DISCLAIMER: I do not own Code Geass or Transformers. They are (respectively) the property of Sunrise/CLAMP and IDW/Takara/Hasbro.
Rated: T for violence and language.
Things take a turn for the worse when the JLF seizes control of the Lake Kawaguchi convention center hotel. Wheeljack and Nightbeat face off against a formidable Knightmare called the Lancelot.
Story note: This chapter takes place during episode 8 of Code Geass R1.
Chapter 7 - Field Trip, Part 2: ShowtimeFood Storage Room
Convention Center Hotel, Lake Kawaguchi
A sense of dread filled the space where the civilians were kept hostage. On the other hand, Jazz remained his usual self: relaxed and composed. The JLF remained unaware of the fact that there were three Cybertronian veterans in their midst. Present circumstances didn't allow the Pretenders to act lest they expose themselves and blow their cover. He was tempted to try to sway the JLF captors but couldn't do so since the possibility of aggravating the Japanese soldiers would likely increase the chance of getting the civilians killed.
Nina cowed alongside Milly and Shirley. Her reaction towards the Japanese was worsened by the fact that they were well-armed and ready to kill in order to achieve whatever their aims were. Jazz surmised that Prowl knew their present situation and was working on a rescue plan along with Marissa and her two field agents, who are still unaccounted for. Unbeknownst to the troops that occupied the building, the three disguised Autobots still had access to their neural voice comm circuits, giving the expeditionary team a first-person perspective of what was happening inside. A beep suddenly caught his audio receptors as Jazz slightly turned his head, pretending that he had some form of ailment. The static that was prevalent on the comm net soon cleared when the deputy commander's voice called to him.
[Jazz, this is Prowl, do you read me?]
[Loud and clear.]
[Sitrep?]
[Me, Sides and 'Streaker are grouped with the hostages in a food storage room about twenty-five to thirty stories up. For the moment we're okay but there's no telling what the JLF's gonna do next,] the special ops agent answered as he eyed his surroundings with caution.
[Nightbeat and Spike are already on the scene. Right now Cosmos is in orbit tracking the movements of the Britannian and Japanese forces around your position.]
[Cos is here? Never mind, might wanna make whatever you're going to do snappy. I'm telling you, these guys are itching to kill. Is Marissa okay?]
[We don't know. Communications have been silent, and we're still trying to contact her. Hopefully she's roaming free inside the hotel. Right now we're working on a mission to pull you and the rest of the team out.]
[You'd be interested to know to Marissa found some records pertaining to a suspect that works for Fenette,] the special ops lieutenant said, spotting the man from the crowd. [Matter of fact, he's seated with the rest of us in here. What are we going to do about the civilians?]
[Recovery of the data in her possession is our top priority.]
[Prowl, we've got to do something. There's kids and elderly people in here!]
Jazz never was fond of Prowl's silence when it came to tense situations like the one he and the twins were in.
[We'll do what we can. In the meantime, sit tight and keep us posted of any changes.]
_ _ _
Outer Perimeter
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11
A massive crowd of onlookers were shocked at the chaos of the events inside the convention center hotel. Armed sentries formed a wall to prevent anyone from entering. Joseph and Spike strode through the population right towards the people in charge of security. From what the chief liaison could see, a detachment of Knightmares had weapons at the ready. They were placed behind the infantry that had already barricaded the path towards the main bridge which led to the hotel. The SEAL also spotted a gruff-looking figure that stood a little more than six feet in height and bore a facial scar across the bridge of his nose. He wore a maroon coat and had a mane of blonde hair. The NSA liaison guessed that whoever the man was commanded the Britannian garrison that formed the perimeter around the command post.
Joseph, in a panicked state, shoved aside the numerous civilians that were part of the spectators. Spike pursued the official, remaining calm in the face of the current disaster. He had to leave Nightbeat behind so that exposure to the Britannian garrison remained minimal. After all, it only took a glance from the SEAL to notice that the situation was currently far beyond the pair's capabilities.
About a mile out near the fenced area, Spike observed a large tracked fortress that with a bridge atop the vehicle and turret mounts positioned in different sections around it. The fortress was guarded by several Sutherlands armed with assault rifles in a U-formation that shielded the mobile base. The hoteljacking was big enough to warrant the attention of the local military.
Spike didn't have to see that Fenette's mind was ridden in fear. Though the official held no qualms against the Japanese, the current hostage situation changed his outlook entirely. One of the armed guards who formed the perimeter blocked Joseph with his assault rifle. Fenette yelled in desperation as he tried to breach through, resisting the efforts of the security personnel holding him back. "Let me through! My daughter's in there!"
"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot allow you to pass," replied the guard, whose voice was by the helmet he wore.
"I'm the economics advisor to Vice Minister Lowell! Let me talk to your superior right now!"
"Joe, there's nothing we can do here. The military's got this in hand. Let's leave it to them for now," Spike advised.
"I don't care! I want to know if my daughter's alright!"
Spike already concluded there was no reasoning with the Britannian prospector. He would've felt the same way if his child was in the position that Shirley was in right now. Moving away from the crowd until he was distant enough, he dialed his cell phone and donned his earpiece. Once the line connected he went straight at the Autobot deputy commander with a barrage of questions. "Prowl, this is Spike, I assume you've heard about the hoteljacking?"
"Yes. It's looking pretty grim right now. Jazz and the twins are locked with the civilians in a concealed space on the hotel's upper levels at gunpoint. I suspect Marissa and her team are still free inside the building since they're unaccounted for, so we still have a chance of getting the rest of our people out. We also have Cosmos overhead to provide data feeds for us and maintain our comm links."
"Alright. What's the status of the hostages?"
"They're safe for the time being. I've sent Mirage, Wheeljack, and Trailbreaker with agents Delacruz and Farmer to help you. The rendezvous coordinates have been forwarded to Nightbeat along with maps and structural blueprints to download into your PDA."
"Any indication of the number of hostiles that are inside?"
"Based on thermal scans we estimate the JLF strength to be at least a hundred and fifty troops."
Spike raised an eyebrow at the announcement. "Did you just say a hundred and fifty?"
"Affirmative. We've also received intelligence that the viceroy herself is over near the immediate area and is in command of the Britannian forces."
"Princess Cornelia? No wonder there's so many of the imperials here, since this whole ordeal seemed big enough to capture the attention of the government. Why aren't the Brits doing anything?" Spike wondered as he stared at the rampant activity right ahead. The guards remained unflinching in their position to prevent anyone from getting out or coming in through the main bridge that led to the hotel.
