"Lelouch"-Speech
'What'-Thoughts
"{Live}"-Geass Command
"Stop"-Loudspeaker
"Report"-Radio
Chapter 28: Sutomuburinga Part 1: The Contact
September 25th, The Nest, 8:07 A.M.
Zero
Zero stood within R&D, specifically the Twins' personal lab. Celaeno had contacted the Twins about what happened at Kamine Island, and they wanted to check on Zero as soon as possible. Most of their forces departed the sub several miles north of Tokyo, with Katase staying behind to man the sub alongside a crew. They would keep the sub hidden in the Sea of Japan until further notice.
Inside the Twins' lab, Zero took off his helmet before laying on a machine that resembled a hospital MRI. Celaeno, Euphie, and C.C. were also there, concerned about Lelouch's Geass. Every week, when it permitted, they'd do a scan of his Geass. The only info they would get was an energy reading, however, that alone was useful, as it would help determine the likelihood of rampancy.
"Alright," Talio exclaimed, turning off the lights, "Activate your Geass."
Lelouch did so, the Geass sigil flaring in his eye as the device scanned him. After a moment, the device turned off, and the lights came back on.
"Okay," Tolia said, going to a computer connected to the device, "Now, we just compare it to last week's scan~Woah!"
"What?" Lelouch said, putting his mask back on.
"You better come see yourself."
The three siblings approached the computer, seeing a Richter scale.
"Over the past few weeks, there has been a steady increase in energy output. Whenever you used your Geass, the output took a jump." She pointed to the latest reading. "This is from last Friday." She pulled out the newest, which was over three times as large. "This is now."
"How could this happen?" Euphie exclaimed.
"I believe I know why," C.C. replied, "Lelouch, I'd like to request that only you and Cornelia be told of this, for now."
The Twins and Euphie looked at Lelouch, who nodded. With that, the three quickly exited the lab, leaving only C.C., Lelouch and Cornelia.
"So," Cornelia said, a tinge of anger in her voice, "What is it you feel we must know? I assume this concerns the other Code Bearer?"
"Yes. Centuries ago, I needed to learn all I could about Geass, so I created a hidden organization to help me study Geass. Of course, because of the time period, those that followed me considered me something akin to a goddess. Over the centuries, however, I left each organization to form new ones. My hope was that one of these groups would eventually find the answers I sought. Unfortunately, most of them eventually either disbanded or fell to the crusades."
"Crusades?" Lelouch interjected, "As in the same crusades that occurred between the 11th and 15th centuries?"
"The very same. Some decades ago, my most recent organization was approached by a young boy, who introduced himself as V.V."
"The other Code Bearer." Cornelia said, to which C.C. nodded.
"Yes. He was younger than even Nunnally, at least, in appearance."
"How did he get a Code at such a young age? Actually, how do you get a Code?"
C.C. eyes widened, before she looked to the side, unwilling to answer.
Lelouch narrowed his eyes. 'It seems that she doesn't want us knowing how to obtain a Code. Regardless, I have no intention of becoming immortal, so I can drop that subject.' "Let's get back to V.V."
C.C. nodded, "He said that his brother could help my organization grow immensely, so long as V.V. was given command of my organization alongside me."
"That sounds like a betrayal if I ever heard one." Cornelia scoffed.
"Actually, he didn't lie. For almost the entire time I knew him, he never lied. Even about the more horrible aspects of him."
"Clarify."
"Unlike me, he has no quarrels handing out Geass. At least, when I give a Geass, I'd like to give my Contracts a fair warning, or if it would save them. For V.V., usually it was to test out what kind of Geasses could manifest. However, not everyone can handle the effects of Geass. Do you know Baroness Ismela Paley?"
Lelouch raised an eyebrow, not familiar with the name.
"Paley?" Cornelia replied, "She had a beautiful garden back in the Homeland. However, she eventually went insane, claiming she could hear the pain of her flowers, and was put in an asylum. Don't tell me~"
"Yes. V.V. gave her a Geass. I don't mind experimentations, but only on willing subjects that you know can handle the aftereffects. Back on track, I would only agree if I met his brother, which he easily accepted. He took me to Pendragon, and, there, I learned his true name: Vincent zi Britannia."
Lelouch's eyes widened. 'Zi Britannia?! That means~'
Cornelia beat him to it, as she pulled out one of her pistols and leveled it at C.C.'s head. Even if it wouldn't kill her, a gunshot to the head would knock her 'unconscious', and she'd be put in a cell.
"Explain, NOW!" Cornelia threatened, her finger itching to fire.
C.C. raised an eyebrow, "You do realize that won't do anything, right. Anyways, I was already planning to tell you. Vincent zi Britannia is the twin brother of your father Charles zi Britannia, and the true head of the Office of Secret Intelligence. Your father offered me resources. It was mutually beneficial at the time."
"So," Lelouch said dangerously low, "You have worked with my father, and had critical information on him, and you didn't tell me!?"
"What good would my information be worth? Your father has no interest in running his own empire, so he would not be concerned with our little rebellion, at least until you actually free Japan. Why add more concerns when they wouldn't be relevant? Not only that, but Charles and Vincent still considered me on their side. Though, recent events have forced my hand."
"You're referring to Kamine."
"Yes. Vincent was always a petulant child, but I didn't think he'd go this far. We Code Beares are able to access unique features for Thought Elevators. One of them is being able to enter the minds of individuals. When you got close enough to the Elevator, V.V. entered your mind and ripped the information he wanted from you. It's safe to assume that V.V. and Charles will now know who you two are."
'Which means Nunnally and Euphie are in danger!' "How long before we can expect a task force to 'recover' our sisters?"
"Never. As I said, your father doesn't care about what you do. However, V.V. might. Add to the fact that Cornelia just destroyed a Thought Elevator, and he might be angry enough to send an assassin after you."
Lelouch sighed, but his mind was going a million miles. His father wasn't concerned about what he did, which meant that he was working on something more important than his own empire. "Cornelia, increase security around Ashford. C.C., for the time being, I'd like you to remain at Ashford. If our...uncle sends any assassin's, they'll no doubt have Geasses of their own."
"Onto a different subject, how has no one figured this out?" Cornelia exclaimed.
'She's right. Even if he's head of the OSI, people would remember that my father had a twin. Unless…' "Charles has his own Geass, doesn't he."
"Yes. His Geass allows him to rewrite a person's memories upon looking into their eyes."
Lelouch and Cornelia's eyes widened. "Okay," both said at the same time, "Direct confrontation is not an option." Both realised what happened, and looked at each other like they just went crazy. C.C. simply smirked.
"Ah, the joy of siblings."
Lelouch cleared his throat, "Returning to the task at hand, are there any significant people besides my father that have Geass?"
"One other: Bismarck Waldstein, the current Knight of One."
"His Geass."
"The ability to see two seconds into the future, give or take."
"Was it before or after he lost an eye?"
"Before. He was brought in by V.V. himself, and quickly rose through the ranks. And he technically didn't lose his eye."
"Wait," Cornelia retorted, "I remember Marianne dueling Bismarck several times, even though he could never beat her."
C.C. smirked, "Yes. It's one of Bismarck's greatest shames."
Lelouch smirked, "My mother was able to beat him when he had such an advantage."
Cornelia smirked, "Sounds like Lady Marianne, alright." Then, Cornelia's face turned to one of confusion, then of shock.
"Yes. Ever since, he had V.V. place a bind to his Geass. Until he finds an opponent that can match his skills, his Geass will not activate, even if he wants it to."
Lelouch scoffed, "So he won't use his Geass against weak foes, but, once someone presents a challenge to him, he'll cheat." Lelouch then realized what he said, "Dear Lord, I sounded like Suzaku there for a second."
