Rise of the Monarch
Author: Tenno Hikari
Fandom: Code Geass R2 (Sort of crossover with the webtoon Solo Leveling and the Destiny video game).
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Synopsis: Like shattered pieces of a mosaic falling into place, Lelouch remembers his death during the Black Rebellion and the strange rebirth that followed after. Zero has revived his rebellion against Britannia; fighting on the front lines and armed with terrifying new powers in replacement of his lost Geass. If the strong must conquer the weak for the sake of peace… then so be it.
Chapter Seven
Aries Villa, The Holy Empire of Britannia
December a.t.b.
Aside from the bodyguards that lingered close by, Nunnally sat alone in her mother's garden. While the blind and crippled princess couldn't see the vibrant flowers that she had loved playing with in her youth, she could still smell their floral scent which never failed to bring forth nostalgia within her. It had been a long, long time since she was able to freely run across the emerald green grass. She used to make wreaths of flowers with her sisters Merrybell and Euphemia.
'Euphie… I still can't believe you're gone,' she thought mournfully while continuing to fold yet another crane for her growing collection.
Her former Japanese maid, Sayako, had once told her the tale: if she made a thousand cranes, she would be granted a wish. Back then, while living at Ashford, her wish had been to be able to see and walk again. She wanted to be normal, to not be a burden on her big brother, and to help him as much as he had helped taking care of her.
Then all of that changed, when she had been discovered and brought back the homeland when her father had reinstated her to royalty and told her that Lelouch had been left behind when she spent her first birthday without even a word from her beloved brother…
Her wish was to be reunited with him. She didn't care if she was disinherited again and sent back to Area Eleven. All she wanted was to be at his side again.
"Your Highness," one of the servants greeted her. "Sir Kururugi is here to see you."
'Suzaku!'
Nunnally immediately set the crane she had been working on, aside, and shifted in her chair.
"Oh, please bring him here!"
"Of course, your highness, please just wait a moment."
She didn't have to wait long upon hearing the approaching footsteps that were much heavier than her maids.
"Hello, Suzaku," she greeted with a smile and reached out to her childhood friend. "How have you been? How was your trip to Area Eleven?"
He didn't respond right away, but when he did, he encased her smaller hand with both of his own.
"I've been well, Nunnally, and yourself?"
Her smile widened.
"I have no complaints. Everyone has been so kind since I've returned home."
Of course, there was an exception of Corrine, who was the same age as Nunnally. The other princess was cold and dismissive when she came to greet her with their eldest sister, Guinevere. Nunnally wondered if the only reason why the other girl even came along at all was that she thought Lelouch might have returned to the Homeland as well.
"I'm glad to hear it," Suzaku spoke warmly. "My time is Area Eleven was rather brief. Mostly just meetings with the government officials there, I won't bore you with the politics."
The young princess's smile faltered as her shoulder slumped in disappointment.
"So you weren't able to go to Ashford… were you able to speak to the Student Council at least?" She asked, unable to help curl her fingers Suzaku's own. "What about my brother?"
Nunnally felt Suzaku tense momentarily and she swallowed nervously.
"Everyone at the Student Council is fine," Suzaku assured her. "As for Lelouch… just give it some time Nunnally."
Time… it had been four months since she last heard from her full-blooded sibling. How much more time did she need to give?
"He's mad at me, isn't he?"
"What?" Suzaku's tone was incredulous. "Lelouch could never be mad at you."
As much as she would like to believe that… "Then why won't he contact me?"
"It's… it's not that easy. But you're not at fault for anything, Nunnally."
Suzaku was being kind, but she knew that wasn't true. She couldn't remember much of what happened back then. One moment Nunnally had been certain she had been at Ashford with the Student Council when the Black Knights infiltrated the school. The next, she was back in Britannia, and immediately recognized the hateful voice that was her father.
Something bad had happened, and no one was saying anything.
Ashford Academy, Area Eleven
"The Eyes of the Emperor…?" Rivalz scratched his head when Julius asked him once they were both back in their now shared dorm room. "Do you mean the Emperor of Britannia?"
