Sith3p – Too right, mate. But he's not finished with X-Lelouch yet.
Northern – "SOMEONES POISONED THE WATER HOLE!" was your only review on this story until now. Pardner. So I'm not sure you said anything Doctor-Who related, haha.
Demons – A thing indeed.
[*****]
OSLO
Viola Mancini – European Union hero, one of the most wanted women in Britannia – sat in front of Norwegian Minister Einar Landro, drinking some heavily-sweetened white tea. They were in a courtyard at the western outskirts of Oslo, far beyond the frontlines, with only the purpling Oslo cityscape, standing tall against the sunset, to remind them of the war.
Einar rubbed his dark eyes. "So we won."
"Que la fête commence," Viola replied, taking another sip of her tea, letting the cool evening air flow past her.
"We can have the reconstruction programs underway as soon as tonight."
"Then do so. Have the stowed-away civils assist you. After all, we still have to free Sweden from Britannia's clutches, so have as many of your soldiers ready and able as possible."
Einar rolled his eyes, laughing. "Nothing stops you, can it?"
"War is very inconvenient, Mr. Landro. It doesn't really give you time to relax." She titled her head up to the sky and drank. "To Norway and its safety."
"To Norway and its safety," Einar echoed, taking a drink of his own tea. "We have more than a few Britannian prisoners."
"Same rules apply. See what kind of information you can get out of them."
"Do you think we can keep up the pace?" Einar asked, running his fingers through his thick, dark beard.
"Tout à fait."
"Such confidence!" he laughed. "This is the kind of optimism that moves mountains."
"And moves mountains we shall! The E.U. is more than just another number on Britannia's hit list. Pride is like—
"A blindfold?"
"I didn't know you were a psychic, Sir Landro."
A burst of action; someone came running towards Viola. She immediately recognized it as her trusty aide, Nicolas, chest heavy with grenades, ammo clips, and knives all attached to a bandolier. He was grasping a cellphone in his hand.
"Le voilà. Bonsoir, Nicolas. Comment ça va?"
"Ça va. Voici ta réponse," he responded, handing the cellphone to her.
"…Oh! It must be him," Viola breathed, grabbing the cellphone and placing it next to her ear. Had it been anybody else, she would have asked to be left alone. "Is this the Baron?"
"One and only."
Viola's eyes drifted toward the sky once more. "Is it done?"
"It is. You must not have gotten the news! Everyone's talking about the Ghost Prince, how he came back from the dead."
"Being stuck in a war takes you out of the loop a little bit. Still… it's good to hear that it worked." It felt like a weight had been lifted off her already-aching shoulders.
"Ain't it just?"
"Tenez-moi informé, s'il vous plait. Keep me informed on anything that goes on in the Britannian capital. If they mention anything about the European Union, let me know."
"I'll see what I can do. Try not to be a faker, Lady Viola."
"Don't stay a stranger, Baron. Goodnight."
"Later." Click.
Mon dieu. A hush fell as soon as Viola got off the phone. She turned around to face Einar once more. "I'd like to oversee reconstruction of Oslo for a few moments. After that, take me straight to the combat center in Sandvika – I want to have a meeting with your intelligence chiefs and warlords."
"Of course!"
"Nicolas, would you mind fetching the car? Not that you're a dog, mind you."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, staring at the ground. "Are you sure you aren't stretching yourself too thin?"
"I'm already thin."
"You know what I mean."
"When we win, we'll have time to relax," she responded, smiling.
And hopefully it all comes together soon. A miracle would be nice.
[*****]
AREA 11 BRITANNIAN LABORATORY
Suzaku just didn't understand. There were many things he didn't understand – his superiors in the military had made that abundantly clear – but he definitely didn't understand why Lelouch vi Britannia, his best friend, was suddenly a Prince all over again. He read the digital headline over and over again: "Long-Lost Prince Lelouch Found Alive", but it did little to lessen the shock.
