Author note: First off I would like to say Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays (even if I am a few minutes after it technically ended). second i would like to appologize for being later in updating but figured since i finished a day earlier i might as well release on christmas but then the internet decided to give me a big "screw you too buddy" and i just got it working.
I can't believe how quickly this story has grown in such a relatively short amount of time (15,000 views and over 50 favs, reviews, and follows each) so thank you for that, dear readers without you I would not be where I am. I think it is safe to say that this is the around halfway mark for the first 'season' of my story so here is when I will really start to make it my own by changing certain things.
Without further adieu here is another chapter of the ever-growing All For You!
Chapter 13
Underneath the surface of Tokyo harbor, the bundle of explosives that Lelouch had planted less than an hour earlier suddenly exploded, detonating the liquid sakuradite inside and ripping into the hull of the fleeing freighter containing the remaining leaders and soldiers of the Japan Liberation Front. Moments later a second, far more devastating explosion shook the surrounding area. The large vessel was lifted up out of the water as it disintegrated from the immense force of the deadly sakuradite, taking the JLF and boarding Britannians with it. In the blink of an eye both the ship and those onboard simply ceased to exist.
Both sides were in absolute shock at the apparent suicide tactics of the former JLF. On the Britannian side, soldiers frantically began to search for the pilots that had boarded the freighter before its descent into a fiery death. The Black Knights were also torn between anger and shock at seeing the complete obliteration of their allies, seemingly by their hands no less. With a smirk still on his face, Lelouch took this moment to address his subordinates.
"All Black Knights, hear me! The Japan Liberation Front has decided to commit suicide and take as many of the enemy as they can. Forget all other objectives, avenge the JLF!"
A chorus of cries for blood echoed across the radio as the rebels commenced the attack. As knightmares activated and took up firing positions on the shore, the low idling rumble of the hydrofoil ship picked up as the engines were put to their stops, sending Lelouch and his attack force, including the Guren, into the heart of the Britannian lines. As soon the transport hit the docks, a dozen Burai and Kallen's frame leapt from the deck hatch and engaged the surprised Sutherlands.
"Push their units into the sea before they can activate." Lelouch ordered, charging for Cornelia's Gloucester in an attempt to disable it before she could get into the fight.
Just before reaching it however, Cornelia had managed to power on the knightmare's systems and blocked his attack. The difference in skills quickly became apparent as Lelouch was trying, and failing, to land any blows on his opponent. She on the other hand, had no trouble pushing him back. Just as it seemed he might have to eject, the Guren Mk 2 intervened by blocking Cornelia's attack aimed for his cockpit. All three backed up, each waiting for the other to make a move. Suddenly Kallen charged forward with her machine's claw extended out in a threatening manner. The enemy princess, not one to be taken by such tactics more than once and aware of the Guren's capabilities, easily sidestepped the attack and responded by thrusting her lance at Kallen. Just as Kallen's attack did nothing, so too did Cornelia's, missing by a rather wide margin.
As the fight between the two raged on, Lelouch took a moment to examine how the rest of the battle was going. Despite receiving frantic reports of losses from those engaged with the Lancelot, it seemed like the rebels were holding their own. A report from CC's units stationed on the opposite shore stated that one of the scouts she had posted around the perimeter warned of additional Britannian reinforcements starting to mobilize and were expected within half an hour.
"CC, order our support forces to rally at the exit point to secure our retreat and make your way over to my position." Lelouch called over their personal channel.
"Understood, I'll be there in a minute."
Just as the immortal signed off to execute his orders, Cornelia managed to break past Kallen and made a move towards Lelouch, who managed to avoid the hit aimed for his cockpit, the blow instead striking his left arm and severing it. He quickly raised his rifle and let off a volley, pushing to put her on the defensive rather than inflicting any actual damage. He took this opportunity to launch his slash harkens at the shipping containers towering above him, quickly pulling himself above his opponent. From his new vantage point he was able to direct more effective fire down at Cornelia, managing to hit one of her landspinners. From this height and perspective, he also saw the reason for Kallen's apparent lack of focus.