"I remember you." Cornelia said softly, catching both by surprise.
"What?" C.C. replied.
"I remember you. From Pendragon."
(Years Ago)
Cornelia
Cornelia stood guard as Empress Marianne sat and watched Lelouch, Nunnally, and Euphie played in the grass near the water. They were situated near one of the man-made lakes that settled around Pendragon. Since Marianne and her children, along with her blood-sister, were going to be here, Cornelia made sure no one without her permission could get within a quarter mile of them.
"It's nice weather for a swim," Marianne exclaimed, "Isn't it, Cornelia?"
"Yes, my Lady." She replied, focusing more on the surroundings. As they were outside Pendragon, the risk of assassination, in her eyes, was exponentially higher.
Something shifted in the corner of her eye, putting her on alert. Upon turning her head towards the treeline, she saw a woman position behind a tree, with only half her face revealed. Upon closer inspection, the woman appeared to have green hair, and yellow colored eyes. The mystery woman looked annoyed at being spotted.
Acting on high alert, she silently gripped her rapier, and began walking towards the woman.
"There's no need, Cornelia." Marianne softly said, not bothering to look behind her.
"My Lady, there's an intruder." She replied quietly, not wishing to disturb the others.
"Just an old friend. I'll talk with her later."
Turning back, Cornelia could see that the woman was gone.
"Very well." She replied, though, internally, she was terrified for their safety.
(Present Day)
Zero
"You knew my mother." Lelouch stated.
C.C. smirked, "Yes. She's one of the few Contracts I've made that I actually enjoyed. Before you ask, I never saw Marianne use her Geass, so I do not know what it can do."
Lelouch sighed. It seems that even his mother, great as she was, had her own secrets.
"I think that's all we need to know for now."
C.C. nodded, and began to leave.
"Actually," Lelouch said as C.C. reached the door, "There is one more thing. C.C., who would you think had enough reason to kill my mother?"
C.C. was silent for a moment, but responded confidently, "V.V. He always was jealous of Marianne. Felt that she would take Charles away from him, even if he never voiced it. Not only that, but she was one of the few individuals who knew about V.V. When Marianne died, V.V. called it a tragedy, and I have no doubt he told Charles the same thing. However, somehow, I knew he was lying. The first time he ever lied. After that, I knew it wouldn't be safe for me in Pendragon, so I left, leaving command of my organization to V.V., as the only Code Bearer left."
Lelouch breathed deeply. "Thank you."
With that, C.C. left the room. As soon as the door closed, Lelouch began shaking.
'A name! Finally, a name!'
"Lelouch?" Cornelia inquired, only to be responded by Lelouch giggling like a mad man. His giggles soon turned into a full on laughter.
"Eight years. For eight years, I've wanted to find my mother's killers. You told me to exercise caution and patience, so I did exactly that. Instead of focusing on revenge, I figured helping the people who helped us would allow me to not think about it. And, for eight years, it worked. I had given up on finding her killer. Much like you had. Now, though, I finally have a name. Father may not have killed her, but he allowed her killer to live. He'll pay for his crimes, just as I had planned. But our uncle. Before this ends, you and I will have a very interesting chat with V.V.."
Viceroy Palace, 9:42 A.M.
Pollux
Pollux walked through the Palace when he heard the sounds of a piano playing. Following the noises, he entered through a set of double doors and into a large room, with large window panels, and a fireplace. Off to the side was a Bosendorfer Opus 50 piano, with his brother Castor playing it.
Then, Castor began to sing.
"When coldness or deceit shall slight
The beauty now they~"
Castor hit the wrong key, which ruined the rhythm.
"Dammit." He whispered, just loud enough for Pollux to hear him.
'Seems he still can't get the hang of it. One of our dichotomies. I'm terrible at writing songs, he's bad at playing songs.'
"I see that our piano finally arrived." Pollux exclaimed.
"Took a bit longer. The boys were terrified that, if we found one scratch, we'd hang them."
Pollux simply raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," Castor admitted, "Perhaps it wasn't an unfounded fear. In our early days we did do some terrible stuff."
Pollux huffed amusingly before walking towards one of the windows.
"Still working on that song?"
"Nearly finished, I think. I needed to get my thoughts off Kyushu, so the piano arriving two days ago certainly helped."
Pollux simply nodded and looked out the window.
"I heard the Akula got the drop on you yesterday."
"Correct. If Lieutenant Kururugi and the others hadn't started their assault, I'd be dead."
"Speaking of Kururugi, how's he doing?"
"Still unconscious. The doctors say his body temperature was above normal, but, given how several explosions occurred around him, and the fact an energy beam nearly sheared him in half, that's to be expected."
Castor gave off a moan, "Man, to face that Knightmare. I wish I could've participated."
Pollux narrowed his eyes. 'Again with his suicidal desire.' "Castor," he said, turning to his twin, "Why do you want death in battle?"
"I already told you."
"Yes, yes, you said that you can only live at the edge of death, and that you can't properly put into words why, but that desire had to have been born from somewhere."
Castor simply sat at the piano, not speaking a word, while Pollux stared him down. Eventually, Castor turned to the piano, and started playing a slow tune.
"You studied the tactics of warfare," Castor said, "While I studied the history of it. However, nothing quite entertained me as much as the eighth to eleventh centuries. Specifically, eighth to eleventh century Europe."
'Why that time period. Only thing that comes to mind is~' "The Viking Age?"
"Correct. I was fascinated by their culture. Much like the Spartans of Greece, their way was one of war. However, they took it a step further. Their very religion encouraged warfare. Valhalla, the home of the gods, where only those who die in battle can go. It was such a fascinating culture. We left all those religions behind us when we fled from Europe. You'd think this would create a no tolerance policy to any religions, but, no, surprisingly, when we surpassed our former glory, we didn't care what religion you worshipped."
"So long as it didn't get in the way of Imperial ascendance."
"Got it in one. For the longest time, I believed that's why I had a thrill of combat. Then, when my Knightmare was destroyed, and I was pinned underneath it, something...clicked. While the viking religion may have been a starting point, it devolved into something else. Something more...primal."
Pollux simply narrowed his eyes. Castor may have gone into more detail, but he didn't reveal the end result. 'Not the answer I wanted.' His wrist then beeped, and he quickly answered.
"Go ahead."
"Sir," Lord Rai replied, "It's Lieutenant Kururugi. He's starting to come to."
"Acknowledged. I'm on my way."
"Good to see he's awake."
"Yes," Pollux replied as he began walking to the exit, "And he's due for a much deserved reward."
Suzaku
Suzaku groaned as his vision returned. He saw the familiar sight of a medical room.
'I really hope this doesn't become a habit.'
"Suzaku." Cecile's voice exclaimed. Looking around, he saw her sitting next to his medical bed, with Lloyd and Rai standing nearby. He realized that there were two breezes in the room. Looking around, he saw two fans pointing at him. He blushed a little when he realized he wasn't wearing his shirt.
"Gave us quite a scare," Lloyd said in his usual manner, "Kururugi. Was worried I'd have to find another devicer."
"He's not wrong," Rai continued, "Lady Ernst kept an eye on you until we arrived. When we pulled you out of the Lancelot, your body was practically steaming."
"The doctors," Cecile finished, "That you should rest for another day, and your body should return to normal." Cecile gave Suzaku a warm smile, "So you get some rest."
Suzaku blushed even more. 'Where did this come from?' Trying to divert the conversation, he looked at Lloyd. "How did the battle go?"
"A resounding success. Without Atsushi, the rest of the invasion force quickly surrendered. Cao and the Chinese soldiers are being held until the Federation wants them back."
