Demon and the Red Moon

Ah, the holidays. A wonderful time for chillaxing. Now I get to go back to beating stupid fanfictions out of my brain for your enjoyment. I'M NOT COMPLAINING!

Okay, I'm complaining the lancelot's debut was a lot more fun to write.

And this took for-freaking-ever.

Rolo's Geass would be awesome if it worked for days.

And didn't have the heart-stopping thing.

Hate to broach this subject, and I know a few of us have thought of this, but. Anybody think Rolo used his Geass to get some peeks on the Asheford students of the female persuasion? The only reason I can think of that suggests he didn't is because heart-stopping geass+heart-quickening bewbs=dead little fake-brother.

...

Why am I a monster?

Disclaimer: Lelouch: The following is a-

Milly: (shouting) Non-profit fan-written story!

Lelouch: Code Geass is owned by-

Milly: Wait, am I even in this chapter?

Lelouch: Please support the official release.

Turn 05: Cornelia's Attack

Euphemia stood in the airstrip of the government bureau. She winced as the aircraft approached, her laced hands tightening on their own. Suzaku watched from far behind the princess. Lloyd and Cecile stood beside him. Hundreds of people were awaiting Princess Cornelia. Suzaku privately wished he could assure Euphy. But he was merely a soldier, and she was a high-born lady.

Euphemia eyed to her side, in the direction where Suzaku stood behind her. She wished he was closer, so she could absorb some of his strength and bravery.

"I heard Princess Cornelia was busy establishing Area Eighteen," Lloyd commented, stroking his chin beside Suzaku. The eleven looked over at Lloyd, his mouth opening to ask a question. Before he could ask, the plane came to a stop before Euphemia, and Suzaku renewed his stance of attention.

The woman who stepped from the plane's opening door was striking. Suzaku could recognize the similarities between Euphemia and her older sister. But Cornelia's was a harsh, austere beauty, with none of Euphemia's softness. Her hair was violet instead of pink, and her eyes were a darker blue. Her skin was paler, and she was thinner, both in her face and in her form.

As she stepped down, a raven-haired man in the same crimson uniform followed after her. Instead of the white cape, he wore a blue sash about his waist. His long hair was tied back with a piece of leather thong, and he wore glasses over his blue eyes. Cornelia's knight, Suzaku guessed.

"Ah-huh," Lloyd hummed, thoughtfully. "She brought along Guilford. She's not just visiting Area Eleven for tea and cakes." Euphemia winced as she heard Lloyd's words.

"Hello, sister," Euphemia greeted, smiling as Cornelia approached. Cornelia smiled in return, but with a tired expression.

"You shall address me as Viceroy," Cornelia declared. "We're sisters, so we must observe a stricter code of conduct here, Sub-viceroy Euphemia." Euphemia winced, as ever intimidated by her older sister. But Cornelia was still her older sister. Euphemia smiled.

"Of course," Euphemia replied, dutifully. Cornelia's eyes focused onto Suzaku. She dropped the friendly expression and walked past Euphemia. Suzaku stood straighter, if that was possible. Lloyd made a thoughtful noise, his hands on his hips.

"This would be the pilot of the special weapon?" Cornelia asked, coldly, stopping before Suzaku.

"Yes, your highness," Lloyd replied, cheerfully. Cornelia's eyes narrowed, discomforting Suzaku. He was only an honorary Britannian and had driven the Lancelot. Even an honorary citizen could not become a knight.

"I'm promoting you to Warrant Officer, Suzaku Kururugi," Cornelia replied matter of factly. "Don't make me regret it." Suzaku blinked in surprise.

"Yes, your majesty," he responded finally, stunned. Cornelia was already on the move.

"Your highness," called a Britannian voice. The purple-haired woman paused as an adjutant ran over and stood beside her. "We have prepared for your official installment ceremony, and the press release-" he was cut off as Cornelia drew her sword and pointed it at the man's head. Suzaku noticed that a single-shot flintlock pistol had been fitted into the top of the weapon.

"Zero comes before all else. Where is he?"

0.0.0

"Did you hear, Lelouch?" Shirley's question made Lelouch turn from his lunch. He gave her a questioning look, a piece of rice halfway in his mouth. "They say the new viceroy has finally arrived, Second Princess Cornelia." Lelouch blinked and lowered his hand holding his chopsticks.

