Power
Note: I would like to take this time to remind everyone that these are not full blown stories, they are all part of the bigger picture. The last arc was rushed because I had to move on. With that said, this is one I've really been looking forward to.
Lelouch found himself sitting on the throne in the some sort of ship. It took him a moment to register what was happening. When he did, he cringed in grim realization. He was in the Avalon, in the time and place that had rightfully earned the place as the most hated memory. It was the final battle against the Black Knights.
Now he was curious as to how this was different. It looked like this was before the Fuji plan was used. The Black Knights had just started their offensive. Lelouch knew as a fact that they were crushing the front lines, and were going to crush his forces. He also knew that the Ikaruga would be close to firing its Hadron cannons, destroying his side fleets. Finally, Lelouch knew that something would be different, some sort of aspect, but this time, he had no hints.
He gave a few commands as he tried to consider his options.
"Lelouch!" he heard Suzaku roar.
"Suzaku?"
"You've got to help!" Suzaku begged.
"I'm doing everything I can!" Lelouch said.
"Actually, you're not!" Suzaku responded.
"Suzaku!" Cecile scolded.
"I'm sorry, but you know its true!" Suzaku said," Lelouch, use the Shinkiro!"
This surprised Lelouch. While the Shinkiro was powerful, it was no match for the Shen Hu, Zangetsu, or Guren SEITEN.
"What are you talking about?" Lelouch asked.
"But your Majesty!" Cecile said," We completed the Shinkiro's upgrades already! And we haven't finished Lady C.C.'s Knightmare yet!"
This really shocked Lelouch. He then realized that the twist in this universe was that the Shinkiro had been upgraded, instead of getting C.C.'s Knightmare set first. This made me both excited, and nervous. While this new Knightmare obviously powerful, could Lelouch control it. It seemed the Black Knights didn't know about it. Lelouch asked Cecile about that, and Cecile answered him by saying that the Lancelot was holding him during his speech before battle.
"Fine then!" Lelouch agreed," I'll unleash the Shinkiro!"
"But your Majesty…" Cecile started.
"No buts!" Lelouch ordered," I've made up my mind!"
Lelouch marched down to the hanger, and looked up at the Shinkiro. It was different somehow. It's head was larger, and the spheres that were on the forehead were also on the shoulders now. Also, it seemed like it had claws of sorts. And Lelouch could've sworn he saw what looked like a weapon of sorts. All in all, it was also significantly larger, about as tall the Guren, if not a little taller, but as thin as the Lancelot.
He took a deep breath, as he loaded into his Knightmare.
(on the battlefield)
Kallen lead the troops as they cut down their opponents.
"Why hasn't the Lancelot charged yet?" she asked.
"Lelouch is probably holding Suzaku in reserve," Todoh answered.
Kallen cringed, as she cut through another Gareth.
"We have to stop Lelouch!" she said firmly.
"Agreed!" all the Black Knights responded.
They then all noticed a new symbol appearing.
"That's the Shinkiro!" Ohgi said.
"Is he crazy?" Rakshata said," There is no way it can stand up against the Guren, Zangetsu, and Shen Hu."
Lelouch opened his eyes, as he punched a series of commands. The Shinkiro erupted into view. It then sprouted, not one, but two pairs of golden energy wings.
"The Shinkiro has energy wings?" Xingke gasped.
"I might not have been able to defeat you before," Lelouch said," But now I can! With this, the Shinkiro Dreadnaught!" The four wings sent out a pulse of golden energy.
"Shinkiro…. Dreadnaught?" Kallen whispered in awe.
"Still, it is but one unit!" Todoh yelled as he charged forward.
Lelouch punched a series of command into the Shinkiro's computer. The touch system of the Shinkiro Dreadnaught was a lot more expansive that that of the original Shinkiro, but it required less complex equations, relying more on Lelouch's reflexes instead of his brain power. In other words, it depended heavily on timing.
"Now take this!" he declared. The Shinkiro's four eyes glowed a painful red. The three spheres lit up, as a shield appeared, blocking the Zangetsu's sword easily.
Todoh was expecting that, but still, the shield still seemed stronger. And it was only till he got up close, did he see that the Shinkiro was now taller than the Zangetsu. But then to general's horror, the sword cracked, and shattered.
"Nice try, Todoh," Lelouch said darkly, as he punched some more commands. The Shinkiro then held up its fist, right at the Zangetsu's face, and before Todoh could react, the Hadron blast blew his Knightmare's head clean off.
