Chapter Twenty:
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.
Author's Note: Warning this story will contain shounen-ai and eventual yaoi… enjoy!
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"This is it. Finally, I have Zero within my grasp. They'll give me a title after this. I'll be a Marchioness or even a Duchess for his capture," Villetta grinned. She withdrew her gun from her holster and leveled it at Zero.
She carefully stepped closer until she was mere inches away from him. She reached out to remove the helmet only for a sound of a cocked gun to stop her. She cursed she came so close only to fail. She whirled around to face a tall male with brown hair. His eyes obscured from view due to a visor. Though, one thing was clear he was a member of the Black Knights designated by the uniform he wore.
"Step away or I'll shoot," Ohgi warned. His grip tightened, his finger danced lightly over the trigger.
Villetta gritted her teeth in frustration, "Damn it, don't you see this opportunity?! We have a chance to discover Zero's identity. He would never show his face not even to his so-called comrades. Even I can tell you're curious. We can both turn him in. Britannia will reward you for his apprehension. You'll be given a title, land, wealth beyond imagination if you do this."
"All I want is Japan's freedom can Britannia give me that?!" Ohgi shouted.
Villetta visible shook with rage as her pupils shrank. She made a desperate move to grab the helmet only to be shot. Her eyes widen in alarm as she looked down to see the blood stain her white shirt. Her hand shakily grasped her abdomen.
"I'm sorry," Ohgi whispered. He watched her crumble to the ground. With a weary sigh, he walked over to Zero but hesitated for a moment as his eyes focused on the helmet.
Suddenly the sounds of footsteps gained his attention and he readied his weapon. He sagged in relief to see it was only Rook. "Oh, it's only you," He breathed.
"What happened here?" Rook took in the scene with a bit of trepidation only to see Zero still inside the damaged cockpit. "Help me get him out!" He ran over to Zero and unbuckled the man and with Ohgi's help they got Zero out. They laid him on his back on the ground into the recovery position. "Guess those times I didn't skip Health class really paid off," Rook inwardly chuckled.
However, much to Ohgi's silent disappointment the helmet remained on the masked man's head. Rook placed his head close to Zero and could hear the man breathe deeply with no coughing or wheezing. Next, he watched Zero's chest rise and fall with barely any hesitance.
"Good it seems he might only be unconscious. I'm not entirely sure he's fine, but I'm sure he has a doctor to check him out. We need to get Zero out of here before someone else comes to investigate," Rook rose to his feet.
"I think I can manage under my own power," Zero startled both Rook and Ohgi.
Ohgi gasped, "Are you alright? Are you sure you can walk?" He and Rook watched as Zero wordlessly climbed to his feet grunting with effort. His ribs might not be broken, but they were hurt from the crash.
Zero began to answer but start to sway a bit. Luckily Rook held him steady. "You're unsurprisingly stubborn," Rook clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"You two get out of here. I'll cover your escape. Your Knightmare is probably nearby. You can get Zero out of here faster than me trying to locate a vehicle," Ohgi suggested to Rook.
"Alright, but be careful," Rook said. He placed one of Zero's arms over his shoulder and they headed towards Rook's Burai.
Soon they two masked men left and Ohgi made a move to leave as well, but a whimper drew his attention. With a feeling of dread, he glanced down to see the woman he shot was still alive.
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Meanwhile, Kallen and Suzaku still fought with neither gaining the upper hand. "Black Knights retreat for now. Any further action will only result in slaughter. Head to meeting point C and await further instructions," Zero ordered. His voice filtered in through the communicator.
Kallen's eyes narrowed. She wanted to finish her battle with the Lancelot, but her loyalty took priority over her pride. She quickly switched on the Radiant Wave Surger. With a burst of power, she pushed back the Lancelot and made her escape into the smoke.
Suzaku grunted and prepared to pursuit, but Darlton ordered all units to protect Cornelia. There was also the order for no one to go after the Black Knights. Suzaku hissed in irritation but did as commanded.
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"Zero, are you sure you're going to be alright?" Rook glanced back at Zero who hunched over him as he piloted his Knightmare to the meeting point. He noticed the elder male grasping his ribs and his breathing had become labored.
"I will be once we reconvene with the others and finish the briefing. I need to reassure the others tonight wasn't a failure. They'll feel guilty about not saving the remaining JLF. There wasn't any way to predict Cornelia would outright kill them. Especially since the reports indicated they were only to be captured," Zero sighed.
Rook murmured, "Maybe someone was a bit too trigger-happy. Bigots are in the Britannia Army. Who's to say they didn't let their hatred cloud their judgment. And knowing Cornelia will tear the guy a new one for disobedience."
"Yes, she doesn't seem the type to allow insubordination. I almost feel sorry for the guy," Zero chuckled only to immediately regret it as he hissed from his injury.
"Let's hope this doesn't take long. You need to get those ribs looked at. When we get back to the mobile command base I'll wrap them. It should at least help for the moment," Rook said pointedly.
Zero smirked, "Very well I can see I don't have a choice in the matter."
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The Black Knights anxiously awaited their leader as eyes darted around them. "What could be taking so long," Kallen murmured. She assumed Zero and Rook would be there, but no one had seen them as yet.
"Calm down, I'm sure they're both fine," C.C. leaned against a tree. The shadows from the leaves covered her form despite the white clothing she wore.