Cornelia. He remembered the angry tomboy, determined to protect sweet little Euphemia. He should have guessed it would be someone like Cornelia. He was a little unsurprised. He should have known, since Euphemia was already here.

"Looks like I quit just in time," Lelouch commented to himself. Kallen emitted a choked sound from nearby as Lelouch spoke. Shirley blinked and angled her head, confused.

"Quit what, Lulu?" Shirley asked, confused. Lelouch blinked in shock, realizing that he'd said it aloud. He came up with a few dozen lies in that nanosecond.

"My gambling," Lelouch lied, smiling assuredly. "I've heard that Princess Cornelia can be pretty strict, so I wouldn't want to be caught gambling again."

"What?" Rivalz asked, upset, leaning over from his seat beside Lelouch. "You're quitting gambling?! It was getting so good!" Lelouch looked back over at Rivalz as he raved.

"Guess you'll just have to get a real job Rivalz," Lelouch teased, smiling at his friend. Rivalz began to choke and then scream in despair. Lelouch looked back over to Shirley. "I'd been thinking about quitting for a while. I just did it for a rainy day, the rest was out of sheer boredom." In the corner of his eye Kallen stiffened, sitting straighter next to Milly, eyes narrowing at him. Lelouch frowned.

"Well that's good then," Shirley added cheerfully.

C watched the grouping with the disinterest of a critiquing observer. She frowned and looked up at the sky, seemingly bored. "I want pizza," she said despairingly.

0.0.0

"You're being released," Guilford announced as the glass barrier was raised. Jeremiah breathed a sighed of relief as he stood.

"You believe I'm innocent! Lord Guilford, I'm so relieved!" Jeremiah told the senior knight, joyfully. Guilford's face remained neutral. Jeremiah began to walk over when Guilford held Jeremiah back with his hand. Jeremiah blinked, wounded.

"In the eyes of the courts you're innocent," Guilford corrected. "You've been demoted two ranks for failure, so you'll have two choices. Starting over as a pilot," Jeremiah was on the verge of crying aloud as the raven-haired man spoke. "Or cultivating an orange farm." Jeremiah felt his world shattering.

"But my lord," he pleaded, desperately. Guilford pushed the younger man backwards. Jeremiah fell over.

"Silence," Guilford advised carefully, his eyes narrowing. "Orange-boy." Guilford turned and walked off, leaving Jeremiah to roll like a fish back to his knees. Jeremiah's rage was boiling. Not only was he demoted, almost killed, and tricked by a terrorist, but now he was stuck with that name. Orange.

"I'll kill you, Zero," Jeremiah vowed, his face twisting in sheer rage.

0.0.0

Lelouch and Kallen walked down the hall. Lelouch glanced Kallen in the corner of his eye. She wasn't speaking to him. Lelouch adjusted his jacket, uncomfortably. He'd been avoiding the conversation. Even at the dinner he'd been invited to. Lelouch sighed internally. He frowned and decided to try to comment on it.

"You're being quiet today," he noted, awkwardly. Kallen looked at him, annoyed.

"Is that what you really want to talk about?" Kallen asked, angrily. Lelouch winced then frowned, annoyed.

"You know, you were much cuter in Shinjuku when I didn't know you," he teased angrily. Kallen blushed, but kept up her angry expression.

"You don't know me," she corrected forcefully. "Just because we've kissed doesn't mean you know me, Lelouch." Lelouch stopped walking and faced Kallen. Kallen stopped walking and turned back to the Britannian Prince.

"How many kisses would I need to know you?" Lelouch asked, narrowing one eye as he teased the redhead. Kallen blinked and inhaled in surprise. The idea of kissing him again had struck her with the force of a hammer and the speed of a dagger. Lelouch could sense the effect he'd had on Kallen.

"If you were going to help us resist Britannia I'd tell you," she replied. Lelouch's eyes narrowed in irritation at the rebuke. "But you've decided that anything we might have had stops here." Lelouch took a step back, eyes widening. Kallen stalked off, heading to their class. Lelouch stood in the hall, his hand curling into a fist.

"Very well, Kallen." He said to himself, looking down, disappointed.

