Yay! I've gotten my computer back and it's all fixed now! As a result, I am updating both this story and Rise of the Black King today and will be updating my Yu-Gi-Oh! GX story White Radiance possibly tomorrow or Tuesday (it depends on when I get it back from by beta-reader).
Anyway, here is the Lake Kawaguchi chapter with the introduction of an important new OC character, a look into the perspective of another important OC character whom was introduced in the first chapter, and a hotel building blowing up, somewhat, because explosions are fun.
Bakura: and you call me crazy
Oh dear Bakura. I've always been crazy.
Bakura: hn, I suppose so
Anyway, seven people reviewed the last chapter.
Thank you to AJ123, Demons Anarchy of Pride, Shadow-Shinobi666, Shimmering-Sky, Miraculous Messiah, ChristieMouse18, and Saint Sita for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are great.
Here is Stage 07 and I hope that you enjoy it. As usual, reviews are much appreciated.
. . .
. . .
"You know, there was one thing that I wish I'd been able to do before all of this happened while I was still in Japan," Nunnally said softly as she sniffed at one of the white roses she had picked before turning to gaze at him as he stood next to her.
"What was that?" he asked.
"I would've liked to leave the Tokyo Settlement with Big Brother and…just…I dunno, go to the beach or something," Nunnally admitted with a faint smile. "Or even visit the mountains. I mean, I know I wouldn't have been able to hike the trails but I still would've wanted to go there, if only to experience more that Japan had to offer."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll be able to visit Japan once it finishes rebuilding," he suggested.
"Maybe," Nunnally said. "Though I don't know how people would feel about having a former Viceroy paying them a visit, especially not when the first thing I plan on doing when I become Empress is turning all the Areas into Special Administrated Zones. Don't you think that'd be a good idea, Suzaku?"
He smiled sadly as he thought about his beloved Euphie's plan that had already been tried twice but he had a feeling that Nunnally would be able to do it, if simply because she was going to be the Empress. "I think it is," he said.
"Euphie would've wanted that," Nunnally said. "And I think Big Brother would've too. I mean, that whole plan of his was to create peace, right?"
"Yeah," he murmured, sadness entering his voice as he thought about his love and the brother he never had.
Nunnally reached out and placed a hand on his arm. "C'mon, Sister Cornelia invited me to join her for tea. Would you like to come with?" she asked.
"I don't wish to impose…"
"You won't. I want you there, Suzaku."
He hesitated but nodded. "All right, Nunnally," he said and, taking hold of Nunnally's wheelchair, guided her out of the gardens.
. . .
Stage 07
Hostage Situation
The plane landed at the airport of the Tokyo Settlement. She lifted her head from the magazine she was reading as the flight attendant announced that they could leave now. She closed the magazine and stuffed it into her bag, her sunglasses hiding her eyes from the rest of the passengers.
She stood up and made her way out of the plane and into the airport, giggling when she spotted a tall, dark-green haired young man running over to wrap his arms around the blonde girl that had been in front of him. Ahh, young love. That will happen to me someday soon or it won't, it depends on how things go, she thought.
She happily walked over to the baggage claim, pausing and then taking a step to the right just as a man in a suit came barreling past him, dragging a rolling suitcase behind him and talking rapidly on his phone.
Once she claimed her baggage, she gazed around. Her old friend would either be waiting at the east entrance or at the west entrance, it just depended on which route he decided to take that morning.
It really did cause quite a headache, trying to differentiate between all the different timelines. After all, they were so irrevocably linked, twisting together like a braid.
When she had first been granted her power, she had been very young and part of an Order of others like her. She had made a couple of friends during that time but never really got close to any of them. She couldn't remember much about her time with the Order, only that she had spent quite a bit of time with the one who gave her the power she possessed. She also didn't remember much about her past as the one who gave her the power she possessed told her that she was better off within the Order.
Her power was revealed to be Absolute Future and she was only treated to visions of the future that directly affected her and anyone around her or whoever she was close to. It was with those visions that she learned about another who had a power similar to her, her visions told her that she would eventually come into contact with him. But then her power had started getting out of control; as a result, she started seeing all possible outcomes of events in which she, anyone around her, anyone she was close to or anyone she simply knew were affected. It pretty much meant that she had a lot of headaches but she definitely wanted to make some of the outcomes she saw come true, especially the ones involving that handsome boy with a power like hers.
She giggled at the thought of that handsome, green-eyed Japanese boy.
She would track him down but, first things first, she was in the mood for some licorice.
"Lady Bree," a tall, broad-shouldered tanned man with thick dark red hair and pale-red eyes walked toward her, bowing at the waist. Bruno was someone from her past who'd found and helped her when she'd fled from the Order a few years ago but had only been a bodyguard, nothing more.
Bree giggled. "No need to be so formal, Bruno," she said. "C'mon. I wanna see where a certain someone may or may not attend school. Take me to Ashford Academy. Oh and can you find me some licorice too?"
"As you command, my Lady," Bruno said and, after he bought Bree a bag of licorice, the two of them walked out of the airport and toward the car that Bruno had driven there.
But what if he isn't attending Ashford Academy this time around? There were like three different timelines in which he didn't go to school? Is this one of them? Guess I'll just have to find out for myself, Bree thought.
