"Lelouch"-Speech
'What'-Thoughts
"{Live}"-Geass Command
"Stop"-Loudspeaker
"Report"-Radio
Chapter 21: Gathering Storms Pt.2
September 13th, Viceroy Palace, 7:05 A.M.
Rai Valstar
Rai's father, Talian Valstar, was silent as his son told him that he remembered part of his past. It was always a fear of his when Nonette told him that he was bringing Rai with her to Area 11. However, nothing to do now but ride it out.
"Tell me what happened."
"We were raiding a base when it happened."
(Yesterday, during Kawasaki raid)
Rai, alongside two Royal Guards, was making a last sweep of the base before they pulled out. Rai noticed a room that was locked down, labeled OFF LIMITS. Motioning to the two, they fired on the door, causing it to slide open. The room was covered with dust and cobwebs. Clearly, no one has used this room for years. Using his crossbow to clear a path through the cobwebs, he approached an empty glass container. Upon touching it, he lurched forward in pain.
"Lord Valstar!" The Royal Guards exclaimed, coming to his support. However, Rai didn't hear them, as his vision went white.
Then, he was standing in the middle of a village. Japanese, based on architecture, with mountains on all sides. The sky was clear, the breeze was gentle. He watched as children ran across the town square. Nearby, he saw a woman, buying groceries from the nearby market place. Rai gave a small smile. Despite how much he loved his father, he never enjoyed the political intrigue of nobility. A simple life was all he wanted. That's why he enjoyed Nonette, and saw her as a big sister. She was more down to earth than any of the other Knights of the Round.
The woman turned, and Rai's smile faded: the woman's face was blurred. He looked around, and saw that everyone else's face was also blurred. He heard a woman scream.
"We had a deal!"
The second voice was much younger, and male.
"And I'm altering the deal."
When Rai blinked, the village was burning, the sky blackened from smoke, and Britannian bombers flying overhead. He turned, and saw the woman, her face still blurred, trying to get a burning pillar off her back. Rai ran to her, but a bomb dropped on top of her, killing her, and sending him flying back.
When he lifted his head, still prone to the ground, the bombers were gone, and instead of burning buildings, a group of men were scouring the area. Their clothing was pitch black, and they had rectangular devices strapped to their backs. One of them approached a house, pulled out a tube that was connected to the device, and shot out blue flames. Rai looked closer, and saw a symbol on his left shoulder: A downward facing sword, with a snake wrapped downward around it, the head of the snake diving upward, eating the bottom (top?) half of the blade.
Rai turned his head, and saw a boy, with long blonde hair. His back was to him, so he couldn't get a good look at the boy's face. The boy began to turn~
"RAI!" a voice called out to him, "RAI! RAI!"
Rai shook his head. He was back in the base. The Royal Guards had pulled him out of the room, and set him down against the hallway wall. He was sweating profusely. Nonette was right in his face, fear on her face. When it became clear that he was now aware of his surroundings, Nonette backed her face up.
"Rai," she said, "Are you alright?"
"...Y-Yeah. Just," Rai stroked a hand across his apparently wet hair, "Just give me a minute."
Nonette nodded, before turning her attention to the two Guards. "Leave us."
They saluted and headed down opposite directions, stopping just at both ends of the hallway to keep watch. Nonette then gripped Rai into a hug.
"Bloody hell," Nonette said, though it was clear that she wanted to scream that, "You scared the devil out of me." After a moment, she released him. "Now, what just happened?"
Rai told her what he saw, to which Nonette simply frowned in concern.
"I believe this is something that you should discuss with your father."
Rai nodded, before the two got back up and began heading out of the facility.
(Present)
Lord Valstar looked solemnly at his adoptive son. Seven years, not one hint about his past. Now, only a month or so in Area 11, and a piece of his past surfaced, and in a Britannian laboratory, of all places.
Talian sighed, "I'm not gonna pretend that you don't know how we found you. I was ordered to destroy what we were told was a military base. As you know, that wasn't the case. Normally, before we do bombing runs on specific locations, we scout them out, find out the best possible direction to come from, priority targets. We weren't allowed that, though. I've always wondered why we weren't told the true nature of the target. Rai, are you certain of the symbol on the men's uniforms?"
