Turn 18: Lucifer
Ah, the smell of unbridled and awe-inspiring destruction.
I take a few moments to look at the devastation before returning to my seat in the Gawain.
"What do you think Britannia is thinking right now?" I muse as I stroke the chin of my mask.
"I'd say you struck the fear of God into them, but we both know that you've never been in His favor."
Cheeky witch.
I frown as I listen to the comms chatter. Hmm, seems there's some dissension in the ranks. No doubt people wondering if we went too far.
And that's disregarding the pickup-truck's worth of flak I'm going to get from Euphemia over this strategy.
"Alright, time for a quick call to remind people why I'm in charge."
CC sniffs in disdain, "Compared to what you could have done? You were far more gracious than you had to be."
I sigh in resignation. It's easy to forget how many times she's seen sieges, massacres, and sackings play out.
"Not my fault Cornelia chose to disregard my warning. I gave every indication of where I was going. And I think at this point, Zero telling people to move should be a clear warning sign."
I look down to see her hand on my legs, green tresses waving as she shakes her head.
"You're not happy with the results. Don't try to downplay it."
Of course I'm not happy. Did I enjoy the destruction, the chaos, the striking terror into the heart of Tokyo? You're goddamned right I did. But am I happy how many civilians got caught up in it? Not particularly.
Even if it was unavoidable, nobody likes innocent people as collateral damage. Accept it, recognize it, prepare for it? Absolutely.
But! If one begins liking the idea of bombing civilians and non-military targets? That's a dark road to dark places, and not one I plan to travel.
"The results, yes. The unnecessary casualties? No. I am not happy about that."
CC chuckles as she looks up at me, her eyes seeing something far off in the mists of time.
"It's an eternal question that all good commanders wrestle with. 'Could I have done better?' 'Was there a way to prevent those people dying?' 'Was it necessary?'"
Her golden eyes sharpen as she she meets my gaze behind my mask, "Don't fall into that trap. Sometimes there is no good option. You, myself, Tohdoh? We all went over the possible strategies. This was the best possible outcome we could ask for. Stop beating yourself up over it."
...Heh. Nobody is harder on you than you are on yourself. And someone like me? Well, I have impossible standards.
Fortunately, I have people to pull my head out of my ass.
"Much appreciated, my dear. Now, to explain this properly to everyone else..."
I flip the comms switch, leaning into the seat as I keep one eye on the radar for the inevitable aerial counterattack.
"Given the murmuring I'm hearing on the comms chatter, I'm sure there are questions on whether or not what we just did was excessive. Was it truly necessary to blast a half kilometer wide path of devastation through Tokyo?"
I shake my head in annoyance. I really don't have the time to slap down commanders bitching at me in the middle of a battlefield. Not without openly killing them.
"Permit me to shatter those delusions. This is war. And we do not have the luxury of being able to decide our pacing unilaterally."
I steeple my fingers as another argument comes to mind, "Shall I elaborate on how much longer a more conventional siege would have taken? Or how many of you would have likely been killed in the effort, the success of which even I would be hard-pressed to guarantee?"
My sigh echoes through the audio that my Black Knights are hearing, weariness and frustration apparent. Thank god for Kallen, that sweet and wonderful girl. I absolutely needed that nap with her.
"Credit where credit is due. General Cornelia had turned Tokyo into a fortress, a rock crusher designed to pierce and bleed us in the effort of taking it. Time and energy for which we do not have."
By now, Kane has either succeeded in her efforts and sunk the Mediterranean fleets, or else she has failed and we need to expect retaliation swiftly. Either way...
"Speed is our ally and the clock is just one out of our many enemies. We must secure Tokyo tonight, or else find ourselves in a position most dire. Do I regret that innocents havedied as a consequence of Rama's Lament? Obviously. I am not a monster. But it was unavoidable, if we wanted to win tonight. Tohdoh and I spent DAYS going over the plans for this moment. And believe me when I say this was a far less destructive route than we could have gone."
Lelouch's plans in canon were honestly far more destructive and wide-ranging in their devastation. Dropping the plates out of the outer walls and collapsing half the city? The death toll from THAT idea would have exceeded mine by several orders of magnitude.
"If we must wage war, then let it be done swiftly and surely, without cruelty or unnecessary malice. Let that be our guiding principle tonight, under the waning moon and the rains of blood. And may I say, let us give a round of applause to Tamaki for his part in making that happen."
A high-altitude aircraft dropping a chemical mixture designed to seed the clouds and create the proper effect. Obviously it wasn't actually blood, but the visual appearance was close enough to be unnervingly real. And that was the entire point. Psychological warfare.
Hence, why Slayer was our opening aria. Of course, Orange did his part as well. The USB drive I had given him to plug into the server room just before Narita finally did the original job it was meant for. Namely, giving me the backdoor access around their firewalls and allowing me to initiate a power surge, along with smashing their communication system protocols.
"My Black Knights, know that I stand with you tonight, and am proud to do so. So come. We have a city to take, and a country to claim."
"TENKA FUBU! LONG LIVE ZERO!"
I nod graciously, not that anyone can see it, given that this is audio only, "Tenka Fubu. All troops to their designated positions. We're not out of danger yet."
I take off my mask after shutting down the channel, frowning as I see one last communication channel waiting for a reply. This one is heavily encrypted and not one I'm going to be using again for a while tonight.
The weariness of my sigh is palpable as I light up a J, "Alright, Euphie. Out with it. How pissed are you at me over that?"
"...I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were going to win this without killing innocent people. Did you truly have to go so far?" she says with a crestfallen and shamed voice.
Oh fuck no. You are NOT guilt-tripping me with this. Not fucking now.
"Really Euphie? NOW you have second thoughts? Now you're objecting to my having to do what is necessary?"
