It's time for another installment of Demon's Resurrection and Queen's Promotion! We may not be the most original story on this website, but we do update! (not on any sort of regular schedule, but still) Before we get started, a couple of things:
A/N: Just a heads up: This is a LONG chapter. There was a lot I wanted to get done here, and the it ended up being the longest chapter of this story (thus far). I think that the alternate title for this one could be "The Super Stuffed Chapter", because I put a lot in here.
A/N 2: In lieu of a legal disclaimer, here's a short poem I wrote:
Before the bounty of a feast
Her eyes grow and grow and grow
She wants to devour all she sees
Even though her stomach says no
"It all looks so delicious" she says
"I want to taste it all"
Yet after three bites or so
She finds her stomach too small
A/N 3: Sorry if the chapters are taking so long to come out. There are two reasons for this. The first is that I've moved to a more content based system of breaking up chapters, so they are now based on where they progressed to instead of word count. The second is that my schedule is very tight at the moment, so the time I have to write is limited (most of the last 2-3 chapters were written during my daily commute via train). I expect my schedule to clear up in August, but for now I can only ask for your patience. This story will not be abandoned, I promise you that.
A/N 4: The story has broken 100 followers! THIS IS AWESOME! Thank you to all of you for coming along for this journey. I can only hope that the story stays as entertaining as it has been.
A/N 5: I just wanted to briefly explain the change in rating (this story used to be K+). The thing is that the ratings on this website are very vague, and I don't know what exactly is allowed in each category. I've upped the rating so that at least I have some room to expand plots and themes as I see fit during the next chapters.
Alright, enough lollygagging around, let's get to it. On with the story!
Chapter 6: Fire on the Mountain
Great Events have incalculable results – Victor Hugo
Beware, the rock changes – King Hrothgar
Kallen couldn't help but walk through the park with a spring in her step. Ever since Zero rescued the hostages from the Lake Kawaguchi hotel and the Black Knights made their debut, they had been on a roll. They had been hitting hard against the corrupt and the criminal with a vengeance. Refrain dealers, human traffickers, extortionists; all were brought to heel by the Black Knights. Their successes were also forcing Cornelia to step up her own efforts to curb crime as well. As a result, crime was at an all time low since the occupation, and the Black Knights were heroes to the Japanese and Britannians alike.
But it's not a perfect world just yet Kallen thought as she spotted a group of Britannians beating up a Japanese street vendor. She was about to follow her instincts and intervene when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned around and saw her commander behind her, giving her a look warning her not to do anything. Kallen heeded Lelouch's warning; but the Britannian hooligans must have sensed her hostility, for they took a break from beating the vendor to stare down the two students. "You got a problem with how we're conducting our business?"
"No," said Lelouch "but you look like you're tired of beating up Elevens. Is that right?"
"Yes, yes we are." The group said, responding to the subtle Geass command. They then proceeded to go on their separate ways. Meanwhile, Kallen went to check on the street vendor, who proceeded to launch into a sales pitch. For the poor man's trouble, Lelouch bought two ice creams. Soon, the two were sitting on a park bench with their frozen treats.
"It's disgusting how those Britannians treated that man." Kallen said, still bristling at the incident.
"True" Lelouch responded "but that is the price of doing business for him."
"What do you mean?"
"Being part of the Britannian Empire has its perks. Under its rule, Area 11 has a surety of military and economic protection. As such, there are costs to such protection, like submitting to the Numbers system. That Eleven knew that such attacks would likely happen; it's just a cost of doing business. He knows that if he bows to Britannia, he could live a better life."
It took everything Kallen had to not slap Lelouch a second time. She had to remind herself of who she was talking too. She knew that this was all a facade, that Lelouch was telling her lies. But hearing it those words out his mouth just seemed to infuriate her to no end. So she decided to channel her frustration in a different manner. "Maybe that's true now. But I'll change it for the future. I'll make the world a better place for everyone, you can just sit on your apathetic ass and grow old in comfort."
