I think it's time to progress the main plot now, it's time for Narita.
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Diethard was a man who had little regrets, he spent his life looking for the next story. So, when he "slipped" information to the Black Knights he was sure it would bear fruit. But if there was one thing he regretted; it was speaking to the Pure bloods. So arrogant and up front, they had no sense of subtlety to them.
"We have a lead." The words caught his attention, Villetta Nu was a no-nonsense woman, so he was sure she was serious.
"Two disgraced soldiers have a lead, how am I not surprised?" It was a tale as old as time, the disgraced searching for whatever would bring them redemption in the eyes of their lords. But if it was the Pure bloods who were chasing this redemption, he'd have to hear it.
"Do you know of Ashford Academy? We believe one of their male students are aiding Zero, we want to investigate them. Seeing as Zero has stuck you in a less than suitable position for someone of your talents…" Jeremiah let it hang there, the proposal was not lost on Diethard, however he wasn't interested to begin with.
"What's stopping you from investigating yourself?" He had a sneaking suspicion; contacts here and there had informed him of a big military operation.
"Villetta and I will be stationed in the Narita mountains, we'll be unable to conduct the investigation ourselves." Bingo.
"Narita you say, how coincidental." In one hand Diethard searched for the Ashford Academy on the net. The school was the first hit, as expected.
"And why is that?" Villetta asked.
"Oh, just rumors." He smirked.
"Rumors? What kind of rumors?"
"The kind that bite back."
x-x
Ashford Academy
"So, we're here preparing for Prom, and Lelouch suddenly has a business trip to go on?" Miles asked as he filled out the umpteenth paperwork.
"I know right!? What does that guy got going on in his life that he couldn't at least bring me?" Rivalz flopped in his chair with an exasperated sigh.
"Lelouch's business is his own, if he wanted to bring someone along, he would have asked." Shirley berated Rivalz.
"So, he didn't ask you along either?" Rivalz gave a small mischievous smirk while Shirley fumed.
"Why would he?" Miles asked. Rivalz said nothing but looked down solemnly and patted his back.
"What?" Miles asked again, oblivious to what wasn't being said.
"Never change Miles." Milly said from the other side of the table.
"Hey Nina, you got those sponsors I asked for?" Rivalz asked, he turned to Nina who was sitting in her own corner. She wasn't listening, instead focusing on her computer or rather staring pass her computer.
"Nina, hey Nina!" Rivalz walked up to her, with a quick jolt whatever was on Nina's computer went away.
"Oh Rivalz, I'm sorry I didn't hear you." She apologized but it didn't sound like she was sorry.
"Uh, yeah, say did you get those sponsors for the prom?" Nina nodded and handed him a small stack of papers.
"These contain all the delivery dates for our supplies and caterers." Rivalz gave his thanks before running off to read it.
Nina turned back to her computer, except her thoughts did turn with her. They've been filled with none other than Euphemia Li Britannia, the beautiful princess that saved her from those Elevens. In her mind she was determined to meet the princess.
x-x
Black Knights Warehouse
"You don't want me to go sir?" Steve asked as the rest of the Black Knights packed and left the warehouse.
"Your skills as a soldier is commendable, but I need you here to continue investigating the Knights of Zero. The men we captured didn't know as much as we lead to believe, but we did get some information from them. I've set some targets for you to investigate while we leave for Narita, by this time tomorrow we should return. Can I count on you to finish this mission?" Zero asked.
"Yes sir." Steve gave a salute as started to head out.
"One more thing Captain." Steve turned around, in Zero's hand was a briefcase.
"Yes sir?"
"Every soldier needs a uniform, consider this yours." Zero extended the briefcase to Steve.
Steve grabbed it and opened it. It was a dark navy combat suit, with a silver star and stripes across the chest. Steve looked back up to Zero, a look of surprise on his face.
"C.C. told me you used to have a very…patriotic outfit during your time in Washingtons Rebellion. I had a contact of mine create something more in line with the Black Knights, I hope it is satisfactory." Steve nodded his head in thanks and left to do his mission.
With Rogers busy with the Knights of Zero, Lelouch focused his attention on the Narita mission. He would make a miracle happen.
x-x
Slums of Area 11
A blaring alarm was not the choice Yuriko Watanabe preferred after waking up from a long night's work. But it was the best she could do with what she had. She cursed under her breath as she slammed the button, stopping the alarm. As she woke up from her bed, she took a groggy look at herself and prepared for her morning routine.
