I Heard The World

by YamiPaladinofChaos

AU. A different world, a familiar war. Kururugi Suzaku wages a crusade against the Empire of Japan to free Brittania. Lelouch Lamperouge disguises himself in a mask to atone for a terrible crime. Kouzuki Kallen and her brother Naoto are the Japanese Empire's new hope. Shirley Fenette seeks vengeance for all she has lost. The future can only accept one vision of justice, my friend.

8. Chapter 7: Between Heaven and Earth

Henri Ducard: "A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification. He can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely."

Bruce Wayne: "Which is?"

Henri Ducard: "A legend, Mr. Wayne."

- Batman Begins

Chapter 7

Between Heaven And Earth

"You've adjusted fairly well to our academy, Kallen-san," Lelouch commented. The two of them were standing just outside the classroom, during a short break the teacher had allowed the class. It was the first time they had gotten a real moment to speak since she had arrived at the academy.

Is that right?" Kallen blinked, looking surprised.

"You haven't noticed?" Lelouch said slowly, raising an eyebrow. "The girls in the class all flock to you. And I hear you've been trying out a number of clubs- the Kendo club in particular has submitted a rather desperate request for you to join their number. You've become a hit."

Kallen looked flustered at the analysis of her activities over the last week, and stubbornly replied, "I've just been trying to live like a normal student, that's all."

"Normal students don't usually defeat the Kendo club captain in a match on their first day." Lelouch chuckled. "But it's nice to hear you're growing attached to the Academy."

"It's nice here," Kallen acknowledged, smiling softly. "This Academy… it's special, isn't it?"

"Tensions here between Brittanians and the Japanese are much smoother," Lelouch answered, nodding.

"Smoother, huh?" Kallen suddenly remembered the girl she met before, Shirley Fenette. Her father had been killed by the Empire. Could she ever forgive them for that?

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked, glancing over at her and seeing her conflicted expression.

"It's nothing," Kallen said quickly, shaking her head. "There are still people here who have been hurt by the Empire. Those are the people who this Academy is trying to help, aren't they?"

"War orphans and other special cases have scholarships to the Academy," Lelouch replied, leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms, absently glancing out the window as he did so.

"I met a girl here whose father had been killed after the war, during those Bloody Sunday riots," Kallen murmured sadly, placing her arms on the windowsill as she too stared out the window, feeling the crisp, chill breeze against her face. Autumn was here. "Her story… there are so many like it, aren't there?"

"Yes," Lelouch acknowledged, his own tone withdrawn.

"She seemed so… angry. I didn't know what to say, except to try and believe in what I've been doing all this time… what I think this Academy is also trying to do," Kallen said helplessly. "I just hope it will be enough."

"Angry?" Lelouch blinked, straightening. "Kallen-san, what's her name-"

His question was cut off by a sudden ringing, and Kallen was distracted from answering as she pulled out her cellphone.

"Yes?" she answered, putting her hand over her mouth to keep her voice down. "Brother? What is it?"

There was a hasty murmuring, and Kallen's eyes widened.

"Understood," she said quietly, her tone now clipped and professional. She had straightened, her posture taking a subtle, but noticeable change in demeanor.

The posture of a soldier.

"I'll meet you outside in ten minutes then," Kallen murmured, and shut the phone, spinning on her heel in the same movement and marching back towards the classroom.

"What was that all about?" Lelouch asked her, falling in behind her.

"… a battle," Kallen said quietly, and the look on her face made it clear that he was not to ask any more questions.

Not that he wanted to anymore. He had fallen behind now, his expression looking as though he had been struck. A battle. More bloodshed and more death.

Why can't this cycle ever end, Lelouch thought helplessly, as he turned away.

The expression on Kallen's face lingered in his mind. She too, wanted nothing to do with this battle, but it was her duty, and she was not going to run.

What about me, Lelouch wondered. What is my duty, and to whom?

Unconsciously, his mind drifted back to when he took command of the Japanese forces in the Underground, on that day he received the Geass. Those were his powers- strategic ability and the power of Geass.

He had turned them once against his own countrymen, in an effort to save his best friend.

Using power always had consequences. But wasn't not using that same power just as bad?

Lelouch clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration, because he knew that no answer he could come up with would make this any easier.

"What's with you?" C.C. asked, sauntering up to him from the side with an inquisitive look.

"I need to get out of here for a little while," Lelouch said brusquely, turning away from her and heading towards the entrance, frustrated fingers working at the tie around his neck as though it were a collar, all the while trying to ignore the turmoil that now swirled around his mind.

00000

C.C. looked as though she wanted to go after him, opening her mouth and taking a step forward with a hand reaching forward, when she froze, letting her outstretched hand fall.

"I can't help him here, can I?" she murmured to herself. "I can't give him the answers he needs."

She paused, her ears twitching as though a silent voice was speaking to her.

"I know what you would want him to do," C.C. said, her tone taking on an edge, "But you are not me. My contract is with him, now. I watch over him… I will not force him to make a choice he is not ready to make."

She turned away abruptly, as if the movement would allow her to ignore the speaker.

"I know he's not my son, or my lover, or anything like that to me," she hissed, voice barely above a whisper. "But he is my partner now… and sometimes I believe I care for him far more than you ever could."

C.C.'s expression flickered, her normal mask of almost statuesque indifference cracking as though hearing a particularly stinging response.

"What happened that day hurt him more than it hurt you, I would think," she said slowly, her tone one of cold fury, "I'm the one who had to forge him from the shattered child you left behind, after all."

And with that, she stalked away, and whatever unseen, silent other she had been speaking to seemed to have been banished from her mind.

0000

And at the opposite corner of the hallway, nearby where Kallen and Lelouch had been speaking, a redhead was quickly making her way out of the building as well, through a side exit with speed that belied her cover story of a sickly, anemic girl.

Shirley punched in a number into her cellphone with all the haste she could muster, impatiently tapping her foot against the grass as she waited for an answer.

As soon as the phone clicked, Shirley spoke, not even bothering with the ridiculous passcode this time.

"There's going to be a battle," she said hurriedly. "Kouzuki's been called in- they're finally making their move."

There was a few moments pause as Gino took the information in.

"… we just don't get a break, do we?" Gino asked rhetorically, with a groan. "And I just got through putting us on standby. Get on over here then, and grab Rivalz on your way out. I'll call the higher ups, let 'em know, but chances are we're gonna need to go there ourselves to get the info out faster. Did you get a location?"

"No," Shirley admitted, "But it can't be too far if they're mobilizing on such short notice."

"Damn," Gino swore. "And here I was about to enjoy some nice reading and a few biscuits I pilfered from Kewell's pantry without him noticing."

"Some other time, boss," she quipped.

"Hmph. I guess you're right," he admitted, and despite the grimness of the situation, his voice took on that familiar bravado she knew him to be rather infamous for. "Then let's go and get to work, shall we?"

00000

Lelouch walked for what felt like an eternity, just drifting through the city without a thought for where he was going, narrowly avoiding strangers at the last moment almost drunkenly.

It was only as the texture of the ground beneath his feet began to change that Lelouch realized he had unconsciously come to the park he and Suzaku spent so many hours talking before any of this had ever happened.

Today, it was nearly deserted, with the overcast sky obscuring most of the sunlight, leaving the world seemingly gray and murky. Fall was here, and the leaves were beginning to turn.

His lips twitched, as if trying to form a smile. With a lighter expression than before, he made his way through the park with practiced ease, heading unerringly towards their usual spot.

Somehow, he was unsurprised to see Suzaku's still form in the clearing where they tended to meet, though Suzaku clearly was as he sat up, eyes widening as Lelouch made his way towards him.

"Lelouch?" Suzaku blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing of you," Lelouch said, a hint of mirth in his tone as he stood over Suzaku, hands in his pockets.

"… I needed to think," was the subdued answer, and Suzaku's face looked as conflicted and torn as Lelouch had ever seen.

Somehow, without hearing any more, Lelouch's intuition drew forth an answer. "The battle today, right?"

Suzaku jerked in surprise. "How did you-"

"Kallen-san mentioned it," Lelouch replied, keeping his tone neutral. "Why is it troubling you so much? There have been battles before."

Suzaku said nothing, his mouth creasing into a thin line.

Lelouch sighed, and took a seat on the grass next to him, folding his knees up, his expression mirroring Suzaku's own. "Who am I kidding. You've felt guilt over each and every one of those battles too… I suppose it's because this time it's someone you actually care for, like Kallen-san, going into battle?"

"… It's similar to that," Suzaku said evasively, and leaned back down into the grass, using his arms as a makeshift headrest. "I just… don't know to do anymore. It seems like everyone has a side, something they believe in… and I don't."

"I don't either," Lelouch said quietly, flicking his glance up at the sky with an expression of supreme discontentment. "When Kallen-san told me there was a battle today… suddenly it struck me how utterly useless I am in the grand scheme of things."

Suzaku stilled.

"I suppose I needed to clear my head as well," Lelouch continued, gazing back down. His lips twitched in a sardonic smile. "A bit sad, don't you think? That the two of us would be so disturbed by our helplessness?"

"What if you didn't have to be helpless?"

Lelouch blinked at Suzaku's sudden question, and turned towards him, opening his mouth to speak, when the prince continued.

