Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. Damn, a lot of you guys REALLY hate Villetta, though I can't say I blame you considering how she acted in R2. Her whole character arc was pretty one-dimensional, and her redemption didn't feel natural at all. However, things are gonna change in my story, quite a few things actually. I won't go into details just yet; you'll have to wait and see as this whole story plays out. So, with that being said, let's get started.
What is Evil?
The battle at Port Yokosuka had ended only a few hours ago and it was just barley dawn. All Britannian, Decepticon, Black Knight, and Autobot forces had retreated and there was only rubble everywhere, save for the maze of cargo containers. However, it wasn't completely abandoned as a single ambulance drove quietly through the maze with Ohgi in the driver's seat and Tamaki in the passenger seat.
Tamaki gave a huge yawn. "It's way too early for this, I don't even know why we're here again."
"Come on Tamaki, you heard Zero." Ohgi told him. "Someone might have seen his face, so were here to find that person."
"From what Bumblebee has described, it was a woman, a Britannian though he didn't appear to have a clear look at her face." Ratchet informed as he continued to drive.
"Didn't Bee say he shot her though?" Tamaki questioned. "If Knightmares are blown away when Bots shoot them, what are the odds some random Britannian bitch is actually gonna survive that."
"We can't afford to leave any loose ends, Tamaki." Ratchet explained. "If there's a possibility this woman learned of Zero's identity we need to understand how, if there are others working with her, possibly even the Decepticons, it could have disastrous affects for us in the future."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Tamaki grumbled. "Just wish I had a coffee." He muttered the last part.
Ohgi looked out the window, he still found it hard to believe: Zero was not only a Britannian, but a kid who looked around Kallen's age! It was no wonder he had to hide his face, but he honestly would have never guessed it. However, whatever the reason he had for fighting Britannia and the Decepticons, he knew it was genuine: he saw the look in his eyes, his rage is real, and someone who understands rage also knows sorrow. Whoever Zero was, Ohgi trusted him, he would even follow him into Hell if he had to. However, there was also something else on Ohgi's mind that he felt he had to ask.
"Hey Ratchet… sorry for asking this but… what exactly happened to Bumblebee's voice?" Ohgi asked.
"Yeah, I've been wondering that myself." Tamaki also said. "You and the other Bots speak just fine, but he only speaks in bleep."
Ratchet paused a moment before answering. "His voice box was… severely damaged in battle."
"How?" Ohgi asked.
"How do you think? Tragically of course." Ratchet began. "It happened during the War for Cybertron, at Tiger Pax. Our brave scout was captured by Megatron's forces and interrogated, but he refused to provide intel… and paid a grave price for his courage." Ohgi and even Tamaki winced slightly, having a good idea what Ratchet meant as Ohgi instinctively held his own throat. "Bumblebee was left for scrap, but Autobot troops found him and evacuated him to a triage facility. I was there, I did all I could to save his life, and while I did I… I couldn't repair his voice box."
Even Tamaki looked rather sympathetic as he had nothing to say. Ohgi however did. "Well… you still saved his life. It's thanks to you he's still with us today, so… I'd say you did good."
"I… I appreciate that Ohgi, I do." Ratchet acknowledged truthfully. "But… I feel as though… I could have done better."
Before this could continue, Tamaki glanced out the passenger's window and spotted something that caused him to look in surprise. "Hey Doc-bot, pull over!"
Ratchet did just that, Tamaki was the first to step out of the ambulance, followed by Ohgi before Ratchet transformed into his natural Cybertronian form. They looked in surprise at the ground as they found the body of Villetta lying flat. There was some blood coming from her back, and one could see even severe burn marks on not just her back, but the back of her legs and even her elbows.
"Think she's who we're looking for?" Ohgi wondered.
"She's a woman and a Britannian, so yeah I'd say so." Tamaki assumed. "She dead?"
Ratchet performed a quick scan to measure her vitals. "She's alive, barley."
"Is it possible to save her though?" Ohgi asked.
"Huh, never thought I'd hear those words coming from you Ohgi." Tamaki said in honest surprise.
"Tamaki, you know why. We need to know if she tracked Zero." Ohgi said immediately.
Ratchet transformed back into his ambulance form and opened his backdoor. "Put her inside." Ohgi and a reluctant Tamaki picked up the barley-living Villetta and pulled her into Ratchet's vehicle form before he drove off.
Ashford Academy
It was still incredibly early, but Shirley hadn't slept at all since she came back from Port Yokosuka. She sat at her desk in her personal dormitory and appeared to be writing some kind of note, while still having the same pistol she got form Zero… no, the one she got from Lelouch in front of her. Her thoughts were in such a jumble, the only thing she could do was shed tears as she crushed the note in her hand and threw it away.
"Shirley…?" She gave a small gasp as she quickly hid the gun away as her roommate woke up. "What are you doing up so early? Is that a letter?"
"It's… uh… oh it's nothing." Shirley lied as she tried to hold back her tears as to not worry her roommate.
"I bet it's a love-letter, huh? Something special for Lelouch?" Her roommate teased.
Shirley did her best to hide the pained look on her face. "In a way…"
Later in the Afternoon – Student Council Room
"You wanna meet Princess Euphemia?" Suzaku questioned in surprise as he, Rivalz, and Milly sat on the couch while Nunnally was next to them as well as they looked to Nina in surprise.
"To thank her…" Nina stuttered. "I just wanted to thank her…"
"Rai stood up for Nina during the hotel-jacking, but when those terrorists were gonna shoot him for it, she stood up and said 'I'm Princess Euphemia!'" Milly explained as Nina had a small blush on her cheeks.
"Really?" Suzaku was a bit surprised.
"I'd want to meet her to!" Rivalz said excitedly.
"Why is that?" Milly questioned.
"She's a real princess! I can marry into royalty!" Rivalz exclaimed with a wide grin, causing Milly to look unimpressed.
"I'm sure you'll never meet her with such impure motives." Nunnally said rather bluntly.
"Impure?!" Rivalz hung his head in disappointment. "That's a little harsh, isn't it Nunnally?" He immediately turned to Milly. "You're on my side, aren't you Madam Pres…" He was about to lean his head on her lap, but she pushed his face back with a rolled-up magazine.
"Don't kiss up to me just because Lelouch isn't hanging around." Milly commented. "Nunnally saw right through you and so do I."
Nunnally giggled slightly. "Anyway, I'd like to meet Princess Euphemia to if I could." That especially caught Suzaku and Milly's attention. They were aware of the fact Euphemia was their half-sister, but at the same time, they knew the danger that could happen if something like that was arranged.
Even though she was blind, Nunnally could almost sense something on Suzaku's mind. "Oh, what's the matter Suzaku?"
Suzaku winced slightly. "Oh it's just… she's a member of the Royal Family and…" The phone suddenly rang, and Suzaku was the one to answer. "Hello? Ashford Academy Student Council."
"Suzaku?" Lelouch asked on the other line with some hesitation.
"Lelouch?" Suzaku was happy to hear his voice, which also caught Nunnally's attention. However, no one appeared to notice Arthur underneath the coffee table reaching his paw out at the phone cord.
"Is… is Shirley there…?"
"Shirley? I… No, she's not." Suzaku answered. "In fact, I haven't seen her at all today, like she never even came to class. In fact, I haven't even seen Kallen or Rai today either." Lelouch didn't respond, something that made Suzaku concerned. "Hey… you still there…?"
"Yeah, I'm still here." Lelouch replied. "Listen, something's going on and I'm going to be home late tonight, if it's not too much trouble, can you stay with Nunnally please?"
"Uh yeah I don't see a problem with it but… Lelouch you've been cutting classes pretty frequently." Suzaku said. "If something's wrong I can help."
"Don't worry, I've got plenty of help. And thanks."
"No problem I…" Suzaku almost lost his grip on the phone as Arthur pulled down on the cord. "Hey Arthur! Put that down!"
The Ark
Lelouch heard Suzaku's struggles as the line was disconnected, likely the cat causing trouble again. Lelouch, still clad in his Zero outfit, just without his helmet, hung back against a wall in the hallway of the Ark as he gave a sigh. So, Bumblebee was right, Shirley did see him at Yokosuka. His hand shook for a moment before he calmed himself and put his Zero mask back on. Right now, there was something that needed his immediate attention.
Zero turned a corner and came towards the med bay with Ratchet standing just outside as this specific med bay was for humans and he was too large to fit, they'd probably have to fix that later but that can wait. Zero glanced up to Ratchet who gave a nod.
Zero walked into the med bay where Ohgi, Tamaki, and Fixit were waiting. In one bed was Villetta, who was hooked up to machines to measure her heartrate and other vitals, along with an oxygen-mask over her mouth.
"This is her?" Zero asked.
"Yeah, we didn't find anyone else at the port." Ohgi answered.
"Her condition has been stable, so she'll live." Fixit reported. "However, it may be some time before she fakes up… makes up… wakes up!" He glitched.
Tamaki gave a slight scoff. "A human who actually survived being shot by an Autobot. Well she's tough, I'll give her that."
"Who is she?" Zero asked.
"I looked up her information." Fixit began as he pulled up her info on his own tablet-device. "Villetta Nu, she's a member of the Pureblood faction. However, given all our recent activities, she may very well be the last of the Purebloods."
Tamaki smirked. "Serves them right."
"Keep monitoring her, the second she wakes up let me know." Zero told them.
"Right, don't worry we'll keep you informed." Ohgi assured as Zero quickly turned around and left.
The Bridge
Zero walked onto the bridge, taking of his mask as he saw Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, Cliffjumper, and Bulkhead all waiting for him, while Kallen, C.C., and Rai climbed down onto the floor from the lounge-area to meet him.
"Where's everyone else?" He asked.
"Ironhide and Wheeljack are assisting the JLF in delivering more Knightmares from Kyoto to the Ark." Optimus responded. "Katase seemed quite elated now that the Japan Liberation Front has been integrated into the Black Knights."
"Almost all of them." Bulkhead said. "No sign of that Tohdoh and those Holy-Sword guys yet."
Lelouch said nothing but nodded in response. He would be lying to say if he wasn't worried a bit for Tohdoh, he was one of the few people he had respect for and he would be an excellent addition to the origination; that is if Britannia or the Decepticons didn't find him first.
"So, our suspect has been found?" C.C. asked.
Lelouch nodded. "A Pureblood, the last one. Her condition is stable, but we don't know when she'll wake up."
"But if she's the last one, it's not like she has any partners helping her then." Cliffjumper said.