"Chip hacked into the garrison's communications logs. Every rescue operation that the Britannians attempted has failed. I would surmise that based on the current situation the Japanese has measures in place to counter whatever any military action the Britannians take against them. Just recently the imperials sent a small contingent of Knightmares through the underground utilities tunnel, but they haven't checked back in yet. There's a possibility that we might have a hostile down there that will prevent us from entering the hotel unless we remove it."
"Which means we'll need to act in the Britannians' stead if they're not going to raise a finger," the liaison concluded. "Prowl, I'm gonna make one thing clear: you're the overall boss of the expedition but since I'm the senior guy here on site I'm gonna have to call the shots. We are dealing with a very unstable element and I'll be damned if the Japanese start killing people with our guys stuck in the middle."
"Spike, are you sure about doing that?"
"Like we got any other choice?"
From the silence, the SEAL imagined the conflict that was going through Prowl's processor, which forbade harming humans. Spike on the other hand held no such reservations when it came to killing. It was a necessary aspect in his profession which he handled time and time again.
"Alright, I'll leave the rescue operation in your hands," Prowl said reluctantly.
"You can access the utilities tunnel from outside but it will take you a little longer to get there since the Britannians are stationed above."
"We'll be waiting for the others at the tunnel," Spike replied as he terminated his call.
_ _ _
Royal Transport Vehicle
Tokyo Settlement, Area 11
Lelouch suspected that his half-sister Euphemia was amongst the hostages at Lake Kawaguchi. It was the only possible reason he could think of that explained why Cornelia didn't take any further action. The Shinjuku resistance members were arguing whether or not they should commit themselves to the situation and rescue the hostages from the grasp of the JLF.
"It's a shame really. They had it coming to them," a certain hothead named Tamaki blurted. In spite of him being a member of his group, the man's impulsiveness and violent tendencies slowly began to draw the ire of Lelouch. The terrorist was lucky that the ex-prince hadn't bothered to dispose of him yet. "I say we should just leave them to their fates."
Ohgi, a former schoolteacher turned freedom fighter, was conflicted as to what action they should take. On one hand he disagreed with the idea of interfering with the JLF and leave the civilians to their fate. Though his conscious clung at the fact that there were students amongst the hostages. There was no need to guess that regardless of age of occupation, the terrorist leader Kusakabe was intent on getting the political prisoners under Britannian custody freed by any means necessarily, which included sacrificing unarmed innocents.
"I'm not so sure about that, Tamaki. Whatever they're hoping to achieve out of this will hurt them in the long run."
"What does it matter? Those people still Britannian!" Tamaki countered, his hatred of the oppressors of the Japanese ever apparent.
"Ohgi, how many explosives do we have?" Lelouch inquired.
"Enough to take down some armored divisions. What did you have in mind?" the man asked. He and all the other members of the Shinjuku cell turned to the caped individual whom they remained suspicious of regardless of their recent struggles against the imperialists. Lelouch had plenty of tricks up his sleeve to get themselves out of a bind whenever their backs were against the wall. Considering their experience working alongside him, they might as well have called the prince a sorcerer.
"Round up some bombs and arm yourselves. We're going to the convention center hotel," Lelouch said firmly. "There is something that I need to confirm."
"You can't be serious! The army's got the entrance under tight reins, and we'll never be able to get through to them!" Kallen protested hotly, unaware that Lelouch was formulating a rescue plan of his own. Thus, the Britannian progeny countered with a straightforward reply. "You're wrong."
The participants of the meeting were surprised at the definitiveness in his voice.
"I will confront Cornelia and offer her a bargain she can't refuse. If what I suspect is true, then she will allow us to reach the hotel unharmed."
"How do you know she'll even let us through?" Ohgi asked. "She has the royal guard with her, and the likelihood of them killing us is high."
"Because I believe she has someone important inside that hotel," Lelouch answered.
Kallen gave him a quizzical look. "Someone important? Who?"
"A person which she holds very dear to her. That is why we will go."
"And if she doesn't?" Ohgi inquired.
"Trust me, she will have no alternative," Lelouch grinned behind his mask.
_ _ _
ASEEC Trailer
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi
Situated away from the G-1 mobile base where Princess Cornelia and her entourage operated in, Suzaku stood anxiously with arms crossed. He didn't take the news of the hoteljacking very well, since it was compounded by the fact that the girls from the student council were amongst the hostages inside. Desperation clawed at his conscious, as he wanted to help rescue them. Regardless of good intent, the viceroy herself was oblivious of the fact that he had friends inside the building.
As the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corp's star pilot, Suzaku held no qualms about sacrificing himself for the defense of others. He was somewhat glad that he didn't go with them, but was also fearful of the fact that his countrymen were ready to kill the hostages at the drop of a hat.
Lloyd Asplund, his sponsor and immediate superior in charge, were making adjustments alongside his assistant Cécile Croomy on a new weapon called the VARIS rifle. It was a hand-held blaster of great destructive capability, which could tear through the thickest of armor with its different munitions, including anti-materiel rounds.
They still don't trust the Japanese... If only they could be more reasonable and see that I just want to help...
Noticing the look on the test pilot's face, Cécile climbed down to the lower platform and stood alongside her compatriot. Having worked alongside her for only a few weeks, Suzaku regarded her as something of a sister figure. Before then he was the only child of Japan's last prime minister before the empire took over and colonized the island nation. If there was anything he needed now, it was a need for action. Standing idle and doing nothing while his classmates were at gunpoint was not something he would not tolerate, regardless of the reason for such a drastic measure.
"Still worried about your friends inside?"
"Very," Suzaku told her truthfully. "I just wish that they'd understand that I'm not in this for the glory."
Cécile was sympathetic of Suzaku's plight. Even though he held the rank of warrant officer in the imperial forces, the racism against honorary Britannians like himself still dominated the behaviors and attitudes of the empire's military arm. Nonetheless, the boy adhered to his personal principles and hoped to change Britannia from within. One memory of his tragic past which haunted him time and again led him to his current mindset. He could do nothing but feel pity for his fellow countrymen, since he knew that what they were trying to accomplish would be fruitless in the long run.
"I don't see the point of them doing this."
"It's understandable," his female companion interjected. "Right now the viceroy is working on trying to get those civilians out."
Suzaku's impatience was wearing down upon him. "What could possibly keep them from doing anything?"
"I'm not certain. But I did overhear that the viceroy is mobilizing her forces for an offensive action in the utilities tunnel below, so it's possible that we'll be at the forefront."
"Pray that they do it soon," the young man said somberly.