Rai nodded.
"I was afraid of that. The symbol belongs to a branch of the OSI called the Cleaners."
Rai's eyes widened. The Office of Secret Intelligence was the boogeyman of Britannia. They were a group dealing with espionage, assassination, and everything in between, who only answered to the Emperor himself. Though not officially listed as a military group, they existed, and you didn't talk about them openly unless you had a death wish. Though his father was a Viceroy, and he was the Squire for a Knight of the Round, both had little knowledge about the group's activities.
"The OSI?" Rai replied, out of fear rather than curiosity.
"Yes. The Cleaners were, as you can guess, sent in to deal with any failed jobs, make sure any sign of their involvement is removed. Whatever your home was involved with, the OSI had a hand in it. 'We had a deal' seems like the village made some arrangements with the OSI to ensure their safety. A foolish idea if 'I'm altering the deal' is anything to go by. Based on timing, I'm guessing that the OSI wanted to liquidate their asset, then have my forces bomb the village, leaving no evidence of their involvement."
Rai gripped his chair. He always wanted to make the person who took everything from him pay. However, if this person was part of the OSI, then he stood no chance of getting justice legally, and an almost zero chance illegally.
"Rai," Talian said, getting his son's attention, "If you get anything more, please come to me. However, don't try to actively search for it. If you do, you might attract their attention. Let your memories return naturally."
"Yes, father."
Talian Valstar gave a sad smile, "Good luck, my boy." And the call ended. Rai stood up, removed the device from the screen, and left, dejected.
The Nest, 7:27 A.M.
Zero
Zero was currently inside his office, waiting for certain members to arrive. Shirley was currently sitting on a coach, with practically all the Dark Council members in various parts of the room. The only ones who haven't arrived were Minami, Tamaki, and Kallen. Zero was also waiting for Katase, as he was now the head of the Infantry Forces. He wasn't part of the Dark Council, but he was deserving of such a position. Celaeno was standing near Shirley, as a form of mental comfort.
The door opened, with Minami and Tamaki walking in, Tamaki instantly seeing the girl.
"Um, who brought the cute one?"
Shirley eeped, but Celaeno placed a hand on her shoulder.
"She's part of this meeting," Celaeno said, before her voice turned venomous, "And I wouldn't try getting nice with her."
Tamaki instantly understood what she was implying, and waved his hands in front of him to defend his words. "GiiiI didn't mean it like that. Besides, I'm more into black haired women."
"Good."
The door opened, revealing Katase and Kallen. Shirley's eyes widened.
"Kallen?"
"Hey, Shirley." Kallen replied.
"Wait," Ohgi interjected, "You know her?"
"Yeah. She's one of my classmates."
Shirley was bugeyed, unable to comprehend how her normally sickly friend is somehow a member of the Black Knights.
"Alright," Zero exclaimed, "Before we begin, we should address the elephant in the room: Why is this girl here. As you know, Code R is a Black Ops Britannian group that we've been working to hunt down. Shirley's father, Joseph Fenette, used to work for them, and he's been gracious enough to provide us with the general locations of several bases, one of which we hit yesterday."
"Your dad helped a group torture C.C. here?" Tamaki said angrily.
"Well~I~Uh~"
"First, Tamaki, Mr. Fenette was a financial worker for them. He only made sure they spent their money effectively. Second, he wasn't told anything about the project until he signed on, at which point, attempting to leave would result in his death. So, don't heckle her."
"Right. Sorry."
"While her family is unaware of her joining, she's fully willing to help our cause. As you know, I was put out of commission during our last battle at Yokosuka. A Britannian soldier found me unconscious, and would've turned me in. However, for reasons I will not get into, Shirley was at the docks, and pulled a gun on the soldier. She had never got into a fight all her life, and, yet, she was willing to fire a gun to protect me. Had Diethard Ried not stepped in, she would've shot the woman, and most likely killed her."
Kallen sat down next to Shirley, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks."
Shirley nodded, before Zero continued.
