Disclaimer: I do not Code Geass or any of its canon characters.
Warning: Longest chapter yet. I tried but ultimately failed to break Saitama and Kawaguchi into separate entries.
Britannian heavy armor rolled up to the base of the mountain from all directions, cutting off any possible escape routes. Concealed doors on the south side of the mountain slid open, revealing railways that lead inside. From inside the mountain came railway vehicles armed with turret mounted twin 105mm cannons. Concealable static defenses. The formation of Britannian Panther tanks directly opposite them elevated their cannons and began exchanging fire with the Japanese mountain fortress' fixed defenses. Behind the lines inside the G1 mobile base, Intel officers were hard at work determining the level of resistance on the mountain.
"Sir we have successfully determined the enemy's positions and external defensive strength. The mountain has been turned into a fortress, with 63 defensive gun emplacements on the southern slope. Scans suggest that the rails they were deployed on also lead into the main base inside the mountain."
"Good job lieutenant, now get that information to the Viceroy." General Andreas Darlton commanded from his post in the G1.
On the other side of the mountain, away from the battle, Cornelia moved to replicate the same maneuver she had used with great success in what was now Area 18. She took a wide path around the mountain and went up its north slope. As the lower tiers of stationary guns were being hammered by the heavy armor in the valley below, Cornelia came over the peak and attacked the enemy from behind. Her Gloucester sped down the mountain as she acquired targets. Three turrets turned around and raised their cannons to maximum elevation as they attempted to engage her. The crews inside were inexperienced and slow to react. She preemptively moved to dodge the incoming rounds before returning fire on the nearest turret with her 25mm weapon. As the rounds tore into the turret's light armor, she fired both of her slash harkens simultaneously at the other two emplacements. All three were destroyed without landing a single hit. As other turrets turned to engage her the tanks below took the advantage. Their precision cannon fire knocked out multiple emplacements with ease as Cornelia landed her Gloucester on the tracks behind a destroyed turret.
"This entrance will take me into their main base, correct?"
"Yes your highness, Shall we accompany you into their stronghold?" General Darlton asked her.
"No need Darlton, not for this pathetic level of resistance."
"Understood, your highness."
Cornelia drove her knightmare down the railway until she came to a large circular room full of enemy infantry. On her left was a single enemy knightmare, a Burai, a Japanese built update of the Glasgow. Ignoring the infantry that were now raining a storm of small arms fire on her unit, she raised her lance and charged the enemy knightmare. The unarmed Burai attempted to defend itself with its single slash harken, but Cornelia blocked it with her lance before smashing the enemy unit into the nearby wall. She drove the golden lance through the unit's cockpit block, killing the pilot instantly.
"If you Elevens get on your knees and beg me for mercy, I might be willing to let you live." Cornelia announced through her unit's speakers. Their reply was a chorus of 'death to Britannia' as they continued to fire their rifles at her with renewed vigor. Cornelia raised her Gloucester's left arm that held her 25mm assault weapon and opened fire at close range on the tightly packed enemy infantry. Explosive rounds shattered bodies and severed limbs as she systematically killed all who opposed her. When the firing stopped, Viceroy Cornelia was the only living being remaining in the mountain. She returned outside to find that their heavy armor and Shortsword gunship support had neutralized all resistance on the exterior of the fortress. Several formations of Shortsword gunships patrolled the surrounding area, looking for escaping survivors with their nose mounted 30mm autocannon's helmet guided thermal optics. She could see several streaks of golden light as the distant gunships fired 30mm tracer rounds at the scattered survivors of the battle.
"Viceroy, all known enemy forces have been eliminated per your orders."Darlton replied from his post on the G1.
"Excellent job, Darlton. What would you like for dinner tonight, steak or salmon?"
"A big juicy steak, your highness. With some of that delicious wine you had before."
"Consider it done, Andreas."
Hours later in the garden atop the government building, Cornelia, Darlton, and her knight Guilford sat at a table under the moonlight. Two servants brought out their expertly prepared dinner and two bottles of wine.
"So tell me Guilford, what exactly have we been able to find out about Zero in this past week?" Cornelia asked while pouring a large glass of blood red wine.
"Not much, your highness. Our spies and intelligence officers have determined that Zero is not a member of any of Area 11's major terrorist or resistance groups. Analysis of the Battle of Shinjuku has also revealed that whoever this man is, he is a tactical and strategic genius, easily surpassing the abilities of Kyoshiro Todou." Guilford replied.
"You're calling him a genius? Isn't that a bit much, Guilford?" Cornelia asked her knight.
Darlton spoke up. "Not at all, your highness. He somehow managed to steal 26 Sutherlands and then proceeded to wipe the floor with Bartley's army. Analysis of combat data from recovered units downed in the battle revealed that the enemy took absolutely no casualties until Prince Schneizel's special engineering corps deployed their new unit. The A-6 special weapon, an extremely advanced seventh generation prototype knightmare named Lancelot. The Lancelot managed to destroy nine enemy Sutherlands by itself before being cornered and surrounded with an elaborate ambush."
"Whoever this Zero is, he is capable of creating extremely advanced tactics and changing his strategy at will depending on the situation." Guilford added.