_ _ _
Utilities Tunnel
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11
Nightbeat, Trailbreaker, Wheeljack and Mirage were parked at the entrance of the utilities tunnel farther away from where Cornelia's forces were located. Their position was camouflaged by a stationary holoemitter, which was placed within the center of the group. Two of the human agents, Delacruz and Farmer, unpacked a sealed metallic container and inputed their combinations into the locking mechanism. Spike stood beside them with arms crossed, dressed fully in his black suit used during the mission at Lukas International. The case opened fully and revealed an arsenal of gadgets and tools, including armaments to bring along for the rescue operation.
"All right guys, listen up. We have six people inside the hotel, three that are amongst the hostages taken from the train. The Britannians got troops garrisoned in front of our objective, and we've got intel that the viceroy herself is also among them. The of purpose of her presence there remains unknown, and so far she hasn't shown any signs of further action. Since Agent Faireborn and her crew are still unaccounted for we'll be coordinating a mission to get our guys out," Spike said stoically.
"Trailbreaker, you'll move alongside Mirage and jam the communications inside the building while he conducts recon ahead of you to scout the enemy's position belowground. Wheeljack and Nightbeat will be running interference on the streets above in case the Brits decide to send their goons to interfere with us in the tunnel or anywhere else. We need to keep them away until we complete the extraction of our personnel."
"I managed to whip up some EMP grenades in case we come across any trouble," Wheeljack uttered as he handed them to Mirage. "It's the best I could do on short notice, so don't let them go to waste."
"Our point of entry will be the utilities tunnel and the maintenance bridge which is used for supply trucks to ferry equipment and commercial goods. Since the cellulars and radios are gonna be jammed we're left with satcomm capability. Your voice comm circuits should be able to work with our gear, am I correct on that?" Spike asked Wheeljack.
"Yeah. Since Cosmos is overhead our communications assets are interfaced through his systems which make our radio equipment cross-compatible with each other. It'll help us keep in touch with our people who are keeping tabs on the Japanese inside the structure," the engineer answered up front.
"Guys, I'm not going to lie to you: this is going to get ugly." Spike noted. "I was hoping to avoid a confrontation with the Japanese but it looks like that it isn't going to happen. And if we're going to save the civilians and our people by weeding those terrorists out, so be it."
The three humans checked their weapons and loaded magazines into their Glocks equipped with flash suppressors. P190 submachine guns with integrated silencers and 40mm grenade launchers were hoisted to the sides of each man as they stuffed spare clips into their suit pockets and vests. Afterwards the trio hoisted their weapons onto their backs and donned their masks for the confrontation ahead.
"Ready?" Spike said as collective nods from those that were present shook in agreement. "Alright then, let's move out!"
_ _ _
Mirage rode through the tunnel in vehicle form at 50 mph. His form blended in with the environment as he advanced cautiously before he detected an unknown contact farther towards the entrance that led to the maintenance bridge.
"Hang on, I'm picking up one hostile near the entry point. It's a configuration we've never seen before," Mirage radioed in to the team, his optics peered at the target towards the far end of the tunnel.
"Did it see you?" Spike asked.
"No, my camouflage system's active so whoever is piloting that thing can't see me. Stand back, I'm going to disable it."
With stealth and precision the Cybertronian spy maneuvered his way through the tunnel. The massive black Knightmare which obstructed his path gave no indication that knew he was present, since he was invisible to its sensors. From what he observed it was a eight-legged vehicle with a massive cannon designed as some kind of linear artillery piece. Mirage opened his forearm module and pulled out the EMP grenade that Wheeljack gave him. He pulled out certain components and re-modified them for use in a shell casing for his sniper rifle. Once the weapon was fully assembled Mirage sighted his target through his scope, its victim remaining unwary of its fate.
_ _ _
Inside the Raikou's cockpit the pilot and the gunner waited patiently for another victim to cross its path. The three Sutherlands they dispatched earlier proved a small but noteworthy victory for the Japanese Liberation Front.
"I'm detecting an energy reading about 400 meters out," said the gunner.
"Out here?"
It wasn't long before they heard the shot of a loud projectile that rang out from the distance. The impact of the round was felt as the mech shuddered slightly before it crashed into the ground. Showers of sparks flew all over them when the circuit boards fried. All at once the cockpit's instruments failed, including its emergency power supply.
"The controls aren't responding!"
"Radio the others!"
"Communications inoperative! I can't reach anybody!"
The pilot slammed a fist into one of the his seat's armrests. "Damn it!"
_ _ _
"Enemy target disabled. You're clear to move."
Trailbreaker drove forward under the maintenance bridge area with his three passengers in tow. The agents conducted a another weapons check before they disembarked and stood under the area where they would make their entry. The Autobots and their compatriots glanced at the ceiling overhead. All of them donned their masks as they prepared for their trip onto the bridge.
"That's a long way up," Farmer observed.
Spike turned to Delacruz. "You got the grappling gun?"
The Hispanic NSA operative nodded in acknowledgement as he lowered his satchel on the deck and pulled the guns with the hooks and cables attached.
"Trailbreaker, we're going to need a little hand," Spike called out.
The black mech lowered himself to get Spike and the two agents onto both his hands as an impromptu lifting platform. As he elevated his palms higher, Delacruz fired the grappling gun and latched successfully onto the maintenance bridge.
"Be careful up there," Trailbreaker advised.
Spike uttered not another word, as the humans fastened their rapelling ables before they climbed up to underside of the maintenance bridge. The trio of NSA agents quickly scaled upwards and over the rails of the bridge as they proceeded towards the stairway which led the to the basement level. When they arrived at the door Spike leaned his shoulder against the wall and moved forward. He then snuck his snake cam quietly under it and connected the spying instrument to his PDA. The naval officer spotted black boots that were polished to a mirror-like shine at the toes. After peering further below, he observed that the guardsman was situated upright from the left at attention.
After he completed his recon, Spike turned to the two agents and signaled them to back away, their weapons drawn with sights leveled at the door. He utilized another hand signal indicating that there was a single sentry standing watch at his post. His hand tested the door and noticed that it was unlocked. On the count of three, Spike slammed the door into the infantryman and knocked the hapless man unconscious. The NSA liaison pulled the man by the legs and dragged him back towards where the American operatives entered and tied him up with rope and muffled his mouth with a bandana cloth to keep him silent. He shoved into a janitor's closet to ensure that he wouldn't call for help from his comrades.
"We're in," Spike said as he climbed cautiously on the stairway to the first floor.
Agents Delacruz and Farmer kept their fingers straight, their SMGs pointed downward to prevent each other from being struck by friendly fire, while at the same time staying sharp the moment they needed to bring their weapons to spare.
"Spike, you read me?" called a voice through the SEAL's earpiece.
"Ah Chip. Well, we're doing mighty fine over here. Save for the fact that we got numerous armed gunmen with a very angry disposition just itching to kill somebody," Spike said in a joking tone. "I take it you got some intel for us that we can use?"