Is she? Yes, she's actually glaring at me. I frankly can't help smiling seeing that. She's grown up so much.
"This isn't funny, Lelouch! You blasted half the city apart, just to get to my sister!"
I let out a tch sound as I put my head on my hand, "Don't be melodramatic. This was a controlled action. Rama's Lament used a low-frequency soundwave with a high-frequency one mixed in to do its work. The sound everyone was hearing was just a side-effect I had Rakshata include as a weapon of terror."
The resonance effect of being in a city helped amplify the destruction, I'll admit. Pity it was only good for one shot at the power we needed. But it did its job well. A leveled section of the city gives us maneuvering room and prevents us from being drowned in mines, sniper fire, kill zones, blockades, etc.
Urban warfare is always ugly. I simply refused to play by Cornelia's rules.
"Euphie. I had to do something. Did you seriously expect me to take Tokyo without anyone dying? Or to assault the walls directly?"
I don't like how she's flinching at that question; it claws at my heartstrings. But she really doesn't understand warfare. With some training, she'd be a superb diplomat or spokeswoman. But she's not someone I would have on the battlefield. Not for lack of will, but because it isn't where her area of expertise is.
Unlike say, Shirley, who I'm once again very glad I got away from all this? Euphemia li Britannia knows full well the consequences of war.
"I don't mind that you're angry at me," I say with a sigh. "I suppose I deserve it for both sugarcoating this a bit and because this was somewhat overkill. But it was a necessary overkill. Trying to take Tokyo with conventional tactics would have been a suicide mission. I have enough respect for Cornelia's skills to recognize that she turned the city into a giant deathtrap designed to bleed us dry. I simply refused to stick my neck in or that of my soldiers. And I knew this would work, because I had used it in combination with Kallen's Radiant Wave Surger to clean the underwater minefield, back at Kyushu. How do you think we got to Suzaku so quickly to save him?"
That last sentence clearly stung her pride, but the sulking look she's giving me makes me actually flinch a bit, "You still should have tried harder to find a better way."
Fair enough. I can justify this militarily all I want, but at the end of the day, it was expedient and as controlled as I could make it. And that was enough for me.
"Believe me, I did. I spent days going over this with Tohdoh. One of the alternatives we looked at? Collapsing the plates on floor sections in order to tear the city apart and create an opening that way via cascade effect."
Judging by the look of absolute horror she's giving me? I suppose it's a good thing she didn't live to see Lelouch do this in the original timeline.
"How could you even think about something like that?!"
I nod grimly, "Precisely. That's why I wanted an alternative. The collateral damage from such a tactic was unacceptable. I'm willing to do what is necessary to win, but even I balk at mass civilian casualties. Rama's Lament? Was as clean a siegebreaker as I could come up with."
This is exactly why I didn't tell her or some of the others what the full plan was. Because that way the deaths are on my hands. Not out of some misguided sense of guilt or trying to place all the blame on my shoulders a la that stupid Zero Requiem plan.
But because a king must bear the weight of their decisions and understand the consequences therein.
"...I'm still mad at you."
A sigh escapes my lips at that line. To be expected from Euphie, honestly.
"We'll talk after I win this. Hopefully you can calm Nelly down."
Aw man, she's biting her lip now. Dammit, why does everything Euphemia does have to be so adorable and sexy?
"Please, Lelouch, don't hurt my sister more than you have to. It's bad enough you two are fighting like this. I don't want to be the cause if she gets hurt tonight."
I give her a hard stare, eyes stony and hard, "I will do my best. Nothing is ever guaranteed in war. But rest assured, I will do everything in my power to protect Nelly from her own anger getting the better of her."
She sags back into the chair she's sitting in, "I suppose I can't reasonably ask for more than that. Please be careful, Lulu...I love you."
Right in the heart, eh, Pinky Princess?
"Love you too, Pinky. Give my best to Nunnally and everyone else."
I hang up, taking a deep breath as I steeple my fingers. With her, Nunnally, and the noncombatants secured away from the likes of VV, I have nothing to worry about...I hope.
"Ave Caesar, morituri te salutamus..." (Hail Caesar, we who are about to die salute you...)
After a few moments, I take the controls in hand once again, looking out to the horizon, towards our destination. The Viceroy's Palace at the center of the Britannian settlement, Cornelia.
"Shall we, Lulu?"
The smirk that plays on my lips is answer enough for her.
*beep beep beep*
Hmm? Enemy contact. High speed aircraft inbound. Prior to our acquisition of this war-beast, this was a problem we could not deal with on any mass scale.
But now?
"The skies are mine, none may trespass," I say mockingly, hitting the buttons to fire the Hadron cannons ahead, blasting the jets into scrap. Of course, this would be much harder if it weren't raining, at night, and if the Gawain wasn't invisible to radar.
Troops are advancing at a good pace, nothing that needs my personal attention yet. Most of what I'm doing at the moment is just the occasional order, providing overwatch, and keeping the skies clear. That isn't to say this is easy, just that the enemy is still reeling from the debilitating blows we had inflicted earlier.
Sooner or later, they'll get their comm systems back in order again and the backup computer core activated. I gave us an opening, but not even my backdoor was enough to completely destroy their networks.
It's all or nothing now. Either we claim victory tonight, or we lose our chance at seizing this land.
Death or Glory. To fall or rise by our own merits and dreams.
Heh. It's funny. My army, the Black Knights are a truer expression of the ideals of Britannia than the actual Britannian army itself. Small wonder they fear us, for in my forces they see their own inadequacy and failure to adhere to their self-proclaimed ideals.
"Asahina still hasn't reported in. Should we be concerned?" CC quips as she keeps an eye on the radar and horizon.