"Who was the pilot of the Lancelot? If he was the only one capable of damaging the enemy force then he must certainly be skilled." Cornelia asked her two knights.
"The pilot was, and still is, an Eleven, Private Suzaku Kururugi." Darlton informed her.
"The man charged with Prince Clovis' murder?"
"Indeed, your highness. Prior to our arrival here, Sub Viceroy Euphemia ordered a full investigation of Suzaku Kururugi. The investigation concluded that he was framed by leading member of the Purist faction, who at the time had absolutely no idea who the real killer was. They placed the blame on him in order to further their own anti-number agenda, while in truth Private Kururugi was incapacitated during the time his highness was slain."
"A most interesting development. I am promoting Kururugi from private to warrant officer for his combat performance. As much as I do not like relying on numbers, he has proven that he can get results." The Viceroy announced.
"Yes, your highness, I shall inform him immediately."
"Make sure you get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow we will drive Zero out into the open and crush him."
The morning after Cornelia's moonlight dinner, she was suited up and in her Gloucester. Her own private army was crossing the Arakawa river into the Saitama region. 3400 infantry, 242 armored vehicles, and 48 knightmares had completely surrounded the Saitama ghetto. Cornelia contacted all major news networks that broadcast in Area 11, and issued them an executive order to announce the fact that Saitama was to be destroyed. More importantly, she forced them to broadcast the exact starting time of the operation. Knightmares, tanks, and mechanized infantry units formed a complete encirclement of the ghetto and awaited the order to attack.
Lelouch's phone began ringing. The ID indicated that Ougi was calling him.
"Zero, what are we going to do about Saitama? Cornelia's forces have surrounded the entire ghetto and have announced their plans to destroy it."
"We will do nothing Ougi. If we attempt to break their encirclement from the outside we will find ourselves engaged in direct combat with Cornelia and her knights. We only have 18 knightmares at our disposal. If we had eighteen pilots of Rounds level then we would just barely have a chance at beating her, but at present we only possess one. There is no possible way we can defeat Cornelia in direct combat with the resources we have available." He explained.
"So we're just going to leave them to die?"
"I'll contact the local Yamato resistance cell there and tell them to evacuate as many people as they can. Cornelia's private army is one of the most powerful forces in the entire world, even miracles will not be enough to rout them. It will take some time before we can build up enough strength to face the Goddess of Victory in a straight fight and expect to do anything other than dig our own graves."
"I understand, Zero."
Viceroy Cornelia sat upon her throne inside the G1 mobile base at the edge of the Saitama ghetto.
"Your highness, why did we have the news broadcasters announce the precise timing of our attack?"
"Zero is a man with a taste for the theatrical. He is also genuinely concerned about the lives of Elevens. By recreating the conditions that were present at the Battle of Shinjuku, we may be able to lure him out." their commander explained.
"Viceroy, It is unclear whether the local resistance groups in Saitama support Zero or not." Darlton added.
"That does not matter. It does not matter if he shows up or not, either way we are still destroying a pocket of Eleven resistance. If he behaves the way I predict then he would almost certainly come here to assassinate me."
"Would you really risk your life like that, your highness?" one of the bridge crew asked her.
"Never in the entirety of history has there been a great warrior unwilling to face death."
Inside the Saitama ghetto, a resistance member's radio cracked.
"Can any of you hear me? This is Zero."
"Zero? We have been completely surrounded by Cornelia! Are you coming to rescue us?" The fighter asked into his radio, a glimmer of hope in his voice.
"As much as I would like to, I'm afraid that would be an unwinnable battle. Cornelia's private army is far too strong for any of us to directly engage. There is no point wasting our lives and equipment when the outcome is predetermined. Use the subway tunnels to evacuate as many people as you can before she attacks."
"Are you saying we should just let her destroy Saitama?" He asked angrily.
"You cannot defeat Cornelia with the forces you have at your disposal." Zero told them.
"We'll take your advice and evacuate the civilians Zero, but there's not a chance in hell we are letting that monster destroy our homes!"
"Very well then, feel free to pad their kill counts as you please, just don't get too many innocent people caught up in your suicidal last stand."
As the countdown timer ticked away to nothing, Cornelia activated the radio. "Viceroy Cornelia to all forces, begin combat operations immediately. Destroy Saitama and everyone in it."
Squads of knightmares and mechanized infantry began to push into the city, encountering no resistance at first. As they approached the center of the city, RPGs and machinegun fire began pouring out of the buildings above.
Lieutenant Rachel Ericsson slowly advanced down the road in her Sutherland, providing support for a Badger APC and three squads of mechanized infantry that were hugging the wall on either side of the road. Lieutenant Ericsson's factsphere sensor was working overtime to scan the nearby buildings for enemy activity. Reports were pouring in over the radio of enemy contact, yet they had not encountered anything. The sensor beeped and a red square appeared on her main display over a window three buildings down as her unit's system identified a threat. When she zoomed in on the contact she spotted a man with a shoulder fired rocket launcher lean out of the window. Rachel immediately hit the button for her external speakers.
"Hostile infantry in the windows ahead, everybody take cover!"
