Chapter 14: The Shadow of the Dark Lord
(Britannia) (Lamperouge Estate)
Lelouch, Rolo and their friends were having breakfast that morning in the living room. Since it was the beginning of a new week, the gang wanted to enjoy the last time here at the estate. It was sunny at the moment at Hollington and much of the farmers were cultivating the harvest at the greenhouses that Lelouch made for them.
The dark lord didn't really pay much attention to his friends' mild chatter. He was more focused on how he was going to topple down the OSI from within now that he knew that he was being watched on all sides. As he slowly ate his food, his eyes darted from wall to wall as if trying to observe anything out of the ordinary. He had already discovered many cameras that he did not place in the living room and a few more placed in furnitures but that would not impede him on his path to world domination.
"It seems like my movements are being monitored as I suspected" Lelouch thought as he acted his part of reading today's newspaper. "There are a total of twelve cameras here in the living room. Security is tight just as I thought. Moving around freely will be difficult. But nonetheless, I will have to break away from here"
"Is something wrong big brother?" Rolo asked out of the blue. "You look rather serious"
"Oh it's nothing" he replied surprisingly well. "It's just that this Zero character is making a big debut again" he quickly showed everyone the front page where Zero's face was plastered. "That would probably make him the 5th one this month"
"Yeah, but I bet he's nothing more but another fake" Rivalz replied holding the fork between his mouth. "The other Zeros never lasted more than two weeks so I'd give this guy about three days before he gets caught"
"But they say that he's already hiding in Japan" Shirley added. "It'll be hard for the military to capture him in another country"
"Oh yeah… that's true"
"But in either case. He's still a wanted criminal" Lelouch stated as he shifted the papers. "Thanks to him, Prince Schneizel had to make a public apology to Japan and give them an economy package to replace the damage done by Princess Guinevere"
"But it can't be the real Zero, can it?"
"I don't know" the boy shrugged. "He sounds pretty legit to me. It's even stated here that those who were imitating Zero in different 'Areas' are now admitting that they are not. They're probably afraid that this Zero might be the real one and I agree with them. I mean… who else could've pulled that kind of stunt off? Crushing a whole fleet with just one move"
"Yeah, it was so real that it was scary" Milly nodded in agreement. "I just hope they catch him soon so we can go back to our peaceful lives"
"With you around, I doubt peace is the last thing we'll see" the gang let out a small laugh which seemed to have lighten the mood a little. Even Rolo himself was a little humored seeing that Milly herself was a lady of parties and never once did she thought about having a normal quiet day. But just as he laughed he spilled some soup on his mouth.
"Oh…"
"Oh, not again" Lelouch smiled affectionately to him before grabbing the napkin from the table. "You don't have to laugh and eat at the same time Rolo. You're going to get your shirt dirty"
As the gang saw the affectionate touch of Lelouch some began to wonder how much Lelouch had been dosing his brother. "You know Lulu, you spoil your brother too much" Milly stated with a small huff. "He's a big boy already"
"Hmm? Do you think so?" Lelouch questioned.
Rivalz agreed jokingly. "Yeah, now that you mentioned it, you do a lot of things for him. Back when Rolo was having a hard time in Home Economics class, you helped him bake those cranberry pies. They were delicious by the way"
"Oh right" Shirley clasped her hands together. "And remember that time when Rolo had a hard time trying to ride a horse as a favor to the equestrian club? Lulu even canceled out on his gambling match just to help you out"
"Oh~~~ how about that adorable time when you were depressed about losing that locket of yours?" Milly recalled a certain event a few months back. "You lost that locket that Lulu gave to you because you went running through the hall in school. You were so depressed about it you locked yourself in your room. And Lulu came all the way back from his camping trip on that day and played blanket buddy with you just to cheer you up"
"How about the time when Lulu cut his hair?" Rivalz laughed on that one.
Rolo immediately blushed and looked like he was madly embarrassed. "Agh! You… you saw that!?"
"Oh yeah" Milly laughed. "It was so cute the way you blushed at your brother. It was so adorable I wanted to take a picture of it"
"Hmm… maybe your right" Lelouch finally sigh. "Maybe I am spoiling him a bit. Perhaps I should spoil you instead, Milly…" the girl in question stopped her laugh and blushed just as red as Rolo was. "Ahaha… I'm kidding. There's no reason to my words so seriously" but in the boy's mind he was actually thinking differently. "How excellent. The reports in the journal was correct after all. First I'll get Rolo onto my side… afterward…… the rest of the OSI. This battle is almost too easy for my taste…"
(Japan) (Government capital)
Zero walked into his room that morning after a long day's meeting at the government council. He had improved the production of the country by fifteen percent and made plans on agriculture plantation using irrigation from the mountain water veins. Using the battle plans from the Original Zero's operation on the Narita mountains, they were able to use that abundance water resource to supply the inland with fresh clean water without using any more expenditures on pipelines.
To say the least, with Zero's help the country itself was on the road to a Golden Age and it only took one man to make a difference here.