"What about the Decepticons?" Arcee wondered.
"Doubt it." Kallen stated. "They're called the 'purebloods' for a reason; meaning they hated pretty much anyone who's not a Britannian."
"The odds that one of them forsaking their pride and seeking alien help is pretty low." Lelouch agreed.
"So, when she wakes up, you'll use your Geass on her right?" Rai asked.
"That's not an option anymore." Lelouch informed. "I already used it on her back in Shinjuku, that's how I was able to get a Sutherland, in fact that might be how she became suspicious of me."
'huh, I was wondering how you got that.' Kallen thought.
"[It's true. I saw him use it on her back then.]" Bumblebee confirmed.
"So, what do we do with her?" Bulkhead asked.
"I feel that it may be best that we keep her in our custody." Optimus said. "Until we know of how she was able to suspect Lelouch, we should keep a very close eye on her."
"Well that solves one of our problems, but what about the other one?" C.C. wondered.
"You mean Shirley?" Lelouch got right to the point.
"So, she did see your face." Kallen said with a serious expression, knowing that this could turn into a big problem if they didn't deal with it soon.
"[Yeah, she did. She might have also found out I'm his car since I transformed when I got her out of there.]" Bumblebee added.
"I just called Suzaku and she wasn't even at school today." Lelouch informed. "We need to find her, as soon as possible."
"Yes, that is obvious. But what are you going to do if you find her?" Arcee questioned. "In her eyes, you're the same person who killed her father, so I don't know if she'd be willing to listen to you. I know I wouldn't."
"Just kill her and be done with it." C.C. said rather bluntly, causing every person and Autobot present to look at her in surprise, even Optimus was stunned.
"No way!" Rai exclaimed immediately. "We're not gonna do that! We don't kill innocent people!"
"He's right, didn't you get the memo." Bulkhead said with a glare in C.C.'s direction. "We're not the Cons."
"Well if that's the case, then just have Lelouch use his Geass on her and simply make her forget. Problem solved." C.C. pointed out as Lelouch's own eyes widened slightly before he looked away with a conflicted look on his face.
"How about… instead of doing that… maybe we bring her here?" Rai suggested. "And show her that we're not the bad guys…?"
"I don't see a problem with that." Cliffjumper seemed to agree. "I mean, we do have some Britannian citizens voicing their support for us."
"Really?" Arcee questioned unceremoniously. "Bring a traumatized schoolgirl into an alien ship filled with giant alien robots and armed soldiers?"
"Yeah… I'm gonna have to go with Arcee on this." Kallen agreed. "It might be too much for her to handle at once."
"[Especially considering she was literally in a warzone and five feet away from Starscream last night.]" Bumblebee added.
Optimus noticed the conflicted look on Lelouch's face and seemed to understand what he was feeling. "One thing remains certain, we must find this girl, if only to ensure her safety." This got everyone's attention. "If she truly was present at our battle last night, there is also a possibility that the Britannian military or even the Decepticons have noticed her as well, and they may potentially target her. Lelouch you must find her, and I feel it is best that Kallen and Rai accompany you."
"Us?" Kallen asked.
"So far as we know, she doesn't know you two are involved in the Black Knights." Optimus explained. "Therefore, you may help to mentally ease her, and she'd be more willing to listen to Lelouch."
"Yeah, makes sense." Rai seemed to get it.
"Alright, let's go." Lelouch looked to Bumblebee who gave a nod before transforming into his vehicle mode.
"I'm coming to." C.C. said as she walked to join them.
"Seriously, why do you wanna come? It's not like she knows you." Kallen stated with a slight narrow in her eyes.
"I'm coming to help ensure Lelouch's safety as he is my contractor." C.C. replied.
"That's not necessary, I've got an Autobot with me." Lelouch replied as Bumblebee gave a honk on his horn for emphasis.
"I'm still going with you." C.C. insisted.
Lelouch sighed as Rai spoke next. "Alright, we don't really have time for this. But…" He glared slightly at C.C. "If you do anything to hurt Shirley, I'll be the first one you answer to."
"Noted." C.C. nodded as all four humans got inside Bumblebee and he drove off.
Arcee shook her head with a sigh. "I'm starting to have second thoughts about C.C. staying here."
"Well I mean it's not like she can do anything that can actually hurt us." Bulkhead pointed out.
"I'm not so sure about that." Arcee contradicted. "She was able to give Bumblebee visions, so it looks like this Geass stuff can affect Cybertronians."
"Bee also said that girl went through some pretty intense stuff." Cliffjumper said. "She's lived much longer than most humans, and if I'd live for so long and go through the same kind of stuff that she went through… I don't know what I'd do."
"I agree that C.C. is a rather… interesting individual." Optimus put it pretty mildly. "But that is all the more reason to keep her with us, so that we may keep a close eye on her."
"I understand that… but I just can't help get this feeling that she's hiding something." Arcee commented as she glanced in the direction Bumblebee drove off with the other humans, including C.C.
Area 11 – Viceroy Royal Palace
Cornelia sat in her own personal throne with Euphie sitting on a throne right next to her as Darlton and Guilford stood in front to give a report. Dreadwing was also present as the throne room itself was large enough for him to stand in. Though Cornelia wasn't too comfortable with it, she could safely say that Dreadwing was pretty much the only Decepticon that didn't drive her up the wall.
"In this last operation, and also at Narita, the enemy was specifically targeting you, your highness." Darlton spoke to Cornelia.
"Eliminating the enemy leader is a standard tactic." Cornelia responded.
"They also eliminated Prince Clovis." Guilford added.
"Zero is not merely fighting Britannia, he and the Autobots are targeting the Royal Family and they want blood."
"I disagree." Dreadwing said immediately. "If that were the case, Zero would have eliminated Princess Euphemia during the hotel-jacking. He would have been smart enough to recognize her back then; but instead of executing her or holding her hostage he let her go with the other civilians."
Euphie instantly recalled her meeting Zero during that same event. He felt so familiar to her, and yet whenever she even thought about him… a great sadness filled her heart, but it wasn't just because of the fact he killed Clovis.
"What exactly are you saying, Dreadwing?" Cornelia narrowed her eyes slightly in his direction.
"The Autobots are not bloodthirsty warriors, especially not their leader." Dreadwing explained. "Optimus Prime has very strong code of honor, and while he has taken lives before, he never bears his enemy any malice. I've battled him in the past, and he has never once harbored any grudges toward me or any comrades that I might have known."
"He may be right." Guilford seemed to agree. "Not only did he spare you Viceroy during your duel with him…" Cornelia narrowed her eyes even further, but still allowed Guilford to speak. "But we also discovered that the Narita population had been completely evacuated the day before the operation… but we weren't the ones to order that evacuation…"
Cornelia looked somewhat confused. "Zero and Prime have made enemies of our empire and yet they continue to spare and save our subjects?"
"Because that is who Optimus Prime is." Dreadwing said. "He may be my enemy, but he would never endanger the weak."
"You sound as though you admire him, Dreadwing." Cornelia looked in his direction with a hint of distrust evident in her eyes.
"I respect him." Dreadwing replied. "And it would seem this Zero character may have the same standards as him; hence why they are working together."
Cornelia merely sighed before turning to her younger sister. "Regardless, I don't want you leaving the Settlement until this crisis has been abated."
"Why not assign a knight to her?" Guilford suggested.
"A knight?" Euphemia asked.
"Yes, if we assign one knight as a permanent sentinel, then we can build a complete royal guard unit around him." Guilford explained. "As Sub-Viceroy, Princess Euphemia has the right to a personal champion."
"While I don't believe Prime would have a reason to specifically target Princess Euphemia, perhaps I can serve as her guard." Dreadwing proposed; surprising both Euphemia and even Cornelia, even Darlton and Guilford were a bit surprised themselves.
"Oh? And just why should I allow that Dreadwing? Give Megatron a reason to monitor my sister?" Cornelia questioned almost spitefully.
"Lord Megatron did not suggest this, the idea only came to me just now." Dreadwing replied. "I trust Princess Euphemia enough to know she will select a warrior capable enough to protect her, but until then I can act as a sentinel myself to ensure her safety. That is, if you would allow me, Princess Euphemia." Dreadwing bowed his head toward the younger princess, who still had a surprised expression on her face.
"I don't…" Cornelia was about to protest, but Euphie had already spoken.
"It's fine." Euphemia said immediately, surprising her older sister and the two knights present. "I don't mind, really. In fact, I would be honored if Dreadwing were to stay by my side. I trust him." She smiled at the Decepticon, who in turn had a small smile of his own.
Cornelia could at least admit that Dreadwing was pretty much the only Decepticon she's seen to have something of a code of honor and could see that he didn't have any ulterior motives, unlike Starscream.
"Alright, if you feel he is capable, I trust your judgement." Cornelia gave her sister the approval she needed, causing Euphie to smile as Dreadwing bowed his head to Euphemia as well.
"Viceroy, if I may…" Darlton spoke up. "And speaking of the situation we are facing… forgive me for being blunt but… I feel as though it has gotten out of control. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Autobots and the Black Knights… Area 11's military has suffered substantially. The Purebloods have all been wiped out and… Guilford and I are… the last of the Glaston Knights."
Guilford, Euphemia, even Cornelia and Dreadwing gave silent yet sympathetic looks towards Darlton has he had lost all five of his adopted sons. Darlton pushed his emotions back as he maintained a professional standing.
"I feel that we may need to contact the homeland to supply reinforcements." Darlton continued. "I mean no offense Dreadwing but… even with the aid of you and the rest of the Decepticons… it's best that we resolve this as soon as possible before other Areas begin to rebel; perhaps even the Chinese Federation and the E.U. could attack as well."
"No offense taken." Dreadwing assured. "You are correct, our enemy grows in strength and numbers virtually every day."
"Darlton, are you suggesting we possibly contact Marrybell and her Glinda Knights?" Cornelia asked.
"Actually, I believe we may need to look even higher than that." Darlton said. "I believe that we should request for the assistance of the Knights of the Round."
Euphie gave a small gasp as Guilford and even Cornelia were surprised at how drastic Darlton was sounding with a suggestion like that.
"Knights of the Round?" Dreadwing asked in confusion. "Please forgive my ignorance."
"The Knights of the Round are Britannia's best Knightmare pilots, the strongest and most talented soldiers in the entire Empire." Guilford explained. "Even more so than Viceroy Cornelia."