The Japanese resistance fighters most likely heard her say that, because less than five seconds later a storm of rockets and hot lead from concealed machineguns filled the air in the street. The infantry squads took cover behind whatever they could find and began returning fire. Yellow tracer rounds came pouring down from the rooftops, and blue tracers from the Britannian soldiers below sped toward their origins. Lieutenant Ericsson raised her Sutherland's KAR 25 rifle and opened fire on a machinegun nest in a building to her left. Her explosive rounds tore large chunks out of the building and silenced the machineguns.
The squad of infantry on her right were advancing quickly up the road to the cover of a large stone stairway when she saw two flashes from the rooftops 200 meters away to the left. Lieutenant Ericsson identified two rockets on a collision course with the exposed squad on her right. She accelerated as fast as her Sutherland would move and arrived between the infantry and the rockets with less than half a second to spare. Twin RPGs slammed into the left side of her Sutherland, destroying its left arm and left slash harken launcher. She rotated her aim and sent a torrent of burning hot tracer rounds at the source of the rockets.
As her fire hit the edge of the rooftop and the floor below it, she managed to cause a partial collapse of the building. Rachel's factsphere picked up more contacts on the street corner ahead. Before she could switch targets a stream of 25mm autocannon fire lanced past her Sutherland and cut down the enemy infantry as they were setting up to fire more rockets. She looked behind her and saw the APC she was escorting with smoke pouring from the end of its main cannon. The APC elevated its turret and fired another burst at more contacts on a nearby rooftop.
Just as the firing stopped a Type 10 prewar Japanese tank rolled out from behind a building at the end of the road. The unit rotated its 120mm cannon and fired an APFSDS kinetic energy penetration round at the APC in the middle of the road. The APC exploded as the hot penetrating rod pierced through the unit's frontal armor and detonated its fuel and ammunition stores. The infantry squads on either side of the road returned fire with anti armor rockets. Lieutenant Ericsson knew well enough that a kinetic penetration round could easily destroy her damaged Sutherland at this short distance. She reacted fast, raising her 25mm rifle and holding down the trigger to spray the enemy heavy tank with as much lead as she could throw at it. Before the tank's autoloader could reload, Rachel fired her remaining slash harken directly at the gunner's sight on top of the vehicle, rendering it blind. Her infantry support managed to score a pair of direct hits on the tank's tracks, rendering it immobile. The now blind crew inside the vehicle began to blindfire the unit's secondary machineguns. A thunderous boom echoed down the street and they fired their main cannon again, the round sailed past the Britannians and blew out the side of a nearby building. Despite their Japanese opponents' determination to continue fighting, the combination of 25mm armor piercing explosive rounds and 84mm anti armor rockets proved too much for the tank's heavy armor. The sixth rocket destroyed the tank and flames shot out of the turret and gun barrel.
"Report, General Darlton, what is our progress?" Cornelia requested.
"Your highness, units all across the city are reporting light to medium resistance from enemy infantry and several tanks. Casualties thus far have been light, 49 infantry and 7 armored vehicles lost to enemy fire, 5 knightmares have been damaged but are still operational."
"Has there been any sign of Zero?"
"Negative, your highness, there has been nothing to indicate that Zero is present. Enemy forces are showing only the most basic tactics and organization. Our forces are having no problem defeating them."
"Excellent. It would appear that Zero is smart enough to tell the difference between a trap and a repeat mistake. No matter, order all forces to continue their advance and destroy all opposition in the ghetto." She ordered.
At the outer edge of the Saitama ghetto, behind the G1 mobile base, stood a row of Sutherlands with their trademark red painted heads and shoulders. The members of the now disgraced Purist faction stood in silence, most of them still wanting to kill Jeremiah for ruining their ambitions. Jeremiah and Viletta's Sutherlands were on the right end of the line. They were talking over the secure channel that Zero had provided them.
"This battle is going exactly as Lelouch predicted it would, Viletta. Those resistance fighters in there, for all their bravery, stood no chance against Viceroy Cornelia." Jeremiah observed.
"He certainly seems to be right about a lot of things, doesn't he?"
"Having second thoughts about all this, Viletta?"
"From the moment I said 'yes'." The former Purist admitted.
"Just look at what Cornelia is doing out here. She was going to massacre this entire section of the city just to draw Zero out."
"When Clovis ordered us to do the same thing to Shinjuku, you never had any complaints."
"It honestly hadn't once entered my mind that we were killing innocent people. We both thought of them all as terrorists because they never reported the real terrorists' activities. We became so disconnected from the truth of what we were really doing that it never bothered us, or anyone else for that matter."
"Then how would you feel when he orders us to fight our own people, Jeremiah?" Viletta asked.
"I have no problem with fighting them, anyone who goes into battle knows the risks involved. And besides, Viletta, Lelouch would not order us to murder innocent people like Clovis did." Gottwald obeserved.
"I hope you're right about that, Jeremiah. I want to believe in the future he is trying to create, but it just seems so distant, like it's nothing but a good dream before yet another bad day."
"I know that feeling all too well."
"Tell me, Jeremiah, if we betrayed Britannia last week, why are we still in the army?"
"We are going to backstab them at the most opportune moment, Viletta. Whenever that is, Zero will decide. Until they we are supposed to play along and act like nothing's changed." Jeremiah informed her.
"It's a lot easier having someone to share these feelings with. I doubt I could go through with this alone. There's no way I could bottle this much up inside."
