Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
R-eset
Part 5: Spark of a Rebellion
"You should know what this badass mother can do!" –Kallen Kouzuki
Stage 24: A Change of Plans
Rivalz knew what Lelouch could do, especially since he was probably the most badass man alive right about now. He could take down nobles in no time flat in a game of chess, and his wits were the best he had seen. However...
"This is impossible. Completely, and utterly impossible."
The blue-haired woman, Inoue, smiled at his response alongside Minami and Yoshida.
"Oh, trust me kid. If there is one thing we've learned since we met Zero, it's that the bastard never runs out of surprises."
That had been the understatement of the century. Even now, Rivalz still couldn't believe it. Seriously, how in the holy hell did Lelouch get his hands on a freaking submarine?!
"Wow..."
Shirley could only look around, star-struck by everything while Milly seemed more interested in her talk with Diethard.
"Oho, so you were information?"
"Correct. Any information I can get my hands on, I can use to whatever means necessary. I suspect Zero also realizes this to use for propaganda."
"I use information myself actually, though it's more on the terms of tormenting my friends in Student Council."
"Actually, why has Zero allowed three high school students, especially Britannians-"
"Aren't you a Britannian too?"
Shirley asked timidly. Rivalz thought it was strange, but then he recalled Lelouch's alter ego, and understood almost immediately. If there was one thing celebrities had in common, it was that they all had charisma, strength that brought people flocking towards them. 'Gotta wonder how many people are actually in the Black Knights, not just the guys here...' the blue-haired secretary thought in amazement.
Diethard smiled a bit.
"True, but, let's just say I have ways of working."
"Well, to answer your question, Mr. Reed, I have a few methods myself."
"You mean blackmail."
"Hm, maybe~"
Rivalz sighed.
"Trust me on this one, Milly will not hesitate to use any dirt she gets her hands on. She's really scary like that."
A few people laughed at that, enjoying themselves into Ohgi walked into the room, a clipboard in hand.
"Oh, good. Zero wants us to meet in the central room, something about a change in staff."
"I can understand why. The Black Knights have gotten bigger than what I thought possible."
"Inoue has a point. I mean, seriously, I don't think the JLF was this big!"
"Hold up! Does this mean the Black Knights are the biggest anti-Britannian group in Area 11 right now?!"
Rivalz exclaimed, eyes widened. Milly sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
"Well, what do you expect? 'I do not tolerate terrorism, and neither will I force innocents into battle'. The Black Knights are what they are, knights of justice that protect the weak and defend the innocent, while kicking the shit out of any poor bastard that tries to stop them."
Diethard grinned at her remark. 'As expected of an Ashford.'
"Amen."
Every member of the Black Knights had been gathered, all in attendance, and accounted for. Even from where he stood, Lelouch was amazed by the sheer mass of people that had gathered around for the meeting. 'We've made so many changes, and yet, here they all stand, together...' he thought, a demonic grin appearing behind the mask. 'At this rate, our numbers will be as large as they were back when we began our second battle against Britannia.'
"Due to our recent reorganization, and new members, I believe a rearrangement of our staff is in order."
Everyone nodded, believing in the logic.
"Kyoshiro Tohdoh will be our new chief of military affairs."
Tohdoh nodded sternly, a small smile of reminiscent on his face.
"Rivalz Cardemonde, alongside Shoji Akamura, will be placed on technicians. They will repair any and all Knightmares, including the Gekka Pre-Production Test-Type and the Guren MK-II."
Rivalz grinned slightly at this. There were a lot of things he wasn't good at, but when it came to machines, he could make them work better than they ever had. Shoji, one of their newest recruits, chuckled as he flicked his nose. If Lelouch recalled correctly, he used to be an Honorary Britannian working at a motor company. Repairing Knightmares was right up his alley.
"Kaname Ohgi will be my deputy-in-chief."
Ohgi's eyes widened in shock.
"W-wait, you mean me?!"
"Do you object?"
"W-well, no, but-"
Yoshida patted the man on the back with a large smile.
"You were our leader to begin with back when we used to be the Kouzuki resistance cell."
Lelouch smiled briefly when he saw Ohgi resign in admission to his previous occupation before continuing.
"Rakshata Chawla will be the head of research and development. Also, in regards to the S.E.I.T.E.N?"
Rakshata smiled deviously as she blew out a puff of smoke. Kallen, inwardly, was crying tears of joy to have her most trusted partner back in action.
"Expect to see the Crimson Lotus on the battlefield in a week."
