DISCLAIMER: Code Geass belongs to SUNRISE, Inc. It is theirs to mismanage as they wish.
(A/N)
I don't really know how to start, so maybe I'll begin with how this story came into being in the first place.
Some time ago, I came to a disconcerting realization that the plot of the later parts of Code Geass, particularly the final arc, is, to put it mildly, bad. Really bad. Makes-me-wanna-punch-the-screen bad. And once I realized it, it started to bother me, and that in turn caused me to start thinking about it. And the more I thought about it, the more disappointed and angry I became, until, from the darkest depths of my frustration, Kallen of the Atonement was born. Part a critique of the final episodes of Code Geass, part an attempt of sorting out my feelings for a show I used to hold in high regard and part a Kallen time travel fic I always wanted to write.
Why Kallen? Two reasons. One of them is that I like her a lot (quite a bit more than Lelouch, in fact) and I believe she deserved a better conclusion of her story. The other is that I'm dissatisfied with Kallen time travel stories in general. All of the ones I've seen feature Kallen trying to prevent Zero Requiem because of her love for Lelouch. It's a weak, selfish motivation that contradicts Lelouch's own wish for the future, not to mention making her look kinda obsessive. Don't get me wrong, those fics are fun enough to read, but it's something that bothers me a lot. My idea not only gives Kallen a much stronger motivation but also opens up routes of character development that wouldn't be viable otherwise. My Kallen is inevitably going to end up a much different character than in canon, but I'll do my best to preserve what makes her Kallen.
Oh, I should probably mention now that this story is probably going to contain Kalulu pairing in some form. I can't really say what form at this point, but it most likely will be there.
Why the battle of Mt. Fuji? Because fuck the Black Knights, that's why. They were this close to basically destroying the world (see the length of the italicized word in pixels, that's how close they were. I mean, Lelouch only had a chance in that battle because he had a secret anti-nuke up his sleeve, was smarter than anyone has any right to be and ridiculously lucky, and it still came down to plot armor in the end) and not only they didn't suffer any consequences, they were lauded as heroes afterward. It's so dumb and frustrating. So I thought, what's the best way to punish the Black Knights? Why, let them win, of course, and face the repercussions they were undeservedly spared in canon. Let some karma come back to them, too. Kallen as well, of course, because as much as I like her, she too chose to stand with the present against the future and has to pay the price.
Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a mere bashing fic. I try to be fair to all characters, even the ones I hate (although it's difficult sometimes). Occasionally, though, being fair to a character involves giving them a kick in the ass they deserve.
Why time travel? Again, two reasons. Firstly, the canon storyline at this point is, simply put, unsalvageable. Far too much has gone far too wrong to believably fix. Time travel provides an opportunity for a clean start while simultaneously justifying things going differently. The other reason is that time travel opens up a whole lot of interesting scenarios fanfic writers usually ignore in favor of a lazy canon rehash. I mean, lazy canon rehash can be fun if written well enough, but there are only so many times one can read the same story with minor changes before it gets old. I don't know if this is going to be well written, probably not, but I promise you, it won't be lazy.
If you looked at the summary and thought something along the lines of "this kinda sounds like the Terminator"... Well, you're not alone. The Terminator franchise, particularly its second installment, is something of a retroactive inspiration for this story. I came up with the premise first, then noticed the resemblance and thought, why not borrow some ideas? You have to admit, though, that Schneizel is rather akin to that hypothetical rogue AI trying to protect humanity from itself...
Speaking of inspiration, certain aspects of this fic are inspired by dw77's Bugged and a yandere Kallen fanfic called Embodiment of the Crimson Demon (as well as many other stories I can't name off the top of my head), but the end result is so far removed from both of them that you probably won't even notice. It is also notably NOT inspired by Red Recurrence and similar fanfics for reasons mentioned above.
There's one more thing I wanted to say before we get to the story: this is a low-priority project updated strictly on a whenever-I-feel-like-it basis. There is no plan and no schedule. Hopefully, there will be a plan in the future, but a schedule is a no-no. Any pleas for an update (or lack thereof) can and will fall on deaf ears, so don't even bother.
Alright, that's enough for now. There'll be (a lot) more ranting at the end of the chapter, but in the meantime, I present to you...
CODE GEASS: KALLEN OF THE ATONEMENT
Chapter 1: Checkmate
July 23rd, 2018 a.t.b.
The sky above the shores of Japan
Sitting in the cockpit of the Shinkirō, Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia watched as a sphere of baleful pink light turned black and collapsed on itself. The F.L.E.I.J.A. Eliminator worked.
'You did it, Nina. The power to erase millions of lives with a push of a button, conquered.'
The plan was a gamble, but a necessary one. The defenses of the Sky Fortress Damocles were all but impregnable. The only weak point lay in the fact that the floating battle station needed to lower its shields to fire its deadly payload, leaving itself exposed for a moment.
Schneizel couldn't be trusted with the power of the F.L.E.I.J.A. He would use it to rule the world with fear, to deny the human race their future. He had to be stopped. Nina understood that. That's why she agreed to work with the man she hated more than any other. They had to succeed, or there would be no hope left for the world.
Lelouch could see the road to victory arrayed before him. For a few precious moments, the path to the Damocles would be laid open for him. He would subvert it and use it for his own purpose, and once Zero Requiem was completed, it would be sent into the sun along with the remaining F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads, so no one could turn their power against the people again. All that was left was to fly the Shinkirō through the opening in the Damocles' Blaze Luminous shielding and confront Schneizel in his own castle. Once he achieved that, nothing would stand in the way of Zero Requiem and the brighter future for all. Yes, the ultimate victory was in his grasp!
However, that hope was dashed when a red blur slammed into Lelouch's knightmare from the side, dragging it away from the Damocles and the dream of a better world.
Kallen Kōzuki grit her teeth as she felt the impact of her Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements colliding with Shinkirō. Not the best move she ever utilized, but it did its job well enough. He was there, within her reach. Lelouch. Zero. The man who gave her hope. The man who led her to victory. The man who betrayed her.
She had wanted to believe in him, more than anything. She had fought for him. She had kept his secrets. She had been ready to die for him.
She had loved him.
Even when the others turned on him, she had hoped it was all just a big misunderstanding. That all would be cleared up in time and Zero would come back to them. But that didn't happen. Instead, Lelouch became the emperor of Britannia and proudly declared his intent to tear down everything they'd built together. But even then, she would have swallowed her pride and followed him anyway, had he loved her back.
But he didn't. Ohgi was right; the Black Knights were just puppets to him. Nothing more than pawns in his game. Stepping stones on the road to his ultimate goal of world domination.
How could she have been so blind before? So foolish? She could have ended it sooner. She could have killed him back in Babel Tower. She could have told the other Black Knights who he was. She could have told them about his Geass. But no, she decided to trust him. And he used that trust to the maximum before discarding her like a broken tool. It was her fault that all of this was happening. Therefore, it was her responsibility to end it.
The Shinkirō was a machine built primarily for long-ranged combat. It didn't stand a chance against a close combat juggernaut like the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. And even if it wasn't the case, Kallen was one of the best knightmare devicers in the world, while Lelouch was barely average at piloting. Destroying him would be a formality. She effortlessly dodged hadron blasts from the cannons mounted on her opponent's wrists, slashing at the black frame with the claws of her frame's right hand.
Unexpectedly, Kallen received a signal on an encrypted communications channel. It was from Lelouch. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to open it.
Lelouch showed up on her screen, dressed in the same imperial robes he had worn at the UFN conference. It felt wrong, seeing him in white. It didn't suit him at all. His skin, already pale before, took up an almost deathly shade, making him look more like a walking corpse than a person, no doubt a reflection of his evil nature. He held himself regally as always, but his usual arrogant smirk was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was panic in his amethyst eyes. He was frantically hitting the keyboard-like controls of his knightmare, but even the Shinkirō's Absolute Defence was no match for the agility of a 9th generation prototype.
"Stand down, Q-1. I need you to let me through," he said. There was an almost imperceptible tremble in his voice. He was afraid.
"Too bad I don't take orders from you anymore," she replied coldly, slashing her MVS knife at the Shinkirō, cutting off its left arm at the elbow. One less hadron cannon to worry about.
"Kallen, please! You have to let me through!"
She sneered at that. "The mighty Zero, at the end of his rope, pleading for his life. How pathetic. I can't believe I used to look up to you."
Irritation flashed through his face, but he kept it down. In the meantime, she had cut off the other arm.
"Damn it, woman! Schneizel is out there with all the F.L.E.I.J.A.s! I need to stop him before it's too late!"
Kallen stabbed her MVS knife into the Shinkirō's chest, destroying the hidden cannon mounted there. Lelouch was all but helpless now.
"Schneizel didn't attack the UFN and take the council hostage. You did! You're the enemy of the world, Lelouch! When I kill you, all of this will end!"
The 99th Emperor of Britannia took a deep breath. "Kallen. You wanted to know why I'm doing this, didn't you? Let me go and I'll-"
"SHUT UP!" she screamed, boiling with fury. She just wanted him dead as soon as possible. "I'm DONE listening to your lies!"
Lelouch's eyes widened for a fraction of a second but quickly returned to normal. There was no fear in them anymore, only… sadness?
"I see," he said quietly, averting his gaze, as if in shame. He suddenly sounded weary and worn out.
The Guren's claw was gripping the Shinkirō's head now. Kallen activated the Radiant Wave Surger. The black knightmare's armor started to deform under the touch of the red machine's right hand.
"Sayonara, Zero."
When she said these words, Lelouch looked up, straight into her eyes. Several emotions flashed quickly through his face, too fast for Kallen to recognize. Then, he closed his eyes. She saw a single tear trailing down his cheek and heard his voice, barely a whisper, full of pain, sorrow and regret and so very, very tired.
"Yurushite kure, watashi no jo-ō. Ningen no jinsei wa futatsu de ikiru. Ichido wa kare no yume no tameni. Soshite ichido wa kare no ai no tameni." He sighed deeply, wearily. "Nanari ni, itte-"
In an instant, a crack appeared in the wall of hate and anger built around Kallen's heart. The man she loved was before her, in pain, dying. She was killing him. And he was trying to tell her something.
She let go of the trigger. "NO, WAIT-"
Too late. The Shinkirō's overloaded Yggdrasil Drive exploded, sending scorched remains of the 99th Emperor's cockpit block plummeting towards the ground. Lelouch vi Britannia was no more.
It was over. The fighting, the bloodshed, all of it was about to end. Without Lelouch, his army would have no choice but to capitulate in the face of the overwhelming power of the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead. Nunnally would take the throne of Britannia and steer the country toward peace. Kallen's part was done. There was only one thing left to do. She switched the communications to broadcast.
"This is Captain Kallen Kōzuki of the Black Knights. Emperor Lelouch is dead. I repeat, Emperor Lelouch is dead."
With that, she closed the channel and slumped in her seat.