"We don't know. We were hoping you might."
"Err… nothing comes to mind."
Julius shrugged his shoulders while browsing through the store menu, hoping to find a better helmet than the 'Mask of Zero'. There wasn't anything special about that particular piece. Unlike the other pieces of armor, he could have them equipped at all times since they are invisible. Unlike the 'Mask of Zero,' that didn't have any stat bonuses or effects.
"That's a neat replica," Rivalz commented with wide eyes when Julius showed him the mask he pulled out of his inventory. "But better not wear it out in public. The Knight Police aren't too forgiving on anyone who dresses up as a terrorist."
"Terrorist?" both Ghost and Guardian asked at once.
"Oh, right you guys wouldn't know about Zero and the Black Knights."
"We're both rather new to this world," Bishop reminded the boy. "Were they the terrorists you spoke of?"
Rivalz nodded as his gaze returned towards the screen of his laptop. "Yeah, even though they called themselves freedom fighters. They were mostly all Elevens who refused to cooperate with the Honorary Britannian system and went to the extremes with clashing against, the police, the military, and royalty."
"You said mostly," Julius couldn't help but point out. "Does that mean some of their members were Numbers of other countries or even Britannian sympathizers?"
"I guess." The other boy looked uncomfortable as if he were remembering something unpleasant. "They never revealed who Zero was before he was executed right after the Black Rebellion. But my hunch was that he wasn't an Eleven. If I had a guess, I would say Zero could have been royalty or at least nobility."
'Why was I given a terrorist's mask?' Julius wondered. 'I couldn't be Zero. I revived a few days ago, but Zero was executed months ago.'
"My hunch is, Zero was Prince Clovis," Rivalz continued with a nod. "The way that guy spoke and how he presented himself, it was the same as Area Eleven's former Viceroy."
Why would a prince of Britannia and a Viceroy, becoming a terrorist and enemy of his own country? That didn't make any sense. He really should research more about this world he had recently been born into.
"Hey Rivalz," Bishop piped up as she hovered next to the teen. "Do you know why there's so much surveillance around the campus? Throughout our trip here, I counted at least over one-hundred and sixty cameras. Not to mention a significant amount of disguised security."
Looking up from his homework, Rivalz, looked surprised.
"That's news to me, but I guess it makes sense."
"It does?"
"A couple of months ago the Black Knights tried to take over the Settlement; incidentally Ashford was used as a temporary base for them. I saw Zero in the flesh when he took over at the Student Council Clubroom."
The Black Knights and Zero had been here?
This couldn't be a coincidence.
"So do you think the Britannian military believes they'll be back?"
"I don't know," Rivalz shook his head while his expression looked somber. "I hope not."
Julius decided not to pry any further. He would rather not bring back any traumatic memories the other boy might have had when terrorists took over his peaceful school and threatened his classmates. Also, he didn't want Rivalz to suspect him as a Black Knight or even Zero himself.
Zero and the Black Knights. Julius' visions upon reawakening were connected to them. While he rather liked Rivalz Cardemonde as the fist living creature who meant him no harm (Julius really couldn't count Bishop), he had no idea what he would do if the teenager turned against him.
[Quest 'En Passant'
Step 3 of 5
Under the cover of night, find and locate the Eyes of the Emperor]
A few hours after dinner, Rivalz turned in for the night, and once fully asleep, Julius decided to make his move. Unfortunately, it was a school night. Students were prohibited from congregating outside past ten o'clock and were penalized if caught.
Since Julius wasn't even a student at the Academy. There was no doubt this esteemed Academy would report him to the authorities for trespassing. He would be forced to flee before completing his quest, and Rivalz himself might suffer from the repercussions. So he would have to rely on stealth to survey the campus without being discovered.
How fortunate that his Guardian Class was a Hunter. According to Bishop, the Hunters were master assassins who specialized in stealth and speed. He had spent the past few days studying the Arc subclass skill tree and was now focused on unlocking more skills that would help him in the upcoming Dungeon.