"What if you… you had the power to do something? To change the outcome? To make a difference this time? But using that power… would hurt people? Maybe even people you know?" Suzaku's voice was thick with turmoil, making the words sound choked and forced.

Lelouch blinked, his expression confused, before it turned into one of understanding.

He wants to start using his political power now, Lelouch thought to himself, a touch of fondness in his eyes. To use the powers he's been given to make things better in the country. Or maybe

"Hurting others is unavoidable," Lelouch acknowledged, reflecting on his decision to take command of the Japanese military forces. Since that day, his dreams had been troubled by memories of gunsmoke and blood. No… before that even- all the way back to the day everything changed, seven years ago.

"Then what should I do?" Suzaku's voice was practically begging now. "I can't just stand by and do nothing."

Do nothing… like me. Lelouch's fists clenched in a sudden surge of self-hatred. Suzaku's turmoil reflected his own perfectly.

What was the right path to take, once you held the power to make a difference? For all his talk of stopping those who used power for their own selfish, egotistical versions of justice, Lelouch had done nothing with his own power except stand impotent at the side of a war that was already raging around him.

I have already sacrificed much, Lelouch thought, and for a moment, his hands felt the phantom weight of a gun in them as they shook. This current Brittania had been bought it in blood, forced into this state by what I have done. People like Kallen-san and Suzaku, they are fighting their own battles, in their own way, to make things better for the world, while people like Shirley-san need something to believe in, someone to show them there is something past all the sadness.

The sun pierced through the autumn clouds, shining bright and clear.

I've already chosen a side, he suddenly knew.

"You do what you must," Lelouch said suddenly, and he stood, fists held tight, gazing down at Suzaku with an expression of almost icy conviction. "Sometimes, it's not about you, and whatever regrets or sadness you may bear. Sometimes, it's about something bigger than you."

"But what is it I have to do?" Suzaku insisted, gazing up at him.

"… just using power is not enough," Lelouch murmured, half to himself, the understanding making his eyes look almost feverish. "Power, by itself, is simply a kind of violence… it needs purpose. It needs… direction."

Lelouch turned towards Suzaku, their eyes locking- determination in Lelouch's amethyst orbs, and confusion in Suzaku's emerald ones.

"Changing things needs the will of the people, not just one man wielding power. Something like that is just one will forcing itself upon the world, and is little more than an egotistical, self righteous bully," he continued, a tone of bitterness in his voice. Once again, that phantom weight was back in his hands, and for a moment, he felt ten years old again, and he shook. But then the moment passed, and the conviction he had realized returned to him.

"People don't change easily," Suzaku said quietly, the darkness in his tone mirroring Lelouch's bitterness.

"That's because they don't know the way," Lelouch insisted, his passionate tone like that of flowing water. He remembered the anger in Shirley's eyes, and the brief moments when he felt that his words about cooperation and forgiveness might actually be reaching her. "They need a symbol. Kaguya, for example… her Academy is such a symbol, but it's only a small part of the necessary change. Kallen-san is another such symbol, but again… the people need more."

"They need to be shown what real justice is," Suzaku said suddenly, and the fire in his voice gave Lelouch pause, for it felt very similar to the self-righteous fanatics he had condemned earlier. But that was just Suzaku's way, he thought dismissively.

"Justice? I suppose," Lelouch acknowledged reluctantly, though he himself had little taste for the word- it implied violence, in his mind.

But the distaste faded in the face of a single, unchangeable, overwhelming fact that loomed in Lelouch's mind about symbols.

I cannot be that symbol. He had seen the kind of monster that lurked in his own heart, that inner darkness he had spent the past seven years avoiding like a leper.

And his hands were already stained with blood, his sins too great to erase.

No, being the symbol of hope was beyond a sinner like Lelouch Lamperouge. But he could lend his power to those who were not yet tainted.

Suzaku was standing now, next to him, and the turmoil of his expression had finally faded into one of almost grim determination.

Once more, that sense of unease came upon Lelouch at the inferno that had sparked in Suzaku's eyes, an expression he realized he had seen before.

"I will crush Japan!"

"Suzaku…" Lelouch began hesitantly.

"They need a symbol," Suzaku repeated quietly. "They need hope, right Lelouch?"

"Y-yes," he answered, nodding, still unable to dismiss that sense of unease. Still Suzaku was his friend, and he trusted him to do the right thing.

"Thank you," Suzaku murmured, and clasped Lelouch's left shoulder in a brotherly gesture, smiling. "Lelouch… you always do know the right thing to say. I don't know what I'd do without you helping me, sometimes."

"Sounds like you're about to leave already," Lelouch noted, smiling as he returned the gesture, his hand on Suzaku's right shoulder.

"You've taught me something… I want to start using that right away," Suzaku insisted, though there was a hesitant note in his voice that gave Lelouch pause.

I'm being paranoid again.

"Good luck then, my friend," Lelouch murmured, and squeezed Suzaku's shoulder.

"You too," Suzaku replied, squeezing back. "To both of us."

00000

"So, they've taken the bait, Marika?"

The young woman he addressed turned towards him, bowing her head respectfully as he walked inside of the dimly lit room. Held within the room were several open crates containing innumerable liquid vials, and in her hands was a clipboard she was using to keep note of their inventory.

"As you requested, Lord Luciano," Marika reported crisply. She wore a woman's business style blouse and slacks, with the only trace of femininity in her appearance being the small diamond earrings she wore. "I let some of our planted informants let slip the location of one of the Liberation Front's primary bases."

"Good, good," Luciano said cheerfully, clapping his hands in glee. He was dressed in a practical business suit, all dark colors save for the blood red tie he wore, and the long sweeping brown trench coat that swathed over the suit.

"If I may, sir… why are we helping the Japanese?" she asked, keeping her tone as respectful as possible.

"It's not about who we help, Marika, just about keeping a little song and dance for everyone until the real show can get started," he replied with a grin. "Don't worry, we'll be getting our own hands dirty soon enough."

"Understood, sir," Marika acknowledged.

"So, this is the new shipment?" Luciano questioned, peering at the blood red liquid that floated within the vials.

"Yes, it just arrived last night," she responded swiftly, offering him the clipboard, which he waved away. "These are the latest batch, and the data indicates they should have at least three times the potency of the previous version of 'Reaper'."

Luciano whistled appreciatively as he picked up one of the vials, holding it experimentally between his thumb and forefinger, peering inquisitively at the substance contained within.

"It's funny, isn't it? How much damage you can do with just one of these vials," he commented, his tone wry with amusement. "The junkies on the street think it's just an amazing rush, a way to ignore just what kind of a shithole their lives have become."

He chuckled. "If only they knew what we knew."

And with that, he turned aside, pocketing the vial as he did so. "Get these out to the dealers by this afternoon. And get in touch with Madd- I want his shipment in by Thursday."

"Understood, my lord," Marika said quietly, and saluted.

"Thatta girl." Luciano's mouth moved in a mockery of a grin, and he walked off, whistling a jaunty tune.

00000

"Thank you for your patronage," Jeremiah bowed deeply as the last of the morning customers left from behind the counter, smiling widely as he did so.

To be honest, he had only taken up the guise of a bakery owner as a guise to help conceal his master's presence in the area, never really expecting it to be anything more than a cover story. Somehow, though, he'd grown to find a simple pleasure in working with his hands to create something.

Some might have questioned the amount of loyalty one would need to have in order to commit themselves fully to guarding the life of a single member of a royal family that was scattered to the winds. And indeed, at the start of all this, seven years ago, Jeremiah was reluctant to admit that duty was the only thing keeping him with Lelouch and C.C.

But he had watched his master grow in these past seven years, seen the broken boy grow into a man destined to do something great with the world. In a few private moments, Jeremiah admitted he felt an affection for Lelouch more akin to an older brother looking after his much younger sibling more than a knight and his liege lord.

Jeremiah caught a tinkling at the back door, the sound of the door opening and closing gently. Without hesitation, and seeing no customers in or near the bakery, Jeremiah swiftly went to the door and put up a sign that read "Back in Fifteen Minutes" (a sign C.C. often abused when she was manning the counter, on the rare occasions she could be convinced to), and then turned and headed into the back, where the house portion of the building stood.

"Skipping school again, my lord?" Jeremiah asked lightly, though there was a tone of reproach in his voice- Prince or not, no young man should be skimping on his education (of course, Jeremiah was steadfastly ignoring his own days in the military academy).

Lelouch offered him a weak smile as he took a seat at the dining table, looking oddly weary. "I'm sorry about that, Jeremiah, but… right now I don't think I can sit through a day of lectures."

Jeremiah said nothing to that, taking the seat across from the younger man with a questioning expression. "Did something happen?"

Lelouch shook his head. "Not exactly. I… just finally realized where I stand."

"My lord?" Jeremiah blinked, looking confused.

"Tell me, Jeremiah… you know… about…" Lelouch hesitated, and the expression on his face, so full of anguish, let Jeremiah know immediately what he was speaking of.

The incident.

"You know what I did," he finished at last, and his voice was breathless, as though he had just ripped off a particularly painful scab over a wound. "Why do you still follow me?"

