ACT 1
Ashford Academy seemed to be shrouded in a veil of silence as I carefully made my way out of the building which had become another home for Nunnally and myself since my disgrace in front of the whole world. Well, more for Nunnally than myself anyway. As much as I appreciate the Ashfords' kindness toward me and my sister, the memory of Aries Villa is deeply etched into my soul, reminding me of the wonderful sound of Nunnally's laugh and the beautiful violet gaze that made my breath hitch, along with my mother's gentle touches and soft whispers of warning.
Still, I knew that time had long passed. There was no way I would return to the Aries Villa, with every member of the family broken in some way. Mother was long dead and buried, merely a rotten corpse six feet under ground. Nunnally was blind and crippled, and I, I was no longer the innocent boy I had once been.
My mother would probably disapprove and think of it as a shame, but I cared not for the opinion of the long dead. As much as I hate to admit it, Charles was right in some aspects, motherhood had softened my mother. She was no longer the same woman who had once been the famous Knight of Two, intimidating any other imperial consorts into submission. No, she was a caring mother and let her guard down.
I will not make the same mistake.
Letting the door close with a soft clicking sound, I drank the last sip of my coffee and threw the plastic cup in the trash. I patted the black suitcase next to me, which contained my new outfit, and slowly began to descend down the stairs.
This particular suitcase was not the one you'd usually find in stores. It was made of hardened steel, and only a bomb could seriously damage it, with its insides covered in the finest satin. It could only be unlocked if a person knew three passwords. The first one was a combination of numbers, the other words and the last one a combination of both numbers and words.
Even if the chance of anyone other than me guessing the password, an Exiled Prince such as myself had not the luxury of a single hint of doubt. I had to make sure the secrets in the suitcase would remain safe and sound.
Thus, the last obstacle. Equipped with the latest DNA recognition software, it analyzed the person's DNA while they typed. If the person was not myself and got the passcodes right, it would trigger the self destruction system and dissolve its contents - along with the person's fingers, I noted idly.
Smiling at the image of Tamaki or some other fool losing their fingers, I surveyed the area for a vehicle I could 'borrow', so to speak, when the annoying squeak of "Lulu!" reached my ears.
I growled almost inaudibly at my luck. Only I would be so unlucky as to see her at a time like this. Still, I could not let her notice the shift in my behavior. I kicked the suitcase into the nearby bush and turned around to face the girl with a fake smile on my lips.
"Ah, Shirley," I greeted pleasantly, "What a surprise to see you outside this late! What brings you here?" Counting down the seconds, I waited for the inevitable reaction my actions would trigger. She was painfully easy to read, twisting and turning to my behest, without even realizing how she was being played. I cursed the day I thought she would be an interesting person to manipulate.
Three.
Her eyes darted, softening as her breathing quickened for the slightest bit.
Two.
She subconsciously held her hands together, and her lips quivered, as if she were glancing upon Zeus himself.
One.
Her lips pulled up in a dumb smile.
Check.
Her cheeks reddened, and she looked away, muttering softly to herself.
Shirley was like an instrument I could play forever, even in a manner that suggested I did not know what I was doing, but the music would always reach my ears, filling them with an exquisite melody.
Still, the melody was always the same. No matter what I did, Shirley would react in the same way. It quickly bored me.
"Umm… " It would seem the girl had finally regained the power of speech. I looked at her, interested in whatever way I could twist this situation and escape without her suspecting. Despite all, Shirley was a good friend. "I was just returning from a late swimming session. There's a competition next week and I'm really nervous since Emily Blackwood will be there too and…"
She quietened as I pressed my finger on her lips, effectively stopping the torrent of very probable self loathing that would take a while. "Look, Shirley," I began softly, "I've seen how you swim, and I know you're better than Emily will ever hope to be. You truly enjoy it and pour your very heart and soul into it, so do not worry, you'll be just fine. Just believe in yourself, okay?"
She nodded furiously a few times, but did nothing to move my finger from her lips, instead staring blankly, as if seeing through me.
Shrugging, I waited for her to regain her composure, knowing the girl was probably proud of herself for being praised by me. As a young boy, I had the same reaction whenever my mother praised me. I wonder what felt better, the satisfaction of beating Clovis for the umpteenth time at chess, or my mother's approval of doing so?
Suddenly, as if snapping from a trance, Shirley glared up at me with something I could not quite place shining in her eyes.
"You're out gambling again, aren't you?!" she accused, her voice a mixture of disappointment and worry.
When she wanted to be, Shirley could be more than a simple poster girl. Realizing she would not buy any of my usual excuses, I smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of my neck.