"They are only called in when absolutely necessary." Cornelia said, without voicing a disagreement to Guilford's statement, implying that he wasn't exaggerating. "And… as much as I… hate to admit it… we could use their help. I've lost to our enemy three times already… I'd rather not suffer a fourth humiliation."
"I see." Dreadwing seemed to understand, it seemed like a logical choice.
"Now, is there anything else we need to discuss?" Cornelia asked her knights, as well as Dreadwing.
"No, you're highness." Darlton said, as even Dreadwing shook his head in confirmation.
"Very well." Cornelia said. "I'll contact my father immediately and make the request for the Knights of the Round to join us…" She stood up and was about to walk out.
"Wait, Sister…" Euphemia cleared her throat before speaking again. "Viceroy… There is something I need to discuss with you. Dreadwing, Guilford, Darlton, you to."
"What is it?" Cornelia asked as all four of them gave her their undivided attention. Euphemia stood up as she pulled out a file folder, she had been carrying with her for some time. "For the past few days… there have been rumors throughout the Settlement… of a monster roaming the ghettos."
"A monster?" Guilford questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"At first, I thought it was just a rumor so… I requested for the police in the area to investigate." Euphemia explained as her body began to shake. "They went into the Saitama ghetto first and… and…" She stuttered. "They found…. This…" Her hands continued to shake as she handed the file folder to her older sister.
Cornelia noticed how her younger sister was practically quaking, causing her to look confused and concerned. She took the file from her hands and opened it to see its contents. The second she saw it, her eyes widened as she even gave a gasp. She even let go of the folder and allowed all the photos inside to fall to the ground as she covered her mouth with one hand to prevent herself from throwing up. Darlton and Guilford saw the pictures as well and looked absolutely horrified, even Dreadwing zoomed in with his optics and was beyond appalled.
The photos were all of dismembered bodies. Men, women, even children; all of them had been butchered, gutted, skinned alive; organs and blood laying everywhere, as well as severed heads and limbs. It was like something out of a horror film, but since these were photographs of something that actually happened… it made it all the more disturbing.
"Those rumors… they're true. Something is in the ghettos…" Euphemia stuttered as she was the most visibly shaken by this. "Something… monstrous… I… I think we should send our forces to see…"
"No." Cornelia said, causing Euphie to look surprised, even shocked at what her sister just said; even Guilford and Darlton were rather surprised.
"Cornelia…"
"Has any of this been happening in the Settlement or is it only the ghettos?" Cornelia asked.
"Only the ghettos but…" Euphemia answered.
"Then it's not our problem." Cornelia said, causing Euphie to look even further shocked. "I'll admit this is… rather graphic but… our first priority is to protect our own civilians, not the Numbers." She turned around and proceeded to leave the throne room, with her knights reluctantly following her. "Besides, since Prime and Zero have such a soft-spot for them, I'm sure they can handle it."
"Cornelia!" Euphie tried to call to her, but she had already left the chambers. Euphie just stood there in shock. While she knew that Cornelia held no love for the Numbers, but to let them be butchered like this when she clearly can do something to stop it…
"Princess Euphemia." Dreadwing got her attention. "I will look into this. Whatever is causing this in the ghettos, it isn't human. It must be dealt with, and I'll be more than happy to see to it personally."
Though the pink-haired Princess was indeed grateful for Dreadwing's support, she didn't feel comfortable with him going alone. "Dreadwing, thank you but… please don't take any offense by this… I know you can handle yourself but… how would you like it if I assigned a partner to join you?"
"Who do you have in mind?"
Camelot Division
"This thing about saving people's lives…" Cecile began as Lloyd worked on computer in front of the Lancelot. "At first, I thought he was just being… you know, sensitive. But now… with all that's happening… and him joining the Decepticons… it's starting to feel more like an obsession."
Lloyd helped himself to a cup of pudding. "His performance data is still solid, right? Not to mention him joining up with Megatron might be the best thing that's ever happened to us. I can't wait to get my hands on some Cybertronian goodies."
"You can't just treat him like he's simply one cog in the machine. We have to deal with the human issue first." Cecile told him.
"Human issue? What do you mean?"
Cecile looked in surprise to see Suzaku on the ground, though Lloyd carried his casual smile. "Aha, Suzaku we were just talking about you. So, what brings you back here?"
"You tell me." Suzaku replied as Cecile and Lloyd climbed down to meet him. "I got a call from Dreadwing telling me to come here. But… he's not even here?"
"Dreadwing?" Cecile asked in surprise. "It's been a while since I've last seen him."
"It wasn't just Dreadwing, Suzaku."
All three of them looked to see Princess Euphemia enter the hangar, though Suzaku and Cecile were beyond surprised, Lloyd had his usual look on his face.
"Pr… Princess Euphemia!" Cecile stuttered as she and Suzaku quickly bowed.
"Please… don't be so formal with me." Euphie raised her hand and allowed them to rise.
"So, what can we do for the pretty little Sub-Viceroy of Area 11?" Lloyd asked casually.
"Lloyd!" Cecile scolded.
Euphemia ignored them and looked directly at the young man in front of her. "Suzaku, I have a mission for you."
"A mission? Suzaku asked in surprise as Cecile was also a bit surprise and Lloyd looked intrigued.
"There's… been a string of murders in the ghettos." Euphemia began. "But honestly… calling them 'murders' is actually putting it mildly."
"What do you mean?" Suzaku asked. "Er… your highness."
Euphemia said nothing as she handed Suzaku the same file folder she handed her sister. He opened the contents as he, Lloyd and Cecile looked at the same photographs inside. Suzaku's eyes were so wide they were almost circular as his jaw dropped in horror. Cecile gasped as she covered her mouth with both her hand and her eyes shook with terror. Even Lloyd's smile faded as they saw the graphic content inside.
"That's just gross." Lloyd said rather bluntly.
"This has been happening all over the ghettos." Euphemia explained. "There is a monster inside and… I want you to put a stop to it, Suzaku."
"Me?" Suzaku couldn't contain his surprise.
"Aha, so we're monster hunters now." Lloyd mused amusingly.
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, shouldn't you try talking to Viceroy Cornelia about this?" Cecile asked.
"I've tried, but she didn't listen to me. She says the ghettos aren't her priority." Euphemia answered as she looked down in grief briefly.
"Makes sense, discrimination against the Numbers is the Empire's priority." Lloyd said.
"Lloyd, be sensible for once!" Cecile exclaimed. "This… this is… just horrible…"
"That's why I'm here now." Euphemia said as she gained a determined look on her face. "I already spoke with Dreadwing and he agreed to find whatever creature is causing this. I want you to join him Suzaku. In fact, I'm ordering you Suzaku Kururugi… find this monster and stop it."
Suzaku was surprised at first before a serious and determined expression formed on his face as well. "Yes, your majesty."
Ashford Academy – Girl's Dormitories
Shirley's roommate, now under the influence of Lelouch's Geass, continued to stand outside guarding the dorm room as Kallen and C.C. continued to search the room. Both of them wore casual clothes, well Kallen's was more casual, while C.C. dressed rather fancily with a red and black dress, a small hat, and her hair in two large pig tails.
"You know… for someone who has no qualms about killing, he doesn't seem very comfortable with going through a girl's room." C.C. commented as she looked through the dresser.
"Just shut up and keep looking." Kallen grumbled as she wasn't comfortable with invading someone's privacy as well.
"And what exactly are we looking for?" C.C. asked.
"His gun, or something to show us where Shirley is." Kallen answered as she looked through the desk.
C.C. sat down on the bed with Shirley's diary in her hands. "There's no sign of the gun here, and her diary goes up to the fourteenth."
"The same day her father died." Kallen muttered, still feeling a bit guilty about that, however when she picked up a small box, it slipped from her hands and the contents spilled on the ground; revealing them to be pictures of her and Lelouch, and even some photos of just Lelouch himself. Kallen kneeled down to try and pick them up when C.C. smirked.
"Is that a look of jealousy on your face, my dear Kallen?" The immortal teased.
"None of your damn business!" Kallen said immediately as she hid a small blush. "Let's just stay focused, alright?!" She glanced down and saw a schedule-book of the monorail lines in the Tokyo Settlement. She noticed there was a bookmark on a page and opened it, but when she did, she looked in surprise to see one destination highlighted. "Narita?"
Outside
Lelouch and Rai waited in the parking lot, right by Bumblebee's vehicle mode as Kallen and C.C. both stepped out.
"Well, what did you find?" Lelouch asked.
"The gun wasn't there, but it looks like she's going to Narita." Kallen handed Lelouch the schedule-book, causing him to wince slightly as that was where her father passed away.
"Bumblebee, how long will it take for us to drive there?" Rai asked.
"[At my top speed, about an hour.]" Bumblebee answered. "[Problem is, my top speed is way faster than any car here on Earth, so I'd basically be giving us away. It would be easier if we use a Groundbridge.]"
"Yeah, good idea." Lelouch agreed, but he felt his phone ring and looked in surprise at the Caller ID. "Suzaku?" Kallen and Rai looked in surprise, and even Bumblebee was a bit stunned as Lelouch answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey Lelouch, it's me." Suzaku spoke into the phone. "Listen, I know I said I'd stay with Nunnally tonight, but something came up with work and I can't miss it."
Lelouch's eyes narrowed as he had a good idea what he meant; the Decepticons had another job for him. "It's fine, I'll handle it, thanks for letting me know."
"No problem. See ya." He hung up.
"[Lelouch?]" Bumblebee asked.
"Change in plans." Lelouch began. "Kallen, I want you stay here and stay with Nunnally tonight. Rai, C.C., you come with me and Bumblebee to Narita. In fact, I also want you to call in Arcee and Cliffjumper to help you."
"Wait… why me?" Kallen asked.
"Because I still don't know how that Pureblood woman could connect the dots to my identity, or if she's working with anyone." Lelouch explained. "Worst case scenario, I know the three of you are more than capable of protecting her. Kallen, I need you to do this for me, please."
Kallen saw the pleading look in his eyes and understood. "Alright, I'll call them, and we'll stay the night. Let me know what happens with Shirley."
"Will do, and thanks." Lelouch smiled.
"Come on, we need to go!" Rai urged as he and C.C. were already inside Bumblebee. Lelouch got into the driver's seat as Bumblebee drove off.
Narita
There was still plenty of construction to clear out the landscape and demolished buildings below the mountain. But Shirley wasn't paying attention to any of them. The schoolgirl was at a memorial constructed for all the soldiers who died in the battle, but to her, it served as a memorial for her supposedly deceased father. She carried a bag with her, and in the bag as the same gun that she kept with her.