The drive to Ashford Academy took fifteen minutes but, by the time they had arrived, they were just in time for classes to be let out for the day. She peered through the window, looking for the brunet who had appeared in so many of her visions; the one who held a power similar to hers.
A smile broke out onto her face when she caught sight of the brunet standing on the sidewalk next to the wrought-iron gates but then her eyes went cold and a scowl twisted her lips when she noticed who else was with him. She glared at the familiar tall, willowy black-haired form of Lelouch vi Britannia.
Him! He's the one who always gets in the way of my plans, every single fucking time! Every single fucking timeline, he's always there to fuck it up! She thought savagely, glaring at the exiled prince who was talking with the brunet casually.
She forced herself to calm down because she knew that all she needed to do was get Lelouch vi Britannia away from the one who had a power similar to hers and that would allow the plan she had crafted to be completed. Even though the outcome would vary, she knew that the outcome would be in her favor if Lelouch vi Britannia was out of the picture.
I don't plan on killing him. That would alter too much. I'll just get him out of the picture and what better way to get him out of the picture of my plans for the one who has a similar power to me than for him to discover a certain betrayal that will happen.
She giggled. She had seen that betrayal happen as a result of a certain event and, even if that event happened differently, she had no doubt the outcome would remain the same. Even if it didn't, if the exiled prince knew that his friend was going to betray him, Bree had no doubt the exiled prince would cut ties with his friend.
But that would have to come later. She needed to come up with a plan and she also needed some painkillers. The last dosage of painkillers that she had taken had worn off and the constant headache she had to deal with because of her power was back.
"Take me to the hotel, Bruno," she ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," Bruno replied and drove away from the Academy.
. . .
"Are you sure you won't be able to come by for dinner?" Lelouch asked as he and Suzaku stood just outside of the Ashford Academy campus. They had arrived there simply because they had been walking and talking at the same time and hadn't realized where they were going until they stopped.
"I wish I could but Lloyd has me testing out some new upgrades he added to the Lancelot and it's bound to take several hours," Suzaku said.
"All right. I'll let Nunnally know. Maybe next week sometime then? I would say this weekend but Nunnally is going with Milly and the others on their trip to Lake Kawaguchi," Lelouch said.
Suzaku froze at that, worry crawling across his emerald-green eyes before it faded and his face went impassive but Lelouch frowned at the look. Though Suzaku had hidden it rather quickly, Lelouch had still seen that look of worry. It made him wonder just why Suzaku would be so worried about Nunnally going to Lake Kawaguchi.
Then again, there were so many mysteries surrounding his old friend; while Saitama had distracted him for a bit, Lelouch still had Suzaku's words to him after the Cat Hunt on his mind. Suzaku had told him point blank that he was able to keep secrets and would keep his and it made Lelouch wonder if Suzaku knew he was Zero.
He hadn't had a chance to confront Suzaku about that yet though but he planned on doing that as soon as he could.
"You're not going with?" the brunet asked, breaking the exiled prince out of his thoughts.
Lelouch shook his head. "I have plans this weekend. What about you?"
"The same." The worry that Suzaku had hidden earlier now appeared in his voice. "I'm surprised you're letting Nunnally go without you. I mean you are pretty over-protective. I think Milly called you a sisacon one time."
Lelouch's eye twitched. "I'm not a sisacon," he growled.
Suzaku chuckled, holding up his hands defensively. "I never said you were. I'm just saying that's what Milly said," he said.
Lelouch relaxed. "But it'll be fine. Milly and the others will keep an eye on her and Sayoko is going with anyway," he said.
"Is Kallen going?" Suzaku asked.
Lelouch shook his head. "No. She's got a couple of doctor's appointments that weekend," he lied.
"Mm. Well, I'd better get going or Lloyd'll get upset," Suzaku said and, with a wave, he jogged away.
Lelouch walked away as well but the only reason he was leaving was because he had some things he needed to settle with some rich nobleman who owed him a favor.
. . .
Kenji Sato yawned as he walked down the sidewalk of the Tokyo Settlement. In his hands, he was carrying a couple of bags of food. As the one who drew the shortest straw, Kenji had been drafted into getting dinner, that didn't taste like crap, for the rest of the Honorary Britannians in the division he had been transferred to. The only reason he had been transferred was because, along with Suzaku, he was the only one who had survived the incident in the Shinjuku Ghetto.
There hadn't been much improvement form his old brigade to the new one. The only big difference was that his new commanding officer was a bit more tolerable of Honorary Britannians than his last one. But he and his fellow privates were bored out of their skulls because they hadn't been given any new missions since the Shinjuku Ghetto incident.
Kenji knew that Cornelia didn't really like Numbers that much and, while he didn't like it, he knew that it wouldn't change. He hated being bored though, which was why he hadn't complained when he had been tasked with getting everyone dinner. At least it gave him something to do.
Kenji was someone who got bored easily. He always needed to be doing something, even if it was as simple as tapping a pencil against something, which got on his fellow privates' nerves at times. He just couldn't sit still at times, which made basic training a nightmare. To this day, Kenji had no idea how he actually graduated from basic training when his behavioral problems had gotten his drill sergeant on his case more than once.
