Code Geass and its characters belong to Gorō Taniguchi and Ichirō Ōkouchi.
I only own my OC, Laurel vi Britannia AKA The Red Witch.
Enjoy!
The Red Witch
Chapter 3: His Name Is Zero
Lelouch carried Nunnally out of her wheelchair and laid her down on her bed as Laurel prepared her dark pink sleeping bag while wearing a bright blue nightgown that Nunnally allowed her to wear when sleeping.
"That was Suzaku they mentioned on the news, wasn't it?"Nunnally asked.
"Yep, it looks like he's still alive."Lelouch admitted.
"Yeah, it's been ages."Nunnally agreed. "We haven't seen him since the war ended. Even we..."
"And Lelouch?"Nunnally said.
"What is it?"Lelouch responded
"It wasn't true what the news said, was it?"Nunnally asked with a hint of worry.
"Of course not."Lelouch answered. "Suzaku would never do anything like that. They've just made a mistake."
"Yeah... must be."Nunnally agreed sleepily as she held her brother's hand.
"Right."Lelouch muttered. "Well...Good night, Nunnally."
Lelouch put off the light and went out of Nunnally's room as Laurel took out her yellow red cell phone that had a tiny white rabbit doll with a red ribbon attached to it.
Laurel quietly texted on her phone, so that she wouldn't wake up Nunnally.
The fourteen year old girl was writing down things on her 'To Do List'.
"Laurel?"
Laurel froze as she stopped texting and glanced at Nunnally.
"Sorry, Nunnally."Laurel apologised quietly. "Did I disturb you?"
"No."Nunnally replied. "I heard you texting. Are you writing a message to your mother and father?"
"Y-Yes."Laurel answered as she placed her cell phone away. "I wanted to tell them that I was doing just fine here."
"I see."Nunnally said quietly. "Hey, Laurel?"
"Yeah?"Laurel asked.
"Is it okay if you sleep with me just for tonight?"Nunnally suggested. "I sometime feel scared to sleep alone."
Laurel blinked with a surprised expression before smiling warmly.
"Sure."Laurel answered as she stood up from her sleeping bag. "I don't like sleeping by myself either."
Laurel placed herself next to Nunnally and rested her head on the pillow.
"Hey Nunnally?"Laurel asked softly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Okay."Nunnally responded.
"Is Suzaku a friend of yours and Lelouch?"Laurel questioned.
"Yes."Nunnally agreed with a small smile. "We first met him when we moved to the Kururugi residence as a diplomatic peace trade. At first, Suzaku despised Lelouch because he thought that he didn't care about anyone. As time passed by, however, he came to know Lelouch better and they soon became best friends. We got separated from him when Britannia invaded Japan."
"I see..."Laurel said quietly and smiled a little bit. "Good night, Nunnally."
"Night, Laurel."Nunnally yawned gently.
Nunnally fell asleep while Laurel had a grim look on her face since she was thinking about the man who killed her father.
The Next Morning...
The entire student body of Ashford Academy was assembled for the funeral and tribute to Prince Clovis.
"Truly this is bitterly painful incident for all, the viceroy of Area 11, our beloved Prince Clovis has been lost to us forever."Principal Ashford declared. "However, we can and will bear the weight of this tragedy and from this darkest of hours draw strength."
Laurel had a small frown on her face at the Principal's words of her half uncle's death being a tragedy.
The black haired girl didn't feel like crying since she knew Clovis was a snob and cared very little about those whom he deemed as under him.
But Laurel suddenly remembered in her timeline that her Aunt Laila told her that her older brother Clovis was a talented painter and when he died, their mother Gabrielle was greatly shocked and tended to stay at home before dying from an illness.
"I'm very sorry, Aunt Laila and Nonna Gabrielle."Laurel thought with a apologetic look. "Both of you must be in grief right now for losing Uncle Clovis and neither of you might never forgive Lelouch for what he has done. But I hope my presence in this timeline will lower my father's sins for the better and not for the worse..."
After the assembly was done, all the students headed out to do their own things while others went home.
Laurel caught sight of Lelouch talking to Rivalz and Shirley while Kallen was walking out of the academy by herself.
"Looks like I gotta do the next part now."Laurel thought with a firm look.
Lelouch went to look for Laurel after he finished his conversation with Rivalz and Shirley.
He didn't find her in any of the class rooms since the lessons were cancelled for today.
Laurel sat down having a cup of tea as Lelouch walked up to her in the dining room of the residence, where he and Nunnally lived in.
"Laurel."Lelouch said.
"Yes, Lelouch?"Laurel asked.
"I'm going to come back late today."Lelouch declared. "So you can take care of Nunnally."
Laurel slowly drank her cup of earl grey tea as Lelouch prepared to walk away.
