Turn 9: "Livin' It Up in the Hotel Kawaguchi"

I take a deep breath as we go to the hotel.

Things are still proceeding close to the original timeline. Most of my changes have been under the hood, so to speak.

No, the big divergence is yet to come. I don't plan to throw it off the rails until we're ready to take Japan.

...Or until Murphy makes that decision for me.

Hmm, CC isn't here. I stand up. "Ohgi, I need to make a call. I'll be down shortly."

The afro-wearing man salutes as I walk into a backroom. I still don't get how a Japanese man can have a Jew-fro.

Anyway, time to dial my favorite bitch tornado. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible. She wouldn't be my witch if she weren't so wild.

"CC, dear, where are you?"

"I decided that you didn't need me to hold your hand. And besides, I can't be seen on television yet."

I facepalm the front of my mask. She's right, that would have been idiocy.

"Forgive me for my shitty memory. Do you need anything?"

There's a sound like someone pondering something.

"Try not to do anything stupid. And careful with your sister. She's far wilier than people give her credit for."

Nunnally is going to be very upset by this whole thing. Though,if anything, I'm more worried about her connecting the dots on just what the hell I've been doing. Thankfully, Sayoko has her hidden so hopefully she won't meet Euphie, yet.

"I made you a pizza. It's warming in the oven. Handmade."

CC makes a smooching sound over the phone. "You know just how to make a girl happy. Good luck Lulu."

"I'll see you soon."

I hang up, and put my headphones on. About fifteen, maybe twenty more minutes more until we get there.

Time to see if a few bands I like exist yet.

...PRAISE DIO! THEY DO! Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden?! These bands don't exist in the 1960s, so why...?

D'oh. Alternate timeline. History took a different turn. And heavy metal apparently came into being a lot sooner.

But I digress. Some of my favorite bands are here.

AIR-GUITAR TIME!

I put on Iron Maiden's debut album and start rocking out in my room.

Call it weird, but not only have I missed my favorite musical genre, it's a good way for me to relax before a battle.

Of course, that also means while I'm listening to 'Transylvania', that I don't hear Kallen knocking and entering.

And it's only as I'm playing air-guitar that I notice she's brought everyone up and they're staring.

My response? Go into a stage dive at their feet while holding the horns.

I stand up and nod, while taking out my phone to stop the music.

"Sorry. I was mentally preparing with one of my favorite musical genres. Is there something you need?"

Ohgi has a look that says 'WTF?' And everyone except Kallen is mirroring it.

Kallen is giving me a flat stare and a twitching eyebrow.

"Well, we're at Kawaguchi, what are your orders? The military has surrounded the area," Ohgi says, looking unsure of himself.

I pat him on the shoulder. "Not to worry, I anticipated this turn of events. Give a few moments to take a look and assess the situation. Kallen, with me."

After we get outside, Kallen whacks me on the back of the head.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You're listening to music before a battle?! Everyone thinks you're not taking this seriously now!"

I turn around suddenly and slam my palm next to her head.

"Kallen," I snarl at her, "right now, I am trying very hard to maintain my equilibrium. My blood sister is in there, along with one of the extremely few half-siblings I have that I ACTUALLY GIVE A DAMN ABOUT, as well as half the student council.

"Rest assured, I am taking this VERY fucking seriously."

Kallen gulps and nods, "Sorry."

I sigh as I lower my shoulders.

"No, I should not be taking this out on you. I apologize, Q-1."

She sighs and pats me on the back. "I'd likely be just as irritable were our positions reversed."

I straighten up, looking for a specific vehicle.

Bingo! Hi-TV News.

"Q-1, I have our entry vehicle."

We sneak over to the truck. A quick Geass on the driver to go on a ten-minute walk, and we've got a truck full of camera equipment for later. A rapid dispatch of orders and everyone is on board with the equipment, and we're on our way.

I step onto the roof of the vehicle as we drive to the blockade.

My sister and her knight are, of course, ready and waiting at the bridge entrance.

The Gloucester opens and my sister stands before me. This is the closest we've been to each other since I was back in Britannia. I plan to remind her of this moment once she's on my side.

"Viceroy Cornelia. A pleasure to see you in the flesh."

The Viceroy smirks at me and draws her sword-rifle.

"I was correct about the size of your genitalia. Pity your brains aren't commensurate with their size."