"You did the same thing for me when Marianne was assassinated. It's what friends are for, Viletta. When you get shot in the legs, its always nice to have someone to drag you out of the line of fire." Viletta laughed.
"I suppose you're right."
Lelouch's phone began to vibrate. He checked the number and saw it was from the resistance group he had contacted earlier.
"As much as I hate to admit it Zero, you were right." The man on the other end said, sounding exhausted.
"About which part?"
"Both. We managed to get most of the civilians out through the tunnels, but the Brits tore us to pieces. We took over 90% casualties, only a few of us were able to escape into the tunnels before they blocked the entrances. We lost all of our heavy weapons too." The fighter reported.
"As I said before, Cornelia is not like Clovis was. While Clovis was an artist and party enthusiast, Cornelia is one of the greatest field commanders in all Britannian history. She probably could have won the Battle of Shinjuku by herself."
"What should we do now, Zero?" He asked.
"Try your best to regroup and link up with other friendly forces. Stay as far away from Cornelia's army as you can for the time being. We cannot fight her in the open yet." Lelouch instructed.
Lelouch closed his phone and began to walk down the hall when Shirley came up behind him.
"Hey Lulu! We are going to go get some tea, want to come along?"
"Sorry Shirley, maybe some other time. I'm going out tonight."
"Going out where, Lulu?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu."
"Huh? Why are you speaking the Elevens' language?"
"That is a secret, Shirley." Lelouch replied with a grin.
"You're hiding something from me, aren't you Lelouch!" Shirley accused him.
"I'm going to the ghetto to ask my Eleven girlfriend for the most dangerous places to gamble in Tokyo." Lelouch told her with a perfectly straight face. That hit Shirley like a flashbang in the face. Her eyes went wide and she froze up as her mind tried to process the information. Lelouch quickly vanished before she realized it was just an escape tactic.
He made his way to an upper class section of the city, where he had beaten a rather rich nobleman in a high stakes game of chess three weeks earlier. Lelouch walked up to the house and right in the front door as if he owned the place. The nobleman and one of his assistants were startled by the sudden intrusion.
"I thought I told you never to come back here again! And yet here you are barging into my home!" The nobleman yelled at him.
"How nice of you to remember me." Lelouch's left eye began to glow a bright shade of crimson.
"You have a rather nice mobile home outside, You will give it to me and erase all records of you ever owning it, then you will forget that you ever saw me."
"Yes, of course your highness!" The men replied in the same calm manner that was typical of those under the effect of Geass.
Lelouch made several other trips around the city over the course of the evening, including the tailor he had Geassed to create his Zero outfit.
Two days later the massive mobile home sat in a parking garage in central Tokyo. Zero had already moved his newly acquired merchandise into the makeshift mobile base. From outside came a knock at the door.
"What are you waiting for? Come on in." The masked man invited them.
Ougi, Kallen, and several other members of the former Shinjuku resistance group climbed up into the massive mobile home.
"Whoa this thing is huge!" Tamaki half yelled as he walked inside.
"Nobody would ever expect us in something like this." Kallen pointed out.
"How did you get a hold this awesome thing, Zero?"
"Haven't I told you Ougi? I'm a chess grandmaster. There are quite a few noblemen up to their neck in debt to me. Don't worry, no strings attached."
"Hey, it's even got a TV." Another resistance member said as he picked up the remote to the 55 inch plasma screen. He turned it on and saw a news broadcast.
"We are live outside the Lake Kawaguchi convention center and hotel, where the situation is currently unfolding." The anchor reported.
"Check this out!" Ougi told everyone.
"The hoteljackers have identified themselves as part of the now defunct Japanese Liberation Front, under Lieutenant Colonel Kusakabe." The broadcast shifted to a clip of the hostages taken by a JLF cameraman. On the left of the scene were Shirley, Milly, Nina, and Nunnally.
"The student council." Kallen said to herself, feeling worried about her friends.
"What are we going to do Zero? The JLF is easily the biggest resistance movement in Japan, and now their pride is hurt because of us." Zero picked up a brown box and put it on the table in front of everyone.
"We are going to rescue them." Every head in the room turned to face Zero.
"Why in the hell are do you want to rescue Britannian hostages, Zero?" Tamaki spoke up first.
"Although I rarely agree with Tamaki's outbursts, he does have a point Zero." Ougi admitted.
"Take a good long look at that picture. What do you see?" Zero asked the room.
"A hotel full of JLF soldiers that are completely surrounded by the Britannian military?" Ougi guessed.
"Look closer. Notice how they are still surrounded, not being steamrolled by the massive Britannian force on the other side of that bridge. Cornelia is afraid to attack them for some reason. If we can rescue the hostages before Cornelia, with enough publicity, we can show the Britannian citizens of Area 11 that we can protect them better than their own army."
"Now Zero really has a point there, Ougi." Kallen said as she sided with him. "Just think what will be going through those Britannians' heads if the most wanted terrorist in the entire Britannian Empire rescues their hostages on live TV. They wouldn't be so quick to label us as terrorists anymore."