He rounded the corner and was surprised when he spotted a familiar brunet walking toward him. "Suzaku! Hey!" he greeted his former bunkmate.
Suzaku smiled and walked over to join him. "Kenji, it's been a while," he said.
"Yeah, it has. How's the Engineering Corps treating ya?" Kenji asked, shifting his grip on the bags filled with dinner and trying to keep the jealousy out of his tone. He wanted to say he wasn't jealous of his old bunkmate's promotion but he would be lying if he did. He and Suzaku were among the students of their division who got the highest marks during knightmare training and Kenji was every bit as good as Suzaku. And yet he was the one with the promotion…
Kenji shoved the thought out of his mind. It wasn't as if Suzaku was shoving the news into his face every time he heard it but that did little to quench the small kernel of jealousy that he felt.
"Fine. What's up with you?" Suzaku asked.
"I got transferred to another division. The commanding officer's a bit nicer to us Honorary Britannians so it's a bit of a step up," Kenji said.
"That's good," Suzaku said. "I hate to cut this reunion short, Kenji, but I've gotta go. I was supposed to be at the A.S.E.E.C.'s headquarters five minutes ago."
"Oh, right, go ahead. I'll see ya later, maybe." Kenji said.
"Yeah, see you, Kenji," Suzaku said and jogged off.
Kenji made his way back to the barracks and, after giving the food to the rest of his companions, he retreated to the dorm he had been given. His bunkmate wasn't there, probably enjoying dinner but Kenji wasn't that hungry.
He laid down on the bed, gazing up at the bunk above his head, his fingers tapping the bed beside him as his thoughts drifted. Boredom always brought about time to think and when his mind started thinking, it almost always drifted to thoughts of his family, especially his brother. Thinking about him, Kenji got up and moved to his footlocker, searching through it, and pulling out the locket.
The locket had a picture of him and his family, taken before the invasion of Japan and Kenji had kept it with him always since his mother had given it to him the day he left to start Basic Training. It was a prized possession and a reminder of his reason for joining the Britannian Army.
Speaking of his family, Kenji had been terrified that they had been caught up in the battle that occurred in the Saitama Ghetto a few days earlier. He was relieved when word spread that the entire ghetto had been evacuated; he was sure that meant that his parents were fine.
He was also worried about his brother though. Though he had tried to keep it a secret, Kenji knew that his brother Satoru had connections with the Yamato Alliance, the terrorist cell that existed within the Saitama Ghetto. He hadn't told anyone because Satoru was his baby brother; he didn't want his baby brother to get hurt or killed and he knew that was what would happen if he was ever captured.
He had tried getting into contact with Satoru whenever he went home to visit his family but they were never home at the same time and the letters he left with his parents were never answered. As there had been no news on the destruction of the Yamato Alliance, like there had been when the Viceroy destroyed the Blood of the Samurai terrorist cell the week before, Kenji held on to the hope that his brother was still alive.
He sighed as he moved back to his bed, turning the locket around in his hand. He and his brother hadn't exactly parted on good terms. Satoru was upset with him for applying for the Honorary Britannian system, stating that he was betraying Japan and his own family.
"You're selling your pride to become a dog for Britannia! You're no brother of mine!"
Those had been the last words that Satoru had said to him and they hurt. When they were growing up, Kenji and Satoru were virtually inseparable and Kenji still cared about his baby brother but it was obvious their opinion on the Honorary Britannian system, and on Britannia as a whole, differed largely.
Kenji could only hold on to the faint hope that his brother would see reason soon and hopefully before he ended up getting himself killed pursing such a foolish dream.
. . .
"This is going to be so much fun," Shirley exclaimed as the train continued its silent journey to the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. It was Friday evening and they weren't very far from their destination. Nunnally was looking forward to it too; she had been surprised when her brother agreed to let her go but she was grateful.
"I know. I've never left the Tokyo Settlement before," she admitted.
She felt Shirley squeeze her hand. "I've never been to Lake Kawaguchi so I'm sure both of us are gonna have a great time," she said.
"Yeah. It's gonna be fun," Milly said excitedly. "It's a shame Suzaku and Lelouch couldn't come though. Wonder why?"
"Big Brother said he had plans and Suzaku has to work," Nunnally said.
"Um, what about Kallen?" Nina asked quietly.
"She said she had a couple of doctors' appointments this weekend that she couldn't reschedule," Milly said. She clapped her hands together and added, "Okay, so what's first on our agenda when we get to the hotel? I think we're going be arriving about half an hour before our check-in time so we'll have time to do something else. Maybe grab a bite to eat or go shopping?"
"Dinner sounds good," Nunnally said.
"I could go for some food," Shirley said.
"Me too," Nina said quietly.
"Then it's settled. We're getting dinner and then we're gonna check in and have some fun!" Milly said cheerily. "Shame none of the boys could come. I was thinking of hitting the pool after we got settled in and I think Lelouch would have liked seeing Shirley in a bathing suit, especially since she's filling out in all the right places."
"Madam President!" Shirley cried and Nunnally was positive that she was blushing like crazy but Milly just chuckled.
. . .
Suzaku was beyond worried as he wandered through the A.S.E.E.C.'s headquarters. He hadn't expected Nunnally to be part of Milly's group that were heading toward the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. That hadn't happened the first time around and he was at a loss as to what caused it to happen that time around.
