Chapter 16 Taking back Tohdoh
I don't own Code Geass. Anything I use is property of its creators. Anything I use from other sources is also their property.
AN: This had no business taking this long, guys and I'm sorry to my loyal readers. For the longest time I didn't attempt a Code Geass fic because I knew it would be difficult for me to work the way I wanted. As a person who writes on inspiration primarily and trying to do this right has given me some problems. I thought I'd have it easier than this and I haven't and I apologize.
The rescue of Tohdoh begins
(Ashford Academy)
As the sun shone on Ashford Academy, a smiling Lelouch opened his eyes ready for what was sure to be a crazy day, "Today's the day huh Lelouch" a naked C.C smiled as they laid in bed together after a night of hot sex.
"That's right. Today is the day we save Tohdoh and the Black Knights get one of the JLF's finest generals." Lelouch smiled before kissing the verdette on the head.
"Do you know where the execution is going to be." C.C wondered curious if he had a plan in place.
"No but Cornelia is going to make a show of it." Lelouch smiled. Cornelia knew how big a deal this was and she would make a scene and that would give Lelouch everything he needed.
"But first we have school." C.C smiled bitterly. There were many parts of Lelouch's life that C.C enjoyed but going to school was not one of them. She shared a room nearby with Sayoko since the pair both wanted to be close to Lelouch and Nunnally but otherwise she lived a decent life.
"Yes I know" Lelouch groaned. It was a pity that Cornelia was doing it in the middle of the week but they had to do what they could under the circumstances.
(Government Building)
Cornelia Li Britannia was smiling as she knew today was the big day. Tohdoh would be executed and the only drawback was the potential interference of the Black Knights. "Princess, today is the date, but we haven't revealed where we're going to hold the execution." Guilford wondered.
"Yes I know Guilford and that's the point, I want to ambush the Black Knights with my plan and give them no time to counter it. Zero is brilliant, but he can't do a thing if he doesn't have time to prepare. That's where the execution for Kururugi went sour" Cornelia smiled. The plan was for the execution to take place tonight but not telling them until late in the day would make it more difficult to plan an attack.
"I see. So who will you bring along?" Guilford wondered.
"We'll have the Glaston Knights ready to go along with the Lancelot. We'll give them Knights an open space so they can't hide and destroy them when they approach." Cornelia smiled deviously. They were going to be exposed and that was exactly what she needed. The red knightmare was a slight concern. but that was why she had the Lancelot ready. She was confident that when she revealed the plan, they would catch the Knights lacking.
(Ashford Academy)
'What are you waiting for Cornelia' Lelouch thought to himself. Much to his shock, an announcement hadn't come about the location yet and he had no idea how to handle this. The good news was that Euphy was here, but the bad news is she had no idea either.
"Everyone, please come to the gymnasium for a special announcement" Rueben Ashford announced through the school's loudspeakers.
'This can't be good.' Lelouch thought to himself. There was only one thing that could be announced and if he was right, this was about to get ugly for him and as he glanced at Milly, it was clear she agreed. The class made their way to the auditorium and a large screen appeared with Cornelia by a podium.
"Greetings my wonderful Britannians. Today is the day we execute one of the greatest enemies to the crown, Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh. The man once called 'Tohdoh the Miracle Worker' is currently being held here" Cornelia said pridefully before showing off the prison that held Tohdoh. Fortunately for Lelouch there was a large area that could be used to get to Tohdoh and there was a wide amount of space. There were also countless ways to get into the base which meant this was basically a straight shot.
'What's she playing at.' Lelouch thought to himself as the speech continued. She was practically telling everyone that there was an easy way to get to Tohdoh and it didn't seem like her.
"Tonight, the Elevens resistance will finally come to an end by our hands. Be ready my loyal Britannians because victory is nearly ours. ALL HAIL BRITTANIA" Cornelia shouted an everyone including Lelouch followed along even reluctantly. This was far too easy and Lelouch hated it.