Immediately, the glare softened. Oh my, I truly knew how to play her perfectly, like my perfect little flute. Still, anger lingered in her eyes.
"There's this guy, Manfred. He asked me to play with him again this evening, for the sum of two hundred thousand pounds. It's just an offer I couldn't refuse." I forced myself to sound defeated as I 'confessed'.
She shook her head sadly. "Is money that important to you, Lulu?"
"No, but Nunnally is. I don't care about money. It's just colored paper with faces and words printed on it. But if it takes money to care for and support my sister and I, then I'll do whatever I can. Gambling is just the easiest way to get a large sum of money without wasting time on real work for me. Can you imagine me working in a factory? As a cashier at some dingy supermarket? No, but I can play chess against ignorant, prideful nobles whenever I want, and earn money doing something I enjoy. I earn more money in a few minutes than Rivalz does working in that cafe for a month. Just ask him if you don't believe me. I have to make sure Nunnally has a future. If that means gambling, then so be it."
Unexpectedly, Shirley lunged forward into my chest and began to sob. It wasn't the sobbing that was surprising, far from it actually, as it was my aim, but the fact that she was brave enough to actually touch me instead of behaving like I was some kind of sacred divine temple.
"Oh, Lulu," she whimpered into my chest, and I noted with annoyance that my uniform was getting wet. Still, I forced myself to ignore it, at least for the sake of my cover. "You're such a good person, I don't think you could even harm a fly."
It took all of my self control not to laugh at the sheer absurdity of that statement. Oh Shirley, you beautiful fool. Her ignorance, or perhaps innocence, was honestly astonishing. 'Could never harm a fly'? As if.
Her sobbing continued for quite a bit, accompanied by the murmurs of praise and admiration constantly bubbling from her lips.
After several uncomfortable moments, she calmed down and pulled away reluctantly. "Oh Lulu, you would do everything for Nunnally. How can I stay mad at you?" she said, "But that doesn't mean I'm not worried about you. Be careful, please."
Shirley Fenette is without a doubt my favorite plaything.
ACT 2
I was quite surprised to receive a call from Villetta right after I left Shirley to her own devices. She didn't say exactly why, but she instructed me to go to The Black Sakura bar in the Settlement, saying it was urgent. I sincerely hope she doesn't plan on betraying and selling me out. It'd be a waste if I had to tear such a pretty and talented woman apart. Well, my lackeys and I have plans, but I suppose I can be a little late.
The railway was still largely inoperable due to the events of the past few days, so I was forced to take a flagging down a taxi, I was greeted by a Japanese driver."Where you goin' sir?" he asked me with a quiver in his voice. Naturally, he seemed nervous at having picking me up. I'm not surprised, though, blue collar Japanese workers are often berated and beaten by their Britannian clients."Do you know The Black Sakura bar?" I asked the driver politely.
"Yeah, I know where it is, I'll have you there soon," he replied, put off by my kindness.
"Thank you, and thanks for picking me up," I said as I set my suitcase down next to me.
In the rear-view mirror, I'm sure that I saw the man silently tear up.
The Black Sakura was a pretty popular place. Everyone, from Japanese to military personnel came to visit the place, and I could see why. Great food, cheap drinks, a friendly atmosphere, and several private sound-proof compartments for high-ranking members of the Britannian military."You're a good kid," the taxi driver told me as I thanked him for the ride and paid him, leaving a sizeable tip as well. Really, Japanese were so easy to impress these days. Who would've thought it would only take being civil.
There Villetta was, standing in front of the steps to the doorway, arms folded. I hope this won't take long, I have a public uprising to get to.
"Ah, there you are, it's about time you showed up," she said upon noticing I'd arrived.
"Sorry, you just caught me off guard, and don't you think you're a bit old for me?" I joked."Besides, I'm underage."
"Doesn't matter, they'll let you in." she grunted, already walking up the steps.
After Villetta flashed the bouncer (yeah, they have a bouncer) her badge, she and I were allowed in, despite my being underage. You'd be forgiven for thinking the inside of The Black Sakura was a fire hazard. In fact, it probably was. Hundreds of people were in the place, making proper movement a challenge. Villetta, immediately upon entering, grabbed an employee by the hand and asked her to find the manager for her, saying "a knight needs her rest."
Within moments, the manager was practically at Villetta's feet."A room, please, for my friend and I," she said to the Britannian man. The manager was short, maybe the tallest hair on his head came up to my chin, and he sported an unflattering 5 o'clock shadow on his double chin."Of course, Lady Nu, right this way," he said as he gestured for us to follow.