"General!" Chiba cried as she rushed to his aid. Lelouch, however, turned, and punched another series of commands. It opened its upper pair of wings, firing a series of blasts. It destroyed Chiba's Gekka, forcing her to eject.
"Lelouch!" Kallen screamed, as the Guren charged, it shot forward its radiant arm, and caught Lelouch off guard, catching the Shinkiro on its head.
Kallen screamed to the heavens, tears in her eyes, as she activated the arm's power.
But nothing happened. The red energy surged, but it didn't do anything to her opponent.
"Wha…" Kallen started. But the Shinkiro, held up both arms, and shot the same energy out. Kallen attempted to counter, but the radiant energy against itself cancelled them out. Lelouch realized that the Shinkiro Dreadnaught was built specifically to combat the Guren.
"The Radiant Wave Reactor," Lelouch said with a grin," Specifically constructed to negate the Radiant Wave Surger. What do you think?" Kallen moved back in shocked.
"But…" she whispered. Lelouch then punched another series of commands into his Knightmare.
The Shinkiro drew not, one but two curved sabers. It then charged forward.
The Guren drew its knife, in an attempt to counter. One of the sabers blocked the small knife, and Lelouch held up the other saber to destroy the Guren. However, the Shen Hu swooped down, and caught the blow.
"Die!" Xingke yelled, as he fired the Baryon blast. Lelouch moved back, and punched in a series of commands, and formed the shield.
"Nice try," he hissed.
"Fire the Ikaruga's cannons!" Xingke cried.
"Now charging!" Xianglin said. The Ikaruga opened up, revealing its weapons.
"And fire!" she then ordered. The Hadron blasts swooped to destroy Lelouch's flanks.
Lelouch's hands seemed to get minds of their own, as they swooped over the key boards. The three shield generators lit up. The wings then were held up. A massive shield was projected. It was so big, it defended almost the entire amount of both of the flanks.
"The Shinkiro's defense field…" Ohgi stuttered.
"Its… grown," Rakshata spoke, dropping her pipe once.
"No matter!" Xingke declared, as he charged, firing the Slash Harkens, however, the Shinkiro Dreadnaught effortlessly dodged. It then appeared behind the Shen Hu, and did an "x" move on the Shen Hu's head, beheading it instantly.
"Xingke!" Ohgi cried.
Lelouch caught himself laughing. So this was power. He understood power well, but never while in direct combat. But now, he was practically invincible. He now knew how Suzaku felt when he first used the Lancelot, or how Kallen felt when she first used the Guren.
Speaking of Kallen, he heard her roar.
"Lelouch!" she screamed, as she charged. She swung her Knightmare's dagger. Lelouch punched in a series of commands, and defended himself.
"I'm going to stop you, no matter what!" she yelled. She launched a radiant wave blast, but the Shinkiro dodged.
"I'm sorry," Lelouch said, as he punched a series of commands. He then fired the prism from his Knightmare.
"Take this!" Lelouch said, as he fired the Zero Beam from not just the chest, but the knees and elbows as well. Five separate beams struck the prism, sending out a wave of energy. It utterly decimated the Black Knight forces.
"He's too strong!" Kallen cried, as the Guren was hit, knocking out one of the wings. As the Guren free fell, Lelouch ordered Kallen to be captured.
Once again, Lelouch laughed.
"Charge!" he ordered. The Britannian forces went on the advance, the Shinkiro Dreadnaught in the lead.
"Lelouch," Suzaku muttered, surprised at his friend's aggressiveness. Jeremiah frowned at the emperor's show of power.
Lelouch was just so consumed by power, that he didn't pay attention.
Suddenly, he was falling through the void again. He landed in the crossroads again.
"I'm still not used to that," he groaned.
"What do you think?" X.X. sneered.
"What do you want me to learn by this?" Lelouch demanded.
"That's not something that you should know," X.X. answered flatly.
"Why not?"
"Let's just say, you aren't ready," X.X. responded lazily, before he flicked Lelouch's forehead. Lelouch sailed through another door.
"Enjoy this next one, I hear its a really doozy."
Note: Now if the Shinkiro Dreadnaught seems overpowered, then good, because that is basically what I was trying for. It never made sense to me how they made a whole new Knightmare for C.C., when they could've upgraded the Shinkiro. I think it had potential to be more powerful than both the Lancelot and the Guren.
If it seems like logic would prohibit the Shinkiro from working so quickly, then I ask how the Lancelot Frontier could be finished to quickie, and that was building a whole new machine.