Kallen glared then turned to face an incoming Burai. Rook opened the cockpit and as if a signal was given, Tamaki moved to assist Rook out.
"Are you alright?" Tamaki asked. He noticed Zero's slow movements.
"Yes," Zero replied never giving Rook a chance to. He stood a bit straighter and moved smoothly towards the front of the crowd. "I know what took place tonight might have come as a shock to a great deal of you, but this is the enemy we face. Britannia was never one to show mercy when swift death is a more viable solution. I feel as though I must apologize. It was my own admittedly naïve belief that they would capture General Katase alive. I should have prepared you to the possibly that this was mission was not one of capture, but seek and destroy.
However, as Rook pointed out to me it could have well been the act of one simple bigot in the position to kill the General. We may never know the real reason, but that doesn't matter now. What matters now is that we must persevere and not let their deaths be in vain. We mustn't let their dreams of a free Japan die with them!" Zero exclaimed.
Various exclamations from the Black Knights echoed. Resolve and thirst for revenge fill their hearts. In the back, Diethard smirked, "Bravo Zero you killed the leader of your competition. You restored the life back into your Black Knights. You even painted an even darker image of your enemies all in one single stroke. Also, if you play your cards right you might even bring Tohdoh and his Four Holy Swords into the fold. Well, if only to avenge their fallen leader."
Juxtapose to Diethard's excitement, C.C. watched the proceedings with an air of detachment. "Well, this is about all I can stand of this spectacle," She moved to leave, but Rook walked into her path.
Her stance grew defensive as she was about to question his motives, but Rook began to speak. He whispered, "C.C. I don't think I ever thanked you for what you did in Narita. I know you don't fear death, but I do believe you still experience pain. So for placing yourself in danger risking a great pain, I thank you. You have no idea how much that meant to me."
C.C.'s eyes widen in astonishment, no one has ever thanked her with such sincerity in a long time. Her expression softened for a fraction of a second before blanking. "Of course, you and I have a contract after all," She smirked.
Rook chuckled before growing somber. "Zero may not say anything, but he is injured so make sure he gets checked out."
"I'll see to it, so does that mean you are leaving," She stated.
"Yes, I can't be away forever," Rook sighed as C.C. nodded her head, she knew of his life as Lelouch. "I'll be off then. Call me if something comes up," He walked over to Tamaki and murmured a few words into his ear.
Tamaki snickered softly as they both walked out of the wooden area. "What was that about?" Zero spoke from behind C.C.
She smiled coyly detecting the hint of jealousy in his tone. She smirked, "Rook needed a ride back to the base to his own transportation to get home. He couldn't use the Burai or wait for the briefing to be over. There's no telling how long it will go on."
"Don't bother asking, why Tamaki? They are friends after all," C.C. smirked. She ignored the heated glare radiating beneath Zero's helmet.
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Lelouch sighed as he entered through his front door. He was thankful Tamaki gave him a lift back. Though, it did take some time to convince Tamaki he had a way back home. Said transportation being Rivalz's motorbike he had borrowed and parked a few miles away. He couldn't allow his friend to get connected to all this mess and he didn't have transportation of his own.
"Maybe I should invest in a vehicle," Lelouch murmured.
"Master Lelouch, you are later than usual, did something happen while you were out?" Sayoko materialized from the darkness.
Lelouch smiled, "No, things took longer than expected that's all."
"Very well, I have left dinner in the microwave for you. Have a good night, Master Lelouch," Sayoko promptly vanished.
"Goodnight Sayoko," Lelouch called out. He decided it'll be a good idea to eat something. He wasn't going to bed anytime soon since he had a few things he wanted to research. He also wanted to see if Suzaku was awake to talk. He had a feeling tonight would have been tough on his friend.
After eating most of the dinner his phone rang. "Hello," Lelouch answered.
"Hey Lelouch, I'm glad you're up," Suzaku sighed.
"Is something the matter?" Lelouch probed.
Suzaku chuckled humorlessly, "I can't tell you exactly. All I can say is the operation didn't go as planned. Princess Cornelia isn't pleased, to say the least.
"So what happened? You can be vague, it's not like I won't be able to guess anyway," Lelouch smirked.
"Let's just say someone got demoted. He will also be on janitorial duty for the remaining future," Suzaku hinted.
Lelouch winced, "Ouch, I can't say it isn't deserved. Anyone dumb enough to disobey my sister is just asking for it."
"How did you know?" Suzaku asked.
"My sister isn't one to single someone out unnecessarily. That means someone defied an order," Lelouch reasoned. Plus, he already knew what took place.
Suzaku laughed, "I don't know why I even bother trying to hide things from you anymore."
Lelouch inwardly flinched at the phrase. He was hiding quite a bit from his best friend. "If only I could tell you the truth," He sighed.
"Are you okay, Lelouch? Maybe you should get some sleep you sound exhausted," Suzaku suggested.
"Maybe you're right. Will you be coming to school tomorrow?" Lelouch asked.
"I'll probably be late, but yes I'll be there," Suzaku replied.
Lelouch smiled at the prospect of seeing his friend. He always felt better in Suzaku's presence. "Great, I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night," Lelouch said.
Suzaku grinned, "Good night Lelouch."
They hung up in unison.
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End of Chapter