Interlude 11: The Perspective of the Nezumi

Man. It's been one fucked up year.

8 months ago, we were just another group of terrorists jacking off as we blew shit up, no fucks given as long as the people we got were brits.

And then we met HIM.

Zero. A fucking exiled prince from the empire we've been fightin' all these years. Hell, the guy the whole war was started over.

Ok sue me. I didn't know who the fuck he was when I first saw his face. Just that he was some pretty boy dickhead….nah. Zero's been cool to me the whole time. Fucker is Kallen's age, from what I hear. Man, ain't that a trip.

I wipe my face off with a towel as I look outside. Sand. Sand, sand, and more sand. Saudi Arabia. Asshole end of the world.

Took us like two weeks to get here by sub, and another couple of days settling in. But….we're here. We made it out of Japan somehow. Kaguya and that old geezer Taizo showed up like a day ago. Both of them look like they went through hell. Apparently the other guys from Kyoto?

They didn't make it. New viceroy, the fucking Vampire, made an example out of them.

I spit into the sand, and immediately regret opening my mouth as some of the dry air gets in.

Ugh. I don't like this place. But then again, I don't think anybody here does. We're dudes and dudettes without a country, without a name and fuck knows what else.

You could say we're here because we're desperate, because we got nowhere else to go. Which ain't wrong. But we're also here 'cause it might be our only ticket for a comeback. Boss man is down, and nobody knows if he's gonna ever get back up. Everybody heard what happened. The Bitch of Britannia herself came to us, no strings attached, no deal or anything. With that fat fuck Bartley in tow, and a miracle of crazy Brit science that might bring the boss back.

Ain't sitting right with people, for obvious reasons. Can't say they're wrong. Feels fucking weird. But knowing who Zero really is, her kid brother, I'd have a hard time staying pissed at her even if Mrs. Zero didn't tell me to stand down.

But she did. And I take her orders as seriously as I do the boss man himself. Especially after what I saw when I helped her haul his broken body out of that pod….

My head shakes as I try to clear the images out of my head. Nah man, don't go there. Not worth dwelling on.

Boss man'll come back, you'll see. Guy is tough as nails. And if there's anything he'd come back for besides this fight, it's her. And Kallen. And Kaguya. And Kururugi, from what some people say …..Alright so the guy is a horndog! So what! Shit he goes through, he's probably earned it. 'Sides, Brits are all crazy horny bastards. Just happens not all of them are total assholes.

We're still patching people up, even now. Lost limbs, burns, friends, the siege was a bad scene.

And the missus is taking it bad. Yeah, she said she's in charge. But even a dumbass like me can tell she's fraying like an old fundoshi in the wind. Zero's sister, she's trying, give that girl credit. But the only thing that'll fix CC is if the boss comes back.

If he don't…..if she wasn't immortal, I'm sure she'd off herself to join him.

