I'll try to keep this AN as short as possible.
So. Life exploded and now we're all in quarantine. Finally got around to doing this and the other one.
Without further delay, I hope you enjoy this new chapter of Zero's Revolution. Stay safe everyone.
Disclaimer: I don't own any franchise that is used in this story nor do I make any profit from it whatsoever.
Chapter 17: Consequences
(Kyoto Settlement, Area Eleven – Private Conference Hall – 3:13 pm – October 15 – 2017 a.t.b.)
Lelouch shifted uncomfortably in the small cockpit of the Knightmare he was hiding in, the letter from Kaguya burning a hole in his pocket as he waited for things to progress as planned. It would only be a few more minutes before C.C., dressed as his double, would appear with some of the Black Knights to begin negotiating with Kirihara.
Only a day after his battle at Narita, the Kyoto House really didn't want to let him have time to recover before exploiting him and the Black Knights. A harsh tactic, but not a surprising one considering who the meeting was with. Though at this moment in time he'd do anything to be by Nunnally's side.
At some point while he was fighting his war, she had fallen ill. She was currently laid up with a fever in her bed, but he had to leave her care to Sayoko while he met with Kirihara. He needed to show the old man Zero wasn't weak and the Black Knights weren't to be pushed around.
After a few more minute of waiting, his people finally arrived. Shifting again slightly in the cockpit of the Knightmare he'd secretly commandeered, the revolutionary's eyes narrowed as he observed each member individually.
He carefully watched the reactions of the Black Knights as Kirihara spoke to them. C.C. was perfect as his body double, as planned. It was just as it had been in Saitama, people were unable to tell the difference between him and C.C. when she wore the Zero Armor. While it was slightly different, the armor conformed to her body shape much as it did for him, the cloak concealed enough to where her feminine curves were disguised properly.
He was currently wearing an inferior version of his armor designed by Sayoko and Ruben, designed to protect himself mostly from small arms fire rather than the near absolute defense of the true armor. While he considered wearing his normal armor, he didn't want to risk any issue with C.C.'s masquerade just in case it wasn't a perfect replica. The bright side is the replica armor was a little looser on his body, allowing his injuries to breath a little.
Lelouch shifted again, his body still aching from his experience in battle at Narita. His body still burned despite the treatments that Ruben and Sayoko had heaped upon him after they found out his armor had burned him when he used its enhancement features not to mention the constant soreness in his ribs after that damned pilot punted him across the mountain. The fact he was still alive after that was a testament to the powers of the armor, but the burns he suffered served as a warning. A warning Lelouch took seriously. His entire torso was bruised and his ribs were severely strained. His arms and legs had been burned as well. Beneath his replica armor, he was covered in bandages with healing remedies coating almost every inch of his body.
He was lucky that he was able to leave the Ashford estate at all for this meeting.
It was unfortunate he did not have more time to recover from the battle. While he appreciated his darling "wife's" efforts, his meeting could not have been arranged at a worse time for Lelouch personally. Too much was going on and he couldn't remember the last time he slept, trying to ensure everything didn't fall apart around him.
He still had to meet with Shirley after this meeting for their date, though he was seriously considering standing her up. But that was not his primary concern at the moment.
Lelouch narrowed his eyes as he watched Kallen remove the helmet C.C. was wearing, revealing the ruse that he concocted. He expected this sort of thing from the old bastard Kirihara. The man would trust no one he could not find leverage over. The faces of the Black Knights who he had allowed to come with him, the leaders of the original group he had commanded, were appropriately distressed by what was going on, but were pragmatic enough to realize their options were limited if they wanted to continue fighting Britannia with Zero and the Six Houses backing them.
Still, he didn't have time to analyze their reactions further. Firing up the Knightmare, Zero struck down the second Knightmare guard instantly and turned his weapons on the personal guards of Kirihara, quickly killing them before aiming the Knightmare's weapon straight at the man disguised by the veil. Zero allowed himself to laugh darkly as he opened the cockpit, taking his time as the Knightmare slowly took him to the ground.