0.0.0

'They've announced that they're going to wipe out the Saitama ghetto,' Ohgi reported into the phone. Kallen's eyes narrowed as Ohgi finished. 'We know the date and time, and we retrieved your Glasgow. It's been fitted with the arm of a Sutherland from Shinjuku.'

"So we'll at least have a Knightmare Frame," Kallen concluded.

'Yeah. We've contacted the resistance in Saitama. We're going to help them to hold off the military until we can evacuate. With Zero's help we can stop them.' Kallen winced at Zero's mention. Zero wasn't going to help. But Ohgi didn't need to know that.

"Zero will be there," Kallen lied, smiling. "See you in Saitama." She hung up the phone.

"The Saitama ghetto," Lelouch added from behind Kallen. She turned and faced him. "They announced it on the news. Cornelia's going to wipe it out to deal with a few terrorists." He winced. "Sorry, resistance fighters. I forget sometimes. And you're going to support them in the red Glasgow."

"Yes, not that it concerns you, since you quit on us," Kallen replied, angrily.

"It's not that simple!" Lelouch shouted angrily, his calm facade cracking like glass. Kallen was stunned enough to make her retreat on her heel. She'd never seen Lelouch crack under anger. "I'm a strategist, not a soldier. I can only form plans. Execution is a separate matter. I need someone who can execute my plans as well as I can form them." Kallen frowned, gritting her teeth.

"Fine," she said, walking past him. Lelouch frowned as he listened to her foot steps receding. The footsteps stopped. "But what are our chances without Zero? Maybe you should think of that before you chicken out." Lelouch's eyes went wide at the questions. He turned around to look at Kallen. She was already gone.

Cornelia was the reason the Saitama Ghetto was being targeted. But Lelouch was smart enough to realize it was a trap for Zero. If he went in he'd be facing Cornelia. She was no Clovis.

You are dead.

Lelouch blinked in surprise at the memory. His father's words rang in his mind as a great bell. He'd remembered them, just after he'd gotten Geass. That man didn't care about any of his children. That included himself and Nunnally.

Dead since the moment you were born. Who do you think gave you the things you possess, your fine clothes, even your very life. All these things I gave to you!

But this power, it's mine. This time his own voice rang in his mind. That's right, I was dead. Dead for years. I will not return to being dead. I will defeat that man and take everything from him.

I will obliterate Britannia!

0.0.0

C turned her head as the door opened. She sat up from the bed as Lelouch entered, determination steeling his expression. He knelt by the bed and pulled a case from beneath it. He stood, lifting the case as he did, holding it at his side.

"Where are you going?" C asked, concerned. It wasn't concern for Lelouch's person, though.

"Kallen needs my help with something," Lelouch lied nonchalantly. "Feel free to order a pizza, I may be late." C narrowed her eyes.

"You're falling for the enemy's provocation, aren't you?" Lelouch frowned, annoyed at the emerald-haired witch. He stepped over to look out the window.

"They took such great pains to invite me," Lelouch noted confidently. He turned to leave. Only to be stopped by C aiming a gun at his chest. He froze.

"You can't die." C warned. Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "You can't die until you've fulfilled your contract to me. So you can't die yet." His Geass wouldn't work on her, and he couldn't threaten her with a gun. But she could threaten him. An idea struck him.

"Notice that what you're threatening and saying are contradictory," Lelouch said, smirking at the witch's hypocrisy.

"That depends on what I'm threatening. I could just shoot you in the leg to slow you down." Lelouch ground his teeth inside his head. He hadn't thought about that. He drew his pistol from his case. "You think you can threaten me with a gun? I can't die."

"You can't," Lelouch agreed, frowning. He smiled and pressed the muzzle of his pistol to his temple. Her golden eyes went wide at the prince's gesture. "I can." She gritted her teeth. The most emotion he'd seen her display yet. "Before I met you I was dead. Dead for years. If I'm destined to go back to that life, I'd rather-"

"Stop!" C said forcefully, dropping the pistol to her side. "I understand. It's a life without meaning." Lelouch smiled and lowered the pistol, setting it back inside his jacket. He walked past the emerald enigma without looking at her, nor did she deign to look at him. "Be careful, Lelouch." He set his hand on the doorknob and stopped.

"I will."