(Scene Skip)
Class was over and it was time for everyone to depart, and the student council had decisions to make. Of course by the council, meant Lelouch. Most of the group was there besides Euphy who was told she had to come home, "So what do you guys think." Lelouch wondered.
"Is it just me or does this seem too easy. A wide-open space and clear area to get Tohdoh. They're basically shouting out, come get him if you dare." Rivalz commented.
"Rivalz is right. Cornelia is telling you exactly where to go and what to do." Milly spoke up.
"In other words, there has to be a trap." Kallen cringed. During Suzaku's execution they had a much better plan and it was only because Lelouch was brilliant that it worked out. This was the opposite and it was nauseating.
"Ironic actually, but the most difficult plans to counter are the ones where it seems to easy. Cornelia isn't this sloppy which means she's got to have a way to control the battlefield." C.C. spoke up.
"And she's going to do it. Normally we could use the spy drones to scan the area ahead of time but again with all the coverage around the area that's just begging for the drones to be spotted. That means we're going in blind" Lelouch cursed. It was a brilliant maneuver by his sister and he knew it, give an easy scenario and they'll underestimate her and go in without thinking. It would've worked on Clovis and quite a few other members of their family but not him.
"Then let's reverse roles." Milly smiled a plan popping into her head.
"Huh" Rivalz said in confusion.
"Instead of looking at it as though we're attacking. Look at it as though we were the ones defending. Think about how you would go about it and then use that as a basis for your plan." Milly smiled.
"That's pretty smart. So there is some brain behind those boobs" C.C teased.
"That's right but enough about me. I'm worried about the Four Holy Swords." Milly used.
"They'll be fine as long as we make a plan to rescue Tohdoh. They're not fools and they know the best chance they have is to enlist our help." Lelouch smiled. The Swords were loyal but they weren't stupid. Their best chance was to work with him.
(Scene Skip)
For Lelouch the easy part of the plan was done and now the fun part of his night was about to begin. The Council was perfect for figuring out a plan of attack, but convincing the Four Holy Swords was another matter. Lelouch was currently in his office without his helmet with C.C by his side as the Four Holy Swords prepared to learn their part of his plan. Kallen was handling the rest of the knights which was easy due to her history with them and her clear connection to Zero. "Why are we waiting here. We should be saving the Colonel immediately." Asahina shouted angrily causing Lelouch to focus on the task at hand. Asahina's passion was hard to deny and a part of Lelouch greatly respected that. The problem was, that passion came with a rash personality that was difficult to reel in. Luckily, he knew just how to handle the man.
"Because Asahina, Cornelia has no plan to actually kill Tohdoh. At least not yet." Lelouch reminded him. The visible annoyance on his face hard to miss.
"And how do you know that" Senba wondered.
"I may have left Britannia years ago, but I was still raised by them so I know certain things. One of them is that Britannia rarely does things without making a show of it. They want to make sure others don't get similar ideas and that's what they're counting on when the plans work." Lelouch said casually. Ironically enough, that was the best weapon they had. Intimidation was everything to his family and that could be easily exploited.
"In other words, they'll execute him only after stopping the Black Knights as a reminder of their power" Urabe smirked.
"Exactly and that's the key. They want to make a grand show of defeating us before ending Tohdoh's life" Lelouch replied a vicious smile on his face.
"So what's your plan, since I doubt you'd call us here without one." Senba wondered.
Lelouch smiled back, "Here's what we're going to do." Lelouch smiled as he began explaining the plan. The Holy Swords seemed to be okay with his plan and now that they were set it was time to move out.
"I can't tell if you're lucky or unlucky at this point." C.C chuckled.
"Unlucky really. Euphie's been under heavier scrutiny since Mao's attack and Jeremiah can't move too much or he'll reveal himself."
"Plus you know that Cornelia's getting more curious by the day." C.C spoke calmly.
"Cornelia's curiosity is the least of my problem's."
"What do you mean?" C.C questioned.