Lelouch was careful not to shift his body too much, he didn't want to aggravate his injuries any further. As he descended, he held a switch that would fire the trigger immediately if pressed. Lelouch walked slowly towards Kirihara, a menacing aura surrounding his dark form.
"You thought I wouldn't predict your desire to see my face old man Kirihara?" Zero gloated as he revealed the man's identity to his allies. "The entire world would quite literally kill for such an honor." Slowly he reached up to the false mask he was wearing and, after making sure that his current armor's cape successfully blocked the back of his head enough, raised the helmet from his head to stare at the old man for the first time in eight years. "You're lucky I've deemed you worthy for the sake of our alliance or I would kill you where you sit." The eyes of Lelouch vi Britannia flashed as he grinned darkly at the old man before him.
Kirihara gasped in shock, ignoring the blood that began to pool beneath his seat. Then the old bastard laughed. "It's you." He chortled darkly. "So, the seed planted eight years ago finally bloomed." The laughter continued before the old man narrowed his eyes, his shrewdness tempering his humor. "So, why have you chosen to act now of all times? Is it for her?" A glint appeared in Kirihara's eyes as he discerned a key part of Lelouch's motivation and shared a detail he knew Zero would rather not have exposed in an attempt to regain his leverage for the negotiations he knew were coming.
Zero was supposed to be a symbol, something more than human. By ascribing a motivation to him beyond the salvation of Japan, Kirihara sought to show Zero was a mortal man same as his own subordinates.
Zero ignored the bait, though he couldn't quite ignore the pain in his heart as he thought of Nunnally. "For her sake, I would set the Heavens ablaze with the flames of Hell itself." He admitted as much, knowing that his Black Knights would be curious, but with Kirihara's actions he either had to deny it and lie or own up to it and work with it. Lying would be impractical and Lelouch preferred twisting the truth anyway. Even if he had to be less of a symbol to his leadership, deception would only hurt him here.
Before the banter could continue, more feminine laughter echoed around the halls of the private conference hall.
"I knew you would put on a show, dear husband, but I didn't expect you to go and do this to old man Kirihara." Kaguya walked into view with a smug smile on her lips as she stepped through the blood of the old man's guards. Pausing for a moment she frowned at their bodies before moving forward again. Standing in front of Zero, she grabbed the collar of his false cloak and forced him to give her a kiss in front of Kirihara and his Black Knights.
About thirty seconds later, she pulled back and let the man breathe.
"Ha…" Kaguya pulled back and panted quietly. "Ah, I needed that." The little devil giggled as she saw the annoyance on Lelouch's slightly flushed face.
Lelouch felt his eyebrow twitch as he watched Kaguya's smug grin only widen after that kiss. "Ah, Lady Sumeragi, keep that for when we're in private." Ignoring the stares boring holes into his back, Lelouch shifted back to his Zero persona. "Speaking of," Zero gave his full attention to Kirihara, knowing the old man had made a note of his ward's actions for future reference. That bastard would take advantage of this, he was sure. "Let us take our negotiations to a more private location so my Black Knights may return to their duties." Putting his mask back on, Zero walked over to the stunned group, ignoring C.C.'s catty grin.
Kallen was blushing rather hard after Lady Sumeragi's shameless display of affection. "Wh-wha…?" The redhead stuttered quietly while Zero stared at everyone.
"Thank you for escorting my accomplice here, you served well as her guards." Zero spoke to the entourage that had guided C.C. to the meeting. "However, I believe you will need some training in order to spot whether there is an imposter in your midst, it would be tragic if Britannia used a body double of me to try and gather you all together only to have you follow blindly. If you were paying attention you would have noticed she had not said a single word on the way to the meeting." Shifting slightly since the armor was not as comfortable as the set C.C. was wearing, he continued. "That is unlike me, I may not have much to say, but I am not the type to remain silent for as long as it took you all to arrive here." Hoping he managed to distract everyone from Kaguya's actions and the conversation he had with Kirihara well enough, he finished up. "Now, all of you will return to your posts and I will contact you with further orders after the negotiations have concluded." Looking to C.C., he gave her orders. "Come with me."
