3rd of Sea Feilong, year 1025 of the Imperial Calender
Ok, Ohgi and the others are just a few minutes away, now I just need to-
"THERE YOU ARE!" A voice called out, Kallen recognising the pilot from earlier.
"You again!?" she answered, immediately turning her Knightmare to gain a visual on the opponent while fleeing in the opposite direction. The sight only led to further despair, as the pilot was accompanied by two other Knightmares.
"What luck! What fate! What twist of fortune! I see now, it must be destiny that I defeat you in Knightmare combat!" He yelled, immediately surging towards Kallen and opening fire without hesitation.
Crap! My energy filler's running on low power, and his is probably full! If this keeps up…!
Suddenly, her scroll rang, and she noticed a familiar face on caller ID.
Not the time, Blake! Ah, screw it, this may be the end, might as well-
"They need to keep a lid on this information, so it'll be hard for them to call reinforcements. They'll have to make do with the pieces they have on the board…" Lelouch explained as he placed his black king piece on the Knightmare's dashboard, scanning the enemy positions being shared with his Knightmare and maps of the area he'd accessed through survey records to gain a tactical advantage.
"You know, referring to people and Knightmares as chess pieces is a little…"
"Dehumanising? Derogatory?"
"I was gonna say creepy but that works too."
"Blake, do you still have a way to contact the Glasgow pilot?" Lelouch asked, interrupting the two.
"Kallen? Yeah, I've got a scroll with her number here. Do you want me to-"
"Pass it to me."
"But she doesn't know you, I can-"
"In this situation, anonymity is vital. We can discuss your cover story later, now pass me the scroll."
After obeying his instructions, Lelouch immediately pressed the call button to connect to his best chance of success.
"Blake, I'm pinned down here! If I'm gonna die-"
"Head to the north-east."
"Wha-"
"Co-ordinates 2-2.385741 by 1-3.671478 – you should be able to get there in about a minute." Lelouch informed her as he muted the scroll and turned to Yang, "Get us to position 2-2.385726 by 1-3.671460" he instructed, creating a waypoint on the screen for her to follow more easily.
"Let's go." She replied, engaging the Knightmare as the three returned to their prior cramped seating arrangements.
"Wait a minute, why the hell should I trust you!? How did you get this scroll!?"
Unmuting the scroll, Lelouch replied, "There's no time for that. If you want to win, you're going to have to trust me!"
"To win!?"
Soon after his orders, Yang reached the designated point, soon after which Kallen did hers.
"Ok, now what!?"
"Angle your Slash Harkens upwards, 88.5 degrees vertically, 10.5 degrees laterally."
"Done!"
"Ok, now in seven seconds fire them at full speed and disconnect the cables immediately after launch. Retreat eastwards after."
"But if I do that I'll lose my only weapon!"
"If you don't, you'll lose everything."
"AH! Finally stopped running, I see! Very good, now face me!" The Britannian pilot pursuing Kallen screamed.
"Fine, have it your way!" Kallen yelled, firing the Harkens as Lelouch instructed and severing the cables immediately after launch, sending them flying upwards past the tree canopy.
"Because you trusted me you're going to win, now head east and return in approximately thirty seconds." Lelouch stated, pleased that his plan was progressing even more smoothly than expected.
"Sir! She just fired her Slash Harkens upwards! What does-"
"It's a trick! She's out of moves, now-" Jeremiah was interrupted by another Slash Harken shooting out from the group's left, crippling one of his comrade's Knightmares.
What!? But she fired upwards! How could- Jeremiah began to panic, before the Harken was rewound to another Knightmare: A Britannian Sutherland which was looking a tad worse for wear.
Friendly fire!?
"You! What's your unit!? We're after the Glasgow-"
"Exactly, my Lord, I was ordered to intercept your pursuit – You are to cease pursuit of the terrorist Glasgow immediately." The new Sutherland replied, standing down as it relayed unknown orders.
"What? On whose authority would Jeremiah Gottwald's glorious duel be interrupted this day!?"
"Lieutenant General Bartley, my Lord."
Bartley!? What-
"Lord Jeremiah, if the Lieutenant General did order this, why did he not inform us through a secure channel?" One of his comrade's asked through their internal comms, ensuring the new pilot wouldn't hear.
"My thoughts exactly, Villetta. The situation is unprecedented, I grant them, however…"
"If that is the Lieutenant Generals orders, so be it, however, I find this highly suspect. I request a transcript of this command." he replied, not wishing to risk defying orders but also aware of how odd this was.
I bet he's just the lackey of someone hoping to take the kill for themselves… Probably Kewell… No matter, once I can prove as such, it will do him more harm than I, and hopefully that pilot is skilled enough to evade his mediocre Knightmare capabilities. Our duel will-
"You make an entirely reasonable request, my Lord, I am transmitting the data to you now. The message's decryption key is YFYALAYDEKI"
Not using a standard key? Hm. They must be hoping to keep this subtle…
Applying the provided key to the document Jeremiah had been sent over short-range data transmission, he found but two words written on the document.
"'Look up'? What kind of a joke is-" Jeremiah was interrupted by a huge object bursting through the tree canopy.
WHAT!? Jeremiah thought, as the sight of a Mantle-class transport airship crashing through the canopy filled his vision, heading towards Jeremiah's squad at full speeds.
"EJECT!" he commanded his companions, immediately realising their Knightmares were already doomed as he activated the cockpit ejection system. Thankfully, he made sure to only command the best, and his two fellow pilots ejected before the airship came crashing down.
Avoiding the might of the airship's weight, Jeremiah reported through the military's communication network, "All units! Terrorists have acquired our Sutherlands! A Mantle-class transport has been grounded! I repeat, they took down an airship!"
"What… How did you-"
"Kallen! Hey!" A man wearing a brown jacket and matching hair, with long animal ears and goat-like horns ran up to Kallen's Knighmare while calling out to her.
"Ohgi! Why are you here!?"
"Some guy on Blake's comms said we'd find you here! I didn't believe it but then I heard the crash."
"You too!?"
"Sure, and Ilia's group should be here soon too."
"Are you in charge?" The voice in question asked through Ohgi's scroll.
"Ah, uhh… yeah, I guess I am."