"Her skill set would be perfect for our medical centers. However, for the time being, when she's not doing school work, and should she decide to come here, she'll be working in the cafeteria. I want you to be able to ease your way into this."
Shirley nodded, putting a smile on. She may be willing to help the Black Knights, but Lelouch wasn't going to put her in the medical centers, where, once things really start to heat up, will have plenty of bloodied patients.
"Now, onto the first topic of today. As you know, this Nest is built under the Ashford Private Academy. The Ashford family has been instrumental in the creation of the Black Knights, and I feel it only necessary that you finally meet our biggest contributors."
A side door opened, revealing a young blonde girl with blue eyes, and a much older man, with grayed hair and green eyes.
"Gentlemen, may I introduce Reuben Ashford, Headmaster of Ashford Academy, and his granddaughter, Millicent Ashford."
"Call me Milly."
"GodDAMN!" Tamaki exclaimed, "Kallen, do all your classmates look this good."
"I'd be careful where your eyes look, Mister Shinichiro." Reuben calmly said, however his tone announced all the threats he needed.
"Woah, hey! First, it was a compliment. Second, I don't date anyone that's 18 or under and still in school. That's my rule."
"I think," Kallen retorted, smirking, "He meant that Zero already called dibs on her."
"WHAT?!"
Zero slapped his helmet, while Milly just lost it. Even though no one else was laughing, Milly's laugh was infectious, and the ones who weren't shellshocked simply gave a smile.
"What? Wait, you were going to tell us that, right?"
"Well," Zero retorted, "It seems I have no choice, now."
Kallen's face was red with embarrassment. How could she blunder that badly.
"Oh," Milly said, still giggling, "Don't feel bad. It was bound to be discovered eventually. Might as well get it out of the way."
"Could we get back on track." Katase inquired, having a smirk, but remaining professional.
'Mental note: Thank Katase later.' "Yes, let's continue. Reuben Ashford joined my cause early on, long before the Nest was even a concept. For years, he has used his resources not only to build our network, but recruit talented individuals such as Robbinson and the Twins."
"Not only that," Reuben continued, "But, some would say that Ashford runs the Tokyo Settlement. Half of all small time businesses are owned by my family, and a third of the manufacturing industry is under my control. That's not even considering the other businesses scattered across Japan. My family may have fallen from grace, but we're still powerful, if only in Japan."
"Jeez," Yoshida said, "Guess that explains where all our raw materials come from."
"Yes," Zero replied, "Not only that, but, each business under the Ashford control has at least one person working as a spy for us. This has allowed us to have eyes everywhere in Tokyo. However, onto other matters. As Millicent is still in school, I don't expect her to take combat, so she will be placed in the Relations and Reconstruction Branch, under your command, Ohgi."
"I'll do my best with her, Sir."
"A warning: She's worse than the Twins, if you catch my drift."
Every Black Knight stilled, knowing just how much the Twins like to prank people.
"Oh, don't worry, Zero," Milly countered, "This place is too important for me to pull any pranks."
"Says the Witch of Ashford." Milly gave her trademark smirk, sending a shiver down the Dark Council's backs.
"Reuben will be managing our financial concerns from now on."
"Woah, wait," Tamaki replied, "Should we really have our finances run this guy?"
"Tamaki, as we've discussed. Based on our plans, it's inevitable that Britannians will join our cause."
"I'm not talking about him being Britannian, I'm talking about him being involved with half of Tokyo's businesses."
The others were slightly confused at Tamaki's words, but Reuben and Zero understood clearly.
'Smarter than I gave him credit for.' "I assume you mean that, since Reuben is already working with dozens of other businesses, that his work with us might slip."
"Yeah!"
"Have no fear, Tamaki," Reuben assured, "I've been running the finances for the Nest and, by extension, the Black Knights, for years, without incident. This was just making it official. If I'm able to hide my efforts from my own children, I think we'll be fine."
That got several of them confused. Weren't the majority of the Ashford family on their side?