He brought us to a small room with a circular red couch lining the walls, and a table in the center of the room. Really, it was a large closet. After the sniveling manager had left, the two of us sat down.
"We can speak freely, these rooms are soundproof," Villetta said, putting one of the grapes that were on the table in her mouth.
"Very nice, very nice. So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" I asked, also taking a grape.
The dark-skinned woman cleared her throat."You know of the Purist Faction, do you not?"
"Of course, they're a bunch of good-for-nothings who only care for superficial things, such as race and lineage."
"... Right. Actually, you may be familiar with their leader."
"How so?"
"Does the name Jeremiah Gottwald have any significance to you?"
I paused. That name somehow did seem familiar.A nobleman in the Court maybe?"It sounds familiar, yeah. Why is that?"
A knock at the door stalled our we allowed the waitress into the room, she asked us if we'd like to order anything. While I ordered peppermint tea, Villetta ordered water. The Japanese waitress, the same one from before, then left with a short bow.
"As I was about to say, Jeremiah Gottwald was once a guard at the Aries Palace. He guarded your mother, Lelouch," Villeta explained.
My eyes involuntarily widened at the mention of the Palace and my mother."That's interesting and all, but why tell me this?" I asked, feigning composure.
"Gottwald had a certain respect for Marianne. I mean, sure, it's natural for anyone to respect someone as accomplished as your mother, but Gottwald was different. He's still loyal to her, you know. His loyalty has brought him here, to Japan, to either find or avenge you and your sister."
"That's wonderful and all, but why should I care?I already have you as a wonderful mole, and besides, he's just one person," I said, allowing my skeptical side to take the reins.
"Well, as I said before, he's the leader of the Purist Faction, which is comprised of hundreds, no, thousands of Britannian knights and soldiers, and the undying loyalty of a Margrave could never hurt," Villetta informed."Oh, and did I mention that he's orchestrating Kururugi's execution?"
That last bit especially made my ears perk up."I suppose it's worth looking in to. Thank you for the information, Lady Nu."
"Of course, so, shall we depart after getting our drinks?"
"Yeah, I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry."
As if on cue, the waitress returned with our refreshments. However, she seemed surprised when Villetta requested that the money she now owed be placed on her tab and promptly breezed out of the room, with me at her side.
ACT 3
I observed the terrorists silently as they worked on Clovis' old limo. I was actually quite surprised to see them all, albeit I did not complain. It would seem aggressive persuasion works best with their sort.
Hmph. As expected of people who had been trampled by Britannia for over seven years, they had become perfect slaves even without my Geass. What is it that pushes them into my clutches? Is it hope? The shallow view of victory that they all share? Or is it fear?
They weren't any better than Britannia's own soldiers, they just had that illusion of fighting for freedom. Oh, but I cannot let them know that, where would all the fun be?
I idly noted Tamaki was slacking off. One would think that mutt would have learned his place after that little scar on his neck. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised, after all, his kind tends to have more bark than bite. Putting him back in his place should be fun.
Villetta was not here, but for a very good reason. She's to be the pilot of one of the knightmares which are to escort Suzaku to his demise.
Kallen and Ohgi were hard workers, along with those other nameless rebels I did not bother remembering. They were nothing out of the ordinary, your classic meat shield. As such, I did not feel the need to even try to remember them.
Kallen was an interesting one. After all, why would a half-blood such as herself fight Britannia when she could have all the comforts of living in the settlement? I for one wouldn't have bothered in her place.
Ohgi, however, was even less interesting than Clovis had been. He actually reminds me of Clovis more than anything. What, with their shared imbecilic nature, lack of aptitude for leadership, and constant dwindling in the cold shadows of their superiors, they were practically the same person. The only thing that really separates the two is race and status, poetic isn't it?
Fine figurehead leaders, but ultimately not worth the risk.
I snorted. I wonder who was worse at chess. Seeing those two play would've been interesting. I made a mental note to ask Ohgi to play with me some other time.
I glanced at my watch and knocked on the car next to me. They all jumped at the sound. Kallen immediately pointed her gun at me. How cute.
After recognizing me, they relaxed and Kallen nodded in greeting, putting the gun back in the holster on her leg. Thankfully, she cannot hide it beneath her uniform. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would've died the moment I insulted her.
"You're late, Zero," said a bitter Kallen.
"Forgive me, something came up. Is the limo ready?" I asked, not even bothering with the formalities. We had no time to waste.
