next chapter will pick up where this one left off, and then Clovis's budding competence will begin developing from there as he starts trying to deal with Zero.
And now you all know the connection between Jeremiah, Marianne, and Nunnally... if you were paying attention while reading.
On another note, I was originally intending to go ahead with the Suzaku being framed for Clovis's murder when I first typed up my rough outline for this story. See, things would have played out largely the same as in canon, but Jeremiah would secretly inform Suzaku that evidence proving his innocence would be shown during his court martial, as a way of making Jeremiah more empathetic and sympathetic. Then I realized how stupid and convoluted the whole thing would have been and I decided to scrap those plans and do something different, which is why Clovis is still alive and the whole scapegoat situation has been avoided.
I also avoided the scapegoat situation because it would completely destroy Suzaku's character from that point on if he stayed with the Britannian military as I had planned. Essentially, Suzaku's actions at the end of canon Episode 04 are what prove him to be a complete idiot and possibly the dumbest character in the entire series. Sense of duty or not, Suzaku would have every right to turn his back on Britannia after what they tried to do to him in that episode.
In this story, however, Suzaku remains in the military without being an idiot because I avoided this scenario. Also... even though I plan on pairing him with Euphemia at some point, I don't plan on having him and Euphemia develop any kind of meaningful relationship until after the Battle of Narita. Before that happens, I actually have another pairing in mind for Suzaku, one that is very rarely seen in the Code Geass fandom.
No, it isn't Suzaku X Nina. Nina has eyes only for Table-Kun.
*In mathematics, and in particular set theory, the aleph numbers are a sequence of numbers used to represent the cardinality (or size) of infinite sets that can be well-ordered. I have taken this information from Wikipedia, because if there is one thing that actually be trusted on Wikipedia, it's the math section. This is a reference to how Google was named after the googol number. Basically, in this retelling of Code Geass, Aleph takes the place of Google, although there are very few differences other than the name and the style of marketing that's used.
I, Anguirus1955, command you to tell me what you think of the chapter and/or story so far in your reviews!
Special Fun Time Bonus Segment
Picking up a megaphone, Jeremiah Gottwald held out a hand. "You there! Identify yourselves! This is a police raid! Step out of the vehicle and identify yourselves at once!" Jeremiah ordered firmly.
Soon, the box on the top of the van opened as the clamps disengaged, revealing a humanoid figure and a large cylindrical object... which looked just like the stolen gas canister. A small megaphone rested in the figure's hands. The figure was wearing a strange dark blue outfit with a black cape and a black and blue-tinted helmet, obscuring their features.
The costumed figure soon opened their cape in a grand gesture, before raising the megaphone to speak through it. "Attention, Britannian police and Purebloods accompanying them!" the figure shouted through the megaphone. "I know the truth behind your illegal raids and detainment of innocent prostitutes and pole dancers!"
Jeremiah scowled at the masked man. "Look, whoever you are, this is a legally sanctioned police operation, given permission by Viceroy Prince Clovis himself!" Jeremiah shouted in return. "Identify yourself at once and if you are cooperative, we may show you leniency," Jeremiah added.
"I know that you seek the hands which took the Wheaties of General Bartley Asprius and his command staff. You need look no further, Margrave Gottwald, for those hands belong to me!" the masked figure shouted, using his free hand to point at himself.
"You're the one who killed General Bartley?" Jeremiah asked incredulously as he looked at the masked lunatic on the top of the van.
"Indeed! You must let those innocent low-lifes go, for the culprit you seek stands before you on this van! I am the mashed potatoes to your steak! I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am vengeance! I am the night! I... am Vash The Stampede!"