So many thoughts ran through her head; Lelouch, the boy she had a crush on was secretly the masked terrorist known as Zero. The one who killed her father, but also the one who saved her life at the hotel-jacking. Not only that, but his car was apparently one of those Autobots that she saw on the news. But who were those other giant robots they were fighting? Why was Lelouch even fighting in the first place? What in the world is going on?
"Yes, what is going on, anyway?"
Shirley turned around in surprise to see a man in a white coat with a visor over his eyes and a pair of headphones over his head. The same one that had been spying on Lelouch and C.C. the past few days. The man clapped his hands as he had a sinister smile on his face.
"A very fine memorial. Isn't that right, Miss Shirley Fenette?"
The Ark
The Autobots and Black Knights were helping those of the Japan Liberation Front get situated in the alien ship that would serve as their base. More Knightmares had been brought in, up to the point where they had twice as many as before, already the Black Knights alone had become the biggest Anti-Britannian group in Japan, and that's not even counting the potential the Autobots were capable of. Even though they were on different sides before, the JLF seemed to be getting along with some of the BKs, including Tamaki. But even more surprising, a few former JLF soldiers even hit it up with the Autobots; particularly Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Cliffjumper. Even Ironhide said he'd help them with training so that they can better match the Decepticons.
Katase walked onto a catwalk on the Ark's bridge, now in a Black Knight uniform of his own, where he saw Ohgi on the same catwalk talking with Optimus. He politely waited for them to finish speaking before he got their attention.
"Excuse me Optimus Prime and… Ohgi was it?"
"Yeah?"
"I… I just wanted to thank you… both of you… for everything you and Zero have done." Katase began. "You saved our entire army in Naritia, and even last night at Port Yokosuka." He gave a humble bow. "So please allow me to thank you. If it weren't for you, the Japan Liberation Front would probably be dead, and the spirit of Japan with it."
"We only did what was necessary, General." Optimus nodded. "But you are welcome."
"Also, allow me to express my deepest apologies for the actions of Kusakabe." Katase still kept his head bowed.
"But that wasn't your fault." Ohgi tried to tell him. "It wasn't like you guys told him to do that, right?"
"No, we did not authorize his actions back then." Katase confirmed. "I tried to keep the Japan Liberation Front on a path of honor, to keep us from becoming the terrorists that Britannia tried to make us. But… he went against our code… and brought shame upon us. And as a leader, I have to take responsibility."
"I understand." Optimus did really understand as he was a leader himself. "But, we are here now and I can promise that we are careful in who we choose to join our ranks. We will not tolerate terrorism or oppression of any kind, and you are more than welcome to join us, General Katase."
Katase smiled humbly. "And you have the complete support of Kyoto?" He asked.
"Indeed, we do." Optimus confirmed.
"Good, because we need to locate Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords as soon as possible." Katase said. "They're our best soldiers, and I know Tohdoh can more than provide assistance to you, even against those Decepticons."
"We spoke with Kyoto and they've got their eyes peeled." Ohgi informed. "The second he's spotted, they'll let us know."
"That's good." A new voice spoke. Optimus, Katase, and Ohgi looked to see Diethard walking in on the catwalk in his own Black Knight uniform. "After all, with the likes of Zero, Optimus Prime, General Katase, and even Tohdoh the Miracle Worker all working together, support for us will go through the roof."
"Who is this?" Katase asked.
"Diethard Ried, he's in intelligence." Ohgi summed up.
"However, I feel that Britannia and these Decepticons might not be too happy about it." Diethard continued. "Given the Empire controls one third of the world, not to mention the Decepticons possess powers and weapons that make even the most advanced Knightmares seem like cheap toys in comparison, we still have a long road ahead of us."
"We do." Optimus confirmed. "We face a strong enemy, however, the Black Knights and the Autobots are just as strong themselves."
Diethard had something of a smirk on his face. "And I look forward to seeing you in action again." He turned around before walking away.
Katase narrowed his eyes. "I know you said your careful with who you bring into your ranks but…"
"You don't have to say it, there's just something about him that gets you on edge. I feel the same way." Ohgi would be lying if he didn't say that he didn't completely trust Diethard.
"I don't believe he has any intentions of sabotaging us, however, I assure you that he is being closely monitored." Optimus could tell that Diethard wasn't a spy for Britannia, but he also had a good feeling that he wasn't just here to bring freedom to the Earth either.
Bumblebee drove out of a Groundbridge portal and onto an empty highway street some distance away from Narita. Lelouch sat in the driver's seat with Rain the passenger's seat, and C.C. in the backseat.
"So, have you thought about what you plan on doing once we find her?" The immortal asked Lelouch.
"Actually yes, I'm going to tell her everything." Lelouch answered, causing Rai and even C.C. to look at him in surprise. "Who I am, why I became Zero, and why I need to fight."
"[What us and the Cons?]" Bumblebee asked, quite surprised himself "[Do you also plan to tell her about your Geass?]"
"Yes." Lelouch responded with a serious expression as he looked out the window.
"Don't you think that might be a much to unload on her all at once?" Rai asked.
"That's what you're worried about?" C.C. questioned in an annoyed tone of voice.
"What do you mean?" Rai questioned back.
"Lelouch, you do realize that if you tell her who you are, there is a strong possibility she could go to the police or even the military and tell them of your identity!" C.C. pointed out. "You may not care about your own life all that much, but what about your sister's? You do realize by doing this you're placing her in danger as well, correct?"
"If that's the case, I'll have Nunnally moved to the Ark. I'm certain she'll be safe there." Lelouch responded.
"[But that would mean you'd have to tell Nunnally about us to.]" Bumblebee pointed out.
"I'm actually considering that." Lelouch revealed.
"Wait… you're serious?!" Rai questioned. "You wanna tell Shirley and Nunnally?!"
"I'm tired of lying to her like this." Lelouch said honestly. "I swore to Nunnally I'd never lie to her."
"Well, technically you're not saying anything dishonest to her…" Rai began. "You're just… avoiding certain details."
"Still… if things escalate with the Decepticons, I might not have a choice." Lelouch replied. "In regard to Shirley… she's a good person, and I caused her so much pain. Even if she hates me… she deserves to know the truth, but what she does with that truth is complete up to her."
"You do realize you can avoid all this trouble by simply using your Geass on her." C.C. pointed out.
"I won't do that, not to her." Lelouch said. "Because… that sounds like something my father would do." His fists clenched. "And I refuse to become anything like him!"
Bumblebee was actually impressed by this; Lelouch had no intent of removing Shirley's free will with his Geass even if she ended up hating him, showing not just how much he cares about her, but also how much he is beginning to value the freedom of others.
"[You know Lelouch… you're really starting to sound like an Autobot.]"
Lelouch was mildly surprised at first but had a humble and grateful smile. "Thank you… Bee."
C.C. shook her head with a bit of disappointment. "If you have someone you don't want to lose, it's always best to keep them at a distance."
"Are you speaking from experience?" Rai asked her with a concerning look in his eyes.
The immoral merely looked out the window. "No, it's a way of life."
"[Yeah? Well speaking for my experience, it's always best to keep those you care about closer to you.]" Bumblebee pointed out.
Naritia
"He's a cruel man, isn't he? Lelouch." The man in white said to Shirley, causing her to back away slightly.
"How… how do you know about Lulu?" Shirley was starting to get a little nervous.
"Awe, he deceived you, never told you he's Zero." Shirley gave a gasp as the mysterious man continued. "Zero, the masked wearing superhero who travels with giant robots and saved you and all your friends from terrorists is also the same man who ordered the death of your father." Shirley's eyes wavered as she was more than a little scared right now.
"Who are you… what do you want…?"
"You're so confused, aren't you?" The man in white continued. "'But he told me how his mother died, and how it cost his little sweet sister her eyes and legs! How can he be a murderer like Zero if he's so kind and honest?!'" He mocked Shirley, as if he was reading her very thoughts. "Well, let me tell you, you really don't know him at all, do you? He's a very bad man, and you like it. Why else would you stop yourself from shooting him back at Port Yokosuka, right?"
"How… how do you… how do you know all this…?" Shirley stuttered.
"I know everything about you Shirley." The man smiled deviously. "Like how you forced yourself on him after daddy died. You used your own father's death for your own gain."
"No… I just… I just…" She continued to stutter as her emotions were in a storm right now.
"Quite the cunning woman, aren't you? You knew he'd feel sorry for you, so you played it for all it was worth."
"No! You're wrong!" Shirley shook her head.
"Tell me, what do you think is a fitting punishment for him?" The man continued. "He killed your father, how about you kill his sister to? It's only fair, don't you think?"
"No! I wouldn't! She had nothing to do with it!" Shirley exclaimed.
"How do you know? How do you know sweet little Nunnally isn't in on it? How do you know she's even blind and crippled? It's so sad, you claim to love Lelouch, but you really don't know him at all."
"Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it!" She fell to her knees as she clenched her head.
The man's smile faded slightly. "I see, you really don't wanna kill him or his sister… you're really that head over heels for him? Fine." He reached into his coat and pulled out a cloth in one hand and a bottle of chloroform in the other. "If you love him so much…" He poured the substance into the cloth. "I'll be sure you spend all eternity with him…" He smiled malevolently once more. "…in the afterlife!"
Before Shirley could even respond, the man shoved the cloth in her face and covered her mouth as he held her arms to her sides. She kicked and struggled, but he was too strong, and no one was close enough to hear her muffled screams as the chloroform soaked in.
"Sshhh, sshh, breath it in…. and just relax." He lulled as she felt her body weaken and her eyes felt heavy. "That's it…. Sleepy time…. Ssshhh." After a few more seconds, Shirley had complete lost consciousness.
The mysterious man sighed in disappointment. "I'd hoped I could manipulate you into killing him, but I guess I'll have to go for a more direct approach." He unzipped Shirley's bag to see the gun. "But… that doesn't mean we still can't make it fun." His malevolent smile reformed.
Shinjuku
The sun was already starting to set over the Shinjuku ghetto as Dreadwing flew over it in his jet-mode. His scanners didn't pick up anything as he continued to fly however. He soon contacted his partner.
"Suzaku, I have yet to detect anything unusual." Dreadwing informed him. "However, given the pattern and trails of the previous ghettos our 'monster' has attacked, it's reasonable to assume that this ghetto is likely our prey's current residence."
"I understand." Suzaku responded as he rode the Lancelot slowly down an abandoned subway tunnel, the lights from the white Knightmare's shoulders providing illumination in the dark. "I'll look underground while you keep your eyes in the sky."