She had expected her former leader's death to bring her satisfaction, or at least relief, but no such thing happened. Instead, she felt hollow, incomplete, as if Lelouch took a part of her with him into the grave. His last words replayed over and over in her head. Tell Nunnally what? What did he want her to say to his sister?
And what was with that part about living twice? Kallen couldn't help but feel he had been trying to tell her something important, something she needed to know, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was. It was just like Lelouch to waste time on being needlessly cryptic instead of just telling her what he wanted outright...
He called her his queen. What did he mean by that? Did he really care? And if he did, why did he call her a pawn? What was true and what was a lie?
"Damn you, Lelouch," she whispered. "It seems that even death can't free me from your grasp…"
Jeremiah Gottwald was a man who believed in the ideals of knighthood.
Raised on the old chivalric romances that formed the backbone of Britannia's culture, he admired those heroes of the distant past and took their ideals as his own. He believed in honor, carrying out one's duty proudly and righteously. He believed in glory acquired through overcoming tremendous odds. He believed in chivalry, respect and courtesy extended toward one's peers. But above all, he believed in loyalty, faithful servitude to a worthy king.
After Lady Marianne, whom he had pledged himself to, was assassinated, he had lost his way. He had been swayed to the service of the unworthy rulers of the Empire, slowly losing sight of his ideals, tarnishing his honor, trampling over others in pursuit of false glory, spitting on his chivalry. But his loyalty never wavered. It cost him his dignity, his friends and much of his body, but he had finally found a king worthy of serving in Lady Marianne's son, His Imperial Majesty, Lelouch vi Britannia.
When he discovered that the masked rebel Zero, the man who humiliated him, caused him to be stripped of his status, maimed and experimented upon, was the offspring of the woman he had served and admired, he didn't hesitate for a second before offering his loyalty to him. Since then, he served His Majesty faithfully and without shame, and never once regretted it.
For Lelouch vi Britannia was truly a great man. He took a bunch of disorganized, poorly trained and equipped Eleven terrorists and made them into a force capable of standing up to Britannia. He united half of the world under the banner of the United Federation of Nations, with his army, the Order of the Black Knights, as its main fighting force. When he finally took the throne of the Empire, Jeremiah knew there could be no better ruler.
And yet, to His Majesty, that wasn't good enough. He decided to enact a plan that would bring peace to the entire world, at the cost of his life. Jeremiah wasn't happy with that last part, but he had long since sworn to follow his young liege in everything and he couldn't think of a nobler goal to sacrifice oneself for. Yes, Jeremiah could hardly imagine a worthier king to serve. And his Geass power? The previous emperor and Knight of One had had theirs for decades and nobody had a problem with that.
Jeremiah Gottwald was a man who believed in loyalty. As such, it only stood to reason that of all deplorable acts, he hated betrayal the most. And among betrayers, there were none he held in greater contempt than the detestable Black Knights.
Those traitorous cowards made a deal behind his liege's, their liege's, back and sold him out to his enemies. After all the glory and victory he gave them over the vast armies of Britannia, while previously they couldn't even defeat a squadron of Sutherlands, those honorless ingrates lured him into a trap and tried to have him murdered. And when that failed, they lied to the whole world, even their own superiors in the UFN, by announcing that Zero was killed in battle, to cover up their vile treachery. And now, seeing him emerge from the ordeal unbroken, they were coming to finish the job, running back to Schneizel's side like the filthy lapdogs they were.
Another man might have wanted to know the reason for such heinous actions, but Jeremiah couldn't care less about their pathetic excuses. They were a disgrace to the title of knight. If not for His Majesty's wishes, Jeremiah would gladly run his wrist blade through each and every one of their treacherous hearts. Alas, his liege had requested for him to let all Black Knights who would survive the battle go in peace after Zero Requiem's completion. He truly was far too merciful.
But His Majesty only specified those who would survive the battle. Jeremiah just had to make sure to kill as many as possible before it's over. And he was currently finding great satisfaction in doing so behind the controls of his personal knight giga fortress, the Sutherland Sieg. He used his lance-type slash harken to impale an Akatsuki to his right and blasted one to his left apart with his rocket pods. A shot from his machine's underslung cannon obliterated another one. One by one, the Black Knights fell under the might of his loyalty.
Although his main opponent was supposed to be the little Knight of Six, Anya Alstreim, in truth, Jeremiah preferred cutting down the traitors. Unfortunately, a shot from the Mordred's stark hadron cannon reminded him of his objective. He speared another Akatsuki with his left slash harken and started heading towards Anya when he received a signal on the open communication channel.
"This is Captain Kallen Kōzuki of the Black Knights. Emperor Lelouch is dead. I repeat, Emperor Lelouch is dead."
Jeremiah blanched. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. It was a lie, yes, a lie to demoralize their troops; never mind that their troops were mind-controlled and thus unaffected by morale. It had to be a trick of some sort. It had to be.
But it wasn't. A glance at Sutherland Sieg's displays confirmed that the Shinkirō was indeed gone. In its place floated the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. Eight Elements, the personal frame of the Ace of the Black Knights, Kallen Kōzuki.
Shock faded slowly from Jeremiah's mind, replaced by a different emotion altogether.
Among the Black Knights, Captain Kōzuki was the one he had a modicum of respect for. He didn't really know her personally, for they never had a chance to meet outside the battlefield, but His Majesty spoke very highly of her.
Despite her young age, the half-Britannian girl was the most skilled, the most trusted, the most dedicated of his soldiers, standing steadfastly by his side throughout the war. She was his Knight of Honor in all but name. When the Black Knights betrayed him, she alone stood up to defend him, even going so far as to shield him with her own body. She had a soul of a true knight, or so Jeremiah had believed. Had she chosen her Britannian heritage, she would have earned a place among the Knights of the Round with ease. Not that the Rounds nowadays were a shining example of what a knight should be.
Jeremiah wasn't blind. His Majesty had feelings for Captain Kōzuki. It could be seen in his eyes, heard in his voice when he spoke of her if only one knew what to look for. During the campaign in the Chinese Federation, he risked his army to rescue her from captivity. When that failed, he made rescuing her a high-priority objective during the battle of Tokyo and sent his personal agents to retrieve her. On the Ikaruga, he was ready to lay down his own life to keep her from being harmed by their treacherous comrades. And although he considered her released from his service, he was still so very proud of her.
And now she, of all people, was there on the battlefield, proclaiming his demise. He had done so much for her, more than he had ever done for anyone save his beloved sister, and she repaid him with death.
Jeremiah saw red.
Suzaku Kururugi was the most powerful knight in the Empire. He was a devicer whose skill could only be matched by the infamous Ace of Zero, Kallen Kōzuki, whom he had fought to a standstill on multiple occasions. He piloted one of the only two 9th generation knightmare frames in the world, the Lancelot Albion. He was a veteran of wars in Area 11, China and Europe. He had battled four Knights of the Round, including the Geass-powered Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein, all at once and emerged victorious.
Despite all of that, however, Gino Weinberg was proving to be an irritatingly tricky opponent.
"Too slow!" the blonde knight jeered, deftly evading a swing of Suzaku's Maser Vibration Sword and launching a slash harken at him. The Knight of Zero dodged it easily and fired a harken of his own, but the Tristan wasn't there anymore. He grunted in frustration. With his 9th generation frame utilizing the most advanced technology in the world, even a pilot as skilled as the former Knight of Three had a hard time landing a blow on him, but that wasn't the problem. Whatever that Rakshata woman did to the Tristan made the blue and white knightmare infuriatingly evasive.
In a straight fight, that wouldn't be so much of a problem, but Gino wasn't trying to defeat Suzaku. He was focused on keeping him from pursuing Kallen, who had cornered his much less capable emperor and had him on the ropes. Since the Knight of Zero realized that, he had tried to break off several times, but each time he was forced to turn back and face Gino, who was slowly drawing him away from Lelouch and closer to the Damocles.
From where he was, Suzaku could see the opening in the Damocles' shielding slowly closing. Soon it would be too late to break through the Blaze Luminous. That in itself, however, wasn't the end of the world. As long as Lelouch was alive, he would figure out a way to bring the Sky Fortress down. His friend turned enemy turned uneasy ally was far too stubborn to give up. But Lelouch was engaged in combat with Kallen and losing badly. Every second Suzaku spent fighting Gino was one more chance for the Ace of the Black Knights to finish the emperor off. The Knight of Zero needed to end his opponent quickly. That, however, was easier said than done.
"Is this all you got!?" Gino called out mockingly, dodging another blow and countering with his deadly MVS blades reforged from the broken Excalibur. Suzaku didn't even risk parrying. The Excalibur had been sharper and more powerful than any other Maser Vibration Sword in existence and its successors had retained those qualities. The Japanese-born knight suspected that even the Shinkirō's Absolute Defense System wouldn't be enough to stop them. He lunged with one MVS, using the other to cut low, hoping to catch Gino mid-dodge, but the former Knight of Three avoided it by flying higher, getting ready for a diving attack. Suzaku prepared to counter. He needed to finish this before-
"This is Captain Kallen Kōzuki of the Black Knights. Emperor Lelouch is dead. I repeat, Emperor Lelouch is dead."
The Knight of Zero froze. Swords slipped from the Lancelot's grasp and plummeted towards the ground far below. The emperor was dead. It was over. Everything was over. The plan Lelouch and Suzaku had both sacrificed their futures for was undone. All the pain and bloodshed, for nothing. Euphie was avenged, but the cost was far too great.
How could he have let this happen? He was supposed to be Lelouch's sword, damn it. The blade that cut down all opposition in his path! How could he have failed so utterly!?
Suzaku didn't have the time to ponder that question, however, for there was a far more pressing one to answer: what now? They had lost. Lelouch was dead and everything he and his Knight of Zero had worked toward since their reunion in C's World was in shambles. The grand spectacle that was Zero Requiem couldn't continue without its main villain. The world Lelouch promised him, Euphie's world, would never come.
For a moment, Suzaku considered going back to Schneizel's service, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Even if the Second Prince was willing to take him in after he sided with Lelouch, that's not what Euphie would have wanted. She would never support a world ruled by fear.
His deliberations were interrupted by Lelouch's voice booming in his head.
"LIVE, SUZAKU!"
The world went dark as the Geass command took hold of the Knight of Zero's mind.
When he regained consciousness, he was once again facing the Tristan, holding one of his opponent's swords in his machine's armored hand. The white and blue knightmare was missing both arms, one leg and the head. The other Excalibur blade was sticking out of the Tristan's cockpit, no doubt having impaled the devicer inside.
'I'm sorry, Gino,' Suzaku thought, backing away from the enemy frame, which promptly exploded. The Knight of Three was a good friend, once upon a time. Before their choices separated them. When Suzaku still believed himself to be righteous.
Having finally overcome his opponent, the Knight of Zero turned to seek out Kallen… just in time to see a massive, orange ball of rage barrelling down on her.