He's a bit late, true, but he was told to maintain radio silence unless it was mission critical. Given that we're not under attack by ballistic missiles and that I can see the harbor on fire? I'll assume he's either busy or dead. Either way, he's done his job.
"At this point, he's either succeeded, or he's done enough damage with his demise for it not to matter. I honestly don't give a shit if he's dead, his status as one of Tohdoh's proteges be damned."
Her wicked laugh at that stirs my heart, "My, such a callous man I'm beholden to. Your capriciousness is a refreshing and interesting change of pace from the stodgy and boring people I've been dealing with, aside from your mother, anyways."
It's still fucking hilarious that I'm basically cock-blocking my own mother. A bit creepy too, but eh, I'm Britannian. I think I'm just used to weird family relationships, at this point.
"Speaking of which, are you sure she's not going to come? I know you said she and Charles were more interested in watching this play out. But, well..."
I shrug in resignation.
"So coldhearted. What kind of dutiful and filial son wouldn't wish to see his own mother again?" she says mockingly, looking back with twinkling eyes.
I can see why Lelouch kept getting annoyed at her in the original timeline. She is an incredibly bitchy troll who delights in pushing people's buttons.
However? That IS one of the things I like about her. I like bitchy girls.
"Why? Hoping for an incestuous threesome, bitch tornado?" I snark sarcastically.
And the look on her face says it all. She's kinder than she makes herself out to be, but she's an absolute hedonist at times.
"You shouldn't tease me like that. I might be tempted to call your bluff, asshole," she says, licking her lips slowly.
"Would you prefer I call you Mama CC?"
...Okay, that was probably not a good idea given that she looks like she likes the idea.
"I'm holding you to that at some point in the future, little Lulu."
Before I can retort, a pinging on the alert system says the enemy comms traffic has just increased in volume. Damn, out of time already?
"No more time to flirt, my dear. Just tell me if she's coming or not."
CC sighs as she goes back to watching the radar, "No. I know her. She's not going to come, not for this. She and Charles are far too sure of themselves. That being said, Kane might find herself under more scrutiny if she pokes around too much in the wrong places. I think something happened with one of the Thought Elevators, it's the only reason Mari would ask about what's going on there."
A quick glance at my monitors alerts me to an incoming communications hail from one of the vanguard teams.
"Zero! We need orders to deal with this sniper's nest!"
Hmm, let's see. I could take it out easily with the Hadrons...but that'd just be boring.
Ah, there we go.
"Target the third floor with RPG rounds, then use a Slash Harken on the main support pillar of the building across the street. The resulting collapse will eliminate the sniper nests. And yes, I said nests, plural. There is a second one priming armor piercing rounds. Execute!"
"Yes sir!"
A flashing on my console alerts me to a priority call from Tohdoh.
"Sitrep, General."
The stern faced man nods, "Thus far, Britannian resistance is less than expected. I am...concerned that we have missed something."
Scanning across the city with the Factsphere says that Cornelia appears to be pulling back to defend the palace. Understandable. With the walls breached and a path clearedstraight to the center, and air power useless so long as the Gawain is in operation, she can't stop my advance.
"You're right. This is too easy. We should be facing more opposition than this. What do you think their plan is?"
Tohdoh shakes his head, "So far, their attack patterns has been to try and pick off stragglers, delaying us, trying to slow us down. They're waiting for something, but what that something is? I cannot say."
Shit. That's about what I figured. Cornelia is far too good a strategist not to have backup plans or have some idea of how to rally her troops, so what the hell is she up to...
I blink in surprise as I take notice of something unexpected. It's late in the year, but this is still a bit surprising.
Rather than a red rain? The weather has evidently turned colder, and...it's snowing.
"How poetic. A red winter's snow. A tapestry of red to match the blood shed this night."
CC's voice causes both Tohdoh and myself to blink at hearing it. Trust my green haired love to find a way to catch us all off guard.
Hmm, what's that on the roof of the palace? Lancelot? Shit, that would be a headache I don't need. It's too soon to use White Knight Turncoat. And I know damn well that CC isn't good enough to beat Suzaku in a pitched battle if it comes down to it.
...Wait. That's not Lancelot. What the fuck...
Angular, irregular armor design, lots of curved armor plates and sharp points, purple paint coat with a lion motif on the spike on the front of the armor, a system that is clearly some kind of FLOAT system derivative..., two guns, one of which is...a fucking scaled-up gunblade...oh no...
I beat my head against the back of my seat in frustration. Goddammit! Another fucking complication!
"Hmm, that's a new one. I don't think I've seen this Frame before. Judging by the weapons though, looks like Cornelia decided to upgrade. Congratulations, Lelouch, I think you made her mad."
Should have known there would be something, fuck it. Let's see where she got this thing.
"Zero...be careful. This may be what her forces were waiting on."
A duel against Nelly...I can't say I'm against the idea. Of course it's stupid, it goes against every conventional strategy and rule of warfare.
But it is what my war maxim demands. The only ones who should kill, are those prepared to be killed.
And as dumb as it is and as pissed as Euphie and Nunnally will be at me? I'm gonna do it anyways. Because gods be damned, I WANT to fight my big sister. This has been a long time coming.
"Tohdoh, we're going to engage Cornelia. You're in command unless there's an emergency."
The general frowns, sighing at my order, "I cannot persuade you to do something moderately...saner?"
"Not a fucking chance. She's calling me out, and this is the only way I have any chance of capturing her. I can't trust anyone here to take enough care not to kill her. Kallen is the only one who could be guaranteed to win...wait, where is she?"
"Captain Kōzuki-Stadtfeld is currently bogged down fighting a team of Gloucesters, whom I believe are the Glaston Knights. It was a stalemate, last I heard."
