Somewhere in Russia, EU
"That's it, just a little a further and your done for my Britanian friend." Fritz spoke triumphantly as he observed the movement of several Britanian battle tanks across the Russian steppe.
"Your too confident in your new software Fritz, those tanks could best a knightmare if given the right upgrades, their low silhouette makes them ideal for laying ambushes." Hanz said as he gazed at the armored formation through his own set of binoculars.
"An utter waste of Time Hanz, the Japanese couldn't grasp the future and look where it got them. Our organization has junk in the attic it needs cleaned out, might as well use cannon fodder for something." Fritz said dismissively.
The armored formation consisted of twelve Britanian type two main battle tanks, the very same machines that had smashed into South America and japan long afterwords. The machines sported 105mm main guns and one coaxial machine gun.
Coming up alongside said tanks were several trucks laden with supplies, armored personal carriers trundling alongside with hatches shut. The scene would've looked like a historical reenactment if not for the presence of the knightmares. Glasgows of all things were front and center flanking the formation, a total of four in all complimented this deadly Britanian armored regiment.
"Give the order to ambush the Unit!" Fritz called out to a nearby soldier.
"Yes sir! Right away!" The soldier replied before running several yards to a nearby command vehicle. It resembled an enlarged armored van instead of the monstrous command vehicles used by the Britanians and their viceroys.
A few moments later shots rang out as Fritz's own forces fired on the unsuspecting foe, Three tanks and a truck went up in smoke. The Glasgow's moved toward the the direction of the shots, firing as they went in short bursts.
"Well those tanks have had it. The Glasgows are the only real threat." Fritz stated.
"Don't be so sure." Hanz chastised.
The Britanian tanks assumed a spread reverse V formation and began to fire several shells in the direction of the enemy fire. The resulting explosion wielded plumes of smoke which rapidly expanded between the armored regiment and their ambushers. The Glasgows ceased moving forward and fired wide sprays of fire into the smoke, blindly hoping to hit something, or so it would appear.
Rocket pods deployed atop the armored personnel carriers as they charged into the smoke at top speed, the tanks following a quarter mile behind. The Glasgows provided continues sprays of fire as half their number split into two groups to go around from either side of the smoke, thus flanking their enemy.
The resulting explosions that took place couldn't be seen by either Fritz or Hanz, their binoculars not of the caliber needed to see through the smoke.
"That was a nice trick deploying a smoke barrage. Didn't think they carried those sorts of shells." Fritz commented.
"Even the oldest weapon can still be deadly when used properly with a little imagination." Hanz said smiling. The Prussian for what ever reason loved his panzers, outdated as they may be.
The air ceased to be filled with gun fire as the smoke was beginning to clear, with that Fritz and Hanz decided to take a jeep to investigate their foe.
The sight that awaited them was surprising.
The ground was black and dotted with holes from the impact of rockets puncturing the picturesque landscape. The armored personal carriers that had charged in like Calvary lay flipped over or burnt out metal husks, twisted as if by giant fists beating them in close quarters combat.
Their in a trench, or large pit depending, where two Ganeymade, third generation knightmares long out of production or use in war. The fallen weapons gave pause however, a large rocket launcher ten-point-fifty-six meters long (thirty-four-point-six feet), which had the odd attachment of an auto loading magazine.
The other Ganeymade sported a heavy machine gun which seemed to have been built specifically to shoot down large aircraft. It would have played hell with the old armored units if it had been adjusted to carry anti-armor rounds in place of its traditional payload.
As the two men inspected the scene before them, Hanz grunted out congratulations with reluctance.
"I would never have thought an armored regiment could be taken down by Ganeymade's, those tanks had reactive armor slapped on, never mind their brains didn't become mush in the face of knightmares."
"Of course they wouldn't my friend, I designed them after all but I think..."
Just as Fritz had begun to speak two Ganeymades appeared from behind the cover of a nearby forest, they both approached with urgency before halting in front of the two officers, The glasgows each moving besides the Ganeymades and falling on bended knee in submission to the two men.
The Ganeymades were missing arms, sporting hull breaches and looking a mess. The Glasgows appeared about the same if not worse. All in all it had been something of tie between the two forces.
"Automous Knightmare Operation Protocol is a success, version one-point-five has passed the beta phase."
"Congratulations Fritz." Hanz said.
"No Hanz, those tanks and APC's did more harm then I thought they would, those upgrades really helped them survive long enough to be a pain to my Ganeymades." Fritz said sheepishly before taking out a pack of smokes to offer to his fellow traveler in destruction.
An aid approached on motorcycle at that moment bearing a sealed message. Walking gingerly over the young man saluted before handing the letter over.
"The commander and Echo are in Paris as we speak, you are to head for Lisbon immediately with four akop units at once, he didn't specify weather it should be knightmares or antiques."
Turning to Fritz, Hanz smiled and stretched out a hand.
"Fifty-Fifty my old friend?"
"Why not. It would certainly be easier to sneak museum pieces in then actual military hardware." Fritz said with a calculating smile.
Paris France, EU
"I destroy...worlds...I remake worlds..."
"Big brother!" A girl sobbed as she clutched the body of her now dead brother in her arms and screamed, while thousands cheered the name zero all around her.
BEEP BEEP BEEP! WAKE UP! BEEP BEEP BEEP! WAKEUP!