"Yeah. I just found out that the guy in charge is a lieutenant colonel from the Japanese army. Goes by the name Kusakabe. Apparently he's got an axe to grind with the Britannian government since they got a few political prisoners that they want freed."
"So if we cut the head of the snake the rest of the body will follow. Any idea where he's located at?"
"The colonel's roving about for the moment. If you capture him, we may be able to get him to release the hostages."
"Being that there's more of the Japanese than us he's bound to be heavily guarded."
"I'm sure you can come up with a method or two to 'sway' him,"
"Right," Spike replied tersely. "I'll be keeping in touch."
_ _ _
Convention Center Hotel
Lake Kawaguchi
Masked by their balaclavas that they brought past the security checkpoint, Marissa and her two agents prowled through the hallways of the building, wary of the Japanese forces that were scattered in the different parts of the structure. With some daring, the three managed to procure assault weapons off of a few isolated troops. When they founded an office, the three conducted a breach and quickly shot down the defenders before they sweeped the area. They took a moment of reprieve to assemble a satcomm radio which they smuggled through the security checkpoint and prayed that their encrypted calls reached to friendlies that were on the way.
"This is Agent Faireborn to any U.S. personnel within proximity please respond," Marissa called out.
The familiar voice of the NSA chief liaison rung through the radio's speaker. "Good to hear your voice, Marissa. Where are you right now?"
Marissa checked the blueprints on her PDA to verify her team's position. "We're in one of the lounge areas, on the twentieth floor. What about you?"
"We just entered the basement level and moving up. I'm going to need your help. Is Warren and McCormick with you?"
"Yes."
"Find and seize control of the security office. We're going to an extra set of eyes to keep watch over the hotel cameras."
"Okay. Anything else?"
"There's a man named Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe who's leading the terrorists that have taken over the hotel. We need you to find his location and forward it to us."
"Will do. Any word on what's happening outside?"
"Right now the Britannians got this place on lockdown. We got some folks from the base to help get you out."
"Are we going to do anything about the tourists and other civilians?"
"At the moment, we're only here for Jazz and the twins. However, once we 'secure' the colonel's cooperation we should be able to get him to release the hostages."
Her earlier encounters with the Japanese during the day told her the contrary. "What if he refuses to budge?"
"Oh trust me, I'll find a way to persuade him," Spike answered with grim determination. Knowing the SEAL officer and his tactics, Marissa didn't even want to know what the liaison had in store for the terrorist leader. Her mind prayed that the civilians and the Pretenders led by Jazz were safe.
_ _ _
Food Storage Compartment
Convention Center Hotel, Lake Kawaguchi
"You. Your name is Jerome Snyder, correct?" one of the soldiers questioned loudly.
"That's right. What about it?" Jazz answered impassively.
"There are three other passengers on the guest list that were with you. Where are they?"
Jazz decided to feign ignorance at the whereabouts of Marissa and her team. "Don't know what you're talking about, man."
The reply which Jazz gave was responded in kind with a hit to the face by a soldier's assault rifle.
"Take him away for interrogation!" the senior officer in the room commanded.
Two soldiers walked to both sides of Jazz while he remain stunned and began to drag him by the arms out of the space.
"Hey, let him go!" Sunstreaker demanded.
"Stay where you are!"
"You know, this isn't the first time I had a gun pointed at my face," the yellow twin gritted at the JLF soldiers, his hands still interlocked behind his head.
"Be quiet and show some respect, Britannian scum. Unless you want a bullet in the head."
Sunstreaker almost forgot the fact that he was organic on the surface. While weaker in this form, the threat of being shot by the Japanese soldier did not deter him. Instead, it made him scowl at the human for even trying to bother to intimidate the warrior, who had millennia of experience compared to the soldiers that were in the room. If he was anything other than an Autobot he would've torn the the man limb from limb. However, his fighting instinct did not permit him to kill humans, but the way that the Japanese kept them caged like animals tore away at his patience.
"Stop this at once!" a feminine voice commanded.
One of the JLF soldiers aimed his submachine gun at the offending speaker. She had hair which was the same color as cotton candy. There was an air of confidence which exhumed from the young girl as she took off her glasses.
"Who the hell are you?" the soldier inquired.
"You're addressing Euphemia li Britannia, third princess of the Holy Britannian Empire!"
Her announcement among the hostages drew gasps and surprised looks all around. Jazz mentally cursed himself at the prospects of the tourists' current situation. He figured that since she revealed herself to the crowd she would be used as a means of bargaining for whatever the Japanese wanted out of the whole mess.
"How brave of you. Bring both of them to the colonel. Perhaps we should make an example out of these two since they're obviously intent on defying us," the JLF officer said. A Japanese soldier entered the storage compartment with a worried look in his eyes. The officer turned to the infantryman and asked what was wrong with him.
"Sir, I tried radioing the colonel, but he hasn't responded. I also tried calling the others that are nearby but our radios aren't working."
"Hmm. I suppose we'll have to move them. Find the colonel and inform him that we've got two prisoners on the way. Let him know that Princess Euphemia is among the pair. I'm certain he'll be interested in using her to negotiate with the Britannians to release our countrymen from prison."
_ _ _
Convention Center Hotel
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11
Navigating through the hotel's ventilation system felt akin to lab rats drifting around a maze. Spike and his team stopped at a point that led into a dimly lit space.
"Looks like they were doing maintenance up here," Farmer whispered.
Spike hooked a rappelling cable to his belt. Together with Farmer and Delacruz, the NSA liaison was lowered slowly into the ventilation shaft. Inverted, Spike carefully fished out a convex mirror and angled it against existing light that came below the ventilation tunnel. From it he spotted a rifleman who was taking a break.
"One hostile below at my six o'clock," Spike said before he swung his body in a gymnast-like fashion onto the cable, his feet propped quietly against the shaft wall while he remained suspended above the unwary terrorist.
"Say hello to the Sandman, jackass," Spike grinned as he tightened his hold and snapped the soldier's neck. The twist of bone rung aloud with a sickening crunch as the man landed in a slump onto the restroom tiles. Farmer and Delacruz lowered Spike onto the floor before they composed themselves for their next course of action.
"Did you really have to tell him that, sir?" Delacruz asked.
"It's something I say to all my victims," Spike jested cooly.
"Heh. Saw it in a movie once," Spike said truthfully.
"Spike, this is Marissa. We've breached the security office. Colonel Kusakabe is located on the thirtieth level in the main conference room."