"I present to you the cargo in that airship. The exterior is damaged, but the contents should be functional. They are the tools for your victory. If you want to win, take them and follow my orders."
Using the Glasgow to rip the ship's hull open, Kallen's eyes widened as she saw a group of deactivated Sutherland Knightmares.
"Hey, I can see more in the back!"
"There's dust, too!" Some of the White Fang members yelled, scanning the wreck for more Knightmares and supplies.
"There will be little more than a skeleton crew at best, which I leave to you. Glasgow girl."
"Y-Yes?"
"What's your energy filler status?"
"About 15 minutes, tops"
"There should be some spares in the airship. Grab some then form a squad of 4, and sync the IFF signals with this scroll channel - I need to know your positions. You'll be surveying the battlefield, we need to aware of any Grimm nests in the area."
"Got it!"
"In 10 minutes, I'll contact you all with further instructions. Relay anything you find in the meantime."
"What!? How could this happen!?" Clovis shouted, panic overtaking him at the report of an airship being downed.
"Your highness, it seems a Slash Harken was ejected from a Knightmare and fired directly into the airship's float system. Transport-class vessels aren't designed to withstand-"
"Then why was it in use!?"
"The terrorists only have a single Knightmare, and they shouldn't have been able to see through the forests thick canopy layer any better than we could, your highness. We believed we would gain visual confirmation of them and react before they could so much as aim at us…"
"Ok… Fine… Let me think…" said Clovis, sitting back in his command chair as he pondered the best course of action, trying to suppress his anger at the failure.
"Can we remotely disable the IFF transponder information of any units in the airship?"
"Yes, your highness."
"Good, see that it's done. Then we mop up the remaining terrorists, Sutherlands or no."
"But, what about how they were able to aim at our-"
"Honestly, Bartley. It's clear these terrorists are more organised than we thought. They must have had a spotter up in the treeline, or perhaps several if the shot was so accurate… Ensure no other transport ships are in the area."
"Understood, your highness." Bartley responded, making the necessary arrangements.
It's been some time since I faced a skilled opponent… Why did it have to be now…
"This is wearing me out…"
"Oh, is barking orders into a scroll wearing Li'Louch out?" Yang asked in a condescending voice.
"Never call me that again."
"Do you really think you can win?" Blake asked, still shocked that Lelouch had been in command for all of 5 minutes and they'd already multiplied their Knightmare count by 30.
"I'm not sure. But I'm determined to succeed. After all, I'm betting our lives on this game…"
"Hey, your life maybe, but I'm betting mine on you."
"That's just betting your life on the game indirectly… Never mind, it's not important right now."
"Hey, are we sure about this whole thing?" A man with brown hair and ears reminiscent of a ferret asked.
"Yeah, they've all had their IFFs disabled. What if this is a trap?" A woman, also with brown hair, but with tanned skin that had patterns reminiscent of a chameleon, matching the reptilian tail-like hair style she sported.
"The other side has a complete advantage in this war. They don't need to set any traps. All right people, let's move – get to your designated positions."
"P1, are you ready? It's basically an upgraded Glasgow – the systems should be familiar."
"Yeah, I'm fine. But can't you tell us who you are, even your name? And what happened to Blake?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you either of those things, what if this transmission is being intercepted? However, I assure you your comrade is still alive."
"Well that's something, I guess…"
"Now, Q1 picked up some Sutherlands while scouting. Given their trajectory, they should be nearby in about 30 seconds. Get inside the downed airship, and shoot them through the hull."
"What, he's crazy!"
"No way we can get the timings!"
"Everyone, double-check your weapons."
""Are you serious!?""
"Tamaki, Ilia, we don't have time! Just do it!"
"Enemy spotted at point C4, about 1.5 miles north of the crash site, now retreating back."
"Oh? Searching for our positions? How pedestrian. It seems those Sutherlands won't get very far…" Clovis replied to the report.
"Tell Laslo's squad to go straight in! Have Eugen and Valerie strike from the rear!"
"Ready, and, fire!" Lelouch's voice ordered, upon which Ohgi and the others sent bullets flying through the hull. While they were initially unsure as to their success, the hull soon collapsed from the damage, and six enemy Knightmares were destroyed on the ground.
"Sirs Eugen and Valerie, both lost."
"Hm? An ambush?"
"An IFF signal can be a double-edged sword. All the time you're in sole possession of their details, they increase organisation tenfold. But if your enemy can access them…"
"Then you have the edge in information warfare."
"Exactly."
"Ugh, sure, you're both tacticians, I get it, but when do I get back in the fight!?"
"If Blake's friends follow orders, combat shouldn't be necessary on our part." Lelouch explained, before unmuting his scroll, "P squads 1 through 3, move 500 feet northeast, then angle your Slash Harkens 50 degrees east-north-east parallel to the terrain and fire on my count."
"You heard him, do what the man says!" Ohgi ordered, the three squads in position getting into position.
"Damn, what else does he want us to do?"
"If it brings down Knightmares, I'm game!"
"The enemy is approaching B6!"
"Send Eugen squad, I mean Laslo squad!"
"This means… The terrorists are trained with our military weaponry?"
"Sir! Laslo has ejected! Unseen Slash Harkens from the rear!"
"Change our IFF codes! They must be intercepting our transmissions!"
"We have, sir, four times!"
"Well do it again!"
"This failure is unacceptable!" Clovis yelled, before a new window suddenly popped open in the command centre's main screen.
"Good afternoon!" Lloyd Apslund exclaimed, now the centre of the whole room's attention.
"What are you- We're in the middle of an operation!"
"I'd say it's time to deploy the AASEEC's special weapon, wouldn't you?"
"Earl Apslund, we have no time for my brother's vanity projects!"
"R5, fire Slash Harkens at 280 degrees."
A pair of Slash Harkens buried themselves into a large tree, tripping a pair of enemy Knightmares and allowing allies to safely finish them off.
"B4, activate the gravity dust on my mark... Now!"
A small Knightmare squad were rendered weightless, and sent careening over a small cliff to their demise.
"P group, continue your rotation."
Ohgi and the others wrapped around to secure the north-west segment of the battlefield.
Now then, the enemy only has five real options. Their move…
"Hey, we found a Grimm nest! Sending co-ordinates!"