"… At first," Jeremiah began, a tone of reluctance in his own voice now, "I did it out of duty to you, as someone who was supposed to guard you on that day in the palace. And, I suppose, also because C.C.-san would not have let me just leave you two alone."

"And now?" Lelouch asked, his tone infinitely patient, as though he were already expecting some sort of crushing judgment.

"You are going to do something truly remarkable for the world someday, Lelouch-sama," Jeremiah said softly, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "I am proud to serve at the feet of such a great man."

Lelouch smiled back at that, and the tiredness on his face seemed to fade, if only slightly. "I'm no great man, Jeremiah. I realized that today- I can't be the symbol of hope this country needs to move towards the future. My sins… they are just too heavy for me to be that kind of paragon."

"No one can fault you for what happened, my lord," Jeremiah began, reaching over with a steady hand to comfort his master, but Lelouch pulled away, shaking his head.

"The state of this country, the oppression, the misery, the sorrow…" Lelouch's fists clenched. "This is my doing. My responsibility. And I know I can never be forgiven for it."

"You were just trying to-" Jeremiah's eyes widened as Lelouch violently cut him off, slamming his fists down on the table in a gesture of agonized frustration.

"I killed them," Lelouch hissed, and even Jeremiah flinched at the venom in his tone.

"I'm dirty, Jeremiah," he said quietly, his anger retreating, giving way to that same tiredness. "A sinner, not a hero. I can't be what the people need right now."

There was a moment's pause, and Lelouch's voice took on a note of strength and conviction that had been lacking.

"What I can do, however… is lend my power to those that can be the heroes this world needs so badly. I can stand on the side I've chosen."

Jeremiah fell silent in the wake of his master's words, struggling to find the right words to say. His master's conviction was obvious, though the dangers this kind of path would incur were many. As a guardian, or even just someone who cared for the wellbeing of this young man, he should argue against it.

But as a knight, Jeremiah knew he had only one course of action, the only thing he would, and could, do.

And at his core, beneath the friendly baker and the watchful guardian, Jeremiah was a knight who believed in loyalty to his master.

"What do you need me to do, my lord?"

Lelouch smiled again. "I'm going to write down a list of materials. Please use whatever contacts you still have to get them, and make sure it can't be traced back to you."

Jeremiah nodded. "I still know a few people who may be willing to help. And you, my lord? What will you do in the meantime?"

"I'm going to think, Jeremiah," Lelouch replied, a trace of humor in his voice. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

00000

"Everyone's gone today," Euphemia said thoughtfully, sighing as she piled on the last of the laundry onto the basket, hefting it up with both arms and carrying it towards Suzaku's rooms.

She had grown… comfortable here. It was nice here, being around Suzaku and Milly, and even the other maids, who were all fairly close and had adopted her as a little sister of sorts. And the busy work of cleaning kept her mind off of more… troubling topics, like her memory.

It was strange, sometimes, to think she had a life before this- that she was a princess, of all things. Sometimes, she wanted so badly to find her other siblings that she almost ran off in search of them alone, though her courage always faltered and a wave of guilt over violating her promise with Suzaku would come over her.

Not that he wasn't a good link to her past- he was. His stories helped her feel connected to her past, seven years ago.

Of course, there was the other thing she tried not to think about- Suzaku said she was reported missing, lost in the invasion. And for seven years, she was just… gone. Whatever happened then must have erased her memory.

What happened, she thought desperately. What…

"Hello, little one," came the tenor of a young boy, blonde haired and purple eyed, and a strange mark began to glow on his forehead as he reached towards her-

"Suzaku-sama?" Milly's voice interrupted her reverie, and Euphemia snapped back to reality, realizing she had stopped at a corner intersection in the mansion, and was now hearing two very familiar voices.

"M-Milly. What are you doing here?" Suzaku's voice sounded… stuttered, almost forcedly cheerful. Euphemia frowned, and peered around the corner, where the two of them were standing.

Milly too, caught the off manner in Suzaku's tone, and called him out on it. "Suzaku-sama, I know that tone. What are you up to… wait a minute, this hallway leads to… You're going to use it, aren't you?"

Suzaku looked away, saying nothing.

It? Euphemia blinked. What is…

"Look, I… need to do this. And I need you to understand that I can never, ever move forward unless I do." Suzaku's voice was a curious mixture of pleading and determination.

For a few moments, Milly was silent, and Euphemia was sure that she would refuse whatever it was Suzaku was asking for understanding about.

"Well, I suppose there's no helping it. I'll have to drive."

What?

"What?" Suzaku echoed, sounding as bewildered as Euphemia felt.

"What, you think I'm going to just let you go off on your own this time?" Milly shook her head with a smile. "A maid's job is to look after her master."

"I'm going into a battle, Milly, not a party," Suzaku hissed softly, and Euphemia felt as though she'd been punched in the gut.

He's… going to fight? Euphemia worriedly wrung her hands, and suddenly a vision of Suzaku, bleeding and hurt, came into her mind, and she felt as though she would throw up on the floor.

"I'm not going to fight," Milly assured him, looking as though the idea was ludicrous. "I'm just going to drive you there, fool. And who else knows how to get you and that garish golden monstrosity over to the battlefield without being seen?"

Suzaku's expression struggled for a long time, before, at last, it settled into resigned acceptance. "Fine… let's get moving."

The two of them started down the hallway, and Euphemia hesitated for a moment, before deciding to follow, moving as slowly and quietly as possible to avoid detection, though she had to trail them at a particularly long distance. As they turned the corner, Euphemia quickened her pace, not wanting to lose them-

But as soon as she was around it, there was nothing. Both Milly and Suzaku had utterly vanished.

Euphemia frowned worriedly.

Please… she prayed silently, Please be safe.

00000

Fighting Brittanians, huh? This feels… different, somehow, Kallen thought to herself, an uncomfortable weight settling in her stomach. Before, it was always a clear cut distinction between Us and Them when she fought.

Today, she was fighting people that, if fate had just twisted itself a little bit more, she might have been comrades with.

"Kallen-sama?" Alice moved forward skittishly, her expression one of concern. As Kallen's own personal aide and mechanic, Alice was always at her side just before the beginning of a battle. "You seem nervous. Is something wrong?"

Kallen shook her head, offering her a weak smile. "Nothing, Alice. Just nerves, that's all."

Alice frowned, looking skeptical. "Kallen-sama… you're never nervous before a battle."

At that, she smiled a little wider, a trace of wryness in the smile now. "Thank you, Alice, for calling me out on that. You're right, of course. I suppose it's just different, fighting Brittanians. Don't you feel the same way?"

Alice's expression changed at that, and she turned away, towards the shrouded Knightmare Frame that stood before the two of them. They were currently in the specialized Knightmare Frame transport that was assigned to Kallen, designed to house her own personal machine.

"I've never really known what it's like, being a Brittanian. My parents fled the country when I was younger, moving to Yamato after the Brittanian Empire collapsed. They died soon after, and after that, all I knew was the orphanage until you came, Kallen-sama," Alice answered truthfully. "I don't have enough memories to really call this place a homeland."

"But we still have Brittanian blood in us," Kallen argued quietly. "Doesn't that count for something?"

Alice, sensing her master's troubled mood, tried to speak encouragingly. "The rebels are the ones at fault here, Kallen-sama. You're just following the orders of the Empire."

Is that really an excuse, Kallen wondered, but bit down the doubt as a voice came over the loudspeakers.

"Kallen-sama, we've arrived at the staging point."

Kallen let out a slow breath to steady her nerves.

"It's time, then," she murmured quietly.

0000

"The Empire is moving against us? Bah, preposterous. Each of our cells is too well hidden for a direct assault- your girl must obviously have been hearing things."

Gino bit back a groan. He hated dealing with John Calares, the direct overseer of all the independent insurrectionist cells in London area, above even Gino's superiors at Richmond who supplied them with materiel and orders. Unfortunately, he was in charge of this base, and without his orders they couldn't get word to the other cells that there was trouble in the air.

Right now, he was standing in the Brittanian Liberation Front's primary London base in Dartford, a large industrial complex that had long since been abandoned, though it actually sat just outside the Greater London area, outside the main Settlement. Technically only he had the clearance to be here, and bringing his subordinates like Kewell was breaching the protocols set up by the Commander.

Gino stood before Calares' desk, though the man spent more time looking over the papers on his deck than actually paying attention to anything Gino was saying. Other than the two of them, the office was occupied only by Kewell and two of whom Gino assumed were Calares' subordinates. One of them was bespectacled man a few years older than Kewell, the other a grizzled man with a stern look on his face that spoke of a man who had made the military his life.

"Calares, sir…" Gino said slowly, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice. "Shirley was spying on Kouzuki Kallen- one of the Shichitennou. This information is solid."

"Boy, Kouzuki Kallen is just a slip of a girl, the same as yours," Calares said dismissively. "You and your whole operation are just kids. Why we let you operate independently is beyond me."

Gino frowned. Even for an arrogant ass, Calares was being unusually obstinate- something was off. He glanced over at Calares' subordinates again, trying to feel out what the problem was.

"If the Empire was really attacking us," Calares continued, voice thick with doubt, "We are more than capable of handling assault led by a little girl-"

Whatever else Calares was about to say was lost in a tremendous roar of sound and violence as a massive explosion hit the facility.