Pausing for a moment, the SEAL checked his PDA and groaned in disappointment as he looked at his group's present location. The complexity of the path they took forced the trio to navigate elsewhere, since the blueprints they were given showed no updates that parts of the ventilation system was modified or torn down to be changed. "Damn. We're still several floors down from where he's at."
"Chip here. I managed to tap into the power grid that connects to the hotel. I'll be initiating a shutdown of the building's power supply and force it on emergency power like we did at Lukas International. The UPS will last about forty minutes and set it on secondary lighting. Since the loss of communications for the Japanese forces is lost you got an extra edge to throw them off."
"Thanks, Chip. Remind me to get you a beer after this op is over."
_ _ _
Convention Center Perimeter
Lake Kawaguchi
Apprehension and doubts hung in the thoughts of the Shinjuku resistance group. While Lelouch maintained his insistence that his deal with Cornelia wouldn't fail, there was always the possibility (in their minds, at least) that the Britannians would turn back on their word and simply slay them all. However, they clung onto their faith that their leader would pull another miracle. And miracles was something that Zero delivered in spades.
Three Gloucesters with lances moved forth in front of the news van. The one in front of the group had a white cape with antennae that protruded on the side of its factsphere helm. Air hissed as the cockpit compartment opened to reveal none other than Cornelia, who was more than eager to lay waste to the man who has slain the empire's third prince.
"Zero, I'm rather surprised that you had the gall to show yourself here. So, are you an ally of the JLF? Or are you here to help us? Regardless, our priorities take precedence over whatever you are here for. Hence, for the death of my half-brother Clovis I shall avenge him here and now!" the second princess howled as she drew out a firearm which was a musket/handgun hybrid with a bayonet tip.
Lelouch remained unwavering in his stance.
"Cornelia, which do you prefer? Clovis, who is dead? Or Euphemia, who is alive?"
The viceroy twitched at mention of her younger sister. Her mind raced on what course of action to take against the vigilante. Her musket pistol was aimed at his direction, oblivious of the fact that it was her half-brother Lelouch behind Zero's mask.
"It is within my power to save Euphemia for you."
"What?" Cornelia answered.
"I said I can save her!" Lelouch repeated firmly.
Just as I suspected. The first task at hand is completed. You haven't changed, dear sister...
"Alright, Zero. I'll order my forces to let you pass," Cornelia bellowed. So that I will blast you along with the rest of those filthy Elevens into the lake as payback for the suffering you caused me and Euphy.
_ _ _
"Spike, heads up: Zero's coming to the hotel," Chip uttered through the SEAL's earpiece.
"Zero? He's on his way here?" Spike called, astounded that the man even bothered to show up past the hotel's front door.
"Confirmed. Looks like he managed to finagle his way through the perimeter."
"Then I guess we'd better get a move on."
"There's another way through the ventilation system that you can navigate through to get to an ancillary hallway where there's only a few troops stationed."
"Copy that," Spike said tersely, the urgency of the situation prompting his team to step up their efforts.
Farmer and Delacruz exited the ventilation system with Spike coming out last. They were grateful that the lights were out, since they had night vision goggles propped in front of their faces. Five soldiers were spotted about thirty meters out. The NSA agents drew their pistols and blazed away at their targets, catching them unaware before they were felled under the fusillade of bullets. There was nothing more fearsome than enemies striking out from the darkness, with the SEAL being the most fearsome of the NSA trio. One of the soldiers who was still alive leaned against the wall and fired his SMG. The Americans hit the deck, with Spike dashing towards the shooter. He closed the distance and drew his combat knife. When he was up close to the infantryman he stabbed him in the heart, the Japanese man unable to break free of the chief liaison's strength before he collapsed onto the carpet as a corpse.
After a security sweep, Spike directed to his agents: "I want you two to head to the security room and meet up with Faireborn and her team."
"What about you, sir?" Farmer inquired.
"I'll have to do this alone. Zero is a very dangerous individual. There's no telling what he's intent on doing in this building. Hence, the less people involved, the less that. I intend to keep out of sight and try to get to Kusakabe's location before he does."
The two operatives were reluctant but obeyed the lieutenant commander's order. As the SEAL officer watched the two agents sprinted off into the darkness, he ejected a magazine and loaded a fresh one into his silenced Glock. He mentally prayed that he wouldn't have to face any more opposition towards his destination.
_ _ _
Command Bridge
G-1 Mobile Base, Hotel Perimeter
Cornelia leaned on the tactical data display on the bridge of her headquarters. Since
there was an impasse in regards to what action the Britannians should take, she figured that sending the ASEEC's Lancelot on a suicide run would weaken their enemy's position and allow her royal guard to breach and destroy the foundation block that held the hotel in place.
"We can send that new Knightmare Frame through the utilities tunnel to take out that linear cannon that's blocking the path to our objective," one of her officers advised.
The second princess nodded at the suggestion. "An interesting idea. Since Zero is inside we can take him and the JLF out in one fell swoop."
Before the command staff could proceed any further, the lights within the bridge flickered intermittently. "What the hell? What's happening?!" the princess asked in an annoyed tone.
"We're losing power to primary systems. Emergency backups coming on-line," called one of the bridge crew.
"Viceroy! We have intruders outside of the perimeter!"
Cornelia couldn't believe her ears: everything around her was thrown into chaos. "What? What are they?"
"They're Knightmare Frames of unknown configuration!"
"Mobilize the royal guard!" Cornelia boomed to one of her lieutenants.
"We can't, Your Highness! The launch bays won't open!"
"Blast them open for all I care! How is this even possible?"
"Some sort of interference is preventing our forces from moving. The only unit that we have available is the Special Corps."
That's where that Eleven is stationed.
"It seems we have no alternative. Have the Special Corps deploy the Lancelot at once! And find out a way to get our Knightmares operational again and out in the open!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
_ _ _
Knowing that the Britannians were thrown in disarray, Wheeljack fiddled with his hand-held remote as his figure was safely hidden out of sight. The holoemitter which he carried with him was coming in handy, since it disguised his position as foliage and trees. Its only flaw was that like the cloaking devices mounted on starships, they could be seen if the target looked at the camouflaged location up-close since the illusion fluctuated due to the energy surges coming from the device itself. His experimental electromagnetic limpet mine was working like a charm, interfering with the imperialist forces' electronics to keep them where they were.
"There. That should keep them busy."
"Wheeljack, Spike here. What's happening out there?"
"We got the Britannians locked down for the moment. They ain't gonna be moving for a bit, but they're not going to stay that way forever."
"Keep them at bay for as long as you can until we complete extraction. Remember, it's only a delay action."
"Oh, I've got some fun stuff in mind for these guys right here..." Wheeljack smirked sinisterly.