"What about the Akula?"
Cecile and Lloyd looked at each other with concern.
"That's," Lloyd, "The most confusing part. We know that the Knightmare used nuclear energy, however, that shouldn't be possible."
Suzaku only raised an eyebrow.
"Before the events of World War 2," Cecile explained, "A scientist named Albert Einstein was working on a theory regarding nuclear energy. When the German Nazi Party began targeting Jews, Albert Einstein fled to Russia. While that may have seemed like a bad idea, on account of Alexander the Third's actions towards Jews, his son, Nicholas, and his granddaughter, Anastasia, worked hard to rebuild the trust of all Russians after the civil war."
"The Russians were greatly concerned with Hitler's ambitions," Rai continued, "And made an ultimatum when Germany invaded Poland: Go as far as Warsaw, but no further, or else they'll be war. While it was a bluff, Germany couldn't afford to fight two fronts, with France and the Union of Britain knocking at their doors. So, they agreed, splitting the country in two, with the eastern half coming under Russia's protection."
"I'm sorry," Suzaku interjected, "But, how does this relate to Einstein."
"Right," Lloyd said, rubbing his head, "Well, simply put, Albert Einstein agreed to help the Russians develop nuclear energy, in hopes that it would bring a swift end to the war. He never got to finish. The French, anticipating the German eventual attack, extended their line of forts, the Maginot Line, into Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, preventing the Germans from breaking through. It almost seemed like a repeat of the first World War was about to happen. Until Italy joined France. In exchange for territory along France's southern border, of course. With a new front, the French and Italians, alongside the Union, defeated Germany in 1941. With the war in Europe over, and the war in Asia only heating up, Anastasia, now Tsarina of Russia, did a highly controversial act."
"She said that any refugees," Cecile finished, "That fled Europe were now free to return. Amongst them was Albert Einstein. Since the war ended earlier, Einstein never finished his project. However, it seemed the Russians simply picked up where he left off."
"What happened to Einstein?" Suzaku said. While he was happy that a war of that scale ended quickly, he didn't want a history lesson.
Lloyd shrugged, "Who knows? They never bothered keeping track of him. Not only that, but, a couple decades later, sakuradite would be discovered, and nuclear research fell to the wayside. That may be our best advantage, though. From what I gathered, the reactor they used was highly unstable. It may be that they haven't perfected it, which gives us time to find a way to counter it."
Lloyd looked like he was about to continue, but Cecile cut him off. "Lloyd, I think Suzaku doesn't need any more history lessons. He's just too kind to say no."
"Hmmm? Oh, hehe, of course. Our devicer is more into combat than history. I guess I was too enthusiastic. This makes sense, though, as all that I've told you is what I researched in the past few hours."
'He found out all that in a couple hours?'
The door slid open, revealing Prince Pollux. Cecile and Rai quickly bowed, and Suzaku tried to get up to bow, when Pollux raised a hand to halt him.
"That won't be necessary, Kururugi," Pollux exclaimed, "Please, remain seated."
Pollux walked to the side of Kururugi's bed, a hint of a smirk on his face.
"Lieutenant Kururugi, your actions yesterday displayed great loyalty and valor against enemies of the Empire. Atsushi Sawazaki gave you a perfect chance to defect, a second chance to fight for your country. But, you remained loyal to Britannia. Not only that, but you were instrumental in defeating the Russian Knightmare Akula, even if we had assistance from the Black Knights."
'I don't deserve such credit.' "Lady Nonette and Lady Ernst also fought the Akula," Suzaku interjected, "They deserve just as much praise, if not more."
"Perhaps, but Enneagram's Knightmare was destroyed, and Ernst's Knightmare is designed for long range combat. I do not believe she would've lasted long on her own. You were willing to die to defend Enneagram, you were willing to work with an enemy to defeat a greater threat, you dealt the final blow, and you partly saved my life."
Everyone in the room looked surprised. "What," Suzaku gasped, "What did I do?"
"When you and the others began your assault on Fukuoka, the Akula was attacking my ship. Had you been slower, the Akula wouldn't have retreated to protect the base, and I would be dead."
"B-but that was also Nonette and Ernst's doing."
"That's why I said partly. Given all of these, I think it's only fair you get a fitting reward. Later today, I will see if I can get you a Knighthood."
Suzaku's eyes became saucers, "But, you said~"
"Congratulations, Major Kururugi."
And he felt like passing out again, but resisted so he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of the prince. Cecile and Rai smiled, while Lloyd giggled.
"Well," Lloyd exclaimed, "I can't wait to see Dorothea and Nonette's faces when they hear of this."
'Funny. Considering how friendly Nonette was, I figured she would've been here.' "Where are they?"
"Lady Ernst," Pollux replied, "Is currently giving her report of recent events to the Prime Minister. As for Lady Enneagram…" He looked to Rai, expecting an answer.
"She had something personal to take care of. She'll be arriving later today."
Pollux nodded, "I'll leave you as is, then." He then left the room.
Once he left, Rai spoke up again, "It's strange, though."
"What is?" Suzaku inquired.
"When she said that to me, her eyes said something I had never seen in her before: Sorrow."
Nonette Enneagram
Inside the settlement was the Neo Park Hyatt, a hotel that was built based on the original Park Hyatt, which was destroyed during the Second Pacific War. Reserved for some of Area 11's most prestigious people, it's political importance was matched only by the Viceroy Palace. While Nonette did say she was more 'down-to-earth', that didn't mean she didn't like doing things in style.
Inside a luxury penthouse, Nonette paced about the room, her cheeks stained with tears. For the upteenth time, she was contemplating Cornelia's words, trying to find a way to bring her back.
'She doesn't want to fight us, but she will follow Lelouch to the ends of the Earth. How can I convince Lelouch? If this is based on revenge, then finding Marianne's killer might temper him. However, I'm starting to think that Lelouch genuinely believes in the cause he fights for. Which means, no matter what I do, I'll never convince him to return. Which means that she'll never return.'
In her sorrow, she grabbed the first thing she could find, and chucked it at a wall, shattering it upon impact, before collapsing to the ground, sobbing as she brought her legs in and wrapped her arms around. How much of a coward she had to be when she figured out the identity of the enemy, she refused, and still refuses, to reveal said identities.
After a moment of crying, she looked up to see what she threw. It looked like a small picture frame. Walking to it, she knelt down to pick it up. The frame was loosened, and the glass holding the picture was shattered, but the image remained intact. It was a picture of Nonette and Cornelia during their early days at the Academy. They had just beaten five final year students in a Knightmare duel, and Nonette wanted a picture. Cornelia looked embarrassed, a bead of sweat on her cheek as she looked away, while Nonette looked as light as a feather, a big grin on her face. Her arm was outstretched past the picture, as she made the picture herself. She asked Cornelia if she wanted a picture, but Cornelia declined, saying it wasn't proper. While Nonette was annoyed at the time, after a while, she was glad Cornelia never saw the picture. Otherwise, she'd notice the huge blush that Nonette had in the picture.
Unknown to anyone, Nonette had developed feelings for Cornelia that went beyond just friendship. However, she could clearly see that Guilford was also in love with Cornelia, so she backed off, as she felt Guilford would be better for her.
'Nelly.' Nonette smiled, remembering the old times, though it quickly faded as reality caught up. She sobbed, tears falling unto the picture.
Nonette now realized that she was stuck. She couldn't fight the Black Knights, as that meant hurting the woman she loved. And she couldn't betray the country she loved.
And she didn't want to choose.
'How cowardly of me.'
Unknown
V.V.
"You fool!" Emperor Charles zi Britannia roared as he gripped V.V.'s collar as tossed him to the side.