Fuck. No choice, then. "Like I said, CC and I will handle it. Tenka Fubu, Kyoshiro."
Tohdoh salutes, a grim look upon his face, "Tenka Fubu, Zero. Good hunting."
I toss my mask on as I send a generalized communications ping outward after hanging up on my chief of staff.
Yep, called it. Cornelia is sitting there in the cockpit, her hand pulling out a cigar as she lights it up, violet eyes scrunched up in anger.
"久しぶりだよ、ネリ。" (Long time no see, Nelly.)
"Cease this Eleven gibberish. Speak proper Britannian, treacherous blackguard."
I light my own joint, breathing out a cloud of vapor, relishing the angry twitch of her eyebrow. Let's twist the knife, shall we?
"I said, Long time no see, Nelly."
"You dare to call me by that name?! I only permit the closest of family and friends to address me so! What gives a backstabbing scoundrel like YOU the right to use that name!?"
I tap out a bit of ash into a tray near my seat, "Wouldn't you like to know?" I reply cheekily.
Her cockpit has a slight haze from the cigar smoke, she's clearly been smoking to calm down. I suspect she'll vent it out once we start fighting.
"Answer me this, Zero. Is Euphemia safe?"
Always thinking of Euphie, eh, Big Sister? I don't blame you. I'd be worried sick in your place.
"I have arranged for her to be safely ensconced far from the battlefield. She is no danger from my side. Something you cannot say about your own, General."
Judging by the clenched fist she's making, she knows damn well I'm right and that the Empire is far more hazardous to her health at the moment than the so-called rebellion.
"I won't deny that there are those who are unhappy with her actions. But the root cause of this IS YOU, ZERO!"
CC is clearly struggling not to respond to Cornelia. Just as well. Nelly might recognize her and I can't have that, not yet.
"You have steel ovaries, Nelly, to blame me for Euphemia getting sick and tired of being your princess under glass and refusing to countenance the Empire's evil any longer. And really, you have only yourself to blame for—"
The rest of my sentence is cut off as Cornelia fires a shot across the Gawain's bow, her eyes narrowed in fury.
"I've had enough of your silver tongued lies, Demon King. I'll send you to the hell you lovingly claim to represent and rescue my sister from your vile clutches."
The Frame stands up straight, the system on its back lighting up as it floats into the air, weapons in hand trained upon my warbeast.
"I never did get the chance to thank the late Viceroy Carleton for his discovery of this 6th-Generation Knightmare Frame prototype he unearthed. But I'll honor his memory by using this, my Reginleif, to kill you once and for all for your crimes against your own country, TRAITOR!" she screams as the machine charges at us.
I frown, firing the Hadrons at her, only to grimace as she evades the beams easily. Shit. If this thing is even half as good as the Guren, CC and I may not be able to defeat her without seriously hurting her.
"What's wrong, Zero? Afraid to actually have a fair fight?!" she yells out, firing a barrage at me from her machine gun.
I fire three Slash Harkens at her in response, only for the Reginleif to dance out of the way, shoulder checking the Gawain, and sending us rolling.
Alright, let's try something else then, "CC! Cross formation Harkens while I use the Hadron Cannons to pin her down!"
Wait, she's just standing there...? What the hell, did she just parry my fucking Harkens with her gunblade and a kick?! Shit, she's coming right at us! I switch the Hadron Cannons to their 'spray and pray' mode to force her to back off on her charge.
Daughter of the gods, indeed. This machine is superb. Kallen or Suzaku could certainly beat it, obviously. However neither CC nor I are at that level of ability.
And at this point, I'm forced to concede that I have seriously underestimated just how good a pilot Cornelia is. I'm both chagrined that I had made such a huge tactical mistake, and somewhat turned on at just how formidable my sister is.
Time to regroup and rethink how we're going about this.
I fire a blind eye grenade at her, watching as she slashes it in half, only for the grenade to go off in her face, her growls of anger and frustration telling me she's blinded for the moment.
CC frowns as she spins us out of the way into a cloud, "Do you have a plan? This Frame isn't a front-line combatant, and it doesn't favor my combat style. I'm not sure I can beat her with it. With her in a Glouchester, certainly. But a Frame like that, that she can use with the full extent of her skills?"
My queen looks back at me with a hard look, "You'll have to consider the possibility that you have to risk killing her to win."
I growl, staring her down from behind my mask.
"NEVER! I will not kill my older sister! That would be a betrayal of everything I believe in!"
She meets my gaze with a frustrated look of her own, "Then come up with one of your brilliant plans! Because I can't see a way to beat her without risking her life! That 6th-generation machine is too strong to play around with!"
I open my mouth to retort when a heavy rifle round hits the right leg of the Gawain, causing me to fall backwards into my seat from where I was leaning forwards. Granted, I'm wearing body armor and I had this helmet reinforced, but it still hurts.
...Fucking hell.
"Is this all that the unbeaten Demon King can accomplish?! You claim to speak for the restless dead of this land? All I see is a magician with his tricks exposed! TELL ME WHERE EUPHEMIA IS, CHARLATAN!"
"As if Euphemia didn't make her allegiances clear already, Nelly!" I fire a single Harken at her, forcing her back as the Hadron cannons fire at her previous position, knowing that she would dodge rather than parry it.
"I told you not to call me by that name, scoundrel!" she yells back as her rifle pulses fire at us, CC narrowly diving to avoid a shot to the Gawain's chest plate. Even with the armor on this thing, I'd rather not chance getting hit by that rifle. Knowing Cornelia, she's using either armor-piercing round, or explosive ones.
"Zero! We intercepted communications from the Britannians! High-altitude bomber have been scrambled from the Hokkaido airfield! ETA: 30 mins!" one of the bridge bunnies at the G-1 base suddenly chimes in from the encrypted communications channel.