"I think it's best if I come and help you out...Zero."Laurel admitted as she placed her tea cup down.
Lelouch froze. "What?"
"I know what are you up to, Lelouch."Laurel declared simply. "Your going to use Kallen and her resistance group to save your childhood friend, who was framed for the crime that you committed. With your Geass power, I'm sure it will be quite a miracle."
This caused Lelouch to take out the gun that he had hidden in his red jacket while Laurel remained surprisingly calm and continued drinking her cup of tea.
"How do you know about this?!"Lelouch demanded in anger and shock. "Who are you?!"
Laurel took out a flintlock pistol that she hid in her lap with her free hand and pointed it at Lelouch causing the seventeen year old boy to become startled a bit.
"I know a lot about Geass and have my own tools too."Laurel declared firmly. "But I'll tell you everything I know after we saved that Britannian lapdog you call friend and don't worry I won't tell anyone. Not even Nunnally. You have my word."
Lelouch frowned and placed his gun away causing Laurel to lower down her pistol.
"Fine."Lelouch scowled. "Don't expect me to trust you though."
"That's alright."Laurel assured with a smile. "You might learn to trust me in time."
Lelouch looked at Laurel with a suspicious look, but didn't say anything to her.
Kallen, Ohgi, Yoshida and Sugiyama all go to Tokyo Tower just as Zero requested on the phone call that he gave Kallen the other day.
"16 hundred hours at Tokyo tower."Kallen thought. "Why here of all places?"
"It was Kururugi who contacted us wasn't it?"Sugiyama insisted.
"Hard to say."Ohgi answered.
"Yeah, but he might have been arrested after his communication with Kallen."Yoshida insisted.
"Then we are in danger here."Sugiyama insisted. "We should go."
"Attention, please."An announcer declared on the horn speaker. "Paging Miss Kallen Stadtfeld, Ashford Academy. One of your personal effects has been turned in at the kiosk on the observation deck. I repeat."
Kallen slowly made her way downstairs and walked up to the woman at the counter, who handed her a phone.
"Hi."the woman said. "I'm assuming that this phone is yours, ma'am."
The woman handed the phone to Kallen, who looked at it in confusion.
"Something wrong?"the woman asked. "It is yours, isn't it?"
"Ah, yeah thank you so much."Kallen replied.
Kallen walked to where her three friends were and saw a caller with the name 'Zero' contacting her on the phone.
"Zero?"Kallen said and answered the call. "Uhm...Hello?"
"I want you to board the outbound train on loop line five."Zero ordered. "And bring your friends."
"What?"Kallen said in surprise.
Then the phone call ended causing Kallen to have a unsure look on her face.
Soon after that, Kallen, Ohgi, Yoshida and Sugiyama were on the train that they took on Loop Line 5.
"Attention all passengers if you become aware of any suspicious items on board, please alert metro personnel by using the nearest inter-telephone."the female announcer reported.
ThenKallen gets another call from Zero who instructs her to look out both sides of the train.
"What now?"Kallen asked.
"Face forward and look to your right."Zero instructed. "What do you see?"
Kallen looked at her right side, seeing the pristine Britannian city.
"The Britannian city."Kallus answered. "It was stolen away from us and built on our sacrifice."
"And on the left?"Zero questioned.
Kallen looked at her left side and saw the ruined city that most Elevens call home.
"I see our city."Kallus replied. "Remnants of the desiccated city after the Britannian sucked it dry."
Kallen paused as she could almost hear a smirk from the man's voice.
"Good answer."Zero declared. "Now make your way to the front of the train."
Kallen glanced at her comrades before making her way forward with them following from behind.
The group make their way to the front of the train where they saw two figures at the other side.
One was a taller figure and the other was a shorter figure leaning against the wall that was near the door the other figure was looking at.
"Was it you?"Kallen questioned, looking at the taller figure. "On the phone?"
"Wow...do you think it's a trap?"Sugiyama asked.
The tall figure didn't respond.
"Well, was that you in Shinjuku?"Kallen demanded. "Was that cease fire your doing?"
"Hey, we're talking to you."Yoshida reminded.
The taller figure turned around as the train plunged into a tunnel, casting an eerie blue light on him which caused him to earn surprised gasps from Kallen and her friends.
The tall figure was a male that wore a tight dark purple suit with golden stripes, long wrapped sleeves and a frilled white cravat. His outfit combined Victorian fashion with that of a sleek bodysuit; worn over it was a black and gold cloak with crimson spandex lining the inside and an enormous black cape encircling the head. He had a spiky black and indigo mask with a long variation of the Geass Sigil stretched over its bottom that completely hid his face.