One thing nobody expected though? The powderpuff princess to step up. That shit was epic.

~~~~Five days ago, Saudia Arabia, several days after the Black Knights arrived~~~~

Fucking hell. All these stupid motherfuckers keep talking shit and not one of these limp dicks would be saying a god damn word if the boss was up and at em.

Why should we work with Cornelia? Or the Glastons? They're our enemies! You stupid cocksuckers, LIKE WE GOT OTHER OPTIONS!?

Japan is a lost cause right now, we got run out like fucking rats by the Vampire! And without the boss man, ain't no way we were gonna rally over there. And ain't like Cornelia is making trouble either.

Sure, she and her guys are kinda stiff. But they've been helping, or trying to. Lotta guys here keep giving them dirty looks and expecting a stab in the back. Other Brit generals, they might have a point.

Not her though. We've been fighting her for months now. And one thing the boss always was clear on? Cornelia doesn't fight dirty, not if she can help it. Plenty of people, especially in their military, take honor as a thing to say to somebody's face while you're holding a knife behind their back. Her though? She takes that shit seriously. Plus, I've talked to her guys, the Glastons. They're actually kinda alright. Not stuck up and weird like Reid, or crazy like that blonde girl Mil...something?

Then again, I don't think most people like Reid. He's damn good at his job, and he's dead loyal. But he's also a really creepy and crazy bastard. Probably why Zero hired him, honest. Dude's not taking this change well. He's gotten sullen and quiet, barely talking to anyone now.

Like right now. We're all gathered up in a hanger bay/ general meeting hall. And Reid is just standing there...listless...like somebody pulped him and sucked out the juice inside.

Uh oh, shit's happening. Hope it's good news this time. They started prepping for surgery and operations on the boss not too long after we got here. Other people too. I'll say this, that weird little blonde? She seriously came through for us.

…..Ok, so there's Cornelia, CC, Zero's sister, and….the pinky? What's she doing here?

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Black Knights. Dr. Chawla has announced she's starting preliminary research on my husband's condition. And she believes it may be feasible to save him. However? There is an important caveat."

Shit. I don't like the sound of this.

"The research they have is incomplete. And thus they must perform another operation on someone else first, in order to acquire the data to perform the surgery on my husband without endangering him in the process."

You can see her breath hitching as she talks, Zero's sister is holding her hand to try and steady her.

"I am here to ask for a volunteer. But be aware, we do not know how successful this will be. It may prove debilitating or crippling, should things reach the worst case scenario, however unlikely. Furthermore, it must be someone who is in robust health, as anyone who is already injured would be in far too much danger. Dr. Chawla and General Bartley estimate," she says, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"Whoever volunteers for this will be expected to have a large portion, at least 60% of their body, if not more, cybernetically enhanced. The surgery will be painful and take months to complete."

….Fuuuuuuuuuck. That's some tough shit. Give up most of your body to Bartley and Rakshata's mad science? Sure, being a robot man like fucking Kamen Raida would be badass. But months of shit to do it, and they're not a hundred percent sure it would work?

You'd have to be fucking crazy to volunte-

"I VOLUNTEER, YOUR MAJESTY!"

Who the fuck-?!

Like a fucking wave crashing into a cliff, the entire room parts for Orange, Zero's crazy ass knight, as the guy marches straight down to take a knee in front of her.

"For my lord, my one true master, Zero, I would sacrifice everything. What matters this flesh, this earthly form, if it can ensure his return to this world? Take it! Take what you need, and bring my master back to us whole and hale!"

….Woah. Dude is actually tearing up as he says this. That is hardcore fucking loyalty. Not even a question, not even a bit of fear about what the fuck might happen to him. Just "Do it."

That takes bigger balls than even the boss's flying codpiece had.

"Jeremiah," the boss lady says with a whisper we can barely hear as she lays her hand on his head, tears running down her cheeks.

"Thank you."

That right there, that's one reason nobody is trying to tell her to step down, or give her shit.

Because not one guy here has the heart to tell a grieving wife to fuck off.

"Gottwald. You have always been a stalwart, loyal, and trustworthy man. Zero...could not ask for a finer knight."

Pretty high compliment coming from Cornelia, except? Her speaking up is getting her dirty looks. Swear I gotta kick another dipshit in the teeth every day over this crap.

"What gives you the right to talk about loyalty, traitor!?"

….Aw fuck no.

"You're the reason Zero is injured so badly! He was fighting you when the Siegfried took him down!"

"You killed countless people across the world, and suddenly you have a change of heart?! I don't buy it! You're a spy!"

"Why did you side with us?! Tell us the truth, Bitch of Britannia!"

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! This shit is escalating, and I ain't got the boss man's cutting tongue to defuse it, and CC ain't up to putting her heel down at this point! Shit!