"Uh, pardon..."
Rai said nervously, raising his hand.
"But... what's this S.E.I.T.E.N thing?"
"Consider it a monster worthy of it's namesake, Rai."
Lelouch smiled.
"It's full name is Guren S.E.I.T.E.N Eight Elements. Think of it as the successor to the Guren MK-II. Also, in addition to that, you will be receiving a new Knightmare based on the data we gathered with the Pre-Production Gekka. Expect it in ten days."
Rakshata gave off her own grin as she looked at the boy.
"Do take good care of my child, alright? Otherwise, I will be very cross with you."
Rai chuckled nervously, sweat pouring down his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. Lelouch did not blame him. If there was one thing he learned in all of his time, it was that the wrath of a woman is a terrifying thing to face indeed... especially if that woman's name is Kallen Kouzuki, and she is inside of a Knightmare, regardless of generation.
"Diethard Reed, alongside Milly Ashford, will handle all intelligence, espionage, and public relation matters."
This was where a few people began to protest, particularly Chiba Nagisa. He expected this, actually. She was always against Britannians from the start, though he was unaware of the reasons why, but suspected it was due to her history.
"Zero, not to sound racist, but why would you place someone like him-"
She glanced at Diethard.
"-in such a sensitive position? Also, you brought a few students into the Black Knights as well, and all of them are Britannians."
Lelouch sighed mentally. This was where things would get tricky.
"In regards to the students, isn't Kallen Kouzuki a student as well?"
The Kouzuki resistance cell member shifted, but a few agreed with him.
"They were already made aware that Kallen was a member, but they knew that Britannia is wrong."
Suddenly, his expression became morbid.
"You would be surprised by how little it takes for someone to hate their own country, Nagisa Chiba."
The woman's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his words. What he did next was an even bigger surprise.
"In regards to Diethard Reed, what reasons but his talents?"
Lelouch gripped the mask, the metal panels sliding back, and allowing him to remove it. Once his face in all of its glory was revealed to them, there were several mixed reactions. The Kouzuki Resistance was surprised beyond belief. Though they had heard that Zero was Britannian, yet he openly opposed it, they still could hardly believe it. Yoshi and the Yamato Alliance were stunned, but Yoshi nodded in approval, understanding why he would reveal himself. Kallen was shocked, and judging by the look on her face, she was opposed to this action. Rakshata didn't look the least bit surprised, in fact she didn't really seem to care. In a way, she was just like Lloyd, uncaring about anything other than her Knightmares. Diethard was shocked, but soon a large grin appeared over his face. 'Of course... now it all makes sense! Who else would lead a rebellion against Britannia other than an Eleven?!'
The only ones that looked truly stunned were the Ashford cast, and Rai. The poor boy was having a mental breakdown, steaming coming out of his ears, and eyes swirling. 'W-wait, Lelouch is Zero?! How-when-why-what-I don't...' his thoughts were in complete mayhem. Shirley, on the other hand, was blushing madly. 'Lulu... really knows how to look good in a costume. The cravat makes him look like a noble.'
As for Milly... 'Ooh, the things I could use with this. Teehee~ Shirley must be having daydreams like crazy right about now!' she giggled.
Lelouch did not even want to know what the woman was thinking right about now.
All it took was a single shout to throw the room into total and utter chaos.
"What the hell is a goddamn Britannian doing fighting against their own country?!"
Surprisingly, this did not come from hotheads such as Asahina or Chiba. In fact, this came from one of the newer recruits.
"You're just using us, aren't you?!"
"Hey, shut the fuck up, you son of a bitch!"
Kallen growled fiercely, glaring heatedly at the man with the same sort of wrath Lelouch wanted no part in.
"Zero's Britannian, sure, what of it?! He's been helping us win, and he's given us so much! Did you already forget we're inside a submarine?!"
"Damn straight!"
Tamaki huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I don't give a damn who the hell Zero is, hell I wouldn't care if he was just a couple of dwarfs in a body suit! He's been kicking Britannia's ass from day one, you asshole!"
Ohgi was quick to jump in on the supporter bandwagon, glaring slightly at those that were against Zero in the blink of an eye.
"That's true... Zero has been defeating Britannia, ever since he saved us in Shinjuku on that day. If you guys can't handle him being Britannian, then why don't you just quit and go back to Area 11 while we stay and fight for Japan?!"