Kallen could see a near invisible grin flash across Lelouch's face as he said "Well then, good luck."
The two sat there for a little while longer, both unsure of where to proceed. Kallen decided to break the silence with some small talk. "So how was the show with Nunnally been doing?"
"She's been doing very well. She recently picked up a few new hobbies, and she has been really enjoying them."
"Really? What type of hobbies?" Kallen already knew what Lelouch was referring to. She was still shocked that Lelouch, whose instinct to protect Nunnally above all else, would allow her to join the Black Knights. Even more shocking was how well Nunnally had managed to integrate herself into the rebel army. She had taken over most of the communications and co-ordinations, dispelling some of the early chaos that had plagued the operations during the first rebellion.
"Mostly computers and communications. She's been getting a lot of help from Nina, and she's really excited" Lelouch replied, grinning as he thought about some of the non-computer things that Nunnally had now involved herself in. She had managed to talk him into giving her acting lessons by saying she might need to talk her way out of a situation sooner or later, and was becoming almost as good as him. And Lelouch suspected that she was having Sayoko train her behind his back; he just couldn't prove it. "How's your boyfriend?"
"WHAT?" Kallen said instinctively, before remembering the lie she had told Lelouch the a few weeks back. "Oh, right. He's doing fine. We keep going on all these exciting dates, but sometimes I wish he would take it down a notch. Sometimes…I wonder if he appreciates me for what I truly am."
"Kallen, of course he does."
"How would you know –"
"Because" Lelouch said, as he stared deep into the wide sapphire eyes, "Anyone who doesn't appreciate you for who you truly are is a complete idiot.
Kallen could her cheeks fill with color as her heart began to imitate a jackhammer. What does he mean by that? Does he actually think I have a boyfriend? No, he's too smart to fall for that lie. Is he talking about Zero or himself? Is he saying he sees my value as a member of the Black Knights? Or is he- is he-
Kallen was spared from her train of thought by the sound of her phone going off. "Yes?"
"Kallen, it's me Ohgi. Listen…your mom was hit by a car –"
"WHAT?"
"She's doing fine, apparently it's only a broken leg. We're currently at the hospital next to Ikebukuro –"
"Great, I'll be right over." With that, Kallen hung up the phone, and jumped up out of the bench. "What's wrong?" Lelouch asked in a concerned tone.
"It's my mother, she was just hit by a car, she's in the hospital near Ikebukuro-"
"Let's go. I know a shortcut there." Lelouch said, getting up from the bench.
"Right" Kallen said, grateful that Lelouch cared and knowing that at the very least, he could prevent her mother from being thrown out of the hospital.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Hori Kozuki chided Shinichiro Tamaki over how he had conducted himself during a date with a mutual acquaintance, Kaname Ohgi sat deep in thought, mulling over a memory from a week ago.
Man, Zero has got us running ragged over the past few weeks.
Just wait Tamaki. It will probably get worse after that thing that he has planned in Narita.
What are you talking about Kallen?
N-Nothing! It was something he mentioned to me a few days ago, in private.
But we haven't seen the man himself in a few days. We've mostly been getting messages from over the radio.
It must have been the last time I saw him Ohgi, I can barely remember what day it is. Anyways, where are you with –
Don't go changing the subject Kallen. You know who Zero is, don't you!
N-NO I DON'T! D-Don't come up with ridiculous things Tamaki!
Heh-heh-heh. Me thinks the lady protest too much.
Shut up, baka! When do you quote Shakespeare anyways?
After that, Minami had come in and told them that they had another op. But ever since then, Ohgi had been turning over the memory in her mind. Did Kallen know Zero? If so, how did she know him? Was it –
"Mom!" Kallen said as she entered the hospital room and rushed into a hug with Hori. Behind her was a lanky Britannian teenager, dressed in a uniform that bore the exact same sigil as Kallen's. "So glad you could make it Kallen-chan." Hori said, engulfed in a hug with her daughter.