Memories of a promise made flowed unbidden into his mind...
July 15th, 2018 a.t.b.
Aries Imperial Villa, Pendragon, Holy Britannian Empire
Suzaku found Lelouch sitting in the garden of his old home, where the emperor tended to seclude himself whenever he was in a melancholic mood, looking at the starry sky above Pendragon. He frowned at the sight. C.C. refused to tell him anything beyond that the ruler of the mightiest empire in the world was bothered by something and his knight needed to speak to him about it. How ridiculous. C.C. was Lelouch's shield, not him. It was her job to comfort him in such situations, just like his job was to destroy His Majesty's enemies. But the witch was quite insistent that Suzaku had to be the one to address whatever issue plagued the 99th Emperor of Britannia, so he reluctantly agreed to come over and talk to him. But Lelouch didn't even seem to notice his coming.
"Your Majesty," he announced himself. His liege had continued his stargazing for a few more seconds before finally deigning to acknowledge the presence of his personal knight. He fixed Suzaku with his piercing amethyst eyes, except now they didn't seem to pierce anything. They were vacant, unfocused, as if the emperor wasn't looking at his knight at all, but somewhere beyond him.
The silence stretched uncomfortably for nearly a minute until, finally, Lelouch spoke.
"Say, Suzaku," he said, hesitantly. "You hate me, right?"
The Japanese didn't reply. He didn't need to. They both knew the answer very well.
"What am I saying? Of course you do. You have a better reason than most. Forget that I asked."
"What do you want, Your Majesty?" Suzaku asked, his tone laced with irritation and a subtle undertone of contempt.
Lelouch took a deep breath as if to steady himself. "May I have a selfish request?"
Selfish request? SELFISH REQUEST!? After everything he'd done, he wanted to be selfish? How dare he! No, no, no, not in a million years!
"That depends. You're not considering backing out, do you?" Suzaku growled, putting his hand on the handle of his sword. If the emperor tried to weasel out of the deal they've made, he would mete out justice for Euphie right then and there.
"No, it's nothing like that!" Lelouch protested quickly before sighing heavily. "Look at me, Suzaku. Everyone I care about is either dead or gunning for me. My enemies control half of the world and many of them won't hesitate to scour the other half to find me. I'm certain you wouldn't. And even if there was a place for me to run to, I have no desire to spend the rest of my life in fear and shame, hidden away like a coward. No. The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed. Those are my words and it's time I started living up to them. I owe it to all of those who suffered and died because of my actions. Backing out now would be an insult to them."
"Speak, then," the Knight of Zero said, his fears somewhat alleviated. Zero Requiem had to be brought to fruition. It was the only way to make Euphie's dream come true. "I'll consider your request."
"Well, I- If something were to happen to me before Zero Requiem is completed, I'd like you to make sure that Kallen is safe. Can you do that for me?"
So that's what it was about. Lelouch was worried about his redheaded ace. Why couldn't C.C. deal with this again?
"Kallen is our enemy, you know that."
"I do. Damn it, I do. But she's already suffered so much because of me. I don't want her to suffer even more. Is that wrong?"
No. It wasn't. But it was dangerous. If Zero Requiem was to be completed, they couldn't afford to hold back.
"And if we succeed?"
"Then she'll have no need for your protection. In fact, she'll probably end up being the one protecting you. She's strong. She can fend for herself well enough. But with Schneizel out there..."
"You're afraid that you'll lose."
There it was. The core of the issue. Whatever Lelouch's devious half-brother had planned, the emperor would need to give his all to succeed. And with the F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads in the Second Prince's possession, even that might not be enough.
"I've never beaten him before," Lelouch said quietly. "Not just in chess, but in anything. If we fail to defeat him when he makes his move, the Black Knights will be next. There's no way Schneizel would tolerate such a force outside of his control."
The Knight of Zero said nothing. His liege was right, of course, but he was still worried that Lelouch would let his lingering attachments get in the way of their goal. However, if it was to save a life, could Suzaku really fault him for that?
"Suzaku, please. I'm already giving you my life. Let Kallen keep hers. Don't condemn her for sins that are mine to bear."
"Alright, I'll do it. As long as it doesn't interfere with the plan, at least," the Japanese knight relented. He wasn't sure why he agreed. Maybe his former friend's arguments had found purchase in his mind. Maybe he recognized that Lelouch would need to bring all his mental prowess to bear against Schneizel and they couldn't afford to have such an issue keep distracting him. Or maybe it was because, on some level, the Knight of Zero still considered the Ace of the Black Knights his friend, despite everything that happened between them.
Lelouch kept staring intently at Suzaku, who sighed with resignation.
"You have my word."
"Thank you. Thank you, Suzaku." The emperor's voice was filled with so much relief and honest gratitude that the Japanese boy felt a twinge of guilt for wanting to refuse him. He squashed the feeling ruthlessly. It wasn't the time to get soft.
With Kallen's fate no longer weighing on him, it only took Lelouch a few moments to compose himself.
"That would be all, sir Kururugi. You are dismissed."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Knight of Zero bowed and started walking away.
"Suzaku." He stopped but didn't turn around. "I just want you to know that despite everything, even when we were trying to kill each other, I never stopped seeing you as a friend."
"Shame that I cannot say the same about you," he replied before leaving the garden.
C.C. would later inform Suzaku that that was the first night of peaceful sleep the emperor had had in weeks.
The Sky Fortress Damocles
"This is Captain Kallen Kōzuki of the Black Knights. Emperor Lelouch is dead. I repeat, Emperor Lelouch is dead."
'For what it's worth, I'm sorry that it had to end this way, Big Brother,' Nunnally thought. The 'rightful' Empress of Britannia was sitting in her ornate wheelchair in the middle of the Damocles' internal garden, her seat of power. Her eyes were closed, just as they had been for more than eight years. Her feeble hands were clutching the ornate rod that served as a firing mechanism for the Damocles' most devastating weapon - the dreaded F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead.
Without their mad leader, the Britannian forces had no choice but to surrender now. While Suzaku might want to rally the army, it would be a fruitless endeavor. Nothing could withstand the might of the Damocles and with Big Brother gone, no one on the opposing side was devious enough to overcome its defenses with trickery. Assuming the Geass spell on their troops wouldn't break with its caster dead.
Nunnally didn't understand why Suzaku joined her brother when he had hunted Zero so fervently before. Perhaps Lelouch had used his horrible Geass power to strip him of his free will and make him a loyal servant like he did with his Black Knights. Or maybe the truth was much simpler. Maybe Suzaku's goal had always been power at all costs. Maybe the kind Japanese boy Nunnally had thought she knew was a lie, just like the loving brother she grew up with.
Nunnally hated fighting, but she was ready to fight to stop this bloody war Big Brother and Suzaku started. The peace would come, even if she had to stain her hands with blood to make it happen. For that peace, she was willing to kill her only full-blooded sibling and she would kill the Knight of Zero as well if he stood in her way.
"Nunnally," Schneizel's voice said, coming from the loudspeakers installed in the room. "I'm sorry, but I need you to fire another F.L.E.I.J.A."
Nunnally sighed dejectedly. Her fears were proven correct. Despite his master's death, the Knight of Zero still sought further bloodshed. "I understand, Brother Schneizel. If Suzaku is still fighting, then I'll-"
"Our target is the Order of the Black Knights," Schneizel interrupted her.
Huh?
"But the Black Knights are on our side!" Nunnally cried in protest. "We can't attack them from behind like that!"
Schneizel sighed. "Nunnally," he said, his tone even and measured, " the Black Knights were on our side because we opposed Lelouch. Now that his threat is dealt with, I have no doubt they will turn on us at the first opportunity, just like they did with our brother. Even now, they gather their forces with the intention of destroying us. We must act quickly before the situation can escalate."
Just like they did with Lelouch?
"You said that the Black Knights were under Big Brother's control!"
"That was merely a hypothesis, one that has long since been disproven. Upon closer inspection, members of the Order show no signs of being affected by Geass."
But... But...
"Doesn't that make it worse, though," Schneizel continued, "knowing that all the atrocities they committed under Zero's leadership were of their own free will?"
"But... Kallen..." Nunnally had bonded with the redhead during the latter's time in captivity and considered her a friend. While the Ace of the Black Knights was still loyal to Zero at the time, Nunnally knew the girl was a good person. She had simply been cruelly deceived by the crippled princess' demon of a brother. Kallen had told Nunnally everything when they talked before the battle. How Lelouch saw the Black Knights as tools to be used up and discarded. How he manipulated Kallen for his own gain. How he might have used his Geass to make her love him, just to play with her feelings for his own sick amusement.
Had she not suffered enough? Could Nunnally betray her like that?
"Don't worry, Nunnally. Captain Kōzuki has proven her dedication to the cause of peace by slaying her former master. She doesn't seem to be willing to join the coup against us either. I believe she needn't be harmed. In fact, she deserves a reward for her heroic deeds. As long as she doesn't threaten the peace in the future, of course."
Nunnally's shoulders slumped. The Second Prince had a point. If she had been willing to kill her own sibling to stop a war, she should be willing to kill her friends for the same. That didn't make it any easier, though.
Schneizel sighed. "I know it's difficult for you, little sister, but we have to be decisive, otherwise this war will never end."
"I understand, Brother Schneizel."
"Good. I'll inform you when it's time to fire."
Nunnally took a deep breath. There was one more thing that's been bothering her.
"Brother Schneizel?"
"Yes?"
"Where is Sister Cornelia?"
To his credit, Schneizel didn't hesitate for a moment before replying. "She's on the battlefield, of course. It is only appropriate for a warrior like her to meet the enemy blade in hand."
Nunnally frowned. Not for the first time, she had a feeling that the Second Prince was hiding something from her. He was just as cunning as Big Brother, though not as cruel. Even though he had named Nunnally Empress of Britannia, he didn't respect her authority all that much. He had his own designs and Nunnally dreaded what they might be. But there was nothing she could do about it. In order to make the Damocles the symbol of hatred for the world, she had no choice but to play along for now.
"F.L.E.I.J.A. will be ready in three minutes. Be ready."
'Forgive me, Kallen.'
She could only hope that some good would result from this terrible sin she was about to commit.
"Yes, Brother Schneizel."
The sky above the shores of Japan
For the second time within half an hour, Kallen felt the impact of the Guren colliding with another machine. The crash roused her from her stupor and caused her to start paying attention to her surroundings.
Her nemesis floated before her in his knightmare frame, the Lancelot Albion. The man who betrayed his nation. The man who always stopped her just short of victory. The man who attempted to drug her when she was imprisoned and at his mercy. The man who stole the title of Zero's knight, the title that rightfully belonged to her. Suzaku Kururugi.