Could the changes I've made so far really be affecting the timeline already, even if they have been incredibly small? I mean, the only thing I really did for Saitama was get Lelouch to evacuate the civilians and then, before that when Zero made his first appearance, all I did was agree to act as a double agent rather than completely rejecting Zero's offer.
He just didn't know. He supposed that one simple change could cause a lot of things to be altered; that was the nature of the butterfly effect. At least that was how he understood that effect. He sighed and found himself grateful that he had decided to check the numbers of everyone who was going to Lake Kawaguchi a few days earlier. All of their numbers were pretty high, at least a couple of years, though Suzaku was a bit worried about Nina's number; right now, it was at 28.
He couldn't recall what happened in a month's time but he knew that it was after Narita but before he had become Euphie's Knight. He frowned because he briefly remembered that the only real threat that had arrived during the gap in time from Narita to his Knighting ceremony was Mao.
Mao was one of C.C.'s contractors who had been granted the Geass of Absolute Thought. He had been obsessed with C.C. and had hated Lelouch intensely, using both Shirley and Nunnally against the exiled prince. He had also managed to dig into Suzaku's mind and pull out the memories that he had not wanted to relive at that time, including the murder of his father.
His father's death was something that still affected Suzaku to that day, though not quite as bad as before. Perhaps it was because he had buried the pain beneath the other pain he had been forced to endure; Euphie's death, the deaths of all those innocents with the .I.J.A. bombing on the Tokyo Settlement, Lelouch's assassination, the People United Against Britannia's surprise attack during Nunnally's coronation ceremony…
Suzaku knew that if he did end up helping Lelouch out last time, and he would if things did go as they had last time and Nunnally ended up being used as a hostage by Mao against Lelouch, then he would have to hope that Mao wouldn't reveal the truth about his knowledge of the future.
But maybe it would help if Lelouch knew about the future. I'm sure he already suspects I already know about him being Zero and it could help, Suzaku thought but pushed the thought away. While it might help, he just didn't know how Lelouch would react to learning about everything that might occur, especially Euphie's death, Suzaku's betrayal, the F.L.E.I.J.A, and his own death. He bit his lip; as it was, he didn't even know if Lelouch would believe him if he did tell him.
But if Nina is supposed to die in less than thirty days, I'll have to take into consideration that Mao might be behind it, unless another threat crops up around that time, Suzaku thought.
He walked into the engineering hangar and noted that Lloyd was running around, looking eager as he called out orders to his technicians. He turned to Cecile, though he had an idea of what was going on.
"Something's happened. Cornelia wants us to join her and the rest of her forces at Lake Kawaguchi," Cecile explained.
Suzaku grimaced. For once in his life, he was actually thankful that Lelouch had created the Black Knights; if he hadn't, Suzaku wasn't entirely sure that the hostages would have gotten out alive, especially since Cornelia wasn't one to negotiate with the terrorists.
Another thought entered his mind, one he hadn't thought of before.
Is Euphie with them this time around?
. . .
The two-story van-like vehicle that Lelouch had obtained from that nobleman that owed him a favor looked out of place amidst the rubble of the Shinjuku Ghetto. Thankfully, the area that Lelouch had brought it to, or rather the driver he had Geassed had brought it to, was empty. Now, Lelouch, clad in his Zero outfit, was waiting for the arrival of his future Black Knights.
It wasn't long before they arrived. The group was slightly larger than Lelouch had originally thought but that was only because of the four survivors of the Yamato Alliance who, after a few days of deliberation, had agreed to join Zero's group.
"Whoa, look at this place," Tamaki exclaimed.
"Look at that TV," Naomi Inoue said, gesturing to the large flatscreen on the wall.
"And a jukebox," Yoshida noted.
"Just where did you get this?" Hikari asked, turning to Lelouch. She was tall with long, black hair that she kept in a ponytail and the same brown eyes as her brother Itsuki. Beside her stood Masaki Akiyama, a teen that looked around sixteen with olive-green hair and pale-blue eyes, and Satoru Sato, a teenager that looked about two years younger than Lelouch with light-blue hair and pale-gray eyes. Masaki and Satoru were the youngest members of the people gathered in the van.
"I borrowed it from a nobleman who owed me a favor," Lelouch replied calmly. "This will be our organization's new hideout."
"Well, I don't know about ya but I'm gonna check out that TV," Tamaki said, throwing himself into a seat, grabbing the remote, and turning the television on. At that instant, a news reporter appeared on the screen with a tall hotel resting on the middle of a lake behind her.
"I'm here, in front of the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel. The hotel jackers have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front. Members of the Sakuradite Allocation Meeting, most notably, Chairman James, were taken hostage as well as several tourists and hotel employees. This footage was taken by the perpetrators…" A moment later, the footage of the hostages was on the screen and Lelouch felt fear and anger rise up within him when he caught sight of his little sister. He heard Kallen gasp and murmur, "the student council" under her breath. He, too, had noticed that Milly, Nina, and Shirley were there along with Sayoko who was crouched by Nunnally's wheelchair, her eyes flicking from one of the terrorists to another.