_ _ _
ASEEC Trailer
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi
Thankful for the order to deploy, Suzaku went through the pre-checks on his mecha as he systematically activated his instruments. The suspended sakuradite cube gradually began to spin inside the Core Luminous, the energy from the mineral coursing across the circuitry throughout the advanced Knightmare. Curious as to what he was up against, Suzaku remained poised in seeking out the intruders and free his compatriots that were held up by Wheeljack's gadgetry so that the rescue could resume unimpeded.
"M.E. Boost on."
While the Lanccelot's pilot began preparations, Cécile went her way in briefing the information to the test pilot promptly. "Warrant Officer Kururugi, here are the guidelines for your mission: intelligence indicates that there are two enemy contacts within proximity of central command. It is unknown if they have any affiliation with the terrorists that have seized the hotel. Since the bulk of the main force is held up, you are the only person on station that is available in ascertaining the location of these hostile contacts. Command instructs that you disable or destroy the contacts by any means necessary."
"Acknowledged. Standing by to launch," the Lancelot's pilot replied.
As the landspinners lowered beneath its ankles, Suzaku leaned the Lancelot forward into a starting position. From outside, one would guess that machine looked like a sprinter. Its body was angled in a manner which made it appear like a runner readying himself at the starting point of a track field. The Britannian Knightmare launched forth hunting for its unknown prey.
_ _ _
City Limits
Hotel Perimeter, Lake Kawaguchi
Several miles away, the Autobots that were hidden within proximity of the Britannian garrison kept themselves out of sight. Suzaku had his eyes peeled for any irregularities. Despite orders from Cornelia to seek out and destroy the intruders, he decided to refrain from using his VARIS unless the situation warranted it. Civilians were populated throughout the entirety of the city adjacent to the G-1 command post.
Huh, something doesn't seem right... Suzaku thought to himself.
From his monitors and displays, he noticed terrain fluctuations. Growing an insatiable urge to satisfy his curiosity, he maneuvered the Lancelot on a northeasterly heading before a ripple emitted in response to his mech's contact of the anomaly. The white Knightmare pushed forward and spotted a mech with red and green trims on its chest plate. It knelt behind layers of trees, oblivious that Suzaku was right behind him. Sensing that something was wrong, Suzaku's target turned back to find that he managed to sneak in close proximity unnoticed before it was too late.
_ _ _
"Oh, scrap..." Wheeljack cursed aloud, before he got caught up with an uppercut that made him land on the holoemitter, effectively destroying his camouflage. Disregarding his present task, the Lancia changed into vehicle mode and rode off into the night. As soon as he was far enough he initiated the self-destruct on the holoemitter to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. He groaned as his sensors picked up the enemy Knightmare which accelerated to keep pace with him.
When he hit an intersection, Wheeljack swiftly executed a U-turn facing the Lancelot. The Knightmare's quickness surprised him. Whoever piloted the vehicle had immense skill, and the engineer knew he needed to pull some daring feats to throw his pursuer off-balance. An idea bumped into his processor as he grinned inwardly. His thought process was promptly interrupted at the rapidly closing distance of the white mecha towards him.
"Who are you? Identify yourself!" the vehicle's pilot commanded.
Wheeljack remained silent before shifting gears, as the white Lancia raced towards the Britannian mech up until he was barely within several feet and banked right into another part of the city. The engineer commended the pilot's persistence. He already knew that the human was not intent on giving up. But then again, neither was Wheeljack.
[These limpet mines that you made are pretty nifty. How are you holding up?] Nightbeat radioed via voice comm.
[In a word: awesome. This is actually kinda fun.]
[Don't get too carried away now,] the detective warned.
[Heh. Nightbeat, I'm just getting started.] Wheeljack chimed as he revved his engines and sped into the night. The Lancelot was in hot pursuit, launching itself into the air to once again into the Lancia's path. Changing gears, Wheeljack moved in reverse and fired shrapnel needles to throw Suzaku off balance. The projectiles exploded into dozens of filaments, which the Knightmare blocked with some kind of energy shield.
You have got to be kidding me... Wheeljack thought in dismay.
_ _ _
Suzaku grew perplexed at the sheer complexity of the movements of the vehicle which he was chasing. Whoever drove the car proved erratic but daring. Rather than using his VARIS rifle he fired his slash harkens from his wrist launchers to try to cut off any paths the suspect might take.
He throttled his mech at full speed to keep pace with the unknown vehicle.
"That driver's level of control is inhuman! Who the heck is he?" Suzaku said, his eyebrows arched into a look of surprise and annoyance.
The civilians that filled the streets panicked at the sight of the Lancia, which used extreme care in its maneuvers and didn't hit any bystanders. The night proved to be an opportunity for the car's driver to pull some daring feats and shake off the Lancelot. Suzaku leaped forward and extended its hand to catch the vehicle, grabbing it from behind
"Got you!"
Suzaku clutched the car by the spoiler. The Lancia revved its engines with as much power as it could muster in order to escape the Lancelot's grip to no avail. A launcher unveiled in front of its rear windshield and fired a lightning arc shell, which unleashed a bolt of electricity that rippled into Suzaku's cockpit. The human operator shouted and yelped in pain as the duration of the attack pressed on. The Knightmare's grip on the car gradually loosened. Using this opportunity, the Lancia transformed into its robot form and kicked away at the Lancelot's arm to break the mech's hold on it. Afterwards it launched itself back up and sprinted forth as fast as it could before the machine turned back to glance and study its enemy, while Suzaku did the same.
_ _ _
"Lloyd, are you seeing this?" the warrant officer asked, amazed at what he was seeing.
A hint of interest accompanied the scientist's reply: "Indeed, this is quite a find. The way that this one performs is fascinating. It mimics human movement even better than what the military has thus far. I'm curious as to who the maker of that machine is."
"Lloyd! This isn't the time to pique your curiosity!" Cecile scolded aloud at her superior.
"Hehe, sorry. Keep the recording going, chap. We're going to need to analyze it for study once the fighting's over. These designs are certainly very new, and the first instance in which I've seen either one of them. Of course, they're no match for the Lancelot," the scientist said in an assured manner.
I wouldn't be too sure about that. These Knightmares operate in a fashion much more efficient than what I've observed so far. Are there even pilots in those machines? Suzaku wondered to himself, questions cycling through his conscious as he went after the unknown machine.
_ _ _
Wheeljack was locked in combat with the white Knightmare Frame, and the Autobot engineer was on the losing end. Although his comrades considered him a capable fighter, he wasn't as competent in close quarters fighting in comparison to the Lambo twins. While the Lancia continued to resist the efforts of his attacker, the enemy Knightmare stood firm and launched a swift kick into the face that made the engineer wince in pain.