00000

"Doors have been breached," Minami announced, turning towards Naoto.

They were standing in the command center section of the Bishamonten, a super-heavy vehicle, bordering on a mobile building, even, that acted as a mobile command and communication center, as well as a mobile Knightmare Transport system. It was heavily armored and armed, and was gaining great popularity in the Empire as a field commander's vehicle of choice.

Kusakabe had never utilized one, being the sort of commander who generally preferred commanding from the back, but it seemed that Naoto's style of warfare demanded he be as close to the front line as proper.

From his chair on the command deck, just one level above where Minami stood amongst several other officers who were monitoring communications and coordinating the attack, Naoto nodded in acknowledgment.

"Very good, Major." He met Minami's eyes with an approving look- although this attack was being carried out by the 75th, Naoto had allowed Minami to stand on the bridge as well, befitting his rank as Major.

It was a nice gesture, one of respect and an offer of unity between their two regiments, and Minami admitted he appreciated the thought.

Turning away, Naoto ordered briskly, "Now then, listen up boys and girls. Kallen will lead Taiyou company and take control of sector one and two. Kaze company will sweep sectors four through seven, while Umi and Hagane will hold the perimeter and provide backup until we know those areas are secure."

"Sir… if I may, according to our intelligence, those sectors are the most likely to contain the defenses of this facility," Minami pointed out hesitantly. "Are you sure Kallen-sama can handle this?"

As if in answer, Naoto gestured towards one of the monitors, where Taiyou company was moving in, a swarm of Shinran Knightmares, headed up by a distinctly unique Knightmare Frame, one that had only been constructed two years before but had already become famous throughout the Empire.

"The Amaterasu," Minami breathed, holding his breath in awe. "I never thought I'd actually see it, or indeed any of the Knightmares of the Shichitennou, in person."

It was a magnificent machine, worthy of the goddess it was named after. It stood about a foot taller than the average Knightmare Frame, though its body was sleeker, making it seem much more slender, with edges like a beautifully crafted katana, giving a far more life-like visage to the machine than the usual boxy designs that seemed comically primitive in comparison. Its head was much more humanoid than the Shinran's as well, bearing distinctive blue eyes on a white-silver face that bore far more resemblance to a human's than the Shinran. As a finishing touch to the intricate design, a crimson crest stretched out from the front to the back of its head.

The rest of the main body was crimson red, except for a swath of indigo painted on a stripe across the upper torso, circling around an unusual gunmetal hatch over the chest, whose function bewildered Minami. The arms were also gunmetal gray, long and almost serpentine limbs which both ended in three-pronged, wickedly sharp looking claws.

"Impressed, I see," Naoto commented, chuckling lightly, and Minami broke away his stare with embarrassment. "I know my sister seems a bit young, and I would rather not throw her into the line of fire, but… she is good at what she does, Major. I'd be more worried about the rebels than I am about her- I've yet to meet anyone who can be a match for her and that machine."

Taking one last look at the screen, Minami couldn't help but agree.

00000

"What are you going to do?"

Suzaku glanced over at Milly, who had her eyes fixed on the road. The two of them were driving through the Underground, with several tunnels that led directly towards Dartford, where the battle was currently taking place.

"Naoto-sama, and Kallen-sama. They'll be there. They'll be your enemies, if you go through with this." Milly's voice was flat and almost coldly toneless, but without judgment.

"I know that," Suzaku said reluctantly, nodding his head. "I won't kill them, if that's what you're asking. But I won't just stand by and do nothing, either."

"You really think you can fight someone like Kallen-sama, one of the Shichitennou, and hold back?" Milly clicked her tongue, and her expression took on a rare note of worry. "You might be good, Suzaku-sama, and who knows what that machine of yours is capable of, but Kallen-sama is a soldier who has fought countless battles and everyone knows her Knightmare Frame is the best Kirihara Industries can provide."

"I can do it," Suzaku insisted stubbornly, clenching his fists. "Experience or not… I won't let the Empire take any more lives."

"That kind of attitude is going to put you in a situation you can't fight your way out of someday," Milly said, her tone light but with an overhead of warning, "No matter how lucky or stubborn you are."

"Well, you can say 'I told you so' then, but until that time…" Suzaku grinned. "Just drive."

"Aye aye," Milly responded, shaking her head.

They were silent for a long while, with nothing but the sound of wheels on old, dust ridden gravel.

Finally, after a long while, Milly spoke again.

"So, what are you going to call yourself?"

"Call myself?" Suzaku blinked.

"You know, you need a name, an alias- can't use your real name, obviously, but you can't just go around nameless. People will give you a name, otherwise, and who knows what kind of silly name they'll give you- The Golden Avenger?" Milly exclaimed incredulously, giggling to herself. "If you start acting like a vigilante out for justice, you need a name."

"A name… a symbol," Suzaku murmured quietly, absently stroking his chin, deep in thought. "Something that will give people hope… give what I do… more impact."

"A symbol?" Milly looked confused.

"Lelouch explained it to me a little while ago," Suzaku replied, remembering the conversation in the park just hours ago. "The people need a symbol, something they can believe in. The name… the name will be the key."

"Did Lelouch happen to give you some brainstorming ideas for a name in addition to planting these notions in your head?" Milly questioned, raising a faintly amused eyebrow.

"No," Suzaku admitted softly. "I want it to mean something. To give hope to Brittania, and to send a message to the Empire."

"A message…" Milly tapped a finger against her cheek. "You mean like how the Empire sends a message using the phrase 'Tenchuu'?"

Tenchuu. Suzaku stilled, as though suddenly struck by a grand inspiration, and then smiled.

"I think I've got a name."

00000

"Jesus Christ!" Gino swore, picking himself up off the ground. The massive explosion had knocked him, along with everyone else, over as it rocked the building. Quickly, he grabbed his radio, attached to his hip, praying it hadn't been damaged in the fall. "Shirley! What the hell is going on out there!"

"Judging by the sound and force of the blast, they set off several demolition charges to blow open the entrance," came the voice of the grizzled military man in the corner. "Smart- they're avoiding ambush points by simply breaking through the building and establishing their own breaching points."

"They've probably studied the structure of the building, and made sure the demolition charges were shaped and placed where they wouldn't bring down the facility," said the bespectacled man next to him.

Who are these guys? Gino blinked, astonished at the speed and clarity with which the two men had analyzed the situation. Whoever they were, they were not ordinary men.

"Boss!" came Shirley's confused, worried tone. "They hit the building hard- me and the others are falling back What should we do?"

Gino cast a glance over at Calares, who was still wide eyed with shock.

"Calares! Is there another exit?" The man remained silent, as if the whole situation was beyond his comprehension. "Calares! Where the hell is the other exit!"

"It's down underground. An old sewer system that we've remodeled and renovated for our own use. It connects to the railway system near the facility that workers used to use to get here."

The voice came from behind him, and Gino whirled around, not recognizing the voice. However, the face… the face he knew.

"You are-"

"Commander!" Calares blurted out, eyes going as wide as Gino's own. "I… I…"

"Enough," the Commander interrupted. "Your incompetence would be punished severely for not paying heed to Weinberg's warning, if not for the fact that it had come too late to matter anyways. Regardless, now is not the time. Get all your men down into those tunnels immediately, both of you. Arm up as many of them as you can, and get all the Knightmares working in this facility operational now. Destroy any sensitive evidence."

For a moment, Gino simply stood there, in awe. Though the two men (whom he now assumed were the Commander's personal lieutenants) were exceptionally skilled at analyzing, the level of natural command the Commander had established was nothing short of dazzling.

"You're all still standing here."

Gino practically jumped.

00000

Kallen hated to admit it, but the adrenaline rush of battle was something she enjoyed- feeling the thrum of power of the Amaterasu as she plunged into the breathless, terrifying reality of combat. Part of it was the Amaterasu herself (Kallen always thought of her Knightmare as a she, rather than a gender neutral it), being such an advanced and powerful Knightmare that made piloting anything else seem pitifully slow and primitive in comparison.

She watched two enemy De Dannan Knightmares, for example, whose movements were simply clunky against her own as they raised their rifles and opened fire on her.

With a shout, she jerked the Amaterasu's controls, dodging the hail of gunfire with ease before plunging forward, her Knightmare's claws wrapped themselves around the heads of both De Dannan's.

"Sorry," Kallen whispered, and hit the triggers, sending a massive surge of energy through the Radiant Wave Surgers installed on both claws and destroying both Knightmares with a blast of microwave radiation.

Her regrets would have to wait, however, as a second squad of Knightmares entered the loading bay, along with a heavy weapon support squad of infantry who were moving along the upper level along a suspended metal walkway, hefting RPGs and aiming them at Kallen and her squad.

"Scatter!" she ordered, pulling on the control yokes just in time to avoid the barrage of rocket propelled grenades that bombarded her recently vacated position.

The rest of her squad broke off, scattering off as far from each other as possible. One unlucky comrade was slower than the others and took several RPGs, destroying his Shinran in seconds.

Working in tandem with the infantry, the enemy De Dannan's now swarmed in to protect the infantry, opening fire with their rifles, filling the air with gunsmoke, catching yet another one of her allies in the crossfire. Kallen herself took a few glancing hits from the enemy's gunfire, but swiftly shifted position behind a gigantic metal rack, shielding her from enemy fire.