"Precisely my point, Kallen. We can take advantage of this situation to spread doubt among the Britannian population. The myth of Britannian infallibility would be shattered in an instant." As he noticed them begin to agree he opened the box on the table. "These are your new uniforms. If we are going to become international celebrities, we need to look good, don't we?
"This is some pretty good gear! Even the JLF doesn't look this good. We're gonna be the best looking resistance group in Japan!" Tamaki blurted out as he grabbed up one of the uniforms.
"Wrong!" Everyone turned to look at Zero. "We are not a resistance group."
"Then what are we, Zero?" Ougi asked.
"From this day forward we are a revolutionary army, dedicated to the destruction of Britannia's evils. From this moment on, We are the Order of Black Knights."
Five minutes later in the private room on the second floor of the mobile home, Zero sat and watched the broadcast alone. A knock came at the door. Ougi and Kallen stepped into the room.
"Lock the door." Zero instructed. As Kallen hit the lock, Zero took off his mask.
"What you said down there was certainly plausible, Lelouch, but why exactly do you want to rescue those hostages?" Ougi asked as he sat down.
"There are two things that I am not going to tell the rest of them."
"I saw her, Lelouch. That's why you want to save them." Kallen said. A part of her felt that she wanted to rescue them for Lelouch more than anything else. She could never forget how painful it had been to lose her brother. She didn't want him to have to endure it as well.
"Saw who, Kallen?" Ougi asked curiously.
"Nunnally, Lelouch's sister."
"That's only one reason. What I said down there was certainly true, but a secondary objective. What neither you, nor the news broadcasters know, is that Third Princess Euphemia is among the hostages in disguise." Both Kallen and Ougi gasped as they suddenly realized why Cornelia was holding back. "If I can rescue her from the JLF I may be able to...convince her to become my own personal informant at the highest level of Britannian command. Lelouch winked his left eye at Kallen, who immediately understood what he meant. As she was sitting slightly farther back than Ougi, he never saw the gigantic grin on her face.
"Well, this is certainly a hell of a lot bigger than I thought."
"Just imagine, Ougi, If I waltz out of that building to return Euphemia unharmed. Imagine what would be going through Cornelia's head, if her greatest enemy takes time out of his busy schedule to rescue her beloved sister from his supposed allies. If I can plant even the smallest seed of doubt into her mind, perhaps it will pay off big later. That's not even including the good publicity."
"I swear, Lelouch, only Britannian royalty could think of something this insane, deep, and ambitious." Kallen said as she stood up. The Black Prince chuckled at her.
"You just love me, I know."
Four hours later, Zero and his squad of Black Knights approached the rear of the Britannian containment on foot. Armed with assault rifles they moved in on a news van, number three. Kallen and Zero rushed through the van's door and forced the crew off at gunpoint. Once the vehicle was loaded with the rest of the Black Knights, and a large amount of explosives, they began driving toward the Britannian lines.
Cornelia, Guilford, and General Darlton moved down a hall to the G1 mobile base's knightmare bay. A soldier came out of a doorway behind them.
"Viceroy! It's Zero! He's stolen a news van and is heading straight at us!"
"Well this is an interesting development. Let him through, make sure to cut off any chance of escape he might have cooked up." The Viceroy ordered.
"Yes, your highness!" The soldier quickly replied before running off to carry out the orders.
"Viceroy, what do you intend to do?" Darlton asked her.
"If Zero wants to get into that hotel I won't stop him. No reason not to put all of our rotten eggs in one basket before we light it on fire."
"Are we to simply let him through then?"
"We shall stop him at the entrance to the bridge and find out what exactly he wants here. Perhaps he's trying to find a way out for Kusakabe. But knowing Zero I'm sure he's got something nice and flashy planned."
"But, your highness, Princess Euphemia is-"
"The only reason we have not yet leveled the entire building, Guilford. Nobody besides us knows that she is in there. If they had discovered that fact they would be right now using her to broker their freedom."
"Understood, your highness."
HiTV news van three drove down the road in the middle of the Britannian blockade, unfazed by the fact that every weapon in the area was fixed on them. Zero stood atop the van, almost daring them to shoot in his own silent way. As the van approached the bridge, three Gloucesters moved from their positions in front of the G1 to block his route. The cockpit of the lead Gloucester opened and Viceroy Cornelia stood tall above the head of her unit.
"So you've come to save them, or perhaps you intend to help us? Regardless, I shall take vengeance for my brother Clovis!" Cornelia raised her oversized sidearm at Zero.
"Cornelia! Which would you choose? Clovis who is dead? Or Euphemia who is alive?"
Even from his distance, Zero could see her eyes widen and her finger leave the trigger with that statement.
"What the hell are you talking about Zero?" Cornelia shot back, wondering if he was just bluffing that he knew the truth.
"It is within my power to save your sister from certain death at the hands of the JLF." Zero announced to her.
"What would make you believe even for the slightest fraction of a second that I would entrust Euphemia's life to a terrorist?"
"You wouldn't. The only terrorists here are inside that building. If you still intend to shoot me, then I hope you have had her funeral arrangements planned in advance."
"How do you know that she is in there, Zero?" Cornelia asked, now seriously concerned for her sister's satefy.
"Does that really matter? Your sister is still staring down the JLF's gun barrels, and I know they have itchy trigger fingers."