"You okay Mom?"
"I'm fine honey. Doctor says that I should make a speedy recovery." Hori noticed someone behind Kallen. "Say, who's your friend behind you?"
"Oh right. This is Lelouch Lamprouge. He was with me when Ohgi called, and he showed me a shortcut to get here so quickly."
"Pleasure to make all of your acquaintances" the boy named Lelouch said as he shook everybody's hand.
"To think that I would meet two polite students who attended your school today. You're truly getting a world class education."
"What do you mean second stu-" Kallen's question was answered before it was asked when the blonde student came back in saying "Alright, I got the hospital administrator to not override the doc- Kallen! Glad you could make it!"
"Milly! What are you doing here?"
It was Hori who answered. "This nice young lady was in the area when I was hit. She helped Tamaki and Ohgi get me here."
"She was also managed to convince the doctors to treat Hori-san rather than throw us out on the street, and has just done the same with the hospital administrator" Ohgi added.
"Thank you so much Milly!"
"Oh, it was nothing. So, what are you doing here Lulu?"
"W-Well, I was with Kallen when she got the news-"
"Oh, the two of you… together? Alone?"
"It was nothing like that!" The both of them quickly said, their faces becoming flushed with red.
While Milly continued to needle the pair, Tamaki turned to Ohgi. "Man, what are we going to do about these two Brits?" he asked in Japanese.
"There's nothing we can do" Ohgi responded, using the same language. "A secret can only stay a secret for so long. Besides, what do you think would happen if two Britannian students were attacked? The cops would go crazy."
"I know, but we can't do nothing. I say that the two of us follow them when they leave and just threaten them. Brits fold really easy, they're like beach chairs."
"Beach chairs? Really? The way I hear it, most 'Brits' are pigs, those can't be easy to fold" Lelouch said, in perfect Japanese.
The room looked at him, stunned. Ms. Kozuki finally broke the silence. "Lelouch-san, your Japanese is very good."
"Thank you. My sister and I lived in Japan since before the invasion."
"Hey!" Tamaki said in his trademark loud voice. "Where did the blonde go?"
"Milly left, said she had some business to take care of" Kallen said. "You would have noticed it if you weren't doing a bad impression of a movie gangster."
"Unfortunately, I must leave as well" Lelouch said as he checked his phone. "But I can assure all of you that I will keep Kallen's secret. And while I am confident that Milly will as well, I'll talk with her and make sure that it stays secret. It was wonderful meeting everyone, I hope we can see each other soon." With that, the raven-haired teen left the room.
"You see Tamaki-chan, it's that kind of tact that prevents you from ever getting a second date." Hori said. "Thank you two for bringing me here, but if you don't mind, I would like to spend some time with my daughter."
"Of course, Hori-san. We'll visit you soon." And with that, Ohgi got up and left, dragging a stuttering Tamaki with him. All the while, Ohgi's mind was turning. It's strange that Kallen's friend (Lelouch was it?) spoke such good Japanese. And that he said Japan instead of Area 11. Regardless of which language he was speaking, his voice still sounds very familiar.
I swear, his voice is an almost exact match for…
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"It's nice to see you getting out and about again. Even if you won't be able to for a little while" Kallen said, while happily reflecting on her mother's progress the past few months. Ever since her mother to give up her Refrain addiction, she was becoming her old self. She had been going out, talking to many of her old friends, even cooking once again. It had been really been good to eat some of the meals that she had eaten in her childhood.
"With the help of your friends, I'll be out and walking in no time. And I'm happy you've managed to make some friends outside of the Black Knights."