Now that will prove useful...
"We just lost Laslo squad!"
"We'll have to bring in Glaubey."
"But, my Lord, that will break the encirclement!"
"Reinforce it with troops guarding me. We know they're there, we need to stamp them out now!"
What? Who ordered them to break formation? Jeremiah wondered while stepping out of his ejected cockpit, staring at the Sutherlands streaming past.
"Lord Jeremiah, are you unharmed?" A tall young woman with steel blue hair and yellow eyes asked, stepping towards Jeremiah while holstering a standard Britannian-issue sidearm.
"For now. What on Remnant is Bartley doing? If I didn't know any better I'd say our formation is breaking apart…"
"Well, that's an even more stupid move than I expected. Q1, take your squad and wraparound to point N-1 from the East. P1, you do the same from the West."
"N-1!? Are you trying to get us killed!?"
"Not you. Speed through and make some noise. P1, have your squad switch to dust-based weaponry, while Q1's squad sticks with the dust-infused Sakuradite. Mix your squad's positioning and encircle the point from the south-west through south-east; radius 100 feet."
"Lelouch, are you sure that's safe?" Blake asked, concerned for her companions safety.
"Safe? No. But with this move, I call check…"
"There! They're fleeing into that clearing! Move in and wipe them all out!"
Following Prince Clovis' orders, half a dozen Knightmare squadrons filed into the clearing from numerous directions, hoping to catch the terrorists off guard.
"What!? Where's the enemy!?"
Unfortunately, there were none in sight. A moment later, however, a new threat emerged from a nearby cave entrance at the north of the clearing.
"Grimm!?" Clovis exclaimed, seeing his forces suddenly set upon by the dangerous creatures.
"All forces! Switch to dust-based weaponry! Wipe them out!"
Following his orders before he had even finished, every Sutherland present swapped to dust-based weapons to fight the Grimm. The moment they'd done so, however…
"We're under fire! Enemy to the sou-GAH!" A pilot reported, his Sutherland suddenly torn to shreds by a carpet of enemy fire.
Now caught between the terrorist's fire to the south and Grimm to the north, the Britannian forces were caught in a pincer attack. Worse, each side was vulnerable to different forms of weaponry, and the shots from the south would simply pass through any Grimm in their way, eliminating the possibility of 'friendly'-fire. The soldiers were caught in a panic, unsure weather to switch back to dust-infused Sakuradite and target the terrorists to the south, or stick with pure dust and target the Grimm to the north. Unfortunately, heated battle waits for no man's choices, and within moments every Knightmare was wiped out.
"Who…" Clovis muttered, beginning to tremble as fear slowly overcame him and he sank back into his seat, "Who in Shade's Eternal Realm am I up against here… They weaponised Grimm! dealing with Taurus was child's play compared to this… Lloyd!"
"Ye~es, your Highness?"
"Can it win? Can your toy beat them?"
"My Lord, please be so kind as to call it Lancelot…"
"Z-01 Lancelot now activating. Lancelot ready, releasing hatch. Z-01 Lancelot on standby for activation, Pallet extension initiating." A voice called out through the speaker as the Knightmare in question was readied: A sleek, humanoid shape painted white with golden portions highlighting key joint positions. Equipped with a pair of swords and a large rifle, the Knightmare was clearly more advanced than its Sutherland compatriots.
"Did you read the manual?"
"Pretty much."
"You mean you skimmed it?"
"Well, I didn't exactly have much time…"
"He should be fine, Marrow, he exceeded even our pilot's performance in the simulator. Now, make sure not to do anything reckless. It's a prototype, so it's not been outfitted with an ejection system."
"I understand, Miss Cecile. Anything else?"
"Well, we could run through our advanced 7th gen's specs, but I think the best advice at this point is to be careful. I know you're a kid, and this could turn the battle in our favour, but you can't help anyone if you wreck your weapon, or worse."
"I'm well aware, Sir Marrow, I'll be careful."
"Well then, if you're ready Suzaku, shall we proceed with the initial startup?" Lloyd asked, prompting Marrow and Cecile to go through the startup procedures as Suzaku stepped into the Lancelot.
"Confirming pre-start, energy filler now at full output. 30 seconds to reach critical voltage – Core Luminance, shifting phase."
"Initiating devicer setup. Confirming entry of devicer into Z-01…" Cecile stated as Suzaku sat in the Knightmare's cockpit and it slid into position, "Individual ID registration confirmed. Confirm man-machine interface… Engage"
"YS Resonance confirmed."
"Rejection response, weak. Devicer's stress response, weak. All readings, nominal…"
"So far, it's going per the data…" Lloyd commented as Marrow ran through the Knightmare's systems and Cecile checked Suzaku's interfacing.
"Status, all green. Status of back up tactical bank, authorised. Secondary confirmation, granted"
"Lancelot, activating ME-CI boost." Suzaku confirmed.
"Lancelot-"
"LAUNCH!" Marrow interrupted, prompting Suzaku to boost off towards the battlefield at full speeds.
"Hahahahaha!" Lloyd laughed, "Running full throttle right out of the gate!"
So fast! The simulator barely compares… With this…!
"HAHAHAHA!" Lelouch laughed manically, ecstatic that the Grimm plan had worked so flawlessly.
"Six squadrons down, and not a single casualty! I can do it… I can! I can defeat Britannia!"
"Glad our presence is valued so highly…"
"At least you have driving the Knightmare… Lelouch, why couldn't I go back to the others, again?"
"It's too dangerous for you to transfer out right now. Besides, I may need you for the final phase…"
"Whadda we do in the meantime?"
"Moral support?" Lelouch suggested, earning another light smack from Yang.
"Relax, with this all the tasks at hand have been cleared. Now we just need to-"
"Hey, we've got a new Knightmare! It doesn't look like a Sutherland!" P3, Tamaki, called in after seeing a new white Knightmare tear through four of their liberated Sutherlands.
"Hm? Reinforcements? Real battle is different, I see." He whispered to himself before replying, "Status?"
"Ilia's squad is all down!"
"Enemy numbers?"
"Just one! Think it's a new model… I've never seen anything like-AH!" He cried out, the new Knightmare upon him in a flash and tearing through his Sutherlands waist, forcing him to eject.