"Haa…" the man inside the mask sighed out before taking off his helmet and allowing his blonde hair to fly freely. "Man I'm beat"
"You're too careless…" came Jeremiah's voice as he came from the bathroom door. "Taking off your mask while not even making sure that the area is secure. (J… Jeremiah…?) If someone else were here you would have to dispose of that person since you don't have the 'unique' talent like his highness"
"Y… yeah… sorry" Elie lowered himself. "But being Zero isn't exactly as easy as I thought it would. Pretending to be a charismatic leader takes a lot off me. I wonder how his majesty keeps his cool all the time"
"It takes years of practice" C2 answered. "Unlike you who only had the mask for a few weeks, Prince Lelouch, was able to master the art of deceit when he was but a child" she was sitting on the chair looking straight into Zero's personal computer. "Also… you need to experience horrors beyond your wildest dreams"
Elie sighed and found that he could not fight against them in a battle of words. "Yeah I guess so. But I'm not really complaining. Having the power of Zero really is a wonderful feeling. It's as if you hold all the power in the world at the palm of your hands. Wherever I go, people bow at me like I'm some kind of god. Heh… but I guess the figure of Zero is something that's close to a god, isn't it?"
"Don't get cocky with it" Jeremiah warned. "You don't have the rights to wear that mask just yet. You're only playing stand in for master Lelouch. Once he's restored to his rightful place you're coming back to being my partner. Don't let all that power get to your head and consume you. Power is meant to wield by the user… not the other way around"
"I understand…" Elie then took a seat on the couch and groaned. "Anyway, the next phase of the plan has been achieved. We can step in any time his majesty wants us to. Rakshata and Lloyd have been quite busy preparing our fleet. The new aerial combat carrier is already on its final stages and the new models that were in design have already passed through test phase. What's the status of our troops?"
"Pathetic" the man said bluntly. "The new recruits are better off used as cannon fodder and meat shields. They only know the basics of piloting Knightmares and some barely even know how to command the basic interface. They're complete amateurs not worthy of his lordship's command"
"Even if that's the case, it's the best Japan has to offer us" Elie replied looking a bit down himself. "The Black Knights have the best technology half the world could offer, but what they lack are real soldiers in training. The only skilled fighters here are Tohdoh and his men and Kallen and the Zero Squad. The Original members passed for battlefield officers but that's about it. We can't squeeze anymore from this country or else it'll prove difficult for them to recover"
"Then we'll just have to settle with a force of militia" Jeremiah grunted. "If Britannia knew how weak we were they wouldn't hesitate to attack. The only reason why we were able to achieve victory was through his majesty's divine intervention"
"That's true" Elie then put on his mask once again and inhaled the aroma which was Zero. "But if that's how the world stands then we'll have to move quickly. His majesty's dream of a new world… will be realized"
"And the birth of the Black Empire will come to fruition as his majesty predicted"
"A country with and without change. Heh… I'm actually looking forward to it"
"Sounds like you two are having fun" C2 added looking at Lelouch's loyal guards as they discussed their plans in such a professional manner. "I guess Lelouch was right in choosing you two to carry out this task. Creating an army while he deals with the issue happening in Britannia. The ability to be in two places at the same time"
"It's a sound strategy to fool the enemy" Zero nodded. "Which reminds me. Monica has given her report in Burma. We have a lab set up there and in other different countries as well. I'm sending Lloyd and two of the new Knightmares to be developed there"
Jeremiah then quirked a brow. "Why?"
"It's to keep the secrecy of the project" was his answer. "If Britannia discovers the plans of our latest weapon, the Black Empire will be in jeopardy. I cannot allow progress to be hampered just because our agents can't work up to my standards. Once his majesty assumes the post of Zero, I'll join them to ensure the plan remains hidden. I don't know how long it will take his majesty to bring down the OSI but as long as he is there, our plans here are at stake. We can't make any sudden moves until then"
(Ashford University) (Pendragon – Britannia) (The next day)
It was P.E. time.
The least favorite class in which Lelouch would want to attend especially on a hot day like this. Sweating and beating up and working out wasn't the thing for a boy of his caliber with a mind of a dictator. Running around laps was too much for him and playing basketball or any other sport for that matter would drain his fatigue rather quickly. Push-ups and sit-ups were also out of his league. The most he could do right now is simply take it slow by walking around in school.
"All right keep this up!" Villetta barked out after she blew on her whistle. The P.E. class was playing volleyball. Boys and girls were separate so Lelouch had to bear with it. "The Junior regional will be coming here in two weeks time. I want you guys sharpened up as best you can! I won't take no for an answer!"
"Yes ma'am!" the boys and girls yelled back.
But even though they were all playing cheerfully as ever, Lelouch had a different purpose in mind. "The student council doesn't seem to be aware of the OSI's presence in school ground so there are no connections to them. I'll have to find out which of them is an agent sooner or later. If I remain as I am, Britannia will conquer Japan and I'll have to start from scratch all over again. Elie should be able to handle raising an army with the Black Knights and my plans shouldn't be changed. The only obstacle now is the OSI. But I can't bring my friends into this fold. If I do… then I'm no better than…"
"Lelouch! Look out!" a voice sprung the boy from his daze when he noticed the opposing player smashed the ball a little harder than usual and slammed it right on to his face.
The ball connected and before they knew it, Lelouch fell to the ground with a giant red mark with black lines crossing through his face. "Ow……" was the only thing he could say when he felt his nose bleed.
Villetta noticed this and quickly she sighed. "Not again. Lelouch, are you alright?"
The boy raised his head with the aid of his friend and nodded. "Y… yeah… I'm fine. Ah… my nose is bleeding…"
"That an't good" Rivalz concluded. "Hey coach, mind if I take Lelouch to the infirmary? I don't think he'll be able to play again"
She sighed again. "Fine. I'll admit that you lasted a bit longer today. But come back to class the moment you feel better"
"Yes ma'am"
And when both Lelouch an Rivalz were out of sight Villetta couldn't help but be a bit curious. So far the Zero in Japan was still active and giving out speeches just like the original Zero used to do. His plans were astounding and confirming with the intelligence sector that spied in Japan, they were beginning to believe that this Zero was the real deal.
