Chapter 2: Checkmate Shinjuku
G-1 Transport
"Attention all forces! Ceasefire at once! I, Clovis, Third Prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you! All forces are to cease fire at once! All destruction of property shall also cease! The wounded, whether they be Eleven or Britannian, are to be treated with equal care and all casualties shall be treated without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are to cease fire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!" Clovis announced in his dark empty command center, finishing his announcement and turning on his throne, being held at gunpoint by some guy with a pistol aimed at him.
"Are you satisfied?" Clovis asked, archly, skillful masking his own fear of having a weapon trained on him. He was using all of his acting skills to keep himself calm.
The Third Prince didn't know what was happening. This lone figure who wears a Britannian soldier uniform walks into the command center, commanding all of his men to leave the room and go to the prison down below the G-1 Transport. The prince had shouted and ordered his men to come back, but nothing worked, and was worried for his life now.
"Very, well done," The figure said, walking off the wall he had leaned against and towards the third prince, pistol still aimed at him.
"So what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads? Or have a game of chess perhaps?" Clovis asked, with no effort to disguise the sarcasm in his voice.
To the Third Prince's surprise, the ma chuckled in amusement.
"Chess, is it? That brings back some memories," The figure commented with humor in his voice and soon removed his helmet with one hand.
This made Clovis frown.
"Don't you recall? As boys, we played chess all the time at the Aries Villa. Of course, I always win," The man continued.
"You...who are you?" Clovis asked, whispering in fear as he sat up straight on his throne.
"It's been a long time...big brother," The figure said, finally stepping forward and reveal himself who he really is, Lelouch himself in soldier's uniform.
Clovis was shocked beyond words.
"L-Lelouch?! Is-is that really you?" Glovis gasped out, eyes in pure disbelief on seeing his half-younger brother.
"Indeed, it is I, brother. Eldest son to the late consort, Marianne vi Britannia, and 17th in line to the Imperial Throne. Lelouch vi Britannia at your service," Lelouch said in a pure mockingly formal voice and did a Britannian salute.
"I have returned, Clovis...and I will change everything."
Meanwhile
"Security is very lacking," Kiryu pointed out, noticing there were not any signs of soldiers or guards guarding the command center.
"Most likely the person I told you about earlier on our way here and have them be sent away," CC remarked, taking a note that Lelouch's Geass is eye commanding and had a feeling that he should figure out more of his Geass strength to weakness as soon as he can.
Kiryu and CC had made their way, past the carnage and war zone, heading to the G-1 transport to end this battle. Mostly the brown-haired teen while the immortal witch was tagging along to make her new contract stays alive & figure out his Geass later. On the way, the pair had tried some small stories on a few things and passed the time until their reached the transportation.
Kiryu and CC were able to enter the G-1 transport with little trouble, finding new guards as they walk in and go up to the command center to end the Third Prince's life.
Kiryu's reason was to end the bastard for causing such a bloody battle in the first place and for harming the green-haired woman in a number of experiments that the prince had done to her.
CC's reason was to get some payback onto Clovis and those behind Code R. If she can kill the prince or not but his death would be a good start for her and ending Code R would be good payback for her.
Kiryu and CC kept down the dark hallway, finding the main doors to the command center. The brown-haired teen saw that the door was high-tech and didn't know how to open it, a fish out of water.
The green-haired witch sighed and pushed the teen to the side light, pushing the button and causing the doors to unlock. She smirked at her new contract who just rolled his eyes at that and both walked in.
"Even though she held the rank of Knight of Honor and was one of the 108 Imperial Consorts, my mother was common born and thus, held in contempt by the nobility, even the other consorts. That's why one of them had my mother killed, right?" Lelouch stated with his eyes burning into the very soul of his cowering brother.
"I-I didn't do anything! I don't know anything!" Clovis pleads with Lelouch, sobbing in terror at the rage on Lelouch's face.
Not one of them noicted that Kiryu and CC had walked into the room but the exiled prince will very soon.
"No one can hide the truth anymore. Answer my questions, who killed my mother!?" Lelouch demanded, activating his Geass and glaring right into Clovis, his left eye changing from purple to blazing red and a bird symbol within flipping its wings, affecting the third prince.
Kiryu was surprised when he saw Clovis, the man that ordered the death of many people in the Ghetto and cowardly changing completely. He ceased his sobbing and straightened in his chair, while his eyes had this red circle around them, trap in some kind of spell.
Before more to come, Lelouch noicted the pair and was deeply shocked of seeing the pair, not seeing fully due to the darkness of the command center. He was a bit afraid as he did not plan for this and thought he had more time. He was wide open!
However, that fear was washed away when Lelouch saw CC appearing, the same girl that saved his life and gave him this new strange power. He had a lot of questions about her and soon his attention was on this teen who was the same as him stepping forward.
"We are not your enemies. CC and I have come here to end the massacre that happened here in Shinjuku but it seems you have gotten here first," Kiryu explained, easing the tension up.
"I would ask how you are alive and he is, later. Now Clovis...who killed my mother?" Lelouch asked, resuming with his Geass.
"Schneizel, the Second Prince, and Cornelia, the Second Princess. They know," Clovis replied, his voice was monotone, dull, and lifeless.