"We're nearly there. It'll run, but don't expect to outrun any knightmares. There's a reason this thing's in the junkyard," Ohgi was quick to answer. At least one of them figured out that screwing with me would be a very bad idea.
Under the mask I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry about it being in prime condition, we just need it to look good and run… somewhat. How is the capsule? Will it work?"
I had asked the resistance group to locate and attach the capsule that I had found C.C. in. It'd serve as a useful pseudo-cell for Jeremiah.
"Alright, give us another five minutes, and we'll be done," grunted Kallen as she got up to stretch her back.
I had to hand it to the rebels, when given proper instruction, they could actually accomplish things in a timely manner. Granted, I doubt Britannia could be defeated with a single semi-operable limo. Well, there's something to be said if that's all it takes to rescue Suzaku.
Heh, nobles and their pride. They couldn't possibly bear the thought that perhaps one of their own, or another Britannian murdered their precious figurehead, so they decided to instead put the blame on any random Japanese they could find. Of course, this just had to be Suzaku. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't bother. Zero could make his debut at any time, and it'd be sufficient (though not nearly as effective as showing up the military on live television). As much as it pains me to say, I figure I should repay Kururugi and his household for the time they had sheltered me. I'd even call Suzaku a friend.
"Are all the other preparations complete?" I asked after they had seemingly finished painting.
Ohgi nodded. "Yeah, everything's ready to go, Zero."
"Aah, this plan is batshit crazy," I heard an irksome voice come from nearby. "You're going to get us all killed!"
Of course, it was the red-haired neanderthal, Tamaki.
I walked over to stand in front of him."No one should have any worries. So long as we stick to the plan, we should all come out relatively unscathed," I spoke to the group before leaned in close to his face. "Though you may have had some trouble keeping up during the briefing, no?You can sit this one out if you want."
"Y-you… whatever, I don't feel like dying today anyways," Tamaki muttered before storming off.
"He just misses Naoto is all, don't be so harsh on him," Ohgi damage controlled, placing an unwelcome hand on my shoulder. "Don't take what he says personally, either."
I resisted the urge to shake his hand off me."It's fine, I expected there to be bumps in the road. In any case, we should be going, wouldn't want to miss our debut would we?" I laughed.
ACT 4
Hah, I've got to hand it to Jeremiah. If only he had been this efficient as one of the many members of my mother's Royal Guard, then maybe those 'terrorists' wouldn't have had the chance to kill my mother and cripple poor Nunnally.
Suzaku's transport was flanked by three Sutherlands, piloted by Villetta, Kewell, and Jeremiah himself. They were decorated in such a lavish way that suggested they had been prepared long in advance for the show, with not a scratch or dent on the surface, and the Britannian crest shining proudly on the front.
Villetta and Kewell were on each side, with automatic rifles in the clutches of their fearsome machines, while Jeremiah was in front with the hatch of his knightmare open so he could give a speech on how useless the Honorary Britannian system is.
On the platform, Suzaku was held down by two Britannian foot soldiers dressed in full armor, each carrying a gun on his person and pointing it at Suzaku's head, despite the Japanese boy keeping it lowered in shame.
He had probably realized he wouldn't be getting out of this mess alive. I honestly can't blame him. Not to mention, the Kururugi name was now going to be the subject of everyone's ire, and knowing Suzaku, the last thing he would ever want was to stain the family name.
Honestly, the only reason the purists were making such a spectacle out of this was so painfully obvious it made me cringe. Of course, Clovis being Royalty was part of it, but it was mostly to preserve the Faction. They had to somehow twist the situation in that way an average Britannian would not even think of blaming them for allowing the incident to happen at all.
It was simply pathetic.
Deciding it was just about the right time for the show to begin, I gestured for the rebels to get close to the transport and readied myself.
Ironically, I was the calmest one of the bunch. Even Kallen was nervous, judging from her labored breathing or the way she was clutching the steering wheel. The other rebels, the female one especially, were much more vocal in showing their agitation. I could feel them shaking from here.
That just won't do if we were to continue this partnership. I didn't need soldiers who would flee at first sight of danger. I was tempted to just geass them into submission, but decided against it. After all, wouldn't that be just too easy? Where would all the fun be? It will be much more fun to see them turn into slaves by their their free will.
Well, speaking of slaves, it would seem Jeremiah had finally noticed our little charade. "You there! What are you doing with Prince Clovis' transport?" he demanded with a horrified expression on his face that suggested he wasn't happy with the turn of events.