In its hand, the Lancelot held a Maser Vibration Sword of the familiar design. Gino must have been killed, then. Kallen felt a twinge of sadness at the thought. She didn't know the blonde knight well, but his relaxed, easygoing personality made him pleasant to be around. Another reason to end Kururugi. This time, there would be no complications. It was the final showdown. The White Knight of the Empire versus the Ace of the Black Knights. Time to get rid of the pest once and for all. Kallen readied her Radiant Wave Surger and tightened the grip on her MVS knife. This would be over before-
A massive slash harken speared through the air in the spot Kallen had occupied just moments ago. Suzaku wasn't alone. With a bellow of fury, the massive knight giga fortress Sutherland Sieg descended from above, keeping its weapons pointed at the Guren. Jeremiah Gottwald had entered the fray.
Kallen measured the newcomer with a veteran's eye, looking for a weakness to exploit. The orange machine's thick armor plating made attacking frontally difficult, and despite the technological gap, the Sutherland Sieg outperformed the Guren at range. If it was just the two of them, Kallen could beat Orange without too much problem, but the Lancelot's presence made it tricky. If her two opponents worked together, they would stand a chance of overwhelming her.
They didn't seem to have any intention of working together, though, as the white knightmare transposed itself between her and Orange. Kallen shrugged. If her enemies wanted to get in each other's way, all the better for her. Some chatter came from the Black Knights' communication channel, but she ignored it. The Knight of Zero was more important than whatever her comrades were doing. She lunged at the Lancelot, trying to grab it with her frame's deadly right hand. Suzaku dodged, simultaneously parrying the slash of her MVS knife with his own blade. She fired one of her slash harkens, but her opponent avoided it before grabbing its cord and yanking Kallen towards himself. He put up his Blaze Luminous just in time to block the strike of her claws.
With a thunderous boom, a shell from Orange's hyper-velocity cannon tore through the air behind her. She aimed her Surger at the knight giga fortress and shot a disc of energy. It didn't seem to cause any significant damage. Once again, Suzaku positioned himself between Kallen and the Sutherland Sieg.
"Stand down, Jeremiah," came out of the Lancelot's loudspeakers. In response, the pilot of the orange machine let out an enraged roar and shot his rockets at the Guren.
"STAY OUT OF THIS, KURURUGI! I'LL AVENGE HIS MAJESTY!"
Kallen easily blocked the missiles with her Radiant Wave shield. Her mind flashed back to Lelouch's last words. No! She couldn't afford to get distracted! Forcing herself to focus and spotting an opening in her opponent's defense, she took a stab at the Lancelot's cockpit block.
Blindingly fast, Suzaku caught the Guren's wrist, crushing it and nearly causing Kallen to let go of her knife. The Knight of Zero followed with a kick to the chest that sent her back, reeling from the force. He then proceeded to retaliate with speed and ferocity the Ace of the Black Knights had never seen before, forcing her onto the defensive. She could barely keep up with his slashes, frantically parrying the blows with her MVS knife and dodging the slash harkens launched at her.
"FOR HIS MAJESTY! DIE!" Crap. She had almost forgotten about Orange. She backed away, avoiding a slash harken strike and blocking a salvo of rockets with one of her energy wings.
Suddenly, the Lancelot relented in its assault. Once again, the white machine moved between Kallen and Gottwald. It looked at the blade in its hand and tossed it away, almost like it disgusted the pilot.
"Kallen, stop. You too, Jeremiah," Suzaku said, the voice coming from the Lancelot's loudspeakers sounding slightly out of breath. His earlier rampage must have taken a toll on him.
"Getting tired already?" Kallen mocked, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Suzaku was a demanding opponent on his own. With Orange backing him up in that huge monstrosity, her chances were a lot slimmer than she'd like. "Too bad, I still have a lot of pent-up stress to vent!"
"OUT OF THE WAY, KURURUGI!" Gottwald yelled, keeping his weapons trained on the Guren, but apparently unwilling to risk hitting his comrade.
"Stay out of this, Orange! This is between me and Suzaku!" Kallen shouted back, launching her claw at the Knight of Zero, who dodged the strike easily.
"Kallen, I'm not here to fight you."
"But I am here to fight YOU! So start treating me seriously, damn it!" Sick of the whole situation, the Ace of the Black Knights darted towards the Lancelot, slashing with her claws. Suzaku blocked with his energy wings and backed away.
"Kallen, please. If you keep pushing, I won't be able to hold back!" Hold back? How dare he! Who did he take her for!? If he refused to fight her at his best, then she would make him! She rushed at him with her MVS knife, which he blocked with his Blaze Luminous.
"Damn it, stop making this more difficult than it needs to be!" Suzaku yelled. This time, there was an undertone of anger in his voice.
"If this is one of yours 'Surrender and you'll be treated fairly in court' speeches, you can shove it!" Kallen yelled, continuing her attack with the knife and claws of her machine. "I'll never surrender to you!"
"I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU, YOU IDIOT!"
What?
No. That couldn't be. Suzaku was her enemy. He had always been her enemy. A traitor to her people. He couldn't be helping her. He couldn't.
"Why?"
"Because I made a promise," Suzaku replied quietly, hesitantly. "To a friend."
'Lelouch,' Kallen thought, hopeful and apprehensive at the same time. Could it be that he cared? She wanted to believe that. But if so, then why? Why did he abandon her? Why did he tell her that he used her? And most importantly, if he cared and she killed him, what did that mean for her?
All those questions were churning in her head and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out the answers to any of them. And she was getting tired of it.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, KURURUGI!?" Orange, whom Kallen had forgotten again, roared. "SHE KILLED HIS MAJESTY!"
"I KNOW!" Suzaku shouted in response. "I know. But revenge won't do us any good now. We lost, Jeremiah. Killing Kallen won't change anything."
"MY LOYALTY CRIES FOR HER BLOOD!"
"Even in spite of Lelouch's will?"
Gottwald didn't answer.
"You know as well as I do that His Majesty didn't want to be avenged. But if that's not enough for you, let me make it clearer. On my authority as the Knight of Zero, I hereby declare that Captain Kōzuki is under my protection. Any unprovoked act of aggression against her is punishable by death." Suzaku's tone was icy cold, brimming with authority that made Kallen shudder. It was the voice of the Knight of the Round above all others. "Now come on, we have a retreat to order," he added in a much more friendly tone.
"No," Kallen said, causing the others to turn to look at her. She had hoped that killing Lelouch would help her clear the doubts that had been plaguing her since the aftermath of the battle of Tokyo, but now her thoughts were in greater turmoil than ever before. Her mind was seething with unanswered questions and conflicting emotions and somehow, she knew that there was only one way, one chance to quell that great storm raging in her head and heart. And now that chance was threatening to slip away from her.
Was she going to let that happen? No way in hell.
She raised her Radiant Wave Surger, switching to burst mode, aiming straight at the Lancelot Albion's head. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me exactly what the hell is going on!"
"It's quite simple," Suzaku replied, apparently unfazed by the threat. "Without the emperor, we cannot continue the battle, so we're retreating."
Kallen fired a blast of energy from her claw just a bit off to the side of the white knightmare's head, just to let the Knight of Zero know that he picked the wrong time to be a smartass. "That's not what I'm asking about and you know it! What do you want, Suzaku? Why did you join forces with Lelouch after being enemies for so long? Answer me!"
The Lancelot floated motionlessly before Kallen, imposing in its silence. Just as she was about to fire another blast, its device spoke slowly, hesitantly.
"Lelouch and I... We worked on something together, although I suppose it doesn't matter anymore."
"And?"
"Kallen, this is neither the time nor the place-"
"No! I'm sick of being kept in the dark! I want ANSWERS! NOW!" The Ace of the Black Knights adjusted her aim. She wouldn't be able to kill Suzaku outright, but he must have used up a lot of his energy filler fighting Gino. She was confident she'd be able to outlast him. "Or you can tell Lelouch in whatever hell you meet him that Kallen Kōzuki can damn well take care of herself!"
"I-"
Suddenly, an alert popped up on Kallen's display and, judging from the others' reaction, she wasn't the only one. The three of them all turned in the same direction to witness a flash of pink light.
'No…'
General Kyōshiro Tohdoh inspected the forces arrayed behind him. Nearly half of the Black Knights had perished in the eruption of Mount Fuji caused by the damnable Lelouch vi Britannia, but the troops gathered were enough to strike back at the Britannians, still reeling from the death of their emperor and commander. The time to counterattack had arrived.
Not for the first time, Tohdoh wondered what kind of evil creature the former Zero had been in truth. Had he been some rogue human weapon created by the previous emperor to destroy Japan from within, proven too powerful to control even by his handlers? An actual demon from hell masquerading as a prince? Or maybe just a power-hungry madman who gained mystical powers through some unholy pacts? The Japanese general vaguely remembered having seen him as a child in Prime Minister Kururugi's household. Had he been working his vile magic even then, plotting the takeover of his birth country and the subjugation of the world?
While not approving of Prince Schneizel's use of F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads, Tohdoh respected the man for his strategic brilliance and ability to discern the motives of others. The Second Prince seemed to be a righteous reflection of his twisted younger brother in that regard and, truth be told, the Japanese general felt somewhat indebted to the man for revealing Zero's machinations. Tohdoh would therefore defer to his command when it came to destroying the Britannian armies threatening the world. While the military commander of the Black Knights could see the necessity in using such destructive weaponry when dealing with someone as devilishly clever as Lelouch, he was relieved that the Second Prince decided to use conventional methods of attack against the remaining Britannians.
"We're waiting for your signal, General," Tohdoh's right-hand woman, Colonel Nagisa Chiba, said. Her Akatsuki Zikisan hovered in the air beside Tohdoh's Zangetsu. She was the last survivor of his Four Holy Swords, the rest of them slain in the service of Zero, victims of his ambition.
"Hold, Chiba," the general replied. "Prince Schneizel hasn't given the order yet."
"Of course, General."
Surveying the situation, Tohdoh noticed the absence of two very distinctive knightmare frames. He looked over to where Captain Kōzuki was still battling his former student and Jeremiah Gottwald, the highest remaining officers of the opposing army, buying her comrades time to regroup and prepare to strike. The general was proud of young Kōzuki's accomplishments. There had been suspicions of her being under the thrall of Lelouch's Geass, but to the Black Knights' relief, those proved to be unfounded as she faced her erstwhile commander with ferocity and saved the world from the tyrant that would bend it to his whims. Her actions in this battle would not be forgotten.
The absence of the blue silhouette of the Shen Hu was slightly more concerning. General Li Xingke was the highest-ranked commander of the Black Knights after the reveal of Zero's duplicity. He did suffer from chronic illness, true, but he hadn't had trouble with participating in military operations before...
A signal came up on Tohdoh's display. But it wasn't the attack order he was expecting. It was a warning.
There was a F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead inbound on his position.
Panic erupted within the ranks of the Black Knights, knightmares scrambling to reach safety, but it was no use. The radius of the explosion was far too large, the missile far too close for an Akatsuki to escape. The Order of the Black Knights was doomed.