"However Suzaku, if you happen to find our monster before I do, contact me immediately and we'll deal with it together. I don't want you acting on your own when we have no knowledge as to what we are dealing with." Dreadwing instructed.
"Alright, I'll contact you if I find something." Suzaku replied as communications ended and the Lancelot continued its search. As it did however, Suzaku was left alone with his thoughts as he couldn't believe this was happening. Shinjuku had already been through more than enough with the massacre when he was reunited with Lelouch, but now this?! Just who or what could possibly be responsible for this?! And why?!
However, the Lancelot's systems beeped as it detected something. Suzaku brought the white Knightmare to a slow halt as it turned down toward a tunnel on the right, the second its lights shinned, his eyes widened as Suzaku saw what appeared to be enormous spider webs strung across the walls and ceiling.
"Are… are those… spider webs?" Suzaku questioned before a serious expression on his face formed. Something told him that whatever he was looking for was down here. He drew one of his Knightmare's MVS blades and slowly proceeded down the tunnel to cut down the web and clear his path.
Suzaku continued along this path for about five minutes, however, he didn't seem to notice that he wasn't alone in this tunnel. There was something crawling on the ceiling above him quietly and keeping a close eye on him with ominous purple eyes.
The Honorary Britannian and first human Decepticon came to a halt in the Lancelot as he saw a wall of webbing, but Suzaku gave an audible gasp as to what was in the webbing. People! More than a dozen of them, and… they were all dead. No, 'dead' was putting it mildly; they were butchered! Severed limbs laid on the ground as heads were stuck on the webbing, some bodies were cut in half with the upper halves stuck on the web and hanging like trophies while other limbs, the lower halves of the bodies, and even some organs laid on the ground, rotting with flies buzzing all around. While he did already see photographs of the same sort of thing, seeing it in person, even through the perspective of a Knightmare, was another story all together.
"My god…" Suzaku muttered as he covered his mouth to swallow the bile that was building up in his throat.
"Your god had nothing to do with this."
Acting on instinct, Suzaku went into action as the Lancelot swung its MVS at the source of the unknown voice behind him, but the entity leapt back to avoid the slash. The Lancelot's headlights shinned to reveal the monster that was responsible for all these brutal murders: the former Decepticon known as Airachnid.
She gave an amused hiss as she shot red Energon blasts from her palms at the Lancelot, but it was quick to activate its blaze luminous shield before rolling straight at Airachnid at high speeds, but she was able to leap to the tunnel's ceiling and stick to it with her spider legs to avoid the slice from the MVS, she leapt back down the tunnel further to avoid the slash harkens that shot at her as the Lancelot drove in pursuit.
Once Airachnid made it into the open tunnel outside her den, she shot webbing from her palms to hit the right foot of the Lancelot, halting it's advance much to Suzaku's shock as Airachnid leapt back onto the ceiling before jumping down and slamming her legs onto the Lancelot to pin onto the ground, while also knocking the single MVS out of the Lancelot's hand before she restrained the white Knightmare even further with more webbing.
Suzaku struggled with the controls but found the Lancelot was just about immobile. He tried to contact his comrades. "Dreadwing! Lloyd, I found…" However, Airachnid sliced into the neck-shoulder area of the Lancelot with one of her spider-legs to sever the communications.
"Nuh, uh, uh." Airachnid waved her finger. "Can't have you calling for help, now can I?" Suzaku glared as Airachnid loomed over the Lancelot, her own face just inches away from the Knightmare's head. She also noticed the insignia inscribed on the shoulder. "Well, this is a surprise. I've heard some radio chatter about a human being integrated into the Decepticon ranks, but I never imagined that they would actually do it."
Suzaku glared further, but his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the same insignia on Airachnid's chest. "You're a Decepticon?!"
"Ex Con." Airachnid corrected. "After Cybertron went dark, I decided to go off on my own, and it's much more fun. Gives me some leeway to pursue my own hobby. Call me Airachnid."
"Tell me, 'Airachnid'… Have you been responsible for all the murders in all the other ghettos?!" Suzaku demanded.
"What gave me away?" Airachnid teased, which all but confirmed she was the monster responsible.
"Why?! Why are you doing this?!" Suzaku questioned. "What do you have to gain from all this senseless bloodshed?!"
Airachnid only looked a bit confused. "What do I have to gain? Nothing really, just passing the time."
"What…?" Suzaku asked in shock. "Passing the time?"
"Everyone needs a hobby, this is mine." Airachnid answered simply.
"A hobby…? A HOBBY!?" Suzaku practically screamed. "You butchered dozens of innocent people! Children even! How can you possibly be okay with that?!"
Airachnid actually smiled in amusement. "Oh looky, an idealist. I didn't think the Decepticons had any left, not with what Megatron did to Cybertron."
That caught Suzaku off-guard. "What… what are you talking about? Megatron tried to save Cybertron? The only reason it's now uninhabitable is because the Autobots refused to stop fighting!"
Airachnid laughed in response. "Wow. You really are kept in the dark, aren't you?"
However, before Airachnid could continue, a missile shot past her, forcing her off Suzaku as it exploded deeper in the tunnel. She, as well as Suzaku, looked in surprise to see Dreadwing flying down the tunnels in his jet-mode before transforming and delivering an airborne punch to Airachnid's face and sending her flying and skidding across the ground.
She tried to pull herself up but was forced to use her spider-legs to propel her onto the ceiling as Dreadwing immediately drew his heavy Energon cannon and opened fire. She leapt along the ceiling to avoid the blasts before coming to a hole at the top, which she climbed into to avoid the blasts and find cover closer toward the surface.
Dreadwing then put his cannon away as he drew his blade to cut the webbing off the Lancelot, allowing Suzaku to stand up.
"Kururugi, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Suzaku confirmed. "Dreadwing, how did you find me? She severed my communications?"
"I heard your call before it was severed." Dreadwing explained. "Asplund was able to track your Knightmare's signal and I came as soon as I could." He looked toward the hole where their prey escaped. "I knew that our quarry was likely an entity not of this world, but I never imagined that it would be Airachnid."
"You know her?" Suzaku asked in surprise.
"Not personally, but I knew of her." Dreadwing confirmed. "This was the first time I'd seen her with my own optics."
"So… she is a Decepticon." Suzaku's tone was that of somber. How could Megatron accept someone like her into a noble cause?
"Former Decepticon." Dreadwing made sure to put an extra emphasis on the 'former' part. "Now she is a rogue, and as such, she must be dealt with. We will capture her and bring her to Lord Megatron where he will undoubtedly deliver the proper punishment. Let's go."
Dreadwing proceeded to run down the tunnel in pursuit of Airachnid, but Suzaku hesitated for a second. However, he followed Dreadwing none-the-less while his head was still in a jumble after what Airachnid had just told him.
Ashford Academy – Student Council building.
"There, what do you think?" Nunnally smiled as she held an origami crane in her hands.
"Well… it's better than mine." Kallen chuckled nervously as she held what could only be described as a crunched-up ball of paper. "Sorry, but origami was never my strong suit."
Nunnally giggled slightly. "You know, I'm a little surprised that you decided to visit."
"Well… Lelouch asked me to." Kallen began. "You… heard what happened with Shirley's father?"
A saddened frown fell on the younger girl's face. "Yes… it's so sad."
"Well… that's kind of the reason he's out." Kallen explained. "Lelouch and Rai are… trying to help Shirley adjust."
"Oh…" Nunnally wasn't sure how to respond to that.
Kallen sighed. "Nunnally listen… I… I know about you and Lelouch. I know the two of you are a former prince and princess of Britannia and I know what happened to your mother." Nunnally gave a small gasp at that revelation. "Lelouch told me… but I promise I'm not going to tell anyone. I'm pretty good at keeping secrets."
"It's okay… I believe I just… didn't expect Lelouch to open up like this." Nunnally said. "He's always so secretive, I even feel like that he's distancing himself from people a bit."
"Well… actually it's the opposite." Kallen explained. "He and I, and a couple of our friends, we've met some other people and… they're helping us to open up and see things through a different perspective." A small smile fell on the red-head's face. "They're really good people."
"Lelouch told me how he's made some friends recently." Nunnally said. "I'd really like to meet them sometime."
"Well, you'd certainly get a kick out of them, that's for sure." Kallen joked a bit. "But seriously, I'm really sorry for what happened to you two and… for your mother. I know what it's like… recently my brother passed away."
Nunnally gasped. "Oh my gosh… Kallen I'm so sorry."
"Thank you." Kallen replied truthfully.
"It's… it's so sad… how much loss people are going through." Nunnally looked as though she was on the verge of crying. "Why can't the world be a gentler place?"
Kallen sighed. "Truth is, there are just bad people out there. But… that doesn't mean there's still good in the world. I may have lost my brother, but I've gained so many other friends, I'm not alone and…" She held Nunnally's hand. "You're not alone, and neither is Lelouch. I promise I'll be here for both of you, whenever you need me."
Nunnally smiled as she put her other hand on top of Kallen's. "Thank you Kallen."
Naritia
After arriving at the ruined city, the group decided to split up and find Shirley. Lelouch went in one direction, Rai in another. Bumblebee would drive the perimeter of the area with C.C. Lelouch himself walked through a path in between some ruined buildings, he winced slightly as he saw them knowing he was directly responsible for that. However, he knew that while he did arrange for the city to be evacuated, he understood that there are some things that remained outside his control, including Shirley's father. But regardless, he still promised himself he'd protect her and had every intention of keeping his word. His thoughts were interrupted as his phone rang.
He gave a gasp and saw that the Caller ID was from Shirley's phone. He immediately answered. "Shirley, I'm here. Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Shirley can't come to the phone right now. She's a bit tied up."
Lelouch was surprised to not only hear that someone else was on the other line, but that the voice was also coming from behind him. He turned around to see the same man in white who kidnapped Shirley before his arrival.
"Who are you!?" Lelouch demanded. The man said nothing as he threw Shirley's phone towards Lelouch's feet, which only made him even angrier. "You scum! What have you done with Shirley?!"
The man clapped his hands once more. "Oooh, I like it, the scary face. The face of a man whose woman was taken away from him."
"What the hell did you do with her?!" Lelouch shouted.
"You want to know, then you'll have to accept my challenge." The man said. "First, drop the phone, I don't want any of your Autobot pals crashing this little game of ours… Zero."
Lelouch's pupils shrunk. How could this man know about him and the Autobots?!