"Fine, Zero. As much as I hate you, I love Euphie more." She motioned to let them through.
The three Gloucesters moved out of the van's path and it began to cross the bridge. The van crossed the bridge and the JLF guards at the gate began to slide it open. The van parked at the base of the tower and Zero was escorted inside. Zero and his two guards moved to a nearby elevator and one of the guards hit the button for the 15th floor.
At the same time, Euphemia li Britannia was being escorted by another two JLF guards to the same destination. She had stood up and revealed her identity in order to protect a girl who had managed to piss of several men with assault rifles. Instead of shooting the girl, Euphemia requested to be taken to their leader, Kusakabe. While she was just arriving near an elevator, Zero had already reached his destination and now stood in a room with a katana wielding Kusakabe, and several of his subordinates.
"So I finally get to meet the infamous Zero. First thing's first. If you want to work with us, remove that mask." The JLF colonel instructed.
"Very well, colonel. But before I do, allow me to ask you. What do you hope to accomplish with this action?"
"Our stand here is to gain the world's attention. We are here to show them that the Japanese people are not dead yet. That our hearts remain strong, and our spirits unbroken."
"How simple. You people are obsolete, Kusakabe. Such a meaningless act of terrorism will do nothing to benefit the Japanese people. The only reason Cornelia hasn't simply demolished this building and everyone in it would the princess your men are escorting here at this very moment."
"Big words coming from a man who hides his face behind a mask. I suppose an agreement is not possible between us then?"
"The Japan Liberation Front is living in the past. You are just a relic of a forgotten age." Kusakabe took severe offense to what Zero was saying, possibly because he recognized it as a quote from Cornelia. He drew his katana and lunged forward.
"The time for talk is over Zero!"
A slit in the left side of Zero's helmet slid open. "Die." The Geass command forced Kusakabe and his subordinates in the room to comply. He reversed his sword and plunged it into his own torso as the men behind him raised their own pistols to their heads and fired. Zero heard a knock at the door as the men outside became alarmed from the gunshots. He correctly concluded that Euphemia had arrived for her audience with Kusakabe. Zero produced the Britannian assault rifle he had hidden under his cape and turned to the door before yelling. "Euphie! Pull you socks up!"
On the other side of the door Euphemia heard Zero's shout. Though she could not explain how or why, she realized exactly what he meant by his order. She let her legs give out and fell to the floor as fast as gravity would move her. Less than one second later a storm of hot lead punched its way through the door and into the three JLF soldiers who were standing outside. The stream of bullets tore through their unarmored bodies and showered Euphemia with warm blood. Euphemia pushed a corpse off of her as she slowly began to get up, the blood of her JLF captors dripping down her arms. She opened the bullet ridden door to find Zero reloading his assault rifle.
"Zero? I-I thought the JLF were your allies. Why did you shoot them?" Euphemia asked, clearly shaken. Although she had seen her sister Cornelia kill or severely injure people before, she had never actually been in the line of fire herself.
"Euphemia li Britannia, I apologize for catching you up in this mess I made. That's a lot of blood, are you injured?"
"No, none of the bullets hit me." She looked around and saw Kusakabe and his lieutenants, dead on the other side of the room. "Did you kill them too, Zero?"
"Yes, I killed Kusakabe and his men. This unit of the JLF were nothing more than petty terrorists, and their actions today have proved it."
"Why did you come here, Zero? Surely you must know that my sister has this entire area surrounded." The princess asked.
"I asked her to let me through."
"Why would she let you through? Just last week she went into a bloody rage demanding that you be executed on sight." Euphie told him, recalling the scene she had caused after being informed of the party that had been set up for her arrival.
"Because I'm here to rescue you, the other hostages as well." Zero declared.
"Why? Why would the man that murdered my brother want to rescue me?" Euphemia demanded to know, tears starting to pool in her eyes as she remembered Clovis.
"Clovis was nothing more than a genocidal monster. Thousands of innocent Japanese civilians were killed on his direct orders. That man deserved nothing less than death. But you, Princess Euphemia, you are nothing like him. A noble soul that would risk her own life for the safety of the common people. Such a kind, caring person does not deserve to die at the hands of these terrorists."
"So you killed my brother to avenge the people he killed? And you would rescue me for the people I helped save?"
"Indeed, Euphemia. My actions are guided by my principles. Those who kill should be prepared to be killed. Those who would risk themselves to save defenseless innocents should be granted salvation." Euphemia stood silent for a few moments, trying to figure out why the masked man's words sounded so familiar.
"You remind me of my dear brother Lelouch, Zero. He always used to preach the same ideals you follow."
"Lelouch vi Britannia died in during the conquest of Japan." Zero stated as a fact. She looked at the center of his mask, unable to shake the feeling in her heart. It had to be him. It just had to be. Euphie figured that there would be no harm in trying.
"You're right Zero. The Eleventh Prince did die seven years ago. But I have always felt in my heart that my brother lived on. His body was never found, and his death never proven. No matter how hard the army searched they could find no trace of him, or Nunnally. Suzaku Kururugi told me how friendly he was with the Japanese people. He told me that my brother came to love Japan as his second home after his exile. Suzaku told me that he had powerful friends in the Japanese leadership." Under his mask, Zero began to worry. He tried to maintain his composure as best he could. "I don't think he died at all. Do you agree, Lelouch?" Zero involuntarily took a step back.