The white knightmare that had caused him so much trouble up till now, the Lancelot, was now engaged with the Guren in a clash of blades and claws. At the moment both were locked together, the Lancelot's sword caught in the Guren's smaller dagger and the red machine's deadly claw was gripped by the white knight. Before they could pull out of their stalemate Lelouch's attention snapped back to his own, one-sided battle with his half-sister when she fired her slash harkens at him in an attempt to knock him from his perch. He responded with yet another volley, missing his target, but once again putting her on the defensive. Suddenly a barrage of bullets attacked the warrior princess's frame from behind. The machine was showing damage from the surprise attack as various sparks flew from the wounds. What could have done this? Who? From none other than CC, who had just arrived on scene and taken advantage of Cornelia's concentration on Zero's Burai.
Cornelia, with few other options, ejected from her Gloucester but not before turning it around and sending it on a collision course with CC's frame. CC was not expecting this move and was slow to react, hurrying to open up with her chain gun. Despite the murderous fire, the pilotless knightmare frame kept accelerating like a demon from hell, fire beginning to pour out its sides. When it was no more than 10 feet away, it finally succumbed to the continuous streams of fire and exploded, the blast doing significant damage to the white Burai and rendering CC unconscious from the sudden jolt. The auto-eject, sensing the major damage to both the frame and cockpit, activated and lifted CC away from the wreckage.
"Infinity!" both Lelouch and Kallen cried.
As Lelouch sped off to help his companion Kallen landed a strong punch on the Lancelot, sending it reeling. Before he could recover she followed up by grabbing his left leg, activating the radiant wave surger. With the white frame effectively disabled she sped off after Zero, hoping that Infinity was all right.
Lelouch stopped his Burai and quickly hopped out, running towards the crashed pod lying on its side. Upon opening the hatch he saw a sight that was reminiscent of Narita, when he had 'saved' CC, save there was no blood this time around. Gently lifting her out of the hatch he set her down against the side of one of the containers and pulled out his radio to order the immediate retreat of all remaining Black Knights. With a sigh he removed CC's mask and was in the process of removing his own when he heard a gunshot ring out nearby. Turning around as he drew his sidearm the teen came face to face with Kallen, pistol in hand, smoke still emanating from the hot barrel. Before he could ask her about the gunfire, he noticed her gaze shift to something behind him and her face took on a look of disbelief.
"It is rude to stare you know." A familiar voice said from behind Lelouch.
"B-but how?" Kallen muttered. "C-Cera how is it y-you are I-Infinity?"
"I don't know, how is it you are you?" the green-haired witch retorted.
"CC that is enough of the mind games for now. It would seem that the time has come sooner than we thought." Lelouch chided as he reached up to remove his own mask. "Hello, Kallen."
If it was possible for the redhead to become anymore shocked, it happened when she saw who resided behind the dark visage that was Zero. So great was her shock, she fell to her knees with shaking hands. The pistol that was held so tightly in her hand fell to the ground with a hollow thud. Lelouch and CC looked at each other in mild concern before Lelouch knelt down in front of the girl, who was mumbling to herself.
"Kallen, speak up." Lelouch prompted.
The Ace of the Black Knights jolted at the sound of his voice and immediately jumped to her feet. "How?! Before, at Ashford I spoke to Zero and you were there!"
"A recording that I had an associate of mine play. It was really quite easy considering 'I' was in control of the conversation the whole time"
"Then explain to me this: you're Britannian and yet you fight them. Why?"
"I'm afraid I cannot reveal the whole story to you at the moment. Right now all you need to know is that I despise the Britannians and all that they stand for."
"Fine, but what about you, Cera?" she said this last part with emphasis, rather doubting that this was even the immortal's name.
"I promised to support Lelouch in his cause for reasons that are my own. And it would seem you already suspect this but my name is not Cera Chloe. You can just call me CC."
"Now if you don't mind I believe we should take our leave before enemy reinforcements arrive. We can continue this at another time." Lelouch said, re-placing his mask as CC followed his example.