He always talked about how he hated Britannia, how he hated them for what they did, how they took his mother away… I even remember what he told me before we got separated. "Suzaku, I'm going to destroy Britannia one day," or something like that. And even when I found him near the Ghetto, he was still angry, still angry at Britannia. But… here he is. What changed? Did he just become tired of living here?
Suzaku's stomach swirled. Am I never going to see him again?
"How do you feel?" Cecile asked, sitting next to him with her legs crossed.
"Confused," Suzaku admitted.
"I wasn't aware princes could be so snarky," Lloyd mused, sitting in a swivel chair to Suzaku's left.
A smile tugged at Suzaku's lips. He always had a sharp wit. Admittedly, never this sharp… or vulgar. Still can't believe he called one of his brothers gay.
Cecile rubbed her fingers along the length of her chin. "How'd you know him?"
"He stayed with me after he got exiled," Suzaku reminisced, the pictures of a bygone past flying by right in front of his head. "We hadn't expected to see a prince, of all things, to show up at our door and ask for shelter. I think he wanted to use my father's power for something."
"Like what?"
Like stopping the war. "I don't know. It was hard to make friends with him at first."
"No, really?" Lloyd snarked.
"But, eventually, we realized we were in it together, and we became best friends after that. Then he disappeared, I didn't see him for a long time, and now… well. He's back. And I really, really don't know why."
Cecile chuckled; it was a little, wry laugh. "Giving you any ideas, Lloyd?"
"Hell no," he responded.
"Huh?" Suzaku butted in, intelligently. "Is there some kind of inside joke I don't know?"
"You don't know? Lloyd's a nobleman."
Suzaku looked surprised and impressed by this news. He whipped around to look at Lloyd; the resident pudding-lover mad scientist was groaning, rubbing his glasses.
"Lloyd, you're a Britannian nobleman?" Suzaku said, stressing each word.
"An earl, to be exact."
"You never told me!"
"You never asked."
Suzaku smacked his forehead. "I don't believe it."
"Yep. I was born into a very rich family, became an Earl, decided to become something worthwhile."
There's a lot you're not telling me. "Wait, so you left?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Uh… why?"
Lloyd glanced at the screen. "Probably for the same reasons this young man did."
Does that mean he got fed up with the Homeland or exiled? Before Suzaku could even ask, Lloyd sprang up out of his seat, turning on the television. "That's enough of that," he announced, strutting outside of the break room. "Television rots your brain! Shall we perform some tests, Kururugi?"
Oh right. Seeing an opportunity to ask something that had been bugging him for a long time, Suzaku waltzed up to Lloyd and looked him in the eye. "Sir, why did the Lancelot fail the other day?"
Lloyd and Cecile shared a glance. "VARIS," Cecile explained.
That doesn't add up. "Did it take up too much energy?"
"In a way," Lloyd admitted, seemingly embarrassed. "We couldn't find a battery source for the Lancelot in time and decided to hook it up to the core of the system… which turned out to be a very bad move on our part. We hadn't anticipated how much of an energy hog the VARIS was…"
"And it sucked all the power out," Suzaku finished, rubbing his arms.
"Right you are. Sorry about that, Kururugi."
Oh man. It makes sense, though. Up until now the VARIS had been powered by generators, but on its own I guess it wasn't enough.
"At least you're alive," Cecile mentioned, placing her hand on Suzaku's shoulder as she rose from her seat. "And you managed to demonstrate just how powerful the Lancelot could be."
"…Yeah, you're right," Suzaku breathed, impressed. "If I had even another minute of battery power, I could have taken out a good chunk of them with that monster."
"Hey now!" Lloyd said, looking genuinely offended. "Lancelot is an angel, no monster!"
"S-sorry, sir. I meant no offense."
"Hmmm, I'll let it slide. But don't worry, Kururugi – the beautiful part about machines is that any bugs can be fixed. Human beings aren't so easily solved. Now, let's go. I've been away from my beautiful child for too long. We have to make sure it looks good for Prince Schneizel."
