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Code Geass: Rei of the Revolution
Chapter 32: Island of the Gods
Lelouch woke up on the coast. He had no idea where he was. He could tell this was an island, but something about this land seemed... different. He scanned the coast. As he did, he found Euphemia, completely unconscious.
'Euphemia?' Lelouch thought.
Over at Shikine Island...
Bartley looked completely distressed. Princess Euphemia was gone. She was just gone, along with the Club that she was riding on as well. The situation was truly dire indeed. Search parties were all over the island trying to find her. If Cornelia were to find out, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and she'll have his head or worse.
Cecile looked at the dried up bloodstains on the sand. It was confirmed. This was Suzaku's blood. He couldn't have died here, right? There's no way he could be dead, right? First Lloyd is captured, the Lancelot has been stolen, then Rai and the Club go missing, and now Princess Euphemia was gone too.
"He's a tough Knight. It will take more than blood loss to kill him." Durandal said. "I'm sure the Elevens said that Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to elude death, be it from divine intervention, dumb luck, or by his own sheer indomitable will. If such a man could evade death at every turn no matter how close Death comes, than so can he."
"I know... but... what if we do find and it's..."
"Hush now. You mustn't think those thoughts. They invite only weakness." Durandal said.
"But I can't be in denial forever." Cecile said. "Denying that he could possibly be dead would only make the pain much more bitter."
"Then have hope. Hope that he still lives." Durandal said.
He looked to the grounded Avalon. Kanon was outside the doors that had opened.
"I assume Lord Schneizel wishes to see me. Is that so?" Durandal asked.
"Yes." Kanon said.
"Good, I've wanted to talk to him." Durandal said. "I saw that the Jack tried to tackle the Avalon."
"That he most certainly did. We're just glad that the Gawain wasn't hit and that the Jack missed his mark." Kanon said. "But if that shot went down a few meters, he would have hit the Yggdrasil Drive reactor and the Avalon would be blown to bits and Britannia's prized aerial vessel would have been a smoldering wreckage."
"Damage report?" Durandal asked.
"We has to seal off some blocks and put out some fires. Nothing major." Kanon said.
"Good. It would be ashamed if that shot killed the ship that is Avalon." Durandal said. "King Arthur would surely be pissed if the island where his sword was once forged got blown to bits."
Kanon didn't laugh, not a single chuckle.
"Sorry, I forgot you were worried about his highness." Durandal said.
On the Submarine...
Rei was just outside Suzaku's cell. Lloyd didn't seem to care about Rei's presence. Suzaku merely looked away in shame. Rei felt shame coming from Suzaku. Especially feelings of regret, sadness, and encroaching despair.
"Suzaku... I'm sorry that things had to be like this." Rei said. "I never wanted to be your enemy. I never once wanted that. It's just that on the day of the Shinjuku incident, I—"
"Stop it. I don't deserve your kindness..." Suzaku said. "I already made it obvious to you that I killed my own father and made your life a living hell, just about as much as I did to anyone who did or didn't rise up against Britannia."
"Suzaku..." Rei said. "Listen, I know that killing someone is wrong and that can affect a person who has killed someone in battle. I know that feeling."
"And yet you didn't seem to hesitate in killing several other people." Suzaku said.
"And I tried to avoid killing people as well."
"Then what about Darlton?" Suzaku asked. "Did you even know that he had a family?"
"Huh?"
"The Glaston Knights. They are Andreas Darlton's sons, all adopted from an orphanage since his wife died of an illness." Lloyd said. "You killed their adoptive father who taught them well in the arts of warfare and they'll want you dead. Vengeance can drive people to going to any low to get back at the ones who wrong them."
"He... he had a family?" Rei asked.
This epiphany brought dread into his soul. Sure, he knew every soldier has a family, but he never thought that he'd kill a man who actually had kids waiting for him.
And seeing as how that man had a wife who died, the adoptive children of that man had to take care for themselves.
"And that wasn't the only horrible thing you did." Suzaku said. "There were wounded in G-1. The one you blew up on Narita."
Even more dread creeped in. Rei looked to his hands. They were shaking.
"I... I... I thought... no... I..." Rei stammered.
"The truth is that you murdered quite a few people who couldn't even get out of the G-1." Lloyd said. "And you call yourself a knight for justice, how ironic."
"I... I didn't know..." Rei said. "I just... I thought that..."
"Hell, I bet you're just fighting for Zero's praise." Lloyd said.
"No! It's not that!" Rei said. "I... I..."
He didn't understand. He felt conflicted. Tears began to well up. Rei choked on a few sobs.