BOMBERS?! But how could she have...
I turn the Gawain to face her Reginleif, Cornelia chuckling to herself on the screen.
"So, you finally noticed. Heh heh heh heh..."
"What are you up to, General?" I say with icy cold seriousness in my voice.
"My counterstroke, Zero. I had planned this in case you tried to siege my city. But I'll settle for using your own siege weapon's path as a killing field," she replies smugly, her face triumphant.
Well played, Cornelia. I must admit, you have impressed me.
"Well done indeed, General. But did you think I wasn't prepared for the possibility of an aerial attack?! Now witness MY counterstri—!"
A flashing warning light blinks to life on my console, stopping my comeback in mid-sentence. Now what?
"Zero! Incoming enemy aircraft! It came from the direction of the Tokyo Harbor naval base! We can't get a visual on it, but whatever it is, it's tearing through both our lines and the Britannians'!"
What the fuck?! There's nothing in Britannia's arsenal that qualifies as a aerial heavy assault weapon like that! Even in the original timeline the only thing that could possibly do that is—!
I freeze in place as a horrifying possibility suddenly occurs to me.
No...no no no no no. It can't be that.
A massive orange object crashes through the clouds-
ORANGE?! NO! IT CAN'T BE!
"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"
My face turns a shade paler than it normally is as my worst fear comes to life before me.
SIEGFRIED!
"ZERO! I HAVE COME TO REVENGE MYSELF UPON YOU FOR THE HUMILIATION YOU INFLICTED ON ME!"
That voice...I know that voice. Who the hell is that?
"You have me at a disadvantage, Sir! I have humiliated a great many men! It's rather hard to keep track of them all!" I reply with casual cruelty, turning the Gawain to face the Siegfried's front.
The top of the machine opens up and what can only be a cyborg emerges, cord connected to his body, circuitry and metal visible across half his face and body.
But who is he? I swear I've seen him before.
"Identify yourself, blaggart! And why did you not aid my forces earlier, if you are indeed with Britannia?!" Cornelia bellows him at him, her rifle trained on the man.
"My apologies, Your Highness. But...I no longer answer to your authority."
"What?!"
The man gestures at the Gawain, a maniacal look on his face, which I can now see with the lights from our frames on him...wait...orange hair? Sharp jaw? Hint of an accent?
"Come now, Zero! Surely you remember that fateful night on the highway all those months ago, when you ruined my good name to save that bastard Kururugi!"
My eyes bulge out of my head as I finally realize who is front of us.
"KEWELL SORESI?! BUT HOW?!"
Cornelia does a double take at my announcing the man's name, "Lord Soresi?! But you were sent back to the mainland on charges of treason! How the devil did you get you here?!"
Kewell chuckles to himself, his left eye glowing with artificial light, "How indeed? I was in utter despair. Lost and unable to reconcile how I could have turned against what I believed in, all for a worthless Number."
He looks upward, the snow falling around him, a look of absolute mania and bliss on his face, "But then I met him. And he gave me the answers I wanted, and a chance to avenge my honor with this Siegfried. And he told me exactly what you did to me, Zero."
Him...? Of course. Who else could have facilitated this, save my Uncle VV.
...You know what? Fuck this. That little midget brocon motherfucker wants to try and wreck my strategy? He's about to learn why crazy is a category all its own.
"CC, I'm about to do something very stupid and impulsive, so I'm apologizing in advance," I whisper to her.
I take a deep breath, switching the comms to all channels with no encryption. Go to hell, Uncle Vincent.
"VV, YOU WORTHLESS MIDGET GOBLIN! I KNOW THIS IS YOUR DOING! TOO MUCH OF A COWARD TO FACE ME YOURSELF?! INSTEAD YOU SEND A CYBORG TO DO YOUR DIRTY WORK?! YOU COULDN'T STOP ME WITH YOUR OSI GOON SQUAD BACK THEN, YOU WON'T STOP ME NOW! I'M GOING TO FIND YOU, CASTRATE YOUR MINIATURE TESTICLES, CAUTERIZE THE WOUND, BLOW YOUR EARDRUMS OUT WITH A SONIC CANNON, AND TEAR YOUR SPINE OUT SO I CAN FLAY YOU ALIVE WITH IT!"
Now I've got everyone's attention. C'mon, Nelly, don't let me down.
"What in god's name are you blabbering about, you madman!? Who the blazes is VV?!"
I turn the Gawain to face her. Exactly the right question, dear sister.
"Vincent Victor zi Britannia. The forgotten twin brother of Emperor Charles zi Britannia. The head of a secret black operations organization known as the Directorate...and the true murderer of Empress Marianne vi Britannia, which the Emperor covered up in order to protect his sibling."
Take that, VV! Your secret is exposed now. And even Charles won't be able to suppress a public broadcast sent across the globe. Let's see you hide now that your name is back under the spotlight.
Cornelia's face turns red with anger as she shakes in her seat, "You bastard...you dare to bring my lady's death for your own ends? As if I didn't have reason to hate you enough...you dare to sully my father's name with baseless conspiracy theories!"
CC clamps a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at that remark. Really? It's not that funny...okay, maybe it is to you, given that you know all the people involved personally.
"I have not lied once since my arrival. Ask yourself, why were you never able to discover who the assassin was? Why was the investigation scuttled and all inquiries either redirected or stopped by any means necessary?"
Heh. That brought her up short. It's the one thing that makes what I said even remotely plausible. That the Emperor himself blocked any further investigation, despite Marianne being well-known to be his favorite wife.
"It seems I have sold my services to VV too cheaply," Kewell muses, stroking his chin.