"Drop the phone, now." The man repeated. Seeing how he had little options, and knew next to nothing about this man, especially with Shirley's life potentially at stake, he did just that and dropped his phone on the ground. "Follow me, oh and if you're looking for a name, it's Mao."
The man named Mao turned around and Lelouch reluctantly followed with a hardened glare. The two walked in silence for a couple of minutes as Lelouch tried to figure out who this guy is.
'He's Chinese so I don't think he's a spy for Britannia, and he doesn't seem like he's involved with the Chinese Federation either. But how could he have known about me? How does he know about the Autobots? Is he involved with Decepticons? But if that's the case… do they know about me as well?'
After about ten minutes, Mao had brought Lelouch to a railcar near a forested hill. "You know, I'm really glad that everyone's so busy with construction right now." Mao explained. "This railcar was a pretty popular place for tourists until that war between you, your Bots, your big sister, and the Cons. But now it's closed, which means we got no one to disturb our privacy. Oh, and if you're wondering, I'm not involved with Megatron. I've never even met a Cybertronian face-to-face."
"Then who are you?" Lelouch questioned as Mao opened the door. But Lelouch gasped as he saw Shirley inside. Her hands were tied behind her back, with rope to bind her arms to her upper body. Her ankles were also tied together, and she had a strip of duct tape over her mouth. "Shirley!"
She gave a muffled scream as she saw Lelouch, but before he could even think about helping her, Mao pulled out a pistol, the same pistol that Lelouch previously had that Shirley took back at Port Yokosuka and pointed it right at Shirley, causing her to look in terror.
"I'm the one who holds the life of someone you care so dearly about in my hands." Mao sneered evilly as Lelouch practically gnashed his teeth at her. "Tell you what though, you specialize at this, right?" Mao revealed a chess board in-between two seats with the pieces already arranged. "Beat me, and I'll let her go. But if I win, her life is entirely in my hands. Not that you have a choice anyway."
Bumblebee continued to drive through the area with C.C. in his backseat, being careful not to run into any construction workers. "It doesn't look like she's here." C.C. commented. "Maybe she went home."
Bumblebee tried to contact Lelouch. "[Hey, we've searched the entire perimeter, but we can't find her.]" There was no response however, much to Bee's confusion. "[Uh.. hello? Lelouch, are you there?]" Even C.C. was somewhat surprised. "[Something's wrong, he always picks up.]"
C.C. turned out the window and looked to see the railcar moving. "Why is that railcar running?"
The disguised Autobot scout zoomed in with his optics, but he caught sight of Lelouch as well as Shirley tied up and even Mao, whom he didn't recognize. "[They're in trouble! Someone has kidnapped Shirley and he has Lelouch with him!]"
C.C. looked through Bumblebee's dashboard as a screen brought up what Bumblebee was seeing through his optics. Her heart skipped as she saw the man Lelouch was with. "It can't be… no… not him…"
"[Wait… you know that guy?!]" Bumblebee questioned.
C.C. immediately climbed into the driver's seat and pulled out her phone to call their other associate. "Rai! Rai, are you there?!"
"C.C.? What's going on?" Rai asked on the other line.
"Where are you!?"
"I'm… close to that moving railcar why…?"
"Listen! Lelouch and Shirley are in trouble! Someone bad is holding Shirley hostage there and Lelouch needs help, now! Get there as soon as you can!" C.C. exclaimed.
"What?! Okay, I'll be there soon!" Rai hung up, all the while Bumblebee did not like the tone in C.C.'s voice. She sounded afraid, and he's never heard her sound like that before.
"[C.C. what is going on?!]" Bumblebee questioned.
"Just drive! Get over there now!" C.C. told him. "Lelouch can't beat him! He just can't…!"
All Bumblebee needed to know was that Lelouch was in trouble, so he put the pedal to the metal and drove to where the railcar would stop at the top of the hill as fast as he could.
Mao sat in one seat, with his arm held around the bound Shirley, who was so terrified tears were already pouring down her face. Lelouch gave her an assuring look in his eyes, silently telling her she was going to be alright. At the same time, as he was forced to play this game of chess, he tried to put the pieces together in regard to this Mao-character.
'He knows my identity, even knows about the conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons, and yet… he said he's not aligned with Megatron. I don't think he was lying, but how did he know about them?' Lelouch thought to himself as he moved one piece on the board. "What I do know, is he's trying to lure me to an isolated place. Shirley was the bait, and he's trying to get me away from Bumblebee and the others, and I don't have any means to contact Optimus. Guess I'm on my own here.'
"You know, I've never actually played this game before, don't you?" Mao teased as he still kept a firm grip on Shirley while moving one of his own pieces.
'So long as he has those sunglasses, I can't use my Geass on him.' Lelouch continued to think as he tried to find a way out of this. 'But… I haven't even contacted Bumblebee yet so…'
"… You think your precious yellow scout will get worried and come to your rescue?" Mao teased, catching Lelouch off-guard. "Bee's pretty fast, I'll grant him that. But Naritia is huge, and the odds of him finding us all the way out here are pretty slim." Mao used one of his pieces to eliminate the Knight on Lelouch's side.
"You liar, you have played this game before." Lelouch narrowed his eyes.
"Tell me something, what exactly was it that made you change your mind?" Mao teased. "You became Zero to completely obliterate Britannia, right? But something about you has changed since then. Was it how you ordered the death of poor Shirley's father?" He rubbed her hair as Shirley only gave a frightened squeak underneath her gag. "No… it actually started sooner than that, when you met the Autobots in their precious Ark." Mao moved another piece, catching Lelouch off-guard, not only has Mao completely turned the chess game on him, but he was catching onto Lelouch's motives.
By the time, the railcar reached the top of the hill, the game was over, and Mao had removed Lelouch's king from the board. "Checkmate."
Lelouch was beyond stunned. 'How could he predict every move I made?! Who in the world is he?!'
"Didn't C.C. tell you about me?" Mao teased. That caught Lelouch's attention. Mao clapped his hands in response. "Well done, in one lightning-moment, you came up with fourteen possible identities for me. And one of them is precisely correct." He lowered his visor to reveal a familiar red emblem in both his eyes.
'He has Geass to?!' Lelouch instinctively activated his own and tried to use it, but Mao already put his visor back on.
"Let's see now, for your Geass you have to look directly into someone's eyes. But for some reason, it can't affect Cybertronians." Mao deduced with a confident grin. "Oh, I know all the rules for your little gift."
Lelouch finally understood how Mao knew who he was and his connection to the Autobots, as well as how he could predict Lelouch's moves "You can read minds!"
"You could call my Geass mind reading, and before you ask, I really have no idea if I can read Cybertronian minds myself." Mao confirmed. Lelouch looked ready to jump Mao, but he already pulled out his gun and placed it at the side of Shirley's, causing her to scream and cry underneath her gag. "Aw, poor little Shirley. She really has no idea what's going on."
"Let her go! Now!" Lelouch exclaimed.
"Nope, I won the game." Mao smiled as he grabbed the bound Shirley and pulled her up just as the door behind them opened. "And that means, her life is entirely in my hands."
Shinjuku
A hole had been blasted out of the ground as Dreadwing climbed up out of it, with the Lancelot not too far behind. The two had entered a large, empty, and ruined building that looked as if it was on the verge of collapsing, but there was no mistaking their quarry was here.
"Airachnid! Show yourself, deserter!" Dreadwing exclaimed.
There was no response as Suzaku looked around on his Knightmare's radar. "Dreadwing… why… why would Megatron even allow someone like her into his ranks?"
Before Dreadwing could offer a response, they heard Airachnid's voice echo throughout the building. "Because he took an interest in my skills. Do you know what was, I did during the war?" She asked as the two looked around but couldn't find the source. "I specialized in 'information gathering' and by that, I mean… the torture and dismemberment of enemy Autobots."
Suzaku practically gnashed his teeth as Dreadwing stayed firm. "Kururugi, remain calm." He told him.
"Kururugi?" Airachnid's voice echoed. "As in 'Suzaku Kururugi'?" A faint laugh echoed throughout the building. "That explains why you're here. Oh yes, I know all about you. The infamous son of the late Genbu Kururugi, who defected to Britannia."
"How do you know about that?!" Suzaku exclaimed.
"You'd be surprised what kind of rumors echoes through these ghettos." Airachnid continued to taunt as they still couldn't. "But I can't imagine why an Eleven would join Megatron's ranks, let alone one with idealism. Was it bribery? Or a promise for power?"
"No! It's nothing like that!" Suzaku shouted.
"Suzaku, do not let her get to you." Dreadwing told him.
"You asked me why I do what I do?" Airachnid continued. "I already told you it was my personal hobby. I kill, I butcher, I dismember, I skin alive, that's just who I am." Suzaku clenched the controls of his Lancelot as Airachnid continued to taunt. "But there is a reason why I choose to hunt in the ghettos. It's because Britannia doesn't care. There are plenty of serial killers and terrorists hiding in these ruins besides myself, and yet, Britannia doesn't do anything to stop them." Airachnid began to descend on some webbing from the very center of the ceiling, close towards Dreadwing and the Lancelot as they remained back-to-back, but neither of them appeared to look up.
"You're quite the idealist, aren't you Suzaku?" Airachnid teased as she lowered herself even closer. "Unfortunately, you're on a side that thrives of killing idealism." She was just above their heads, with her spider-legs ready to decapitate both. "Quite the contradictory, don't you think?"
However, Dreadwing had already notice her as he grabbed her by the throat and pulled her down, getting Suzaku's attention. However, Airachnid was able to spray some webbing in Dreadwing's face and kick him off before jumping to avoid a punch from the Lancelot. Airachnid landed on a damaged floor a story above as she quickly shot more webbing to pin Dreadwing to a pillar at the ground.
The Lancelot leapt into the air to try and deliver a spinning-kick to Airachnid on the next story, but she had already jumped into the air toward the third floor as she shot her palm lasers while airborne at the Lancelot, but Suzaku had already activated his Blaze Luminous shield to block the blasts. Airachnid's spider-legs caught onto the floor of the third story and she pulled herself up and out of the way just as the Lancelot shot it's Slash Harken toward her, which he used to pull himself up onto the same level as Airachnid. He pulled out one MVS blade as he shot right at her, but she ducked out of the way as he sliced a pillar, which began to tip over and fall.
Airachnid had leapt onto the side of the large pillar as it fell down, but the other end caught onto the other side of the massive gap, acting as a bridge connecting the two broken sides of the third floor. The Lancelot ended up on the make-shift bridge as well as it drew its second MVS blades. Airachnid merely smirked as she brandished her spider-arms.