"Mom, what are – "
"Honey, I've noticed that you've been sneaking out more often. And every one of your 'trips' coincides with a big Black Knights exploit the next day. And even if you were wearing a visor, I could still see you on the yacht after the hotel hijacking. You don't need to defend yourself" Hori said as Kallen opened her mouth to do just that. "If the worst thing you're doing is fighting corruption and injustice, then I can be happy that I raised such a righteous child. All I ask is that you focus on other things as well; a revolutionary isn't going to snag a boy like Lelouch."
For what felt like the hundredth time today, Kallen's face turned red. "M-Mom, what are you talking about?"
"Honey, I could see the way you looked at him. I've seen plenty of women with that look before. I've had that look before. I'm glad that despite all that's been going on, you've still managed to be a normal teenage girl. Now sit down" Hori said, indicating a chair next to her. "I want to make sure that you can conduct yourself on a date and not wind up like Tamaki."
After what felt like an hour, Kallen left to go back home. She kept going over her mother's advice, only because it was pleasant to think about her and Lelouch on a date together. She was also thinking about seeing her mother more often, as this had been a pleasant trip. She would have to miss seeing her mother for a few days as the Black Knights would -
She stopped as she realized what was next in the timeline. Narita! The battle had been many things for Kallen, but the one she was remembering one thing that happened afterwards: The funeral for Shirley's father. Her primary thoughts concerning her inexplicable time travel had been saving people, here was an opportunity. Kallen began to walk with a new purpose. Here was a chance to save someone who was close to a friend of hers. She began to formulate ways to obtain Mr. Fennette's phone number and get behind the hospital's reception desk. Here was her chance to save another life.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Here we have a chance to save a life." Lelouch said as he was looking at a map of Narita.
"We have a chance to save many lives, if you're plans work out." Nunnally said, sipping her tea.
"True, but Shirley's survival is contingent on her father's. It's his death that starts the path to her own death."
"Right, which is why you're trying to prevent the landslide from reaching the city. You sure that your calculations are correct?"
"As sure as I can be without consulting someone else, which we agreed was too risky. I don't know if any civilians will get hurt, but hopefully this will be enough that it won't to risk Mr. Fennette." They had discussed ways to lure him out of the city, but couldn't could think of a way that could be seen as credible.
"At the very least, it will hopefully prevent Suzaku from developing more of a vendetta against you."
"That leads me to the other area of concern: Suzaku. Last time, the battle of Narita would've been a success if Suzaku hadn't appeared out of nowhere. We need to come up with a way to limit him on the battlefield, but none of the pilots are up to scratch yet to take on the Lancelot."
"If we can't take care of him on the battlefield, then we'll just have to take care of him before he gets on the battlefield."
"How do you propose that?"
Nunnally eyed her teacup. "I have an idea. You better go take care of logistics and schedules for Narita, I'll handle this." With that, she began to text on her phone and called out for the ninja-maid in order to get her expertise on poisons.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"…and that concludes the finance report, Viceroy."
"Thank you." With that, Cornelia sat back in her chair and sighed as the minster left. The past few weeks had been very trying for her. It was one thing that the Black Knights had been very active in attacking numerous criminal outfits and embarrassing the authorities at every level. But her job was being further complicated by the nobles in Area 11. During Clovis' tenure as the Viceroy, the aristocrats who had ingratiated themselves with him had operated with nearly unchecked power. Upon finding that his replacement was not interested planning to play by the same rules, they began their own rebellion. Not an openly large scale rebellion like those waged by the Black Knights and the Japanese Liberation Front, but a smaller, sneakier, and yet deadlier one. For while the Viceroy had theoretically unlimited power in their Area, the nobles could make things very difficult for them. It was never anything individually significant: a shipment of Knightmare parts may be delayed by several weeks, crates of ammunition would be "stolen" from its warehouse, rumors of the Viceroy's predilections in bed may be spread at various parties and functions. But put all together, it created an environment that made it impossible for Cornelia to do her job. For example, she was finding it hard to acquire funds need to fight the rebellions. According to the report she had just heard, the little money in the treasury that hadn't been lost to graft and misuse was being denied to her by the council, who decided how that money would be spent. And given how many of Clovis' old cronies and flatters were on that council, Cornelia was fairly certain that she wouldn't be getting that money anytime soon. "Who's next on my schedule?" she asked her secretary tiredly.