"I didn't mean to make them feel pain... I didn't mean it... I..." Rei said. "Father... Mother... I... I don't know what to do..."
"You can forget about talking to your dead parents. They won't listen. They're up in heaven." Lloyd said.
"Lloyd." Suzaku cuts in.
"Oh don't try to act like Cecile right now." Lloyd said. "I already have her trying to make me be a little bit more sensitive to people's feelings already."
"But these are his parents you're talking about." Suzaku criticizes his superior.
"So, what's a few dead Eleven—"
"My father was a Britannian..." Rei interjected. "He was a scientist and Britannia... they... they killed my father and my mother!"
That last bit caught Lloyd's attention.
"Father? Britannian? A scientist at that?" Lloyd asked. "Must have been on the wrong side then."
"As if it was about that..." Rei said. "All I know was that his name was Neilson Augus."
Lloyd quickly stood and looked at Rei with sudden a change in expression. He looked with his eyebrows raised.
"You... I get it now." Lloyd said out loud. "It all makes sense..."
"Huh?" Rei looked to Lloyd.
"I know him. I know that man. He used to work at the Imperial Colchester Institute as a professor in neurology, only to leave on the grounds of being... married." Lloyd said. "By god, he wasn't lying... you really are his son..."
Rei looked shocked.
"You... know my father?" Rei asked.
"Why of course I do. I met him myself." Lloyd said. "To think you are his son... I'm not sure how he'd react if he saw you working with the Black Knights..."
What Lloyd said might have gotten Rei back to his senses. He was beginning to think rationally now.
"Did he... did he tell you about the Overman Theory?" Rei asked.
"Well... yes, but I... I just regarded it as a theory and nothing more than—"
He stopped.
"Wait... what are you getting at?" Lloyd asked.
"Well... I... I'm an Overman." Rei said.
The irises in Lloyd's eyes shrunk. He looked in shock. Suzaku looked to Lloyd and then back to Rei. He was heavily confused by all of this.
"Suzaku, I think that theory is no a reality..." Lloyd said. "Do you know what this means now?"
"I... what... what the hell is going on? What the hell is he talking about?" Suzaku asked.
Lloyd looked good Suzaku.
"Have you ever heard of ESP?" Lloyd asked. "It is called the sixth sense, a sense that mankind has yet to touch. The ability to sense and feel from the human mind."
Lloyd looked to Rei.
"And he... he has obtained that ability. And with it, he has become a being that surpasses all humans." Lloyd said. "The Overmen are said to possess abilities that surpass mankind. And from what we've seen with our previous encounters with him, it is no wonder why Zero would have him as a student and a pilot of the White Beetle."
"To have the perfect soldier out in the field of battle..." Suzaku said.
"Exactly..." Lloyd said. "Overmen would make excellent soldiers. Maybe even better than the Knights of the Round."
"That's right." Rei said. "And because of that, they killed my parents."
Suzaku looked to Rei. Now he felt ashamed. Ashamed of himself for not knowing any of this. If he had known, he could have...
"Rei, I..."
"No... I know. There was nothing that could be done." Rei said. "I must go now. My friends... they need me."
He turned and left. Lloyd sat against the wall while Suzaku watched as Rei walked away.
As Rei walked away, he couldn't help but feel sorrow coming from Suzaku. He knew Suzaku wanted to make things better, but all of this made things more difficult for him. He knew what Suzaku wanted. He knew Suzaku wanted to die as a means to atone. He wished there was a way for him to convince Suzaku to join the Black Knights. He wish he knew of a way to do that. He suddenly sensed a powerful force. He looked around. Something was calling to him, and it was... it was coming from the southwest.
Meanwhile...
On the Avalon
Durandal looked at the Gawain. It was a prototype. A good one at that. A two seater Knightmare Frame for one commander and one pilot. While it was mighty, it was obviously incomplete for reasons that are obvious to him. The Hadron Cannon was incomplete and therefore impossible to control. The blooming effect of the hadrons causes the beams to scatter into blasts. Until that system was perfected, using it was a risky gamble. The prototype float unit integrated on the cockpit block has been tested and works just as much as the float system does in the Avalon.
He looked to Kanon.
"So, I'm assuming you brought it here for a heavily particular reason." Durandal said.
"Yes." Kanon said. "The Druid System onboard the Gawain was preprogrammed to investigate an ancient artifact that has become an object of great interest to Prince Schneizel. He believes that all of our recent and future conquests must be centered around this thing."
