Oberon (Code Geass x Fairy Tail)
Chapter 1: The Faerie
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The story begins inside a dark and round chamber. The only light came from above, even though there is no sky window. At the center of the room is a round object with a glow seeping through cracks in the middle. Surrounding the object are eight black capsules positioned in a circle. An ethereal red glow came from within them, adding light to the room. Everything in the room looked to be organic…almost like black flesh.
A nearby door opened with a hiss and a squelch of flesh being squished. Light flooded into the room while a shadow is cast. The source of the shadow took a step forward with its two-toed purple foot before it levitated off the ground. It hovered past the capsules, snapping its fingers.
This action caused the top of the capsules to open. Black tentacle-like appendages retreated to reveal the faces of their occupants. One, which is noticeably smaller than the rest, opened to reveal a sleeping raven-haired boy. As soon as it did, the boy stirred awake.
"Uh…what…?" the boy mumbled groggily as his violet eyes blinked the sleep dust out. He became wide awake when he saw where he was and his current predicament. He didn't recognize this place. With panicking breaths, he struggled to get out of his capsule, but his tiny limbs can barely make any movement within this confined space. After several seconds, he noticed the figure in the room. It stood with its back to him before the object, obscured by a high collared cape.
"Hey!" the boy cried out to the figure. "Where am I? What have you done with my sister! Where is—"
He stopped talking when he saw the hand of the figure. It only had four purple digits, one thumb, and three long fingers with long clawed nails. That wasn't a human hand. The appendage opened as the object in the center opened. Eight triangular sections opened like a blooming flower, exposing a glowing pool of water. The boy couldn't see what was inside from his position. He watched as the…thing reach inside and lift something out. In between its finger and thumb, it held a small larva that wiggled in its grip. Then, as if finally noticing that the boy is awake, it turned to face him.
The boy screamed out in horror and surprise when he saw the being face. What was staring at him was not human. No human would have a purple bulbous head with four long tentacles writhing where a mouth should be. He had seen a few pictures from books about it to compare the head to an octopus. A monster with an octopus head is dressed in purple and black robes with a death's head belt buckle.
When it approached him, the boy tried to look away from this horror. Seeing this, the octopus monstrosity held out a clawed hand. Suddenly, an unseen force made the boy's head look at it. The boy could only stare at it with gasping breaths as it held out the larva towards him while keeping its other hand in grasping motion. The larva swung towards the boy, growing four tentacles, and opening its mouth to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
The boy screamed out loud as the larva used its tentacles to force his eyelids to stay open as it burrowed into his eye…
Lelouch Lamperouge shot up from his bed wide awake and sweating. His breaths were quick and raspy. It took him several seconds for him to calm down. His violet eyes softened when he saw that he's in his bedroom. Lelouch shrunk himself and grasped his knees.
"Dammit…" Lelouch cursed as he rubbed his left eye. "That nightmare again…"
It had been ten years since that day and he's still having these nightmares. Already, he had gotten used to them. Hell, he wasn't sure if he will ever forget the day that he was abducted by those things and had that thing enter his head. What terrified him more is what would've happened if that thing succeeded in its purpose. If it did, he wouldn't be able to get back here…and his sister would've gone through with…
The raven-haired teen shook those thoughts out of his head. That was all behind him now. Besides, he made that thing, and its species pay a thousand-fold for the hell they put him and their victims through. He wasn't sure if he and his friends got them all, but the less there are of them, the better. That memory served to remind him of his helplessness back then and to make sure it never happened again.
"Time to get ready for school," Lelouch groaned as he got up. Walking to a nearby closet, he opened it and took out a black uniform on a hanger.
The place where he is staying in Ashford Academy. It is a Britannian private academy owned and operated by the Ashford Foundation, a philanthropic organization that is predominantly involved in the supply of educational services. As the name implies, it is founded by the former noble house of Ashford. Due to their departed mother's past relationship, he and his sister have been granted free residence within the campus's Student Government Clubhouse.
He had just fixed his collar when the phone at his end table rang. Curious as to who was calling, he walked over and picked it up. Slowly, he flipped it open and tenderly held it like he was holding glass. Violet-colored eyes narrowed at the keypad of buttons and the screen in confusion as the incessant ringing continued. Ever since he got back, he had a little problem with technology.