"…in it, you can clearly see Chairman James, including some students. The leader of the group claims to be Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese military. Sakuradite, an essential component in the manufacture of high-temperature super conductors, is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area 11 is the largest producer of this material, providing 70% of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly national meeting of Sakuradite producers, it will be determined how this resource will be distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power between Britannia and other countries. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hotel takeover," the reporter finished.
"Man, the J.L.F. have made their move, eh?" Yoshida noted.
"Looks like it," Sugiyama agreed.
"They're easily the biggest anti-Britannian group there is," Ohgi said, though everyone already knew that.
"I bet their pride's hurt now that Zero's here," Hikari said, sounding amused by that.
Itsuki pressed his lips together as he studied the Britannians. "So are we gonna do anything about this?" he asked, turning to gaze at Zero.
"Why should we? I mean, while I do kinda feel bad for 'em, they're just Britannians," Tamaki said.
Lelouch gave Tamaki a withering glare. It was probably a good thing that he was wearing a mask, otherwise, he was pretty sure he would have set Tamaki on fire with how hard he was glaring at him. He kept his calm, though, reminding himself that they didn't know just how important some of those hostages were to him, in particular, Nunnally.
Keeping his voice level, Lelouch said, "Their heritage is not their fault. How they act and how they view the world is simply a consequence of how they were raised. They had no choice of who their parents are any more than you or I did. To condemn them simply because they are Britannian is to become like the Britannians who condemn the Japanese simply for being Japanese. It's hypocritical."
Tamaki fell silent, unable to respond to that.
"Are we gonna do something about this?" Masaki asked.
"I will continue monitoring the situation. For now, you can start unpacking everything," Lelouch said, his voice was calm while his mind was rapidly working through different plans and scenarios to deal with the current situation at Lake Kawaguchi, especially considering just who was among the hostages. He knew that Nunnally would only be safe so long as the terrorists didn't recognize her but he wasn't going to risk his little sister's life.
"Hey, Zero, I found these upstairs," Ohgi said, a little while later after Shirley's father had come onto the television wanting to know if his daughter was okay. He came down the stairs with a box. "Do you want me to pass 'em out to everyone?"
"Yes," Lelouch replied.
"What are they?" Hikari asked, peering at the box curiously.
"Uniforms."
"What? I mean, as far as the gear goes, it looks pretty hip but we're just a resistance group," Ohgi said, confused.
"Wrong," Lelouch said firmly, turning his gaze away from the hotel as he put the finishing touches of his plan in his mind. "We are no longer merely a simple resistance group."
"Then what are we?"
"What we are trying to become, no, what we will become: Knights for Justice," Lelouch said.
"What do you mean, Zero?" Kallen asked.
"We will protect the innocent and we will demonstrate that to the entire world tonight when we rescue those hostages being held by Lieutenant-Colonel Kusakabe," Lelouch declared.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, and just how the hell are we gonna do that?" Masaki exclaimed.
Lelouch's lips pulled back into a smirk as he outlined his plan for them.
. . .
Suzaku hated feeling helpless. Just like last time, he couldn't do anything but stand on the lakeshore, watching the hotel, and hope that the student council members, and Nunnally, were safe and would get out of there alive. Even though he knew they got out of this situation alive the last time, he still couldn't help but worry, mostly due to the fact that Nunnally was there this time around.
"Suzaku, are you okay?" Cecile asked, coming up to Suzaku's side.
"I'm fine, Cecile," he assured the indigo-haired young woman. "I suppose I'm a bit worried."
"You have friends inside, don't you?"
"Yeah, and…I just don't trust these terrorists and I don't want anything to happen to the hostages," Suzaku admitted.
"They'll be fine, I'm sure. By the way, do you happen to know where Lloyd is?"
"Last I saw, he was working on some last minute updates to the Lancelot," Suzaku replied.
"Oh. Have you had anything to eat yet, Suzaku? I know it's pointless to try to get Lloyd to eat when he's working," Cecile said. "I made a new sandwich; it has strawberries, pickles, and wasabi in it."
That's an odd combination but then, this is Cecile I'm talking about. She means well but her cooking isn' too great. "I'm not very hungry right now, Cecile, but thank you anyway," Suzaku assured her.
"Well, all right, if you change your mind, just let me know," Cecile said with a smile before she walked off, probably to track down Lloyd. Suzaku decided to go with her; perhaps Lloyd would have something for him to do.
"Ah, there you are," Lloyd greeted Suzaku brightly.
"Do you have something for me to do?" Suzaku asked.
"Yes, yes. I need you to help recalibrate the Lancelot's systems to take into account the new update," Lloyd said.
"On it." Suzaku jogged toward the Lancelot, glancing briefly at the hotel that rested at the heart of the lake but then pushing his worries away. He knew that Lelouch would never let anything happen to Nunnally; he would sooner destroy the entire world, and actually succeeded in doing just that, before he would let something happen to Nunnally.
. . .
Cornelia li Britannia wasn't in a good mood.
Not only had the Japan Liberation Front struck in taking Chairman James and many more visitors to the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center Hotel captive but Cornelia's little sister, Euphie, was among the captives. That was the only reason why she hadn't just ordered the bombing of the entire hotel.
It didn't help that Kusakabe had just contacted her, telling her after he shoved one of the hostages off the roof of the hotel that he would kill a hostage every thirty minutes until their terms were meant.