She cocks the trigger back and aims at my heart, "Any last words before I send you to hell for my brother Clovis's honor?"

I shake my head gently even as I smirk beneath my mask. "I wouldn't consider that a fair trade. Revenge for a dead sibling, in exchange for the death of your beloved younger sister."

Ohhh, that one rattled her.

"What?!"

I hold out my palm flat, "I'm aware of Euphemia's capture. Permit myself and my subordinates to pass, and I give you my word that I shall return your sister and the other hostages unharmed."

She's shaking a bit. Ordinarily, she wouldn't even consider talking to a terrorist. But, for Euphie? She would murder the Emperor and most of her siblings in a heartbeat.

She lowers the rifle. Taking a deep breath, she looks me dead in the eye.

"Your word."

I nod, "I swear, upon my mask, my title, and my honor as a knight."

She quirks an eyebrow up, "Title?"

I smirk under my mask, "I'll tell you later."

She scowls and holsters her weapon. She taps the comms unit on the side of her face, "Let them pass."

Her Gloucester and Guilford's stand aside.

"Zero."

I turn to meet her frozen gaze as we pass.

"If she dies, I will slowly boil you in sulfuric acid," she says with suppressed fury.

My response is a salute with my arm over my chest, "Yes, your highness!" She blinks in surprise, then gives a nod as she returns the salute.

Perhaps my speaking to her directly at Saitama impressed her. Or maybe Code-R's depravity is making her give me the benefit of the doubt.

Either way, all tasks at hand have been cleared.

As we're on the bridge, I remember something and take out my phone to write myself memo.

'Get a communications suite for my mask, and a wireless connection for my phone.'

As expected, the JLF are ecstatic to receive support and let us pass easily. Of course, a quick Geass has them say that 'only Zero' is heading up.

After which I ventilate their skulls with a double tap. A bit cruel, perhaps, but compared to what my elder sister would do to them if they were captured? This is a mercy kill. Besides, they knew this was a suicide mission. I'm just ensuring karma catches up to them.

"You all have your orders. Good luck, ladies and gentlemen," I say as my Black Knights disembark to prepare our escape route and secure the hostages.

I text Sayoko to stand by for evac, while texting Milly to keep calm and keep an eye on everyone. And a text to Suzaku, telling him I'm handling the situation and to just follow Cornelia's orders.

Rivalz had called earlier, and I was forced to ignore his call. I pencil in a reminder to call him back later.

A few goons greet me in the lobby and bring me up to one of the executive suites.

There, sitting like a smug idiot, is the treacherous and bigoted Lt. Col. Josui Kusakabe.

"Lieutenant Colonel, I wish I could say we were meeting under more pleasant circumstances."

Not really, but best to be polite. I offer a small bow.

The man nods at me while holding his sword, "Indeed. We weren't expecting the infamous Zero to arrive."

I know how this would go in the original timeline. But this time they went too far. This time, I'm taking my pound of flesh plus interest.

"I'll come right to the point. If you're seeking to make a statement about Japan, it's futile. Britannia will neither listen nor care. Japan is dead."

The Lt. Colonel frowns at me, "And what gives an upstart like you the right to lecture us, the guardians of Japan?"

I should just kill him, but I'm going to give him an out.

"The people despise you. You have lost the Mandate of Heaven. And for the dishonorable actions of taking civilian hostages? You should commit harakiri. Your best course is to surrender to me, kill yourself, and I will try to save your men."

The officer snarls at me, "Why, you little shit! You're just like Tohdoh! Caring more about honor than our people!"

He then gets a sinister look in his eye as he smiles. "Perhaps instead of throwing people off the roof, we should show the Britannians what it's like to see their people despoiled before their eyes."

He leans back in his seat, closing his eyes as he chuckles, "Perhaps that pink-haired girl with the glasses. She looks nice and ripe."

His radio crackles. He turns away and picks it up. A soldier reports something to him, "What?! Princess Euphemia?! Perfect. Bring her to me in fifteen minutes."

He looks at my trembling form, "Excited, are you? Perhaps I might let you go first," he says, chuckling to himself with his eyes closed.

He's right that I'm trembling. But it's not excitement. IT'S UNBRIDLED WRATH.

Fuck! This!

"Obey!"

My Geass flies and his soldiers stand at attention.

"Seize him and disarm him," I seethe. HE DARES TO CONTEMPLATE RAPING MY SISTER?! I'm going to make this maggot SUFFER.