"It was a calculated risk," V.V. tried to defend himself, "I simply did not account for Cornelia's rashness."
"Did not account?! Because of your actions, C.C. will doubt our alliance!"
"We now know that Zero and Lelouch are the same. C.C. is already lying to us. How long until she decides to abandon us?"
"C.C. has always been like that, playing around and messing with us. Despite her actions, she always knew that staying by our side would get what she wanted. Unlike you, Marianne understood C.C.'s thought process. However, by directly attacking one of her Contracts, she will now question if we'll truly grant her wish."
'Even now, you still think about that woman?!' "So our next step is simple: We retrieve your children. Bring them back to Pendragon. We'll need to reestablish trust as soon as possible, and we can do that best from Pendragon. I'll send someone to collect them."
V.V. began walking away when Charles' voice rang out.
"No."
V.V. froze, one of his steps mid air. 'What? What could he be possibly thinking?!' "I'm sorry, little brother, but I may have misheard you."
"Do not get clever with me, Vincent! You will not take any more actions against C.C. or her allies, the Black Knights."
"Charles," V.V. whipped around, fury in his eyes, "Cornelia destroyed a Thought Elevator. Something critical to our plans. How long until she decides to destroy another one? We cannot just simply stand by~"
"Cornelia only destroyed the Elevator as a result of your interference. Had you not interfered, she would have been unaware of its existence. If we're lucky, C.C. won't inform my children of our plans. If this is the case, then we cannot give C.C. more reason to doubt us. So, you will not continue any operations in Area 11 until further notice. Instead, I want you to focus on the coup d'etat that is brewing in the Russian Republic. We'll seize the Elevator there, and get the project back on track. Is that understood?"
V.V. clenched his hands tightly. "Understood." He replied through gritted teeth.
Viceroy Palace, 4:04 P.M.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah walked through the palace, heading for the Viceroy office, when he bumped into Gilbert.
"Oh," Jeremiah exclaimed, "Sorry, General."
"No apologies necessary. I take it you were deep in thought?"
"Correct. Any progress?"
Guilford shook his head, "No. The spy is very good at covering their tracks."
'Especially since there isn't any track to find!' "Regardless, I'm going to need that data back."
Guilford raised an eyebrow, and pulled the orange USB out of his pocket, handing it to Jeremiah, who put it up his sleeve.
"What are you planning?"
"Simply put, after today, we won't have to worry about the spy anymore."
Pollux
Pollux, alongside General Darlton and Prime Minister Schneizel, were inside the Viceroy office, conducting business. Currently, Pollux and Schneizel were discussing the continuing of the B.R.O. relief efforts.
"So, we're in agreement, then?" Pollux inquired.
"Yes," Schneizel politely replied, "The Britannnian Reclamation Organization can continue providing relief to the ghettos. I simply believed that the supplies would be put to better use supporting us during the invasion. I see no need to stop their efforts."
"And the fact that we know the Black Knights are using them as a way to deliver their own supplies?"
"As you've told me, we search every truck for anything not listed. So long as the supplies contain nothing military wise, stopping them would only harm us."
Pollux didn't give Schneizel the pleasure of seeing him narrow his eyes. He knew that, as Prime Minister, he didn't need to ask Pollux's permission to stop the relief efforts. However, by making it seem like he was allowing it with his permission, Schneizel is subconsciously undermining his authority in Area 11. However, that's an issue he didn't need to put more fuel on. "Then it's official. Send a message to the B.R.O. chairman. No doubt she'll be happy to~"
A knock came at the door, catching the Prince and General off guard. Whether or not Schneizel was surprised or not, he didn't show it.
"Enter."
The door opened, revealing Margrave Gottwald and General Guilford.
"Ah, Margrave. You said you wanted to tell me something."
Jeremiah sighed, a look of defeat upon his face. "Yes, your Majesty." He placed a piece of paper onto the desk and pushed it forward. Raising an eyebrow, Pollux picked up the paper and read it. Quickly, he realized what it was.
A letter of resignation.
"What's brought this on?" Darlton inquired.
"Simply put. I'm honoring my end of the deal."
Pollux narrowed his eyes. "This is about what happened at Shikine?"
"Yes," Jeremiah sighed, "When I ended up on Kamine, Zero cornered me. He offered me a deal."
"Forgive me," Schneizel said politely, "But, it seems I'm out of the loop."
"Right," Pollux replied, "Sorry. This is about the controversy surrounding Jeremiah called Project Orange. Normally, he'd be able to inform us of what it is, but there's a spy in our ranks. Until we find this spy, he can't afford to tell us anything."
"I see. And what deal did you make with Zero, Margrave?"
Pollux could feel the potential execution coming off of Schneizel's voice. 'I really hope that Jeremiah has a good reason.'
"Simply put," Jeremiah replied, "Zero will remove his spy from our ranks, as well as delete all info regarding Project Orange. What he expects from me is my resignation and for me to delete any evidence of Orange. Those were Zero's terms."
'Wiping the slate clean of Orange? What's Zero's game?' "Is there no other option? I wouldn't wish to lose a loyal soldier."
"I'm afraid not, your Highness. Zero's spy is supposedly one of his best, so it's likely we'll never find them."
Pollux sighed. 'Then I have no choice.' Pollux sat down, and signed the resignation. "Then, it's by command that you are hereby discharged from the military."
Jeremiah bowed, "Thank you, your Highness." Jeremiah then pulled an orange USB from his sleeve.
'Project Orange!' Jeremiah then, with great effort, snapped the drive into two, destroying Project Orange.
"I take it that Zero will somehow know of this meeting?"
"Correct."
"Then, I'm sorry, Lord Jeremiah, but you are now dismissed. Your effects will be delivered to you shortly."
Jeremiah bowed, heading to the door. As he reached it, Pollux called out.
"One thing, Jeremiah. Project Orange. What would the most likely result of it getting out be."
Jeremiah looked back, unsure of how to respond.
"Civil war."
Pollux raised an eyebrow. 'Was Clovis planning his own rebellion, or was the information so severe that the country would be split in two based on opinion?' "If that's the case, why didn't Zero simply release Orange to the public?"
"Because," Schneizel responded, "He claims a knight. If we erupted into civil war, millions of civilians would be caught. It wouldn't benefit a knight to willingly allow civilians to be killed."
"That was my thoughts as well, your Majesty."
"Well, Lord Gottwald," Pollux exclaimed, "Where will you go now?"
Jeremiah shrugged, "Not sure. Maybe back to my villa in Florida."
"Just a second, Lord Gottwald," Schneizel interjected, "Did Zero's deal say that you have to leave Japan?"
Jeremiah shook his head, "No, just the destruction of Project Orange on my end, as well as my resignation."
Schneizel then smirked, "I may have found a loophole. Pollux, are you aware of Ashford Private Academy."
Pollux nodded, "Yes. As it says, it's a private school for wealthy, or influential, people. They might be the most funded school in all of Area 11."
"Yes. And they were once close allies to the late Empress Marianne, of which you, Lord Gottwald, were once a member of her guard. I'm sure the Ashford's wouldn't mind having a friendly face to their security ranks."
'Regulate him to a guard for a school? What are you planning?'
"Forgive me, your Majesty," Jeremiah inquired, "But, what purpose would this serve."
"Well, if something goes wrong, I'm sure we wouldn't be able to turn down an experienced volunteer."
Pollux, despite his disdain towards Schneizel, smirked. 'Clever. Zero may have forced Jeremiah out of the military. But that won't stop Jeremiah from fighting for us.'
Jeremiah may have had the same thought, as he smirked, "Brilliant, your Majesty. I will head there at once."
"Not too enthusiastically, mind you. We don't want Zero believing you did this on purpose."