"What's happening out there!?" Lelouch cried, quickly reviewing the combat footage gained from Tamaki's Knightmare.
"Did it justdeflect bullets!?" Yang exclaimed, the new Knightmare in the footage doing just that before tearing through another squad.
"Useless so-called terrorists… With all the resources they have, they're being beaten by a single unit…"
"Which justdeflected bullets, Lelouch. Can we even beat that thing?" Blake asked, defending her companions.
"Damn it!" Another White Fang member called out, ejecting from their now-defunct Knightmare.
I can do this! With the Lancelot, I can stop all of this right now!
"B4, B5 – Hold there. When P1 arrives, activate the gravity field and surround that thing. It can't deflect anything if it can't orient itself."
"Gotcha!"
Upon his orders, the three squads did just that, but even that proved insufficient to stop the Lancelot: Dashing through the traps before they could even activate, it ripped through the nearby Sutherlands and shot out the gravity dust capsules.
"Is that thing invincible!?"
"Why couldn't we have found this on the train!?"
What's happening..? Something I didn't foresee?
"Honestly… Now I'll owe my brother a debt I truly don't need mean to incur… Oh well, it's better than defeat." Clovis muttered, realising he'd have to pay his elder brother back at some point for indirectly handing him this victory.
"These readings are even higher than predicted!" Cecile exclaimed, while Marrow and Lloyd were focused on the combat footage.
"It's because our pilot is taking his job ve~ry seriously."
"Eh, I've seen better."
If I can stop all the enemy Knightmares, this battle is over! No matter what it takes, I've got to save my family…!
"P1! Report!" Lelouch yelled at the scroll, to which the response was only static.
"Can a single Knightmare really beat an army of Sutherlands?"
"Maybe I shouldn't of signed up to be a huntsman after all…"
Moments after Yang's realisation her chosen profession seemed already obsolete, the Lancelot appeared on their Sutherland's monitors, firing Slash Harkens directly towards them.
"Dammit!" Yang cried, wrestling with the controls to flee as quickly as possible.
"This is the thing that's ruining my plan!?"
"Are you the commander!?"
"Nothing more than a single pilot! How dare he! Yang, get us out of here!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do!?" Yang replied while trying to keep the Lancelot's attacks at bay, before the white Knightmare was suddenly knocked back by a third party.
"Kallen!" Blake called, with Lelouch too pre-occupied with the insanity around him to chastise her for talking through the scroll comms.
"I'm returning the favour! Get out of here!"
"On it!" Yang called while speeding away from the area, thankfully after Lelouch had muted the scroll again.
While Kallen put up a valiant effort, the lack of an arm and Slash Harkens only confirmed the already-insurmountable difference in specs: The Lancelot used one of its swords to cut of the Knightmare's other arm, before chopping the torso in half, just low enough that Kallen could still safely eject.
"I must remember this… A battlefield is an only partially observable state, and the most important element in battle is the human one…"
"Hey, take notes once we get out of this!"
"It's still following us, and catching up!"
Dammit!
"Fire some shots back!"
"What good will that do!?"
"It's better than nothing!"
Following Blake's advice, Yang turned around and began spraying fire at the pursuing Knightmare, which it unfortunately was deflecting with ease. With nothing else in its way, the Knightmare was about to reach them…
"RAAAWGH!" A goliath Grimm suddenly called, a huge black mammoth taller than some trees with hardened light-grey Grimm-bone armour, charging out of the woods towards the two Knightmares.
"Why is this forest the WORST!?"
"No, this could be useful! Yang, go backwards towards the Grimm! We can eject over them to get away!" Lelouch replied, clawing for a way to turn this seemingly cruel twist to his advantage.
"But then we lose the-"
"DO IT!"
"We're gonna die…" Blake desperately commented, realising the insanity of the plan as Yang nevertheless followed Lelouch's instructions.
"Ejection system activated." A mechanical voice called as their cockpit flew from the Knightmare.
"They ejected!?" Suzaku exclaimed as the terrorist commander's cockpit went flying over the goliath.
No, it doesn't matter! I'll just cut right through! He decided, pulling out his sword as he slashed at the Grimm. Quickly plunging the sword straight into its head, Suzaku drew the blade out while charging forward, ripping through the beasts side, but not dissolving it.
It took a slash from the HEGS!? Doesn't matter! I have to follow that cockpit!"
"A Goliath!?" A voice screamed from nearby. Turning to see the source, Suzaku found a small group of pilots, assumedly evacuating after having their Knightmares destroyed. While their surprise was understandable, the yell drew the Grimm's attention, and it was soon charging towards them.
"Oh no you don't!" Suzaku yelled, unsheathing his second sword as he moved to engage the Grimm. Rapidly pulling alongside the Grimm, he stabbed one sword into an earlier weak point he created. Afterwards, he leapt through the air across the Grimm, pulling the sword with him to draw its blade through the Grimm's centre. Mid-leap, he drove the second sword into the creatures back, whereupon he launched downwards, tearing the Grimm in half. Not missing a beat, Suzaku activated his comm.
"Lloyd, do we have an estimated position on that cockpit!?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Suzaku, I've got the details – It's a large area it could've landed in from the trajectory we got. You won't have time to search it before your energy filler runs out…" Marrow reported, seemingly apologetic that he was the bearer of bad news.
*thud* the cockpit shook, slamming into the ground.
Ugh, my head hurts…
"You guys ok?"
"I think so…"
"Nothing any more serious than earlier…"
"Cool… In that case, do you mind getting off me?" Yang asked, whereupon the two realised they'd both ended up landing on her in the crash.
"Sor- Ow!" Blake called, quickly getting up before hitting her head on the ceiling and then falling back down.
"I suppose these are designed for one person… Here, I'll get the hatch." said Lelouch, opening the exit so the three could climb out.
While the three were able to get out of the cockpit, they could barely dust themselves off before being interrupted.
"Freeze! Hands in the air, all of you!" A Britannian soldier called, raising their gun.
Turning to look, the three found a squad of three troops, mirroring their number, and all armed with weapons of dust-infused Sakuradite. While Lelouch considered his new powers, he realised the three were equipped with night-vision goggles. Likely used to ensure vision wasn't obscured in the shaded forest, they had the currently-unfortunate side effect of blocking direct eye contact.