But every member of the OSI knew that Lelouch was the real Zero. The emperor said it so himself and Villetta confirmed it with her own eyes during her stay in Area 11 a year ago. But now… she was beginning to have doubts.
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As Lelouch came to the infirmary, the nurse there wasn't surprise to actually see him. The boy was usually here on several occasions. Either it was to fake illness to get out of class or intentionally injure himself to get out of P.E. It wasn't unusual and the nurse was beginning to think that he was already a common customer in these parts. The nurse wasn't a lot older than the students here. She was probably in her early 20s and graduated from college earlier than most people.
After the boy arrived with a bleeding nose, the nurse quickly administered him a few tissue to keep the blood from pouring and told him to tilt his head upward so that his blood wouldn't flow any more than it needs to.
"There we go…" she stated as she looked at Lelouch's nose. "The bleeding should stop in a few minutes. It's a good thing that it was only a volleyball, a basketball has a tendency to break one's nose completely. Just keep your tissue in and hold it there"
"Yes ma'am…" he replied boringly before turning to his friend. "Thanks for bringing me here Rivalz. I'll be fine"
"Alright if you say so" the boy returned a smirk. "Just one day and already you got yourself injured. The week hasn't even started yet. I gotta say that this is a new record. Well I gotta get back anyway. I'll tell Rolo where you're at after lunch. Later"
"Later" the boy then left the room from the automated door and after a few minutes, his footsteps were all but gone. "Ha…"
"That's a good friend you have there" the nurse added with a small heartwarming smile. "You should cherish your friendship or else you won't advance in life and society hmm hmm hmm"
"You think so? (Yup!) I guess you have your way of viewing life as it is" Lelouch looked at the ceiling for a moment and took a sniff to hold the blood in. But just as he was about to act on his little nap on that bed, he quickly put his plan into motion. "Oh crud… not again" he 'accidentally' dropped his tissue to the floor and groaned. "I'm sorry. Could you pick up that for me please"
"Oh, of course…"
But when the nurse turned to face him, Lelouch removed the contact lenses from his eye and activated his Geass. "Now, obey me and follow my orders…"
The bird like sigil moved in an unnatural way from his eyes and slowly the nurse was immediately hypnotized by the power of absolute obedience. "Yes… of course. What may I do for you, my lord?"
"Good. My powers haven't waned one bit" Lelouch smirked happily to know the specs of his weapon hasn't changed all that much. "The infirmary shouldn't be having any security cameras since it's off limits to students and the nurses themselves" as his eyes darted to the nurse he began a small series of questions. "Answer my questions. How old are you?"
"I'm 23 years old" she replied in a hypnotized state. "I'll be turning 24 by next month this year…"
"Where do you come from and where do you live?"
"I was raised in a small village called Delamede from North-West of Forwood near Hollington. But I am currently staying in a small apartment at the residential district: Old President Rd. 33/12 Room number: 233 at the second floor of the building. I came here to apply as a hospital nurse to help my sick uncle but there were none who would accept me. So I applied as a school nurse instead"
"I see… a likely story…" Lelouch grunted. "Commoners from far away provinces aren't always accepted here unless you have an academic degree am I correct? (Yes…) That's why you applied as a school nurse instead. How sad. But in any case. (sigh) Give me the list of every member of the OSI agent that is currently watching over me"
But not to his surprise, the girl simply opened her mouth but no words came out. It was as if she was mute or something. "I……"
"Damn… another dead end" the dark lord groaned annoying at his feet. "I can't go on like this. I've already Geassed eight of the school faculties including teachers and janitors alike but none of them are part of the OSI. If this goes on, they'll eventually figure that out that I've regained my memories. Tch… I guess I have no choice. I'll have to go through extreme measures if I want things to go my way. Today will have to work" quickly thinking of a plan to get back at the OSI, Lelouch let out a small grin to himself before turning his attention to the nurse. "Alright then. Ms. Paulina. (Yes?) You will now work for me… every order I give will be followed to every extent. Understand?"
"Of course… as you wish… my master" when the Geass around her eyes finally vanished, the nurse's face suddenly began to blush when she realized the distance between herself and Lelouch. "W… wha? Oh my… I'm sorry. I must've dosed off there for a second. My mind just snapped shut"
"That's alight. It can happen to anyone" Lelouch smiled.
(2 hours later) (Lelouch's private room)
Lelouch let out a sigh as he entered his room. With classes finally done he was able to relax and enjoy the day better than most. After he had Geassed the faculties of the school he had been no closer to bringing the OSI into his web than before. He had wasted an entire day and he got himself a splitting headache just to get that nurse to join him. "Another one in the bag…" he said to himself. "My sleeping army is almost complete. Now that half of the faculty of the school has been bent to my will, they will serve as my reserve force just in case"
Even though he wasn't able to get any new information and got his nose crushed by a volley ball he planned to get them all later by tomorrow. "Lelouch!!!" or maybe not…
"Yes?" he recognized the annoying voice to be Milly's. Only she would be daring enough to come to his room and knock at it so violently. Anyone who knew of his status would be polite and formal but not her. Formalities to friends were the last thing in her mind.
"Shirley and the others want to go shopping today. Wanna come with us?"
He was about to say no when suddenly a plot came to his mind. An opportunity to go to the mall with his friends was indeed something he wouldn't waste. "Shopping? What for?"