"Of course."
"Dismissed, Lord Jeremiah."
Jeremiah bowed, leaving the room, General Guilford following close behind him.
Jeremiah
"It seems Zero may have met his match." Guilford exclaimed.
"Agreed. It's no wonder many want Prince Schneizel to be the heir to the throne."
"You get to remain in Area 11, and 'volunteer' your services in case Tokyo is ever attacked. And we no longer have to worry about Orange being revealed to the public. So, the Black Knights won't act upon their part of the intel?"
Translation: Will the Black Knight leave Cornelia and her siblings alone?
"As was part of the deal, yes. And, though they are terrorists, they fashion themselves as knights, so I do believe they'll hold to their end of the deal."
"Well, that's good. I don't think they'll be happy about you staying in Area 11. However, much like many deals, there are loopholes."
Lelouch gave him the choice of either remaining in the military as a spy, or leaving to join him. Given how complex the situation 'Orange' ended up causing, it would look too suspicious if he suddenly dropped it, so choosing to leave was the only logical conclusion.
Jeremiah nodded, "It's fortunate that the Prime Minister is so observant."
'And acted just as Lord Lelouch predicted.'
Pollux
Pollux sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I guess, given everything, that was the best outcome. We have had no progress finding the spy, and I was starting to lose my mind. It would help if we found actual evidence that the spy left. But they were beyond good at clearing tracks. However, onto other things, Prime Minister, I understand that you'll be leaving some elements of Code R behind when you head to negotiate with the Chinese Federation?"
"Correct, brother."
"May I inquire what elements you'll be leaving behind?"
"Only that General Bartley will oversee what remains."
Pollux resisted the urge to sigh. He expected that Schneizel would only give the bare minimum of info.
"However, there was something I found interesting. When you raided a Code R facility, before we brought them back into the fold, you said the Black Knights also attacked at the same time?"
"Yes," Darlton responded, "Though, I don't know if it was because of the spy, or simply bad luck."
"Hmm. I noticed that, amongst all the data you destroyed, one went missing."
"Missing?" Pollux inquired.
"Yes. Apparently, Code R captured data regarding a Russian-Japanese project called Tsar Taigun no. They had yet to breach its firewalls before the Black Knights took the data."
"Tsar Taigun no," Pollux responded, "King of the swarm?"
"King of the horde."
"Right, right. What have we found out?"
"I looked up intercepted communications between Japan and Russia during the Second Pacific War. It seemed that Tsar Taigun no would've turned the tide against our forces, had it been deployed."
"And you believe that Zero will deploy it against us? Seems reasonable. Only question is: What is it?"
"It could be a bioweapon," Darlton exclaimed, "Or perhaps a cyber attack targeting our Knightmares."
'Which makes sense. Horde indicates a swarm of attacking forces. Bioweapons or cyber attacks would certainly do the trick. However,' "It can't be a bioweapon. The Russians wouldn't do so, or risk being kicked from the E.U. Which only leaves a cyber attack. Glasgows during that time could easily be hacked remotely."
"I disagree." Schneizel said.
Pollux raised an eyebrow, "Castor can hack into a Glasgow within sixty seconds. Would you like to see it?"
"I don't mean the Glasgow part being wrong, I mean Tsar Taigun no cannot be a cyber weapon. If it was, Zero would have used the weapon by now. There were plenty of chances for him to use it, yet he hasn't. No, Tsar Taigun no is a physical weapon. Based on the name, it's either a single weapon or a large collection of them. This means that the weapon cannot be in Area 11. They wouldn't be able to hide such a weapon for all these years."
"So it's in Russia. Which means we can't do anything about it. If we go into Russia, we'll incite a war."
Schneizel then gave a smirk, which concerned Pollux.
"You have an idea, Schneizel?"
"Of course."
Ashford Academy, 7:12 P.M.
Cornelia
Cornelia had entered Lamperouge Manor, a look of concern upon her face. When they returned to Ashford, Euphie had said that something important concerning Lelouch and Milly had come up, and all four of them needed to discuss it.
"Ma'am," Chevel, second-in-command of Ashford Security, radioed to her, "All the extra security installations are working. If your father decides to make a move. Well, we won't be able to stop him, but you'll see him coming long before he gets here."
"Thank you, Chevel."
In truth, she agreed with Chevel's assessment. If her father or...uncle, as crazy as that thought was, came for them, there was very little they could do except slow them down.
She soon saw Lelouch, and the two entered a living room, with Milly looking embarrassed, while Euphie looked concerned, and Arthur on a couch looking agitated.
"Euphie, Milly," Lelouch said calmly, "What is this about?"
Arthur, perhaps realizing what was about to happen, quickly jumped off the couch and through an open window.
A couple minutes later, if you stood outside the Lamperouge Manor, you would see the top of the building fly off before crashing back into place.
"YOU DID WHAAAAT!?"
Back inside, Cornelia was beyond pissed at finding out Lelouch made a deal with Selene Ashford behind her back. Not only did she not tell her, but it also put Euphie and Nunnally in the firing line!
"Selene was constantly trying to find suitors for Milly," Lelouch countered, " did what I had to do to get Selene off our backs. It is a necessary risk."
"NECESSARY RISK!?" She gripped Lelouch's uniform and pulled him close, "And HOW is putting our sisters in danger a necessary risk?!"
Lelouch simply raised an eyebrow, "I never put you at risk. I simply told her that, when Milly graduates, I shall reveal myself. By then, either you'd all be long gone, or our rebellion would make the deal moot."
Cornelia gritted her teeth. As much as she hated Lelouch for not telling her, she could see the logic. Selene was a powder keg with a short fuse, waiting for any excuse to light the match. And Lelouch was right. Milly still had a full year before graduation. By then, he might have told them about the deal, giving the others plenty of time to go into hiding. And, like he said, since they started the rebellion early, that might eventually make the deal moot. She grunted, releasing him as stepped back.
"In my mind, there were only two ways this could go down: Tell you immediately after the deal, making you angry I made the deal. Or, wait until you find out, and have you angry then. I'd rather go for the one that gives me time."
Cornelia sighed, "Yeah. I get it. I hate it, of course."
"However," Euphie commented, "We have a problem. Selene is just a ticking time bomb, and Milly may have just given her the switch for it."
"Tomorrow," Milly continued, "I'm to give Lloyd the combat data for the Ganymede. Once that's done, he'll call off the engagement, not that it had ever begun. When that happens~"
"She'll most likely suspect that we had something to do with it," Cornelia finished, "At that point, she might be tempted to simply reveal us out of spite."
Cornelia clearly had no love for Selene. She was simply an overambitious woman looking to return to her glory days back in Pendragon. However, Ashford had firmly planted their roots into Japan, and she doubted that Reuben or Milly would be willing to uproot themselves again.
'If she reveals us, I wonder what will happen sooner: Britannian forces coming to take us 'home', or some of the smarter Britannians realizing who our double lives are. Regardless~'
"She has to go." Cornelia declared. Milly seemed to understand the implication, while Euphie looked a little concerned.
"Agreed," Lelouch replied, "We'll have to deal with your Robert as well, Milly. Are you sure you want to~"
"My father is simply a soulless puppet, and my mother his puppeteer. Perhaps it would be better for him."
Euphie seemed to realize what they were suggesting, and stood up in anger. "We are not killing them!"
Even though Cornelia sighed with annoyance, she was glad for Euphie's kindness.
"Euphie, this isn't~"
"NO! I hated it when you killed Clovis, but I let it be because you had no choice. However, there are several ways that we could deal with this."
"Such as?" Lelouch inquired.
"Geassing them. I hate your Geass, but that's still an option."