0.0.0

Lelouch watched a confrontation from the top of an abandoned building. A group of civilians had been herded by the Britannian soldiers. The leader of the civilians walked towards one of the Britannian soldiers keeping them in place. Lelouch jumped when they gunned the leader down.

"Why are you doing this?!" another man asked angrily.

"There are children here!" a second added.

"We've done nothing!" a third voice pleaded, desperately.

"Exactly," the leader of the soldiers replied coldly. "The people of the ghetto do nothing about the terrorists. Therefore this ghetto is being purged." Lelouch frowned as the assault rifles opened fire.

"Cornelia replaces Clovis, but Britannia doesn't change," he thought aloud. "So I have to change it." He was interrupted by a pair of slash harkens anchoring into the roof of the building next to the one Lelouch was standing on. A Sutherland ascended the wall and came to face Lelouch. He stood and looked at the face of giant machine.

'You there,' the pilot called out, over the radio. 'What's your name and unit?' Lelouch smiled.

0.0.0

Kallen dodged a tank's cannon round. She pressed the control button on the left rein and her Glasgow launched a slash harken into the tank. The vehicle's armor was crushed and ripped by the impact, shortly before the tank exploded as its ammunition cooked off.

'Great job, Kallen,' came Ohgi's voice over the radio. Kallen grinned as she panted to retrieve her breath. They'd helped the Saitama group, but the Knightmares were pushing them back further and further without stopping.

A Sutherland came from behind a building, firing its assault rifle. Before Kallen could react bullets were ripping through her borrowed Sutherland arm. By the time Kallen was moving the purple limb was severed, leaving just a few pieces of twisted metal clinging to the red Glasgow.

The enemy Sutherland moved forward to pursue her when three grenades hit the machine's chest in succession, blowing the machine apart. Kallen spun her Glasgow around to see who fired. She blinked as she realized nothing was there.

0.0.0

"It seems Zero might not make an appearance," Cornelia said thoughtfully. Beside her Guilford frowned, looking at the tactical map on the main screen. She sat back and crossed her legs, disappointed. "It seems he's smarter than I thought. I would have preferred to trap him here and not have to hunt him down one by one."

"We live to serve you, your highness," Guilford said from beside Cornelia. She sighed and closed her eyes, frowning.

"Your highness," Darlton said, alarmed. Cornelia opened her eyes, looking back at the tactical map. A group of units was assembling near the terrorist center of operations. There were nearly twenty Knightmares assembling in parade ground formation.

"What are they just doing standing there?" Cornelia asked, raising an eyebrow. All the units disappeared from the tactical map.

0.0.0

'Kallen,' came Ohgi's voice over the radio, surprising the redheaded pilot. 'A bunch of Knightmares just surrendered to us. What's going on?' Kallen's eyes widened at the words.

'Q-1,' came Lelouch's voice. 'Move thirty meters to the east and fire your slash harkens towards northeast.' Kallen pulled on her reins, strafing her Glasgow. She fired her slash harkens and the building. It collapsed, dropping two Sutherlands. The two Knightmares were crushed by the sudden impact on the ground, exploding.

'Le-' she cut herself off. 'Zero, you came.'

'Of course,' Lelouch's voice replied. 'I told you I would.' Kallen sucked in a breath in surprise. 'We're going to force Cornelia to pull back. Then I can neutralize her like I did with Clovis. I'll need your help in order to win. All units, fall back to point z-01.'

'Alright, Zero,' Ohgi replied over the radio, cheerfully.

0.0.0

Lelouch set the radio down and exhaled. This was still exhausting. But now he knew that he would fight Britannia, and why. Besides, he still had to investigate his mother's murder. Cornelia was much higher in the hierarchy of Britannia, she'd know what happened to his mother.

"All units, confirm deactivation of your iff transponders," Lelouch ordered, holding the radio up to his ear. The game has begun.

'Confirmed,' replied a few dozen voices.

"Kallen, circle to r4, then fall back to s9," Lelouch ordered into the radio. "Ohgi, B-1, choose a partner and proceed to point t8 and take out any one who follows Kallen broadcasting an iff. I'll b observing from r9, so don't shoot me."

0.0.0

"They've destroyed two squads, but the enemy has turned off their transponders," Darlton commented, facing the main tactical map. Cornelia smiled, suddenly pleased.