Guess that's the downside of being in a kingdom that uses orbs as communication.
"Let's see…how do I…?" Lelouch muttered before he pressed what he assumes to be the correct button to answer the call. "Hello?"
"Hey buddy!" a cheerful male's voice called out. "Boy, I'm sure glad you didn't accidentally hang up this time!"
"Rivalz?" Lelouch asked, his voice barely masking his irritation regarding his current problem with technology.
"Who else? Anyway, a couple of folks called, and they want a rematch. And I think one of our regulars wants help in his match. What say we ditch school and make some money?"
Lelouch thought about it for a moment. He knew what Rivalz wanted was to go out and gamble. Frankly, he didn't see the point in winning money when he already has the means to make some. He didn't want to end up like his friend and develop an addiction as Lelouch preferred to work for a living. But there was the nightmare…he might need something to take his mind off it. Not to mention is going nuts having to listen to Britannia propaganda ever since he attended this school. Besides, if his grades won't make the teachers look the other way, he has other means of not getting reprimanded.
"Alright, I'm game," Lelouch replied. "But let's make it interesting."
"What do you mean?"
"Is there anyone else who wants a rematch?" Lelouch asked with a predatory grin. "Or maybe some new ones in Area 11?"
"Checkmate. Fork them over."
With a smirk of victory, Lelouch won his sixty-sixth chess match. On the other side of the table, his opponent was staring at the board with open mouth shock. Chess is a game that is favored by the nobility to develop and demonstrate tactical skill. One could say that the battlefield is like a chessboard.
Lelouch stood up and walked away as Rivalz received the winnings. He is a guy about the age of Lelouch with blue hair covered by a biker's helmet with goggles. Lelouch met him some time ago when the poor guy tried his luck against a noble that was easily beating him. When the noble offered to walk around the table three times and act like a dog, Lelouch took over and beat him. Rivalz spent the winnings on a sidecar for his motorcycle and hanged out with Lelouch ever since. He was also a student at Ashford Academy, which meant he saw him a lot. Much to Lelouch's pleasure, Rivalz genuinely wanted to hang out with him as a friend rather than a moneymaker.
"I can't believe this!" Rivalz almost squealed in excitement. "Sixty-Six wins in a row and we have enough time to get to school! And by the way, one minute is going to be the top record! Do you know how much we made?"
"I don't know, how about you tell me?" Lelouch asked as they entered the elevator and hit the button to make it descend.
While chess did get his mind off the nightmare, and the satisfaction of seeing the flabbergasted look of loss on an arrogant noble's face, he felt bored. He could play against these over-privileged parasites with his eyes blindfolded and his arms tied around his back, and they still wouldn't be a challenge. There was only one person that he hasn't beaten in terms of chess and tactics, and he will need to find better opponents. Heck, maybe he should switch to poker.
Lelouch learned long ago that tactics won't be enough to accomplish his goals. To destroy Britannia, avenge his mother, and bring a gentle world in which his sister can live happily, he will need people who follow the same ideals as him. He doubted that those people would be the same as the strongest people he knew, but even a dagger can be deadly if stabbed in the right place.
The memories of those people's faces. Taking down Britannia would've been a breeze if they were here. He would have people he trusted on his side. But One of the rules that he must abide by when he left is that he cannot use his former contacts for personal gain. Even if that wasn't in place, he didn't want to bring them over here. If Britannia ever got their hands on them, they would have another arsenal in their war machine. This would no doubt break the rule of revealing sensitive information.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he focused on the happy memories. The chummy banter in the guild halls. Picking the right job with enough Jewels and thinking of plans to avoid collateral damage like the others. But what Lelouch valued and missed most is the genuine camaraderie between everyone. It was strong enough to get them through even though the first Guild War. And the guild brawls…that was a lot more exciting than the chess matches, to be honest. Not to mention the fun adventures, or rather misadventures they undertook. Those sound a lot more fun than a chess match.
"What I would give for a brawl right about now …" Lelouch muttered under his breath.