Cornelia does a double-take at that sentence, as do I. Wow, didn't expect that.
"You mean to tell me this VV person does in fact exist?!"
Kewell shrugs, "I have no idea who he is or what he has done, all I know is that he calls himself VV. And that I owe him a debt for giving me the chance to avenge my dishonor. Beyond that? I couldn't care less about the Commoner Empress."
CC and I both wince at that last sentence. Oh boy...wrong thing to say.
Looking at Cornelia's face? She's about to blow. And it's going to be a metric ton of rage.
"You...You dare to call my lady that wretched name? To sully her reputation with your vile insults...?"
The Reginleif spins its rifle to aim at the Siegfried with the machine gun pointed at me, "I'LL KILL BOTH OF YOU SLANDEROUS BASTARDS FOR DISGRACING HER NAME WITH YOUR POISONED TONGUES!"
Annnnnnd this just went from disaster to FUBAR...
The crack of gunfire across the bow of the Gawain's chest plate causes Kewell to duck back into his machine, firing a Slash Harken at us.
"What now, genius?!" CC yells at me as she takes the Gawain into a dive past the cloud cover back to the city.
I switch off the comms, tracking the enemy positioning. Cornelia is following, taking pot shots at both of us. Hmm, interesting. Her rifle shots are barely doing anything to the Siegfried.
"Hahahaha! You're wasting your time, Your Highness! The Siegfried is impervious to weapons of that caliber! In fact, I doubt there is a weapon on the field today capable of hurting it!"
Given what I remember of it's performance in the original timeline? He's probably right.
"Turn us around! Let's see how he handles Hadrons to the face!"
The Gawain swings around, cannons priming as I acquire a target lock.
The red and black beam blazes out...only to miss as the Siegfried spins out of the way?!
"Hahahahahahha!" Kewell laughs maniacally. "With my enhanced reflexes and ability to command this Knight Giga Fortress, hitting me is like trying to strike a fly with a sewing needle! A futile waste of effort!"
The orange goes into a spin attack directly at us, forcing us to dodge while firing a Slash Harken finger at it in passing, only for the blade to bounce off the body much to both our frustration.
"Since neither of you can give me a challenge, perhaps I'll entertain myself! I think your troops will do well as an opening appetizer, Zero! Hahahahahahahaha!"
The fucking orange is going after MY troops!
I snarl as I fire the Hadron cannons at him, only to gape in disbelief as the beams bounce off the spinning body. What the fuck?!
CC frowns as we dodge a Slash Harken from Cornelia, "I thought you said we stopped the Siegfried from happening."
"So did I! Joseph Fenette said he hadn't seen anything..."
Oh god. Why didn't I realize it sooner? WHY THE HELL WOULD JOSEPH FUCKING FENETTE KNOW ABOUT THE SIEGFRIED TO BEGIN WITH?! Bartley had had months to evacuate and do additional testing. I was so cocky about hitting the Code-R facility, I never bothered to think that the research might have been further along than it was in the original timeline...
I watch, horrified as Kewell tears through a squadron, his maniacal laughter ringing out as their gunfire bounces futilely off his armor...and I take my mask off, putting my head in my hands.
"...This is all my fault," I say with a haunted voice.
CC looks back in disbelief, "What?"
"I was overconfident. Consumed by hubris. I never thought to consider that Siegfried could have been finished and moved early. Or that Bartley could find a different test subject for it. Or that VV would be backing it at this point...every single person that dies to the Siegfried today, their blood is on my hands..."
CC gets up out of her seat, and rears back her hand to slap me across the face.
"Then stop having a meltdown and do something! They're your soldiers, you have a responsibility to do something about this!"
I take a deep breath, holding onto her, trying to get back to equilibrium. Okay, now what? Nothing is working.
"Ha! None of these rabble are providing any kind of sport! If you won't pursue me Zero, then I'll bring down your red queen!" Soresi loudly proclaims as he rips through another unit, oversized Slash Harkens tearing through their Knightmare Frames.
I rub the bridge of my nose. God. Fucking. Dammit. There's no choice.
I tap open the comms, "Tohdoh."
"Zero, what's our plan of attack? That orange knightmare is decimating our lines!"
I sigh deeply, "This is a secure line. Kyoshiro...I'm about to do something stupid."
"Lelouch...?"
I laugh morosely, "Heh heh heh. There's no way to bring it down. Even my Hadron Cannons can't pierce that armor. So...I unfortunately have to resort to drastic measures."
"Lelouch, WHAT is your plan?" he asks trepadaciously.
"Ramming speed."
"What?! But that's suicide!"
I shake my head, "The only way to stop Kewell is to drag the Siegfried down in a high speed dive and crash a building on top of it. If I do it right? I should be able to drop him and then pull up at the last instant."
Easier said than done, granted. But CC is a good enough pilot that it's possible. Batshit insane, but possible.
Tohdoh grimaces, "And what of the battle? We cannot win without you."
I give him a hard stare, "What the fuck do you want me to do?! I didn't predict that a goddamn flying orange was going to blitz us! It's either this or we get picked off! And that's not counting Cornelia's bomber squadron heading towards us!"
Tohdoh raises his eyebrows in alarm, "Bombers?"
I grind my teeth, "Nelly dispatched high-altitude bombers from Hokkaido. At this point, we've got 25 minutes before they bomb the path we cleared with Rama's Lament."
The colonel slumps into his seat, "So, the battle is forfeit then?"
I slam a fist onto the panel, "No! We are not giving up yet! I have a countermeasure for the bombers, but I can't use it so long as Soresi is roaming the skies! He's going after Kallen! I can't let her die! If the king does not move, his subordinates will not follow!"
If I let her die, I have no right to call myself a king!