"To answer your eventual questions, only Reuben and Millicent are on our side. Reuben's daughter-in-law is a textbook Britannian at heart, while his son is simply a puppet of his wife. Neither of them know about Reuben and Milly's involvement in our cause."
"The less we speak about my mother and father, the better."
"Kallen, could you give Millicent and Shirley a tour, while we focus on other aspects of the meeting."
"Sure."
Kallen, Shirley and Milly all took their leave as Zero continued the meeting.
"Onto other matters. Minami, have you had any luck finding Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords."
"None. We found where they hid at Narita, and we've been following the trail. We know they went North, then turned West once they were near Chikusei. We tracked it to a Britannian supply depot on the outskirts of Komoro, where it seems they abandoned their Knightmares. It's been slow going since."
"Keep searching. I'm halting all military operations until we find them, so use the extra resources wisely."
"Yes, Sir."
Viceroy Palace, 10:45 A.M.
Suzaku
Suzaku walked down the halls of the palace, alongside Rai and Nonette, heading for the Viceroy's office.
"How was your call, Rai." Nonette gleefully inquired, though Suzaku noted a concerned tone to it.
"Very...informative." Rai replied, almost dejectedly.
"What happened?"
"Only that my target is outside legal authority."
"Target?" Suzaku exclaimed.
'Who is he trying to get?'
"Right," Nonette replied, "His birth home was bombed, though it had no military value. We have been trying to find out who did it for years. Don't worry, my little Squire. If you ever need a rule broken,you know I'll be there."
'HUH?!' "B-bu-b-but you're a Knight of the Round."
Nonette clearly understood what Suzaku was meaning, and stopped walking.
"Suzaku," Nonette said solemnly, "I'd like to give you some advice: There are no such things as white knights."
Suzaku looked confused at her statement, so she continued.
"Even in the purest of tales, of knights slaying dragons to save a princess, or a hero defeating a cruel tyrant, they aren't white knights. Every hero either had to bloody their hands, or bloody their ideals. If you wish to change things, you'll have to bloody both if you want it to happen. I can understand wanting to keep things clean. However, even terrorists like Zero understand that our people won't listen to reason. At least, not with the path they're going right now."
Suzaku stared solemnly at them.
'Why? Why can't people understand that their efforts are meaningless if it's done through contemptible means?'
'Is it they who don't understand? Or you?' Genbu Kururugi retorted. Suzaku widened his eyes and whipped his head around, only to find nothing there.
"Something wrong?" Rai inquired.
"...No. I thought I heard something."
With that, the three continued towards the Viceroy's office, though Suzaku did look over his shoulder every now and then.
Upon entering the room, Suzaku's eyes were drawn to a large painting. One depicting a younger Lelouch, alongside his sister Nunnally, and his mother Marianne.
'Wherever you are, I'll help protect you.'
"Seems we're the first ones here." Nonette exclaimed.
"You don't seem to understand, Dorothea." The voice of Lloyd was heard as the door opened. Dorothea, Lloyd, and Cecile all entered.
"What I understand is that you refuse to upgrade my weapons."
"And, as I've told you, your miniguns are built into the Palomides. Upgrading them to VARIS will drain too much power. The only way to compensate this is by tearing the Palomides apart, and rebuilding it from the ground up. However, you won't let me do this."
"And, as I have told you, the Palomides Frumgero is under my family's jurisdiction. If you want to rebuild it completely, you'll have to get their permission."
"Considering that they are a 'rival' business, how do you think that will go."
Dorothea smirked, already anticipating that question.
"Dorothea," Nonette intervened, "If you don't simply let Lloyd do this, then you'll start to fall behind. Do that, and I can't guarantee you won't return home in a bodybag."
Dorothea's smirk faded, and she glared at Nonette. The two looked like they were about to rip each other limb from limb.
'They are supposed to be on the same side. This is why Zero keeps winning!'
"Was this drawn by Prince Clovis?" Cecile exclaimed, looking at the picture and trying to defuse the tension.
'Thank Kami for Cecile.'
It seemed to work, as the group turned their attention to it.
"Yes," Nonette replied, "I met Prince Clovis a couple times, once when he was making a painting. He had, well, as you can see, picture perfect memory. He always did enjoy Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally's company."