"Your sister, princess. She is sitting outside as we speak."
"Very well. Send her in." With that, Euphemia entered her office. If there had been one bright spot in Cornelia's time in Area 11, it was her sister Euphie. Her presence had a way of making her day better, even if the situation was horrendous. In addition, she began to demonstrate her worth as an administrator, proving herself a master of bookkeeping, investigation, and management. This was why Cornelia had entrusted her with two of the most sensitive matters within the Area. "So, have there been any updates?"
"On which matter?"
"Let's begin with Code-R".
Euphie sighed and separated a set of files, placing one group on the table while holding on to the other. "Here are the latest on the sources that Clovis used to fund his…experiments. Most of the people in charge of these funds are clamming up, as usual."
Cornelia sighed as she scanned the documents. Almost immediately as Euphemia had told her about the project, the two of them had scoured Clovis' documents to find out what they could. What little they had uncovered was shocking and sickening. Code – R, as it had transpired, was a project dedicated to some sort of immortality. The mad quest had taken the form of various experiments on some poor woman, some of which were borderline inhumane. They had also discovered that it was where a lot of the money had been funneled, making it a big part of the current financial situation. It was also the reason behind the entire Shinjuku incident; Cornelia could see why Clovis had reacted as such, for any situation where word of his project got out would end disastrously for him. So far, all records seemed to end with the day of the Shinjuku incident and Clovis' death. But what had to be strangest thing was that Cornelia felt like she had seen the test subject somewhere; she just couldn't remember. "Do we have any knowledge of the current whereabouts of the test subject?"
"Ever since the transport was hijacked and lost in the Shinjuku ghetto, there have been no sightings of this 'C.C', neither in there nor anywhere else."
"And what of the project currently?" In the wake of Clovis' death, the project had up and moved its operations. However, this was done in such a way that no one had any idea where the project was currently. But that they had come across rumors about its current location, so hopefully…
"No, no confirmation about its current location. At this point, we have three possibilities: Sapporo, Nagoya, and Narita. We'll begin the search with Narita, as soon as we conclude Operation Erebor."
"Right" Cornelia said, rubbing her eyes. Operation Erebor was the operation that would drive the JLF out of its mountain base; thus the name was chosen to draw a comparison towards the dwarves ridding the dragon Smaug. Euphie had objected to the name, since the dragon was the symbol of China, but no one seemed to pay it any mind. "And what of the other matter?" Cornelia asked as she brought her mind back to the conversation at hand.
"Unfortunately, no luck with that one. It appears Lelouch has not only erased his and Nunnally's existence, but he's laid several false trails. We've had 12 leads; Clovis disproved 7 of them, we've fully disproved another 2, and we're still investigating the remaining 3. I doubt they'll lead to him, but hopefully there's a clue that will actually lead to our siblings. But that doesn't change that the one actual lead that we have is still in the wind, and I doubt that he will yield anything useful willingly. "
Cornelia sighed tiredly as she thought about Zero. When the masked vigilante had reappeared at Lake Kawaguchi, she had hoped to capture quickly, so that they could force him to give up Lelouch's and Nunnally's location. Unfortunately, Zero had proven to be very slippery, always gone whenever the police and the military got wind of a Black Knights attack, making him a source of embarrassment for the current administration. Even more infuriating was the letter he had given Euphie, which read as such:
Dear Princesses
If you are reading this, it means that you are still looking for Lelouch and Nunnally. I now must tell you to cease your investigations. If you couldn't figure out what I told you last time, I'll now spell it out for you: The murder of Marianne vi Britannia was orchestrated by someone in the imperial court, and the Emperor covered it up. This person still has influence in the court, and they will attack the siblings if they get wind that they are alive. Lelouch and Nunnally are safe, and I intend for them to stay that way. Therefore, I ask you to cease your investigations; if not for the sake of their safety, then for your own.