"And, when her agents find out she isn't responding?"
"Just use your Geass to make her respond to them as normal. Once we find her agents, Geass them to forget, and burn all evidence. Or, just have Selene order them to burn them."
"While that could work, remember, my Geass just got a jump towards rampancy. I'd like to use this as little as possible. As for the latter, they'll definitely find it suspicious."
"Then find a WAY!" Euphie roared out.
Cornelia was surprised at how adamant she was. Euphie never liked Selene, so why was she trying so hard to defend her?
"Euphie," Lelouch replied, "This isn't a fairy tale. We have to~"
"I won't lose you!" Tears started falling down her cheeks.
'Lose us? What could she possibly mean.'
Euphie collapsed to the couch. "I don't want to lose you Lelouch. Every time you do something, it becomes easier, regardless of what it is. You may not have killed Clovis, but you've killed plenty of others. And, now, you're just casually talking about killing someone else. Even if we don't like them, there is no benefit to killing them, when we can simply find another way!"
'Euphie never showed any objection to what we're doing. Not to me, at least.'
"I just don't want to lose my brother."
Cornelia's eyes widened. 'It's not me she's afraid of. It's Lelouch.'
Which, in hindsight, makes sense. Euphie already knew she was a hardened warrior, but that she always cared about family. Even years later, not much changed about her. Lelouch, however, had been slowly changing, from the sweet, intelligent prince, into something far colder.
Lelouch crouched down to Euphie and pulled her into a hug. Cornelia herself sighed in shame, not realizing what was going on with Euphie.
'She's been adamant about not doing this war just as much as I am. Only difference is, she didn't show it. It wasn't just that. She just didn't want to believe something that was clear to me, and something that Lelouch was actively hiding from Nunnally."
"Euphie," Lelouch said softly, "The boy you're looking for died years ago. He was dying when our home abandoned us. And, when he thought he could live in peace, he died when Japan fell."
Euphie cried into Lelouch's shoulder. "I may have joined, but I never wanted you to change, Lulu."
"And I," Milly exclaimed, kneeling down, "Wouldn't want him to change, either. But, he can't beat Britannia as Lelouch Lamperouge."
"She's right, Euphie," Cornelia finished, "This is some fantasy story where the hero gets the princess and lives happily ever after. We'll have to perform many terrible acts if we're going to win this."
"You," Euphie said to Lelouch, "Said the same thing, but I didn't believe you."
After a moment, Lelouch sighed. "However, I'll try to find another way."
Cornelia raised an eyebrow, surprised that he'd agree. Then again, besides Nunnally, Euphie was the best girl to wrap around her finger, so to speak.
"Thank you, Lulu."
"Don't thank me yet. If we don't find a way soon, we'll all be put in danger."
Lelouch's phone buzzed. Picking it up, his face had a solemn expression.
"Whatever we plan to do, we need to do it in the next couple of days."
"What are you doing?" Cornelia inquired.
"There's a gap in the surveillance network. I'll be heading to Kamchatka."
"Another thing you neglected to tell me?"
"I was going to tell you shortly after this meeting. I just didn't expect an opening in their network so soon. One way or another, I'm finding out what Tsar Taigun no is."
September 26th, Viceroy Palace, 9:07 A.M.
Rai
Rai walked through the Palace military compound, nearing the ASEEC mobile base. Whenever he had nothing to do, walking through the compound helped keep his mind off things. Something was off with Nonette. Whenever the Black Knights were mentioned, she almost seemed to shut down. Something had clearly happened on Kamine, but he didn't know what.
'Then again, who am I to judge. After all, I'm part of the Japanese Imperial family, and I haven't told her yet.'
Then, like a lightning bolt, he lurched forward in pain.
'WHAT?! Why now?'
Before he could think further upon it, the surrounding area had changed. Now, he was inside the Code R laboratory he raided weeks ago. However, there were noticeable differences. Firstly, the room was pristine, unlike the dust and cobwebs from before. Second, several scientists, as well as four Dragon Guards kept a close eye on them, their hands on their katanas constantly. Thirdly, the glass container was filled with water, and he saw himself inside, a protective suit over his body, and a breather mask covering his mouth.
What caught his attention, though, was himself. More specifically, his left eye. His normal blue eye was now glowing red, and in the iris was the red crane symbol Nonette had warned him about. The younger Rai's expression looked tired, his eyes half opened.
'What did the OSI do to me?'
The blond OSI boy entered the room, and he spoke to the Dragon Guards.
"..equire..o leave...not fear…"
The words were muddled, most likely because he's only remembering them as he heard him. The scientists quickly left, but the Dragon Guards looked to each other, mentally debating on what to do. Ultimately, they left as well, leaving the boy alone with him.
"I'm not su...on't know what my brother se...ou may be of use to us if he's right."
The door opened, revealing Charles zi Britannia!
"This sid...ect of yours better be worth it. V.V."
'So his name is V.V.. Codename or name initials?'
"You worry too much, b...esides, if you hadn...ith Tamaguchi's sister Ariannta, then we wouldn't be in this situation. I do...the nobles would be too happy with her. Should I tell Marianne?"
"Be careful, V.V….just because I fancy her more than others does not make her Marianne."
"Just checking."
While the conversation at times was muffled, Rai connected the dots. This was why Emperor Charles was interested in him. He was his son! If Rai was capable of passing out, he would.
The surrounding changed. Once more there were scientists about, his four Dragon Guard standing nearby. Then, his younger self tensed up, looking in pain. From what his memories were telling him, he could sense pure hatred and joy mixed together. A flash appeared in his mind, showing two silhouettes, one in the shape of a boy, and the other in the shape of a woman. There were no discernible features of either of them, but he could sense that V.V. was the boy in the flash. His younger self then tightened in pain, as another flash showed the woman turn and run from the boy, as the boy pulled out a gun and shot the woman.
His younger self clenched his eyes and screamed in pain, his left eye flaring red. The Dragon Guards didn't hesitate, and shoved a scientist to a console in an attempt to open the container. Though their mouths moved, he could imagine that his younger self didn't bother trying to figure out what they were saying. Eventually, they had enough, as one Dragon Guard pulled out their katana and slashed the container open. Young Rai fell into the Guard's arms,barely conscious. Another Dragon Guard pulled out her katana, while the other two pulled out their rifles, and leveled them at the scientists. The five then quickly left the laboratory. Rai gasped, returning to reality. Looking around, he saw he was still leaning against the wall he lurched toward, with no one nearby.
"I tolerated your 'friendship' with the Eleven because of your service to the Prime Minister." Dorothea's voice was heard inside the ASEEC base. Entering a side entrance, he saw that it was empty, with the exception of two people: Said Dorothea, and a concerned Cecile. Dorothea had a hand pressed against her shoulder, pushing her against a console.
"However," Dorothea said venomously, "Don't think that Lloyd can't replace you if you 'disappear'."
Rai clenched his hand. He didn't know the context other than Suzaku, but he didn't care. With a jolt, he entered the room.
(Several Minutes Earlier)
Cecile Croomy
Cecile was currently looking over combat data from the Lancelot, mainly the new data compiling from the battle against the Akula. Lloyd, after his panic attack from losing the Lancelot Club, was already coming up with ideas on how to improve the Lancelots. The damage to the Lancelot, however, was extensive. Honestly, it might be easier to rebuild the Club than it would be to repair the Lancelot. However, that wasn't where her thoughts were.
'Suzaku becoming a major and getting a Knighthood? It's almost unprecedented. However, with higher rank means more chances to encounter the Elite of Britannian nobility. Suzaku isn't ready for that kind of battlefield. He's too good hearted.'
Picking up a datapad, she turned, only to see Dorothea in the doorway.