"Hmph," Dorothea huffed, "His Highness had a soft spot for the Commoner Queen's children?"
Bad move.
It almost seemed as Nonette teleported, as she charged at Dorothea, grabbed her by the scruff of her uniform, and slammed her against the wall, the impact tilting the painting.
"You can insult me, you can insult the soldiers, but, never insult Lady Marianne or her children! One more insult, and I won't hesitate to duel you here and now!"
"You may have authority here, Nonette," Dorothea countered, "But, remember, I'm still your better in combat."
Nonette barked in laughter, "Is that what you think. You may have been a Knight of the Round longer than me, but I'll let you in on a secret. Emperor Charles has given me many chances to move up the ranking, but I've refused every time."
Dorothea looked bewildered, "Why?"
"To be a roadblock. The only way you can advance ahead of me is by being better than me. You got a freebee as you became the Knight of Five before I became the Knight of Nine. But," Nonette released her grip, "Make no mistake. You may be the higher rank, but I'm the better fighter."
Dorothea's glare turned deadly, and it looked like she was ready to pounce right back at her. Suzaku turned, and saw that Rai had his pistol upholstered, and was ready to draw it on Dorothea.
The door opened, and the Rui Britannians, alongside Dalton and Guilford, entered. Pollux need only look at the others to guess what was going on.
"Need I remind you, Dorothea," Pollux exclaimed, "That you are here under my request. So, I would demand that you do not antagonize the others."
With his words, the situation defused itself. Cecile corrected the painting, while Pollux sat at his desk.
"Now, we are here to discuss the current situation. Dalton, how's the status of the ghettos?"
"At first, the number of people leaving them to join the Black Knights was high. However, recently, that number has dropped to almost nothing. At the same time, conditions within the ghettos have been improving due to the efforts of several charity groups, namely the Britannian Reclamation Organization. Their efforts have been almost tripled since the Black Knights appeared."
Suzaku dipped his head down, knowing why this was happening, but he couldn't say a thing.
"Do you believe there's a connection?" Castor replied.
"Regardless," Dorothea retorted, "This should stop at once. We can't show sympathy to the Numbers~"
"No, only a response. They BRO," Castor snorted at the abbreviation, much to his brother's displeasure, "Most likely is doing this to ensure that the least amount of people want to join the Black Knights. People are less likely to fight for change if they're content with what they have. So, Dorothea, do you think your plan of stopping these efforts will actually help?"
"If we don't, then we only show our people that Zero is right. Perhaps some of our people will turn traitor, and join him."
"It's a slippery slope, either way. However, I won't waste resources if it simply brings us to the same result: Zero is getting stronger every day."
"We've discovered," Guilford continued, "And raided two bases that seemed to house Black Knights. However, not only were they long gone by the time we got there, but they seemed to be recent bases, as the sigils inside resembled the JLF."
"On that subject, how has the chase for Kyoshiro Tohdoh."
"We almost had him at Komoro, but they slipped away. We damaged their Knightmares beyond repair, though."
"Which means they're on foot," Castor replied, before looking at Suzaku, "Lieutenant, what's your opinion on our hunt for Tohdoh?"
"Opinion?" Suzaku retorted, unsure what he meant, much to Dorothea's displeasure.
"Why are we asking him?"
"Because he's an Eleven," Pollux retorted, "Sometimes you need a native to hunt a native. Not only that, but a little research shows that he was trained by Tohdoh."
"And why would he be willing to help us hunt down his teacher?"
Pollux said nothing, but the message was conveyed.
Show us your loyalty to our cause, Suzaku.
Suzaku didn't like it, however, a higher rank will allow him more pull when he has to help Lelouch, when Jeremiah finds him.
"Do we have a map?"
Pollux nodded, before pressing a button. The room dimmed, and the armor-piercing bulletproof window turned black, before a map of Area 11 was shown on the window.
"As stated, we almost had him at Komoro. Dalton, do we know which way he went?"
"Yes. We spotted tracks leading North-East. Lieutenant Kururugi, where do you think the most likely place he'll head to next."