Sincerely
Zero
P.S: I don't intend to leave you with nothing, so I have attached something to help you out:
What had followed turned out to be a recipe for triple decker chocolate mousse. The Second Princess would have found that funny, if the situation wasn't so serious. "Well then," Cornelia said as she got up from her seat. "I suppose there really isn't anything we can do until we crush the JLF once and for all. Go and prepare for Erebor."
"Yes, Viceroy." Euphemia stood up to leave when she was suddenly enveloped into a hug. "I'm proud of you, Euphie. You're doing great."
Euphie returned the hug, reflecting on how common these hugs were becoming since Kawaguchi and hoping that there would be more to come in the future.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
The battle was about to begin. Suzaku knew that he should be feeling certain things: excitement, aggression, determination. He also knew that it was not uncommon to feel other things: fear, anxiety, dread. He knew that these feelings could vary from person to person, warrior to warrior.
In any case, he knew that he shouldn't be feeling nauseous.
"Suzaku, are you okay?" Cecile asked him, with a look of concern on her face.
"I'm fine" he responded as wobbled in his seat a bit. What had he eaten that was causing this? Was it the store-bought ramen he had the other night or the milk bun he had for breakfast? It can't have been the tea he had with Nunnally the other day, she had prepared it herself. Suddenly, Suzaku remembered; he had a rice ball prepared by Cecile! What had she filled with this time? Whatever it was, it had tasted weirder than that time she had used blueberries-
"Is everything ready here?" General Darlton asked as he came in.
"Well, my Lancelot is all dolled up and ready to go" Lloyd said, with the usual indifference towards superior officers that always seemed to accompany him. "However, our dear pilot seems to come down with some kind of stomach bug."
"Hmm. So you're saying he shouldn't participate in Operation Erebor?" the general said.
"No, sir!" Suzaku said, standing up suddenly. "I'll be able –" he was going to say "to fight", but it came out with his breakfast in a hurl of vomit.
"You're staying in today solider" Darlton said.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
Lelouch looked down from the mountain with a sense of confidence he hadn't felt in a while. The stage was set, the players were ready. Or at least mostly. Still, the last time a plan came together this neatly was with the Zero Requiem, and this time he wouldn't have to kill himself. As he came up on his troops, he shouted "Everyone, Battle Stations!"
With that, everyone moved to their positions; those who were piloting Knightmares went to their Knightmares, and those who had land positions went to their checkpoints. Settled into his Knightmare, Zero spoke into the radio. "C.C, are you ready?"
"I suppose so" the immortal responded nonchalantly.
"K-2, are you ready?"
"Yes Sir!" came the enthusiastic response.
"Q-1, are you ready?"
"Yes, Zero-sama" Kallen said, quietly hoping that Mr. Fenette had taken the call she had made to him at the hospital seriously.
"All teams report in."
"Murasakino team, reporting in"
"Kogane team ready.
"Kuro team ready."
"Very well then. It appears we are all in position and accounted for. K-2, are they in position?"
"Yes, K-1, the Viceroy's troops are in postion."
"Very well, let's show Britannian the power of the Black Knights! Q-1, ignite the charge!"
"Yes, sir!" Kallen couldn't help but smile as she charged up the familiar weapon.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
The first warning the Britannian soldiers had was as sound like a thunderstorm. Soon afterwards, they found the landscape changing rapidly, both in terms of battle and topography. The majority were crushed in a rockslide. Those that survived that soon found that they had to contend with a new enemy: The Black Knights.
Cornelia could barely believe the radio transmissions that were coming in. The battle had been hers! Now, her forces were fighting left and right to stay alive. Who could be behind –
"Maam! Zero has been spotted on the battlefield!"