"Like I said earlier, intimidation is the key to a lot of success for Britannia and if Cornelia continues to fail that's a problem. There's no way my father will allow her to continue to stay where she is without backup. Worst case scenario we could see one of the Rounds take over." Lelouch cursed. Kallen was an ace pilot, but on her best day she was no match for even the weakest member of the Rounds. Without Kallen the Black Knights were sunk.
"You're right but he won't do that." C.C reminded him.
'And why not. The Rounds are sent all the time." Lelouch countered.
"Because your father values one thing more than intimidation and its discretion." C.C said calmly.
"What do you mean by that?" Lelouch said with narrowed eyes.
"Your father is well aware that you're alive" C.C said bluntly dropping a bomb on Lelouch she didn't really want to drop.
Lelouch went cold because that was a problem. If his father was aware that he was alive, there was also a chance that. "Does he know I'm Zero?" Lelouch said nervously. If his father knows he's Zero that would be a disaster.
"I don't know, but if he does, he won't do anything about it. Keeping you contained is his best chance of keeping the many secrets he had." C.C replied. In truth there was no doubt that he knew by now. He would've surely spoken to Clovis and learned everything. If she was betting woman, Charles was hoping that he took out Cornelia because if she learned Lelouch was alive, it would be a major problem.
"Alright" Lelouch said calmly. His father's actions could ruin everything but right now he had to focus. Tohdoh needed saving and he was the only one who would save him. He would focus on dear old dad later.
(Scene Skip)
Nightfall arrived and while the military was focused on protecting Tohdoh. The public was focused on something else entirely. "I don't know if I should be annoyed by this or pleased." Euphemia whispered towards her escort for the night in Jeremiah Gottwald. Along with Jeremiah, Euphemia was judging an art contest which to her was inane and stupid. The fact she had to wear her princess outfit made it worse.
"You should be pleased. You're away from the battlefield that is sure to erupt tonight." Jeremiah reminded her.
"Yes I know and that's the problem. Lelouch needs my insight and I know nothing." Euphemia pouted.
"Princess is everything alright." The curator of the museum replied causing Euphemia to focus again.
"Oh… I'm fine, but it's all so wonderful." Euphemia replied in a completely faked voice. The artwork was alright at best and honestly, she was more focused on Lelouch. As they continued their walk, she arrived at the largest portrait of all, one of her brother Clovis and internally she winced something the curator noticed.
"Princess, I know it must be hard. Your brother was a fine man." The curator said solemnly.
'I'm wincing because you have no idea what a monster my brother was. He experimented on another human being and when she escaped was prepared to level a whole city just to hide it.' Euphemia winced. There were countless lives lost because her brother wanted to keep his secrets and it disgusted her. The only good thing about her brother's death was that it allowed her to reunite with Lelouch, "It is difficult. My brother was unique and his love of art was unparalleled" Euphemia replied diplomatically.
'Well done Princess. Your brother would be proud of that acting.' Jeremiah thought to himself. He was also concerned but if he knew Lelouch, he had a plan ready.
(Black Knight base)
The final preparations had been made and it was time at last to free Tohdoh and save him. "Alright everyone you remember the plan. Ohgi and his team will be the first wave. Your task is to test their forces and get combat data. Meanwhile the Four Holy Swords will make up the second wave." Lelouch reminded the group.
"Umm… what about Kallen." Ohgi said nervously. Kallen was their best pilot and having her would make things go much smoother.
"Because of the current situation, Kallen is not going to be joining us. I told you about that before." Lelouch chided. This was a public execution and Kallen needed to stay back. It wasn't ideal especially if the Lancelot appeared, but Tohdoh and the Kuroi Ryū would make up for it.
"Right but."
"Ohgi. Have I failed you yet?" Lelouch chided. He did understand how the man felt and he wanted to use Kallen, but her sneaking out would just be stupid. That's why the council was also not involved.
"No" Ohgi conceded.
"Then let's move out." Lelouch said calmly as he got into position himself. Lelouch was going to stay on in a Humvee that he would use to ram into the prison. He had the Kuroi Ryū in case it was necessary, but he wanted to save it for Tohdoh.