"God damn alarm clock! What the fuck is up with that dream?" The gray eye'd magician mused aloud. Never the morning person, he none the less fumbled his way to the bathroom as the light of dawn crested on the horizon.
Looking at his face he could recall this dream had come several times before, anyone else would call them such but the gray magician knew them as visions into the future.
"Lelouch you are fool of the highest echelon." The magician said groggily turning toward the shower to begin his morning routine...one that so happened to begin with blasting himself with freezing cold water.
"I mean how does a guy make himself hated by the whole world expect that hatred to count for jack within a generation? Human nature always jumps back with a vengeance, whatever progress pops up is always tainted. Fuck I hate this." The magician exclaimed irritably as he stepped into the shower.
"Jesus fuck nuggets this is cold! Brrrrr." He shouted before quickly charging forward to turn the handle back from cold to comfortably warm. Valley Forge, Moscow, the alps and countless other places carried feelings of frigid embrace by tundra, old gray eye's would rather push away with the on rush of warm water.
"Well I guess I'll have to take pinkie out today, could call her Echo but she hasn't earned it...Euphie would raise eye brows not to mention keep her link with the past alive and well. Charles the almighty asshat would probably just off her if she rose from the dead."
Finishing up his bathing and preparation some fifteen minutes later, the man donned a black turtles neck complete with jeans and a pair of designer shoes, the look seemed odd but no one would think maniacal geass user plotting chaos. Would they?
'wonder what Josephine managed to pull together for Euphemia? Something low key I hope, her mission get up was hardly right on the first go. Better get this over with.'
And so the gray eye'd magician headed down the stairs fully intent on seeing his charge alongside one of many friends he counted on outside the organization he ran. The world was full of people, famous last names that didn't count for two coins a century ago had been made into powerful houses of industry, technology or in Josephine's case, fashion.
'Immortality certainly has its perks.' The magician thought as he entered the kitchen to see both woman eating breakfast, his own meal prepared for him.
"Good morning Josephine, pinkie. I trust your both feeling well" The magician asked as he took his seat and began to cut a pancake into smaller helpings.
"I've had enough sleep, tell me why we're here? Are you planning on using me against my country?" Euphemia asked.
'Well their goes the cheery mood...wonder if its Monday today.'
"Well Pinkie today's an awfully important one seeing as how we're heading on over to Portugul and unless you wanted to go all natural, Josephine providing you some form of clothing seemed appropriate."
"Portugal? What's in the occupied zone?"
"So you do follow some current events! Here I thought you'd lost yourself in japan, well the occupied zone as you like to put it is home to some very interesting people in need of our help. You'll help because you don't have a choice."
"There's always a choice."
"Sure but in this case I boils down to keeping you here which defeats the purpose of you getting to know your country's true colors first hand, dropping dead because you some how convince I was wrong to try to help you or C."
"What's C?"
"Its not all of the above if thats what your asking. C, is you run to the brits for help, saying how the long dead Euphemia Li Britania is alive and miraculously wandered all the way to Portugal. They'll probably lock you up for being nutters but suppose they believe you, then it would really get interesting."
The magician said as he began to polish off the food he'd been eating in between retorts to Euphemia, who naturally wasted no time in inquiring further.
"What...What do you mean interesting. Cornelia and Lelouch would be happy I'm alive."
"Yes but Cornelia's happiness doesn't over ride the emperor wanting to know what the fuck is going on, which he'll know has something to do with Geass...the same Geass he'd kill to keep secret. Lelouch, that compassionate bro of yours being who he is, would look bad for having failed to kill Euphemia the massacre princess. Course he wouldn't know who you are if they let you live to resume your life...the Japanese would though."
Euphemia suddenly looked down, pushing her half eaten meal away from her as tears began to leak from her eye's.
"I...I didn't mean to do those things and why wouldn't Lelouch recognize me? Is he too ashamed of what he did to acknowledge me ?"
"No Pinkie, your the number one evil in all of japan but your brother won't know any of this because as you saw, Zero fought and then died in the battle for the tokyo settlement. Your boy toy Suzaku took him down, probably dragged him to Charles to be mind raped."
"Raped!"
"Relax, the boys memories were changed, its the only explanation really. He's started Attending Ashford, going on almost a week now. His sister isn't around though which is curious. Makes you wonder if Suzaku chose to get even with Lelouch."
"He'd Never do that! Kurugi is a gentle soul, he cares about his people and hates taking the lives of others, whatever he's done out of anger I know he's still the same caring man I fell in love with!"
'Great now she's standing up and pointing at me.'
"Nothing you can show me in Portugal or anywhere in the world is gonna change that."
' Oh really?'
"So you'll let me show you Portugal fully confident you'll see the horrors and come out unscathed from the flames of Britanian oppression?"
"Absolutely. I won't run off again, you'd just find me out and hurt those I love if I went to them for help. But please, when this trip is done if I'm as unmoved by your words as I know will be the case, let me see them one last time before you let me go back to sleep."
'She doesn't want to know about her dad's power or think she'd be mind fucking her friends to appear alive one second and dead the next? Oh you foolish girl.'
With a shit eating grin forming on his face the gray eye'd magician rose to his feet and thrust out his hand looking to shake Euphemia's in binding contract.
As their hands clasped one another the magician could only utter with a deep sense of triumph.
"Challenged accepted."