Without uttering a word, Julius' entire form glows briefly, thankfully not bright enough to wake Rivalz or alert the patrolling security outside. When the azure light dies down, his entire form has changed from an ordinary teenage boy to that of an intimidating assassin. His hand-cannon was holstered to the black utility belt around his waist, and his knives and combat dagger were also sheathed and strapped around his leg for easy accessibility.
The Hunter's attire was a 50:50 fabric to armor ratio. It was rather lightweight, so as not to restrict his movements. The hooded-cloak that Hunters were known for wearing was all fabric. While Julius could customize the colors of his items, he kept the armor's default black 'shader', as it would help him blend in more with the shadows.
According to the store, his set of House of Devils' armor was a unique series and exclusive only to certain Fallen dungeons. While each piece could sell for at least eight-hundred silver; the higher-tier 'A-Rank' armor went into millions. After hearing about the infamous Zero, Julius decided not to equip the mask and instead purchased a D-ranked helmet for a thousand silver that gave him a minor boost in mobility.
"We're not in a dungeon, so killing a human enemy may not give you experience, will raise an alarm and draw reinforcements," Bishop spoke quietly as he moves to open a window. "While it's not a quest objective, you shouldn't use any lethal force against the humans here."
"I agree," he nodded while crouching by the open window. "No casualties if I can avoid it. All I have to do is find out what these Eyes of the Emperor are."
While cloaked invisibility, he easily slipped out of the window and climbed up to the rooftop for a better vantage point. He was confident in Bishop's ability to cloak him from the many cameras around campus, while he scanned the perimeter. What he was looking for… Julius had a vague idea it had something to do with the security.
With just a thought, his sniper rifle materialized in his hands.
"Julius?" Bishop hovered close to him. "What are you doing? I thought we agreed on no causalities if it can be avoided."
"Nothing has changed," he quietly assured her, "I'm only using the scope for surveillance."
Crouching down, he waited for his invisibility to return, before aiming the courtyard below. Using his recently acquired sniper, it was easy for him to keep tail on a group that was standing around one of the entrances to the boy's dorm. Their three-piece suits made them stand out. As he zoomed in closer, Julius could see the electronic devices they wear in their ears.
"Bishop, can we eavesdrop on their conversation using those."
"Th-That was my idea… you just said it first."
Even with the helmet on, he was sure the Ghost knew he was rolling his eyes at her.
"Eavesdropping in… 3…2…1…"
["You ever wonder why we're here?"
"You know why we're here," replied the man with tawny brown hair standing on the left. "If it makes you feel any better, this is your fault."
"What?" the blonde man on the right asked incredulously. "How is 'this' my fault?"
"If you had just stopped Bruno from being Bruno, he wouldn't have pissed off the boss lady and we wouldn't be here."
"I don't get it. How come, we're here then and he's not?"
"God, how did you make it into the OSI," the brunette muttered. "Listen, Bruno can't keep a lookout if both his eyes are swollen shut, Dex."
"You make a good point, Dick."
"It's Richard."
"I know what I said."]
Ping!
Julius glance away from the two men as a screen popped up beside him.
[Quest 'En Passant'
Step 3 of 5
Update
Under the cover of night, find and locate the Eyes of the Emperor
Mandatory Objective: Eyes located: 2/5
Mandatory Objective: Mark target and locate their base of operations
Mandatory Objective: Do not kill targets
Optional Objective: The more Eyes you discover will provide additional experience and rewards]
"So these Eyes of the Emperor are people?" Julius mused as he focused on his targets once more. "Bishop, can you mark them on our map?"
"I'm miles ahead of you," she said smugly. "Targets Dick and Dex added, so we should be able to tail them even if they leave your line of sight. Also, what do you think this OSI is?"
"Don't know, campus security perhaps?"
"Hmm… but I checked the faculty roster when I was searching for you in the Ashford database. These men didn't come up, nor did OSI – or whatever it might stand for."