Cornelia tensed. Zero was proving himself a problem yet again. However, this could used to turn this to a unique opportunity. "All forces! Zero has been spotted on the battlefield! Capture Zero! This is now a top priority! And I want him alive!"
A chorus of "Yes Maam!"s came through the radio. Soon afterwards, however, a pilot put some unusual news through the radio. "Maam, there's … there's a girl running around the battlefield."
"Girl? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Seems to be a young lass, with green hair –"
Cornelia's eyes widened. Was she really going to get this lucky? "Everyone!" she called into the radio, "If you see a green haired girl running around, capture her as well!"
"Yes – Ah! AAHHHHHHHH!"
"What's going on?"
"It's the green haired girl, Viceroy! She's- AHHHHHHHHHH!"
What on earth is happening? Cornelia thought. She then turned to see two unique knightmares, a modified Burai and a red one with a specialized arm, coming straight towards her. I guess I'm not as luck as I thought, The Second Princess mused as she readied herself for battle.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lelouch smiled to himself. The battle was going better than expected. Between the landslide, C.C, and his troops, Britannian soldiers were being dispatched at what he believed to be a record rate. Soon, he and Kallen would have Cornelia in custody, and the battle would be over. And he didn't even have to fight –
"Warning, the Lancelot has entered the battle!"
WHAT? HOW? Zero screamed in his head. According to Sayoko, the amount of poison that Nunnally had administered to Suzaku should have kept him bed ridden. According to the ninja maid, only a "complete fool with no sense of self-preservation" would try to pilot a Knightmare in with that much poison with him. Which, now that Lelouch thought about it, was a dead-on description of Suzaku. So once again, the Lancelot had become a wildcard that he hadn't accounted for. Just as he was formulating a plan, he heard Kallen's voice over the radio. "Don't worry about the Lancelot, I got this, you just get Cornelia into the enclosure."
Zero acknowledged and made for Cornelia while Q-1 made for Suzaku. If there is anyone who can beat Suzaku, it has to be Kallen.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kallen had been waiting for this. Suzaku had been a nuisance for too long; he always seemed to have a way to be in the wrong place at the wrong time so he could mess up Lelouch's plans. But now, he could finally be stopped. Kallen had last fought in a half broken-down Glasgow, now she had her Guren back. Nothing could prevent her from finally claiming victory over Suzaku.
As it turned out, beating easier to beat Suzaku then she ever thought for possible. Kallen soon realized how predictable "The White Knight" really was. He only had five or six maneuvers, and if you could anticipate them, they were easily countered. Also, was it just Kallen's imagination, or was he moving erratically? The way he maneuvered and attacked, it seemed like Suzaku was piloting the Lancelot drunk. Before too long, Kallen had used the Radiant Surge to take both of the Lancelot's legs, as well as his rifle. Kallen could have killed Suzaku, and honestly wanted to, but she knew that Lelouch would want him alive. Just be thankful for his mercy, Suzaku she thought as she left him for the enclosure. I hope that I won't regret letting you live.
Kallen came to see Cornelia trapped within an enclosure that the Black Knights had prepared beforehand. The plan had been to separate the Second Princess from her troops and force her to surrender. So far, the plan seemed to have been working; the only problem seemed to be that Cornelia refused to surrender. "One of you cowards come out here and fight me!" Cornelia yelled over the loudspeaker, firing off shots at random.
"If you're looking for a fight, why don't you try me on for size!" Kallen yelled over her loud speaker as she got into the enclosure to fight Cornelia. Cornelia was a good fighter, so it took Kallen a bit longer than she would've liked. After all, who knew when Britannian reinforcements would arrive. But soon enough, Cornelia's Gloucester met the same fate as Suzaku's Lancelot: Torn to pieces. Cornelia surrendered, and what remained of the Britannian forces retreated. Soon enough, the Black Knights were celebrating their victory once again. They had proven that they were not just a terrorist group; they were a rebel force to be reckoned with. And yet, Kallen had a little bit of uneasiness left in her. "What's wrong, Q-1?" Zero asked, taking notice of his ace's troubled look.