C.C.'s smirk widened. "Yes, Zero." Her voice carried a purr that had not been present previously. C.C. was very amused by the actions of the little minx playing at being Zero's wife, her impulsiveness was adorable. The Witch couldn't wait to tease Lelouch with this material.
And with that, the meeting with the representatives of the Six Houses was complete for most of the Black Knight's escorts, only those deemed worthy of knowing Zero's true face were invited to meet in private for further negotiations.
Ohgi frowned as he watched the backs of Zero and his accomplice follow the Six Houses' representatives to a more private conference room. He wasn't sure how he felt about being left out, being the second in command of the Black Knights. It was clear there was more going on behind the scenes than he was aware of. There were too many unanswered questions. Even after Narita, Ohgi felt uneasy.
The question was, how much did he let that slide for the sake of Japan?
And who exactly was Zero fighting for? Who was this her Kirihara referenced? And how did Kirihara know Zero's face?
Just who was the Black Devil they all had chosen to follow?
Ohgi hoped they hadn't sold their souls for nothing.
(Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven – Public Park – 5:26 pm – October 15 – 2017 a.t.b.)
A few hours after the meeting with Kirihara and Kaguya, Lelouch panted as he ran, his ribs burning and the rain pounding over his umbrella. He was almost 30 minutes late, he was supposed to meet with Shirley. But not only had the negotiations taken longer than he thought, the rain and traffic had prevented him from being able to get back to Ashford in time to change into his uniform. He'd been forced to change into something casual as backup in the car, leaving his false Zero armor to C.C. for her to return with the actual armor.
Shirley had texted him asking where he was, but since then he'd been unable to reach Shirley by phone. Lelouch was half expecting Shirley to not be waiting at the park, but he had to make sure she wasn't before he could go home without worrying about her. Then he saw her, in front of the clock and fountain beneath the storm clouds roaring above them.
"Shirley!" Lelouch shouted, thunder clapping in the sky as he rushed towards the girl. She had no umbrella, her clothes were completely soaked. "Shirley, what's wrong?" Lelouch held out his umbrella, protecting her from the downpour. He looked closer and noticed her cheeks were wet with tears. Her eyes were red as she looked up at him, cheeks flushed and her body shivering from the cold. "Come on, let's go home." There was no point in continuing their date when she was in this state. And Lelouch wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to stay conscious himself, his ribs burning inside his body.
"Lelouch." Shirley's voice was soft. "Do you think Zero is a good man?" Lelouch was startled by the random question coming from Shirley's lips. He looked away, thinking of how to reply without knowing the answer she sought.
"I think he thinks he is." His answer was evasive, but Shirley was too distraught to notice it. She shuffled closer to Lelouch, her eyes flickering up to meet his as her tears continued to run. She wrapped her arms around him, her face burrowed into his chest. A thunderclap covered Lelouch's grunt of pain, but not the words she spoke next.
"My father was caught in the landslide at Narita." Shirley choked out, her voice catching repeatedly. "They found his body buried under one of the buildings beyond the mountain. I was asked to identify it this morning. They said the landslide was caused by Zero and the Black Knights." Shirley leaned into Lelouch's jacket further, clutching him tightly. "Zero killed my father Lulu." Shirley broke down and started crying harder, grasping Lelouch like a lifeline to prevent herself from drowning in sorrow.
Lelouch felt the umbrella grow heavy in his hand as Shirley spoke, freezing as she started crying into his chest and grasping him like a drowning woman holding a raft. He felt hollow, his ears were ringing and his blood ran hot. He was in shock.