"So that means there must be more and that the Empire is trying to amass these things across the globe." Durandal said. "And if we find them all, then what?"
"Once we fully understand what they are and what they can do, then we'll know their purpose." Kanon said.
"I see..." Durandal said.
Back on the Island...
Euphie woke up and looked around. She had no idea where she was or what happened at all. All that she did know was that there was something off about this island. She began to look around. It seemed she was alone. There was no one on the rocks or behind the trees. She began to think back on a lot of things.
Among those things was Lelouch.
Lelouch...
That's right.
Zero was Lelouch.
He was alive. But now...
The mannerisms, the hatred for the Royal Family, his intellect, the compassion from his voice, the signs were there and this was the message they conveyed. Intentional or not, there was no doubt about it. Her half brother was alive all this time, hiding either in plain sight or in the shadows.
She understood why he had became this way. It was because of what happened to his mother and sister. He must be looking for revenge. That must be why he's doing all of this. It was to find the one responsible and kill that person so that his mother could rest. He was acting much like Cornelia. Then there was the war seven years ago. He must have been caught in the crossfire and, after seeing so much destruction, he sought to put an end to it all by fighting against Britannia.
She knew there was bloodshed in the ongoing war against the Eleven guerrilla groups, but what she had seen completely defied her expectations. She never thought war could have ever been this destructive. The White Beetle showed her the true ramifications of war. The sheer brutality, the deaths of so many lives, the sheer destruction left in its wake, all imprinted unto her through the White Beetle. Then there was that boy. He had to witness death at every corner and managed to survive the bloodshed that flooded Area 11. It furthered her resolve to bring peace to Area 11.
She heard pebbles falling from the rocks behind her and turned around.
As soon as she did, she saw Zero up on a cliff above her.
Just as he was about to reach for his gun however...
"Lelouch!" She called out.
He stopped so suddenly.
"Lelouch... I... I know it's you. Please, before you shoot me, before you take my life, let me those eyes of yours once more." Euphemia said. "All I ask is that you let me gaze into your eyes once more before you take my life."
No response. The masked man stood frozen before standing with less intensity. He took off his mask and there those violet eyes shined. That pitch black hair retained its length.
It was Lelouch. He was alive. All those years and he...
"So, what gave away my secret identity? Was it my fascination of the color black? My intellectual abilities?" Lelouch asked.
"No." Euphemia said as tears flowed from her eyes. "I guess it's because I know you more than anyone else..."
Lelouch merely chuckled.
"I really underestimated you, didn't I?" Lelouch asked.
Back on the Submarine...
Command Room
"Southwest?" Ohgi asked. "You mean there's something out from the southwest that's calling to you?"
"Yeah..." Rei said. "It feels... incredibly powerful..."
"But there is literally nothing in that direction!" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Not necessarily." Todoh said.
"What do you mean?" Diethard asked.
"Just before the war, there were strange reports of an island that was just discovered in the Izu Islands." Todoh said. "However, it wasn't made public when the war started."
"And how do you know this island exists?" Izumi asked.
"To be honest, I was the first one to hear of it. If whatever is calling to Rei is in that direction, then maybe the island does exist and that there is something on it that is calling to him." Todoh said. "That airship went in the direction Rei spoke of, so maybe we should go and investigate."
"Alright then, we head there. If we do find it, we'll have to send Rei out there since the Byakuen is the only underwater Knightmare we have." Ohgi said.
Back on the Island...
Kallen had restrained Rai and had a gun pointed at his head.
"Easy! Easy! Jesus christ Kallen! I wasn't looking!" Rai said.
"That's not the problem here." Kallen said. "You're in the military and I—"
"Oh come on! I would never sell you out! We're in the student council for gods sake! Now put it away before you blow my head!" Rai said. "Seriously! I have no idea how I got here, who brought me here, or even why would anyone bring anybody here!"
"Then how exactly did we end up in the same spot on this island then?" Kallen asked.
"I SAID I DON'T KNOW!" Rai yelled.
Kallen thought about this situation through. She didn't know how any of this could have occurred and Rai doesn't know anything either. She relented and kept Rai's arms tied up.
Elsewhere on the Island...
Lelouch and Euphie were sitting on the beach. Euphie had taken her dress off and had Lelouch's cloak around her.
"So... did Cornelia—"
"No. She wouldn't do it." Euphie said. "She admired lady Marianne, you already knew that, didn't you?"
Lelouch was surprised.
"I know it's been seven years, but figured that's the first question you'd ask if we actually met after seven years had passed." Euphie said. "I know you better than Cornelia does."