I sit up straight, "You and Ohgi are in command. Use your best judgment if I'm incapacitated. 天下布武!" (Tenka Fubu!)
Tohdoh takes a sharp breath and nods, "お前は正しだ。頑張りましょう、ZERO。天下布武!" (You're right. Good luck, Zero. Tenka Fubu!)
The line turns off and I pull out a joint, letting it hang on my lips.
"One last hurrah for chivalry, eh?"
I gesture for CC to come closer. Best take care of this first.
"I was going to do this later, but it feels like this is the time."
I reach into my cloak and pull out a small box, opening it slowly.
Inside? A sparking ring in the shape of an ouroboros, the head grasping onto an emerald stone.
Her eyes widen in surprise, "Now?"
I nod, "Read the inscription."
She looks closely at the inside band, where words are inscribed. I'd had this made a while ago, just wanted the right moment to give it to her.
"For my Queen of Hell. The Witch who spelled my heart."
She puts the ring on, tears in her eyes. She's never looked more beautiful...
"You...you..."
I smile and gesture for her to go on.
"You have the worst timing!" she half cries and laughs as she kisses me, pulling my hair.
I return the kiss, holding her head. She's not wrong, but hey? That's what makes romance special.
"So we're finally tying the knot?" she says with a teasing tone as she breaks the kiss.
I raise an eyebrow, "What?"
She smirks and raises her own eyebrow in challenge, waving the ring in my face.
I sigh and shrug, "Fuck it. Why not? Might as well run with it. Everyone's already been saying it behind our backs anyway."
She leans into me, looking me in the eyes with adoration, "You're not the first man I've married, but you're definitely the most interesting. Even if you do have no idea about appropriate timing."
"Like you could find anyone else willing to put up with your shit, bitch tornado," I retort.
"Asshole," she snarks back.
After a moment we both giggle and kiss. How did we ever get so lucky to find each other?
"I love you," we say simultaneously, nuzzling our cheeks against each other.
She slides back down to her seat, "Come on, 'husband'. We've got a Tsundere to save."
I plot a course to the rampaging Siegfried, "As my wife commands."
I'm not letting this cyborg fucker take OUR Red Queen.
I grimace as Cornelia fires a rifle bullet that puts a nice dent in one of the arms. Fucking hell, Nelly, not now!
"You won't escape me, Zero!"
"Kinda busy here, Nelly! Take a number, AND WAIT YOUR GODDAMNED TURN!" I yell back at her as I launch 5 Harkens at her Frame to get her to back off.
"Disrespectful varlet! I told you not to speak that name!" She growls as she barely dodges the finger Harkens, dashing into a shoulder tackle at the Gawain, knocking us off the edge of a building before CC stops the spinning.
I throw my helmet back on as I fire a few quick bursts of Hadrons at her, grazing one of her shoulders. Is this the difference that a Knightmare actually capable of handling the skills of an ace makes?
"CC, any ideas? You're the ace here."
She purses her lips, trying to keep an eye on Kewell as well as Cornelia.
"Normally, I'd say get her between us and Kewell, but I doubt you'll agree."
I recoil at the thought. Letting that robo-asshat kill my sister? Hell no.
But...that does give me an idea.
"Actually? I think we should do that, in a way," I say smoothly.
My witch's eyes sparkle as she smiles back at me, "Alright honey, what's the plan?"
I take note of Kewell's position as he tears through a Britannian unit engaged in a firefight, uncaring of who he's hitting.
"Kewell doesn't care who he attacks. He's completely indiscriminate in his targeting. Thus? We use him as a distraction. Nelly can't fight both of us. If he starts attacking her, we can target her FLOAT system and ground her for the duration of the battle."
CC guns the engine as we fly towards the oversized orange monstrosity, "Clever boy. Better hurry, though. He's almost to where Kallen's last known position was."
I grin wickedly, "I know just what to say to Cornelia to get her riled up."
I put my mask back on and ping Cornelia, noting Kewell's position ahead of us.
"Cornelia! I just realized, I forgot to give you a message!"
Her handsome features are twisted in a snarl, eyes burning with anger, "You might as well surrender. There's nothing you can say to me that I'll care to hear, blaggard."
I take a deep breath before answering her in the most cruel way I can think of.
"The vi Britannias send their regards."
My sister pauses, blinking uncomprehendingly at the non sequitur.
"It's rather interesting, isn't it, Former Captain of the vi Britannia Royal Guard Cornelia li Britannia. How so little is known about what really happened that night."
Her hand twitches as she gives a hard stare at my lackadaisical posture, "What could you possibly know aside from deranged conspiracy theories, Zero?"
I smile under my mask, "Oh, I don't know. How about that Marianne vi Britannia was shot in the back, not the front, or how she had called off her guard, informing YOU of that fact personally?"
Her eyes widen in surprise at the sharp edge of truth in my words.
"Or maybe how Prince Lelouch found her first, her bullet-ridden body over his sister's convulsing form?"
Just a little more...
"Would you like to know what happened to them during the war, how they really died, Witch of Britannia?"
Her composure shatters as a tear runs down her horrified face, before it contorts into a monstrous countenance of rage.
"You miserable bastard...it's not enough to scourge me for my failures to protect my siblings, YOU DARE TO MOCK THEIR DEATHS TO MY FACE?! I'LL FEED YOU AND EVERY LAST REBEL UNDER YOUR COMMAND TO THE DOGS!"
計画通り。 (Just as planned.)
"Come at me then, Witch! Hell waits for no man or woman!"
The Reginleif gives chase, firing bullets at us as Soresi circles overhead like a bird of prey.
"Zero! What the hell is that thing?!"
I tap the comms to answer Kallen's hail, "It's Kewell goddamn Soresi!"