"There's no point in resisting. It would be in your best interest to stand down and give up right now," the unknown Knightmare's pilot told the engineer.
Suddenly Nightbeat came to the rescue and managed to lock one of the white Frame's arms before he was thrown into the dirt of the park. Wheeljack swung a jab towards the white Knightmare's faceplate only to find it parried and receive a palm to his chest, knocking him onto the grass. As the engineer recovered himself back up he fired a few shrapnel shells from his shoulder mounted launchers, which the enemy mech evaded before he was felled again by a series of devastating blows. It accelerated forward and executed a spin-kick that sent the Autobot flying before the Lancia struck into the pavement outside of the park.
Wheeljack's optics dimmed as he tried to shake off the effects of the numerous hits Suzaku landed on him. [By Primus, he's persistent...]
[I warned you not to get too carried away now, didn't I?] Nightbeat scolded as he used his arms to prop himself back up.
[Sorry, got lost in all the excitement. Look out!] Wheeljack yelled as he shoved the detective away from an incoming lance of one of the royal guard Gloucesters.
A small group of enemy reinforcements from the outer perimeter of the city next to the convention center soon swarmed around the pair. Amongst the legion of newly arrived Knightmares was Guilford in his own Gloucester, who readied his lance for a death blow. Neither Nightbeat nor Wheeljack were intent on being caught or slain by the hands of human soldiers. The thought of them being picked apart before they were turned into scrap was very unwelcoming.
"Stand down, Warrant Officer. We got the situation from here," Cornelia's personal knight Guilford radioed to Suzaku. The Lancelot operator hesitantly complied as he moved his Knightmare away for the Sutherlands to close in. Weapons were drawn and sighted at the duo of Autobot interlopers.
"I had the situation under control, sir."
"And for that we thank you. However, the viceroy commanded that we take over, since she wants to know about these new enemies of ours," Guilford said before he turned to Wheeljack and Nightbeat. "Whoever you are, I have to commend your bravado in daring to fight the royal guard. Unfortunately for you, you have no chance of escape. I suggest you surrender yourselves peacefully and bow before the might of Britannian superiority."
The arrogance that went alongside the demand by Cornelia's knight annoyed Wheeljack. Pffft. Superiority my exhaust pipe.
"I wouldn't be too sure of that: I still got one more surprise in store for you!" Wheeljack cried aloud as he fired his gyro inhibitor shells. The projectiles detonated in mid-air and sent a shower of sparks over the Britannian Knightmares. It was only a few seconds afterwards that the enemy pilots noticed that their tactical displays and instruments of their mecha began to malfunction and lose their balance. The resulting chaos made the engineer laugh at their predicament.
"Hmmm. Dunno about the 'superiority' part that you've been bragging about, buddy. In my opinion you still got a long way to go," Wheeljack chuckled as he blinked his optics.
[I think now is a good opportunity for us to make a break for it, before we get any further in over our heads,] Nightbeat suggested wisely.
Wheeljack nodded in agreement, the white Lancia and his blue cohort shifted back into their vehicle forms. They left the Britannians to pick up the pieces amongst themselves. Guilford initiated a manual override, which forcibly opened the back hatch of his Gloucester. He could only watch in disappointment as the pair of Autobot cars escaped far beyond the reach of the royal guard. These enemies that the empire have faced thus far were something entirely new. He and Suzaku had gut feelings that they wouldn't see the last of them.
_ _ _
Conference Room
Convention Center Hotel
Spike reached his objective unimpeded. He lowered into the prone position and extended the spy cable through the vent as his modified cell phone fed a live picture of the conversation between Zero and Kusakabe. The lieutenant colonel had his blade sheathed in his scabbard in samurai fashion, with both hands placed atop the sword's handle.
"Not good, I'm too late," whispered the SEAL as he kept watch on Zero. "Prowl, you seeing this?"
"Affirmative," the deputy commander echoed through the liaison's earpiece.
"Greetings, Colonel," Lelouch said in earnest to the Japanese commander. "I'm glad we're able to meet like this."
"It's quite an honor to see the infamous Zero in person. Though I am curious as to why you wanted to see us."
"I was hoping we could talk in a calm environment," the masked Britannian began briskly. "I would like you to join an organization that I am forming. Interested?"
"Perhaps it would help if you took off your mask and revealed yourself to us."
"Of course. However, I do have one question: just what exactly do you hope to achieve from this course of action?"
"I want the world to know that Japanese is not dead yet."
Lelouch sighed at the lieutenant colonel's answer. "How stale. Then there's no saving you."
One of the soldiers who was offended by the harshness of Lelouch's comment aimed his sidearm at the ex-prince. "What was that?!"
"You live on antiquated thinking. If you expect to survive against the Britannians through that attitude, then there is no point in allying with you."
"What exactly do you mean by that, Zero?" Kusakabe inquired.
"Simple. You're already regarded as sub-human in the eyes of the imperialists. Allowing people like yourselves in my organization would only undermine my vision of the future for this country."
"If that is what you think of us, then I shall cut you down right here!"
Kusakabe quickly drew his sword and lunged at him. The Japanese riflemen remained at attention with their weapons drawn. It saddened Lelouch that these men would sacrifice their lives meaninglessly.
Spike paid close attention to the action that followed. He heard an audible click which came from the ex-prince's mask and gave the command: "Die."
All of the JLF terrorists including the lieutenant colonel froze in place. The rims of their eyes glowed red as they turned their weapons upon themselves and followed the order without any resistance. Spike remained unflinching at the sight of the Japanese terrorists killing themselves. Though mentally he was horrified at what he had just witnessed. The 'discussion' between Zero and his hosts was promptly interrupted by JLF personnel intruding the space. One of the first soldiers that managed to barge in became shocked at what had just saw, and had his weapon pointed straight at the masked Britannian.
"Colonel!"
Annoyed at the intrusion, Lelouch fired off a round and struck the shoulder of the offending soldier. Behind him was the person whom he suspected was amongst the hostages. There Euphemia stood, composed but afraid. Alongside her was another person that Spike recognized as Jazz in his Pretender shell.
"Zero," she said, surprised at his presence.
"Calm yourselves. The colonel and the others committed suicide because they realized how meaningless this operation was."
Lelouch, after many years of felt glad at the sight of a familiar face whom he held close to heart. His mind rejoiced at the presence of the girl whom he loved as much as Nunnally and his mother. However, he couldn't reveal his true identity lest he had to kill her in order to hide the truth. "Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the commoners. You haven't changed at all."