"Huh?" Rivalz asked, snapping the raven-haired teen out of his thoughts.
"Oh, nothing…" Lelouch lied and shook his head. "Anyway…what were you saying Rivalz?"
"I'm saying that if these guys aren't much of a challenge, maybe we should try the Elevens," Rivalz said. "They're nothing like us…"
Rivalz immediately clammed up when Lelouch gave him the look. The violet-eyed teen had stopped walking to regard his friend coldly. Rivalz gulped as Lelouch silently dared him to finish that sentence.
"My bad…I forgot that you…"
"Be mindful with your words, Rivalz," Lelouch warned airily. "You might be short a friend one of these days. Remember what happened to the Student Self Defense Force, yes?"
"Dude, everybody remembers what you did with those jerks," Rivalz said with a shudder before he amended. "Not that anybody knew it was you or could prove it! But you've got to be the only guy on campus who cares about…you know."
"It's because I understand how they feel," Lelouch answered curtly as he resumed walking with Rivalz following him. "What did you think was going to happen when another country comes, conquers your home, and sees them as something less than human. It's like how the nobles treat the commoners. You're either cattle, a slave, or a thrall."
"When you put it like that…yeah…" Rivalz said with a guilty look on his face. Lelouch knew that Rivalz wasn't at fault for the mindset Britannia has been nurturing for years. Everywhere he turned, Britannia bigots are throwing their weight around when they are just parasites. Thankfully, he was able to somewhat shake if only one of them out of that way of thinking. When he mentioned the nobles though, he is also talking about them.
The monsters that abducted him.
"What are they trying to prove by killing a bunch of innocent people!"
He and Rivalz had just exited the building just in time to see people staring at the electronic billboard. The screen showed the image of twin towers with smoke coming out before it shifted to reveal the Britannian flag bearing the shield of a lion and snake. An automated female voice spoke up.
"We apologize for the delay. Now his royal highness prince Clovis, 3rd prince of Britannia will address the nation."
The flag is replaced by the live image of a blonde man standing in front of a purple throne. He is dressed in a purple royal outfit with a white caveat from his neck and a white cloak with golden tassels.
"To all my imperial subjects, including of course the many cooperative elevens who choose to serve the empire of Britannia."
Lelouch just rolled his eyes at the overdramatic tone of the viceroy of Area 11. He blocked out the Clovis' 'heart-breaking' pitch as he and Rivalz made their way to a parked motorcycle with a sidecar. Meanwhile, Clovis was calling for a moment of silence for those who died for justice in the line of duty. Oh, how much Lelouch wanted to vomit.
"Well, aren't you going to join in?" Rivalz asked as he took his seat on the motorcycle.
"Aren't you?" Lelouch asked as he pays the parking fare.
"Heh, it's sort of embarrassing."
"And I agree with you," Lelouch said as he took the receipt. "Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back to life now, will it?"
"Dang, that's dark buddy," Rivalz said as he puts his goggles on.
"This sort of thing is all about self-satisfaction," Lelouch said. Knowing Clovis, he's probably attending a party while this is going on. He got into the sidecar and put on a spare helmet and goggles while Rivalz gunned the engine. He drove out of the parking space and onto the road. Soon they are on the freeway and heading back to school.
To pass the time, Lelouch took out a book titled 'Hamlet' and began to read as the wind swept past his face. It was about a play written by Sir William Shakespeare, one of the best playwrights in Britannian history known for his tragedies. It's about a prince and his revenge against his uncle, who murdered his father to seize the throne and marry his mother. In a way, the story resonates with Lelouch which is why he picked it out from the library.
"That first move you made …" Rivalz spoke over the wind.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you always start with the king?"
"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"
"What's with that?"
"With what?"
"Do you fantasize about running a major corporation?"
"No way. Ambitions like that will ruin your health," Lelouch said. "It's an example I strive to live by. Think of it like Noblesse Oblige."
In chess, the king is considered the weakest piece due to its limited movement. In his matches, he made aggressive use of his king, a move that usually is a very poor choice. But he made use of it to make his opponents underestimate him.