"Oh, right!" I completely forgot about that.
"I heard he's bringing one of his sisters, right?" Cecile popped up.
"Yes. Eulice or something. Estelle? Euphemism? Eh, something like that."
[*****]
BLACK KNIGHTS WEAPONS DEPOT
Kallen was still in a daze. The first battle of the "Purist-Knight War" – as the media had taken to calling it – was something of a slow-motion disaster. The Opposition had begun plans to attack the Purists long before Jeremiah rose to power, but Zero was the one who'd resurrected and executed those deep-seated plans. Given his track record, everyone thought taking on the Purists would be easy, especially with the freshly-made Burais provided to them by Kyoto. They were going to restore order, come hell or high water.
But it wasn't easy – it was far from easy. Kallen and her comrades had not been tested since Shinjuku, and even if the Black Knights had the element of surprise from the get-go, the Purists had moved staggeringly fast from shock to acceptance. The art of attacking was new to the Black Knights – they were used to defending. Organizational problems undermined the entire battle, and then there was that thing, that white monster, appearing out of nowhere and skewering a good deal of their forces. "Lancelot", Zero had called it. It had only lasted for a minute, but it left a very serious imprint on Kallen's mind.
If that was just a prototype, imagine what the finished version might look like. The reality of the situation was sinking in; in order to best Britannia, they had to be better.
Still can't believe what we did in the Telmen District… there were a lot of civilians there. Too many. I know that sometimes casualties happen, but to forcefully involve them like tha—
"Kozuki."
Kallen snapped out of her reverie and looked up at Zero. She looked all around, and noticed that she wasn't alone. Joining her in the room was Ohgi, decked in a faded camouflage suit and sandals, looking exhausted; Naomi, Sugiyama, Minami, and Yoshida in their Black Knight uniforms, looking worried; Tamaki with his trademark bandana and civilian clothes, looking uninterested.
"Sorry, Zero—sir," Kallen stammered, running a hand through her hair. "I meant no disrespect."
"That's fine." A lengthy pause. "The battle… did not go as planned."
"Zero—" Ohgi began.
"I recognize the problem, however. We simply tried to bite off more than we can chew. If we want to defeat our enemy, we have to know them first. I hadn't anticipated how heavily guarded the Presidential Palace was going to be – it was a lucky stroke that we managed to use the Tokyo Settlement to our advantage."
"Yeah, but it fucked up our publicity," Tamaki said, folding his arms.
"Tamaki!" Kallen scolded.
"He's not wrong," Ohgi calmly followed. "I agree – we were more used to fighting in a city than in a place like the Palace. But, Zero… we caused a lot of damage that day. A lot. I understand that, sometimes, that happens, but the fact of the matter is… it shouldn't have." Ohgi shakily inhaled, then exhaled. "There. I said my peace. I'm sorry if I offended you in any way."
"You didn't," Zero said simply. "I agree with you. Which is why we need to become stronger. I've decided to take up Kallen's request."
Kallen looked up at Zero at that moment, her eyes bright. "You did?"
"Yes. I think you're right - until we manage to get a sizable force, we should consolidate our power, focus more on staying hidden and getting support rather than fighting."
Kallen chuckled, relieved and happy. "Good… good! An excellent choice, sir."
"Agreed," Naomi mused, scanning the Depot. "We probably need more 'Mares. Maybe better models."
"Especially if they make more things like that Lancelot," Ohgi continued.
"I know. If that was just the prototype, then who knows what else they have in store?" Kallen voiced her thoughts.
"Naomi made her request clear," Zero cut in, stepping closer to the group. "What other requests do you all have? Speak your minds."
"Karaoke system," Tamaki eagerly said. "And booze!"
"Tamaki, no. I think a chef would be excellent… more doctors, as well," Ohgi advised.
"Some armor would be good," Sugiyama said, toying with his blue hair. "It's really, really terrifying to be inside a Knightmare and not know if a bullet's gonna gut you or not."