This took both Kallen and Lelouch by surprise. 'The only time I've seen Ohgi this fierce was back when he learned of my Geass in the original timeline...' he thought, shocked by his devotion to him. 'Have I... truly made such an impact on him already?'
"I agree with the Kouzuki Resistance cell on this one."
The surprises didn't end, as Yoshi was quick to follow their lead.
"True, he might be using us for personal gain, but aren't we using him as well? He needs us because he can't defeat Britannia by himself, even with that Geass power of his, and we need him because we don't have the tactical genius to counter people like Cornelia, or any member of the Royal Family for that matter."
'Geass?' the Ashford cast thought, confused. While the Black Knights were already aware of his power of True Obedience, they did not know of it's existence, nor did they know that their friend could wield it.
Lelouch could only smile at the devotion he had earned, nodding to those that stood with him.
"Thank you for that. As I was about to say before was that, while it is true in some cases that results ultimately matter, I will not, under any circumstance, use anyone for personal gain. Therefore, who you are, or where you come from doesn't matter. However,"
Lelouch whipped out his pistol, holding it by the barrel, and offered it to anyone that was willing to take it. This action surprised the Black Knights, the Ashford Academy crew in particular. After all, he was practically asking for someone to shoot him right then and there!
"My ultimatum from Narita still stands. If any one of you here thinks they can lead the Black Knights then I ever could, then shoot me! Someone! Anyone at all!"
At first, no one tried. Some were still in shock from his words, while others just stared. However, Tohdoh smiled thinly as he walked up to his student. Naturally, this caused a few to look at him nervously. Was he really about to shoot their leader? Kallen and Rakshata watched with interest the most, as they were already made aware that Lelouch had restored the man's memories.
"Kirihara-dono said we could trust you, and we can see why. The fact that you would reveal yourselves to your subordinates, even revealing a power that robs others if their free will, despite the risks, speaks volumes."
At this, Tohdoh whirled around to face everyone, his expression stern and staunch.
"Everyone, listen, all of you! This man has every reason to fight against Britannia, as do all of you! That is why I urge you to follow Zero as well!"
If there were any more complaints or mistrust against Lelouch, they were gone in an instant. After all, the infamous Miracle Worker of Itsukushima had just defended a Britannian, even if he was Zero. Soon enough, everyone showed no signs of defiance or mistrust against him, trusting him without fail.
Once the murmurs quelled, Lelouch holstered his gun and continued.
"If I may be allowed to continue, the captain of the Zero Squad will be Kallen Kouzuki, and the Vice-Commander, Rai."
Rai was snapped out of his shock, and looked confused.
"Zero Squad?"
"Think of it as the royal guard, or in this case, an elite unit under my command. In other words, my personal forces."
Rai was blank at first, but then a smile appeared on his face, smacking his fist into an open palm.
"Yosh!"
"Shogo Asahina will be captain of the first squad, Ryouga Senba will be captain of the second, and Souji Seta the captain of the third."
Souji, a Japanese youth with dark gray hair, looked startled, blinking several times before he allowed the information to sink.
"Me? Really?"
"Lastly, Shinichiro Tamaki will be the joint commander of Zeros' Second Special Forces. Shirley Fenette will be in charge of kitchen duty alongside Inoue, however Inoue will lead the First Special Forces with Yoshida."
Shirley smiled brightly, finally being able to show off her cooking skills. Of course, she was also very nervous, having never cooked for so many people before.
Once the meeting came to an end, Lelouch led a few people inside the briefing room, those being the ones that knew him the most, and the Four Holy Swords. Once they were inside, Tohdoh closed the door behind them, and took his place with his group. Katase didn't really seem to mind the fact that Lelouch was Britannian, however he was slightly suspicious about the boy's attitude and easiness of trusting his subordinates. In all of his years leading the JLF, there were times when you had to keep secrets.
"I have to admit, I was rather impressed with the speech you gave, Tohdoh-sensei."
Lelouch applauded the man. He had his own little speech to give, of course, but even he had to admit, it paled in comparison to Tohdoh's skill of persuasion.
"You would make quite the motivational speaker."
Tohdoh gave a 'hmph' in response.
"You know as well as I do that I would never stoop to so low as that. Motivational speakers are nothing but frauds, worse than politics in my opinion."
Naturally, everyone was stunned. Katase was the first to voice this.
"Tohdoh, you know Zero personally?"
Tohdoh nodded.
"Yes, General. I've known him for seven years, though I have not seen him since after Japan had been stripped of her glory. He trained under my guidance, alongside Suzaku Kururugi."