"Lady Ernst? I didn't expect to see you."
"I wanted to speak to you." She said calmly.
'With me?' "About what?"
"You're the only member of ASEEC that I could speak to and not make fun of me for what I'm about to say."
Cecile raised an eyebrow.
"It seems I may have been wrong about Major Kururugi."
Cecile's brain skipped a beat. 'Wait, is Dorothea apologizing?!' "I'm sorry, I may have mishe~"
"Don't make me repeat myself. I saw him as simply Schneizel's pet. An oddity that Lloyd was curious in, one which he would throw away once his curiosity was over."
Cecile's free hand clenched in anger. Dorothea's eyes quickly darted to the hand, before looking back at her.
"However, it seems I was mistaken. The Akule. While I'm certain other members of the Round would've had a much easier time than we did, the fact remains that Kururugi did the most work against that Knightmare. Afterwards, I decided to look at AARs concerning the Lancelot. He's an oddity. A member of a conquered state, yet shows more loyalty than some purebloods."
"He said once that, if he showed Britannia his worth, they might treat the Ja-Elevens better."
"Not an unreasonable thought. If a skilled warrior did come from a conquered land, the conqueror would show more benevolence in order to attract more. As such, I would be willing to overlook his status as an Eleven."
Cecile smiled, "At least you're starting to see his value." And she began walking around her.
Only for Dorothea to put her hand on the door's edge, blocking her. When she looked at Dorothea, the calm demeanor was replaced with viciousness. All of a sudden, she felt like a prey cornered by a predator.
"However, I now have a new problem...You."
'What did I do?' She wanted to say, but her throat stopped itself. Dorothea took a step towards her, causing Cecile to step back instinctively.
"I am not blind. How the Eleven hasn't discovered it yet, I don't know, and Lord Asplund is too eccentric to care."
Dorothea kept approaching, and Cecile kept backing up. Though Dorothea was only a quarter-head taller than her, she felt small next to her all of a sudden.
'Is this what it feels like when a Knight of the Round sees you as a target!?'
"W-W-What," Cecile tried to get out, "What do you mean?"
Cecile nearly tripped when she couldn't go back any more. She was against a console.
"Are you blind as well?!" Dorothea slammed her hands on the console, boxing Cecile in, "You're in love with him, aren't you!?"
Despite the fear in her, she couldn't stop her cheeks from going red.
"It's one thing to treat Numbers the same as us, but to actually fall in love with one? It's beyond disgraceful."
Dorothea gripped Cecile's shoulder, shoving her into the console.
"I tolerated your 'friendship' with the Eleven because of your service to the Prime Minister. However, don't think that Lloyd can't replace you if you 'disappear'."
"Dorothea Ernst!" A new voice exclaimed. Cecile recognized it as Lord Rai. Dorothea turned her head, looking past Cecile.
"I'll only say this once. Dorothea Ernst, leave her alone!"
Surprisingly, Dorothea complied. She released Cecile, and backed up.
"Fine," she scoffed, "Have it your way." Rai soon walked in front of Cecile, placing himself between the two, even though Dorothea was already leaving.
"Thank you, Lord Valstar."
"Are you alright?" Rai replied, facing the door. It seemed he was on guard, waiting in case Dorothea came back.
"Do you think she'll stop?"
"...No, not from me alone. I'll inform Lady Nonette. Cecile, will you be alright?"
"..."
"That's good."
'Wait, I never answered him. How did he know I would be alright before I'd answer. Wait, forgot, he's Nonette's Squire.'
"I'll be heading back. Will you be okay alone?"
"I was already leaving. I just needed to put this datapad away."
Rai nodded, and became walking away. However, as he did, Cecile saw something strange.
For a second, it seemed like Rai's left eye was red instead of blue.
Milly Ashford
"So," Lloyd exclaimed, "This is it, isn't it."
The two sat in his office at the Viceroy Palace, rarely used sinced he mostly stayed at his mobile base. The day when Milly was to give Lloyd the data for the Ganymede had arrived, and she had failed to acquire the Lancelot's data. Overall, she felt dejected. She knew Lelouch wouldn't mind her failing, as it was a very difficult and dangerous mission. It still didn't help her, though.
"Yeah," Milly said as an afterthought, "I guess it is." She held out a usb drive between two fingers, containing the Ganymede combat data.
"I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed our time together. It almost makes me want to let you keep that."
Something about what he said made something click for Milly. She wasn't just handing over combat data, she was handing something far more precious over. The entire mission she was on took a backseat in her mind as she realized it.
As Lloyd reached to the usb, she pulled the usb to her palm and closed it. Lloyd simply raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Going back on the deal?"
"I...I'm sorry. But, you wouldn't understand. This isn't just combat data for the Ganymede. It's Empress Marianne's combat data. Something that was a piece of her memory, and of my family's legacy. To just hand it away like this...It doesn't feel right. Is there something that belongs to you, and you alone? Something that you'd fight to keep no matter what?"
Whether she knew it or not, Lloyd was fully aware of what she meant, if only in a different sense.
"Then how about a trade?"
"What?" Milly couldn't believe what he just said. Her mission came back to her mind in full force.
"Your school is hosting a festival soon, right?"
"That's correct."
"Before I made the Lancelot, I created the Lancelot Club. Now, while I can't give you it's recent combat data, how would data during it's testing do? It's something quite precious to me, as is the Ganymede's data. A piece of your legacy for a piece of mine?"
Milly couldn't believe her luck. She was fully ready to walk out with the Ganymede data, letting her emotions get the better of her, when Lloyd just gave her the biggest win of the year. While it certainly wasn't the Lancelot's data, its predecessor could work almost as good.
"Yes." Milly gave the only answer that was logical.
Two Miles South-West of Cape Nosappu, 3:42 P.M.
Lelouch
Lelouch and Robbinson, in a black window-tinted car, approached an abandoned mineshaft, one that was used during WW2. One that didn't have any sakuradite deposits, so Britannia never bothered to mine there. A mistake that Lelouch capitalized on. The car entered the tunnel, heading deep underground. As it did so, Lelouch quickly changed into his Zero persona. Eventually, the grimy sight of stone was replaced with more modern steel. Eventually, they reached an underground depot, consisting of military hardware. However, the most notable object was a black-tinted jet, the Raptor. A custom model designed by Robbinson, it was supposed to be Europa United's counter to the Britannian BU-87 fighter jet, but was shut down due to the expense it would make compared to Knightmares.
"I didn't expect," Zero exclaimed as the two exited the car, "That you were a fighter pilot, Robbinson."
"Not necessarily a fighter pilot, sir. Just a pilot. I am pretty good at flying, not dogfighting, though. However, since damn near everyone doesn't know what the gaff they're doing, I'm your best shot. Something we'll need to fix if our rebellion starts picking up steam."
"Agreed. Now, let's see where the Tsar is hiding the horde." Zero winced at the stupid joke he just made.
Robbinson gave him a 'did you really say that' look.
The entire area was abuzz with activity, men scrambling to clear vehicles from the area as the two entered the Raptor. Robbinson entered the front seat, with Zero sitting back.
"The twins added something just for you, boss."
Closing the canopy, Robbinson flipped a switch, causing the back half of the canopy to turn opaque, allowing Zero to remove his mask to put on the fighter mask.
"Much appreciated." Zero took off his helmet before taking off his cloak and putting on the fighter helmet with a tinted visage, hiding his face.
"Alright, the board is green," the operator exclaimed, "You're good to go, boss."
"Roger," Robbinson replied, "Zero, have you ever flown in a high-speed jet?"
"No."
"Let me give you some advice."