As the Black Knights moved, he could only watch with pride especially since their new knightmare were on display. "Soon Tohdoh, soon I'll be able to repay that debt" Lelouch smiled.
(G1 Base)
Cornelia was nervous as she waited in the G1 for the knights to arrive, "Princess are you sure we should only have the Lancelot and the Glaston Knights. Why not be there yourself." Guilford wondered standing by her side.
"Because Guilford, I can't face them properly and if that's the case, I shouldn't be on the battlefield." Cornelia said calmly. The thought of facing her brother was too much and admittedly it was becoming harder to do her job by the day.
"If that's the case, why is he there." Guilford questioned looking at the Lancelot on the screen. Guilford and Cornelia were aware that Suzaku was an old friend of her brother's and it would be slightly hypocritical for him to be there if she was not.
"Because Guilford I want to see where his loyalties lie. Despite everything that happened he chose to become one of us. He could be our greatest weapon against my supposedly dead brother." Cornelia frowned hating where this was going. What she was hiding from her knight was the fact that she fully believed Lelouch had spies within her ranks. Jeremiah was tops on her list but the man was shrewd and although she didn't want to admit it out loud, she suspected Euphy was involved as well. This would go a long way towards confirming if he was a spy since his actions would speak volumes. That's also why she waited until later and even sprung the art contest on Euphy and Jeremiah. It was all about keeping the annoying factors away.
"Princess, enemy units have appeared on the northwest side there's only five of them." Andreas Dalton shouted.
"Lancelot move to engage!" Cornelia ordered.
"Roger" Suzaku shouted and he moved towards the group.
"Princess" Guilford warned. This seemed like a bad idea.
"Don't worry Guilford. We'll know plenty about Suzaku Kururugi in moments." Cornelia smiled. All the sudden a communication appeared on the screen and it was Lloyd Asplundh.
"I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem." Lloyd spoke up before showing another screen to Cornelia. Suzaku was on the screen but what she noticed was the five frames in front of them in a line formation. Frames that were clearly not Sutherlands.
"What the! Are those new knightmare frames?" Guilford gasped.
"What should I do" Suzaku said nervously. Staring down the five bladed weapons was a problem and Suzaku wouldn't have as easy a time.
"Get them. Dalton and the others will move towards you." Cornelia shouted before making said order.
(Black Knights trailer)
"So Suzaku, what will you do?" Lelouch smiled as he waited for the next phase of their attack. This was a two-pronged attack with the former Kozuki group sans Kallen attacking first with the Four Holy Swords next in line.
"It looks like it's showtime" C.C smiled from a communications screen. Lelouch watched as the Lancelot managed to hold its own against the combined attack doing a fair bit of damage himself.
"Right" Lelouch smiled before focusing on the Swords. "Get ready to go. The Glaston Knights are coming and our boys don't stand a chance. Take care of them and I'll get in position." Lelouch smiled.
"Right" Urabe smiled as the swords began their attack on Suzaku.
(G1 Base)
"What in the world is going on." Cornelia gasped. Suzaku was being overwhelmed by the new frames and just as the knights were getting close, they were interrupted as well by four other frames that were unique in their own way. This was a disaster for her and she knew it.
"They've clearly been preparing since our last encounter." Guilford said angrily. This was bad and it was only going to get worse since, at least so far, they haven't seen the red knightmare frame.
"Yes they have!" Cornelia tensed.
"The real problem is that Tohdoh is unguarded." Guilford scowled.
"And he'll stay that way. Losing more men isn't worth one prisoner and we know where he'll be." Cornelia replied angrily. Already she was under pressure and this was just the beginning. Zero was no fool and that meant more units were underway
"Alright" Guilford scowled.
(Battlefield)
The battlefield was chaos and a smiling Lelouch drove the Humvee towards Tohdoh's location. Thankfully his new toys were doing an excellent job of distracting the Glaston Knights and Suzaku. Of course once he made his move that would be it. "Here we go" Lelouch smiled as he put on his mask just in time to ram into the destroyed cell that held Tohdoh. Ignoring the damage done, a now dressed Lelouch appeared before Tohdoh.