As the pink light enveloped him, Tohdoh couldn't help but think that whatever hellish pit Lelouch vi Britannia had crawled out of must have had enough in it to spawn another prince.
From his position away from the frontlines, Li Xingke watched the explosion that consumed the Order of the Black Knights with an unreadable expression on his face.
While he had agreed to cede the overall command to Schneizel on account of the man's experience and skill, he had never fully trusted the Second Prince. The Chinese general was loyal to the Empress Tianzi first and foremost and still remembered the plot the then Prime Minister of Britannia concocted to take over the Chinese Federation by marrying the young ruler off to his older brother against her will. Only the intervention of Zero saved China from becoming another Britannian colony.
Although Xingke had his reservations about Zero's methods, he couldn't deny the masked rebel's effectiveness, nor his contributions to the cause of freeing China from the rule of the corrupt High Eunuchs. He hadn't been present during that fateful meeting that decided the fate of the Black Knights. He wasn't even informed of it at first. Only after Lelouch had surfaced, leading the coup against Emperor Charles on Kamine Island, the other leaders had reluctantly informed them of their actions, claiming "irrefutable evidence" of Zero's betrayal.
Had Xingke been shown any of it? Of course not. It was too late to do anything about it, however, so the Chinese general had no choice but to go along with the direction decided upon in his absence. The news of the mysterious Geass power disturbed him greatly, however, and in light of Lelouch's later actions, he had come to accept and support the decision made by Ohgi and Tohdoh. Lelouch vi Britannia was too dangerous to be allowed to live.
Still, there was something about the whole affair that didn't seem right to Xingke, an ominous feeling that, for the longest time, he couldn't place. And now, seeing the F.L.E.I.J.A. explode in the distance, he finally knew what it was.
He had always been wary of Schneizel. Despite his reputation as a diplomat, the Second Prince of Britannia was known as the Cold-blooded Strategist for a reason. He played entire battlefronts like games of chess, subverting his opponents with clever words or, if those were not enough, crushing them with overwhelming force. He moved according to his own inscrutable designs, advanced his own plans in every situation and always, always came out on top.
The Empress Tianzi's most loyal servant had always taken into consideration the possibility of a future war with Schneizel. Even though they had temporarily joined forces against the tyrant Lelouch, such a conflict was always going to happen sooner or later. The UFN could not risk leaving the might of Britannia in the hands of someone like him. He was going to make the necessary preparations as soon as the pressing threat of the 99th Emperor was dealt with. But as he watched the sinister silhouette of the Sky Fortress Damocles float majestically in the air, unmarred by the strife and bloodshed around it, it suddenly occurred to Xingke that there had been only one man he knew of who was cunning, ruthless and daring enough to challenge such a terrific power and have even the slightest chance of succeeding.
And they had just killed him.
Somewhere near Mt. Fuji, Japan
Looking at the battle raging in the skies above, the immortal witch known only as C.C. sat on a large rock near the ejected cockpit of her Lancelot Frontier and contemplated her options. Her chosen warlock, Lelouch vi Britannia, was dead and she was alone again. Even though the centuries of life had dulled her ability to feel the pain of loss, this one felt surprisingly acute. She silently chided herself for allowing herself to grow so close to a contractor again. Bonds bring only pain when they are inevitably broken. She knew that and yet she had made the mistake of forming one with Lelouch. He promised her such beautiful things and now he was dead, and those promises lost.
She could always form a new contract. Geass was born from yearning, after all, and there would be no shortage of people yearning for something in the world ruled by Schneizel and his Damocles. But deep down, she knew that it wouldn't be the same. There would be no other like Lelouch for a long time, maybe not ever. It would be like moving from pizza to mere hot dogs, bland and unsatisfying. That is, if she wouldn't be hunted down and captured by the Second Prince first. Even if he didn't know who she was at the present, the Black Knights did and from there it wouldn't take him much to figure out her connection to Lelouch and Geass. At the very least, he was bound to recognize the Power of Kings as a threat to his rule. It would make things difficult for any potential contractors she might have and any missteps could lead Schneizel to her. Would he keep her imprisoned forever? Run painful experiments on her like Clovis had? Would he try to force her to grant him power for his own ends? Either way, he wouldn't let her wander free. She was too dangerous for him. It seemed like she had no choice but to run and hide and hope that whoever succeeded Schneizel would be less inclined to view her as a threat...
The rustling of leaves behind alerted her to the presence of someone else. She looked behind to see the Deputy Commander of the Black Knights, Kaname Ohgi, looking just as surprised to see her as it was the case the other way around. He had a pistol in his hand, obviously expecting to run into enemies at some point. He must have been making his way from the downed Ikaruga to Tokyo.
From what Lelouch had told C.C., the Deputy Commander was one of the leaders of the coup against Zero. Once one of Lelouch's most staunch supporters, he decided to turn on his commander and sell him out to Schneizel, most likely at the urging of his lover, Villetta Nu, whom he had an affair with behind the backs of the other Black Knights. Seeing him sparked an unexpected surge of anger in the witch. It was his fault that her warlock was dead and couldn't fulfill his end of the contract. It was his fault that she was alone again, denied the release she so desperately craved. C.C. wasn't a vengeful woman, centuries of existence had cured her of that, but this time, she couldn't help but feel that a little payback was warranted.
"Enjoying the fireworks?" she asked casually, keeping all traces of irritation out of her tone.
"I didn't think he would stoop so low," Ohgi replied, his voice trembling with anger. "To use F.L.E.I.J.A. against us..."
"Really? I thought it would be obvious. Why bother having such a ridiculous showpiece fortress if not to destroy the poor idiots you've duped?"
"We've bled and died for his sick schemes and he repays us with that damn bomb!" the Black Knight continued to rage, seemingly ignoring the witch.
"It's your own fault for trusting someone like him..."
"Was using his Geass not enough!?"
... Schneizel's Geass?
Wait...
C.C. blinked a few times, then started to chuckle, which soon evolved into a full-blown laugh.
"What's so funny?" Ohgi asked, obviously offended by her lack of sympathy for his plight.
"Did- didn't you pay attention to the news? Lelouch is dead! Your redhead got him," she managed to say in-between bouts of laughter.
"Kallen?"
"That's the one!"
"But who...?"
"Why, your new friend, of course. Or should I say your new master?"
Ohgi's expression darkened. "Schneizel is not my master," he said.
"You say that, but you've been doing his bidding ever since he opened his mouth to speak to you. Before that, even."
"Impossible! Prince Schneizel hates war! He's a diplomat! Not like Lelouch!"
"Is that what your secret lover told you?"
That got an immediate reaction from Ohgi as his face contorted into a furious snarl. He raised his pistol to aim at C.C. "LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!"
"I wonder what else she told you," the witch continued with a smug smirk Lelouch would be proud of. "That you were made to follow Zero with Geass, perhaps?" The Black Knight's silence told her that yes, that's exactly what he had been told. "I guess it's too much to ask for the leader of an anti-Britannian group to not believe everything Britannians have to say."
"SHE TOLD ME THE TRUTH! It's thanks to her and Prince Schneizel that we were able to get rid of that con-man Zero!"
"And now the Black Knights have been erased by the F.L.E.I.J.A. I'm sure your friends are VERY thankful right now. Especially Kallen..."
"You..."
"Tell me, Kaname Ohgi," C.C. said, her tone suddenly gone from sarcastic to utterly, mercilessly cold, "when your enemy showed at your doorstep, freely offering sensitive information regarding your leader, did any of you pathetic lemmings bother to ask WHY? Or have you just taken his word at the face value, completely disregarding the obvious ulterior motive?"
"I did what I had to do for the good of Japan and our organization," the man drawled, keeping his gun pointed at the witch's head. "I will not be lectured by the likes of you."
"You know, for someone who so resents being a pawn, you are remarkably easy to lead around. It would be almost sad if it wasn't so pathetic."
C.C.'s skull exploded, staining her clothes, the rock she was sitting on and the grass around with blood and brain matter.
She awoke with a pounding headache, as usual when recovering from a headshot. She grunted in irritation. Immortal or not, being killed still hurt like hell. Still, she couldn't say it wasn't worth it. Unsurprisingly, Ohgi was gone. She didn't expect him to stay around and honestly, she wouldn't want him to. Sitting up, she noticed that everything around was still and unmoving. The leaves stayed untouched by the slightest breeze and even the explosions lighting up the sky had ceased. C.C. turned to face the person standing beside her.
"Fancy meeting you here," she said, carefully hiding surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The sky above the shores of Japan
"NO!" Kallen screamed, her red machine struggling in the iron grip of the Lancelot Albion. "Tohdoh! Chiba! Everyone! Let go of me, Suzaku!"
'I didn't think he'd really do it,' the Knight of Zero thought, trying to keep hold of the Guren. 'Damn you, Lelouch, you were right again.' Suzaku didn't have much respect for the Black Knights as an organization. They had been his enemies since their conception and hadn't given him many reasons to think highly of them. Still, to Kallen, they were dear friends and comrades in arms and that bond was something he could respect. "Calm down, Kallen," he said. "There's nothing you can do for them now."
"I said LET GO OF ME!" the Ace of the Black Knights screamed, trying to slash at the Lancelot with her Guren's claws. The position Suzaku held her in made it difficult, however, and she missed. She tried a few more times but to no avail. When she attempted to stab backward with her MVS knife, the white knightmare caught her machine's wrist and squeezed, crushing the servos.
Suzaku's patience was fraying. He needed to order a retreat fast. The F.L.E.I.J.A. Eliminator had caught Schneizel off guard. He was hesitating, not wanting to waste precious warheads to little effect. The reprieve, however, was only temporary. It was only a matter of time before the Second Prince figured out that they didn't have another one and blasted them out of the sky. Time which Kallen was currently wasting.
"I promised to keep you safe," he said sternly, "and that's what I'm going to do. If it means that I have to render you incapable of going out and getting yourself killed, so be it."
The Guren suddenly went limp in his hold, as if its pilot had expended all energy in her futile struggle to break free. From the red knightmare's loudspeakers came a voice. "They are gone, Suzaku," Kallen whispered. "Everybody is gone."
The Knight of Zero sighed wearily but didn't release Kallen's knightmare from his machine's grip. Truth be told, he was at a loss as to what to do with her. If he let her go, she might attack the Damocles or do something equally suicidal and he didn't know what to say to dissuade her. If only he had Lelouch's Geass-
He paused, momentarily stunned by the irony of what he'd just thought. He had resented Lelouch for denying him death in battle and now he found himself wishing he could do the same to Kallen. Lelouch had to be laughing his ass off watching him from whatever hell he ended up in.
Why did he even agree to that request in the first place? It wasn't even an order. He could have refused at any time. It wasn't like he owed Lelouch anything. Jeremiah was right. Kallen was the one who killed the 99th Emperor. She was the one who ruined everything. Why should he bother wasting time on her? Why shouldn't he just let her die like she clearly wanted?