"Nothing, it's just…I'm worried about the collateral damage from the landslide."
"I was worried about that too. So, I did some calculations and engineered the landslide to stop before it hit the town."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. Check the news tomorrow when they talk about the landslide. If they talk about it. They might not reveal it if they can't paint us as merciless killers who care nothing for civilians."
Kallen suddenly felt happier, and thus began to get more into the celebrations around them. Suddenly, Ohgi came up to them. "Boss, we may have a problem" he said.
"Oh? What may that be?"
"That girl you deployed…C.C, was it? … yeah, she got run over by one of the Knightmares and…"
"Oh. I see."
"You know, you seemed completely nonchalant about this. A woman just died!" Ohgi said angrily.
"I would be more sympathetic. Just one thing is stopping me."
"What?"
"She's behind you."
Ohgi and Kallen turned around and saw C.C approaching the party, her clothing torn and covered in mud, but otherwise alive and well. "You" she shouted at Zero, "owe me at least three giant pizzas!"
Zero laughed. "C.C, with the work you did today, I will buy you as many pizzas as you want tonight."
Kallen started laughing as well. So this is what a real victory feels like she thought, as she laughed harder than she had in a long time.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Well, that was a cute scene."
The Geass Master, who had been watching the victory celebrations, turned with a sense of annoyance back to see the Dimensional Supervisor approaching him. "Perhaps not as cute as the two dancing around their feelings, but cute nonetheless. When are the two going to figure out that they've both travelled back?"
"I don't know" the Geass Master responded, irritated that the question had come up. Again. "It should be soon, given who's about to step onto the stage. Honestly, can't you just sit back and watch it unfold?"
"I enjoy a good narrative unfold just as much as anyone. But I dislike how you meddle with the lives and others, and I question whether you should be here watching the lives of others when our lives remain in jeopardy due to the looming danger of Ragnarok."
"First of all, I don't meddle with the lives of others; I create…scenarios, which they then act out. Secondly, you are the last being who should come after me about interfering with the lives of others. I still remember how involved you got with the whole W-0 incident. And finally, I would destroy the Ragnarok machine, if the gods would let me!"
It's not that we wouldn't let you; the preventing force is the fates that won't let you destroy it. Or rather, they won't let destroy it now. The fates have always been fickle, but they have been known to change on a whim. Much will probably rely on your little "scenario", but know that if Lelouch is unable to end Ragnarok, that responsibility will fall to someone else. It may be you, but it could fall to someone else, someone whom you'll have to guide like you guided Lelouch the last time.
"Guided?" said the Dimensional Supervisor said derisively. "He didn't guide Lelouch, he merely gave an occasional push while the boy, and others, suffered."
"It worked, didn't it?" the Geass Master responded. "And whatever I've done concerning Ragnarok, either now or earlier, is certainly a hell of a lot more than anything you've done. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to see that the Ragnarok machine malfunctions again." And with that he left in a huff.
"For a man who can see the future, he remains curiously blind to it" the Dimensional Supervisor said.
It's obvious why. The man lives to be excited, to be thrilled. That is why he has always been…protective of his scenarios, his narratives. Still, there are some things that Geass Master could never see. The consequences of his actions, and the actions of his characters are yet to be decided. And there are elements that will come into play that not even one who possess Absolute Foresight will to foresee.
a/n: And here end's another (hopefully) entertaining chapter
a/n 2: Seriously though, can people please stop asking me about Kallen and Lulu? I promise you, it will happen very soon, but like everything else, please be patient.
Comments? Questions? Insidious Remarks? Think I'm lollygagging too much? Leave a Review!
Till the next chapter everyone!
-TWA