"How, Euphemia? Am I that transparent? That you could see through me as if this mask does not exist, how is it possible?" Zero hesitantly reached behind his head and pulled off his helmet. "How did you do that Euphemia? How did you see through my thus far impenetrable armor, when all else have failed miserably to do so?"
"You have always been the brother I loved the most, Lelouch. When father said you were dead I locked myself in a room and cried until it hurt, every day for a week. I could never forget you. But tell me Lelouch, why did you become a terrorist?"
"Above all of Britannia's corruption and evils, above all of the horrible things they do to the peoples they enslave, they murdered my mother!"
"Lady Marianne was killed by terrorists, wasn't she?" Euphemia recalled what she, and the rest of the world had been told.
"I don't care who pulled the trigger. There is only one way she could have been assassinated in one of the most heavily guarded places on Earth. The perpetrators were never caught, there wasn't even an investigation! The Emperor had to have ordered it. Nobody else could have that much power."
"I..never knew that. I was so sad about your exile that I blocked everything else out."
"It wasn't your fault, Euphie."
"What do you plan to do? You are the most wanted man in all of Britannia. Why did you choose terrorism?"
"For the last seven years I have had to live a false life. I had to become nothing but a lie in order to protect Nunnally from that man."
"Nunnally's alive too?" She was having trouble containing the happiness welling up in her chest.
"She's down below with the rest of the Ashford Academy student council. My Black Knights are busy defeating the JLF and rigging the building to blow."
"Black Knights?"
"The Order of Black Knights are the beginnings of my own private army."
"Your own army? What are you going to do, brother?"
"Free Japan, destroy Britannia, and create a peaceful world, devoid of oppression for Nunnally."
"You want to destroy Britannia?"
"Yes! Britannia has taken everything from us, twice. I will not stop until the Emperor is dead and all the Areas are free of the Empire's enslavement."
"You are fighting Britannia in order to create a better world?"
"Precisely, sister. I shall destroy the Holy Britannian Empire that enslaves and oppresses so many. In its place shall rise a new, just world order. Where there are no numbers, where the weak are not cast aside as if they were worthless garbage. A world where justice and freedom are not just an exception." Euphie looked over at her brother with a smile on her face.
"Let me help you, brother. Let me help you create this better world."
"Euphie...do you realize what you are saying? The only way for me to do that is to defeat Britannia. To help me would be treason."
"Who is more evil Lelouch? The brutal tyrant that enslaves and oppresses the world? Or those who are unwilling to stand against tyranny?"
"What are you trying to tell me, Euphie?" He asked her, uncertain of where this was really going.
"My whole life I have been nothing but a figurehead, the big shiny jewel in the crown. No matter what titles I'm given or what positions I'm supposed to have, the only responsibility I have ever had is to just look pretty and smile. You think living a lie is such a bad thing? I would have given anything to be exiled with you. Even living a lie as a false commoner would be better than the hellish monotony I have to endure. Your lie is worth more than my meaningless existence!"
"You want to be strong, is that it? Strong enough to break the golden chains they have around you?"
"Yes! I can't stand this worthless life anymore! If treason is the price I have to pay in order to experience a real life that isn't just one big script, then so be it!"
"What sort of strength do you desire? Do you wish to be a powerful warrior like your sister, or perhaps you seek the throne?" Lelouch wondered.
"I don't know, Lelouch. I want to be strong enough to fight for what I believe is right. Strong enough to help those who cannot help themselves."
Powerful new ideas flashed into existence inside Lelouch's mind. 'So Euphemia's sick of being a sheltered, powerless figurehead. She wants to change the world, does she? Forget the idea of a Geass spy in Cornelia's inner circle, I can turn her into something far greater.'
"Euphemia, If I could grant you the power you desire, how far would you be willing to go to create a better world?"
"Lancelot now launching!" Warrant Officer Kururugi yelled into the mic as his white knightmare reached the bottom of the borehole. Suzaku immediately pushed the Lancelot to full power as he raced down the tunnel toward the hotel. At the other end of the tunnel stood a massive frankenstein contraption consisting of four stripped down Glasgows holding a gigantic cannon. Called a Raikou, this linear gauss rifle fired shells that broke apart into a load of 26 kinetic energy kill projectiles, in essence a giant electromagnetic shotgun. The last team of Sutherlands to attempt a breakthrough in this tunnel had been wiped out in a single shot, as the confined space left virtually no room to dodge the incoming fire. As the cannon's crew detected the Lancelot approaching the weapon began to charge.
Suzaku fixed the Varis rifle to a magnetic clamp on the side of his cockpit block and brought up his unit's arms. Twin diamond shaped energy shields burst into existence from emitters on the wrists. Kururugi overlapped the shields and spread the knightmare's legs in such a way that a direct hit from the front would be impossible. The Lancelot's sensors detected a massive energy spike as the cannon fired.
As the tiny metal spheres approached the Lancelot at hypersonic speeds, Suzaku was still moving forward at maximum speed. The incoming pellets smashed into the energy shields with enough force to bring the Lancelot to a near complete stop. The shields had been reduced to critically low integrity, but they had held. Suzaku had bet his life on the Blaze Luminous energy shield technology, and it payed off.