Dammit! A noble ploy won't work here! They'll report in any second! How can I get them to take off their-
"Yang!" He called to get her attention, which she soon focused on him.
"Your sister's a harlot and your jokes are terrible!"
"ExCUSE ME!?" She replied, her anger activating her semblance, turning her eyes red and setting her hair on fire.
"Gah!" the Britannians exclaimed, the sudden flash of light temporarily blinding them. Thankfully, they didn't fire: Lelouch had gambled on them being trained not to immediately fire on enemies of interest. That, coupled with a the sense of safety they'd receive from the decent distance between them and their enemy being unarmed, meant the gamble paid off. Instead of shooting, they rushed to take off their goggles and turned to face the three once more.
"You kids want to die!?"
"No, but I do want you to hand your uniforms over to us and forget we three were here."
"… Right, of course." the soldier responded, as their companions did the same.
"Heh, quick thinking…"
"Yeah, I'll say. You sure got me. After all, neither of those statements could be further from the truth, right Lelouch?" Yang asked with an angry undertone, taking Lelouch into a headlock as he tried to answer.
"Your sister's a delight, and at least 20% of your jokes are fun-" he choked as Yang cut him off.
"Sorry, you said 100%, right?"
"Kallen! You ok!?" Ohgi called from below, reaching out a hand to help Kallen get out of the cockpit.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?" Kallen asked, brushing past his hand to get herself up.
"That Knightmare tore through everyone. There's barely any of us left, so we're regrouping in a makeshift evacuation shelter to protect the civilians."
"Perfect. Let's go." She decided, heading off in the direction Ohgi had indicated.
"Are you three all right?" Suzaku asked, looking towards the evacuating Britannians.
"Yes, you have my thanks. My I have your name?"
"Oh, my name is Private Suzaku Belladonna, sir."
"Belladonna!?" the man replied, evidently shocked at Suzaku's identity. After a moment, however, he recovered his composure and continued, "My apologies, Private Belladonna. You have saved the lives of myself and my subordinates. This is a kindness Jeremiah Gottwald will not soon forget." Jeremiah finished, giving a slight bow towards the Lancelot.
"Not at all, Sir Gottwald! Protecting lives is my job, after all."
"Hm, how noble of you. Regardless, I'm sure your talents are needed elsewhere. We can manage from here."
"Understood!" Suzaku called, speeding off while calling his unit back.
"Sir Marrow, Miss Cecile, is there any other combat still ongoing?"
"Well, it looks like we have a few stragglers dotted around, but-"
"Suzaku, you've done enough. We can stop now, if you'd like."
"Yeah, Cecile's right, you should call it a day."
"No, I'm fine. Please let me keep going."
"...Fine, I'm sending you the co-ordinates now…" Marrow relented.
"Make sure you keep an eye on the operational time! You, my dear devicer, are an excellent piece of equipment!"
"Lloyd, remember what we discussed?"
"To stop acting so flippant around royalty? What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, while Suzaku's expression formed a slight smile, happier in the knowledge his efforts were wrapping this battle up far quicker than expected.
"Stop there, your ID." A Britannian soldier requested of the three fully-geared troops before him.
"Finally, the checkpoint. And barely guarded, as per my plan."
"Your plan?"
"That's right, and no pesky tactical goggles to deal with, either. Now then, I'd like you to let us pass."
"Yes, sir."
Opening the set of barn doors, Kallen was met with the sight of hundreds of civilians and her remaining comrades, crammed into the small space, fearing for their lives.
Gods, I don't know how the Grimm haven't shown up yet… She immediately thought, aware that Grimm's attraction to negative emotions was amplified exponentially with large groups of people.
"Kallen!"
"Hey, guys!" her friends exclaimed as they came over to greet her and Ohgi.
"Hey, why's everyone grouped up into one place like this?"
"We figured we've got a better chance with Grimm than Britannians… You didn't find Blake, did you?" her friend Ilia asked, concerned at their other friend's disappearance.
"No, sorry. That voice said she's safe, though." Kallen replied.
"Why would we trust them!?"
"Yeah! We listened to 'em, and whadda we get!?"
"Guys, we only stood a chance because they brought that airship down. It's not their fault the Britannian's had such a monster of a Knightmare…" Ohgi said, trying to calm his companions down.
"Dammit! If Adam was here, we'd-"
"They're coming!" A faunus with superior hearing cried.
"Where's the exit!" Kallen asked.
"You're standing in it!"
"You're all staying in a barn with one exit!?"
"Freeze!" A voice called out from behind Kallen.
Turning around, she saw what was to be expected: A unit of Britannian soldiers. Within moments, the entire barn was surrounded by soldiers and a small handful of Knightmares, guns trained on the occupants.
"Well, the rats have all scurried into one place, how considerate! All me, prepare to fire!"
"Damn it!" Someone yelled, despairing at the situation.
Damn Britannians!
"Fi-"
"Attention all forces, cease fire at once!" A voice echoed throughout the Britannian's scrolls.
Cease fire? Kallen echoed internally.
"I, Prince Clovis, third Prince of Britannia, and Royal Viceroy of Area 5, hereby decree, all forces are to cease fire at once! You are to cease destruction of all buildings and property, and focus all efforts on eliminating any roaming Grimm in the area. All casualties, whether Britannian or number, human or deviant, are to be treated equally and without prejudice! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, I hereby order you: Cease fire at once, I shall allow no further bloodshed!"
"Well, are you satisfied?" Clovis asked, the cameras filming his proclamation shutting down.
"Very. Well done."
"And what do you suggest the four of us do now? Sing a few lively ballads? Or, if you're the leader, the two of us could play a nice game of chess…"
"Now that has a familiar ring to it."
"Hm?"
"Don't you recall? The two of us used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I would always win."
"What…? I can only recall two men who fit such a description, and I doubt you either one."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure. I can still remember our matches at Aries villa." Lelouch claimed, taking off the soldier helmet concealing his face, "Hello, older brother. The son of the late consort Marianna and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne, Lelouch vi Britannia, at your service." he finished, giving a slight bow for emphasis.
"Lelouch!? B-But I-"
"Thought I was dead? You were wrong. I have returned, your highness, and I intend to change everything."