Angered at the loss of the members of her squad, Kallen quickly assessed the situation, and then sprang into action, dashing towards the metal walkway with all the speed she could muster.

To their credit, the De Dannan's reacted swiftly, altering their aim in an attempt to compensate for Kallen's sudden movement- however, they were unprepared for the sheer level of speed that the Amaterasu was capable of, and Kallen made it to her destination without incident, and leapt towards the surprised infantry, who were still attempting to reload their weapons.

With a single swipe of her Knightmare's claws, she slashed at the walkway, destroying it and killing several foot soldiers in the bargain before she landed, spinning around to face the enemy squad of Knightmares.

To their credit, they had reacted with the skill and training of professional soldiers, and thus were well prepared to open fire on her even after the loss of their comrades, unleashing a hail of bullets even as her machine hit the ground.

Luckily, the Amaterasu had more than just claws. Flipping open a trigger at the top of one of the control yokes, Kallen pressed the small red button concealed within. Instantly, the metal circle in the center of the Amaterasu's chest opened up, and a blinding light, like a second sun, enveloped the room.

This was the real reason the Amaterasu had earned the name of the goddess of the sun- its radiance was such that its enemies could do nothing but be struck dumb. The actual phenomenon was created by a series of mirrors which reflected and amplified the sudden, but dramatic burst of light that emanated from the Yggsdril Drive when triggered from the cockpit. It was a system specifically designed to complement Kallen's favored close-quarters style of combat, allowing her to close in with her Radiant Wave Surger claws with ease.

With her enemies now blinded, Kallen darted between them, slashing at the nearest Knightmare Frame, neatly severing the arm holding the rifle before bringing its other claw to bear, shredding the cockpit like a hot knife through butter.

The remaining three Knightmares struggled to regain their bearings, leaving them easy prey. Kallen slammed one claw each through two different Knightmares, triggering the Radiant Wave Surgers again. The final Knightmare managed to raise its weapon just in time for the Amaterasu's claw to wrap around its head, ending the battle with a final burst of energy from its palm.

And then, just as quickly as it had begun, the skirmish was over, leaving Kallen slightly breathless as a droplet of sweat ran down from her forehead. She wiped it away with the back of her hand as she opened a comm link with the Bishamonten.

"This is Taiyou-one. We've breached and secured the loading bay in sector one. Now proceeding to sector two," Kallen reported, still panting slightly from the effort of battle.

"Acknowledged, Taiyou-One. Good work," Sancia congratulated smoothly, her tone coolly professional. "Umi-Two will move in to hold that position."

"How is everyone else doing?" Kallen asked, as she motioned for the remaining members of her squad to follow her into the building.

"Kaze is just reaching sector four. We're awaiting they're report shortly," Sancia replied. "Resistance should be light in that area, however."

"I hope so," Kallen muttered, cutting the link.

00000

"Damn Japanese bastards," Shirley swore, swerving her Knightmare Frame around to sweep the area one more time. She and Rivalz, Gino's elected escorts for his journey to the base here in Dartford, had moved inside the facility in the wake of the assault, and were currently in one of the large manufacturing areas that just barely allowed room for their Knightmares to maneuver in.

This area hadn't been hit yet, like the lower levels which they had just abandoned, but it was only a matter of time.

"Shirley! Are you in your Knightmare Frame?"

"Y-yeah," she replied, startled by Gino's sudden question. "Rivalz is in his too- we were in them before the attack, thankfully."

"Good," Gino said brusquely, and the departure from his usual jocular tone was somewhat jarring for Kallen. Someone had obviously shaken him up good. "Gather up anyone you can find, have them fall back to the lower levels- there's an underground exit that we can use to get out of here. We'll make that the rally point. Once I've got the exact coordinates, I'll have Kewell transmit them to you."

"Lower level, alright," Shirley acknowledged, nodding her head, and repeated the orders to Rivalz.

She had barely finished when the doors burst open and a pair of Shinran Knightmares burst into the room, followed swiftly by several squads of regular foot infantry.

"Shit!" Shirley cursed, "Rivalz, form up! Make us an exit, I'll cover you!"

Even as she was barking out her orders, Shirley had whirled about, raising her De Dannan's assault rifle and loosing an uncontrolled burst of fire on the newly arrived enemy force, not bothering with anything more accurate than a spray in the general direction of the enemy, just wanting to make them duck their heads.

Both Shinran Frames deftly avoided the bullets, taking only minor damage, but a few of the soldiers were caught by the burst and were shredded into red mist within seconds.

The enemy Knightmares moved in an unusual helix formation, firing in synchronized timing as they advanced on her, constantly switching positions left and right to ruin the auto-adjusting targeting system that most Knightmare Frame pilots relied on to correct their aim in the fast-moving weapons platform of a Knightmare.

Shirley, however, was not most pilots, and in fact hadn't used the auto-targeting system since the first time she stepped in a Knightmare Frame, having been taught by Gino not to rely on them. Instead of trying to track one of them, she aimed right for the center of the formation and fired again.

To her dismay, the Shinran Frames simply moved away from each other, letting her bullets fly harmlessly between them.

These guys are good, Shirley admitted grudgingly, gritting her teeth. "Rivalz!" she snapped irritably, opening the communications link again. "What's taking you!"

As in answer, an explosion from behind her indicated that Rivalz had finally found a wall suitable to burst through using his Knightmare's assault rifle.

"Door's open, Shirley!" Rivalz called out, maddeningly cheerful even in the middle of battle, a trait he shared with their commander.

"You go on first! There should be some other members of the resistance nearby- get them, let them know we've got incoming and to make it to the rally point underground!" Shirley said briskly, all the while still dodging incoming enemy fire.

"Got it," Rivalz acknowledged, though there was a tone of reluctance in his voice as he left. But Rivalz just wasn't as skilled as Shirley or these two Shinran Frames- having to look after him too would be a potentially fatal distraction.

There was no more time to consider Rivalz's qualms, however, as Shirley dodged behind a large, rusted machine whose purpose had long since been forgotten, using as makeshift cover against the torrent of bullets. She eyed the rest of the room, trying to find something she could use.

There!

Leaning her Knightmare just far enough to put its arm out and aim the rifle, she fired off a burst.

As before, the two Knightmare Frames simply dodged by switching places again, advancing with almost contemptuous ease on her position.

Of course, she hadn't been aiming for the Knightmares.

With a tremendous groan, one of the massive steel racks, nearly three times as large and ten times as long as a Knightmare, toppled downwards as several of its lower support beams were destroyed by Shirley's assault rifle, sending it crashing towards the two enemy pilots.

The one closest had no time to dodge and was utterly smashed, while the second took a glancing blow that, if Shirley was any judge, destroyed all functions in one arm and sent it spinning out of control, slamming into a wall with impressive force.

Before it could recover, Shirley delivered a quick coup de grace, blowing the Knightmare apart with a single spray of her assault rifle, ending the melee.

00000

"We just lost contact with Kaze-Three-Two after they had engaged hostiles in sector four," Sancia announced over the communications channel, her voice grim. "All units, be advised, heavy resistance in sectors four through seven, concentrated at the lower levels."

"This is Taiyou-One, acknowledged command," Kallen replied, grimacing and bowing her head at the thought of more of her comrades being killed. "We're heading over to sector six."

"Kallen?" Naoto's voice broke through. "Belay that. I need you somewhere else. Let Umi and Hagane handle that- they're trying to escape, not make a pitched battle."

"But brother, they're getting slaughtered out there!" Kallen pleaded, gritting her teeth. "I need to be there."

"You'll save a lot more lives if you do what I say, Kallen," Naoto responded, his tone flat. "Don't worry," he added, his voice gentling, "I'm not sending any more of our people to die. But if I'm right, we're gonna need you in a little bit."

"… Alright. I trust you," Kallen said, a tad reluctantly.

00000

"How much farther, Calares?" the Commander asked, voice smooth and still collected, even as reports continuously came in of their forces being overrun and routed at nearly every sector the facility.

"Not much farther, sir," Calares replied, his nervousness easily detectable even without seeing his face. "We're at the ground level now. Once we reach the tunnel entrance we should be safe."

They were in a convoy of Knightmare Frames now, Gino, the Commander, Calares, the two men who were accompanying the Commander, along with a number of Calares' own Knightmares and a selection of regular footsoldiers who were elected as an escort.

However, where Calares and Gino were using standard De Dannan Knightmare Frames, the Commander and the two men were using customized models, ones that Gino had heard about before.

Though they were built on the De Dannan chassis, these Knightmares, classified as the Sidhe series, had much thicker armor over the shoulder, chest, and face areas, giving the impression of a steel-plate armor wearing knight. The designers obviously realized this, and indeed style the face plate with several slits to evoke that same image. Instead of the usual assault rifle equipment, the Sidhe were armed with large, ornate lances and each possessed a compact sub-machine gun that they could wield in one hand.

Impressive machines, Gino had to say, and ones that had not been in much production even before the war. The Commander was clearly skilled with a Knightmare Frame to operate such a machine.

"Any word from your men, Weinberg?" the Commander questioned.

"No sir," Gino said, deciding to use the honorific after seeing Calares' example. "But they'll be along shortly."