But What Rivalz failed to understand is that it wasn't just words. It's his philosophy regarding leadership. Anyone who doesn't put themselves into the battle isn't worthy of leading. Just like those slobs who aren't worthy of their status when all they do is wave it around.
As for Noblesse Oblige, that is another philosophy he had grown to respect during his seven-year absence. While it has been used to justify the privilege of wealthy and powerful people, the meaning grows deeper. Those with power should use it for the sake of those who don't. Because it's the opposite of social Darwinism, some may laugh it off as a weakling's philosophy.
But he knew something that embodied Noblesse Oblige—his old guild. The strongest guild would shake Britannia to the core. A place where countless legends have been born and will continue to make more. People who despite the craziness are genuinely good. They would even go as far as to give up quest rewards if not to pay for the property damage they commit. Lelouch chuckled as he remembered those times. Evading a flying chair…putting a blonde punk in his place…the honking…
Wait…honking?
"Whoa! We're gonna die!"
Lelouch whipped his head around just in time to see a truck speeding towards them. It swerved to avoid crashing into them. The truck sped down a road that led to a construction site which it crashed into. It kicked up dust that temporarily obscured it from view. Rivalz stopped the motorcycle to look at the scene of the crash.
"Uh…was that our fault?" Rivalz asked.
"I don't think so," Lelouch answered, not taking his eyes off the scene. He got up from the sidecar to take a closer look. It was then he saw something peculiar. Specks of green light hovered over the truck.
"What the—" Lelouch muttered as he took off the helmet and goggles and approached the concrete barrier overlooking the construction site. He watched as the specks of light formed into a humanoid shape and vanish.
"Oh man, this sucks…" Rivalz groaned. "Looks like the power line on the bike got cut."
"I'll let you get on that," Lelouch said. It was then he noticed the crowd of people that gathered to see what happened. To his disgust, they are much more interested in placing the blame and gawking over the incident than helping. Some even had their phones and cameras out to take pictures.
"All those idiots…!" Lelouch growled as he tossed his helmet into the sidecar. "I shouldn't be gone for long. If I am, head to school without me."
"Wait…what? Hey!" Rivalz called out. But Lelouch ignored him as he ran to the crash site. He could pick out the comments of the onlookers. One of them even mockingly called him the student rescue force. It took everything he had to restrain the desire to knock heads together.
"I wonder If Erza would let this complacency slide…" Lelouch muttered as he approaches the truck and calls out. "Hey! Are you alright?"
He didn't get an answer, so Lelouch took a deep breath and reached out. Two people are sitting at the driver's section of the truck. One of them is feeling weak while the other is stable.
"Can you hear me?" Lelouch called out as he climbed the ladder to get to the top of the truck. "Are you okay?!"
It's you…finally, I have found my…
Lelouch stopped cold when he heard someone speak in his head. It had been a while since that happened. Besides himself, he only knew three other people who could pull that off. But he didn't recognize the owner of the voice. Could it belong to one of the drivers?
He was jolted out of his thoughts when the truck suddenly backed up. Lelouch, who was kneeling near an open hatch, fell headfirst inside. Groaning, he stood up as the truck speeds down the road.
"Stop the vehicle! Surrender now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop and surrender at once! Give up now or we'll shoot to kill!"
That sounded like the Britannian Police Force. Judging from the loudspeakers, the drivers of this vehicle must either be criminals or terrorists. And given how frequent terrorist activity has been in Britannia occupied Japan, it's likely the latter. Especially with what he is standing in between.
The inside of the truck is dark and barely lit, but he could make out a few details. For starters, sitting in the back is a red Knightmare frame, a Glasgow if he isn't mistaken. It looked as if it had been dug up from a scrapyard. Then there was this capsule that he is standing next to. He wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't care. Seeing as how the drivers are alright, he decided to find a way off the truck. Score one for the idiot who didn't think to stick a ladder inside.
As he thought about how he is going to get off, the door to the driver's end opened. Lelouch saw a red-haired woman that looked to be his age walkout. As she sheds a white coat and hat, she spoke to the second person on the truck.
"Can you enter the subway via the Azabu route?" She asked as she approaches the back.
"Kallen! Let's use it here! Why not?"