Suzaku looked at the map. He understood how Tohdoh dealt with chases. The only reason they saw the tracks so easily was because Tohdoh was leading a false trail. He'll double back, this time actually trying to hide his tracks. However, near Komoro that he could~Suzaku dipped his head down.
'Of course he'd go there.' "He'll head towardsTakayama."
"Why there?" Castor inquired, "There's nothing strategic about that place."
"It's...where they buried my father after he...committed suicide."
"Not only that," Guilford continued, "But, based on his trajectory, he'd most like go to Ono next. We have an understaffed supply depot. He could resupply there and continue on before we could get any reinforcements. Well down, Kururugi."
"Yeah." Suzaku replied, though it was clear his thoughts were somewhere else.
"Alright," Pollux exclaimed, "We have other things to discuss, however, I believe now would be a good time for a break. Dismissed."
The Nest, 2:48 P.M.
Milly Ashford
Milly, Kallen, Minami, and Ohgi were all nearing Zero and Celaeno's private training ring. Shirley was with Inoue, who was giving her the rundown of the people of the Nest. Minami, thanks to Milly's grandfather, had just gotten info regarding a new Knightmare that arrived yesterday. And, if it was a new Knightmare, and not a shipment of Knightmares, it means a new ace pilot to deal with.
Arriving at an entrance guarded by two men, they quickly scanned the group. Since this was their private ring, sometimes they wouldn't have their masks on. These two guards were to ensure no one unauthorized could enter easily.
Seeing that all were cleared, they opened the door, and the four entered, seeing their leaders in a training fight. Zero had two training batons, one shorter than the other, representing his sword and dagger, while Celaeno had a training staff. The two attacked and defended in rapid pace, and it was almost mesmerizing, seeing Zero flip the smaller baton into a reverse grip to block an attack, only to flip it back just as fast. Sakoyo watched from the sidelines, taking mental notes on how they fought. Even after all these years, the two still couldn't beat her in a fight, at least one on one.
The duel came to a head when Celaeno first disarmed Zero's 'dagger', before slamming the 'sword' away. Celaeno then did a wide swing at Zero, but he crouched under it. In the motion of standing up, he swung a right hook straight into her head, sending her to the ground. Apparently, that may not have been a good idea, as Zero immediately started shaking his wrist. However, that gave her an opening, as she swept her leg, kicking his legs and sending him to the ground. Before he landed, she rolled to the spot where he would fall and, when he landed on her, she placed the staff across his neck, putting him in a choke hold. Zero tried to pull the staff off his throat, but his sister held firm.
Eventually, Zero had to concede, and slammed an opened hand to the floor several times. Celaeno released her grip. Zero crouched up, taking his helmet off as he heaved and coughed.
Celeano followed suit, at least for the first part.
"I have to admit," Cornelia said, rubbing her chin, "You are getting better. While punching my metal helmet may not have been the wisest choice, it did catch me off guard."
"My right hand is preferring to agree with you."
"Zero," Ohgi exclaimed, getting both of their attention, "We've just gotten some info that you should know."
Both putting their helmets back on, the two approached the group.
"What's the situation?" Zero inquired.
"My grandfather," Milly replied, "Recently had a Knightmare shipped through one of his warehouses, before it was quickly delivered straight to the Viceroy Palace. If it was a shipment, we wouldn't think much of it, but it was a single Knightmare."
"This is what we could get," Ohgi handed Zero a datapad, "Before it was taken."
Zero looked at the datapad. It looked like a blue Gloucester, but more streamlined, and it's arms were bulkier than normal Knightmares. Not only that, but there was a hatch on each of the lower arms, clearly hiding something. He then saw the name of the Knightmare: Palomides Frumgero.
"We could only get what it looks like and a name."
"That's not good."
"Huh?"
Zero quickly searched through the database, looking up the Knightmare's name.
"Palomides Frumgero, a 6th Gen Knightmare specializing in heavy long-range assault, and piloted by Dorothea Ernst, the Knight of Five."
Most of them stiffened at his words. One Knight of the Round was bad enough, but now two?!