"A better base," Yoshida pointed out.
"Yeah. So far we have a huge warehouse and an oversized van," Kallen said. "Not that we aren't grateful! It's just that—"
"It's time for a change," Zero admitted. "These are all very good requests. I'm going to take them into consideration. In the meantime, I have orders for all of you. One, stay hidden. If you're in public, don't stay out for much longer than you need to; if you're all holding jobs, find excuses."
Used too many of 'em.
"Two. Search through the underground network, see if you can find anything that can help the cause. I know Ohgi has a thorough list of contacts, and Kallen might."
Naoto did.
"But the rest of you, see what you can do."
"There's a weapons dealer in Kanto," Minami said. "He does regular weapons and Knightmare parts, too. From what I heard, he's sold to other cells out there."
"Kawasaki has a huge underground market," Kallen contributed. "There's bound to be a few dealers somewhere."
"Anything helps," Zero said. "Clothing, weapons, medicine, money, beds, recruits, food, drink. It doesn't matter; if it seems like it can benefit the Black Knights in any way, shape, or form, do so. As for the Knightmares, I'll see what I can do."
I'll see what I can do. Six of the scariest words I've ever heard. Kallen inwardly chuckled.
"As you wish, Zero," Ohgi said, solemnly saluting.
"But that's not what I called you here for."
Huh? "Huh?"
"Well, spit it out! What's up?" Tamaki asked, folding his arms.
"You are all core members of the Black Knights," Zero stated, gesturing to everyone. "You have all been here since Shinjuku, and it seems like you've forged a bond of trust and friendship amongst each other."
"Eh, mostly," Ohgi said, smiling.
"I have come to trust all of you as well, even if you don't necessarily trust me."
Wait.
"Therefore, I think it's time you all knew the truth."
Everyone was stunned into silence.
Is he really going to-?
Zero lifted a hand towards his helmet.
Oh my gosh. He's actually going to show us.
In an instant, the helmet was off. And suddenly everything got so much more complicated.
Standing in front of Kallen was Lelouch vi Britannia, the 11th Prince of the Britannian Empire. When Zero said he was Britannian, Kallen didn't think he'd meant it so literally. There was a roar of commotion, everyone in the room tripping over themselves—
"No way!"
"Is this a prank?"
"You're a Prince?! No, wait! Seriously, you're on TV!"
"Am I dreaming?"
"What the hell, dude?!"
"Zero, what?!"
"But he was just on TV!"
Kallen didn't say anything. She couldn't. All she did was stare at Lelouch, who stared back at her with a very tired-looking expression on his face.
Only now, now that I can see him up close… yeah, there's no doubt. He gambled at the casino I worked at sometimes. Lelouch vi Britannia gambled at my casino. That explains how he managed to deliver that package to me.
In fact, it answered some of the questions that had been bugging her for a long time, like how Zero had so much damn money and influence, how he seemed to know Clovis during Kururugi's rescue, how he seemed to know how the Britannians worked.
"One at a time, please," Lelouch said, pulling off his attachable mic. Suddenly, his voice wasn't synthesized anymore; Zero sounded human, for once.
"You're Lelouch vi Britannia!" Ohgi stressed.
"Yeah, I know," Lelouch snarked, folding his arms.
"I'm just a little bit confused," Yoshida mentioned, stepping up. "I mean, everyone's heard the news. You were on a plane headed for… wherever. And now you're here. How'd you manage?"
"Twin brother posing as me."
"Fuckin' what?!" Tamaki shouted, confused as everyone else.
Lelouch, bemused, could only shake his hand. Kallen, for the record, was confused for a completely different reason.
Britannian Royalty is corrupt. They all are… were. Were. I don't understand. How can he be a Prince and a Rebel at the same time? It doesn't add up. Why would he willingly fight against his own country?
Kallen remembered that day in the Ryuta Scrapyard.
"I must make amends for my Homeland's crimes and wrongdoings."