Airachnid was the first to attack as she lashed out her spider-arms at the white Knightmare, but Suzaku blocked the attack with one MVS blade before striking at Airachnid with the other, which she avoided by jumping back. Suzaku tried to press the attack, but the spider-Con blocked the repeated blade-strikes with her bladed appendages before she jumped over and behind the Lancelot, but Suzaku was fast enough to motion the Knightmare's arm to knock Airachnid off the pillar, but she didn't fall very far as she spun some webbing to catch her before swinging up and over the pillar to land both her feet onto the Lancelot and kick it off the makeshift bridge.
However, like Airachnid, the Lancelot deployed one Slash Harken from its arm to catch onto the ceiling and pull himself straight up towards Airachnid. Suzaku was already getting so sick of Airachnid, that seeing her taunting smirk was enough for him to make him draw his VARIS rifle and shoot at her. She dodged the blast but looked in surprise to see the blast actually blow a massive hole in the wall.
Dreadwing tried to wrench himself free, but he felt the building vibrate and realized what Suzaku was using. "Kururugi! Do not use the VARIS! This structure is unstable!"
Airachnid happened to hear Dreadwing's clam and an evil smirk fell on her face as an idea came to mind. She quickly rushed the Lancelot and climbed onto its back as she stabbed its right arm, the one that held the VARIS, with two of her spider-legs while grabbing the arm with her own hands. With the right wires pulled, she forced the Lancelot to aim the VARIS at the supporting pillars down at the ground and opened fire, multiple times.
The building soon began to collapse, and Airachnid used this opportunity to push the Lancelot off the top floor, sending it crashing onto the ground just as the ceiling gave in.
In less than a minute, the entire building had collapsed into a pile of rubble. It was a rather small building, only six stories high, so it didn't cause further damage to the area as it collapsed. Airachnid was the first to pull herself out of the rubble, as she was the closest to the ceiling and she could escape it with little damage as she was now outside.
"Well, a bit nosier than I thought, but it gets the job done." She teased and was about to walk away, when she heard some rubble shift in two different areas. She looked the furthest away to see Dreadwing digging himself out of the rubble, however before he was completely out, Airachnid shot more web at him to trap him even further. "I'll deal with you later, but first things first…"
She turned to see the heaving damaged Lancelot, slowly try to pull itself out; but apparently only it's left arm was the most functional. Suzaku saw multiple red screens inside his cockpit, seeing how the Lancelot was pretty much inoperable right now. But he wasn't about to give up. "Come on… Come on…" However, the back of his cockpit was torn open, by none other than Airachnid who reached in to grab Suzaku himself, yank him out and pin him to a piece of rubble with her webbing.
"Do you know what it is I hate most about Knightmares, Suzaku?" Airachnid taunted as she loomed dangerously over him. "They don't have any real faces. That's what I always loved the most about what I do… to see the looks on their faces as I snuff them out. I skin and butcher in different ways, just to experiment and see what kind of expressions I get. Having a pelt or a stuffed head is nice and all, but nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing the final expression of fear and despair in someone's eyes as their life is snuffed out."
Realizing he couldn't get out of this. Suzaku merely closed his eyes in acceptance. 'This isn't how I thought I would die… but… I guess this is it.'
But this was not the end however, as Airachnid groaned in pain when multiple bullets struck her from behind. She looked in surprise to see two Gloucester Knightmares quickly rolling toward her, along with three Britannian military helicopters flying in behind them as well.
"All units, open fire!" Guilford exclaimed as he and Darlton opened fire with their Knightmare rifles, and even the helicopters opened fire with their guns.
Airachnid scowled as she leapt back to avoid the shots. She leapt towards a separate building and began to climb its outer wall with the hovering helicopters continuing to shoot at her. As the helicopters were in pursuit, Darlton's Knightmare rolled over to Dreadwing as he used his Gloucester's lance to try and pry the webbing off as Guilford came over to Suzaku.
"Warrant Officer Kururugi, are you alright?" Guilford asked as his Gloucester kneeled down to peel the webbing off Suzaku.
"Lord Guilford…?" Suzaku had not expected to see him. "But I thought Princess Cornelia…"
"Princess Cornelia didn't explicitly say we couldn't provide assistance." Darlton said as he helped Dreadwing out of the rubble.
"And while it's true we serve as Viceroy Cornelia's knights; it doesn't mean we just ignore other members of the Royal Family." Guilford added as his Knightmare turned to the approaching vehicle that served as a mobile base owned by the Camelot Division with Lloyd, Cecile, and even Princess Euphemia inside.
The three of them saw footage of Airachnid climbing to the top of the building with the helicopters continuing to shoot at her.
"So, this is our little bogeyman from the ghettos, eh?" Lloyd mused. "An insect-like Transformer, how interesting."
Euphemia and Cecile said nothing as they found the appearance of this particular Cybertronian to be more than a little disturbing.
Airachnid meanwhile had made it to the top but was quickly surrounded in the air by the three helicopters above her that had their guns trained on her. Airachnid scowled, knowing that she couldn't win this fight. So, her eyes briefly glowed green as a beam shot from her optics to scan one of the helicopters. Once she had the necessary schematics, she transformed into a sleek, black helicopter mode before she opened fire with red Energon blasts to knock the three helicopters out of the sky before flying away herself.
"No!" Suzaku exclaimed as he, Guilford, Darlton, and even Dreadwing watch helplessly as Airachnid flew outside their reach and into the setting sun.
Euphemia and Cecile also looked in surprise while Lloyd looked excited. "Aha, so that's how they do it! Ingenious!"
Now that the enemy was gone, Euphemia wasted no time stepping down and running out of the large vehicle. "Princess Euphemia!" Cecile tried to call to her.
"Suzaku!" He heard his name being called and looked in surprise to see Euphie running towards him, but was completely caught off guard when she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest.
"Euphie… Your… your highness!" Suzaku stuttered as he did not know what to make of this. Even Guilford and Darlton saw this from their Knightmares and were beyond stunned themselves.
"I'm sorry Suzaku." Euphie apologized as she let him go. "I'm sorry you had to face something like that. You could have been killed and it would have been my fault…" She bowed her head. "I apologize, please forgive me."
Suzaku tried to put on assuring smile. "You have nothing to apologize for, your highness." He bowed to her. "I was doing my duty as a soldier, that's my job."
Euphemia didn't like how quickly he brushed off just how close he was to being killed by that monster. However, right now she was just glad he was alright. She looked to the approaching Decepticon. "Dreadwing, thank you for accompanying him."
"Of course, it was my pleasure." Dreadwing nodded his head. However, he scowled as he looked toward the sky, even Euphie, Suzaku, as well as Guilford and Darlton in their Knightmares all knew that Airachnid was still out there, and even greater threat now that she was mobile. However, Suzaku looked to the Decepticon badge that was still on his uniform as Airachnid's words continued to replay in his head.
Naritia
The bound and gagged Shirley was forced on her knees outside the railcar as Mao kept the gun pressed against the back of her head. Lelouch had a scowl as well as a terrified look in his eyes.
"'Oh, what can I do?'" Mao mocked as he continued to read his mind. "'What would Optimus do?' I had no idea you admired the Autobots so much, him in particular." As Lelouch glared at Mao, the madman clapped his hands. "Oh, you don't just admire him, do you? He's like a father to you, isn't he?" Lelouch gave a stunned gasp, realizing what Mao just pulled out of his mind. "Can't say I blame you, seeing how your real dad is such a douche bag."
"Let her go." Lelouch growled.
"Why? Are you that afraid of losing her?" Mao continued to mock. "Is she your friend? How can she be your friend when all you've done is lie and hurt her?" He forced Shirley's teary and terrified face up and forced her to look at Lelouch. "Look at him Shirley. Look at the man who lied to you, killed your father, and broke your heart in two. I can only imagine just how much he's hurt you."
"I said let her go!" Lelouch exclaimed.
"Wow, your head is so mixed up right now." Mao continued. "Under normal circumstances, you're a near-perfect strategist, one you intend to model yourself after Optimus, right? But when someone else is in control of the situation, and someone you hold so dear can die any second… you lose all control and all sense of thought, right? You told your friends that it's fine if she hates you, but deep down you want her forgiveness."
Lelouch's face became one of fear as Mao's finger was just an inch away from the trigger.
"Well, let me tell you right now, since I've read her mind to… she'll never forgive you." Mao sneered evilly, causing the look in Lelouch's eyes to turn into one of shock and fear. "How can she? You're a terrorist who betrayed her country, you murdered her father in cold blood. You think you're a hero, like Daddy-Optimus-Prime? You're a sinner, you'll never be an Autobot and you know it. Even now… as you watch your precious Shirley die!"
Shirley screamed through her gag a Mao was about to pull the trigger. Lelouch was about to scream himself, but neither of them noticed Rai arrive onto the scene from behind Lelouch, having ran as fast as he could. He happened to hear most of the conversation, but when it looked like Shirley was about to die right in front of him, something inside him snapped.
It was as if time stopped all around the amnesiac youth as an image came to his memory. He stood in the middle of a rainstorm, having fallen on his knees as he saw two bodies in a puddle of blood; both female. The older woman had brown hair and was of Japanese descent, while the other was a girl just a year younger than him with the same kind of white hair as his. Both were dead and his face was of complete and total horror.
Rai had that same face as it looked like Shirley was about to die right in front of him. He didn't know what that image was, but it caused something inside him to explode in flames as a Geass sigil manifested in both his eyes and he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!"
Lelouch turned around with a gasp as his own eyes widened to see Rai, and even more so that he saw the Geass sigil in his eyes. Mao himself was shocked to finally notice Rai's presence, but even more so as the second he heard Rai's voice enter his ears, something compelled him to drop Shirley and the gun before he even got the chance to fire.
There was a red ring in Mao's eyes as he backed away, but it quickly faded as a look of pure shock formed on his face.
"What… you… you have a Geass to?!"
Before anyone could even move, a pair of headlights shinned from the forest on the side as Bumblebee drove out from the trees before transforming and delivering a back-hand slap to Mao's body and send him off the platform, crashing into the forest the Autobot came out of.
Lelouch and Rai quickly ran over to Shirley and covered her with their bodies as Bumblebee stood in front of them. Mao tried to pick himself up but had to run into the forest to avoid the Energon blasts from Bumblebee.