"Yes... that is... that is quite true indeed." Lelouch said. "Nunnally is at school in Ashford."
"Ashford? Oh, you mean Ashford Academy is where she is staying at?" Euphie asked.
"Yes, but not in the dorms." Lelouch said.
"Oh... that's nice." Euphie said. "You go to Ashford too, don't you?"
"Well I have to watch over her." Lelouch said. "Say... did Suzaku—"
"Oh my god!" Euphie gasped. "Is Suzaku okay?!"
"Yes, your boyfriend is alive." Lelouch said.
Euphie blushed upon hearing that.
"Oh... uh... wait, where did you get that—"
"Mentally on the other hand... he's going to need either months or years of therapy." Lelouch said. "At first I thought it was just him being stubborn for no reason but now... ugh..."
"Is this about his father?" Euphie asked.
"He killed his father." Lelouch said.
Euphie gasped.
"But... he—"
"Euphemia." Lelouch said. "When I was there with him, when I took my mask off in front of him, hoping that he'd join me upon recognizing me, I saw the side of him that he was hiding from everyone this entire time."
He turned to Euphie, who was still in shock.
"I'm not sure if I made it worse and odds are I may have broken him at a really bad time." Lelouch said. "If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have taken off the mask in front of him. Him thinking that I long forgotten about my desire for vengeance was practically the only thing that might have been keeping him sane. But now... now that illusion is gone and for all I know, he may never be the same again."
"Lelouch... I... I'm sure he... I mean... I..." Euphie stammered. "Wait... what about the boy?"
"The boy? Oh... you mean Rei." Lelouch said. "I... I'm sure he's doing fine."
"You told me the Red Moon took him in, right?" Euphie asked.
"Yes, I did." Lelouch said.
"Then you know he's involved with the Black Knights." Euphie said.
"True, but—"
"Is he at school?" Euphie asked.
"Of course he is." Lelouch said. "Euphie, if there's something you're not telling me, I think now would be a good time to get it off your chest."
Euphemia was silent.
SLAP!
Lelouch was slapped without warning. He saw rage in Euphie's eyes. Those gentle eyes of hers were filled with rage. Never before had he seen such rage.
"Euphie?" Lelouch asked.
"So you want to know what has been on my chest? Fine! How's this then?!" Euphie exclaimed. "A child soldier in the Black Knights of all things! An orphan with nowhere left to go and he could have stayed with you if he wanted to, but not as a member of the Black Knights!"
"Euphie, listen to me—"
"NO!" Euphie snapped at him. "He is a child! A child! Just old enough to be Nunnally's age! He's been killing people, Lelouch! He almost killed me! He almost killed Suzaku and he almost killed my sister!"
"He lost a family. He wasn't going to be put through that all over again." Lelouch said. "He'd rather die than let everyone else die to protect him."
"Well, how do you explain that conversation he had with my sister then?" Euphemia asked.
"Stubbornness." Lelouch said.
"No, Lelouch. That's not it." Euphemia said. "HE DOESN'T LIKE FIGHTING YOU MORON!"
Lelouch looked shocked.
"What? No..."
"Lelouch, have you ever asked him what he truly liked?" Euphemia asked.
"But... he stayed with the Black Knights—"
"Because he wanted to spend time with you, a man who spends half his time planning strategies and thinking about politics and the other half caring about his sister! SOMETIMES BOTH!" Euphemia said. "And don't even pretend that there are others who could care for him."
"Euphie... I..."
"Lelouch, I honestly hope that my feelings are wrong and that you actually do care for him." Euphie said. "I really do. But if I'm proven right, I'm not sure what to think anymore."
Euphie turned and walked away. Lelouch stood there and watched her walk away.
Night...
The Avalon touched down on a clearing near a cave on an island that was near Shikine island. The soldiers were forming a perimeter around the Avalon while the Gawain was parked inside the cave with a Sutherland. There was an ancient structure left in this cave. It looked like a temple of some kind. Schneizel was amazed at the architecture.
"Hm... I wonder, are these really—?"
"Yes. Shortly after we took Area Eleven. We found that thing." Bartley said. "Whatever mysteries it holds, I believe that is why Britannia has been on these recent conquests."
"I see..." Schneizel said. "So he means to possess these structures. But for what purpose?"
"That I do not know." Bartley said.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait everyone! Now then, onto things that you guys are probably thinking about.
Euphie being a mom
What can I say? She acts mother-like in ways we can see... throughout the story.
Lloyd and Augus
Lloyd needs to have someone he can respect (if he respected anyone).
And that's all I got. Stay tuned.