No. It wasn't like that. He'd had a duty to his emperor and he had failed. The least he could do to make up for his failure was to fulfill his liege's last wish. But how? Between him, Lelouch and C.C., he knew Kallen the least and there was a lot of bad blood between them from the previous conflict. What could he say to make her listen?
Help came in unexpectedly as he got a signal on his comms. He put it through. The image of C.C. sitting in the ruined cockpit of the Lancelot Frontier popped up on his screen.
"It's you," he muttered, not bothering to hide his surprise. His relationship with the witch had never been cordial and he saw no reason to change that now. "I didn't think I'd see you again, now that Lelouch is dead."
"Likewise. Anyway, I'm calling because I'm curious about what you're going to do now. You're sure taking your sweet time making a move."
"I was going to order a retreat, but Kallen's been keeping me busy. Fighting, I mean," he added hurriedly, not wanting to give the immortal pizza addict any ideas.
"I see," the witch replied, seeming slightly disappointed with his answer. "And then?"
"Then..." Suzaku trailed off. He had pushed the question out of his mind while dealing with Kallen, but now, the reality of the situation hit with full force. Although he still had over thirty percent of his forces left, the F.L.E.I.J.A. could deal with them in an instant. The enemy position was unassailable and, without Lelouch, he didn't have the resources of the Holy Britannian Empire at his disposal. Any attack he could possibly mount would only result in crushing failure and brutal retaliation. Schneizel was effectively invincible. "I don't know," the Knight of Zero admitted. "It might be best to just surrender."
"So you would just give up? Abandon your princess' dream?" C.C. asked with an exaggerated incredulous expression. "What happened to your resolve, oh Knight of Zero? After all that tough talk, you're backing out because things got difficult? Was your determination just posturing?"
"No! I just- I don't know what to do. I don't know if there is anything I can do."
"As a matter of fact, there is," the witch said. Suzaku's eyes widened in shock. Did she have a plan? "Meet me at these coordinates. I will tell you everything there."
A sequence of numbers showed on the Japanese knight's display. He recognized them immediately. Kamine Island. He knew instantly where to find C.C. There was only one point of interest on Kamine Island. He shuddered at the memory of the place and all the terrible events that had taken place there. He knew now that whatever plan Lelouch's accomplice came up with involved Geass. It made him uncomfortable, but if that cursed power was the only way to turn the situation around, so be it.
"Well, I'll better be going," the witch said, reaching out to the console to cut off the transmission.
"Wait." She stopped moving and looked at him curiously. "What am I supposed to do with Kallen?"
"What do you mean?"
"Should I take her with me? I promised Lelouch to look out for her, but she could expose us and frankly, I don't trust Jeremiah not to kill her when I'm not looking. But I can't leave her alone either. What should I do?"
"Not my problem," she replied, shrugging. "Figure something out."
Suzaku paused, stunned. Was she serious? Did she really intend to leave him alone with such a problem, just like that? How could Lelouch even stand her!? "Is that why you sent me to Lelouch that night? To avoid the responsibility?"
"...Maybe?"
The Knight of Zero groaned. "You're insufferable."
"And you're not the first person to tell me that. Anyway, you better hurry. And remember, manipulating people isn't that difficult. You just need to figure out what they want. See you at the meeting spot." With that, C.C. cut the connection.
She was right. There was no more time to waste. Suzaku opened communication to all Britannian channels.
"All forces, this is the Knight of Zero. We're leaving. Squadrons 4th and 7th, cover our retreat. Do not engage the Guren. The remaining squadrons, head to the rendezvous points C, D and H. When you get there, disperse and await further orders. Avalon, you know what to do."
The soldiers replied with a chorus of 'Yes, My Lord!'. He closed the channels and sighed, finally releasing Kallen's knightmare. She didn't make any hostile moves. "Let's go, Jeremiah," he said through his loudspeakers. "We need to get moving." The Sutherland Sieg took off, its pilot grumbling under his breath.
"Wait," the Ace of the Black Knights cried out weakly. She sounded pained and exhausted. "You still haven't answered my questions!"
Suzaku stopped and turned the Lancelot to face his rival. He had an idea. Manipulating people wasn't hard, after all, if only one knew what they wanted. "You want answers? Then survive," he said. "Don't throw your life away. We will meet again and then, maybe, you will find the answers you're looking for. In the meantime," he added, summoning all his bitterness, "enjoy your victory, Kallen. You've earned it."
He turned and flew away, leaving the Ace of the Black Knights behind.
Imperial Airship Avalon
Nina Einstein was scared.
When the news of Lelouch's death first reached her, she felt a rush of relief at the thought of being finally rid of the man she detested more than any other, but it was soon subsumed by a wave of dread as the reality of the situation hit her with full force. She was on board of Avalon with Lloyd, Miss Cécile, Sayoko and the newly freed UFN representatives. It was Lelouch's last order before heading out to battle - to his death - to have them released. However, they could never know that. To them, they were saved by former servants of the Emperor who chose the moment of his absence to defect. She wondered if that deception had any merit to it anymore. After all, Lelouch was dead and Schneizel's forces would be boarding the airship soon.
Nina knew better than most what kind of man Schneizel el Britannia was beneath his kindly exterior. She had worked for him for a time, after all, a period of her life she wasn't particularly proud of. If the Second Prince found her - and he would, of that she was more than certain - he would surely kill her, or worse, force her to make more F.L.E.I.J.A.s for him.
Most people would find it hard to believe, but this quiet and shy girl of high school age was the creator of the most destructive weapon in the history of mankind. The Field Limitary Effective Implosion Armament completely redefined warfare. Conventional strategies became obsolete in the face of a warhead capable of obliterating strategic targets and even entire armies in the blink of an eye with as little as a push of a button.
Triggered by a reaction of uranium and sakuradite, the device released a rapidly expanding sphere of pink light that reduced everything in the blast radius to atoms. For all its power, though, Nina had only one target in mind when developing the weapon - Zero.
Since the death of Princess Euphemia, the young scientist had focused all her efforts on getting revenge on her murderer in the only way she could - by creating the weapon that would end his existence once and for all. Under the tutelage of Prince Schneizel, she had worked to turn her alternative energy source project into a bomb to wipe Zero and his accursed Black Knights off the face of the planet. The warhead was finished just in time for the masked terrorist's assault on Tokyo Settlement. In the chaos of the attack, Nina finally got to witness the power of her creation firsthand.
It was horrifying.
She was later informed that upwards of twenty-five million people, Elevens and Britannians alike, had perished in the blast. It was a rough estimate, of course, based on the size of the crater and information drawn from population registers. The actual death toll was impossible to calculate. F.L.E.I.J.A. didn't leave bodies, only dust.
The thing that scared her more than the destruction, however, was the glint in Prince Schneizel's eyes as he watched the explosion, like a child that found a new toy to play with.
She felt Miss Cécile's hand on her shoulder and turned to face her.
"It's alright, Nina," Lloyd's assistant whispered. "We'll get out of this. Everything will be alright."
Deep down inside, Nina wanted to reject that comforting hand, to scream that nothing will be alright, that they'll be FOUND and KILLED and everyone's going to DIE and it's ALL HER FAULT! But she didn't want to cause a scene in front of foreign dignitaries, so she only gulped and nodded.
She looked over at the leaders of the UFN. Their presence so close by unnerved her, but Nina didn't let it show. She was getting better at suppressing those feelings, although she doubted they would ever leave her completely. Years of fervent belief in Britannian superiority couldn't be thrown off easily.
The news of Lelouch's death didn't disturb or frighten the representatives at all. Quite the opposite, they seemed hopeful for the coming rescue. To them, Lelouch was just a tyrant, an enemy of them and the world they represented. She couldn't even honestly say they were wrong. For all of his noble intentions, Lelouch's plan was terrifying. But if it truly could create the world Princess Euphemia had wanted, Nina would do everything in her power to help. But that dream had already crashed and burned. There was no one left to preserve it from Prince Schneizel.
Looking more closely, Nina noticed one person among the hostages who didn't seem to share in the overall atmosphere of cheerfulness. A short Eleven girl wearing the traditional clothes of her nation with black hair reaching far down her back stared into space with a pensive frown on her face. She couldn't have been older than fifteen, but in her green eyes, there was wisdom and maturity far beyond her age. Another, smaller girl with white hair and red eyes clung to her from behind. Nina recognized the pair as Kaguya Sumeragi, the young Chairwoman of the UFN, and Empress Tianzi of the Chinese Federation. She had seen both of them at the party preceding Tianzi's wedding to the Crown Prince of the Empire, Odysseus eu Britannia, which she attended as Prince Schneizel's escort. Kaguya was accompanied by Zero then, claiming to be the masked man's wife. The shy scientist briefly wondered what happened between them to end up on the opposite sides of the war. Lelouch wasn't exactly forthcoming with explanations.
Shots rang out from down the corridor. The boarding party was coming their way. Nina started trembling. To her side, the little Empress of China cowered behind her friend.
"It's alright, Tianzi," Kaguya said, pulling the girl into a comforting hug. "Prince Schneizel is coming to rescue us."
'No, he isn't,' Nina thought, but kept silent, not wanting to scare the child Empress further.
Sure enough, the Second Prince came from around the corner, accompanied by his aide, Earl Kanon Maldini, three members of his Royal Guard and a tall blonde man with a camera whom Nina didn't recognize. The prince stood tall, calmly assessing the situation with his piercing purple eyes that were so much like Lelouch's. How she never noticed the resemblance, Nina couldn't fathom. He was dressed in his customary white, untainted by the blood that stained the clothes of his companions.
He briefly glanced at the UFN representatives, quickly turning away, as if they were unworthy of his attention, then turned to look at his aide. "Kanon, escort the UFN leaders to the bridge. Diethard, go with them and prepare everything for the broadcast."
"Of course, Your Highness," the cameraman said, identifying himself as Diethard. Earl Maldini merely nodded in acknowledgment and set out for the task.
Meanwhile, Prince Schneizel turned his attention to Nina.
"I'm glad to see you in good health, Nina," he said, smiling politely. His eyes, however, remained as cold as ever. "Although it saddens me to meet you in such... circumstances."
"P-prince Schneizel..." Nina stuttered out.
"Before my brother's death, he and sir Kururugi used some kind of device to neutralize a F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"Y-yes." There was no point in hiding it. The fact that the Second Prince mentioned it meant that he already knew. Nina knew the F.L.E.I.J.A. like the back of her hand. Only she could have come up with a countermeasure in such a short timeframe.
"Incredible. To create a working countermeasure to such a complex weapon so quickly... Your genius is truly astounding, Nina." The girl's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't praise. "I have to ask, though, why did you give such a dangerous device to my brother? What did he do to you to make you do it?"