"Because that would mean a blood bath!"
"You're right."
As the woman ascended a set of metal stairs next to the Glasgow, Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her back. He only got a brief glimpse of her face, but he could've sworn that he has seen her before. He watched her enter the Glasgow through the cockpit and start it up. The back of the truck opened, and the Glasgow shot a slash harken at a pursuing helicopter. It struck the chopper dead on, making it explode. A hiss of steam, and the carbon fiber wire retracted. With a whir of the Landspinner Propulsion System at the heels, the Glasgow shot out from the truck.
"Yep, they are terrorists," Lelouch quipped as he watched the Glasgow fight off the police before the door closed. He didn't blame them for their actions against Britannia in their attempt to regain the independence of their nation. However, he cannot condone the act of putting civilians in the line of fire. It reminded him too much of the Dark Guilds that his team put down.
Honestly, if the Japanese are putting their hopes in groups like the Japan Liberation Front, who are better trained and equipped, they are being wasted. For seven years, groups like them have been fighting against the Britannian occupation and their ambition has atrophied. Sure, they achieved some small victories, but they haven't exactly done anything noteworthy. If they want to defeat the world's only superpower, they need to think outside the box.
Speaking of which, it's time for him to leave. Sitting on the capsule, he pondered how to do that. Judging on the fact that his cell phone has no reception, he's out of range of the Tokyo settlement. Considering the darkness and the road surface, they must be driving along the old subway lines. Which means they're heading for an exit somewhere in the ghetto. Getting out would be dangerous.
Unless he used that. Granted, he was still working out the kinks, but he can use it to transport himself back to Ashford Academy. If Rivalz asks how he beat him, he can just make up the excuse that he caught a Taxi. He wasn't sure if it is wise to open one on a moving vehicle. From previous experiments, anything could go wrong. Just to be safe, he was going to wait until the truck stopped.
His attention became drawn to the capsule he is currently sitting on. On the side, he was curious about what they stole. If the Britannian police are hot on their tails, this must be something important, like a weapon. Whatever it is, he should take it back with him to see what it is. His usual method of going around didn't involve objects as large as the capsule. Which is another reason not to leave immediately and use what he had in mind.
As if the universe had just granted his wish, the truck suddenly jolted to a stop. Lelouch was thrown off the capsule and onto the floor. It shook for a while before it stopped. Lelouch could hear the tire rubber squealing but the truck isn't moving.
"Could it be an accident?" Lelouch wondered as he stood back up. Unbeknownst to him, the capsules prongs started sparking. At that moment, the side doors of the truck opened. Lelouch got into a defensive stance in case the second terrorist had brought them to their hideout. To his relief, there was nobody there, causing him to lower his guard.
"Good, now I can see if I can take this with me," Lelouch said, turning to face the empty back of the truck. He held out his hand, which began to emit a red glow. The raven-haired teen felt power rushing from his mind and through his hand.
Then, at that moment, Lelouch's eyes widened as he felt something rushing towards him. The glow faded as he turned to see a person flying at him. They spun in the air with a kick aimed at him. Having experienced martial artists trained to fight people like him, he crossed his arms, which glowed red as he strengthened them. Whoever this guy was, they trained their body well. The force of the kick was enough to knock him down if he hadn't strengthened his arms.
That said, time for him to go on the offensive. His flesh emitted a red glow as the power welled up within him.
"REPULSE!"
A wave of force went out from him and pushed his assailant off. They went flying out of the truck and landed on their back. The red glow faded as Lelouch stepped out of the truck without an ounce of fear. His eyes are steeled as he examined the guy who assaulted him. He immediately recognized the Combat Armor of the foot soldiers of the Britannian Ground Force. The gray jumpsuit, the flak vest, the pauldrons, and even the helmet are recognizable. These guards are well trained and very loyal to the Britannian Empire. But there was one crucial detail that Lelouch noticed.
"Odd…why don't you have any weapons?" Lelouch wondered. Usually, a soldier would be armed with a short, barreled assault rifle and a pistol. He didn't have time to think as the soldier sprung back to his feet and rushed at him again. This time, Lelouch was ready as he let the power flow through his body.