Urabe chuckled, toying around with the hilt of his katana as he leaned back against the wall.
"Have to admit, it's sort of surprising to see the Miracle Worker know the Man of Miracles."
"Actually, I believe I've heard of you somewhere before..."
Senba frowned, deep in thought.
"If I recall correctly, two children were placed under the care of the Kururugi family, sent to Japan as mere political hostages."
"That is correct, Senba."
Lelouch nodded.
"My sister was blind and crippled back then, and despite being in a land we knew nothing about, we adapted to Japan quickly. Although... Suzaku's right hook was still enough to make an adult dizzy."
The Student Council chuckled at this alongside a few members of the Kouzuki Resistance while Rai was still confused.
"Wait, so... why were you sent to Japan as a bargaining tool? Were you some kind of high-top noble that had connections to the Imperial Family or something?"
Lelouch laughed at that.
"No, not quite."
"Eh?"
"I was a member of the Imperial Family."
Silence...
"Wait, you mean you're royalty?!"
Rai's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, while Diethard stared at the man with a look of reverence. Lelouch smiled as he performed a mock bow.
"Lelouch vi Britannia, formerly the eleventh prince of the so-called Holy Britannian Empire, and seventeenth in line for the throne, at your service."
'And formerly known as the Demon Emperor.' the late Emperor added with a smirk.
"I'm friends with a prince, who is leading a rebellion..."
Rai shook his head, sighing heavily as he placed a hand over his head.
"That is it. I am done. I am done trying to understand. This is just too goddamn confusing."
Rakshata shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, sucking in smoke from her pipe before blowing it out.
"Well, being abandoned by one's country is never a pleasant feeling. Like he said earlier, it doesn't take a whole lot to turn you into a radical."
"So, is you're feelings of resentment towards your country your only reason?"
Katase questioned, narrowing his eyes. However, Lelouch rebutted this statement, his eyes turning cold.
"Britannia, for as long as I could remember, even before my older brother Odysseus was born, followed the principle of Social Darwinism. They believe that evolution is continuous, hence why they constantly take over and subjugate any that they deem inferior to them. The strong devour the weak. Those with power rule, and those without power are tossed aside like garbage."
Rai could only stare at his friend as a dark scowl appeared on his handsome mug.
"In a world like that, where would my sister, who can't even walk, and couldn't see for most of her life, end up? Where would those born into poverty end up? Where would those born with weak constitutions end up? I refuse to live in that world... a world where the weak are crushed underfoot by Britannia."
"That's why you have Geass."
Ohgi said, now fully understanding what Lelouch desired.
"That's why you have the power to control anyone you want."
"Correct. My Geass originally could only affect a person once via eye contact, however now it has reached the point where it does not require eye contact. Rather, they only need to be within my field of vision. Of course, I can make a person immune to my Geass, simply by placing a command on them that forbids any further orders. I make this precaution in case I can't deactivate it, and on the off chance I give an order that I did not intend to give you."
"Oh yeah? Prove it!"
Tohdoh sighed. 'You walked straight into that one, Chiba.'
"Confess your love to Kyoshiro Tohdoh."
The whole room bursted out with laughter. Kallen and Rai were trying their best to hold in their laughter. Rivalz and Milly were on the floor, rolling around with their arms over their stomachs, tears in their eyes. Urabe and Asahina grinned at the order. Shirley's face was bright red. Katase howled in laughter alongside Senba. Tamaki could barely keep himself standing, while most of the Kouzuki Resistance were failing miserably at holding it in. Yoshi and Ohgi were the only ones that raised an eyebrow, looking confused by the whole thing.
As for Chiba...
"Y-y-y-you bastard!"
"There, do you see?"
Lelouch gave a shit-eating grin, something he normally wouldn't do. He just chalked it up to being around C.C. a bit too much.
"I couldn't make you follow that order, now could I?"
Lelouch had another reason for that grin. He knew that by showing them his Geass, he was practically gambling with their trust. However, by revealing it to them in such a manner, he had only strengthened it, and earned a few new supporters.
In other words, a victory. Honestly, why hadn't he done this earlier?
"Well, all of this talk of Geass aside, I believe there are a few more important things to discuss?"
Rakshata broke the silence that followed after Lelouch's demonstration (and Chiba's utter humiliation).
"Specifically about young Rai here?"
"Eh? Wait, what about me?"
"Sorry for doing this behind your back, but I took a blood sample and gave it over to Rakshata. We managed to get some results, and, well... I had my suspicions, but this went beyond them."