"What the?! What are you doing?! Let go!" he yells as his personal guard grabs him, removing his weapons as they hold him.

I look him in the eye, "You know, I was planning on giving you a clean death."

I backhand him. "But now? NOW I'm going to show you what it means to provoke ZERO."

I turn to one of his goons. "Get a bag large enough to hold a human body and water-tight."

I remove my mask, my eyes glaring balefully at the restrained officer.

"A Britannian?! Zero is a Britannian?! Who are you, boy?!"

I cackle menacingly. "Hehehehe, hahahahahaha!"

I grin sadistically as I sit down in a chair. "我はブリタニアの王子、ルルシュヴィブリタニア。" (I am a prince of Britannia, Lelouch Vi Britannia.)

He spits at me. "You despicable monster! You dare to abuse my people as a false hero?!"

I turn to one of the soldiers. "Tear his limbs off by hand. Tourniquet the stumps," I say as I school my expression into regal indifference.

Kusakabe snarls as his troops move to obey my orders. "What are you doing?! He's a Britannian! KILL HIM! Let me go, damn you!"

I sit there, expression blank, as a few of his troops hold him down, while three men begin pulling on his left arm.

"No! You can't do this!" he screams in panic as his arm starts bruising, then bleeding from the pressure.

The muscles begin tearing, the fibers snapping as his arm is slowly ripped off. The entire time, Kusakabe is pleading and begging for them to stop.

He shrieks as the bone at his elbow finally breaks and his arm is torn off, the stump bleeding profusely before a soldier silently ties a tourniquet made from a sheet on the stump.

"Why?! Why are you doing this?!"

His eyes are wide with terror, his body quivering from the pain.

And that's just one limb.

They proceed to slowly tear all three remaining limbs off, one at a time, even as he screams in terror, crazed with pain and disbelief at the betrayal.

And through it all, I sit there with legs crossed, my head resting on one arm, silently watching and showing no expression.

By the time they're finished, he's pissed himself, himself judging by the smell. And the carpet and nearby couch are drenched with blood and fleshy pieces.

I stand, returning my mask to my head.

"Kusakabe. You declared your intent to publicly rape my sister Euphemia."

I turn to the soldiers, "Drop him on the ground."

The men obey, the once-proud officer now a sobbing wreck as he flails his limbless body helplessly.

"His sword."

A soldier hands me the weapon.

I draw it forth. It's a decent blade. Not spectacular quality, but it will suffice for the task.

I put my hand on his chin as he looks at me with horrified eyes.

"You know, you really fucked up here. If you had actually killed or hurt Euphemia? Cornelia would have genocided the entire Japanese people."

I slap him, "And for what? Pride? Proving that Japan isn't dead? Japan has been dead for seven years, you incompetent shit!"

He looks at me with bloodshot eyes. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

I throw back my head and laugh, taking sadistic pleasure in his pale face.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHA!"

I point the sword at his face. "With what limbs?" I sneer at him in Japanese. "You can't even commit harakiri now, 蛭子 (leech child)."

That remark finally breaks his resolve and sends his face into visible despair. Trust Japanese hypocrisy on disabilities to work in my favor for once.

I raise his sword overhead.

"Death comes for us all, Josui Kusakabe, but something much worse comes for you."

I hold both hands on the hilt in a textbook jōdan stance, blade poised above my head for a vertical downward chop.

"For when you die, it will be..."

I open the eye-slot so I can look him in the eye.

"...Without honor."

I bring the sword down full force at his neck.

It isn't enough. I'm not strong or skilled enough to properly decapitate him in one blow; the blade severs his throat and both carotids easily, but lodges in the bones of his neck. It takes two more swings to fully separate his head from his body.

I briefly inspect the blade for damage, and begin moving to wipe it off before pausing mid-motion. No. There's someone else who needs to see this. Someone who will understand what Kusakabe's actions mean. I sheath the bloodied katana, then turn to the remaining JLF. "Bag the remains, then kill yourselves."

The soldiers salute as one, "Yes, your highness."

I find a piece of hotel stationary and a pen and sit down to write a note for Cornelia. Knowing her, she'll appreciate my "gift." I also prepare a paper to write the second letter to the person to whom Kusakabe's sword will be going. His commanding officer, Colonel "Tohdoh of Miracles" Kyoshiro. He alone among the JLF will understand what today's events will mean for them.