The shorter figure was a young girl wearing a crimson dress with black frills, giving her the appearance of an elegant Gothic Lolita with her black hair was tied in uneven twin tails. On her head was a big crimson net bow to hold her hair and a small red mask to cover her eyes. She also wore a red black collar on her neck and black boots with red strings on her feet.
"What do you think of my tour at the settlement?"Zero asked.
"Your tour?"Ohgi questioned.
"Come on, there is no way it was this joker."Sugiyama scoffed.
"I wanted you to fully grasp the two, the settlement and the ghetto."Zero commented, extending his his arms out at each side.
"Yeah, we know."Ohgi answered. "There is a difference between us and them. A very harsh one. And that's why we resist them."
"You are wrong."Zero declared. "Britannia will not fall to terrorism."
"Fall?"Ohgi said in confusion.
"It's a little bit better than childish nuisance."Zero declared.
"What was that?"Yoshida demanded with a frown. "You call us a bunch of kids?"
"You should know your enemy."Zero reminded. "It is not people, but Britannia itself. It is a war you must wage, but not on the innocent. Take up your sword! Fight for justice!"
"Oh please!"Kallen snapped with a glare. "That's all easy enough to say, isn't it? Hiding behind that mask...why should we even trust you?!"
"She's right!"Yoshida agreed. "Lose the mask!"
"Right."Ohgi replied. "Are you going to show us your face or not?"
"Very well, I'll show you."Zero answered. "But rather than my face, bear witness to my power. If I deliver to you the impossible, then I might have earned your trust."
Later that Night...
Scarlet sat in the empty seat next to Kallen, who wore a white suit and drove a truck that looked like the vehicle that Prince Clovis used to ride around in.
The streets were lined with Britannians while many more people from all over watch on the television and the procession with Suzaku held captive was proceeding down the road.
The young girl notice Kallen struggling to hold her nerves together as they approached the convoy and face the Knightmares head on.
"It's okay."Scarlet assured softly. "Everything will be alright."
"Hope they can't tell it's fake."Kallen commented.
"You dare desecrate His Highness's transport?!"Jeremiah shouted. "Come out of there!"
Noticing her cue, Scarlet clicked the red button on the screen causing the Britannian flag on the van to go up in flames and revealed Zero standing at the top in ease.
"I am Zero!"
"So that's how it starts."Scarlet thought proudly.
"I've seen enough, Zero!"Jeremiah stated and fired his gun. "This little show of yours is over!"
Kallen shook in fright causing Scarlet to placed her hand onto hers as Knightmares drop from above and surrounded the truck.
"First things first."Jeremiah sneered. "Why don't you lose that mask?"
Scarlet watched as Zero moved his hand to touch the top of his head before swiftly placing it straight in the air and snapped it, echoing through the crowd.
At this motion, the walls of the van fell and revealed a gas container that looked like a bomb causing the crowd to become shocked.
Jeremiah aimed his gun directly at Zero's head.
"You intend to shoot?"Zero questioned. "I think you know full well what will happen if you do."
A smirk crept on Scarlet's face on seeing the shock on Jeremiah's face, knowing that he believed the device contained poison gas.
"Fine, what are your demands?"Jeremiah demanded.
"An exchange."Zero replied. "This, for Kururugi."
"Like hell."Jeremiah retorted with a glare. "He's charged with high treason for murdering a prince. I can't hand him over."
"No. You're mistaken, Jeremiah. He's no murderer."Zero declared. "The man who killed Clovis..."
Zero glanced at a camera to finish his sentence.
"...was myself!"Zero announced.
"We are so screwed."Kallen whispered in fear.
Scarlet gives Kallen's hand a soft squeeze.
"It's alright, Kallen."Scarlet instructed gently. "Don't be afraid. I'm here for you always."
Kallen glanced at Scarlet with a surprised look as she felt her nerve slowly decreasing.
"For a single Eleven, you'll save scores of precious Britannians."Zero scoffed. "I find that to be a bargain."
"He is mad, I tell you!"Jeremiah argued angrily. "Disguising this truck as His Highness'! He'll pay the price for mocking the crown!"
The Knightmares raise their weapons and prepare to shoot at Zero.
"Careful."Zero warned. "You don't wish the public to learn of Orange, do you?"
Zero tapped the car twice with his foot causing Kallen to move the car closer to Jeremiah's sutherland.
"If I die, it'll all go public."Zero stated. "If you don't want that to happen..."
"What are you talking about?"Jeremiah demanded. "What is this?"
"You'll do everything in your power to let us go, your prisoner as well."Zero ordered.
Now that Zero was closer, a slot open d on his mask to reveal Lelouch's eye, which in turn allowed him the ability to us his Geass and command Jeremiah to do everything he can to release Suzaku and help them escape.