"Perhaps they're private security employed by the Ashford family," Julius suggested. "After all, their school became a refuge for terrorists a couple of months ago."
"You might be right. Let's just keep tabs on them for now."
["So why the boy's dormitory?" Dex asked after a long silence. "I mean the target is a female after all."]
'A female target?' Julius wondered.
["The boss lady said that Cardemonde kid was acting strangely."
"How so?"
"He's deviated from his normal routine," Richard explained. "He still attends classes and goes to the Student Council, but hasn't left campus once to go gambling in the past couple of days."]
Both Ghost and Guardian glanced at one another after that remark.
It was true, Rivalz hadn't left because he had been assisting both Julius and Bishop on acclimating themselves in this world. But why was Rivalz being monitored by these 'Eyes of the Emperor'? And who was this 'Boss Lady' that was in charge?
["Cardemonde is a low priority compared to the others. We only have to watch him one more day."
Dex appeared to be relieved by that. "Great. I'll go back watching teenage girls any day."]
"You know maybe killing one of them wouldn't hurt."
"Bishop, not now," Julius hissed as his eyes narrowed in on newcomer.
A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a suit approached the two men who addressed her cordially.
Ping!
[Mandatory Objective: Eyes located: 3/5]
'Another one?' Julius couldn't help but wonder how many of these 'Eyes' there were in total.
["I thought you guys could use some coffee."
Both men eagerly accepted the warm beverage with grateful smiles.
"Thanks, Sheila," Dick nodded towards the newcomer. "Are you finished with your assignment?"
"I am," she nodded. "But before I can call it a night, I have a briefing with the Baroness at command."]
"The Baroness…?" Julius wondered out loud why ignoring their inane chatter. "So nobility is running the surveillance operation here. The question is, for whom… perhaps the Ashford Family? Or someone with even more authority?"
"Julius!" Bishop's voice quickly drew him out of his thoughts. "That woman, she's moving."
[Mandatory Objective: Follow marked target to their base of operations]
Putting the sniper rifle away, the Hunter swiftly moved to go after his unsuspecting quarry.
Julius followed the woman while keeping to the rooftops where surveillance was minimal. Ashford didn't have that many tall buildings on campus and he was worried he would have to abandon the rooftops when she arrived at her destination. Along the way, she stopped by to greet other adults who didn't appear to be other 'Eyes' that he needed to track. He came to the conclusion, that these few people she struck up brief greetings with must have been normal members of the faculty.
The building was a familiar one. He watched Rivalz enter it during the daytime to retrieve books used for studying. According to the map, it was called the library, and the facility was supposed to be closed at this time of night. However, he watched as the woman named Sheila retrieve a keycard that hung from a lanyard around her neck. She slid it through the panel beside the door which automatically opened upon doing so.
"Doesn't look like I can follow her through those doors without that keycard," he muttered under his breath. "There could be guards waiting behind them."
"It looks like she's heading up to the Library's second floor," Bishop pointed out. "We should be able to infiltrate from up there."
Nodding quietly, he took a brief scan of the area below. Seeing that no-one was present, Julius jumped down from the three-story building he had been standing on. Once he landed, softly and upright on his feet, the Hunter darted to the side of the library where he quickly scaled up to a second-story window in mere seconds.
"You're not even breaking a sweat," his Ghost commented. "Those daily quests are paying off already."
He had to agree with her as he grasped onto the window ledge with both hands and pulled himself up to look through the window. On his map, he didn't see anyone moving around save for his marked target that was on the other side of the second floor. Grunting, he held himself upright with one arm, while using his free hand to retrieve one of his knives.
"Can you do something about the alarms to this building?" he asked his Ghost.
"Your wish is my etcetera, etcetera."
Julius might have cracked a smile at the remark if he wasn't straining to hold himself upright with one hand, while the other wedged a knife under the window. With a significant amount of force, he was able to push it up, just wide enough for him to clamber quietly inside. Bishop worked rather quickly. No alarms went off and no one was on the second floor to witness his intrusion.