"You have faith in your men," one of the Commander's aides- from the sound of the voice, the bespectacled younger man- noted.

Gino shrugged out of reflex, though he knew they couldn't see him. "They're good people," he said, a tad embarrassed, "I trust them."

"That's good," came the voice of the Commander's other aide, the older, grizzled man. "Faith in your subordinates is a key part of becoming a truly skilled general."

"I suppose," Gino said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as he searched for something to say. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, however, he was saved from this as a blip appeared on the motion tracker.

"No IFF signal. Could be hostile," the bespectacled man said quickly, as the rest of the convoy tensed. He had barely finished speaking when one of the walls collapsed and a Knightmare unlike any Gino had ever seen before tore through the newly created gap.

At first, Gino could barely see it as anything other than a red blur through the dust and debris. It was only when the leading member of their convoy suddenly exploded in a hail of flame and shrapnel that Gino understood they were under attack.

"That's the Amaterasu," he heard Kewell gasp in horror, and Gino's own eyes widened as well.

The Amaterasu, the personal machine and weapon of the Seventh Sword of the Shichitennou, responsible for the destruction of the Gibraltar Fortress and an entire company of Einherjar's elite Panzer Blatt units in a skirmish in Pakistan- a Knightmare fast on its way to becoming a legend the likes of which rivaled Marianne the Flash.

We're in trouble, Gino thought grimly, raising his rifle and letting loose a hail of gunfire.

With impossible, predatory grace, the Amaterasu deftly avoided his attacks, and the hatch on its front opened up. Gino barely had time to wonder at this phenomenon when his world exploded in a burst of blinding white light.

"Shit!" Gino swore, covering his eyes and vainly trying to regain his senses, clawing at the controls of his Knightmare Frame. He tried desperately to bring up the Knightmare's arms to guard himself, but as his vision cleared, he saw the destroyed remains of two Knightmares in front of him, and the Amaterasu was dashing towards him, claw outstretched-

And was suddenly forced to veer off course as the Commander's Sidhe Knightmare Frame came into view, stabbing forward with its spear, which was now spinning ferociously, a low hum filling the room.

Kouzuki Kallen obviously recognized the Commander as a more potent threat, and quickly launched back into action, coming forward in a blur of flashing silver claws.

The Commander's Sidhe pulled back swiftly, bringing its submachine gun to bear and firing off a torrent of bullets, realizing that Kouzuki's Knightmare had a serious edge in the close combat arena.

The Amaterasu pulled back and dodged to the left, then the right, deftly avoiding the barrage with that same unnatural speed and quickness as before, before swiping with a claw again, only narrowly parried by the Commander's spear again.

Gino was forced at that point to tear his eyes away from the battle, as new contacts on his motion tracker came into view.

"We've got more incoming!" Gino called out, whirling around just in time to see a squad of Shinran Knightmares come through the gap Kouzuki had created, unleashing a torrent of gunfire as they breached, slaying a few of the men on foot and even destroying a De Dannan. "Kewell!"

"On it, my lord," Kewell replied, steadying his own aim and firing in unison with Gino.

To their credit, the rest of the convoy's De Dannan Knightmares reacted almost as swiftly, even as one of their own fell, firing at the gap to force the enemy machines back. Meanwhile, the two remaining Sidhe Knightmares moved to flank Kouzuki Kallen, intending to relieve the pressure on the Commander, spears flashing.

Kouzuki moved swiftly, parrying both spears with a single swipe, pivoting and lunging forward with her other bladed claw at one of the Sidhe, who barely managed to pull back and raise its gun and firing off a short burst.

The Amaterasu pushed through the gunfire, its armor deflecting the bullets with casual ease as it moved in with its other claw, taking hold of the arm of the Sidhe Knightmare. In an instant, a flash of crimson light erupted from the palm of the machine, and the Sidhe's arm twisted and melted.

"Shit!" Gino heard, and at the last second, before the light reached up the arm of the Knightmare, it suddenly exploded.

He blew off his Knightmare's arm to keep from being destroyed? Gino was impressed.

However, the act obviously left the pilot disoriented, and with a single, almost contemptuously casual kick, the Amaterasu sent the Sidhe flying away, leaving Kouzuki free to deal with the remaining two.

"Guilford!" the Commander shouted, even as they closed the distance to continue the battle.

"I'm alright, Commander," the man, Guilford, said, though he sounded utterly exhausted. "Don't mind me."

"Darlton! Cover him! I'll handle this!"

The other Sidhe moved as the Commander bid, leaving the Commander alone with Kouzuki yet again.

Once more, Gino's attention was forced away from the battle, as a second wave of Shinran's poured on through, relieving the first wave which had nearly been decimated in the battle.

Luckily, the Empire's soldiers weren't having it all their way, as most of the initial Knightmares which had broken through the gap went down in a hail of gunfire from the beleaguered rebels. Gino himself shot down the first Shinran, and then was forced back behind a corner as their numbers became too great to compensate for.

"Damn," he swore again, swerving away and narrowly avoiding a bullet-ridden death.

They'd been outmaneuvered- with so many enemy forces cutting off their escape route, they would either have to disengage and try an alternate route, or attempt a near suicidal breakthrough.

To make matters worse, the Commander was being steadily outmatched by Kouzuki, which was driven home in a particularly disheartening moment when the Amaterasu smashed aside the Commander's spear, sending it crashing away, leaving the Sidhe defenseless.

"Commander!" Guilford yelled, and his own damaged Knightmare struggled to return to his feet.

Gino himself wanted to move over and help, but even as all this happened, the enemy Knightmares had closed the gap, leaving Gino with no choice but to engage the enemy in close quarters, denying the possibility of supporting his commanding officer.

"Where the hell is everyone else!" Gino snapped frustratedly. The Commander's orders had been for all available units to retreat down into these tunnels, but thus far they had only seen their own small party and little else.

As if on cue, a sudden hail of gunfire came tearing through the tunnel, and for a moment, Gino wondered if he was about to die, before he realized that the gunfire was actually coming from behind their lines.

"Sorry we're late boss!" Shirley chirped, as her De Dannan came into view, blowing away two Shinran Knightmares in a spray of lead. Behind, what must have been Rivalz and two other De Dannan's came into view, adding their firepower to the fight.

Gino felt a wave of relief come over him, until he chanced a glance back over at the Commander, just in time to see the Commander's Sidhe falling back, a massive gouge in its chest that was leaking liquid Sakuradite like a flow of blood. The lights on the Commander's Knightmare began to flicker as the remaining available power dwindled.

What's more, Gino realized, as he turned back to the main fight, for every Shinran downed, more seemed ready to join the fight in a seemingly numberless wave of machines.

"Shirley!" he barked, calling her attention to him. "Take care of Kouzuki! Rivalz and the rest, form up behind me! We've got to push them out of here!"

"On it!" Rivalz and Shirley both responded, nearly in unison, splitting into their separate groups. Gino felt a grin tugging on the edges of his lips- his soldiers were good, definitely. With them around again, he suddenly felt a hell of a lot better.

00000

Shirley felt a flutter in her stomach as she spotted the unmistakably unique and deadly form of the Amaterasu, Kouzuki's personal Knightmare. Since she decided the other day that one day they would face each other in battle, Shirley had done her homework, and recognized the weapon immediately.

With a cry, Shirley plunged straight in- with Kouzuki engaged in close combat with the unusual De Dannan variant Knightmare, which Shirley vaguely recalled being termed a Sidhe-class, using her rifle was more likely to create friendly fire incident than anything else. Instead, she struck out with her Stun Tonfas, forcing Kouzuki to back off.

As if waiting for this relief, the De Dannan variant stumbled to one knee and went utterly dark.

That was all Shirley had time to see, however, before Kouzuki closed the gap between them in a blur of edged silver metal.

With the cards of maneuverability, speed, and power in her favor, Kouzuki and the Amaterasu were definitely at an overwhelming advantage. But Shirley wasn't about to quit just yet.

Instead of pulling back as Kouzuki no doubt expected, Shirley instead moved into the attack, deftly avoiding a swipe that put the Amaterasu in a completely open position. With a shout, Shirley slammed both her Stun Tonfa's into the Amaterasu's chest, sending it crashing backwards.

Kouzuki was shocked, Shirley guessed, given the slower than normal reaction as the Amaterasu returned to its feet. Landing a hit like that was lucky, Shirley knew, but now that Kouzuki was aware of her skill she wasn't going to get another.

The signature hatch on the front of the Amaterasu opened, and Shirley quickly remembered this as one of Kouzuki's most devastating weapons. Acting fast, Shirley opened fire, just in time for the bright flash to erupt from the hatch and overwhelm all of her senses.

00000

Gotcha, Kallen thought determinedly, setting her teeth in a determined grit as she plunged the Amaterasu toward the De Dannan, ready to finish off this latest opponent in the wake of the signature blast of light that defined her Knightmare. It was surprising, to have someone land a hit like that on her, and reminded her that the battlefield was an unpredictable place.

The pilot's reactions were good, she had to admit, and the sound of gunfire just as Kallen triggered the hatch at the front of her Knightmare made it clear that the pilot had known what she could do and tried to counter.

Good try, Kallen complimented, as her claws reached out through the dust-

Dust?

-and hit only empty air.