"Go ahe~"
The Raptor shot forward, causing Zero's 'ahead' to devolve into a scream of surprise. The Raptor soon shot out of a hanger, when then closed to only show the tide of a cliff face. The Raptor hung low near the water, heading out to open seas. Zero himself felt lightheaded, not expecting such force. 'Remind Cornelia to build a G-Force Centrifuge.' Zero soon recovered, taking deep breaths.
"They say that surprising them makes the first time easier."
"You did that on purpose."
"Call it payback for that terrible joke."
"Fair enough."
"Good luck, Zero. Give our regards to the Russians, and tell them we all happily await the day they join the fight."
"Will do. Robbinson?"
"As you command, boss."
Robbinson turned the Raptor, heading north-east, towards Russia.
The Nest
C.C.
C.C. walked through the halls of the Nest, feeling a bit underappreciated. Despite being a member of the Dark Council, she rarely ever did any work. Looking at it all, it made her question why she was even included, despite being the one to technically kickstart the rebellion by giving Lelouch's Geass. Entering R&D, a couple scientists nodded to her as she passed them. As she walked through, she noticed a door marked 'Archives'. While she had seen the door once or twice, she didn't bother looking in.
Entering, she was greeted with a large room, filled with half complete projects and other assortments, such as the sniper that the twins were attempting to build was in a glass casing. Each of these glass casings were in a grid by grid formation, allowing for easy passage.
Walking through the room, C.C. eventually came across a tall casing, with Zero's outfit occupying it. No, not Zero's outfit. While it looked very similar, the design was different. The jumpsuit lacked the black color along the chest area. The cloak was also missing the gold colored symbols, as did the gold lining for the helmet. At the base of the glass casing was a plaque 'Zero Outfit Prototype'.
"Not as eye catching as the one he wears." A voice exclaimed. Quickly turning, she saw Euphie calmly standing next to the door. Pressing a button, the door locked itself, and she walked towards C.C.
"This was the one," Euphie commented, "That I drew, years ago. Nunnally wanted me to draw a masked hero, and, after nearly two days of deciding, this is what I drew."
"It took you two days to draw it?" C.C. replied smugly.
"Well, I had to make it detailed enough so that, when I tell Nunnally, I wouldn't easily forget. Not only that, but it had to convey what I thought a masked hero should look like. Seems that one of our fashion stores under our control made it. Though, it seems that it wasn't enough, so they updated it."
Euphie put a hand on the glass panel. Though C.C. couldn't see her face, her light reflection in the glass showed a tired expression.
"You had no idea Lelouch was like this, did you?"
Euphie shook her head, "No, I think, deep down, I knew he was always like this. I just didn't want to believe it. When we came to Japan, me and Nunnally were able to keep him happy, or, at least content. He didn't get along with Suzaku, and his cousin Kaguya, while she tried to help, sometimes made it worse."
"How so?"
"Only that she wanted to become Lelouch's wife, though she never said it to his or Cornelia's faces." Euphie then giggled, prompting C.C. to raise an eyebrow.
"Sorry, something I remembered from back in Pendragon. Me and Milly would always hang around Lelouch whenever we could. We got into an argument about who was more suited to be his future wife."
C.C. didn't say anything. Given how she had seen plenty of royal families marry their half siblings, it wasn't as disturbing to her. Then again, for the Britannian Royal Family, it was rare, but not unheard of.
"Who won that argument?"
"Nunnally."
'HUH?!' "Pardon?"
"Nunnally, who, at the time, didn't fully understand the concept of marriage, said that, since she knew Lelouch better than anyone, she should be his wife. Me and Milly were so dumbfounded, none of us noticed Cornelia watching the entire ordeal. First time she bursted into laughter."
"PHAHA~" C.C. quickly covered her mouth in shock, with Euphie giving her a dumbfounded look.
"I made you laugh."
C.C. then turned, looking annoyed. "I think I'm done here." Though C.C. couldn't get Euphie's giggling out of her head.
After some time, C.C. left the Nest and returned to Ashford Academy. Deciding to see if the Geassed girl was still making marks, she went to her usual spot on the roof. Despite the girl not being there, there were plenty more tally marks, giving her her answer.
'I remember when Cornelia mentioned this to me.'
"Surprised that you're talking to me. Given what V.V. just did."
'Trust me, I'm as angry as you might be. Have you told them anything?'
"That's what you're concerned about? Not Lelouch's wellbeing?"
'...Forgive me. It's just that~'
"Forget it. In any case, all I've told them is that Charles has a Code Bearer named V.V., and that V.V. or Charles may know his identity."
'Thank you. You know how important this is for me and Charles.'
"Surprised you aren't angry with me about Zero."
'What's there to be mad about? You've always been coy. It's one of the things I found amusing with you.'
"Glad you hold me to such high regards."
'Hehe. Regardless, Charles has told me that he doesn't intend to take any personal actions against Lelouch or Cornelia. The project is too important. However, I am concerned over Schneizel.'
"Schneizel? He's got you worried?"
'He was a little too close for comfort when it came to the Thought Elevator. Honestly, I'm glad Cornelia destroyed it. Schneizel may be the greatest threat to the project.'
"And Lelouch isn't?"
'Do you plan on telling him?'
"Not unless you try attacking again."
'That was Vincent's doing, not mine or Charles!'
C.C. smirked, "Then I have no reason to."
'And, so long as Lelouch focuses on his 'rebellion', it won't threaten the plan. If Schneizel defeats the Black Knights, Charles may have to personally get involved with Schneizel.
"Hmph. Well, I wouldn't worry about Lelouch. While Schneizel is a major problem, even without Cornelia, he'd find a way. He is your son, after all."
Cornelia
A mug of coffee fell to the ground, spilling its contents everywhere as it spinned on its side. Cornelia was in a state of shock as she watched the hidden security camera focusing on C.C.. She was overlooking earlier footage of C.C. talking with The Lady when she noticed C.C., and decided to get a live viewing. When she took a seat, Arthur had followed her in and decided to take a seat on her lap. When she dropped the mug, Arthur yelled and bolted off her in fear, before running out of the room.
Needless to say, every piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Honestly, when she remembered seeing C.C. at Pendragon, she should've figured it out sooner, but she never considered the possibility.
"Marianne," Cornelia wheezed out, "You're alive?"
?
Far above the planet, five satellites orbited above, all focusing on a specific area. While hundreds of satellites circled the globe, they were usually dozens of miles apart. These ones were less than thirty miles apart. This helped them focus on the task they were given. One of them spotted a ping at the edge of the Sea of Okhotsk, before zooming in. The others did so as well, working in tangent. By focusing on a specific zone, they could narrow down the timeframe needed to find a target.
One of them finally found the ping, and discovered a black, unmarked jet not known to any Britannian models.
Satellite D42-X890L-21, sending report to Area 11 Britannian High Command. Possible hostile unit has taken the bait for operation Tsar Osen.
Author's Notes: So, things are going from bad to worse it seems. Personally, I feel like this is my weakest chapter. I don't know why, just felt janky to me, but I couldn't write it any other way. Hopefully it's just me being weird and you enjoy it.
I got a PM saying that Euphemia seemed a little to OC, being okay with everything Lelouch and Cornelia are doing. This shows that she isn't okay with everything, especially what she found out how Lelouch truly is inside him. Much like Nunnally, she never saw what Lelouch truly was. Unlike Nunnally, she was introduced to it early on, and has to come to grips with it.
For Jeremiah, I tried to come up with ways that could have him stay with the Britannian military, but, with everything else I have planned, as well as the mess that Orange has caused (to the Britannians, not the story), it wouldn't work.
Otherwise, I hope you enjoyed, leave a review, Fav/Follow, and I'll see you all next time.