"You've come to free me I see." Tohdoh said with a steeled gaze. If Lelouch didn't know any better he'd say the man expected him. Then again this was Tohdoh.
"That's right. The JLF might be destined for destruction but the Black Knights are not. We need a man of your ability Tohdoh and only with that will Japan be free.
Tohdoh glared at him taking in his calm gaze. "What do I have to gain from joining you. Why should I believe you'll be any better than the JLF?"
"Because I have things the JLF will never have. Even as we speak your Four Holy Swords and some of my oldest soldiers are fighting them off with new nightmare frames and there's even one for you behind me. You won the only battle of the war on talent and strategy but now your weaponry can equal there's. With my mind and your muscle and influence Japan can and will be free."
Tohdoh stared at the man and smiled, "But what next. Surely you're aware of the fact that Britannia will simply attack with stronger forces." Tohdoh questioned. Seeing what Zero said was paramount to whether he would join up.
"The road to peace has many steps and freeing Japan is merely the first."
"Oh?" Tohdoh smiled realizing this was no simple-minded fool.
"That's right. However instead of me simply telling you what to do, how about I show you. After all I did promise you a knightmare." Lelouch smiled as he tossed the keys of Kuroi Ryu to Tohdoh
Tohdoh stared straight at the man and smiled, "Alright. Let's see if your path is the right one." Tohdoh chuckled before the pair left. Lelouch took a spare Saisei while Tohdoh roared out in Kuroi Ryu
entered the battle.
"What the" Suzaku gasped as the Kuroi Ryu appeared.
(G1 Base)
"Another one! That's THREE new groups of knightmare. How can terrorists get weapons like this?" Cornelia roared. This was a disaster for her and she couldn't believe that the Black Knights had the resources capable of making all of these.
For Britannia what was a bad situation was getting worse by the second. The Glaston Knights were even against the Four Holy Swords and with Tohdoh approaching they were in trouble. Suzaku was having trouble fighting off his opponents which meant that everything had gone wrong.
"Princess we have no choice. We must order a retreat." Guildford frowned.
Cornelia hated to retreat but she knew that this battle was lost, "All units retreat! I repeat, all units retreat!" Cornelia shouted.
(Battlefield)
All of the sudden smoke appeared on the battlefield and Lelouch knew exactly what it meant, "Zero! We should strike them down." Asahina said angrily as the smoke filled the area.
"No! Our objective was rescuing the good Colonel and we achieved that. Now they know we're a threat and one to be taken seriously" Zero replied.
Asahina was about to protest but Tohdoh spoke up, "Zero is correct Asahina. Pressing will only cause unnecessary harm and Cornelia herself is the one who ordered their retreat." Tohdoh frowned.
"Alright. At least we have you back Colonel." Asahina relented.
With Asahina relenting it was time to announce their victory "Cornelia has surrendered. My dear Black Knights, this battle is ours!" Lelouch roared as he made his way back to the damaged Humvee while the Knights returned to base. This was a perfect victory and with Tohdoh by their side he was positive there would be more victories on the way.
(Euphemia)
The night had been an absolute disaster for Britannia and Euphemia knew it. She was currently being driven back to the G1 by Jeremiah who was silent. 'Poor sister. You were too scared to face Lelouch and now the Black Knights have new weapons and Tohdoh. This couldn't have gone worse if they tried' Euphemia thought to herself. However she couldn't speak about it right now. She was certain her sister had bugged the car they were using and wanted to get more information "The Black Knights are proving to be quite the threat Sub-Viceroy Jeremiah." Euphemia said with a practiced nervousness.
"Not to worry. This was a minor setback Princess" Jeremiah replied calmly. He was well versed in covert ops so knowing not to give away what they knew was key.
"Minor setback. You saw the video. They had a group of mass-produced knightmare that were able to give the Lancelot problems and the Glaston Knights also struggled." Euphemia said nervously.
"The Glaston Knights were caught off guard. That won't happen again." Jeremiah replied firmly.