While Clovis was processing the reappearance of the brother he believed to be dead, one of Lelouch's companions asked, "Hey, should we take this off, or…?"
"That choice is yours."
"Thank the gods, I thought my hair was gonna explode…" Yang replied, immediately taking the opportunity to remove her helmet. While she shook her head to try and unravel the knots her hair had tied itself into within the helmet, Blake quietly followed their example and revealed her face.
"Why, I'm overjoyed, Lelouch…" Clovis started, finally coming to terms with the situation, "The said you died when Menagerie was brought back into the fold." he claimed, earning a look of brief shock from Blake.
"Don't you mean to say 'Area 11'?" she asked, surprised to here her home's true name from a Royal Prince.
"I'm an enthusiast when it comes to culture, something reducing a land to a mere number tends to stunt." Clovis replied, his distaste for Britannia's naming scheme evident in his voice.
"Yeah, butchering their people tends to do that to!" Blake yelled, remembering the countless dead from earlier.
"Indeed. Every death is such a tragedy…"
"Says the man who ordered the death of how many hundreds!?"
"It was necessary to deal with the White Fang. Their presence is a threat to us all, human or faunus, I assure you."
"Oh yeah? Well I happen to a member of the White Fang!"
"You are!?" Clovis exclaimed, taken aback at this information, "Lelouch, how far have you fallen to associate with-"
"Oh, I've fallen further than you could ever dream, brother dear." Lelouch replied, re-aiming the dust-infused Sakuradite pistol a guard had given him earlier.
"Well, I'm sure it's nothing that we couldn't smooth over together!" Clovis exclaimed, the precariousness of the situation once more presenting itself, "It's true that you had an upper hand when it came to our games, but I like to think I gave a valiant effort! If we depart for the homeland together-"
"Then we would be used as tools of diplomacy. Or have you forgotten why we were in Menagerie in the first place?" he asked, causing Clovis to recoil as he remembered the details of his brothers departure.
"That's right. It's because my mother was killed, and I refused to sit back and watch. In no world should the villa have been left so woefully undefended that the Grimm were able to reach her. As she was a commoner by birth, I've no doubt plenty in the Imperial Court sought her harm. You can dress it up as an accident all you want, but I know! You people killed my mother!"
"It wasn't me! I swear to you it wasn't!"
"Then who!? Tell me! By who's hand was my mother slain?"
"… Our older brother, Prince Schneizel, or our older sister, Princess Cornelia, they can tell you. I believe there were others involved, I once saw the image of a woman of pure white hair and skin, and accompanying her was a faunus with a scorpion's tail."
"They were at the heart of this!? And this woman, what was her name!?" Lelouch asked, losing his temper as he tried to pry information of his mother's death. However, while Clovis seemed to be trying to speak, no words came out.
"...That's all you know, isn't it?" Lelouch realised, releasing Clovis from his power's grasp. After blinking for a few moments, he seemed to come back to his senses, as if awoken from a dream.
"I swear, it wasn't me! I had nothing to do with it!"
"I believe you, however…"
"Please, wait! We may be of different mothers, but you and I are still blood!"
"You can't change the world without getting your hands dirty." Lelouch coldly stated, squeezing the trigger.
"Lelouch, wait!" Yang yelled, shoving him to throw of his aim.
Upon the shot's firing, Clovis' form dissolved into a colourful sludge, falling to the ground while Lelouch's brother was nowhere in sight.
Painter's Reprieve!?
"Blake! He's nearby, stop him!"
"On it!" Blake responded, quickly running about the room. Upon dashing from her spot, she found herself coated in numerous colours of liquid, breaking out of a painted prison. While her vision was obscured, she found Clovis running for the door, and rushed him. Throwing Gambol Shroud in chain mode, she wrapped around Clovis' legs to trip him up, then went in to fire.
"Ah!" A few shots later, Clovis' Aura had already dissolved, leaving him exposed even to Blake's simple dust weapons.
"Is that all the strength you can manage? I suppose royalty never did have to struggle…" She bitterly commented, pointing the gun at Clovis.
"Wait, I'm sure we can come to an agreement…"
"Don't, Blake! We can't let him live!"
"Hold on! We can't just-"
"Why?" Blake asked.
"Pardon?"
"Why did so many people have to die here?"
"… I told you-" Clovis started to respond, before Blake shoved her gun directly between his eyes.
"This is needlessly brutal to stop some terrorists, even for Britannia. Now, I'd think long and hard before you try lying to me again."
"… I feared if there were any witnesses, I'd be disinherited and exiled from Britannia."
"What?" Blake replied, surprised at such an extreme answer, "What could possibly be so important that you think that could happen?"
"Oh, I assure you, banishment would've been a kindness for my actions… I…" Clovis stuttered, unsure whether to go on.
"You…" Blake said, pressing her gun harder.
"I… made moves to interfere with the Emperor…"
"The Emperor?" Blake questioned.
"Our father?" Lelouch repeated, Evidently growing less eager to see his brother dead. Seeing this, Yang chose to release him, and the two joined Blake by Clovis.
"How could you 'interfere' with your father"
"Ha… You wouldn't believe me if I told you…"
"Well, I got dragged into some terrorism plot, then found out my best friend was a secret Prince of Britannia, and watched him almost destroy your army single-handed. Try me." Yang suggested.
"It has been a long day…" Lelouch admitted.
"I'm afraid this is far stranger, my dear… Have any of you heard of 'Geass'?"
"""Geass?"""
"The so-called 'power of the king', it gives its wielder powers beyond what the gods ever allowed." Clovis informed them, causing Lelouch to flinch – a movement Yang picked up on.
"This 'Geass' thing… It doesn't happen to, oh, I dunno... let you mind-control people just by looking at them, does it?" she asked, now earning a shocked look from Clovis.
"That would fall under its purview. The power is believed to manifest differently for an individual, though many are essentially variants on a core concept, rather like our semblances. However, while a semblance tends to ascend the user or affect the environment, Geass tears down one's foes." Clovis claimed, a hint of fear in his voice.
"Forcing people to love you, forcing your mind into theirs, distorting their perception of the world… These are but some of the doubtless countless forms of Geass."