Before the still shaken Kallen could reply, both of the newly masked figures walked off towards Lelouch's damaged but still functional Burai. Kallen, remembering something that she still had to take care of before exiting the area, walked back in the direction she came from. After a minute she came across the prone body of a woman with silver hair in a pool of blood, a pistol caked with dust and dirt several feet away. Sighing at the gruesome job ahead, Kallen lifted the woman up and half dragged, half carried her to the breakwater and roughly tossed her over. For a moment she could have sworn she heard noises coming from the woman's body but shook it off, considering the idea of the woman still being alive to be preposterous after being shot in the chest at such close range, and walked back in the direction of her Guren to make good her own escape.
Lelouch and CC were in their private quarters on the second level of the Black Knights' headquarters when they heard a knock at the door. They both reacted quickly and reached for their respective masks, ready to put them on at a moment's notice but restrained from doing so because of who they suspected was at the door. Their suspicions were confirmed soon after when Kallen's voice sounded from behind the door.
"Its me, can I speak with you, Zero?" she asked, the last portion of her question understandably hesitant considering who she knew was behind the masks.
"Yes, you may." CC answered for Lelouch.
The pair visibly relaxed and once again set their masks down beside them as the door opened to reveal their ace pilot. Motioning for her to take a seat in the only unoccupied chair in the small room, Lelouch turned his attention away from the intelligence reports that he had been going over while CC simply lied on the bed with her ever-present cheese-kun doll.
"Its good that you came when you did. I was planning on discussing last night with you more" Lelouch began once she had taken her seat. "First off, would you mind explaining to me what that gunshot was?"
"It was nothing important. I just saw a woman walking towards you with a pistol and I fired before she could."
"I see, you did well to do that. Now what is it you wanted to discuss? I assume it has to do with last night?" It wasn't a question as one might think. With Zero it was never a question. His words were like a command.
"Yeah, I just wanted to know what exactly you're fighting against and how you seem to know the military and Cornelia's tactics so well."
"We fight because if we don't, nobody will stand up to the injustices of the emperor and his kind. We fight because we must become knights for justice to protect those we hold dear." Lelouch answered in a measured tone, careful not to let anything unnecessary slip.
CC looked at Lelouch as if to ask whether or not he was planning on telling her everything. When he shook his head ever so slightly CC decided to pick up where he left off, using the same approach as he did, bending the truth by leaving out specifics.
"As for how he is able to predict their moves, especially those of Cornelia, as a child Lelouch grew up close to the royal court due to his mother's position there. As a result he grew up with many of the princes and princesses there." CC lied.
"But if your mother was in such a high position then why are you here, fighting, when you could be a noble?" Kallen asked, thoroughly confused.
"I am not willing to discuss that at the moment. Perhaps in time I will tell you more about my past but we will just have to leave it at that for now."
Kallen just nodded then silently took her leave. Once the door had closed behind her, CC stood up and walked over to Lelouch's side and leaned back against the desk.
"Do you think that it was wise to keep the rest of your past a mystery from her, when she already knows everything else? There is always a chance that she may feel that we do not trust her." CC asked.
"And how do you expect she would act if she found out who I really am or even who you really are? Even if she did believe us there is a good chance that it would spread and either she or the Black Knights would turn on us. As I said before, I might reveal more to her and possibly to everyone else in due time but for now that is not an option. There is still some hesitation among the other members."
"I believe you may be underestimating Kallen's devotion to you and the cause but I will abide by your wishes. By the way, have any of your contacts found anything about Mao?"
"No, nothing. Apparently there have been no reports of anyone matching his description or name in the Tokyo area. We can only assume that he has entered the country under a false name and has been using his Geass to evade detection until he makes his first move."
"That would be a logical assumption. And it isn't like we didn't foresee this before so I am not all that surprised. Mao was very good at evading police in the Chinese Federation when I was still his contractor."
"Yeah, you are right about that. It was pretty reckless of you to leave such an obviously unstable child with such a powerful Geass alive though."
CC simply waved him off and walked back over to the bed, collapsing within its folds. Lelouch was suddenly overcome with a wave of exhaustion and decided to follow the witch's example by lying down on the couch. He looked at the wall mounted clock and decided that they could rest for a few hours before they needed to make their way back to Ashford before classes started, lest they give their fellow students more to gossip about. The last thing Lelouch was conscious of before drifting off was the muffled voices coming from the celebrating Knights downstairs.