"Just stuff" was her usual answer. Whenever she mentions 'stuff' it usually revolves around girly stuff to food stuff or just plain old stuff that you would stuff your nose into kinda stuff. "We're leaving in a few minutes. Rolo's coming along too" and when she means coming along she probably meant 'forced to come with or else…'.
"Alright fine" he answered finally after a sigh. "Just let me get dressed for a minute. I'll meet you by the gate" as he saw her gone, Lelouch couldn't help but smirk. The plan of taking down his enemy might actually be easier than he thought it would be… and he hardly needed to put any effort into it.
(Pendragon Royal Palace)
Charles Zi Britannia stood tall and strong in the great hallway of the royal palace. Though his presence was dominating like all emperors before him he had the respect of the people around him. His tactical thinking were up to date and usually he would be testing them out with Schneizel on a game of chess or a game of words. But nowadays he rarely spends time on the chess table and even less time with his people. He constantly disappears from time to time and whenever he returned he would usually let his children do all the work for him.
Whatever dark secrets he was hiding, it was definitely not for the benefit of the world.
Today he was accompanied by Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven who returned from the E.U. front by the emperor's orders. Though he would much rather be on the frontlines, he could not simply ignore the direct orders from his majesty himself.
"It would seem that somebody has been nibbling at the bait…" the emperor stated as Suzaku joined him on the stroll down the hallway.
The boy's attention spurred suddenly when the word 'bait' came into light. "Is it C2, your majesty?"
"We do not know that" he answered plainly. "It only seems to be an attack of terrorists. There's no need to worry, they were all exterminated by our forces"
"Were any of the terrorists among them a member of the Black Knight?"
"No. They were all eradicated during their final charge to breakthrough our lines. None were left to be interrogated so we can't tell if any of them were under the control of Geass or an enemy" as they came upon a large gate, the emperor held his hand forward to touch it. "Kururugi. Even among the Knights of the Round, you are the first one ever allowed to enter this place. Even Schneizel and the others are aware of this hallway"
"I'm honored your majesty. But… why me?"
"Because you are unique. (Huh?) You are neither a Japanese now nor you are a Britannian. You simply deny those titles and choose to become a man without a country. A wanderer, a hermit…"
"I… I see……"
"Tell me something Suzaku…" Charles hinted. "Why did you choose to become a knight under my service? Japan is now free. If you simply ask of it, you can be reborn there as an entirely new person"
Suzaku slowed his pace and lowered his head looking directly at his feet. "I don't want to live there. That Japan was built on the blood of innocents and the lies of a madman. The people walk freely around it not knowing whose lives were taken. I want to build a Japan made of smiles and laughter… like the one Princess Euphemia envisioned"
"And that… is another reason why I allowed you entry to this place" the emperor grinned. "It is because you know…… about Zero's identity and Geass itself"
Upon arrival, Suzaku suddenly noticed that the hallway they were in had suddenly disappeared. It was as if that door they took was a gateway to another area completely. "T… this place…? Is it some kind of shrine or an altar?"
"No… it's not" Charles answered as his eye gaze upon the bright sun above him. "This is… this is a weapon… for destroying god. (A weapons?) Yes. It is called… the Sword of Akasha. It will give birth to a new world… a world where even you Suzaku… can find a peace of mind"
(Pendragon State mall)
Lelouch, Rolo and their friends laughed along together as they entered the Pendragon State Mall. It was supposedly the largest mall in the entire city. It welcomed customers whether they be commoners or nobles. For as long as they have money, they were always welcomed. Lelouch of course was one of many frequent visitors here other than Milly herself so the staff of the mall recognized them almost immediately.
The first two hours were indeed spent shopping around. It didn't matter where they went, the gang always end up laughing. Before the group always go anywhere inside the mall they would decide where to go first by playing a game of rock paper scissors. The winner of the game will get to choose where to go first and the second winner will choose next and so on.
You could say that it was the usual tradition of theirs.
On the first thought, Milly chose to get the gang to a shoe store where she selected all the latest designs. Lelouch and Rivalz simply sighed in boredom since men of their caliber can never truly understand why women spend so much time trying to find clothes for their feet. Their motto would be 'If you can wear it then wear it!'.
After the next hour, Shirley chose to get her nails done in a manicure store.
Again… the boys didn't understand why…
When finally came Rivalz turn, he choose to go to the arcade and try to set up a new record on the machines up top. Racing games were always on his forte but Lelouch can always beat him in mind games.
After they had finished all of their evening activities, the gang decided to take a little break at the coffee shop at the fifth floor of the mall. The coffee shop was named 'Ethiopia' coined from the name of the Ethiopians, the ancestors of Oromo people who were the first to discover coffee's energizing effects.
The shop was stationed on the bridge that overlooked the lower floors making it the perfect place to hang out and gaze at the great view below them.
"Well that was fun" Milly said happily with a bright sunny smile on her face. "I got two new pairs of shoes, a new blouse and even a new skirt. I can't wait to try them all when I get home"
"Yeah I agree" Shirley nodded. "That was probably the best shopping we've done in months. I almost forgot how it feels like to do this. It really got my mind off that Zero guy"
"And I got to settle my score with Racebound 4!" Rivalz cheered pumping his hand up in the air. "That'll show those game designers back home that they'll have to make an even better game if they want to give a challenge to Rivalz Cardemonde, the ultimate racer in the whole wide world!"
"I don't get you guys" Shirley pouted. "What's so fun about beating the high score of a simple game like that?"