"Zero had made his appearance. Now to locate him," Cornelia commented, thinking aloud. "He maintains a tight control of his forces, according to Shinjuku. He'd be nearby to the forces he's deploying. Send a squad to point r9, have them turn off their transponders first."

"Your highness, are you sure?" Darlton asked, turning. Cornelia raised an amused eyebrow at the straw-haired general, still smiling. He grinned himself and turned back to the screen.

0.0.0

Lelouch cocked his head at the iff map. Three units disappeared near point j7 on the map.

"All units, requesting a location confirmation," Lelouch requested, eyes narrowing with concern. "Is anyone near point j7?" He winced at the list of location confimations.

'What's wrong, zero?' Ohgi asked, concerned. Lelouch narrowed his eyes and checked his surroundings. His eyes widened as he saw the three units advancing at him. Had she-had Cornelia copied his strategy? He needed to get out here, but how? He could try to fight the three Knightmares, but this Sutherland was different from the Ganymede he'd been taught on.

"I have three enemy units bearing down on my position," Lelouch informed, nervously. "I'm going to try to take them out."

'Zero,' came Kallens' voice. 'Just wait there! I can be there in a few seconds!' Lelouch gritted his teeth. She could help, but that would be risky for her.

"No," Lelouch replied. "I need you. I'll take them out myself." Somehow.

'Hey,' the pilot of the lead Britannian Sutherland called out over the radio. 'You're transponder's been turned off. What's wrong?'

'Destroy it,' came Cornelia's voice. Lelouch's eyes went wide, and he sprang into action. He fired at the lead Knightmare. Surprise was on his side, and he was able to damage the Knightmare enough to cause an auto-eject. The other two began to fire, recovering quickly. Lelouch moved his Knightmare to the left, dropping to street level. He kept moving, firing his assault rifle until he was in cover.

Lelouch pressed his Knightmare's shoulder to the wall, trying to peek around the corner. One enemy Sutherland continued to fire at him. Lelouch could guess the other would try to flank him.

"N-1," he ordered into his radio, "come to my position to back me up."

'Who's n-1?' replied one of the Japanese voices.

'I have no clue,' replied another. 'Wasn't it you?' Lelouch gritted his teeth. This was no time for his command structure to be compromised!

"Somebody come help me dammit!" he shouted into the radio, angry and desperate.

'Hey fuck you!' replied another Japanese voice.

'Guys, come on!' Ohgi replied forcefully. 'Someone go help Zero!'

Lelouch was rocked as an assault rifle fired and blew off his Sutherland's arm. He spun the Sutherland and fired his slash harkens. He completely missed. Lelouch scrambled at the reins to fire his assault rifle. The enemy quickly dodged his inaccurate fire and kept shooting, piercing his Sutherland's leg, cutting it in half. Lelouch gave a shout as he fell along with his Sutherland.

A flash of red crushed the enemy into a building, crushing the cockpit block. Lelouch breathed a sigh of relief upon looking to see Kallen's Glasgow. He heard a beep and looked behind him to see the first Sutherland reappear, and it began to fire. Lelouch spun and fired his assault rifle. This time he was accurate enough to blow the torso apart.

After a bit of working Lelouch got the Sutherland to be leaning against a wall, but still standing on its remaining leg. The Glasgow stopped and the cockpit block opened, and Kallen stood up from the chair. Lelouch opened his own cockpit block and stood.

"Are you alright?" Kallen asked, smiling at him. Her smile actually stunned Lelouch for a second. It had been a lifetime since he'd seen it.

"I'd be lying if I said my pride wasn't hurt," Lelouch admitted, frowning. He paused to admire Kallen's outfit, his mind wandering. His eyes kept focusing on her flat stomach, only broken by her belly-button. He blinked the thought away with a slight shake of his head. "They've ascertained my position, if I stay here I'll be targeted again. And this Sutherland is not taking me anywhere."

'All units,' came Cornelia's voice, 'fall back at once.'

Lelouch blinked and looked down at the radio.

0.0.0

"Princess Cornelia! We can still fight them!" cried one of the Shinjuku survivors. Cornelia's head whipped to give the man a withering look of irritation. Guilford observed calmly.

"I don't intend to surrender so easily," Cornelia informed. "We can not only fight them, but destroy them Now we just don't have to worry about friendly fire." She turned to Guilford. "Are you ready to serve your princess, Guilford?"