"Let's hope so because right now it looks like our hold over Area 11 is fading." Euphemia said nervously.
"If you're worried about yourself don't be. We'll all die before allowing the Knights to get to you or your sister."
"That's good" Euphemia sighed with relief.
"Now why don't you relax. We'll be back at the base in around thirty minutes." Jeremiah smiled.
(Black Knights Home Base)
Back at the base Lelouch simply relaxed in his office while Tamaki and the others partied. Even the normally prudish Holy Swords were enjoying themselves. "Another job well done." Lelouch sighed taking the moment to get his mask off and relax.
"Yes but now comes the fun part." C.C smiled wearing her favorite dress while standing off to the side.
"You mean what my father does next. Yeah I'm not looking forward to that." Lelouch frowned. He'll have realized Cornelia can't cut it and who he brings is the key.
"Your best bet is probably Schneizel, he's as intelligent and you but he has the loyalty of the crown. That means he's a perfect tool for your father."
"Ughh don't remind me. Among the royal family he's the only one who is my equal or better." Lelouch groaned. The worst part is that Schneizel would realize who he was with very little evidence.
"You said among the royal family he's the only one. Does that mean there are others outside of the royals who are." C.C asked with intrigue.
"That's right. One of them is Bismarck the Knight of One but the other one was actually my age." Lelouch smiled to C.C's shock.
"Wait, there's somebody your age who was actually your equal." C.C gasped.
"Yes and she was an interesting one indeed. Her name was Monica Krushevsky and she was the daughter of a noble who did tons of business with my father. She would come over and play chess with us and she was the only one outside of Schneizel who could give me a fight since I never played against Bismarck" Lelouch recalled fondly.
"From the way you talk I'd say you liked her." C.C teased hoping to get a rise out of her.
"I did but Monica was also friends with Euphy and Milly which put her in a bad spot. Despite my father being who he was, it was rare that anybody took multiple wives in Britannia or at least the way he did." Lelouch chuckled. He was interrupted by his musing by a knock on the door. He quickly put on his helmet since he didn't know who was coming. "Come on in." Zero announced and the door opened to reveal Tohdoh. There was no hint of alcohol coming from the good Colonel which didn't surprise Lelouch at all.
"Do you want me to go Zero." C.C asked demurely. It was hilarious to see C.C that way but Tohdoh wasn't aware of his relationship with her, at least not yet.
"No. Anything that the good Colonel wants to discuss can be discussed with you around." Zero said firmly as much for Tohdoh's understanding.
"Alright" C.C smiled before shutting the door so they weren't interrupted.
"So Colonel what do you want?" Zero asked calmly.
"I want to know what your next move is now that you've freed me. These new weapons are powerful and I can tell that you have a good head on your shoulders, but I've met many men like that and that wasn't enough." Tohdoh said firmly.
"For right now. We wait. Attacking everywhere isn't going to do us any good and because of where we are, Britannia won't attack our base."
"In other words you simply wait for them to strike at the JLF and then become their saviors. That's rather cruel considering what the Japanese have done for you."
Lelouch couldn't help but crack a smile, "It would seem this mask isn't necessary." Zero chuckled as the mask went away and the familiar visage of Lelouch Lamperouge appeared.
"I never would've guessed that the young man who came to us as a prisoner, would one day become our savior. What a world." Tohdoh chuckled.
"That's a lie sensei and we both know it. When Zero first appeared, I imagine it took you minutes to figure out that I was the one behind his mask." Lelouch said warmly.
"True and admittedly I knew this day would come as well. All I ask you is this. Is this about freeing the Japanese or getting revenge on Britannia for what happened to you."
"Both!" Lelouch said bluntly. "The Japanese saved me in my darkest hour and freeing them from my former home is the least I can do. It is of course the first step in destroying Britannia but it is a vital one."
"Very well. Just be careful that you don't get so focused on revenge that you forget what you're fighting for." Tohdoh warned.
"I've got plenty of people who will help me do that and in the next few days you'll meet some of them." Lelouch smiled.