Kallen's eyes widened, and she spun around, just in time to see that De Dannan open fire at her from point blank range. It was only by swinging around her free claw arm and activating the Radiant Wave Surger implanted in the palm that she avoided taking the brunt of the damage, burning away most of the bullets save for a few that impacted her in places the shield couldn't stretch far enough to stop.

"The bastard used his gun to knock up a dust cloud to shield their sensors," Kallen muttered in wonderment. "Not bad."

It had been a while since she faced a skilled opponent, and one that this time obviously knew what she and the Amaterasu were capable of.

Kallen switched tactics at that point- after all, if she was the type who only relied on the Amaterasu's inherent powers to win, she wouldn't be worthy of the title Seventh Sword.

Letting the shield drop, Kallen swiftly had her Knightmare drop low, ruining her opponent's aim, and then placed on of the claws on the ground. A single blast from the Radiant Wave Surger sent the Amaterasu forward in a blur of motion, one that far exceeded any reactionary speed a Knightmare like a De Dannan was capable of.

To their credit, whoever was piloting that Knightmare reacted beautifully, firing off Slash Harkens as a response, but Kallen had fought countless battles up to this point, and simply smashed the weapons aside using her momentum, before slashing with a claw, shredding the De Dannan's assault rifle and severing part of the Stun Tonfa before her opponent was able to pull back.

"Just give up," Kallen urged softly, though she knew logically her opponent couldn't hear her. With that kind of damage to the weapon systems, they had no chance now.

And indeed, instead of lying down and surrendering, the pilot instead lunged at her in a last stand suicide charge.

Feeling a wave of pity for her opponent, Kallen nonetheless made herself resolute as she struck a fatal blow towards her opponent, who brought up their damaged arm to shield themselves.

Instead of slicing straight through, however, Kallen's attack was repelled as the De Dannan's damaged arm was blown clear off, sending it crashing into the Amaterasu's chest, sending her attack swiping harmlessly at air thanks to being knocked off balance.

Kallen's eyes widened as the De Dannan reached out with its remaining arm, and plucked a spear off from the ground- the same spear Kallen had stripped away from the Sidhe Knightmare Frame she had fought earlier.

She barely had time to shift slightly before the De Dannan rushed forward, stabbing the spear at her, slicing a line across the face of the Amaterasu before Kallen was able to grab the haft with her claw.

If not for her machine's superior specs, Kallen had to admit, she would probably have taken a serious hit. With a grim look of respect, Kallen triggered the Radiant Wave Surger again, destroying the spear and blowing away the arm of the De Dannan in the process, sending it crashing back, unmoving into the dirt, now rendered practically useless.

Still holding that feeling of respect, Kallen switched on the external speakers. "Pilot," she said slowly, "Give up. You're beaten- if you surrender now you and your allies might receive leniency."

"Go to hell, traitor," came the hissed, hate filled reply.

Kallen sighed, and felt a twinge of pain at those words. Was she a traitor?

She was Japanese… but then again, in a single turn of fate she could be the one in the De Dannan, staring down death.

"Then I will grant you a quick death," Kallen said reluctantly, and lunged forward, claw outstretched-

When a massive longsword deflected her attack with almost contemptuous ease, and suddenly Kallen was face to face with the infamous golden Knightmare that they had staged this entire attack to bait.

00000

"GIGA! DRILL! BREA-"

Suddenly, the epically triumphant music backing the yelling of the young boy on the television was replaced by the dull, familiar jingle of the news.

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you a breaking news story that has just been released," came the sudden, almost harried voice of the newscaster, and Lelouch, without even meaning to, looked up from his laptop in curiosity.

He had left the television on in his room to provide him with background noise as he worked, doing his 'thinking' just as he told Jeremiah he would. Already, maps of London and the whole of Brittania, alongside a slew of reports of various government agencies had been printed out and were littering his desk.

"In a statement just released to us from the provincial government, by Chief of Staff Commander Kouzuki Naoto, the Imperial Army has just moved against a suspected terrorist compound. We go now live to Diethard Ried, our reporter in the field."

The screen changed from the almost idyllic background of the station studio to an older man with dirty blond long hair in a smooth, iron-pressed business suit.

"This is Diethard Ried live at a factory in Dartford, where Chief of Staff Kouzuki Naoto has just launched an all-out offensive against a group of rebels who had taken refuge in this facility," Diethard reported calmly.

"So this is the battle Kallen-san talked about, hmm?" Lelouch said slowly, tapping his finger against his cheek as he pondered the situation. Idly, he picked up the remote and turned up the volume.

"Led by his sister, Kouzuki Kallen, the Seventh Sword of the Shichitennou, this attack marks the first of counterattacks that the Empire has promised to deliver against the Brittanian terrorists who have plagued this country," Diethard continued, and now turned towards the factory. "The fighting has been going on for over two hours now…"

"Hmm, so this is what got you all hot and bothered?"

Lelouch turned around in his chair to see C.C. standing in his doorway, hands clasped behind her back, peering quizzically at the television, as the words became indistinct background noise.

"I'm surprised you didn't run off and try to join the battle," she commented lightly, stepping into the room casually.

"I didn't know where it was," Lelouch said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "What happened in the Underground a few weeks ago was circumstantial."

"And yet from the looks of those papers on your desk, you're going to get yourself involved anyhow," C.C. responded cuttingly, raising an eyebrow.

Lelouch had the grace to blush, stubbornly looking away. "I…"

"There's no need to say anything else," C.C. said softly, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Lelouch looked up at her, almost bewildered. "Did something happen?" he asked curiously. "You seem…"

"What, now you're curious about my state?" C.C. asked, her tone of exaggerated surprise annoying Lelouch as she removed her hand from his shoulder, placing both hands behind her back again as she spun around, glancing at him over her shoulder coyly. "Why Lelouch, and here I thought you'd forgotten all about me, with your new girls taking up so much of your attention…"

"Knock it off," Lelouch muttered, rolling his eyes again. "I'm sorry I asked."

00000

Suzaku had to admit he was somewhat lost on what to do now, as Kallen's machine back away warily, and he himself straightened into a guard position. He had intervened in the fight because it was the first thing he had seen out of blind impulse.

But now… now he was going to have to fight Kallen.

Above all else, it was his biggest reason to hesitate- he had no doubts his was the correct path and that this was necessary, but still, having to fight Kallen was going to be one of his greatest challenges, he was sure.

I just have to keep her away from them, he thought to himself. Just hold her up long enough for them to run. That way neither no one will get hurt.

Something that sounded impossible, to keep both the enemy and his allies from harm, but Suzaku had faith that he and the Caliburn could get the job done.

And then, as if fate itself was moving to challenge that notion, the Amaterasu lunged forward in a series of ferocious swipes that he doubted even the Caliburn's unnatural metal armor could withstand, forcing Suzaku to dodge and parry the blows, barely leaving him time to catch his breath, let alone try to move her away from this battle.

Fast, Suzaku thought, amazed. She might be- no, she's definitely faster than me.

Milly's words came back to him.

"You might be good, Suzaku-sama, and who knows what that machine of yours is capable of, but Kallen-sama is a soldier who has fought countless battles and everyone knows her Knightmare Frame is the best Kirihara Industries can provide."

"She wasn't kidding," Suzaku muttered, and twisted, forcefully parrying the last of Kallen's slashes, and then moving forward, releasing the two handed grip on the longsword to deliver a stunning punch to the Amaterasu's chest, knocking it backwards.

Despite the level of force Suzaku had put into the blow, it seemed Kallen was barely fazed by the assault, and the front section of the Amaterasu's chest opened up, unleashing a torrent of light that left Suzaku reeling, leaving him in a blind agony.

Damn! What the hell-

"Got you, Kinma," he heard Kallen whisper, and out of reflex, he raised his sword to guard, and felt a powerful grip take hold of the weapon, and then a massive explosion rocked his Knightmare, sending Suzaku crashing backwards.

"Impossible! I hit that sword with a full blast from the Radiant Wave Surger!" Kallen's startled voice brought him back to reality, and his eyes cleared just in time to see the Caliburn's sword glowing with that same azure energy as before.

Thank God Kallen forgot to turn off her external speakers, Suzaku thought gratefully, though the thought that chance and the Caliburn's ability to pull superpowers out of thin air were all that kept him from destruction was sobering.

Taking advantage of Kallen's surprise, Suzaku slashed with the sword, sending a blade of energy arcing towards the Amaterasu, aiming for its legs to disable the machine.

Kallen, however, reacted immediately, firing a Slash Harken toward a wall and then using it to pull herself towards it, moving along the wall, well above the deadly crescent of power, coming at him in another whirling dervish of blades.

This time, however, Suzaku decided to meet her blow for blow, and within the first few blows they had settled into a rhythm that Suzaku found disquietingly similar to their kendo duels.

However, Kallen had an edge that Suzaku did not- he wasn't striking to kill, while she certainly was. And with her machine already claiming the advantage of speed, this made it doubly hard for Suzaku to hit Kallen and push her back as he intended.

What's more, whatever mechanism that created the blinding light from the center of the Amaterasu's chest was done recharging, and the hatch had begun to open- at this range, Suzaku would likely never recover in time for a counterattack.