Quietly pulling the window down behind him, Julius saw that his target on his map was now moving south at a fast pace.
"She's going below the first floor," he realized out loud while looking around the library. "I don't see an elevator around here."
"It must be concealed," Bishop said while materializing before him. "I'm going to scan the area. Keep your eyes out for any guards."
Nodding, the Hunter moved away from the windows in case someone was to spot him from the outside. Meanwhile, Bishop floated through the air, scanning every bookshelf and wall within the library. It didn't take her long to find the concealed elevator, as called out to him from a niche of bookcases in the back.
"Found it," she said rather proudly. "There's a lever here. It's the blue book on the left."
"Good work," Julius praised her while reaching out he took hold of the book's spine and pulled it out slightly. He noticed that there was some resistance; while the book could be physically removed from the shelf, he doubted it would function as a lever anymore. Instead, he pulled the book down so it lay on the spine, before pushing it into the case.
Both Ghost and Guardian were rather surprised as the bookshelf moved inwards and then to the side behind the other on the left, while a steel door, slid open to the right, revealing a small hidden room.
"This must be how the target descended to the lower level of this library," he mused out loud. "Hopefully it'll work for us."
"You're not doubting me now, are you?" Bishop asked while she flew inside. Her single blue eye stared at the panel on the wall. "Hmm… place your hand over here. Make sure your fingers touch each one of the squares on the monitor."
Julius did as instructed; placing his gloved hand on the panel and watched as it scanned his non-existent fingerprints. "Let me guess, you convinced the security system that I was our target?"
"Great minds think alike."
Leaning back against the wall of the elevator as it began its descent, Julius couldn't help but stare up at the camera that was supposed to be watching them. Bishop must have prevented the observing from seeing them; otherwise, the elevator would have stopped with them trapped inside it. He was very interested to know just who was behind all those cameras and why.
End Chapter Seven
Author's Notes:
So Bishop has done the impossible for a Ghost… not activating the alarms and informing you now have to fight your way out of a death trap. For those who have played Destiny 2, I based Bishop off of Sagira, the Ghost of the infamous warlock vanguard: Osiris.
"You ever wonder why we're here?"
Anyone who watches Red vs Blue will understand the significance of that question. I named the OSI agents Dex (after Dexter Griff), Dick (Richard Simmons), and Sheila (Phyllis) after characters from the show. As for Bruno, he was one of the several agents Rolo had killed. Rolo himself may enter the story, but I haven't planned that far out yet.
Review Responses:
DarthMaine: LOL, I didn't even mean for that to be a One-Punch man reference. The main character of Solo Leveling had to do that as a daily quest or he would be penalized. C.C. would risk life and limb for her Cheese-kun.
Dragon Lord Syed 101: Actually, C.C. was infiltrating Ashford as Clara (from Code Geass OZ)
God of all: Thank you for your feedback, I will!
Lance Eterna: I will try and be nice to Urabe, he's my favorite Holy Sword, unlike Chiba.
MMBrowsing: Yes, for once C.C. is dragged around by Lelouch. Not quite a payback for all the times she gave him a heart attack at school. As for your question: Superhuman powers and a Ghost Army… the answer is yes to both. OP!Leouch will be OP.
Stardrago: Back in chapter 2, I did write the time where the Student Council gets brainwashed in December 2017 a.t.b which is a few months after the First Assault on Tokyo Settlement. Suzaku is present there because 1) The Emperor was in Area 11 to do the whole brainwashing and 2) He is assigned to keep in contact with Villetta because capturing C.C. for the Emperor falls under his knightly duties. Also, Suzaku isn't attending school, he was just actually visiting briefly after the Emperor's departure.
Vampirelord101: unlike his former self, Julius is dedicated. Lelouch would probably rebel against the system and stay level 0 if he could help it. You make a good point with the yearbooks. I'll probably address this issue soon. I had forgotten that in the original anime, all of the student body had been replaced with other children from the homeland and only the student council had remained.