I look around, trying to get support, wondering who the hell set this off. 'Cause this looks like somebody wants a mutiny, but I can't figure out who's doing it.

"ENOUGH!"

Wait...was that the powderpuff? Damn, girl has a set of lungs on her. And she looks pissed as hell.

"I have been hearing these despicable rumors and slanders against my sister and her subordinates for days now. And I have but one thing to say to all of you!"

Fuuuuck, I can feel my balls shrinking with the glare she's leveling around the room.

"Shame on you."

…..Wut?

"Shame on all of you. I defected to the Black Knights because I believed Zero was right, that you were warriors fighting for justice. Is that ideal an illusion you discard just because your leader is not here to enforce it?"

Man, this is a fucking trip. Balling up her fists, working herself up into a good mad? Big fucking change from the girl who was crying as she addressed everyone after that SAZ shit went up in smoke.

"My sister has done a great deal of evil in her time. But she did so as a soldier enforcing policy. Evil policy, yes. But you can only subscribe so much responsibility to an individual commander taking orders. And in the end, what did she choose to do?"

Daaaayum, when she throws her hand out like that, everybody looking at her? It's looking like a prettier curvier version of the boss...a little anyway.

"She came to you! She chose to throw away decades of loyalty to her country, her family, to her king, to come and try to save Zero!"

Her hand comes up and wipes away a tear, "And you have the gall, the utter ingratitude, to question her commitment, after a sacrifice like that? To be branded as a traitor is a terrible thing, yes. But did you give her a chance to answer? Or were you ready to put her against a wall for a foolhardy token vengeance that helps no one here, and that Zero himself would never approve of?!"

Man, I can't help feeling like I lucked out here. 'Cause I know it ain't my ass getting roasted for this one. Chick's got some iron balls under that dress.

"I'll tell you why my big sister came, even after all that happened between both your sides! Because I did! Because Zero wanted her to. Because Mobius asked her to. And because it was the right thing to do!"

Huh...Zero's sister. The girl in the wheelchair, that nobody knows who she is. Well, mostly nobody. I sure as fuck ain't anybody important. Looks like she wants to talk.

"I am Mobius. Like my brother, my name is hidden for my protection and that of the people I care about. I share Euphemia's shame at what I've seen today. You are all better than this. I've heard my brother's stories about the Black Knights, the army he created with all of your help. And I have always been proud of his commitment to building a better world and giving justice to those who did not not have it before."

Kid looks tiny….unless she's really short, from what I saw of her face, she can't be that old, like fourteen-ish? That's rough shit. Having to hold yourself together while your big bro lies half dead on a hospital bed.

"Is this what Zero's black knights are, when the pressure is on? Scared, frightened, helpless and unable to remember what they stand for? NO! You're better than that! My big brother made sure you were better than that!"

Damn right little girl! Boss man didn't want no dipshits in this fucking army!

"We are here, in this far away land, having fled in exile, to rest, recover, and regroup. I know the pain of having to flee in fear of an unstoppable enemy. I was in Japan during the Second Pacific War."

…...Shiiiiiieeeet. Didn't think 'bout that shit. Can't go to the Brits, they sent em there. Can't go to the Japanese, they'll kill em or take em hostage.

Seriously, how the fuck did little kids survive that?

"I have smelled the stench of bodies piled high, rotting in the sunlight. I have tasted water that was no doubt colored by dust and filth. And I have heard the carrion birds as they feasted. And throughout it all, do you know what gave me the strength to endure such horrifying conditions?"

She holds her gloved hands together in a prayer position, looking upwards as she continues, "My brother. He and a dear friend were the only comfort and safety I had in those dark days. I am, as you can see, confined to a wheelchair. And while Rakshata believes I will be out of this chair within a few months, I will forever carry the memories of being in it, and having to be carried on their backs across Japan."

Man, it's making me tear up just listening to her. Kinda starting to understand the boss man. She ain't even my sister, and I'd do a lot for her after hearing that shit. How much further would I go if I was her big bro?

"I cannot ask for your loyalty. I am not my brother, and I have no right to demand such a thing. All I can ask, is that you please help me, and each other, to endure this terrible time. For at this moment? We only have each other."

"モビオス、ばんざい!" (Long live Mobius!)

Couldn't help myself. Nobody who calls himself a man could listen to that and not be inspired.

"モビオス、ばんざい!" "モビオス、ばんざい!" "モビオス、ばんざい!"

Daaaamn. Don't think she realizes it, but she just won herself a fucking army with that speech. Cornelia's eyes are lit up after that, pride, I guess? Shit, she was my lil' sis, I'd be proud too.

Still don't know if we're gonna make it at this point. I mean...shit. We ain't even Japanese or Elevens at this point. Just rebels in exile.

But fucking hell, at least we got hope.

We're rooting for ya, boss man. Get yer crazy happy ass back soon...