The third princess found the stranger's familiarity with her odd. She allowed the vigilante to continue to speak. Jazz was taken away alongside Kusakabe's subordinates outside the conference room by members of the Shinjuku resistance as they kept watch to prevent the meeting between Lelouch and his sibling uninterrupted. Cornelia's sister didn't know what Zero had in mind for her, and hoped that it wasn't anything that involved unnecessary violence like she witnessed earlier.
"I heard that you're the sub-viceroy now, Princess Euphemia."
"It's not an appointment that I am happy with," the princess answered in a frank tone.
"No, it's because Clovis was murdered. That was my doing," Lelouch recalled. The mention of his dead half-brother felt like acid waiting to burn. "He begged pathetically for his life to the very end. He pleaded with the same tongue that ordered the deaths of Elevens."
"So is that the reason why you killed my brother?"
"No."
"Then why?" Euphemia demanded, seeking an answer from the masked man.
_ _ _
Spike kept his eyes on the vigilante as the conversation between him and Princess Euphemia continued to unfold.
"Because Clovis was an offspring of the Britannian emperor. That reminds me... You're one of his children too, aren't you?" Zero said as he aimed his pistol squarely in Euphemia's direction. In response, Spike chambered a round into his sidearm and aimed to shoot the Zero in the leg before the vigilante lowered his gun. "I suppose for now... I will spare you. Since you're free I am going to get you and the rest of the hostages out of here."
That's a relief, Spike contemplated as he de-cocked his pistol.
"What about the Japanese?"
"They have already chosen their fate. We'll simply leave them."
Whatever silence was broken by a beep from Wheeljack through his earpiece. "Spike, we've got a problem."
"What is it?" he whispered back.
"The Britannians are going to send in troops any minute now. Me and Nightbeat are at our limit."
"All right. Marissa, are our guys accounted for?"
"Affirmative," the field runner acknowledged back.
"Take our agents and withdraw now to the maintenance bridge through the basement."
"Copy that," Marissa said. "What about the hostages?"
"If Zero's doing what he says he's going to do, we'll leave it in his hands for now. Too bad we won't be thanking him for it, though."
_ _ _
After Zero announced his intent to free the hostages, all of the NSA operatives eluded the occupying JLF through the hotel's ventilation system and backtracked to the basement level. Spike spotted something that was out of place along the walls and cistern sections of the hotel which originally wasn't there upon the Americans' entry into the building. Upon closer inspection, his eyes widened in recognition of the objects that were placed at the building's support beams. They had blinking red lights with no timers on them, which meant that they could blow up at any moment. Disarming them was pretty much out of the question.
"Bomb! Get out! GET OUT NOW!" he shouted aloud to the top of his lungs. Not wasting another second, Spike ran like he never ran before. Those hours doing long distance runs around the Shinjuku factory paid off as he dashed fast onto the rappelling cable and slid down, not giving a damn if his hands burned along the way.
All around a cacophony of loud booming explosives went off and destroyed the upper floors. Gradually the hotel began to collapse when the outer side of the building blew up into dozens of fragments. Cornelia and Suzaku, who were displaced outside of the hotel's perimeter could only watch in horror as the building sunk slowly into the depths of the lake.
_ _ _
Convention Center Hotel
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11
The aftermath of the explosion left the hotel a smoking ruin. What arose out of the ashes shocked everyone who witnessed the scene through the news cameras and monitors across Tokyo. Those who had loved ones amongst the hostages sighed in relief at everyone who survived the endeavor unscathed. The hostages were scattered in a small fleet of inflatable craft that rode the surface of the waters around a white boat. On the bow of the vessel were several individuals clad in black uniforms, the majority of them wearing visors to shield their identities, with one caped individual in front of them. It was the familiar figure of Zero with his helmet and blue faceplate.
Now is the perfect opportunity to reveal ourselves.
"No need to fear, my dear Britannians. All of the hostages from the hotel have been saved. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed."
The lights around the Shinjuku terror cell lit up their vessel like a school play. All of the members remained stoic and poised as Zero took center stage.
"People! Fear us or seek us, as you please! We are the Black Knights!" Zero bellowed with characteristic flair. The authoritative delivery of his speech shook the island colony to its core. All of the hostages that were rescued from the hotel watched with a mixture of awe and fear save for the three Pretenders who were amongst the survivors.
"We of the Black Knights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield! Regardless whether they be Elevens, or Britannians. The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent Britannian civilians hostage, and they mercilessly executed them! It was a wanton and meaningless act. Therefore they have been punished! Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for the slaughter of countless unarmed Elevens, we could not stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, and so we made him pay for his actions!"
"The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed! Wherever those who abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again. No matter how mighty, how formidable our foe may be."
And now for the final touch.
"Those of you with power, fear us! Those of you without, rally behind us! We, the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
_ _ _
Utilities Tunnel
Lake Kawaguchi, Area 11
Both Spike and Marissa recovered and got back on their feet, with the rest of the NSA team following suit. The explosion caused the hotel to gradually sink to the lake's depths. It was an opportune moment for the Autobots to break way while the Britannians were still preoccupied with the aftermath of the explosion. All of the Third Echelon agents pulled off their masks off to get some air.
"You okay?" Spike asked the field runner.
"Yeah. I got something you might be interested in," Marissa huffed as she drew a disc out of her vest and handed it to the SEAL officer.
"What's this?" he asked while glancing at the object.
"It's a fragment of a NOC list."
"A fragment?"
"They only contain code names, professions and photographs. The real names and their locations are blocked with an encryption that I couldn't break. When I was sifting through I spotted something that you're familiar with. Remember that pilot we encountered back in Shinjuku?"
"What about him?"
"He was listed on here under the alias 'Husky'. It said for his file that he was a reservist but also operated as a mechanic for a factory in Tokyo."
"Hmm. We'll have to head back to base and see if the guys can help us in decoding the data. Come on people, let's move," Spike said, moving on to the light that led them back on the route to freedom.
End of Chapter 7
Author's note:
Man, this is definitely the longest and trickiest chapter I've ever written thus far. Orchestrating the battles wasn't easy, most of all between Lancelot and Wheeljack. I might have to tweak it again since I have a tendency to be finicky in regards to the action and the scenery. Hopefully future installments won't be this lengthy but again the story as it is is a continual shift.
The P190s are fictional variants of the Fabrique Nationale P90 submachine guns from Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. No version of this weapon exists in real life but like anything else the possibility of its manufacture remains.
Questions? Comments? Gripes? Please do not hesitate to tell me! Just remember: no flaming!
As usual, I would like to thank all of you who has read this fic so far. Keep in mind: the story is in and of itself an evolving continuum which is subject to changes in which I deem fit and necessary (along with a few helping hands), so don't say I didn't warn you. :)