"Very well." Tohdoh acknowledged. It wasn't a perfect situation, but in the life he lived, perfect wasn't possible and Tohdoh was aware that Lelouch was Japan's best chance.
(Scene Skip)
The weekend arrived and that meant that it was time for Lelouch to keep his word to Tohdoh. The unfortunate problem for Lelouch was that there was no easy way to do exactly what he wanted. The day after the celebrations Lelouch introduced Tohdoh to Rakshata and by extension Nina who Lelouch hinted was one of the people he mentioned. Now it was time to bring him on board with the other members of the council. "I can't believe I'm forced to where this ridiculous disguise." Tohdoh grumbled as they moved through an underground pathway. It was one of the tunnels Kallen and Lelouch used to escape from when it was time for missions.
"I'm a Britannian schoolboy bringing a commander of the JLF on campus. There's no way in hell that would work even with the influence I hold." Lelouch frowned. He could use his Geass but he really didn't want to waste that if he didn't have to.
"Yet you have a group that's been helping you with the Black Knights here."
"Yes, but most of the school is unaware of that. Hell the only reason these guys know who I really am is because one of the members of the group knows me from the homeland." Lelouch frowned.
"Well they'd better be good." Tohdoh growled as they finally made their way to the escape hatch. Luckily for Lelouch they weren't far away from his home and Sayako had Nunnally away which meant they were free to meet. He would have to spend some time with his sister soon because the secrets were getting old.
"They are." Lelouch smiled and a few minutes later they arrived at his home. After getting in with no problem they were met by Sayako.
"Greetings Master Lelouch and Colonel Tohdoh. The others are waiting." Sayako smiled.
"How does she?"
"My name is Sayoko Shinozaki. I take it you've heard of my family." The ninja maid smiled.
"Yes I have. To think one of the Shinozaki ninjas survived this ordeal" Tohdoh smiled.
"We have and I've served Master Lelouch ever since he arrived in our humble town." Sayoko said happily.
"You two can talk later." Lelouch said calmly as they walked into the room. Immediately the room looked in to find Rivalz and Nina sitting together on one couch with Kallen and Shirley on the other. A smiling Milly stood right near the door while C.C stood to the side.
"It's an honor to meet you Colonel Tohdoh. My name is Milly Ashford and I'm the president of the council here at the school along with a childhood friend of Lelouch's.
"Nina was next to stand up, "Hello again Colonel. As you know I'm one of Rakshata's top assistants with the Knights but here I'm just a member who helps out where I can."
"Hey there, For the Ashford Council I'm the secretary but for Lelouch I've been helping with finances. I'm not great with that stuff but my girlfriend Nina and Shirley who's the actual treasurer help me out because I know most of Lelouch's connections in the gambling world.
Shirley was naturally next, "Hi, I'm Shirley Fenette the treasurer of Ashford and as Rivalz said, I help with the Knights finances along with a separate task for Lelouch."
AN: I admittedly forgot Rivalz was secretary and not treasurer back when I originally wrote this. So Rivalz and Shirley work together on the Knight's finances along with Shirley's task of watching Nunnally
Kallen was next, "It's an honor to meet you Colonel Tohdoh. To the Black Knights I'm Kallen Kozuki the pilot of the Red Knightmare and our Ace pilot. To Britannians I'm Kallen Stadtfeld weak heiress. For the record, I'm not weak but it's easier to explain my absences this way." Kallen smiled.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Colonel. You may call me C.C and I'm Lelouch's friend and advisor along with occasional bedwarmer." C.C smiled causing a few people to twitch.
"Really C.C" Lelouch Shirley and Kallen all sad at once.
"You have quite the group here Lelouch." Tohdoh chuckled aware that C.C wasn't the only bedwarmer if their reactions were any indication.
"Yes I do and they've helped me from behind the scenes. Consider yourself honored Tohdoh because you are the only person in the Black Knights not connected to the group who I've told about these guys. They are my Council of Change and they've worked with me to help figure things out. It was with Milly's help that I've been able to get our base and Nina was the one who helped design the knightmare frames that you and the Four Holy Swords used. They are also friends who I trust." Lelouch revealed.