Getting up out of her old bed, Yuriko dragged herself to her sink and started cleaning up. Straightening her hair, cleaning her face, and generally looking presentable in the office. Next came her uniform, not very hard to put on. As she finished getting dressed, Yuriko prepared for her last task before leaving. Her mother.
As she entered the living room, she could already see her mother in her rocking chair watching the TV. Walking around to the small island that was considered a kitchen, she glanced at her mother. Her gaze was focused on the TV, a perpetual frown on her face probably since she woke up. Yuriko didn't try to talk to her, she poured herself a glass of juice and went to leave.
Without a word spoken to each other Yuriko left the building and to her job.
Walking the streets of what used to be Japan, Yuriko gained the distasteful eyes of those she considered her people. The men and women of Japan looked on her with disdain, as if she had committed a great offense to them. Which in their eyes she did. But Yuriko learned to live with it, she's lived it with for a long time.
She walked for another 15 minutes before she made it out of the slums, and as she walked into Area 11-proper, she was met again with eyes of those who thought they were her superior. The eyes of Britannians were cold, impersonal, not the hot wrath of the Japanese. She preferred these strangers to the those of her fellow countrymen.
Pass all the people, Yuriko finally made it to the parking lot. In the back corner was her cruiser, bare of any marks or scars. She learned last year never to park it in the slums, that cost her plenty from her paycheck. She hopped into her car, paid the meter, and left to the police station where she could do her job.
x-x
Police Station
"Watanabe, you're late." Captain Stacy said as she entered the police station.
"Sorry sir, got stuck in traffic." Yuri apologized as she sat down at her desk.
George gave her a disapproving stare, unlike the others his wasn't one of disgust - more a father lecturing their child. She understood why, it was his recommendation that lead her to become an officer, and any marks against her would be shared to him.
"Watanabe, come to my office." George said.
The two walked their way through the office, passing by numerous officers. Some looked with that common disgust in their eyes, others sneering hoping she'd probably be fired already.
As the two entered his office, George sat in his chair and pulled out a picture frame and handed it to her, it was her father.
"Sir?" Yuri asked.
"I'm sure you're well aware that there has been plenty of pushback against your enrollment since I oversaw your training in basic. Thankfully this isn't you being fired, but powers outside my reach want your father removed from the wall. I'm sorry Yuri, there wasn't much I could do." Yuri thumbed the photo of her father.
Kenneth Watanabe was a police officer during the second Pacific War that lead to the designation of Japan as Area 11. He died in the conflict. A wall in the precinct was dedicated to those officers who died in the war, as long as they were Britannian that is.
"Thank you, sir." Yuri said.
"Your father was a good man, it's a disgrace that inside politics have turned this way. Ironic, because that's why he left the homeland to work here. It seems he was never able to escape it. I remember back in the day, he was always sick of the rules that stopped him from helping people back in the homeland." George remarked, remembering the old days.
"Red tape usually does that, sir." Yuri agreed.
"I suppose so. You're dismissed Yuri. I have to make some calls." Yuri nodded as she left the office.
George sighed and picked up the phone and made a call, "Hello, it's Captain Stacy. Yes, I'm calling for Mr. Manfredi."
x-x
Narita Mountains
The Narita Mountains are usually a peaceful place to be, unfortunately now it had become a landslide of death. The approaching Britannian army had been brigaded with a landslide the likes of which were unforeseen. It was a perfect time to strike. Unfortunately for Euphemia she could only stand and watch as the Black Knights swooped from nowhere to take control of the battle.
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia I beseech you, send in the G1 to support Viceroy Cornelia!"
"If we move, we'll open innocent civilians and wounded soldiers in our field hospital, I can't just leave them to die!"
Euphemia was at a crossroads, an ultimatum that questioned the very essence of her morality. It was the lives of her sister and army…or the lives of the innocent that she was sworn to protect as Viceroy. She was out of her depth, paralyzed at the moment of decision.
"Sub-Viceroy you must move the G1! Commander Guilford is completely pinned down, he cannot reach Viceroy Cornelia! She will die if we don't intervene!"
"Cornelia adamantly said not to move the G1, that was her orders! I…I just can't!" Euphemia's grip on the console tightened, she couldn't decide.
"Excuuuse me! ASEEC crew reporting in!" The console view switched from the battle map to a odd man in a lab coat.
"Damn irregulars, your orders were to keep silent and observe!"
"Normally we would, but it seems that your current situation is…" A woman appeared on camera trying to be diplomatic.
"It's rather boring." The odd man admitted.
"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, I beseech you, please order us into battle." Her attention was drawn away from the other two.