The soldier tried to slug him, but Lelouch deftly dodged the blow by angling his head. Back then, he wasn't the most physical of most people considering his upbringing. But after years of tempering his body and enhancing it with his power, he can fight on par with Erza. Compared to this guy, time seemed to slow down for him as he hopped back to evade the second fist. Seeing as how nobody was around, he could've easily taken this guy down, but he already revealed a portion of his powers here. Besides, he has some questions for this guy.
"So, tell me. What's inside that capsule?" Lelouch said as he ducked to evade a kick. Lelouch retaliated by spinning his body to deliver a roundhouse kick to his side. This was starting to become a dance for him.
"Don't play dumb with me!" The soldier growled as he clutched his side. "I won't let you use the poison gas to commit even more mindless murder!"
"Wait…poison gas?" Lelouch asked as anger entered his voice. He stood still as the soldier rushed at him again. This time, Lelouch didn't dodge but instead punched him straight in the jaw. The force of the blow shattered the mouth section of the soldier's helmet and made him spit out blood.
"So, Britannia is resorting to chemical warfare, huh?" Lelouch asked in cold anger as he advanced on the soldier. The soldier spat out dirt as he turned his body to face the raven-haired teen. Behind the helmet, the soldier's eyes widened when he saw Lelouch's face in the light. His violet flames burned in his eyes.
"My god…!"
"You guys have the call to cry mindless murder?!" Lelouch yelled. "Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!"
"Lelouch?"
The anger died in Lelouch as if water had been poured over it. The soldier had taken off his shattered helmet to reveal light brown hair and forest green eyes that stared wide at Lelouch. He looked to be about his age, which is surprising. But Lelouch recognized the face after all these years.
"Suzaku?" Lelouch asked quietly.
Suzaku Kururugi. The son of the late prime minister Genbu Kururugi. Lelouch had met him when he was sent to Japan. Although they got onto a rough start, they became childhood friends. The last time he saw him was that month where Britannian invaded and subjugated Japan into her ever-expanding empire. Now, they meet again after all these years.
"Is it you?" Suzaku asked as he warily stood up. He kept his distance as if the illusion would shatter.
"Yes, it is me," Lelouch said at last. "You became a Britannian soldier?"
"Yeah," Suzaku said. "And what about you? You disappeared after seven years and now you're a…"
"If you call me a terrorist, we are going back to slugging each other," Lelouch snapped in annoyance. Suddenly, they heard steam hissing from the truck behind them. They turned just in time to see an array of color flashing from the capsule as it opened. Without warning, Suzaku tackled him to the ground and covered his mouth. Lelouch realized that he broke the gas filtration unit of his helmet, so now he's trying to protect him from the gas being released.
Only it was poison gas. It was a ball of light that dispersed to reveal a green-haired girl in a white straight jacket. She appeared to have been curled up when the capsule was closed. The moment it opened, she collapsed onto the platform.
"That's not poison gas…" Suzaku said.
"No kidding," Lelouch said. "Now will you get off me?"
Suzaku complied as he and Lelouch walked back to the truck. Together, they helped the girl out and set her down. For some reason, her golden eyes seem to focus on Lelouch. They began to release her restraints.
"Tell me the truth, Suzaku. Why the hell does Britannia have a girl in a capsule?" Lelouch demanded as he removed her gag.
"Hey, it's what they told us in the briefing. I swear!" Suzaku said as he released her legs.
"Then clearly they were lying," Lelouch said. It appeared that Britannia has stooped to human experimentation. But for what? Then another thought occurred to him. Why couldn't he sense her when he first got on that damn truck. He didn't get a chance to even think about it before the subway is flooded with light.
"Stinking monkey!"
Standing in front of floodlights are ten men with assault rifles aimed at them. All of them are dressed in a dark red standard Britannian Army uniform. At the front is who Lelouch assumed to be the leader due to the flat cap and black baldric. They must be the Royal Guard assigned to Clovis.
This is bad. Because if they are here, then Clovis must've sent them to recover the girl. Which meant that Clovis is behind whatever he's trying to do with her.
"Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"
"But sir, I was told this was poison gas!" Suzaku said as he rushed towards the officer.
"How dare you question orders!"
"Well things just got worse," Lelouch muttered as he stayed near the girl. They must be under orders to retrieve the girl. In that case, it must be because they didn't want anyone else to know about her. Which would mean that they want no witnesses. He was proven right.
"However, in light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient," the officer as he hands him a pistol. "Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist."
"But he's not a terrorist!" Suzaku protested. "He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!"
"You insubordinate little…!" the officer growled. "That's an order. Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?!"
"Yes, but…but I can't."
"What?" the officer growled.
"I won't do it, sir," Suzaku said firmly as he faced Lelouch with a smile. "I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir."
"Very well."
Lelouch's eyes went wide when the officer pressed the pistol in the armor gap between Suzaku's backplate and his belt. Before he could do anything, the officer fired the gun at point-blank range.
"Suzaku!" Lelouch cried out as his friend fell to the ground. To his horror, he couldn't sense brain activity going on. He stared at Suzaku's body as if expecting him to get up. This can't be happening.
Not again…first my mother…then Lisanna…
"Well, Britannian schoolboy," the officer that killed Suzaku said condescendingly. "Not a good day to cut class. Collect the girl. After you've—"
The officer couldn't finish that sentence as he felt a wave of dread wash over him. The rest of the royal guard were experiencing the same thing. For some reason, the room felt heavy and cold. Slowly, Lelouch stood up despite the guns trained on him. The girl watched with wide eyes as his flesh gave off a red glow as bits of rubble floated into the air. His eyes became black pools as they glared at the royal guard.
Murderous rage.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Slowly, Lelouch held out his hand towards them. Before he could act, he felt the hairs on his neck stand up and his anger gave way to caution. Quickly, he covered the girl with his body as the truck exploded. The force of the explosion rocked the subway and made the ceiling collapse. Chunks of rubble came raining down where they were all standing.
After several minutes, the dust began to settle. The girl opened her eyes to see Lelouch kneeling with his hands spread out. She saw, to her amazement, that they are covered in a dome of red energy. With a grunt of effort, the dome dispersed in a wave of force that blasted the rubble off them.
"Sorry about that," Lelouch groaned as he stood up. "I and a few friends discover that in some cases, telekinetic energy manifests in a color that highlights what we affect. In my case, it manifests as red. Personally…I'd prefer if it were invisible."
The raven-haired teen looked over at a wall of rubble. That was where the Royal Guard was standing before the explosion. In all the confusion, he completely forgot about the second terrorist. They must've wired C4 somewhere on the truck. It looked like he wanted to take anyone that tried to take the capsule with him. All that did was make things harder.
"Well, we need to get out of here," Lelouch said as he dusted himself off. "If you've got questions about what I did, please save them for later. I'll take you someplace safe. Which might be a problem considering that I have no idea where to go."
The girl didn't seem to laugh at his light-hearted attempt at a joke. After he helped her up, they began walking through the subway ruins. It was dark, barely lit by the light seeping through the cracks. But it was eerie walking through a shadow of former Japan. Especially when he witnessed his best friend being murdered for refusing to abandon his conscience. He berated himself for not doing something sooner.
"So why does Clovis have you in that capsule?" Lelouch asked after what seemed like ten minutes. "What's he trying to do?"
The girl didn't answer him, which caused him to frown. Could she not speak? Or maybe she was not answering him like he wasn't about his display of power. It looked like he was going to have to dive in. But before he could reach out, he heard explosions coming from above.
"What the—" Lelouch cried out as he stared upwards. "Give me a second."
He closed his eyes as he reached out. The teen felt another person's mind and chose that one. Soon, his vision was filled with a first-person view of a Ghetto. The person was sitting down and leaning on a crutch. Then, right next to them, the wall bursts as a Knightmare frame, a Sutherland, came wheeling and aimed a mega-size assault rifle at him. The last thing he saw was the Knightmare firing.
"Argh!" Lelouch cried out as he felt the connection break. Breathing heavily, he leaned back against a wall and palmed his forehead. He reached out again to another mind, just in time to see that one gets slaughtered. Again and again, he got the same result. The Britannian military is slaughtering people. The girl watched him with curiosity.