Shirley's had the brightest smile Lelouch had ever seen, second to that of Nunnally.
"That's great! So, who are his parents?"
"Well, before that, you should know that he is apparently just like Kallen."
"So... I'm half-Britannian and half-Japanese?"
"That indeed you are. However, what I found to be surprising is that your mother is none other than the older sister of one Genbu Kururugi."
"Huh?! You mean-"
"Yes, you're Suzaku's cousin."
Rai blinked, unable to process it properly. Unfortunately, the surprises did not end there.
"As for the Britannian half... you may want to sit down for this."
"Why?"
"Because... you're father is Charles zi Britannia."
Once again, total silence...
"...I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right. Who did you say my father was?"
"Rai, you're real name is Kaizaren von Britannia, the twelfth prince of Britannia, and eighteenth in line for the throne."
Everyone in the room stared at Rai with large eyes. The poor boy himself was stunned, falling into the chair behind him with a clear look of disbelief.
"I... I can't believe this... How the hell..."
Lelouch shrugged.
"It's a shock for us as well, I imagine. I had not been made aware that the Emperor had an affair with a Japanese woman, much less someone from the Kururugi family. Of course, this just means your status as Nunnally's surrogate brother has just been promoted to half-brother."
Rai stared at Lelouch for a few seconds before a grin broke out on his face. 'There, that is much better...' Lelouch thought, smiling inwardly. 'I rather prefer seeing a smile on his face rather than that look from earlier.'
The moment was turned away once Diethard spoke up.
"Zero, there is one other matter we should discuss."
Lelouch already knew where this would go.
"In regards to Suzaku, you mean."
"Yes. He's become a focal point among the Elevens who support Britannia. I recommend assassination."
The Student Council, along with Rai, leapt to their feet.
"Like hell we are!"
"Yeah! I mean, Suzaku's our friend!"
"There's no way Lulu would go along with this!"
"We are NOT going to kill him."
Unfortunately, Diethard did not budge.
"Suzaku Kururugi's latest position of becoming the knight to Euphemia li Britannia has made him appear as a sort of hero to Britannia, at least to the Elevens' eyes. He is also proven to be a formidable opponent on the battlefield, and now that he has been revealed as such, there's no chance of them holding back of when they face us again. Assassination might be the best thing to do."
Tohdoh was already against it. Of course, this was a given. The boy was his student, but even more than that, he trusted Suzaku with his life. This was made apparent after he learned of the Zero Requiem with everyone else. Since then, he had did whatever he could to make amends to his sin for going against Lelouch. Not only had he failed as a soldier, but he had also failed as a teacher as well.
He would not make that mistake again.
"I disagree with this plan. Perhaps he is a threat, but if he is killed, it will be blatantly obvious that the Black Knights are responsible. The people of Japan would never condone such an act, and we would surely lose support."
Lelouch nodded his head.
"Indeed it would. I will not agree to this plan. Besides,"
He couldn't hold back that grin anymore.
"It would be a shame to lose such a valuable informant, now wouldn't it?"
Cue the shocked looks.
"Wait, what do you mean by that, Lelouch-er, Zero?"
"In private, you can call me by my real name, Ohgi. As to what I said earlier, I told the Kouzuki Resistance that Suzaku Kururugi would not come with us."
His grin became as demonic as it had when he met with Kirihara at Kyoto for a second time.
"I said nothing about him not joining us."
Diethard's eyes widened to the point where it seemed like they would bulge, and the Student Council from Ashford Academy looked at him with looks of relief and shock.
"Wait, Lelouch, you mean that-"
"Yes, Milly. From the very day I donned the name Zero, Suzaku Kururugi had always been a member of the Black Knights. And do you know the best part?
"I didn't even need Geass."
"I've already made a deal with the devil." –Lelouch vi Britannia
And Kamine Island is up next on the agenda! This chapter is pretty long, almost as long as my debut chapters. But, holy shit man! Are you fucking kidding me?! My story has reached an all new high! Seriously, did Lelouch cast Geass on my fans or what?! XD Just Kidding. Man, does it feel good to be back!
I'm finally out of rehab, but I do want to take it slow. Hence, I will be updating on a routine schedule. My next update will be Infinite Stratos: For Answer, and after that, it will be Lucian of the Paradox. I also sincerely apologize if this chapter seemed rush to you all. I will try to make it up with the confrontation between Alice and Rai at-
Wait, shit! Forget you heard that!
That is all!