Nina took a deep breath, not sure how to answer. She was sworn to secrecy regarding Zero Requiem. If the truth of the plan ever got out, all would be for naught. But now Lelouch was dead and the plan was in tatters. Did keeping it secret really matter anymore?
When Nina's classmate turned emperor revealed the horrible truth to her, she could barely restrain herself from killing him right then and there. Why should she not? He was Zero the terrorist, Zero the murderer, the killer of her beloved Princess Euphemia and so many others. He held an evil power that twisted the minds of others and forced them to do his bidding. It would be so easy to just end him there, avenge her Princess and all of his victims. Wasn't that what she wanted all this time? Even the prospect of being executed for assassinating the emperor felt like a minor concern compared to that.
But then he did something she never expected from him. He offered her a chance to atone. To undo the damage she had caused by developing the F.L.E.I.J.A. and do some good for once. Prince Schneizel had used HER creation to wipe out Pendragon, killing millions of people. He had to be stopped, and Nina was the only one who could do it. So she did. She worked tirelessly with the help of Lloyd and Miss Cécile until she created it. Her redemption. The antidote to the poison she had released into the world. Nina's magnum opus, the F.L.E.I.J.A. Eliminator.
But even then, it was all for nothing.
She opened her mouth to answer Schneizel's question, but before she could say anything, Lloyd spoke up from behind her. "Emperor Lelouch abducted us and forced us to work for him. That Gottwald fellow can be very convincing, if you catch my drift, Your Highness," he said in his usual cheerful tone, without any regard for who he was talking to. Prince Schneizel didn't seem to be offended, though. He was probably used to it, having worked with the eccentric researcher for a long time.
"Yes, I imagine," he said flatly. "Well, I'm afraid all of you will have to stay under observation for a while. You will also be tested for any Geass commands my brother might have implanted in your subconscious. We can hardly afford to have a sleeper agent planted in our midst." He paused, his attention returning to Nina. "You, however... You have let a dangerous device fall into the hands of Lelouch. If not for Captain Kōzuki, he could have even boarded the Damocles. I don't know what my brother did to you, but-"
"No."
Prince Schneizel's eyes widened slightly. He was shocked that someone like Nina dared to interrupt him. She knew she had probably signed her death warrant, but she didn't care anymore. To hell with secrecy. To hell with Zero Requiem. She wasn't going to let this man control her. Not anymore. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her voice was clear and level. "No. Lelouch didn't do anything to me. He didn't threaten me and he didn't use Geass on me. I joined him of my own free will. Because you had to, no, HAVE TO be stopped."
"Nina, do you know who he was? What he had done?"
"He told me everything." She would never forgive Zero. But she had accepted that it wasn't her responsibility to bring him to justice and besides, it had nothing to do with Prince Schneizel's actions. "Even so, I've made my choice."
"I see," the former Prime Minister of Britannia replied. Then he smiled at her. "It must have been difficult to admit that to my face. You're very brave, Nina."
The shy scientist said nothing.
"Well, I suppose this changes nothing," the prince continued. He knelt down before her and put his hand on her arm in a reassuring gesture. His eyes bored into hers with intensity. "I trust that you understand that I'm only doing what's necessary for peace to come." He got up and turned to his Royal Guardsmen. "Kill her."
"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" the men replied, raising their guns and pressing the triggers.
"NINA!" Miss Cécile cried out behind her, but her voice quickly became muffled. Lloyd must have covered her mouth with his hand.
As she felt the bullets tear into her body, Nina briefly wondered if she would meet Princess Euphemia on the other side. Then everything went black.
The sky above the shores of Japan
In the cockpit of the Guren S.E.I.T.E.N., Kallen sat in a daze, fruitlessly trying to comprehend the reality of what was happening. It seemed like barely an hour ago, everything had been so simple. Lelouch was the bad guy and the Black Knights, the knights for justice, were trying to put an end to his villainy and return the Britannian throne to its rightful ruler. But then Lelouch died and Kallen's entire world was suddenly and totally turned upside down. The Black Knights were gone now, snuffed out by their supposed allies. Kallen herself had been saved from certain death by the actions of a mortal enemy. And the only person capable of shedding some light on the situation had gotten away. The proud and fierce Ace of the Black Knights could only watch helplessly as he disappeared in the distance.
She felt weak, confused and lost in a way she had only experienced once before - on the Ikaruga, the day after the battle of Tokyo when Zero's treachery was revealed. But was he really the betrayer? Or the betrayed? Not long ago, Kallen was so certain that she knew the answer, but now she couldn't tell. Nothing made sense anymore.
The communications crackled to life, relaying the transmission broadcast on all channels. The voice coming from the frame's internal speakers was soft and even. Kallen recognized it instantly. It was the voice that had been giving her orders in battle. The wrong voice.
"Citizens of the world, I am Schneizel el Britannia.
"We have achieved a great victory today. Thanks to the combined efforts of the forces loyal to the rightful Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire and the valiant Black Knights, Lelouch vi Britannia is no more. No longer shall he poison the world with his malice and lies. With his demise, we have moved a little closer to the peace we all desire.
"But the work is not yet done. Wars are still being waged. Conflicts still brew. International tensions rise as we speak. The old grudges between Britannia and the United Federation of Nations are not forgotten. Sooner or later, the world will once again be engulfed in war.
"This must end. Words may bring an end to hostilities for a time, but they always fail eventually as human greed and ambition turn mankind against itself. In order to achieve lasting peace, more drastic actions are necessary.
"Within forty-eight hours, the Sky Fortress Damocles will ascend into orbit. From there, it will launch F.L.E.I.J.A. warheads at the capital of every nation involved in a war."
Kallen's eyes widened in horror at the Second Prince's proclamation. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. Every nation involved in a war meant pretty much every nation. The death toll would be catastrophic.
"No," she whispered. "No! This isn't what we've been fighting for!"
Oh, but it is, a quiet voice in the back of her head said. A voice that sounded irritatingly like Lelouch. It has been since the day you chose to abandon Zero.
'I didn't abandon Zero,' she thought, trying to reassure herself. 'He abandoned me!'
Did he now? Was it before or after you left him to die on the Ikaruga?
Kallen shuddered at the memory of searchlights and guns of the Black Knights pointed at Zero, shielding him with her body, Lelouch's cruel laughter, walking away and hearing those five whispered words that sent her heart into turmoil. Prince Schneizel was there too, standing beside her friends, watching the scene with his impassive gaze…
Aren't you proud of what you did, Q-1? You made the choice. You decided. You chose... Schneizel.
'No! Shut up!'
You let Schneizel usurp command over the Black Knights. You listened to his orders, marched at his beck and call and you did it without a word of protest. You were so set on killing Zero that you became a willing tool for Schneizel to use. A well-played knight.
'I didn't- How could I have known?'
Lelouch knew. He tried to warn you, but you didn't listen, the voice drawled accusingly. Besides, it's been kind of obvious. Did you really think that a man who obliterated the most populous city in the world without a second thought would hesitate to do it again? Or maybe you thought all those people didn't matter because they weren't Japanese? Did you even spare them a thought?
'I had to do it! I had to stop Lelouch before...'
Before what? Do you even know what he wanted to accomplish, besides stopping this? Of course not. You didn't let him explain. You only know what Schneizel told you. Because you chose to trust the enemy of your nation over the one you owed everything to!
'How could I trust him!? He told me-'
He told you to LIVE!
"SHUT UP!" Kallen screamed, clutching her head. The voice went silent as she sat there, breathing heavily. In the background, the Second Prince continued his speech.
"Under the watchful gaze of the Damocles, mankind shall march onward into a new era of peace and stability. Anyone who dares to threaten the new order will surrender to me or face annihilation. The might of the F.L.E.I.J.A. will be the guarantee of peace in the new world to come and I, Schneizel el Britannia, the Second Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, will be its overseer. May it reign forever!
"All hail peace! All hail Britannia!"
'How could this happen...?'
(A/N) (WARNING - RANTS AHEAD)
So the dude with a flying fortress of doom shooting nukes at people turns out to be a bad guy. Who would have thought.
Seriously, though, there's no excuse for that. None. The Black Knights betraying Lelouch, I can swallow. They had their reasons, some of which were even valid. The way it was executed in the anime was really stupid, but whatever. Opposing Lelouch as the emperor, I can swallow. He was going out of his way to antagonize them, after all. Joining Schneizel, though? UNFORGIVABLE. They don't even get to claim ignorance, as Schneizel was pretty open about his attack on Pendragon. They just kinda decided that destroying a 50+ million city is no big deal and not at all indicative of the kind of person they're dealing with. I mean, I tried to rationalize it somehow in Tohdoh and Xingke PoVs, but it's HARD because it's just so baffling. How are the Black Knights supposed to have any credibility with leadership like that? Although it's not like ignoring bad things done by characters other than Lelouch isn't a long-standing tradition in Code Geass. Many characters suffer, or rather benefit, from that, most prominently Cornelia (remember the purge of the Saitama Ghetto? Apparently the creators don't) and Suzaku (clearly, sending one's friends for brainwashing and returning a disabled girl under the care of an abusive parent as a punishment for her brother's misdeeds are actions any morally upstanding citizen should take). Except Cornelia and Suzaku are otherwise well-written characters. Schneizel meanwhile...
Schneizel is the worst character to have ever existed, period. He's just an evil(er) Lelouch with none of the coolness and none of the depth, but with an ability to make other characters turn their brains off by speaking to them. He only exists to make everything worse by causing others to make stupid decisions to the detriment of Lelouch and themselves like a walking zone of character derailment. That's right, not only is he a terrible character in his own right, he makes other characters worse just by being in the show. In fact, I am convinced that the majority of the problems with late R2 could be fixed simply by removing Schneizel from the story. The script doesn't even have to change that much. Things like the Betrayal and Zero Requiem can still happen, only for much less idiotic reasons. Just imagine: there's no Damocles, no F.L.E.I.J.A., just a desperate, doomed last stand of the Black Knights against the evil emperor Lelouch, in which they throw everything they have at him and he conquers it all with contemptuous ease. And then, when all seems lost, Zero Requiem and the shocking reveal of Lelouch's real intentions... Wouldn't that be so much better than what we got? Unfortunately, for all their talk about Lelouch being evil incarnate and whatnot, the writers are strangely reluctant to use him as an actual villain. But hey, thanks to that I get to write Kallen of the Atonement, so I guess I can't complain too much.
Alright, that's enough ranting (or is it?) for now, let's talk about the chapter.
The interactions between Kallen and Suzaku (including the flashback, as it is closely related to them) are a bit suspect in this one and I'm not exactly happy with how they came out, but I needed a reason for Kallen to survive the battle and not get herself stupidly killed, so it's there. Everything else in this chapter is directly extrapolated from the anime and what I believe would be the most advantageous for Schneizel to do. Especially killing the Black Knights is something he considered doing, but deemed it too risky with Lelouch still in the picture. And yes, Xingke ignored his orders and survived thanks to it. Not that he's really better off alive. Most of the Black Knights' high command survived due to being evacuated from the Ikaruga before Lelouch's death. The only really important ones who died were Tohdoh, Chiba and Tamaki.