"I can see why you haven't introduced them to the others besides Nina. It also explains why your ace wasn't on the battlefield.
"Due to a complicated situation, Kallen had to stay back."
"What sort of situation."
Lelouch frowned because he didn't want to explain this, but trust was everything and he had to show Tohdoh he could trust him, "I'm also working with Sub-Viceroy Jeremiah and Princess Euphemia. The former was part of the guard in my mother's home before her death and the latter is one of the limited people amongst Britannians that I truly liked. Cornelia is another and she's begun to suspect that I am Zero."
"I see and because she was snooping around you needed Ms Kozuki to stay away in case she was monitoring Ashford."
"Yes. There's still plenty of risks ahead, and there was no easy way to manage what must be done."
Tohdoh looked at the group and although they weren't perfect. They clearly had their value to Lelouch and he couldn't question that, "Well I look forward to working with all of you. I won't tell the others or Kyoto but eventually you will."
"I'm aware" Lelouch deadpanned.
"Well how about I make some tea and we can talk shop. Things are calming down for now and after what happened we've bought ourselves some time." Milly smiled.
"That would be nice." Tohdoh smiled and the group relaxed for a bit longer.
(Unknown Area)
Charles Zi Britannia was a walking contradiction but anybody who knew that would never call him on it. To the World he was the enigmatic or ruthless Emperor of Britannia but those who knew him more personally it was a different matter. "Sir are you positive that it's him." A female voice said nervously as she walked with Charles along the pathway of a massive room that was simply a gold skyline with clouds.
"Yes I am. Zero has now killed Clovis and proven himself Cornelia's equal on multiple occasions. He is the only person outside of Schneizel capable of that." Charles replied wearing his typical garb.
"But I thought you told the world he was dead." The young woman said again.
"I did, but unfortunately it was necessary in order to build the world that we seek." Charles spoke softly. Charles was a walking contradiction and despite wanting a world without lies, he was constantly lying to his people in order to prepare the world he wanted. He lied about Lelouch's death in order to motivate his soldiers. He lied about the true reason for invading Japan.
"But what about Cornelia. What about Euphy and what about me." The young woman spoke again.
"I may have lied to you Monica but look what it made you. You were smart but always compared to my errant son. Now you are the Knight of Twelve and one of the strongest warriors in the empire. Cornelia drove herself to be strong as well and the same can be said for Schneizel even if he doesn't show it. Everyone took what happened to Lelouch poorly and we've become stronger because of it" Charles said calmly as he looked at the woman next to him. She had straight blonde hair tied into two pigtails with a red band and ice blue eyes. She was wearing the standard uniform of the Knights of the Round which consisted of a white long suit with a blue high collared shirt that had a yellow symbol which appeared to be a sword thrust into a lightning bolt and a white skirt with slits on the side and long black boots.
Monica couldn't deny that truth but she needed answers, "I know you plan to send Schneizel to Area 11 to help but please send me instead." Monica pleaded
"Oh and why would you want to do that. Don't think I'm not aware of the feelings you had for Lelouch." Charles smiled.
Monica blushed at that, "Please sir. I must know why Lelouch fought against us." Monica pleaded.
Charles frowned at this because he knew the truth and he doubted his knight would stay loyal if she did. Then again it could prove interesting to see how Lelouch fight against another person he once cared about, "Very well. I'll make arrangements but do not fail me." Charles warned.
"I promise you sir. I won't" Monica replied firmly. As the Knight of Twelve she had a duty to Britannia and she would fulfill that duty. However she also had a duty to an old friend one that she thought died many years ago and to see what made that friend into the monster he may or may not have become.
That's it for Chapter 16 and yeah this was a doozy. Once again sorry it took so long but here it is and we're just getting started. Next time, Monica's arrival at the school throws Lelouch for a loop, but both teens are in for a surprise when a trip to a mysterious island reveals a secret neither are ready for.