"It's a long term plan actually" Lelouch answered back who was sadly the person who had to carry all of Milly's luggage. "He's winning all the games because there's an after-reward for it. If Rivalz beat three more games he'll have his name printed on a silver bar and posted at the door to the rest room"
Shirley looked back at them in disgust. "Ewww… what's so fun about that?"
Rivalz pumped up his fists again. "It's not about the fun! It's about the pride, the honor and the two months worth of gloating to all my friends!!!"
The other girls simply turn their heads to Lelouch who simply shrugged off. "Don't look at me. I don't find it attractive either"
"Well, I guess everyone has their own opinion in life" Milly sighed before suddenly remembering an important event happening in a few days. "Ah crud!" she slapped her head a little too hard leaving a small mark there. "I almost forgot! It's Ms. Villetta's birthday next week and we haven't even bought her a gift yet!"
"Oh right…" Rivalz nodded. "How old is she by the way?"
"Shirley, you should probably be the one who gets her a gift and say it's from all of us"
"Huh!?" the girl in question pointed at herself. "Me? Why should I be the one who buys it?"
"Because you're the one who gets her mad all the time" she reminded. "You keep nagging her of joining the swimsuit café that she got pissed. You even tried to sneak one of those super thin suits in her locker and begged her to try it"
"Ehh… ahehehehe" Shirley smiled guiltily. "I guess you got me there. But what should I buy? It's not like I know her or anything. She's very shut as a in person from time to time. None of the staff even know where she lives"
"I see… so that explains why none of the staff I've interrogated have worked" Lelouch nodded with satisfied with the new information he was able to gather. But just as she looked from the corner of his eye, he noticed two overly normal people sitting by the bench reading at the newspaper. But there was something particularly off from them. The newspaper one of them was holding seemed to have been from yesterday. "Ah… a few agents have finally gathered. How excellent" as he turned around he noticed three more of the OSI disguised operatives muttering to one another near a window area of a store. The thing that gave them off was that they seemed to be more focus on their reflection rather than the products that were being put on display there to catch the attention of the customers.
"How about cigar?" Rivalz suggested. "I hear that she loves them"
But Milly rejected it. "Nah that's too much. Besides, I doubt it'll look suspicious if someone sees students buying cigars here of all places"
"Yeah you're right"
"Why don't we go there for a change?" Lelouch called out to them while pointing at a wine shop at the end of the bridge. "I remember seeing Ms. Villetta enjoying liquor during the renaissance ball last month. I can't really remember what brand it was though"
"Hey that's a great idea!" Shirley clasped her hand together. "Can you help me pick it out? I'm never really good with wines except tasting it bit by bit from home"
"Sure" Lelouch agreed before intentionally unloading all of Milly's purchased goods to Rivalz. "Here Rivalz, you hold on to these. (Huh?) Rolo, can you order decaf coffee for me? This might take awhile so you guys go on ahead and drink up"
"Uh… sure…" Rolo replied with a small nod.
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As the two students entered the wine shop, the store clerk immediately recognizes Lelouch. "Master Lamperouge, welcome once again to the Chartreuse Liquor store. Would you like me to fetch your usual order my lord?" the place was filled with a large selection of wine that even Lelouch himself couldn't count them all.
"No that's ok" Lelouch waved her off with his usual lady killer smile to which the girl squealed in sight. "I'm actually here to buy a gift for my teacher. What wine would you recommend?"
"Of course my lord, allow me to bring you a selection" the clerk bowed before heading off to the back where the 'special' products were hidden only for especially rich customers. But when she was gone, Shirley couldn't help but notice how popular Lelouch was. Every time she traveled with him everyone from almost every store seems to know him. The commoners usually bow in fear or send a glare of anger against nobleman of his status but the boy seemed to be getting the gentler kind of treatment from them. Some would wave and some would even call him by his proper name with joy.
"Wow Lelouch, you sure are popular" she said out finally.
"You think so?" the boy raised a brow. "I didn't notice. Maybe it's just my charm"
"Ahaha… that's such a typical answer coming from you"
A few minutes later, the clerk returned from the back with a small selection of fine wines from various countries. "Here you are my lord. We have a wide selection for you. Would you prefer the Lillet from Area 5? It's an excellent drink with salmon and other fishes"
"Actually we're just looking for regular liquor, thank you"
"I see, then how about this wonderful Ballentine's scotch whiskey? An excellent brew perfect for a celebration. We also have these new Amaretto and Advocaat from Europe. They're very limited at the moment and…"
But Lelouch stopped listening half way as he thought of his latest plan up to date. When he noticed the next customer entering the store he immediately grab one of the wine bottles and pretended to check its brewed date. In truth he was actually looking at the reflection to see the man glaring his eyes back at him. "Bingo… an agent of the OSI. Now my plan can finally go into motion. Alright. Let's see what they're capable of"
At the back, the OSI agent with a funny looking mustache tightened his coat to his ear piece. "Target is in the liquor store" he whispered. "No change in that. No risk of being discovered, over…"
"Understood. Anything else?" the voice on the other line which was clearly Villetta replied.
"It seems that girl Shirley Ann is with him. They don't seem to recognize me at all"
"Roger. Switch off with group 7. Group 4, watch for contact with C2"
"Yes, my lord… will do…"
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Back outside, Rolo, Rivalz and Milly were busy off chilling back and relaxing for once. Now that they've finished their shopping spree it was time for them to kick off their shoes and get some rest and some nice warm coffee in their stomachs.