"Perhaps we can negotiate for Princess Euphemia's release," Cornelia's Knight, Sir Gilbert G.P. Guilford, suggested. He was a tall, dark-haired bespectacled man.
"I will not negotiate with terrorists," Cornelia said firmly, leaning back in her throne as she stared at the hotel. "It would only serve to legitimize what they are doing." She couldn't help but feel worried though.
After all, she had already lost three of her siblings to the terrorists of Area 11 and she didn't want to lose another one. Though she never let it show on her face, keeping a mask of cool indifference that served her well and helped earn her the moniker of the Witch of Britannia and the Goddess of Victory, she had been extremely upset when she learned of Clovis's death.
Not to mention Lelouch and Nunnally. She had idolized Marianne "The Flash" vi Britannia and had loved and cared for Lelouch and Nunnally probably as much as she loved and cared for Euphie. She could still remember the days when they would sit out in the gardens of the Aries Villa, Euphie and Nunnally each trying to outdo the other in terms of impressing Lelouch, since they were both convinced that they would be the one to marry him in the future. Of course, they were only children but it was a rather heartwarming scene.
Cornelia pushed those thoughts away. She couldn't focus on the memories of her lost siblings. She had to focus on the situation at hand. She had to figure out a way to get past that Raikou that had showed up in the tunnel she was going to use to infiltrate the hotel. Evidently, they knew that was what she was going to do and had set up the Raikou to counter her efforts, leading to the loss of four Sutherlands and leaving her frustrated and without a clear-cut plan.
Just then, a messenger came running onto the bridge of Cornelia's G1 mobile base. "Your Highness," he said with a bow. "Um, I have a message for you."
"What is it?" Cornelia asked.
"Zero has been spotted. He's heading in this direction," the messenger reported.
Zero! Cornelia got to her feet, her eyes cooling at the thought of the man who murdered her brother Clovis. Just what is he doing here? Is he here to help us or is he here to back the Japan Liberation Front? Nevertheless… "Ready my Gloucester. I will confront him personally," the purple-haired Witch of Britannia said firmly.
It took only a few moments before Cornelia was in her Gloucester and standing across from a vehicle that she recognized as one of the cars used by Hi-TV. Zero was standing on top of the car in all his purple, gold, and black glory and he didn't seem fazed by the fact that he had several Gloucesters and Sutherlands surrounding him.
"Zero, so you've shown your face here," Cornelia said icily as she withdrew herself from her Gloucester and stood up. "Are you here to help us or the Japan Liberation Front? Whichever is your decision, it won't matter because I plan on avenging my brother Clovis right here and now." She pulled out her sidearm and pointed it at Zero who still didn't seem fazed.
"Tell me, Princess Cornelia," Zero said calmly. "Which would you choose: your brother Clovis, who is dead, or your sister Euphemia, who is still alive?"
Cornelia started and then narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said coolly.
"I have no doubt that you know just as well as I do that she is there, your reaction serves to prove that, and I have it within my power to save her if you will let me pass," Zero said calmly.
Cornelia glared but he was right and she knew it. She was also sure that he knew it as well, the arrogant bastard. "Everyone, let them through," she ordered.
"Your Highness?" Guilford echoed.
"Don't worry, Guilford," Cornelia said, watching as Zero and his group drove onto the bridge and headed toward the hotel. "I have a plan that may succeed in taking out two birds with one stone."
Once Euphie's safe, I'll get rid of both the JLF and Zero all at once, she thought. "Contact Earl Asplund. I want him to launch the Lancelot and follow these orders," she said firmly before giving out the specific orders for the Lancelot, and its Number pilot, to execute.
. . .
Nina was terrified.
There were so many Elevens in the room and it scared her tremendously. She had been hoping that this would be a peaceful vacation and that she could have time to relax and have fun with her friends and yet she had ended up in a hostage situation with Elevens. She shivered, drawing closer to Milly, staring wide-eyed with fear at the Elevens that roamed the storage room into which she and the others had been placed, one of her hands was clasped in Nunnally's. For some reason, the kind sandy-brown haired girl had just taken Nina's hand when they were first thrown into the storage room, they hadn't even been kind enough to let Nunnally stay in her wheelchair, and hadn't let go since.
She felt comforted a bit by that but that didn't lessen the fact that there were so many Elevens in the room.
It had been a few years back when she had first come into contact with the Elevens. It was right before she was about to start her freshman year at Ashford Academy and she had been walking around the Settlement, looking for places to buy some school supplies. Since her parents had been working, they said that, as long as she had her phone with her, she could go by herself.
She had ended up getting lost, having wandered down the wrong street, and ended up on the very edge of the settlement, near the Shinjujku Ghetto. A group of Elevens had found her there and had attacked her, beating her up, and nearly succeeding in raping her when the Knight Police came. The Elevens were arrested and Nina was taken to the nearest hospital but she had been utterly terrified of Elevens ever since then.
One of the Eleven soldiers neared them and Nina whimpered, shifting closer to Milly and tightening her grip on Nunnally's hand. She couldn't help the words that came out of her mouth next, her terror was too strong. "A…An Eleven," she stammered out.