He deactivated the shields and grabbed the Varis from it's magnetic clamp. The barrel extended as he prepared to fire. He charged the Varis' magnetic coils to maximum output before firing a round down the tunnel. The Raikou had by this time recharged and fired again. The Varis shell's immense heat transformed the air in its wake to a state of plasma. The combination of superheated plasma and an extreme pressure wave disintegrated the Raikou's shot and went straight down the barrel, instantly destroying the weapon with a massive explosion that ruptured the tunnel and propelled the Lancelot high into the air. With the Varis on a lower velocity setting, Suzaku fired four rounds in rapid succession. All four hit their intended targets, the hotel's support beams and causing the foundation to collapse. As the building began to sink, A series of large explosions erupted from the tower's lower floors and crept their way up the building.
On the edge of the lake, news crews rushed to capture the moment, broadcasting the detonations around the globe. What they did not notice was Viceroy Cornelia and her two knights standing at the entrance to the bridge. As the explosions tore through the building, Cornelia involuntarily reached out for it. Her iron appearance quickly melting under the heat from within her heart. She screamed out for Euphemia. For the first time in her career, Cornelia was simply unable to act. The perceived death of her beloved sister was too much for even her icy heart to swallow. In the midst of her emotional breakdown, Darlton stepped up to the position of command.
"All search and rescue teams move in immediately! Save anyone you can! Those detonations were not part of our plan." He quickly ordered.
All eyes peered out onto the lake, now obscured by the dust and debris from the chain of explosions. Guilford, however, had the brilliant idea of using his Gloucester's thermal imaging system. As he scanned the waterfront he saw a large heat source, distorted by the smoke and dust, but clearly floating on the water away from the building itself. He moved his knightmare close enough that he could touch the Viceroy, who was still in distress. As tears flowed down her face she felt a hand on her right shoulder.
"My lady, I have detected an unknown heat source on the water. It looks like a boat to me." It was as if Guilford had come to burn through the darkness with a ray of hope. She turned to face him, dual streaks of liquid anguish running down her cheeks. "I know how hard this is for you, but there is nothing we can do at the moment but hope that she could have survived somehow."
An infantryman came running over the the three Gloucesters.
"Your highness! We can see a boat on the water!" The soldier yelled up to them.
Every one of them, including Cornelia, looked out over the dust and ashes on the water to see a yacht moving out of the veil. As they used their factspheres to zoom in on the boat, Cornelia's heart nearly stopped. Standing on the front of the slowly approaching boat was Princess Euphemia, her hair blowing in the light eastern breeze. The fair colored clothes she had been wearing when she left were soaked through with an incredible amount of blood. In her hands she was clearly holding a Japanese assault rifle, and what appeared to be a sword was strapped to her back. Cornelia's tears of anguish mixed with tears of absolute joy. Although she could see just fine, her brain had yet to register anything other than the fact that Euphemia was alive and well enough to stand.
Behind Euphemia, several lights burst to life to reveal eight figures dressed in black, Zero among them. The other seven all wore obscuring visors, revealing nobody's face to the hungry cameramen on shore. All eight were visibly armed with assault weapons. Other than Zero, they were dressed in what appeared to be a standardized uniform, and stood proudly before the massive Britannian force arrayed against them.
Powerful speakers and a camera activated as Zero began to speak.
"Dear Britannians, you need not worry this night. The terrorists have been slain, and the hostages have been freed. I, Zero, return them to you unharmed. Now to all the people of the world, fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Order of Black Knights! "We Black Knights stand in protection of those who have no weapons of their own to wield, for those who are unable to defend themselves. Never again shall there be a one sided massacre of the weak by the strong without consequence. Colonel Kusakabe executed innocent civilians in his childish grab for world attention. Clovis ordered the deaths of thousands to hide his dirty little secrets from prying eyes. Both have died by my own hand. Both deserved nothing less. Those with power, fear us. Those without power, rally behind us. We, the Order of Black Knights, shall stand in judgment of this world!"
Cornelia watched through her screen as Euphemia walked over to Zero, gave him the assault rifle, and shook his hand. The Black Knights moved to the rear of the boat, where they boarded a VTOL aircraft. Euphemia took the boat's wheel and began to steer the yacht full of rescued hostages toward the shore as the aircraft in the back took off, and the Black Knights flew away into the darkness.
As the boat reached the shore, Sutherlands fired their slash harkens over the deck, catching the anchors against the opposite side. They used their harkens to drag the boat up onto the shoreline. As the hostages began to pile off, Cornelia raced her Gloucester over to the scene and jumped out. She ran over to where Euphemia had just disembarked the yacht and stopped a few feet away. As she approached her sister, Euphemia drew the katana she had strapped to her back, the blade as bloodstained as her clothes, and turned it horizontal before holding it out on her fingertips.
"Kusakabe's blade, Viceroy." She presented the sword.
"Euphie...what the hell happened in there?" Cornelia asked with worry choking her throat as her eyes realized the amount of blood her sister was covered in. It was like an image from some terrible nightmare. Euphie paused for a second as she noticed her sister staring at her.
"Oh, the blood? We killed a few people, Zero and I."