"Ok… but what does the woman have to do with it?" Blake asked, so eager to gain this information she'd inadvertently overplayed her hand.
"Woman…? Wait, you know of C.C!?"
"Describe her." Lelouch asked.
"Well, let's see… She possesses lime green hair. She's a young woman, quite stunning I must say."
"Was she in a white straight-jacket?"
"You do know her!" Clovis exclaimed, Blake's comment affirming his belief.
"Who is she?" Lelouch asked.
Hesitating for a moment, then sighing as if resigning himself to explain everything, Clovis answered "… She's an immortal witch."
"Don't push your luck." Blake replied, reminding him of the gun still pointed at him, albeit pulled back so he could talk without issue.
"I speak the truth! She's an individual who has appeared throughout history and cannot die. We believe she may be capable of granting the power of Geass, somehow…"
"Yeah, about the whole 'can't die' thing…" Yang trailed off, remembering the very fatally shot woman from earlier.
"She was killed?"
"By your own men, no less. How ironic."
"It matters not. Within the hour, she'll continue on as if nothing had happened."
"You're serious?" Blake asked.
"We tested it… quite thoroughly." Clovis confirmed, his eyes betraying no small amount of guilt towards the actions behind those words.
"Seriously!? You feel guilt over trying to kill someone you don't think you can kill, but order the death of hundreds just like that!?" Blake yelled, still outraged by Clovis' actions.
"What are a few hundred against the world!?" he replied furiously.
"The world…?" Lelouch questioned.
"… While I'm not entirely sure what their relationship was, C.C. was rather familiar with our Father."
"The Emperor?"
"Indeed, Miss…"
"Oh, I'm Yang, it's, uh… Nice to meet you?" She asked, unsure how to introduce herself in this situation.
"A pleasure. It is pleasing to see my younger brother grew to have such fine taste in-"
"Brother, I suggest you elaborate on the global threat, if you value your life. Unless you mean to tell us you too are immortal?" Lelouch interrupted while gesturing to Blake, causing Yang to level a smug smirk at Lelouch while Clovis continued.
"I believe he is somehow involved in this whole situation. Lelouch, if you remember our father well, you know he only troubles himself with such matters for one reason."
"Power." Lelouch replied, not missing a beat.
"Precisely. We believe Geass' powers, and indeed the witch's immortality, originate from another realm."
"Other realm?"
"The gods' birthplace, the will of Remnant, the collective unconscious, aliens... It could be anything, I'm afraid."
Realising what is brother was getting at, Lelouch concluded,
"Father intends to exploit this 'realm' as some kind of weapon." he voiced, earning a slight nod from Clovis.
"A weapon no conventional defence can fight, that no man can even see. Unseen, unknown, unstoppable. A power that could give him absolute control over humanity."
The thought sent shivers down the spines of all three, but Lelouch in particular was completely repulsed. He found his father to be so despicable that he had intended to purge his entire family. A man who had ruined Lelouch's life at least twice already.
"He can't!" Lelouch yelled, panic in his voice.
"My thoughts exactly. Hence why…"
"You decided the faunus here were expendable." Blake quietly concluded.
"Tragic though it may be. So tell me, my dears. With this knowledge, do you still intend to kill me?" he plainly, with no fear in his voice.
"Clovis…" Lelouch started, considering his options.
"You will only tell us the truth" he commanded, not entirely sure his brother was not simply concocting an elaborate lie to save himself.
"Everything I have told you is the truth, I assure you."
"… Very well. Tell me, if we were to let you live, what are your immediate intentions?"
"Wait, are we seriously letting him go!?" Blake asked in frustration, refusing to take her gun off of Clovis.
"Blake, I agree that what he's done here is unforgivable. If you feel it necessary to end his life, so be it. But I ask, what would you have done?"
"I wouldn't have ordered mass execution, obviously!"
"Then you risk the secret revealing itself, and the world is lost to a figure of unimaginable cruelty." Lelouch replied, beginning to see the reason in his brother's choice.
"But still-"
"You are not wrong, my dear." Clovis interrupted, "And despite what my brother seems to imply, I am no saint. There were alternate paths I could have pursued to prevent information from leaking, while also minimising casualties, but I did not take them. I… I am responsible for all those dead today. They fall on my shoulders, and mine alone." he stated, while his eyes seemed to glaze over and gaze into the distance.
"When you believe you fight for the world, when you rule from on high, reality itself can seem so distant, you see… If you believe my life to be appropriate payment, I will not fault you."
After Clovis' speech, Blake was unsure what to do. He'd massacred civilians, admitted there'd been other options, and even given her permission. Falling back on old habits, she looked to Lelouch for an answer.
"I'm afraid I lack the right to make this decision. I hold sympathy for the faunus' plight, of course, but my true fight is against Britannia, not for the faunus. Letting Clovis live would be of great detriment to my father, especially if he agrees to co-operate with us."
After making his position known, he pressed Blake furrther.
"So, what is your decision, Blake? You, who carry the will of your people, their vengeance, their rage? Do you spare this man who has stained his hands with evil to fight a greater evil? Or do you refuse to allow any evil in the world, and send him for his final judgement at the expense of an ally against a greater evil? The choice is yours."
"Do you think we were followed?"
"If we were, then they're good at hiding it." Ohgi replied to Kallen, their small group stepping into the abandoned warehouse the White Fang had previously chosen as a point to regroup.
"Then what the hell happened back there?" Kallen asked, paranoid as to the reasoning Clovis used to let the White Fang escape amongst faunus civilians.
"What happened? The Royalty are cowards, that's what!" Tamaki concluded.
"Yeah, the second there was a chance they could lose, Clovis threw in the towel!" said Ilia, agreeing with Tamaki's reasoning.
"But they were winning! Why would he surrender then!?" Ohgi argued.
"I bet it was the guy on the comms!" Kallen yelled, realising the most likely conclusion.
"What!? That asshole!? We did everything he told us to, and we almost died for it!"
"And how'd he get Blake's scroll!?"
"Guys, calm down! If they hadn't shown up we would've barely even put up a fight!" Ohgi asserted, confident that were it not for the mysterious voice their group would've been put down before they even thought of capturing enemy Knightmares.