"What the…? What did you call me?! We're Japanese, damnit!" the soldier shouted, turning to glare at Nina who jumped and whimpered, shrinking closer to Milly who curled her arm around Nina's shoulders.
"Yeah, we know," Milly said firmly.
"Then correct her. We ain't Elevens!" the soldier hissed.
"We will, just lay off her," Shirley said.
"Why you…? Don't you dare talk back to me, you damn Britannian," the soldier snarled, whipping the gun in his hand around to point it at Shirley. "You three are coming with me. I'll teach ya not to insult us."
Nina felt tears well up in her eyes and terror gripped her heart as the soldier moved toward them.
"Stop!"
The soldier, Nina, Milly, and Shirley turned toward the new voice while Nunnally tilted her head in the direction of the voice. Standing there was a girl with long pink hair flowing down her back and her lavender-purple eyes fixed coolly on the soldier.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?" the soldier snapped.
"I am Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire and I order you to take me to your leader," the pink-haired girl said firmly.
Nina stared, wide-eyed at the princess. She…She just gave herself up…for us? She thought, amazed that the beautiful princess would do such a thing, and for someone who wasn't even of noble birth.
Euphemia then turned to Nina and smiled gently at her. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Unable to form a response, Nina gave a small nod before watching as Euphemia was escorted out of the room by the soldiers.
"I hope she'll be all right," Nina whispered.
"I'm sure she will be," Nunnally assured her, squeezing her hand.
. . .
Lelouch gazed coolly at Kusakabe who was resting on his couch, his katana resting in front of him and his gaze fixed on Lelouch. "Well, if we're going to be working together, you will need to remove that mask. I will not work with someone without knowing who they are," Kusakabe said.
"I'm afraid that is out of the question," Lelouch said calmly, coolly. He had been escorted to see Kusakabe almost as soon as they had arrived in the parking structure next to the hotel. He had Geassed the JLF members who had met them so that the rest of the Black Knights could get into the hotel, start planting the charges, and rescuing the hostages while he was talking with Kusakabe.
"If you're going to join us…" Kusakabe began.
"Lieutenant-Colonel, I would like to ask you something," Lelouch interrupted.
"And what would that be?"
"What exactly do you hope to accomplish by this action?"
Kusakabe straightened up. "Gain attention," he said firmly. "I want this country and the world to know that the Japanese aren't dead yet."
"How stale," Lelouch drawled. "You people are obsolete. There's no saving you."
His words were met with angry reactions from the JLF members that were surrounding him but Kusakabe held up a hand to prevent them from acting. He then fixed a cool gaze on Lelouch and said, "Explain."
"It's exactly as I said," Lelouch said calmly. "The very memory of Japan is gone. What you are trying to revive is nothing more than a shell of Japan's true glory. The nation that you are working so hard to bring back has been warped and scarred beyond recognition, filled with crime, prejudice, hatred. It will never be the glorious nation that it once was; it will only ever be a shell of its former self."
Kusakabe narrowed his eyes, a scowl twisting his lips. "And just what do you hope on doing?" he scowled.
Lelouch's lips twisted into a demonic smirk. "The glorious nation that is Japan may be long gone but its people are still alive and well. I plan on liberating them from Britannia's control and allow them the chance to choose their own future without being oppressed by Britannia's self-imposed superiority. I do not plan on reviving a shell that is already dead but rather move toward a better future for all."
Kusakabe huffed, clearly not believing that it was possible. Lelouch could see the disbelief on his face. He then grabbed the hilt of his katana. "I believe our discussion is over. Since it's clear you won't be joining us, you will die," he said and, katana raised to strike, jumped up from the couch.
"That is where you're wrong," Lelouch said coolly, the part of his mask retracting to reveal his left eye and he activated his Geass, commanding everyone in the room to die.
Once he was sure everyone in the room was dead and his eye was hidden from sight again, he turned around and left the room. He was just in time to see the two solders with the familiar pink-haired form of Euphemia standing, with her head held proudly, in between them.
"What has happened here?" one of the soldiers demanded.
"The Lieutenant-Colonel and his men committed suicide once they realized the pointlessness of this operation," Lelouch said calmly and then observed Euphemia as the soldiers let her go, realizing that, with their leader dead, they didn't know what to do. They both, apparently, decided that their lives were more important and quickly left.
Lelouch and Euphemia were alone in the hallway. Lelouch studied the pink-haired girl, a small wry smile on his face. "Princess Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed," he mused.
"You're Zero," Euphemia said. "Why did you kill my brother Clovis?"
"Because he issued the orders that caused many innocent civilians to die simply because he wanted to hide a secret that he believes would have gotten him disinherited," Lelouch said calmly.
Euphemia held her head high, her lavender gaze fixed on his helmet. "What now? Are you going to kill me too?" she asked.
Lelouch would never harm Euphemia. Of all of his half-siblings, Euphemia and Cornelia were probably the only ones that Lelouch truly cared about. He supposed that he respected Schneizel as they did get along quite well before Empress Marianne was assassinated. But both Cornelia and Schneizel had a role in his mother's death and that was why Lelouch wasn't sure what to feel about them, other than the need to question them and get answers. Euphemia, on the other hand, was innocent; Lelouch doubted she had anything to do with what happened to his mother. She was too young at the time.