It was a boy, probably only 18. But it wasn't his age that surprised him, the number of 18-year-old boys that joined the army was large, it was his very being. He was an Eleven, an honorary Britannian most likely, piloting a Knightmare of all things!
"Please Sub-Viceroy, the Lancelot can save Princess Cornelia." The demeanor of the boy was calm, he was assured of his abilities.
She remembered the Lancelot from the Kawaguchi hotel, mission reports claimed it was able to do bypass the JLF's frontline to secure a victory. This was that very same pilot.
"…think one unit can change the tide of the battle with only an Eleven pilot?"
"Well it really hurt to try now would it? As far as I see you need some help, and as it's only one Knightmare, if we lose you wouldn't be seen badly." The choice was now clear to Euphemia.
"Pilot of the Lancelot, do you promise with your life to save my sister?" Euphemia asked.
"I promise, with my life." The Eleven's face stayed confident.
"Then you have my permission."
x-x
Cornelia was on her last leg, almost literally. Her Knightmare was in critical condition, her weapons gone, and surrounded by enemy combatant. The Black Knights had planned to capture her, she wouldn't let that happen. She was prepared for this situation ever since she joined the army. This looked like this was it.
"Guilford, my knight. You and Darlton have to protect Euphie." She whispered into her radio.
"Princess please, we're making our way to you!"
"I won't let them take me; I will never surrender. Please, take care of Euphie in my stead. That is my last order to you, goodbye Guilford." Before Guilford could protest, Cornelia ignored her radio, ready to face death.
Cornelia gripped the handles of her controls and prepared to charge.
"Goodbye sweet Euphie." She whispered; she went full throttle.
A section of the rockslide blew up in front of her, from the cloud of dust illuminated the steely-white and gold frame of the ASEEC's Lancelot Knightmare.
"Viceroy are you alright?!" The voice of the Eleven pilot reached her.
"Special corps?! But who…Euphie…" Only Euphemia was able to permit special units, she'd have to thank her later.
Behind the Lancelot, the red Knightmare approached them, it was going to attack. "You take out that thing, I'll take out Zero." She commanded.
"Yes ma'am!" Behind her, the two Knightmares engaged in combat and in front of her were three other Knightmares.
Cornelia fired her slash harkens at the Black Knights, both missing. Her energy fillers were draining fast and not much left. She had to make the next 30 seconds count.
"Come back here you bastards." She growled as her slash harkens returned.
The Black Knights pulled back, Zero's Knightmare leveled his rifle and shot her legs stopping her advance. She aimed her slash harken and attempted to fire. A blaring alarm sounded on her terminal; her energy fillers had run out.
"Damn." She could only watch as the Black Knights left, probably retreating.
"Viceroy are you alright?" The Lancelot returned from his battle.
"Go after Zero, I'll wait here for reinforcements." Cornelia leaned back into her seat exhausted.
"But…"
"My energy fillers just ran out, now go!" The Eleven didn't argue and left to follow Zero.
Cornelia sighed in her seat; death did not take her today.
"Princess!" Guilford arrived, his Knightmare damaged and scarred.
"Guilford, send a command to retreat, we've lost today."
x-x
Ashford Academy
"I'm back." Miles announced as he returned from a bathroom break.
"Great, I need you to go talk to the new Phys. Ed professor about clearing out the gym for our prom." Milly said from the table as she did paperwork.
"Wasn't Shirley supposed to do that?" Miles asked.
"She left early to go see a play with her father. I couldn't very much stop her form going. That'd be cruel! So now be a dearie and go meet the professor for us, now will you?" Miles relented and went off to the gym.
It was already afternoon outside, he hoped work would be done soon so he can get in costume. Maybe his elusive detective would send him a text about any possible locations of Refrain hideouts. He certainly hoped so.
As he neared the gym his thoughts turned away from his nightly crusades to the topic at hand. The gym was empty as he entered, no one in sight.
"Probably in the locker room." Miles talked to himself as he navigated the locker room. In the office the professor sat at a desk.
"Are you the new Phys. Ed professor?" Miles asked.
"Oh yes, can I help you?" The man asked as sat up.
"Yeah, my names Miles, I'm with the student council. With the prom coming up, we just need the gym clear. The student council can come by any time to help." The professor moved from behind the desk in front of Miles. He was in a wheelchair.
"Pleasure to meet you Miles, my name I'm Professor Eugen Thompson, but you can just call me Flash."
So sorry for the late update, life's been busy. Shit is gonna go down soon, and I hope you guys are ready.