Lelouch's eyes widened at that reply like he didn't expect that.
"Are they behind this?" Lelouch asked.
Clovis said nothing and merely looked at Lelouch. This caused CC to hum in her thoughts and Kiryu cupped his chin in thought. The brown-haired teen then recall from the green-haired woman about Geass, he hasn't discovered what his dose is yet but Geass have limitation. And the former prince has one, if the person doesn't know or can't do it, then they can't do that.
"It would seem he cannot tell you what he does not know. Limitation, Geass is not perfect," CC remarked, causing Lelouch to scowl at that.
"How about asking more direct on those questions? Like why he merely suspects them?" Kiryu suggested.
This caused Lelouch to actually agree to that and think for a moment. Why does Clovis thinks or suspects Schneizel and Cornelia?
"Very well...how and why do you think Schneizel and Cornelia are behind it?" Lelouch asked.
"Cornelia has been investigating Lady Marianne's death ever since Father exiled you. She loved and respected her dearly. Father had also ordered Schneizel to take her body somewhere, I do not know why," Clovis answered.
Lelouch sighed at that and saw more questions about his search for his mother's murder. Either Cornelia or Schneizel might, a big might have some answers but now it seems not so much after all.
"Not what you are expecting, huh?" CC asked, more like teasing the former prince.
Lelouch hummed on that and didn't have time for games.
"Do you think we could gain information and intel from the command center?" Kiryu asked, knowing that the first move in war or any kind of battle, knowing your enemy is a big rule to follow up.
"I suppose we can. And in fact, Clovis might have all the information. What are you thinking?" Lelouch asked, still having his Geass on and activated on Clovis, not letting out of his spell yet.
"Information and recording of Clovis ordering the massacre on Shinjuku. Intel on their mechas and R&D programs," Kiryu replied.
"Mechas?" Lelouch was puzzled on that one.
"Knightmares," CC pointed out for both.
"Yes, that! Knightmares," Kiryu agreed, being slight embarrass about that.
"That can work...and actually I wonder the same thing too," Lelouch commented, recalling that white Knightmare and how easily it destroyed the rebel forces in a few minutes.
"You do?" Kiryu and CC raised an eyebrow at that, while slightly blushing that they spoke at the same time.
"Yes, just before coming here, the terrorist group and myself were easily taken out by a new white Knightmare. Clovis, do you have any research on new Knightmares?" Lelouch asked.
"Not fully, Project Camelot mainly. They have made the first-ever Seventh Generation Knightmare and sent it out to battle, changing everything before you came here. All information on that project and its Knightmare are here in the G-1's command center by my request," Clovis answered.
"I see, very well then. What's your password to the mainframe and backdoor ones to gain?" Lelouch asked, best to ask now before ending his half-brother's life.
"Password, 12-5-1999 for the mainframes. Backdoors, 555-22-XX7," Clovis said that leaving Lelouch surprised about the first one.
"Problem?" Kiryu asked.
"The first password is my date of birth, huh? Who would I have known?" Lelouch commented, that his older half-brother still care about him and Nunnally after seven years.
"Having second thoughts?" CC questioned.
"...No...it doesn't change anything. Here, use this flash drive to gain the data on the mainframe for Project Camelot's R&D files. The backdoor, just have it linked on that drive, I would do the rest later," Lelouch explained as he throw a flash drive to the brown-haired who caught it with ease.
Kiryu nodded his head and went over to the computer, typing, and started to open the files. He first placed the flash drive in and then typed the password in while CC was behind him, showing and guiding him on what to do if he gets stuck. She may be immortal and travel a lot to avoid people seeing her if she can but she is not blind to not studying the said modern-day technology and studying some Knightmare controls. She had to thank a certain knight/empress for that.
As Kiryu was entering the database of the empire from Clovis's base while the flash drive was getting the information they need, something got his eye.
"Huh...it says that there's another person with high intelligence and skills in Knightmare technology, able to match the head of Project Camelot," Kiryu said, reading the information he gained.
Now this Lelouch got his attention and saw a good use for that. The Britannian Empire would most keep track of someone to rival their head Knightmare reacher and builder.
"Get that file as well," Lelouch ordered, getting a nod from Kiryu as he got that file into the flash drive and kept typing in.
"Code R?" Kiryu asked, puzzled by that, and was about to click but was stopped by CC who shook her head.
"Don't..not now. I would explain later, Kiryu," CC whispered for only the brown-haired teen can hear and respect her wish as he mainly just closed the file of that project down.
"There...all done, got it," Kiryu said, having the files they need.
"Good, clear the history and make sure nothing can be tased back to me or you. Once you are done, leave the command center, I would meet you two outside," Lelouch said, which made sense as he used his Geass when it was just him and Clovis, meaning it should be just between them only. And had to do this for himself.
Kiryu frowned at that but agree and got the flash drive out while covering the tracks. He was so lucky that he did some computer classes back in his world and CC helped him out on parts he was stuck on.
Once the pair left, Lelouch would finish what he started and kill Clovis for the crimes he has done today. He ordered it to happen and counts. If you have a gun and ordered someone to shoot the said gun, it still counts.
Today marks the day of something new rising. Two actually, two knights have arisen.