"You're saying another Knight has joined the battle?"
"And a more skilled one, too, if the number actually equates to skill. Not only that, but her personality will cause issues."
"Clarify."
"Dorothea Ernst," Celaeno replied, "Is a Britannian supremacist. When it comes to Numbers, she has no regard for their well being. The Rui Britannians and Nonette at least won't target your people unless absolutely necessary. Dorothea wouldn't care one way or another if your people are caught in the firing line."
"Minami, I want any and all intel on her combat tactics. Ohgi, when are we supposed to get that scientist from Kyoto?"
"They say that the Guren's developer, Rakshata Chawla, should be arriving the day after tomorrow."
"Good. Inform the Twins to clear some space. We'll need another 7th Gen Knightmare as soon as possible."
Ashford Academy, 9:15 P.M.
Lelouch
Lelouch looked over the paperwork for the Black Knights in his private office at the Lamperouge Manor, alongside C.C. and Sayoko. The storm outside was raging, with no signs of stopping.
"The Chinese Federation?" C.C. inquired, "Why am I going there?"
"There are several arrangements that I would like to form. As well as certain individuals that I'd like to be acquainted to. One of them being the Empress Tianzi," Sayoko handed him some gyokuro, "Thank you, Sayoko."
"Of course, my Lord."
"Oh?," C.C. continued, "And how do you intend to do that, boyo?"
"Almost all of the military is loyal to the High Eunuchs, however, one Li Xingke is fiercely loyal to the Empress. It is my belief that he would wish to restore her authority as ruler of the nation."
"Wanting to take another empire?"
Lelouch made a sound like a blend of a chuckle and a scoff, "Of course not. I'm simply getting the ball rolling, and seeing where opportunity takes us. Your plane leaves tomorrow."
"Not giving me much time to prepare, are you?"
"The sooner we can get you there, the better."
"This is about Mao, isn't it?"
Lelouch's eyes told of 'Of course it is'.
"I don't like the idea of you facing him without me, Lelouch."
"Simply put, C.C., your emotions for him would cause you to hesitate. In this line of work, that can be fatal. I can't afford even a moment's hesitation."
"Even so~"
Lelouch held up a hand to stop her. An eerie silence fell upon them.
'Something's wrong. But, what is it?' Lelouch then realized: The rain had gotten louder, and a cold breeze was in the room. Someone had opened the window!
Sayoko instantly moved into action, flinging a kunai at the window. An unknown assailant caught the dagger between two fingers just as it reached his head, before chucking his own kunai at her. Sayoko caught it just before it reached her face. Silence over took the four, as Lelouch gripped the pistol on his desk, ready for any movements. Finally, the intruder spoke in Japanese..
"{I did not think anyone else from our family survived, sibling.}"
"{Who was your teacher!}" Sayoko demanded.
"{Mitahisha. You?}"
"{Kakashi.}"
"{Ah, that explains it. You were three floors above me, so we would have no reason to meet. It also explains your skill.}" Lelouch saw a thin trail of blood roll down the masked face. Apparently, he caught her kunai much closer than Sayoko caught his.
"I bear no ill will to you, Lord Zero," the man said in english, "I am Eien Chusei Shinozaki. I come bearing a message from Empress Kaguya Sumeragi."
'Ah. This makes sense.' With the Emperor Oda Chichuhide, as well as the rest of his family reportedly killed, the Kururugi family was technically next in line. However, since Suzaku was disowned from his family following his admission into the Britannian military, Kaguya was next in line for the Chrysanthemum throne. For her to send a gift to him isn't surprising. However… "How long have you been searching for me?"
"My lady tasked me last night with delivering this message."
'It took him less than twenty four hours to find me?! I can't tell if I'm getting lazy, or he's that good.' "And the message?"
"Kyoto is currently divided on the subject, concerning that you're a child of Emperor Charles."
'So, he told them. Unfortunate, but not unexpected.'
"While Lord Kirihara and Lady Kaguya are adamantly on your side, the others are either fervently against helping you, or are unsure of your intentions. Some believe that you intend to rule Japan yourself once Britannia has been defeated."