"Kallen's right, there's no reason they'd surrender then. He must've got to Clovis somehow…"
"We don't know that for sure!" Ilia replied, unconvinced of some stranger being their saviour, "And what about Blake!"
"… Yes, what about Blake?" A voice spoke up from above.
Turning towards the voice, the group were met with the sight of a man standing within shadows atop the rafters. Dressed in black and donning a white mask reminiscent of Grimm, slight horns protruding between the mask's top and his spiky, auburn-red hair, one could almost gloss over the foreign longsword sheathed at his hip.
"Adam! You're here!" Ilia exclaimed in joy, an expression shared by Tamaki. However, the rest of the group's reactions were more subdued, ranging from a look of anxiety from Ohgi to a scowl of disappointment from Kallen.
"Why wouldn't I be?" the man asked, jumping down from the rafters.
"I was caught up with something after the train heist, but came here immediately after. Now, tell, me, what in Shade happened out there? Who was on the radio? And what has become of my beloved?"
"Another train cancelled?"
"Correct."
"And the one after that?"
"Cancelled."
"What about-"
"They're all cancelled, Yang." Lelouch replied, irritated with the fact the two were now stuck in a crowded train station at the edge of Area 5, no straightforward means of returning to Vale available.
"Dammit, I miss Bumblebee…"
"In light of the situation, I'm inclined to agree. If you wish to go back and retrieve it, be my guest."
"Yeah, and I'll just shoot myself while I'm at it. And she's not an it."
"Of course, my apologies…" Lelouch replied disinterestedly, clearly distracted by other thoughts.
"So, you ok?" Yang asked, not exactly an expert at dealing with Royal family drama.
"Of course. I've made great strides today, after all."
"I didn't ask if 'everything was going to plan'" Yang replied, adopting a faux-evil voice while wrapping her fingers together to adopt a menacing pose, trying to add some levity.
"I asked if you're ok."
"I'm always ok-"
"You don't have to be." Yang immediately replied, placing her hand on Lelouch's shoulder to try and make it clear he wasn't alone, if nothing else.
"I will admit, today's events are a lot to process…"
"Which ones?"
"All of them." Lelouch confessed while dropping his head in frustration, "But while gaining this so-called 'Geass' should top the list, our encounter with Clovis surpassed my expectations considerably."
"You can say that again…" Yang agreed, the revelation of the Britannian Emperor apparently vying for metaphysical supremacy proving to be equally terrifying and confusing.
After pausing for a moment, she continued, "Hey, I'm not sure you really care or anything, but… I'm sorry about earlier."
"You're sorry?" Lelouch questioned, glancing at her with a confused look.
"I should've known you'd have your reasons for keeping your past hidden, I didn't mean to-"
"Relax. You discovered a friend had been lying to you since the day you met. It's hardly surprising you'd be upset with them."
"Yeah, but storming off after my best friend was nearly killed by a Grimm was still pretty crappy of me…"
"Well, considering you prevented that 'nearly' turning into an actuality, I believe that's forgivable."
"Still… I'm sorry."
"… In retrospect, I should've made you aware sooner." Lelouch replied after a brief silence, "Though honestly, I'm surprised Qrow never told you."
"Please, my the only thing my Uncle tells me is inappropriate jokes."
"Heh. I should've guessed." Lelouch replied, before remembering what she'd said earlier, "I must admit, I wasn't aware you took such issue with your family."
"Hey, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade Ruby for anyone. But she's been so focused on weapons for years now that pretty much everything else falls by the wayside, me included. Qrow's a blast, but he's not exactly reliable day-to-day, y'know? And I love my dad, it's just…"
"Just because your mother's left your life, her consequences haven't."
"Guess we've got that in common, huh?"
"... I suppose we have." Lelouch acknowledged with a smile, one which Yang returned before the two fell into a comfortable silence.
"So, what're we-"
"Attention, all citizens of Area 5. We have an important announcement." A news report interrupted.
"So, they're finally giving the public story? It's about time."
"Think the train lines will re-open?"
"A terrible tragedy occurred earlier today in the Forever Rise forest of Area 5. Forced to take drastic measures by the diabolical White Fang, the Briannian military has evacuated the region of any and all citizens. Thanks to the boundless generosity of our glorious Prince Clovis, all of these refugees will be given housing and essential supplies, regardless of Britannian status."
At least Clovis can be held to his word… Lelouch considered, remembering the ultimatum that Blake gave in exchange for Clovis' life.
"However, these fiendish criminals care not for the generosity of our betters. Instead, earlier today, Prince Clovis was shot by these vile terrorists."
"I still can't believe you did that…"
"It was necessary to create a more convincing cover story."
"But you didn't even hesitate… He's your brother."
"The bonds of blood hardly compare to those forged of our own actions."
"I'll be sure to tell Nunnally that when we get back."
"Please don't."
"Rest assured, his Majesty is currently receiving treatment at Area 5's most well-equipped hospital. I'm told that… Oh, I've just been informed that his Majesty is about to personally deliver a proclamation."
"Hm, he always did love theatrics." Lelouch commented as the screen changed to a new scene, featuring Clovis in his full royal regalia. While one could tell he was injured in some capacity, he was remarkably talented at hiding any pain he felt from being shot. That, or Lelouch's aim had been particularly generous.
"My dear subjects, I come to you today to deliver wonderful news. Not only is the Forever Rise resettlement proceeding splendidly, our fellow citizens well on the road to recovery from the actions of these vile fiends, but we have caught the traitors responsible for the attempt upon my life!"
"Oh, he's already found a pawn to take the fall."
"I feel kinda bad that someone's gonna go down because of you…"
"It's all politics, Yang. Rest assured, Clovis is smarter than to pin blame on some innocent bystander. I'm certain whoever he picks will-"
"Privates of Britannia's own glorious military, Suzaku Belladonna and Ruby Rose, will be sentenced to death for their crimes against the crown!"
A/N:
And with this, we've finally come to the end of move 1! Plus, the first major divergence from canon (ignoring all the crossover elements) - Clovis gets to live!
For now.
The next chapter will probably take longer than the past ones have - while move 1 turned into 3 parts, move 2 should end up just being a single chapter (even if it is a bit longer), plus I've got another work I've been neglecting a bit to get this one properly started.
See you all next time!