But as their order came, Rolo couldn't help but keep his eyes locked at that liquor store. It was as if his sight was glued to that position, never moving like he was expecting something big to happen. "Hmm… could it be that he really isn't Zero?" he thought to himself. "The Zero now is currently present in Japan so there's no way that he could make it all the way back here in just two hours? Could he have a body double? No that would be too easy"
"Rolo!" Milly yelled out causing the boy to stumble and fall off his chair. "Ahaha. What's the matter? Your eyes were glued to that liquor store like a magnet"
"Oh… I was just… well umm… I uh…"
"Oh I see…" Milly purred evilly. "You're afraid that Shirley might snag your big brother away and become his girlfriend. (Wha? No!) Oh you're just like Shirley. Denying everything that we say and blushing at the same time. Oh dear, what would happen if Shirley takes away my big brother?" she stated her words in an acting tone. "If that happens, he won't spoil me like he used to and we won't be able to play blanket tag again"
"N… no it's nothing like that! It was only a one time moment!"
"Aww… if Lulu gets a girlfriend, who is going to spoon feed me those tasty treats again?"
"Ms. President!" Rolo now blushed madly. "You were supposed to keep that a secret!"
"Nah you've got it all wrong Prez" Rivalz said smugly. "I bet Rolo here has a thing for Shirley"
"No! That is not true! My heart only belongs to my…" Rolo quickly shut up to his almost slip of words. "Um…"
Milly saw this and quickly grew a grin off her face. "Aww… isn't that cute. Rolo loves his big brother so much that he doesn't want him to get a girlfriend"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Back inside, Lelouch finally took up the order. "Yes, I'll take the Advocaat and the Amaretto. Please place it in my bill"
"Of course master Lelouch. As you wish" the store clerk bowed before inputting the product number into the cash register. "This will only take a moment"
"Very well. Shirley, would you mind waiting here? I'm going to check if they have something new in stock. It'll only take a minute"
"Huh? Oh sure, I'm fine with it"
And with that Lelouch slowly made his way through the rack and checked through some of the bottles to make the act more believable. But as he got closer to the OSI agent he slowly noticed him scooting a few feet away like he was trying to keep distance. When Lelouch got into position he was certain that the man was an agent. The ear piece in his ear was small enough to be hidden from the regular eyes, but for those who knows its specs can tell that it was there with a simple glance.
"Hmm… this should be simple enough" Lelouch thought to himself before taking out another bottle and checking its brewed date. "They specifically set a trap at Matoir mall… which means my enemy isn't the government but the OSI itself. While I can't tell which of them are agents their system they're using, itself has flaws in it. Excellent. With this, my plan is solidified. Three elements will be needed for creating chaos. First…… the instigator…" when the boy turned his eye to the undercover agent, he let out a friendly smile to catch him off guard.
"Uhh… can I help you?" the agent stated a bit unaccustomed to speaking with the target.
"Sorry" Lelouch apologized. "I couldn't help but notice that wine you're holding. It's a 1985 Gammel Dansk, isn't it? I hear that it was pretty popular in Denmark"
"Uh… oh yes… I see…"
"You have good taste. I was hoping to get one of them since I heard it from a friend. Do you mind if I have a look?"
The man, jerk back a little but saw that there was no need to be so unfriendly to such a boy. "Um… sure. Here you go" but just as he hand him over the bottle, Lelouch slowly remove his contact lenses and glared onto the bottle to give his next command.
"Oh I'm sorry, do you mind listening to me for a moment?" he stated first. The moment his eye sigil controlled the man's mind Lelouch grew out a wide grin.
"Yes of course. Go ahead" the man replied now completely bent on his will.
"It's quite simple really. The moment you see me leave this store, you will recognize and acknowledge anyone next to me as C2… and then…"
(3 minutes later)
"Thank you for shopping at Chartreuse" the clerk bowed as she handed the shopping bag to Shirley who gladly took it. "Please come again"
"Of course" she bowed back before turning her attention to Lelouch. "Hey Lulu, our order is done. Come on"
"Right" the boy smiled back pleasantly.
Lelouch and Shirley left the store and soon rejoined with their friends not long afterwards. Their little snack was common and nothing out of the ordinary. But little did they know that their little night out was going to take a turn for the most exciting one yet.
"So what do you guys wanna do now?" Rivalz asked a bit bored. "Wanna buy a new movie and watch it at Lelouch's place? We can all chip in for the popcorn and drinks"
"Oh that's a great idea" Milly as usual, agreed to any excuse to enter Lelouch's place. "I hear they have that new creepy movie about a giant wasp coming down to kill everyone"
"Absolutely not!" Lelouch declined with his hand raised in the air. "We're not going to watch a movie at my place. Not after what happened during the last times that you've been there. I had to clean up the mess in the morning, Rolo was too scared to go back to his room after a scary movie and one time you all crashed in my place and spilled grape juice over my notes"
"Aww come on. It wasn't that bad"
"You mean not bad for you"
"Oh come on" Milly teased. "It'll just be one time. How often do you have all your friends and family in your place?"
"It's constant. It's supposed to be my room, you should all respect my privacy"
"I guess you'll have to check that calculation again Lulu" Shirley chuckled. "Privacy and Milly doesn't really go together"
"That's right. Majority rules!" Milly proclaimed. "We're going to rent a movie and watch it at Lelouch's place! Come on everyone!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Back in the secret command base of the OSI, Villetta issued her commands to her agents on the field. "Target is moving. All units go on standby"
"Yes, my lord"
"Group 2, follow Lelouch as you were"
"…"
"Hmm? Group 2, respond"
"Huh?" the man on the other line snap. "Oh right. Sorry ma'am, I'm on it" the man who was put in a trance quickly rushed out of the wine shop and began following Lelouch and his group in a relatively safe distance.