The exiled Prince had never expected to involve his friends in any way in his revolution. He never thought that a miscalculation would lead to anyone he cared about losing a loved one. Lelouch felt his mind flash back to the night he lost his mother, the bullets tearing through her body like nothing.
He killed Shirley's father. Shirley was crying in the arms of her father's killer. And there was nothing he could do.
Then, in the midst of his panic, Lelouch felt Shirley shift up and kiss him. Her desperation pouring through the action. Lelouch froze for a moment, before he broke down and dropped the umbrella. He wrapped his arms around her and gently returned her kiss, unwilling to take control has he had with Kaguya. Shirley was seeking comfort from a friend in a time of need, she didn't know that same friend had killed her father.
The best Lelouch could do at this moment was do whatever he could to try to help Shirley grieve. Even if the very thought made him sick after what he'd stolen from her.
(Tokyo Settlement, Area Eleven – Skies over Tokyo – 3:52 pm – October 15 – 2017 a.t.b.)
"Somewhere, over the rainbow." The voice of a young woman sang as she sat alone in her living quarters upon the airship Grandberry. "Way up high, there's a land I heard of, once in a lullaby." The young woman paused then sighed. "Damn you Oz." The Princess who was Eighty-Eighth in line for the Imperial Throne due to her loss of standing cursed her friend who had gotten that song stuck in her head after dragging her to the play before their deployment.
Marrybell mel Britannia was the founder of the Glinda Knights and, while it was not required she follow the unit to their newest deployment in Area Eleven since she was an Imperial Princess, she felt a special motivation to come along this time around. Her violet eyes, a characteristic inherited from her Father, narrowed as she took in the masked visage of Zero emblazoned across the wanted poster she had pinned to her wall by a knife. Her hair was loose, out of its typical ponytail as she flicked over in annoyance, turning away from the sight so she could dress herself before she met with the Viceroy of the Area. It wouldn't do to meet her sister, albeit half-sister, in such a state after all.
"You called for me, Your Highness?" Oldrin Zevon, or as she was affectionately called by her Princess, Oz, spoke as she opened the door and arrived in Marrybell's quarters. Her lips were twitching as she caught sight of her Princess bent over to pick up a pair of pants, her voluptuous form, inherited from her mother, only covered by a set of black lace lingerie. "I don't think now is an appropriate time for a tryst Your Highness." The heiress to the minor Zevon family teased, ignoring the effect Marrybell had on her.
"Nor was it appropriate for you to drag me to that play mere hours before we were to set off to this Area." Marrybell responded not at all petulantly as she resumed getting dressed after Oz's interruption. "I swear, I'll have that song stuck in my head forever." The Wizard of Oz was a good story, though Oldrin's snickers every time she heard the titular wizard's name made it mildly difficult to watch, the song was too catchy for Marrybell's taste.
"Come along Marry." Oldrin pouted as her Princess finished getting dressed and left her quarters to head to the exit of the airship, forcing the Knight of Honor to follow. "It's so rare we get the chance to go on a proper date, surely you weren't that miserable, were you?" She had only meant to take Marrybell to a place where they could relax and spend some time together, but if she really had been miserable Oldrin would have felt bad.
Stopping for a moment to spare her Knight of Honor a look, and catching sight of her look of genuine concern, Marry sighed. After quickly checking around to make sure they were alone in the hallway, she gave Oldrin a quick peck on the cheek. "Don't worry Oz, I'm not too mad." More annoyed than anything else, but not truly mad. "Now come on, we have more important things to deal with than this." Turning with her Knight's hand in her own, Marrybell guided her down towards the exit. "The duty of the Glinda Knights is to serve as a shining example of the Empire's power, and there is a darkness upon Area Eleven that we must illuminate." Opening the exit and slowly stepping down, the Disgraced Princess beheld the stony visage of Cornelia, the welcoming face of Euphemia, and the scowling faces of the Viceroy's Knights of Honor and the last remaining member of the Glaston Knights as they stepped foot on the top of the rooftop of the Viceroy building.