"Right, understood."Jeremiah answered and looked at a soldier. "You there, release the prisoner."
Scarlet grinned mischievously as Kallen's eyes widen in astonishment.
"Eh!?"Kallen said in surprise.
"What on earth are you doing, My Lord?"Villetta demanded.
"Get that man over here."Jeremiah ordered.'"Hand him over. Nobody gets in his way."
"No!"Kewell shouted. "What are you thinking? You can't do this!"
"Lord Kewell, this is an order."Jeremiah reminded.
Scarlet and Kallen headed out of the car together as Suzaku walked up to Zero after being released.
"So, who the hell are you?"Suzaku asked.
Suzaku winced as he got electrocuted by a device that was around his neck.
"As I thought, they didn't allow you to speak."Zero commented.
"It's time to go, Zero."Kallen declared.
"The real forces will arrive soon."Scarlet warned.
"Well then, 'till next time."Zero announced and took out a small device.
Zero initiated the container causing purple smoke to fill the area and the crowd of people to run away in terror.
Zero carried Suzaku and jumped off the bridge with Kallen and Scarlet, falling to a large black canvas that allowed them to land safely into a cargo which was where Ohgi was waiting for them.
Fortunately, Jeremiah held all the guards back and allowed them to escape in the area.
At the Resistance Headquarters...
Kallen and the rest of the resistance talk about the miracle they had just witnessed on screen while Scarlet removed the neck restraint device around Suzaku's neck as the Honorary Britannian looked at her.
"Thanks, who are you?"Suzaku asked.
"None of your business."Scarlet retorted with a frown.
Scarlet walked away from Suzaku as the former prisoner had a conversation with Zero.
The fourteen year old girl quietly peeked at the abandoned theatre to listen at the conversation of her father and Suzaku.
"It looks like they treated you rather roughly."Zero commented. "Now you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you wish to bring change to this world, then join me."
"So, is it true?"Suzaku questioned. "Are you really the one who killed Prince Clovis?"
"This is war."Zero responded. "Why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander?"
"And the gas?"Suzaku asked. "Those were civilians out there."
"A bluff to help things along."Zero exclaimed. "The result, not a single death."
"The result?"Suzaku repeated and looked down. "That's all that matters to you, I suppose. Huh..."
Scarlet frowned seeing a smile on the Honorary Britannian's face.
What the heck is he smiling about?
"Come join me."Zero insisted and extended out a hand. "The Britannia you serve is a worthless dominion."
"Maybe that's true, but...but this nation, it can be changed for the better and from within."Suzaku admitted.
"Changed?"Zero asked.
"And any ends gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything."Suzaku declared.
Suzaku began to walk away as Scarlet took out one of her flintlock pistols.
"Wait!"Zero protested. "Where are you going?"
"My court-martial begins in an hour."Suzaku declared.
"Are you mad?!"Zero argued and clenched his fist. "The only reason they're giving you a trial is to find you guilty! The judge, the prosecution and defence!"
"Rules are rules."Suzaku answered. "And if I don't go, they'll start cracking down on Elevens and honorary Britannians."
"But you'll die."Zero reminded.
"I don't mind."Suzaku responded.
Scarlet scowled in annoyance as Zero shouted at Suzaku.
"Don't be an idiot!"Zero snapped.
"An old friend of mine always used to tell me that. He'd say I was a fool."Suzaku explained. "It's my weakness, I guess. I'd try to bring you in, but you'd just end up killing me. And If I'm going to die, it'll be in the service of the people. Even so, I thank you...for saving me."
Suzaku walked out of a opening in the ruined theatre that showed the city as Scarlet lowered her flintlock pistol.
"You fool."Zero retorted with a hint of anger.
Scarlet shook her head as she remained in her hiding place.
"His really stupid to support reformism and intent on changing the Britannian Empire for the better."Scarlet thought with a cold glare and lowered her pistol. "I guess I am going to have to find another time to get rid of him."
Meanwhile...
Nunnally was listening to the report on the incident from earlier.
"Yes, apparently."the Reporter stated. "Private Kururugi has made contact with the authorities. It would seem the Zero has released him. However now that the original charges against him have been thrown into question, it's very possible Kururugi would be found innocent and acquitted."
"Thank goodness."Nunnally remarked in relief.
"For legal perspective on all of this, we now turn to our legal analyst..."the Reporter started.
Suddenly Nunnally heard someone walking in through the door.
"Miss Sayoko?"Nunnally asked.
The shadows in the room fade away by the light coming from the window and the person coming inside turned out to be C.C, who looked at Nunnally quietly.
Scarlet (Laurel) just helped Zero (Lelouch) save Suzaku and now C.C has showed up!
Stay tuned for the next chapter:)