Lelouch scoffed, "I have no desire to rule."
"Those that have no desire are usually the most fitted for the role. Regardless, Kyoto is split, and Kaguya fears that a schism may occur. If that happens, any support from Kyoto will be halted indefinitely."
"Not surprising. Kyoto's help is good, but I don't need them to succeed. Anything else?"
"Yes. Two things, however, one is personal, while the other is a gift from the Empress."
Eien dropped to the ground, kneeling, his wet body damping the carpet floor, much to Sayoko's irritation. He reached back, and pulled out a box wrapped in a dampened cloth. Removing it, the box turned out to be dry. Lelouch instantly recognized the Oda symbol. Sayoko reached out to the box, intending to make sure it wasn't trapped, however Eien quickly brought his arms in.
"Only for Zero, as Lady Kaguya expressly ordered."
Lelouch stood up, and the man outstretched his arms again. Lelouch picked up the box, opening it, his eyes widening in shock. He had only seen it once, but it wasn't something easily forgotten.
'This sword is~'
"Lady Kaguya believed that the new hero of Japan should have a symbol of Japan's warrior spirit. I hope the sword of Oda Nobunaga is a fitting symbol."
"It most certainly is. I'll have to change my fighting style, but I believe that extra lessons will be worth it, in the end."
"I appreciate your gratitude."
"And, what was the personal reason?"
Eien looked nervous. Well, as nervous as a man could when all you could see were his eyes.
"Forgive me, but I wouldn't wish to speak ill of Lady Kaguya."
"Why would you call it that?"
Eien sighed, having made a decision, "Lady Kaguya has become infatuated with you, Lord Zero."
Lelouch held a groan. He knew exactly what he was going to say next.
"Let me guess: She wishes to marry me."
"As you say. It was more of a dream to her. However, with your identity as Lelouch revealed to her, it changed to a goal."
Lelouch didn't bother holding his groan in this time.
'Never let Milly find out about this!' "Why tell me this?"
"I would rather you have time to think it over, rather than here simply declaring it, especially if it was during a moment of crisis."
"How considerate."
C.C. giggled, "I wonder how the Empress would react to you having two girlfriends already."
"C.C.," Lelouch venomously retorted, "You aren't helping."
"I doubt my Lady would have any objections, so long as you treat her as equally as you would her."
Lelouch sighed, "Is that all?"
"Yes, Lord Zero."
"Then, before you go, I need to ask Kaguya a message."
"As you wish."
"Ask her to look into something called 'Tsar Taigun no'."
"As you command, so it shall be."
Lelouch turned, placing the box on his desk, with C.C. watching it with interest. Sayoko never took her eyes off the man. The rain became quieter, and the breeze was gone.
"Then I believe our business is con~" He turned around, only to see the man gone, and the window closed.
Sayoko smirked. "He's a Shinozaki, alright."
Lelouch turned back to the sword. He noticed a small lever just below the blade guard. If he held the blade, he could easily move it using his thumb. Pulling it down, the red line down the blade blackened, matching the color of the sword itself.
"Sayoko?"
"Yes, Lelouch-sama?"
"I'll wish to test this sword tomorrow. Find an appropriate time for me to dual."
"Of course, my Lord."
Tokyo Ghettos
Mao
Mao stood on a hill, overlooking the Tokyo Settlement, seething with rage. How dare Lelouch interfere and get in between him and C.C.'s love for each other. However, he now knew he couldn't face Lelouch. He was shown how inept he was against his mind.
'I hate you. Hate, hate, HATE, you! I may not be able to hurt you.'
Mao focused his thoughts. His geass might force him to listen to people's thoughts, however, if he focuses his mind in one direction, not only could he 'muffle' the other thoughts, but he could quadruple the listening distance. He focused in the direction of Ashford Academy.
'I swear,' Euphie's thoughts spoke, 'Nelly needs to lighten up with Rivalz.'
'But, If I can't have my love, I'll take what you love.'
Author's Notes: Mao's back, and he's clearly not happy.
As always, leave a review, favorite/follow, and I'll see you next time.