"The Glinda Knights shall take Zero's head and place it on a silver platter for the Emperor." As they had with the Wings of Talleyrand, so to would the Black Knights fall to their might.
Such was Marrybell's dedication to the ideal she held ever since she lost her family. The utter eradication of terrorism throughout the world.
Elsewhere, the Knight of Six yawned widely as she woke from a quick catnap she snuck in during the drive from the airport to her destination. "Have we arrived?" She asked, stretching her arms over her head as she felt a satisfying crack in her back.
"Not yet, Sir Alstreim." The driver, a young man who'd served in the military a few years now answered politely. "We're still just under a half an hour out." His professionalism was perfect despite his high profile guest.
"Great." The teenaged Knight grumbled slightly as she stared out the tinted windows to observe the buildings surrounding the Tokyo Settlement. 'Why do I have to do this?' She thought, feeling annoyed at the mission she had been given. Well, it was more one particular portion of the mission that she didn't really look forward to working on. Switching her attention from the cityscape to the tablet next to her, the Knight of the Round logged in to study the contents of her mission file one more time.
'Suzaku Kururugi, Son of Japan's last PM and Warrant Officer in A.S.E.E.C. and pilot of the Lancelot.' There was a picture, likely taken at his last evaluation when he was a Private before his impromptu transfer to Knightmare Pilot. His green eyes were bright and energetic, surprising for someone who had been through what he had.
The file continued with its profile of the young man. 'Became an Honorary Britannian once the program was instituted in Area Eleven and joined the military at age fourteen, served with humility despite his previous high-ranking status in society.' After that was where the file got interesting. 'During the Shinjuku Incident was wounded by an unknown combatant and granted permission to pilot the Lancelot in lieu of Margrave Gottwald, quickly dispatched the terrorists' Sutherlands before being called off by Prince Clovis prior to his assassination. After the assassination of Prince Clovis was framed for the murder leading to the first known appearance of Zero. Was rescued, but returned to his court martial after meeting with Zero.' The record continued to state that there was no sign of any subversive activity instigated by Zero carried out by Suzaku, and in fact that he had been instrumental in thwarting Zero's strategies and saved the life of Princess Cornelia.
The record had been updated rather quickly after the Battle of Narita, data being added literally overnight, and there was one thing that was concerning. One thing that had led to Anya being given this assignment yesterday rather than simply serving in her capacity as a Knight of the Round alongside the Glinda Knights.
'Suzaku is the only known Britannian military operative to have met with Zero in private more than once and survived to tell the tale. Each time his contact with Zero was unable to be observed either due to lack of knowledge of their location or a malfunction in recording devices.' The suspicious nature of these apparent accidental meetings was the reason she was here. Anya had been ordered to get close to the young Kururugi and report back about his goals, motivations, personality, and whatever else she was able to find. She was to spy on the young pilot and, if necessary, eliminate him should he prove traitorous.
"We're here." The driver stated, drawing Anya from her musings.
Looking out at the large estate, Anya frowned. 'I really don't want to go to school again.' Well, there was one bright side to all this.
Gino wasn't here to bug her about her mission.
"Welcome, Sir Alstreim, to Ashford Academy."
Thirsty Kaguya is thirsty. If she knew where Lelouch lived he'd have to worry about her sneaking in to his bed.
Also, nearly defeating the Commander-General of the Empire multiple times has consequences. Those consequences? Heavy duty reinforcements. How will Lelouch deal with that? You'll have to find out next time. Hopefully not years after this chapter is posted (fingers crossed).
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm trying to work on getting back into a writing groove, but I'm a little out of practice. Expect short chapters from now on since writing mammoth chapters like the 30k one I posted ages ago is too hard.
My final year of law school is thankfully going to be online, so hopefully I'll actually be able to write for fun as a break from that hell. Until then, everyone I just have one thing to say.
King Draconias Over and Out.