I noted with amusement that his lapdogs almost immediately pointed their guns at me. How cowardly. I rose through the sunroof to stand on top of the limo. "I'm impressed, Lord Jeremiah. It would seem your mutts are trained rather well, pointing a gun at an unarmed individual such as myself who only wishes to speak to you." I remarked casually, in the manner of a man who did not fear death, for it was beneath him. I only did that to unsettle Jeremiah, after all, the more nervous he is, the more likely I am to succeed without wasting my Geass on him. After all, why not save it for a better occasion?
Oh, Jeremiah did not appreciate my daring. He gritted his teeth in either annoyance or anger, maybe even both. "They're merely doing their job, making sure terrorists like you don't hurt anyone. I'd suggest removing that ridiculous mask of yours before they fill your body with bulletholes and I remove it from your steaming carcass myself," threatened Jeremiah through gritted teeth, clearly losing his cool.
Hmph. Rather disappointing from a fellow such as he. "I'll rephrase that statement," I retorted, my voice dangerously low. "You'll either order them to put their guns away, or I'll press this little button here and ruin your reputation forever, referring to the capsule which we had attached to the limo."
Gottwald's eyes widened and he gulped visibly as he realized the meaning behind my words. Oh, he was a fun one to manipulate, I have to admit. I'm glad Villetta told me about him. "What could you possibly want with this man? This man murdered a Prince of Britannia!"
I clicked my tongue. "Are you sure about that? Do you have any proof other than the falsified reports?" I mocked, "I'll answer that question myself. You don't. Do you wish to know the reason?"
"Enlighten me." Sarcasm was radiating from Jeremiah in waves as he crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at me, as if amused by my question,
I snorted, no matter how ungentlemanly that may be, now properly amused myself. "It's simple, I'm surprised a man of your intelligence could not figure it out. There's no evidence linking Suzaku to the murder because he is not the real culprit, but merely a scapegoat for you to hide your own incompetence!" I bellowed, causing the crowd to collectively gasp.
"Oh, and how do you know that?" asked Jeremiah, now a little frightened by my knowledge.
I smirked beneath the mask. "Because I am the murderer! Do you want to know how I did it?" not even waiting for a response, I continued, "I'm sure you noticed all the stab and cut wounds, large and small over Clovis' body, no?Well, the first, the rather sizeable one in his neck, stemmed from his inability to shut his mouth while his betters are speaking. He learned quickly, though, as he could only croak and somewhat squeal as I ripped into his flesh with the knife. But I never touched the face. You know how Clovis valued that pretty, pampered face of his, so I decided to leave it untouched. The rest of him, however, is a different story. I know this may be difficult for you to understand, Gottwald, but the blood of a Britannian Prince is actually much like that of an 'Eleven'. Prince Clovis was actually quite the bleeder. He got blood all over my clothes. Not even his broach was spared from it."
Gottwald gasped as I withdrew the still-bloody broach from my pocket.
"Y-y-you bastard! Return that at once! That is the property of the Royal Family of Britannia, and I'll have your head for it!" he stammered.
"Now, now, let's be civil. Why not a trade?An innocent man for the broach," goaded I.
Gottwald paused for a moment."Fine," he huffed. "Wallace, retrieve that broach!"
"No, I want you to take it," I interrupted."Leaders should set an example."
Within seconds, the furious Faction leader was out of his knightmare and striding over to me with all the dignity of a Britannian Officer.
As expected, his pride dictates that he must comply. Nobles are ridiculously easy to manipulate.
"The heirloom, if you would," Gottwald demanded with an outstretched hand.
"How do I know that you'll keep your side of the bargain?" I replied, shoving the broach back into my pocket.
Gottwald amusingly growled as he barked the order to release Suzaku, who sprinted to my side."There, now hand me Clovis' broach!"
I withdrew the broach once again. "A deal's a deal."
As soon as Gottwald's hand touched mine, I pressed the button, and not even letting him realize what the button was for, I reeled him in and pushed him into the now open capsule, but not before injecting him with enough propofol to knock out a horse.
Suzaku gasped at the exchange, but I gave him no chance to run as one of the nameless terrorists dragged him into the car, as I quickly released the coloured smoke so the Sutherlands couldn't target us without risking the lives of the civilians.
As a last precautionary measure, I had stationed several people near the transport, where they fired from the crowd to confuse any soldiers. Thankfully, Villetta was able to prevent the terrified populace from being massacred by the frightened knightmare pilot. Unsurprisingly, the other pilot was a member of the Purist Faction, as signified by the markings on his Sutherland.
Within minutes, the limo cleared the execution grounds, and was well into the ghetto.
Well, it would seem our first operation was a success. I'm sure my father would've been delighted.