"They're killing everyone…" Lelouch said at last before looking at her. "They're killing everyone in the Ghetto…all for you."
Clovis must want her if he's willing to go this far to cover up her existence. He was so in shock that he didn't notice another explosion rock the subway. This caused another piece of rubble to fall right where he was standing. With wide eyes, the girl pushed him out of the way as it fell on her. Lelouch sat himself up to see, to his horror, that the rubble not only crushed her but pierced her with rebar through the heart. He knew because he rolled it off her with telekinesis.
Lelouch silently stood up and approached the girl. She just laid there with her eyes open and unmoving. He may not have known her, no thanks to her silence, but he never harbored anger for what happened. She wasn't the one who shot Suzaku nor order the massacre that is happening right now. He only held that anger towards those responsible for such actions.
"I'm sorry…" Lelouch said somberly. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you…"
He had just reached over to close her eyes when she suddenly grabbed him by the wrist. Immediately, he was bombarded by images. It was like he left his body without willing it. Most of the images, he couldn't understand. Then, he heard the same voice as the one from the truck.
"In exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true…"
Then, he found himself back in the subway tunnel. He wrenched his wrist out of the girl's grip, which had fallen to the ground lifeless. Lelouch stared at her for several seconds, waiting for her to get up. But she never rose. He knew he wasn't imagining things.
"What did you do?" Lelouch asked. "And what was your wish?"
He never got his answer. After giving her a silent prayer, he waved his hand over her body. Instantly, her body became immolated. He wasn't going to let Britannia have her remains. Not after the hell they likely put her through.
Speaking of which…
Lelouch continued to walk through the subway tunnels at a steady pace. As he walked, he could feel more people dying from the monsters disguised as humans. Every minute enraged him.
To hell with Social Darwinism! It didn't matter if you were born in a different country or of common birth.
To hell with status! Nobles may look down at common folk with that superiority air, but nobody is their toy. Nobody is anybody's tool, asset, or even puppet.
And to hell with the emperor! Magnolia may not be Britannia, but they are far more empowered and better than she could ever be.
It was time to teach them a lesson.
He finally reached a flight of concrete stairs. As he ascended, he heard the cry of a child and a gunshot. When he emerged from the subway, he found himself face to face with the Royal Guard from before. They must've assumed that they have survived and moved to intercept them here.
"Wow, look at this," Lelouch drawled, causing them to aim their weapons at them. "It looks like Clovis' dogs had survived after all."
"That's Prince Clovis to you boy," the officer declared firmly, but fear was evident in his voice. "Now where's the girl?"
"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked as his flesh began to glow. "You have no problem killing a child, so why are you having one killing a schoolboy. Or have you realized that the only ones who should kill, are those who are prepared to be killed?!"
"What's going on?!" the officer demanded. "Who…what are you?!"
"DIE!"
At his command, the royal guard held their guns to their head and pulled the trigger. With a series of bangs, the guard killed themselves with their weapons. Lelouch coldly watched their bodies fall to the ground. His voice radiated with power as he made his declaration.
"My name is Lelouch Lamperouge! I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard…and my war with Britannia begins now."
[~][~]
Greetings and Bienvenu readers.
It appears I still have time before I must undertake my journey. So, I decided to update as many of my fics as I can before I leave. Except for the ones on hiatus.
While it is stifling to write this chapter with the canon, the battle of Shinjuku has its significance. It marked the beginning of Lelouch's war with Britannia. It should be fitting that he displays the power of a Fairy Tail wizard there. I don't intend on sticking too close to the canon though. I'm going to get a little crazy.
As for his magic, Lelouch is going to be a second case. I'm sure you can tell by now that the monster at the beginning of this chapter is an Illithid, better known as a Mindflayer or Brainflayer if you prefer. Given the nature that they are interdimensional eldritch horrors, they provide a better explanation as to how Lelouch ended up in Fiore. Given how Code Geass adds elements of psychic powers (Geass), I decided to expand upon that with Psionics. More details will come in later chapters along with his experience in Fairy Tail.
Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Until next time.