She does a double-take before yanking on her controls to dodge a chaos mine from the Glastons.
"WHAT?! The guy you set up to save Suzaku?! What the fuck happened to him!?"
CC frowns as she does a barrel roll to dodge a grenade from Cornelia, "It would seem that he cut a deal with VV. He's now a cyborg here to exact his revenge."
Any other time, I'd be enjoying seeing Kallen so incredulous and off-balance. Sadly, this is not a moment to appreciate it.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"
I get between the Siegfried and her, facing down the giant orange, "I have a plan. It's a crazy plan! But I won't let him touch you!"
Kallen bites her lip nervously, "Zero...I'm not worth the entire battle. If you have to leave me to win...I understand."
The bestial growl I let out hearing her say that causes her to look up in surprise. Like. Hell.
"If you think I will abandon one of the people I love, one of the women I'm going to marry when I claim this world? Then you truly do not understand me at all, Q-1."
The blush on her face says it all as I close the communication channel.
I gesture dramatically, "Let's go, my wife! Time for Fafnir to avenge himself!"
CC laughs joyously as she spurs the Gawain onward toward the waiting Siegfried, "Hahahahaha! Changing the ending of Der Nibelungenlied? Your arrogance knows no bounds, husband!"
Now, to set the trap...
"Soresi!"
The man answers the communication, an orange glow permeating the inside of his machine, wires connected to his body, a deranged smile on his face, "Come to beg for mercy, Zero?"
I don't answer him for a second, spotting Cornelia prowling like a hunting cat, waiting for an opportunity. Just a little more...
"Not quite. You should know by now that Zero does not beg. Well, unless it's in private and with the right person," I say cheekily.
Kewell snorts, "Then prepare to die, traitor."
A massive Slash Harken fires at us, which CC dodges, having anticipated it. Annnnnd here comes Nelly, firing her rifle at us.
A quick spin of position, a juke here, just another moment...
Now!
Soresi's next Harken barley misses us, grazing Cornelia's frame, forcing her back, AND GIVING ME THE CHANCE I WANTED!
CC guns the engines as the Gawain barrels into the Siegfried, Slash Harkens digging into the Frame, Hadron Cannons firing full blast as we pull it with us into the skies in a high arc.
"What the hell are you doing, you maniac?!" Kewell bellows at us as he tries to regain control.
"Velocity and acceleration, Kewell! Eagles carry turtles high to smash their shells open! On this winter's night, you will not kill any more of my soldiers! DIVE NOW!"
The Gawain changes arc and starts diving towards the nearest building, body positioned between the Slash Harkens, whose oversized proportions prevent him from firing at point blank range.
"You fool! You'll kill us both!"
His face blanches as I laugh maniacally at that statement.
"Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee! DIE,KEWELL SORESI!"
The cyborg snarls as he hits a button, "No! Not today! Not ever till I have my revenge! I yet have reasons to live, ZERO!"
Suddenly two protrusions open on the Siegfried's sides as we hurl downwards. Protrusions that begin glowing...
Oh no...
no no no no no no! NOOOOO! HOW COULD I HAVE MISCALCULATED SO BADLY TO NOT REALIZE HE WOULD HAVE THAT?!
The devices light up...and suddenly everything is PAIN.
My screaming from the electricity flowing through the Gawain is all I can hear, along with CC's shrieking as we plow through the building, Siegfried breaking free as we spiral downwards into a crash...
"ARGGHHHHH!" "AIIYYYEEEEE!"
I CAN'T HEAR! I CAN'T SEE! WHAT'S HAPPENING?! MY BODY IS BURNING UP!
And then suddenly we hit the ground and everything goes black.
I open my eyes a moment later...and wish I hadn't.
I can barely feel anything, like my entire body is numb...but I can feel enough to know I'm bleeding all over the cockpit...and judging by the fact that I can't move my legs...either my spine or back is hurt...or I have broken bones...or something worse...
I cough up blood inside my mask, eyes bleary as I look down...and see shrapnel from the cockpit embedded in my coat, blood seeping out from where some of it made it past my body armor...
As if on cue, my mask breaks, part of the broken glass on the face plate having caved in...okay good, it didn't get me in the eyes, that's just blood from a head wound...
This is bad...I have no idea how injured I am, but I don't think I can stay awake much longer...I can already feel my eyes closing...
Oh god...CC is looking at me with a face of absolute horror... That's a look I could do without ever seeing in this life...
"Zero! Stay with me, please! Don't pass out now!"
I smile weakly, feeling blood drip out of my mouth as I try to reach out to her, her hand clasping mine...I'm so sorry, CC. It looks like I royally fucked up...
As I slowly lose consciousness the last thing I hear is her terrified scream...and I can't help hating myself for causing her so much pain...forgive me, my witch queen...it seems I won't be able to grant your true wish after all...
"LELOUCH!"
Wish I may
Wish I might
Have this I wish tonight
Are you satisfied?
Dig for gold
Dig for fame
You dig to make your name
Are you pacified?
All the wants you waste
All the things you've chased
Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger
But there's no one around
Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Where's your crown?
Hot and cold
Bought and Sold
A heart as hard as gold
Yeah! Are you satisfied?
Wish I might
Wish I may
You wish your life away
Are you pacified?
All the wants you waste
All the things you chased
Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger
But there's no one around
Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Where's your crown?
Huh!
I wish I may
I wish I might
Have this wish I wish tonight
I want that star
I want it now
I want it all and I don't care how
Careful what you wish
Careful what you say
Careful what you wish
You may regret it
Careful what you wish
You just might get it
Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
And you point your finger
But there's no one around
Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
Nothing
No you're just nothing
Where's your crown, King Nothing?
No you're just nothing
Nothing
Off to never never land
END OF R1.