He was exiled.
"Why not spend a night in the graves of those you've killed?!"
She was reminded of Naoto. All of a sudden, Kallen felt like an incredibly racist, presumptuous person.
Lelouch tossed his Zero helmet up and down in his hand. "Now you understand why I had to hide my identity from you all."
"Jeah," Sugiyama said, giving an exasperated-sounding laugh.
"Is there anything else you're hiding from us, Zero?" Kallen asked, the question coming out harsher than she'd intended.
"Nothing that immediately concerns you."
I know how exhausting it is, to keep hiding from others. Especially inside your own home.
"So, let me get this straight," Tamaki spouted, raising his hands. "You're a Prince who was supposed to be dead, but you aren't, and now your twin is dicking around in the Homeland, being you, while you stay here."
"That's exactly it."
"That sounds fucking stupid! No offense meant, man, but it totally is!"
"Everything I do is for Japan," Lelouch said, shutting him down quick. "That's all you need to know."
The unblinking Black Knights stared at Zero in stoic silence. A full minute passed.
"Zero—Lelouch," Ohgi corrected, resting his face in his hands. "How am I supposed to take this news?"
"Or any of us," Minami pointed out.
"Simple. You accept it and move on," Lelouch responded. "My identity shouldn't mean a damn thing. What matters is results."
What happened next was unexpected. Lelouch pulled out a steel-satin pistol.
Don't!
Kallen was about to lunge but Lelouch just threw it on the ground; it landed near Ohgi.
"Zero, what-?" Ohgi began.
"I have raised you up, turned you into an army. Into The Black Knights. But if none of you trust me, then shoot me."
Lelouch looked at all of them with nothing but indifference in his eyes. The silence was becoming heavy.
"Do it now in case you decide to betray me later. Spare me the humiliation."
Kallen clenched her fists.
If anyone comes near that gun, I'm swinging.
"If I pick up this gun, it means you have to face the facts," Lelouch continued. "That your leader is a Britannian Prince. That even he has secrets he has to keep. If I pick up this gun, I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing this entire time. Leading you all to victory."
Ohgi picked up the gun.
Ohgi, wait-!
She was a millisecond away from snatching the pistol out of his hands, but she stopped when she saw Ohgi hand the gun back to Lelouch. The prince seemed just as surprised as Kallen.
"For the most part, you've done right by us, Zero… and for that, I can't thank you enough," Ohgi proclaimed, bowing and then getting up again. "And I have faith in your abilities. I'm a little upset that you hid the truth from us… but I can see where you're coming from as well. I may not be speaking for everyone here, but I'm still with you."
"…Me too," Naomi said, saluting. "Leaders come and go, but I have a feeling you're special."
"I'm in." Yoshida.
"Count me in as well," Sugiyama said. "The more I think about it, the more I realize I don't really care who you are."
"Yeah," Minami proclaimed. "You're still Zero, and I like the way you work. Most of the time. I'm still in."
"…Uh, yeah. Me too," Tamaki awkwardly muttered.
Lelouch turned to Kallen. "Kozuki?"
"…You know I'm half-Britannian, right, Zero?" Kallen asked, tentatively looking at Lelouch.
"I do."
"I understand that feeling. That feeling of guilt. Of feeling like you're part of all the disasters."
Lelouch only nodded.
"I trust you. I believe in you. I'm… well, obviously, I'm in."
Lelouch nodded and turned around. "You're all dismissed. The next time you see my face, it's going to look quite a bit different. Go back to your comrades, your homes. Rest up. We have a long road ahead of us."
Cryptic.
Kallen was the last to leave.
"Something on your mind, Kozuki?"
"…My brother was executed by Prince Clovis' firing squad."
Lelouch turned to face her, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes.
"My stepmother is a horrific person, this abusive, unlikable Britannian."
Kallen barely realized her hands were shaking.
"My mother might be addicted to Refrain, Zero. Refrain is a Britannian drug."