"Commander" came another agent on the com. "Target is now entering 4-T. It's a small video shop. There's a small risk I'll blow my cover if I go in"
"Alright, you cover the front. I'll send group 4 to cover the rear entrance of the shop"
"Understood my lord…"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Lelouch and his friends arrive at a video shop near the elevators leading to the lower floors, he suddenly noticed the man he Geassed earlier enter the very same store. He didn't look suspicious but in any case, it was the best solution. "Good. Right on schedule. All tasks at hand have been cleared. The second element to creating chaos now… is the misunderstanding and miscommunication"
"Hey Lulu" Shirley perked in from his side as she showed him a video she picked. "Have you watched this before? I heard that it was a classic back in my mother's days but I'm not sure if we should be watching old movies like these. Milly will probably say that I'm old fashion and…"
"You shouldn't care what other people think about you. (Huh?)" Lelouch said in his polite tone. "If you really want to watch it then you shouldn't worry. No one will judge"
"I uh…… yeah… you're probably right" she blushed slightly at him. "I should probably buy it. Oh and how about this one?"
But just when things were going smoothly for the young couple who were picking out the movies they wish to watch back home, the agent that followed them suddenly red rings around his eyes. Before he knew it, C2 was standing right in front of him. Upon reaction to the sight of their primary objective he quickly hushed over his ear piece and contacted his superiors. "This is group 2. I've spotted primary target! I repeat, I spotted C2!"
Villetta's voice perked up at this and quickly began scouring the cameras. "What!? Where?!"
"She's standing near the bait! I repeat, she's situated near the bait. Should I move in and apprehend?"
"Negative. Wait for reinforcements. All units, converge on the video store immediately! Surround the shop on all sides and await further orders! Under no circumstances are you to move without command. Get me a camera online now! Confirm C2's position"
"There's only one camera in the video store ma'am" the com officer stated. "It's only overlooking the cash register so we can't get a good picture of her"
"Tch…… what lousy security this mall has"
About 5 minutes later, Lelouch and Shirley went to the cash register to purchase the videos they picked from the selection. As usual, the clerk recognized Lelouch since he was quite popular among the commoners.
"Shirley" the boy called out. "Why don't you go look for Rivalz and the others? We already bought the movies that they were looking for so we might as well head back before they buy the same ones we have now"
"Oh right. Sure. I'm right on it"
With Shirley now off from earshot, the dark lord was now ready to commence his final phase of his elaborate plan. While he waited for the cashier to finish counting the changes, he gazed onto the three entrances around him and smiled softly. A large number of people seemed to be gathering at the store and with a simple glance of their expressions, they could easily be differentiated from the civilians as OSI agents.
"Now all the actors have assembled. The only thing required now is the detonator"
"Excuse me" the cashier spoke. "Here's your change and your receipt sir. We hope you come again"
Lelouch took the money and slowly flash a hearty smile. "Thank you. I will…… but before I go off, would you mind doing a favor for me?" he remove his contact lenses and used his Geass to give one direct order to her.
"Yes, of course. What may I do for you?"
"Well it's like this you see…"
As Lelouch continued to put his plan in motion, the Geassed agent slowly made his way to Shirley whom he thought was C2. He also noticed that his comrades had already arrived blocking all exits and entrances to the shop. "Primary target is now alone. Requesting permission to apprehend" he requested now anxiously wanting to attack.
"Stand down group 2" Villetta ordered. "Going in now will only compromise our operation. Wait for team 4 and 5 to back you up"
"Lulu!" Shirley called out. "Come on, let's go!" Seeing the boy slowly approaching (C2), the man decided to take the chance and tackle her. "Ahhh! Hey! What are you!?"
"I've got her!" the agent yelled out.
"Let go of me! Help!"
"Shirley!" Lelouch barked out in his acting mode. "Get away from her!" "Damn… she wasn't supposed to be the target!" He tried to help her but due to his physically weak body, he was easily taken down. "Ooof!"
"Get out of the way, boy!"
But as the tension grew higher, Lelouch quickly resorted to better tactics. "Damn it. Security! There's a criminal here! (What!?) Someone help!" immediately, two security officers entered the store and began tackling the man out. "Excellent. One more move to go"
As the officers tried their best to take the assaulter down, the agent quickly began barking. "Hey! Don't touch me! Do you know who I am!? I am member of the Office of Secret Intelligence! Get off me!"
"The OSI?" one of the officers questioned. "Yeah right! Save it for the judge"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Villetta saw one of her agents fall to his demise, she slammed her hand right onto the table spilling the coffee she was drinking earlier. "Damn it! That imbecile! What in the world does he think he's doing!? All units, locate C2! Does anyone see her!?"
"No ma'am. There are too many customers to tell who's who" the man replied on the other line of the com channel. "The bait is moving out with the others. No sign of C2 yet but we'll keep searching"
"Agent Joe has been apprehended by the mall security" one of the com staff stated. "What should we do ma'am? Shall I get team 4 to assist?"
"No… if we get ourselves tangled in this, Lelouch might suspect something. Tell them to fall back but keep all eyes peeled on the entrance. She may be wearing a disguise so look for anyone that comes close to the description. And have (scream!!) What the?"
"They have guns!" the store clerk screamed out suddenly as she pointed her finger on one of the agents.
"Crap!!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When the officers noted the men with weapons, the quickly upholstered their pistols from their pockets and demanded them to surrender. "Freeze! Don't move or we'll be forced to shoot!" the agents gritted their teeth together, unable to take action against the public security force. If they fire, their cover would surely be blown but if they don't fire, they'll be arrested and interrogated by the police.