'I don't understand!' Mao thought as he hid behind several trees for cover, he felt his side and could tell that most of his ribs were broken, as was his right arm. 'I didn't even hear him coming! Lelouch's Geass doesn't let him control Bots, guess I can't read their minds either.'
"Mao."
He turned around with a gasp at that familiar voice and saw the green-haired immortal looking at him with an expression mixing sadness and sympathy.
"C.C.!" An excited look fell on his face. "Is it you!? It's been so long…!" He was cut off by more Energon blasts in his direction, he scowled briefly knowing he couldn't get to her with an Autobot looming over him. "I'll come back for you C.C.!" He said as he ran into the forest to vanish completely. "I promise!"
Bumblebee withdrew his blaster as he walked towards C.C. who merely looked in the direction her former contractor vanished. "Mao, I never felt you would come out among people."
The yellow Autobot clearly had some questions for the immortal, but that could wait. He simply turned around and took a few steps back as Lelouch and Rai worked to untie and Shirley.
"It's alright… He's gone." Lelouch consoled her.
"Lulu… Rai…" She latched onto Lelouch as she cried into his chest. "I was so scared!" Lelouch wasted no time in embracing her and Rai was quick to do the same.
"It's okay, it's okay, we've got you. Your safe." Rai consoled her as well.
Shirley continued to cry as she held them tighter. "Shirley… I am so sorry." Lelouch said as his voice began to crack. "I caused you so much pain… but I promise… I'll tell you everything. No more secrets, no more lies."
Lelouch and Rai held and comforted Shirley a couple more minutes before they explained to her the whole story. Lelouch told her who he was before, as Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, as well as his sister the former Princess Nunnally vi Britannia. He told her how their mother died, which he had previously told her before, and how it cost Nunnally her sight and legs, and that incident was what led his father, the Emperor, to banish them to Japan right before he declared war on the country and likely signing their own death warrants. Lelouch and Nunnally had been taken in by Suzaku's family, but after Japan fell, they were taken in by the Ashfords and its thanks to Milly and her family they even have a place to stay. After that, Lelouch explained what really happened in Shinjuku, how he met C.C., and his Geass which led to him meeting the Autobots and taking the mantle of Zero. However, Lelouch didn't go into details yet in regards to the Autobots' conflict with the Decepticons as this was already more than enough for her to process.
The sun had set and night had fallen over Naritia as the three students sat on the same steps, never having moved from the spot. Shirley remained silent as she had an unreadable expression on her face.
"Hey… Shirley… you're still with us?" Rai asked.
"Yeah…" She nodded. "It's… it's just a lot to take in. First, Lulu is a prince, then he's Zero and Rai… you're a Black Knight?"
"Yeah, I am." Rai nodded. "In fact,… the one who… caused that landslide here in Narita… was me. I am… so sorry!" Rai looked as if he was about to cry himself as Shirley had a sympathetic expression to give.
"We both are." Lelouch added. "Shirley, I never meant to hurt you. I even tried to see that Narita was evacuated before the battle… I didn't want innocent people caught in the crossfire but… there are some things… that are just outside our control."
"I… I think I understand that." Shirley seemed to get it. "But Lulu, Rai, why you? Why are you even fighting? I mean, I understand why with your father… and your mother… and Nunnally but… what if something happened to you? What if you were hurt or worse…?"
Lelouch had an understanding expression as he answered. "That's why I have the Black Knights, and why I work with the Autobots. We're all a team, we protect each other, help each other get better and become stronger. I became Zero, because I couldn't stand the way the world was now; where the weak are always trampled by the strong and are never given a second thought. I refuse to live int hat world, so I'm going to tear it down and try to make it into something better. I'm up against an enemy that is beyond ruthless, and it's not just Britannia… someone has to take a stand… and fight for what's right. I couldn't wait for someone else so… I did it myself." His expression became more sorrowful. "But the last thing I wanted was for you to be put in danger because of me, or for you to lose someone you love. I'm sorry, you have right to hate me."
Shirley sighed as a small smile formed on her face. "Lulu… I could never hate you."
Lelouch, and even Rai were taken by surprise as she looked at the raven-haired boy with a genuine smile.
"At first, I didn't really like you when we first met in our freshman year but…" Shirley began. "After that whole thing with the elderly couple and their car… I wanted to get to know you… to see what went on in your head… and now, I think I understand. Lelouch, your… far from perfect but… I know that you're a good person; your so kind and gentle, you want to protect people, and make the world a better place. I loved my dad very much and I'll always miss him but… I don't blame you for that, it was an accident and… like you said, somethings are just beyond our control. Lelouch… I forgive you."
Lelouch did not expect those words to come from Shirley's mouth, neither did Rai as she smiled at him to.
"Rai, I forgive you to."
"Shirley… I…" Rai didn't know what to say.
"You've been hanging this guilt over your head for so long, but you said it yourself that you never wanted something bad like that to happen. It was an accident." Shirley smiled at him as she put a hand on his shoulder.
Tears formed in the amnesiac boy's eyes. "I'm so sorry Shirley. You're one of the best people I've met and… I hurt you…"
"No, you didn't." Shirley assured him as she pulled him into a warm embrace. "I know you would never hurt me, you're a good person Rai."
Rai smiled and nod as he wiped the tears away after she let him go before, she turned to the other boy next to her.
"Lelouch I… I had no idea you went through so much." Shirley began. "First you lost your mother, then your sister loses her eyes and legs, and then your own father kicks you out for no reason and… you two almost died… I can't imagine. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that. There's so much right now that I don't know but I do know one thing; whether you're Lelouch Vi Britannia, Lelouch Lamperouge, or even Zero, I know I can trust you. You're not a terrorist, you're not a monster… You're a hero. You're my hero." Lelouch had no idea how to respond as she finished. "You saved me, twice. Thank you."
Now it was Lelouch's turn to cry. A part of him had expected she'd hate him but there was another part that desperately wanted her to forgive him. She was one of the most kind and noble people he met in his life and he took her for granted before; but even after all that's happened, she chose to forgive him. He continued to cry as she pulled him into a comforting embrace.
They pulled away as C.C. was walked towards them. "So… this is the one who… gave you your Geass-thing?"
"Yeah, that's her." Lelouch confirmed.
"Call me C.C."
"C.C., thank you for helping Lulu." Shirley smiled. The immortal was slightly caught off-guard by the show of gratitude but nodded in acknowledgement.
Bumblebee walked closer to them. Shirley was somewhat started by his sudden appearance, but she could tell that he harbored no ill-intent. "And… this is…"
Lelouch smiled slightly. "Shirley, meet Bumblebee. He's my car, guardian, Autobot… friend."
The Autobot scout kneeled down to be on equal eye-level with her. Shirley looked into his eyes and saw immediately that this was a gentle giant, and if Lelouch trusted him and considered him a friend, then she would to.
"Thank you, Bumblebee."
"[Your welcome.]" He bleeped, causing her to look in slight confusion.
"He says, your welcome." Rai translated for her.
Lelouch smiled at the girl that he knew he could trust completely and consider a true friend. "Hey, I think it's time you met the rest of our little 'social circle'."
Bumblebee in his vehicle mode drove out of a Groundbridge portal and into the hallways of the Ark. Lelouch sat in the driver's seat with Shirley in the passenger seat as she looked out the window in wonder at the inside of the alien vessel, with Rai and C.C. in the backseat. The Autobot scout had contacted Optimus and informed him of what they were doing, so there were no Black Knights currently in the Ark's bridge as Bumblebee entered.
As Bumblebee came to a stop, the doors opened as the four humans stepped out, Shirley looked around in wonder at the sight of the Autobots that stood around her, from Fixit to Wheeljack, Bulkhead, Ironhide, even Ratchet. (Arcee and Cliffjumper were still watching over Ashford with Kallen staying with Nunnally for the night). But her eyes widened in pure amazement at the sight of the Autobot leader that stood tall above the rest: Optimus Prime himself.
Lelouch and Rai stood next to her with C.C. right behind them. "Shirley, meet our science fiction club." Rai introduced for her.
The schoolgirl had an awkward smile as she gave a small wave. "Uh… hi."
Done.
Wow, so much has happened in this chapter. First, Villetta is alive (albeit unconscious and in the Black Knights' care), Mao has made his official appearance, Rai is revealed to have a Geass, Suzaku has encountered Airachnid, but more importantly, Shirley has chosen to forgive Lelouch and has now officially met the Autobots.
We also had a sweet bonding moment between Kallen and Nunnally.
I know a lot of you wanted Villetta to die, and I can understand why you wanted that, but I plan on changing on how much her character will grow in a more natural pace. Though she will have some permanent scars along her back. Unlike in the cannon series, the BKs and Bots know about her instead of Ohgi just keeping it a secret, which should make things go a bit smoother.
Also, now that Suzaku has encountered Airachnid, he is beginning to have some doubts about the Decepticon cause, but it's going to be a while before he gets a real wake-up call, we all know just how stubborn he is. I know some of you wanted Mao and Airachnid to team-up, but I felt this was better as it'll shake up Suzaku quite a bit.
Here are the details in regard to Rai's Geass: it's Absolute Obedience, similar to Lelouch's, only it's auditory, as in you only need to hear it as opposed to direct-eye-contact. Like Lelouch's, it can only be used on someone once, so now that Rai has used his on Mao, it won't happen again. I also decided to tweak it a bit, in that if Rai concentrates, he can focus it on a specific person even if other people hear him, like what he did here. But if he wants to, he can have all the people who hear him under his control; but of course, it'll be a while before he does so. BTW, even though his Geass is in both his eyes, it is NOT a fully evolved Geass. It's sort of a result of both his amnesia, his trauma buried deep in his mind, and being stuck in the Thought Elevator for so long.
It's a similar situation for Mao, who is unable to read Cybertronian minds, like how Lelouch's can't affect Bots or Cons either. (Even though the power can affect Cybertronians as we've seen Bumblebee have visions from C.C.) While Mao's Geass manifests in both his eyes, it's not that his Geass has evolved, but rather that his is out of control. Mao possess little-to-no control over his Geass, and his child-like personality doesn't help all that much. He lacks the will and mental maturity to properly control his power, which means he CANNOT read the more advanced minds of Cybertronians.
I hope that all makes sense. If any of you have any questions, please feel free to PM me and I'll respond to you when I'm available.
I'll see you next time with the following update as Lelouch and the Autobots not only deal with Mao, but Rai's newly revealed Geass. (BTW, he doesn't have his memories back yet, and he's not going to get them back till closer to end of my iteration of R1). Until then, let's Rev Up and Roll Out!