Lelouch sighed. "So this is hard to accept."
"You admitted you were Britannian at the scrapyard. At the time, I didn't think much of it. But you're a Prince. I don't get it. I don't get it. The Imperial Family is the reason Japan is the way it is."
"I'm aware."
"They're evil. But you're different! Why? Why are you different? You're supposed to be different!"
Lelouch had opened his mouth to say something, but he just as quickly closed it, re-focusing his gaze on the helmet.
"Okay, fine, I didn't mean supposed," Kallen backtracked. "What I meant was… I just…" She stamped the ground. "Ugh!"
Kallen brought her hands together. "I feel like such a hypocrite. I hate racism. I hate it. I see it and it makes me just want to… shoot something. But here I am being racist."
Lelouch kept his silence.
"…How long have you been in hiding?"
"Seven years, give or take," Lelouch said.
"…How does it feel?"
"I couldn't tell you. I just got used to it. It feels… natural."
"I saw you at the Casino. It took me a while to put it together, but looking at you now… that was definitely you."
"Kallen Stadtfeld," Lelouch recited. "You took a Britannian name."
"Dad's name. I hated it. Felt like I was putting on a mask."
"We all wear masks, Kozuki."
"We shouldn't have to."
"Why are you still here, Kozuki?"
That stymied her a bit. "Huh? Do you want me to leave-?"
"I meant here, as in the war. In the Black Knights. What motivated you to stay with Ohgi and the others for all that time, even after countless failures?"
A stupid sense of honor. Hope. Revenge. Adrenaline. Pride. I wanted freedom – from my home, from Britannia. I wanted freedom. I want freedom. I want a lot of things.
"…I don't know," she said. "There's a lot of reasons. I can't pinpoint them all."
"Find that main thing," Lelouch advised, putting his helmet back on. "If you know what you're aiming for, then it's easier to catch it… that'll be all, Q-1. Go home. Get some rest."
Lelouch began to leave.
"Zero?"
He stopped, Kallen rose to her feet.
"I'll stay with you. I promise. Until… until the end."
Whenever that may be.
"…Pleased to hear it, Q-1. Dismissed."
And just like that, he left.
To whatever deity's listening to me… watch over us, please. Protect us. Defend our cause. Make sure we win, please… hopes and dreams can only go so far.
[*****]
NEW CITY
Clovis was ecstatic.
Lelouch is alive! He wanted to shout it to the rooftops, to the Gods above. His brother, his long-lost brother, was alive and well, after so many years. It was incredible. His sharp-eyed, sharp-witted half-brother, Lelouch, who'd been a bright spark in Clovis' younger years, who always made time to listen to whatever ditty Clovis had come up, always made time to look at whatever painting Clovis had conjured up, always made time to play a few games of chess with him (Clovis always lost, of course). He couldn't wait to see him again, to catch up on times gone by.
Unfortunately, I'm stuck here.
"I thought you'd like to hear the news," said V.V., with a completely superficial amount of sweetness and thoughtfulness projected into his voice. "It was a surprise to all of us."
"Yes, I could imagine. Might I actually get a chance to see him again? It's been many, many years, you know."
V.V. clicked his tongue and shook his index finger, as if talking to a dog. "Good try, but you aren't getting off the hook that easily."
Go ahead, talk down to me again. See what happens.
"I will be going to Iceland on business. I'm leaving my Enforcer in charge – he'll tell you what to do. Trust me, you'll be useful to us."
Finally, giving me something to do. Clovis decided to hold off on choking the life out of that apparently-old little brat. "I see."
"Do you have any requests before I leave?"
"More books. The ones you gave me are boring."
"As you wish."
"…A guitar would be appreciated."
"I suppose I can see what I can do."
"An easel. Some paintbrushes. Watercolors."
"Anything else?"
"…No."
"I see. I'll be back soon."
He turned and exited out of Clovis' room.
The moment I get out of here, you're first on the executioner's block.