"Yes, your highness," Guilford replied, smiling. "It shall be my pleasure."

0.0.0

"Why are we stationed at the rear lines?" Jeremiah asked aloud, despair filling his voice. "how will I ever take my revenge on zero now?"

"They're holding us back because Orange is here," Quel replied from his Sutherland, next to Jeremiah's. At the mention of the nickname Jeremiah looked at Quel with pure rage. "Just be glad you weren't terminated, Orange-Boy." Villeta winced from Jeremiah's other side. Jeremiah hadn't remembered the Orange incident. Just like how she'd wound in up a dead man's coat in Shinjuku. That boy, had he been zero?

0.0.0

"What," Lelouch asked the screen, talking to Cornelia. "You don't like it when the enemy can destroy your people?" Lelouch picked up the resistance radio and held it near his face. He paused when one unit was launched from the command center on the iff screen. Cornelia herself? It wasn't the white unit from earlier. This one wasn't fast enough.

'One unit's coming right at us,' one of the Japanese voices said, boastfully. 'Let's take it out!' the suggestion was met by several roared agreements.

"No, wait," Lelouch ordered. "It may be a trap."

'Whatever, you're being paranoid!' the Japanese voice replied. 'Come on!' Lelouch couldn't see the units on his map. Just the one that was moving towards them.

"Wait," Kallen called into the radio.

'We're not waiting!' the Japanese voice replied. 'Hey, that's not just one unit-GAAAAAH!' Lelouch winced. A transponder can be a double-edged sword. So this was Cornelia. She was nothing like Clovis. He should of thought of this. The screams were heard over the radio.

"Give me a status report," Lelouch ordered into the radio.

'Screw your status report, we're out!' another Japanese voice replied.

'Zero, what do we do?' Ohgi's voice came. 'Me and Tamaki are near your position, should we link up and try to take out the attacking force?'

'Zero's been sighted!' cried a Britannian voice from over the radio. Lelouch jumped in his seat, looking around his view-screens. There wasn't a unit in sight besides Kallen's Glasgow. An imposter? Or... 'He jumped right off!'

"Kallen, Ohgi," Lelouch ordered into the radio. "We're leaving. Any further fighting would only weaken us. Retreat via the Ozumu subway route. Kallen and I will take the Tokyo route." He stood in the cockpit seat and waved to the red Glasgow. "You'll have to give me a ride." Kallen frowned at him, disappointed.

"Can I drive at least?"

0.0.0

"Should we pursue Zero?" Cornelia asked, disappointed. "Or is there a chance it could turn into an ambush?" Darlton frowned as he faced the purple Princess.

"We could pursue, but since he showed himself it's likely he already has an escape route in place. Since we know so little about Zero, an ambush could be a possibility." Darlton turned to look at the map as he finished speaking. "The only thing we do know is that he seems as prideful as you claim."

"We defeated him here," Cornelia noted aloud. "If we use the media correctly we'll severely hamper Zero's ability to resist us. Let him roam free for now. We'll track him down soon enough."

0.0.0

They met the fake Zero in the tunnel. Lelouch and Kallen stepped down from the Knightmare and walked up to the cloaked figure. Lelouch narrowed his eyes and took his helmet off, scratching his hair. Finally, he set his case down and clenched his fists.

"What are you doing here?"

"I told you already," the synthesized voice replied. The cloaked figure raised its hands and removed Zero's helmet, revealing green hair and pale skin. "I can't have you dying after all."

"You were right to suggest caution. The conditions were unequal, her force was better organized than Clovis. I wouldn't have lost in an equal conflict." Lelouch's voice was oozing anger with every syllable. "They only won because they had better conditions!"

"You sore loser," C replied, flipping her hair with her hand. "If you were really that good, you could set up conditions the way you want them."

"But you came," Kallen said, interrupting. Lelouch turned to face the redhead as she walked up behind him. She was smiling again. "You came to help us." Lelouch smiled a small smile. "Thank you, Lelouch."

"I came. But I lost. I lost to Cornelia," Lelouch admitted, disappointed and angry. "To defeat Britannia I'll need an army." He looked back at C. "I'll be able to set up conditions the way I want. I'll build an army that will never lose to Britannia. A nation. A people."