"You are innocent, Princess Euphemia," Lelouch said calmly. "And harming the innocent is not something that I am prepared to do."
Euphemia's lips pressed together but, before she could say anything, Kallen, in her uniform with her visored helmet over her head, jogged toward them. "Everything's ready, Zero, and the hostages have been secured," she said.
"Good," Lelouch said, relieved that his sister and his friends on the student council were all right. "Take the princess with you and evacuate. We will be leaving now."
"Yes, sir," Kallen said with a salute.
"You're letting us go?" Euphemia asked.
"As I already said, princess, harming the innocent is not something I'm going to do," Lelouch assured her. "Go."
Kallen took Euphemia's arm and began half-guiding, half-dragging her toward the elevators while Lelouch followed at a slower pace, contacting his other Black Knights to assure that everything was ready for their big reveal and their departure.
. . .
Suzaku, within the Lancelot, barely managed to get clear of the explosion that brought the entire convention center hotel down. He had taken out the foundation that would cause the hotel to collapse, just as he had been ordered to do, but already knew of what happened within, for the most part. He flew upward as the smoke cleared and the yacht came into view with Zero standing on its brow.
"My dear Britannians, have no fear," Zero declared, gesturing widely toward the group of orange life boats that were slowly making their way to the shore. Suzaku immediately examined them and was relieved to see that Nunnally and Euphemia, along with the other members of the Student Council were all right. He had known that would be the case when things pretty much went as they had the first time around but he was still relieved to have a visual confirmation that they were all right.
"All the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed," Zero added with another dramatic gesture of his hand.
He definitely has a flair for the dramatics, Suzaku thought, watching as more lights appeared to reveal the large group of masked and suited people standing behind Zero. He noted that the group seemed slightly larger than it was the first time around.
"People!" Zero declared. "Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Black Knights! We of the Black Knights stand with those who have no weapons to wield; regardless of whether they be Japanese or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and then mercilessly executed them. It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished, just as Viceroy Clovis la Britannia was punished for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Japanese."
"We could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions. I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed."
Zero held out his arms as he went on. "Wherever oppressors have abused their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, or how formidable our foe may be! Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without it, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
. . .
Bree giggled as she watched the scene that was taking place at Lake Kawaguchi, her gaze fixed on the masked form of Zero, whom she knew, from her many visions, was really Lelouch vi Britannia. She also knew that it was because of this secret, as well as the fact that Lelouch had a Geass, that was the reason for the betrayal. She now just had to find a way of informing the exiled prince of his best friend's betrayal.
She laughed to herself. "Ah, this is gonna be great, especially 'cause of my power's secondary ability. I can't believe it took it going out of control for me to access this ability," she murmured. "But then it is called Absolute Future and it's not an informational one, not entirely anyway." She started humming as she thought about just how to reveal the truth to the exiled prince and drive a wedge between him and his best friend.
She knew that if she used her secondary ability, there was no telling what would be revealed or just how much but that was fine. She was sure that if the exiled prince knew of his friend's betrayal then that would be the end of their friendship. No one could be betrayed as badly as Lelouch vi Britannia was and still be friends with the betrayer after all.
"But how will I do this? Hmm."
"My Lady, might I make a suggestion?" Bruno said.
"Of course, Bruno," Bree said brightly. "Your opinion is always welcomed!"
"I suggest, my Lady, that you let me handle this matter. I will bring you both of them," Bruno said firmly.
"Oh would you? That would be so awesome," Bree said gleefully.
Bruno inclined his head. "I will get on this matter right away," he said firmly and got to his feet before leaving the hotel.
Bree leaned back on the couch, her permanently-activated Geass causing more images from the various timelines to course through her mind but she ignored them. The painkillers she had taken were still in effect and so she didn't feel any pain in her head. She did smile whenever she saw a specific vision involving her and the pilot of the Lancelot.
She giggled. "Soon, you'll be all mine, Suzaku Kururugi," she murmured.
. . .
A/n what do you think?
Blaze: yes, I have brought in a yandere OC character and, no, I am not sorry
Lelouch: well, I suppose it could be worse
Suzaku: (stares warily at the girl Bree) please tell me something bad won't happen 'cause of her
Blaze: (smirks mysteriously) I will say this. Bree is the main antagonist for the first three chapters of the non-canon five chapter arc that will begin after the Refrain episode that is coming up next
Lelouch: anything else you wanna tell us?
Blaze: no. The notes I have for those three chapters that will start the chapter after the next one will be posted during that chapter. All I can say is what happens in those chapters, as well as a certain character that is introduced in the fourth chapter of the five part non-canon arc, will have very drastic and tragic consequences on the timeline.
Suzaku: drastic and tragic how?
Blaze: I shall say nothing more on the subject
Charles: hello
Lelouch: (pulls out electric bazooka) hello, bastard, say 'ello to my little friend
Charles: goodbye (takes off running)
Lelouch: (chases after Charles)
Suzaku: (sighs and shakes head) Want me to end the chapter, Blaze?
Blaze: sure, go ahead (walks off)
Suzaku: even if it didn't quite follow the episode exactly (more because Blaze just didn't include all the details included in the episode), she hopes that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated and thank you for reading.