"Don't move!" Shirley turned around to see an officer who was brave enough to order them around even though he was seriously outnumbered. "Put down your weapons and put your hands behind your head" it was a standard thing to do even at this situation. Right after he made his demand, the officer slowly took out his radio to contact the security office. "This is 2nd floor patrol unit, Mike. Requesting backup at the One Stop video store. Several armed suspects have been sighted"
"Roger that, backup is on the way. Standby"
But while everyone was focusing their attention on the situation at hand, none of them were able to notice Lelouch slowly making his way towards the fire alarm bell. After he made sure that there was no wandering eyes on him he gladly punch the alarm and grinned mischievously to the crowd.
"And now. The third element of chaos…… the conflict"
When the alarm sounded out, a series of screams and yells occurred from the panicked citizens who were already on the verge of cracking. When the agents heard it, one of them accidentally pulled out his gun which provoked the officer to shoot.
"STOP!"
Bang!
The officer took his best shot and killed the man right on the spot. With that little drastic action orchestrated by the mind of the dark lord, it paved the agents to their animal instinct of self preservation.
"AHHH!!!!"
"Terrorist!!"
"What!? Terrorists!?"
"Let's get out of here!"
"Everyone, run for it!"
'Dying for another is a lie. In the end, self preservation compels man to kill or be killed'
-G.L- (I have no idea what the initials mean)
"W… what's happening!?" the pinned agent of the OSI widened his eye. "What the hell!?"
When Rivalz caught sight of this he quickly looked around for his friends. "W… what's going on!? Prez, let's get out of here!"
"Damn it we have no choice!" the senior OSI agent barked out. "Everyone, discharge weapons now!"
And within that split moment, the battle between the OSI and the security officers of the mall came to be. The agents were surrounded on all sides but they outnumbered the guards by a small margin. Gun shots were exchanged among the two sides and civilians that just so happened to get caught in the crossfire were wounded in the process.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Alarms of different kinds and different annoying sounds began ringing around the OSI office. Ever since the first shot was fired, every com officer had been going around in a hectic situation. Papers were flying everywhere and everyone was speaking all at once making it difficult for Villetta to decipher who was saying what.
"We've lost the target, my lord!!"
"What should we do about the info we got from scorpion!?"
"Agent Joe has been killed! One of the officers shot him!"
"Group 5 is pinned down by security! Group 1, move in to assist!"
"Where's Rolo!?" Villetta asked out trying to look as calm as possible.
"All cell phone calls are being jammed to maintain civic order!"
"My lord, should we act on scorpion's info or not!?"
Unable to take it any longer, the woman finally stood up from her seat and ran off. "Very well I'll go there myself! Have the police surround the complex! Get a chopper on the roof on the double and get me a fire team! Have all units withdraw to their escape routes!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As the firefight grew larger and larger by the minute, Lelouch couldn't help but laugh while his eyes darted to the many screams and cries of the people. "Britannians killing Britannians. What a sight to see. Oh how I wish I could record this moment. In due time, all the OSI agents will all be dead and if I can get a list of casualties I can make a pattern to their group and round them all off all at once"
(Ashford University) (OSI secret base)
Rolo returned to school not long after the gang returned back. Though the student council members were able to get back safely, Lelouch somehow got separated from the gang which prompted Rolo to think that he may have gone elsewhere.
"What's his location!?" he demanded upon entering the control room of the base. But later to find it to be abandoned. "No one's here. Where are they? This can't be right. Did Ms. Villetta ordered everyone to go and search for him?" but before he could turn around or even pick up his cell phone to call his teammates, the cold mortal shell of a familiar pistol clicked onto his head. "Ugh…"
"If you're looking for the officers that were left to command in this room, then there's no need to worry" Lelouch was the one who pointed the gun at him. "I've already put them under my spell and they are now working for me like slaves"
"I see…" Rolo replied not one bit phased by the situation. "So… you really have awakened"
"Yes…"
"But how did you do it? Our security system was perfect"
"It was difficult at first but in the end, I had to make a move against you" Lelouch explained feeling a bit good to gloat about his victory. "I put the man that followed me in the wine store under my Geass, making him believe anyone near me was C2. As I thought, the capture of the witch was your top priority. After that, I hypnotized the clerk of the video store to scream and start a small situation of misunderstanding. When the guards noticed the gun they immediately thought of him as a suspect. It was within that fragile moment that everyone begins to crack. Once the fire alarm was trip, I made the shot to one of the agents with this gun making the others fight out of self defense. It was an astounding moment"
"I see. So in the process of our operation, you killed 50 of our agents and had 12 more apprehended by the police"
"Panic can easily be instigated with a small time bomb" Lelouch grinned. "But to create chaos… comes through following 3 easy steps. As of this moment, this school, this office and the whole organization of the OSI will become my personal army. A force in which will be used to topple Britannia from within. And as for you, dear brother. I'll make you my pawn… to find Nunnally" but just as the dark lord took out his lens to activate his Geass power, a sudden event occurred.
Within that split second, the bamboo and ceramic gun that he was holding vanished in thin air and Rolo who stood in front of him a second ago, disappeared. "What!?" and then suddenly, Lelouch found himself in the very situation that Rolo was in… "It can't be……… Rolo has Geass too? You stopped time?"
"Lelouch…" Rolo spoke as his fingers slowly squeeze on the trigger. "Now you… and you legion of evil… and your demonic eye… will die in this very room"