C.C. insulting Ohgi is something I've been wanting to write for a while now (and something I want to write more of). Like many Code Geass fans, I have an issue with Ohgi, more so than with the other Black Knights. It's not really about betraying Lelouch - it sucked big time, sure, but he did what he thought was best with the information he had at the time and his demand for Japan in exchange for Zero was actually pretty smart and made the whole affair a bit less of a "the Black Knights shooting themselves in the foot" situation. It's not about Villetta either... Okay, no, that too, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. What I really hate about Ohgi is that he was all raging about Zero using them as pawns and stuff while using Kallen, his surrogate little sister, as bait to lure Lelouch into a trap, proving himself not only a fool but a hypocrite as well. And that's on top of being a useless liability for the entirety of the show (remember him doing anything worthwhile on-screen after meeting Villetta? Yeah, me neither). The fact that the whole matter goes completely unaddressed only makes it more infuriating. I have zero sympathy for this man, he's a bad character, he didn't deserve the happy ending he got in canon and if he ever gets one in my story, it sure as hell won't be for free. But I promised no bashing (or at least limited bashing), so I'll try not to torment him too much.
R.I.P. Nina, the only reasonable character. No, really. She's, like, the only person on the planet besides Lelouch who realized that Schneizel is a madman with a ton of WMDs that needs to be stopped at all costs without being explicitly told so (sorry, Cornelia, no smart points for you). She shows more common sense in that final arc than the entire rest of the cast combined. Although maybe I'm giving her too much credit for figuring out something that should have been REALLY FUCKING OBVIOUS! I know I've already talked about it at length before, but what the actual fuck, Sunrise? I can see how after the first F.L.E.I.J.A., the world leaders could be like 'yeah, let's pretend that never happened' and write it off as an isolated incident, at least officially, until they have the means to respond. But bombing one of the most populous cities on Earth with weapons of mass destruction without provocation (a de facto act of terrorism on an unprecedented scale, one that I'm pretty sure killed more people in a second than Lelouch's entire rebellion in two years - it's not easy to kill a million people using conventional methods, after all) should have made Schneizel a political pariah. And instead of ganging up on him to make sure he can't do it again, everyone joins him to gang up on Lelouch!? Because Ohgi said so!? REALLY!? It is beyond my comprehension how someone could have thought that a plotline like that could possibly work without making the audience want to punch a hole in their TV. Anyway, I know Nina is one of the most widely detested characters in Code Geass and I understand why, but I personally kinda like her and I think her arc was one of the best in R2 (by which I mean one of the only ones that weren't a total disappointment). So I guess I wanted to at least give her a cool moment before killing her off. The scene is more about Schneizel than her anyway.
I should probably clarify that Schneizel would have killed Nina no matter what, simply because he couldn't allow someone who came up with an effective counter to F.L.E.I.J.A. live. Her little show of defiance had nothing to do with that.
The voice taunting Kallen at the end is not a hallucination, nor is it Lelouch's ghost or anything like that. It's a manifestation of Kallen's own guilt and self-doubt. She just imagines it sounding like Lelouch because she's still affected by his death.
That would be it for now, I guess. Massive thanks to TricksterPriest for helping me come up with Lelouch's last words. The translation is as follows: "Forgive me, my queen. A man only lives twice. Once for his dream. And once, for his love. Tell Nunnally-"
I'd also like to thank the people who helped me turn the mess I wrote into something readable. You know who you are.
The next chapter is going to focus on Kallen's life after the battle, her relationship with Ohgi and the general state of the world under Schneizel. Also, Nunnally. It will hopefully be shorter than this one.
And, uh, it feels super awkward to say that now, but, you know, feedback helps, so please, review.
And now, the bonus scene!
The impact of the Guren colliding with the Shinkirō almost tossed Lelouch out of his seat. He could feel being dragged away from his path. This was bad. The pathway to the Damocles would be open only for half a minute at most. It was imperative that he get back on track and confront Schneizel before it's too late. Unfortunately, Kallen had no intention of letting him do that.
He fired a few hadron blasts at the enemy frame, aiming to disable, rather than kill. He wouldn't kill Kallen unless there was no other way. She had to survive to enjoy the peace Zero Requiem would bring. If he had to kill her to achieve it, who was he even doing it for? It didn't matter all that much, however, for the shots he fired were a token effort either way. He was utterly outmatched and he knew it. He could never hope to withstand the wrath of his Q-1.
Only Suzaku and his Lancelot Albion could help Lelouch now. But the Knight of Zero was engaged in a fierce battle against the rebuilt Tristan. He would win, of course. He wasn't the Knight of the Round above all others for nothing. But by then, it would be too late. Kallen was too powerful, it would be over in the blink of an eye. His fears would come true. Instead of Nunnally's gentle world, Schneizel's world would be realized, a world of fear and hopeless stagnation under the Damocles. He couldn't allow that to happen, but neither could he beat Kallen without Suzaku's help. He needed to buy time, to distract her somehow. But how?
He didn't want to confront her again. Everything that needed to be said between them, that he could afford to be said, was already said. But she didn't leave him a choice. Hesitantly, he opened an encrypted channel to the Guren.
Kallen's face appeared on his screen, contorted into an expression of rage that almost made him shiver. He thought he was ready to bear her hate, but apparently, he wasn't quite ready enough.
"Stand down, Q-1," he said, trying his best not to show apprehension, "I need you to let me through."
"Too bad I don't take orders from you anymore," he heard in response, punctuated by a slash of the Guren's MVS knife slicing off the Shinkirō's left arm. Right. That was stupid of him. He wasn't Zero anymore and Kallen wasn't his Q-1. Trying to exploit that connection would get him nowhere. But if that was the case, how to approach her? Trying to goad her would only make her kill him faster. He needed to think, but there was no time. He had to say something.
"Kallen, please! You have to let me through!"
Kallen only sneered at that, as he should have expected. Such pleading was beneath him and only served to show his growing desperation.
"The mighty Zero, at the end of his rope, pleading for his life. How pathetic. I can't believe I used to look up to you."
He felt a surge of irritation at that reply, but he forced it down. Zero Requiem was more important than his dignity, and making himself look contemptible in her eyes would only help in the long run. But it wouldn't help him get away from her now.
Another arm down. The opening in the Damocles' shielding was surely beginning to close by now and Suzaku was still occupied by his battle with Gino Weinberg. Lelouch was running out of time.
"Damn it, woman! Schneizel is out there with all the F.L.E.I.J.A.s! I need to stop him before it's too late!" He didn't even mean to say that. His frustration was starting to get the better of him.
"Schneizel didn't attack the UFN and take the council hostage. You did! You're the enemy of the world, Lelouch! When I kill you, all of this will end!" Kallen yelled, clearly getting more and more agitated with every word. She was fuming with rage and killing intent by now, as evidenced by the Guren viciously stabbing into the Shinkirō's chest, disabling several key systems, including his most powerful weapon.
Lelouch bit down a retort that Schneizel bombed Pendragon, killing close to a hundred million people, just to make a statement. The Black Knights must have known about that. An attack on such a scale was impossible to hide. They clearly considered Lelouch the greater threat. Their hate for him blinded them to the reality of what they were doing. Was that a case of a plan working too well? Regardless, he could gain no traction with Kallen that way either. That left only one possibility.
He didn't want to involve her in his scheme. In fact, he wanted nothing more than to keep her as far away from the entire conflict as possible. He knew that with the right words, he could persuade her to follow him again relatively easily. He knew the right words. He always did. And the best part was that unusually for him, the right words were, for the most part, true. And it would be so much easier to bring Zero Requiem to fruition with his most faithful Q-1 by his side… He didn't do it, however, because there was nothing but pain awaiting those who followed him on his quest, and he didn't wish that fate upon her. She deserved so much better than that. She deserved so much better than him. But the necessity of Zero Requiem trumped even that concern and besides, if he failed here, there would be no future for her either way. He took a deep breath, preparing to add one more sin to his tally.
"Kallen. You wanted to know why I'm doing this, didn't you? Let me go, and I'll-"
"SHUT UP!" she screamed, interrupting him. "I'm DONE listening to your lies!"
For a moment, Lelouch was stunned. Did he read her wrong? No, he realized. He understood her feelings correctly, but that was before their last meeting, before he rejected her for the final time. He had hurt her far too much for her to trust his words again. The only thing she had left for him was death.
"I see," he said quietly, lowering his gaze.
It was over. Suzaku was still battling the former Knight of Three and Jeremiah wasn't in reach either. The pathway to the Damocles had surely closed by now, and Lelouch had no way of opening it again without taking a F.L.E.I.J.A. blast to the face. The Guren's lethal right hand was gripping the head of his knightmare, the Radiant Wave Surger charging up, pumping waves of destructive energy into the Shinkirō. The 99th Emperor of Britannia was staring death in the face and this time, there would be no escape. But perhaps that's what he deserved. And it was oddly fitting that his executioner would be the person he failed the most.
Was he wrong to push her away? Would it be different if he told her the truth from the beginning? Would she stand by him and help him find another path? Or would she turn on him still, disgusted with the blood on his hands and the darkness in his heart? It was too late to dwell on that now. He had failed utterly in everything he worked for. All of the pain and bloodshed he caused in pursuit of a better world was in vain. Maybe it always had been. Maybe it had been foolish to attempt such a thing in the first place.
"Sayonara, Zero."
Lelouch raised his gaze and looked deep into the beautiful blue eyes of his Q-1. He remembered them being always full of fiery passion, but now he saw a different, darker kind of fire in them. A flame of hatred, fueled by the pain of betrayal and tempered by the sorrow of loss. He knew that fire well, for he had seen it in his own eyes when he looked at the mirror. He could see that she was hurting. She was hurting because of him and knowing that caused him pain as well.
What am I to you? For so long he had dreaded that question and its implications. He ran from it, lied to her and himself, afraid of what seeking the answer would lead him to. Of what it would do to her if he found it. But now, in the hour of his death, he finally knew, and he wasn't afraid anymore. Only it was too late.
There was so much he wanted to tell her, but there was no time. His knightmare was breaking down around him and it wouldn't last long, not nearly enough to give Kallen the answer she deserved. But there was still something he could say. Something he had to say.
He closed his eyes, feeling a single tear roll down his cheek.
"Yurushite kure, watashi no jo-ō. Ningen no jinsei wa futatsu de ikiru. Ichido wa kare no yume no tameni. Soshite ichido wa kare no ai no tameni." He let out a deep sigh, putting all of his pain, exhaustion and sorrow into it. "Nanari ni, itte-"
His final words were drowned out by the roar of the explosion that consumed the Shinkirō.