In a desperation move, Suzaku lunged the Caliburn forward, barreling the gleaming golden shoulder into the metal circle, in effect plugging the gap through which that damnable light would pour on through.

With a loud shout, Suzaku gunned his Knightmare, accelerating rapidly, knocking both of them through the melee between the Brittanians and Japanese that had continued all around them during their duel, until they slammed into the far wall and came crashing outside in an impromptu exit.

00000

That was insane, Shirley thought in amazement, as she finally managed to make her crippled De Dannan stand upright again. A twinge of an almost professional jealousy crossed her heart as she thought about how swift and deadly both of those unique machines were, that made her own Knightmare seem practically pitiful in comparison.

And what an impact on the battle those two had made. With the loss of Kouzuki's presence, it seemed that the remaining Japanese forces were disheartened, and began a slow retreat as it became clear they were about to be routed anyway.

Within a few minutes, the last of the Shinran Knightmares had been driven off, leaving the Brittanian forces panting, exhausted but victorious.

"That guy is crazy," Gino said in wonderment, vocalizing Shirley's own thoughts about how that golden Knightmare had practically tackled Kouzuki and launched them both outside.

"Should we go after them, my lord?" Kewell asked curiously.

"That would not be wise," came a voice from the Sidhe that Shirley had helped earlier.

"Commander!" came the shout from the other two Sidhe Knightmares, and Shirley's eyes widened in shock.

The Commander? Here? No wonder even Gino was shaken up… Shirley thought in wonderment. Now the presence of such rare and powerful machines made perfect sense.

"I'm alright," the Commander said gruffly, and then turned her Knightmare towards Shirley, who straightened ever so slightly, as though the gaze of a strict teacher had come onto her. "You, in the De Dannan. What is your name?"

"S-Shirley. Shirley Fenette," she replied, suddenly awkward.

"You fought well," the Commander complimented, a tone of warmth that seemed unusual in such a commanding, regal voice. "I see Weinberg's men are deserving of such great faith from their leader."

"Thank you Commander!" Shirley said, a swelling of uncharacteristic pride in her breast.

"Hmph. You have been kind enough to give me your name, so I will give you mine, Fenette, as a token of my appreciation."

"B-But commander!" came the voice of one of the other Sidhe pilots, but was cut off as the hatch on the Commander's Sidhe opened up, revealing the figure of the near mythical leader of their rebellion.

"A-a woman?" she heard Rivalz gasp in the background.

"Not just any woman," Kewell said sternly, his tone of voice obviously indicating irritated with Rivalz's flippant response. "This is Cornelia Li Brittania, you dolt, second princess of the Brittanian royal family!"

"Former princess," Cornelia corrected, a note of dry humor in her voice. She was tall and full bodied, her frame filled out enough to avoid being called slender but not enough to be called overtly muscular. She was, in a word, fit, powerfully so, but still quite undeniably feminine in her own way. Shirley suddenly felt justified in all those times she insisted that the legendary Commander of the BLF could have been a woman.

"The overprotective one is my knight, Gilbert P. Guilford," she introduced, gesturing towards one of the damaged Sidhe. "And the other Sidhe pilot is my second in command, Andreas Darlton. Your timely intervention seemed to have saved us, Fenette."

"It was that golden Knightmare more than me," Shirley said embarrassedly.

"Hmph." Cornelia seemed amused by her humble response. "Well, I'll be keeping an eye on you, Fenette. Darlton, what are our casualties?"

"Calares is dead, Commander," Darlton rumbled, "As are most of our men on foot. We've lost half our Knightmares in this engagement."

"Then it is time to pull back," Cornelia said slowly, seemingly unperturbed by the death of her subordinate. Briefly, Shirley wondered at how calm and professional the princess could be in the face of so many dead, but she supposed that was part of being a leader.

"Hmph. Without Calares, we will need a new overseer for this area," Gilford noted.

"We have one," Cornelia said, and turned towards Gino's Knightmare. "Weinberg!"

"M-Me, princess?" Gino's voice was so transparently shocked that Shirley felt an empathetic sense of embarrassment that he was her commanding officer.

"You've shown skill here, and in the past. And with subordinates like Fenette, you deserve a larger role in our organization," Cornelia said briskly. "Now, with that settled, it's time to keep moving. With the amount of damage that's been done to this place, and with those two monstrous Knightmares outside, chances are this building will be coming down on us shortly."

The convoy started up again, leaving only Shirley and Gino behind.

"I'm in charge of London now?" Gino repeated, still bewildered, and Shirley, despite her exhaustion, laughed.

00000

Elsewhere, Suzaku dearly wished he could have a reason to laugh. As it was, he was busy fighting for his life in a battle with his fiancée, of all people (occasionally Suzaku had to think of Kallen in this way, embarrassing as it was), who didn't even have a clue it was him inside of the Knightmare she was battling. Maybe later he could laugh, but right now the situation, absurd as it was, held no humor for him.

They had taken the battle outside, into what must have been the primary manufacturing area of the plant, with its long, massive conveyor belts running along the length of the floor, the rusted machines acting as obstacles on this arena.

Kallen slashed high at him, and Suzaku struck back, their attacks meeting midway and sending the other faltering back. Almost in unison, they both recovered, and returned to the fight.

They were meeting each other stroke for stroke- every time Kallen slashed, Suzaku dodged the attack or parried with enough force that Kallen couldn't maintain the equilibrium necessary for a follow up attack while his guard was down. And every time Suzaku managed to find a moment in which to strike, Kallen's speed made landing that hit nearly impossible.

This is never going to end, Suzaku thought wearily. His only consolation was that Kallen had been fighting since the battle began, and against several difficult opponents already- but that only made the gap in their abilities that much more apparent.

So this is the difference between a regular person and a soldier, Suzaku realized, a sinking feeling pressing into his gut.

Kallen also realized that they were at a stalemate, and pulled away, leaping off until she was a good distance away, well out of his reach. With her Knightmare's unusual metal hatch damaged, however, Suzaku didn't know what she could do at that kind of range, and moved warily.

"I really don't like this move because of how badly it eats up my Energy Filler, but I have to admit you're too tough to hold back against," Kallen said suddenly, over her activated loudspeakers. "This is the end, Kinma."

In a single practiced maneuver, Kallen brought both of the Amaterasu's clawed hands together, slamming them with their palms open, facing him. Immediately, both unusual red gem-like structures at the center of those deadly claws began to glow.

What in the-

Suzaku's thoughts were interrupted as a massive wave of red-black energy poured out from the Amaterasu's outstretched palms in a pillar of crackling energy, leaving Suzaku with barely enough time to raise the Caliburn's sword as a guard, hoping that same azure energy would shield him from harm once again.

The impact was so fierce that, for a moment, Suzaku despaired, believing that even the Caliburn's amazing powers were nothing against Kallen's superior skill and experience, and he was slowly but surely shoved backwards, forced to give ground against this new attack.

"Not yet," Suzaku gritted out. I haven't paid for my mistakes. I haven't given Brittania the justice it deserves.

In answer to its master's will, the Caliburn's blade started to burn brighter, and Suzaku remembered Lloyd describing the mental link as a critical component of controlling the machine. He was obviously on to something, it seemed.

Caliburn… Suzaku thought, or maybe more accurately prayed. If you can hear me… please. We cannot lose here.

The deadly red-black glow of the Amaterasu's attack was slowly, but surely, being eclipsed by the brilliant sapphire light of the Caliburn's own power.

"You- impossible!" Kallen said incredulously.

With a final, loud shout, Suzaku pushed hard on the Caliburn's controls, and shoved aside Kallen's attack, unleashing his own brilliant wave of energy in counterattack.

Kallen, in an eerie mirror to his own movements, raised the Amaterasu's claws to block the attack with the Radiant Wave Surger's own power- however, what she said about her attack draining the Energy Filler must have been true, as her own light seemed far weaker than before, and in a catastrophic blast the Amaterasu was sent hurtling backwards, blasting through the walls of the factory and into the dwindling light of day outside.

I… I did it… he thought, feeling genuinely surprised as he laughed in relief. Somehow he drove Kallen back without actually killing her, and helped the rest of the Brittanian Liberation Front escape in the process.

Suzaku felt a brief moment of triumph. Finally, he was starting to make good on his hopes of actually making a difference in this world.

And that was when the building started to collapse.

"Oh son of a-"

00000

Naoto watched from his commander's chair with thinly veiled annoyance as the reporter, Diethard, gleefully noted every explosion that rocked the factory, as if he was unaware each one could have claimed the lives of countless of Naoto's men.

"Why did you alert the media?" Minami's question brought him out of his reverie. "It's obvious you don't care for them."

"I just don't like spectacle," Naoto shrugged. "But it was another part of Kyoto's orders- part of us sending a message to the rebels."

"Makes sense. Watching the fall of a rebel base live would be a dramatic blow to their morale," Minami agreed.

"Sir!" one of the "bridge bunnies", as members of the command deck crew were unofficially known, called out. "We've got incoming!"

Naoto stood up out of his chair as the image was brought onto the main screen, eyes wide with shock. "That's the Amaterasu!"

His sister's machine was sent crashing backwards out of the factory, hitting the dirt with impressive force.

"The factory is starting to collapse, Commander!" one of the other officers shouted desperately, as the wall through which Kallen had been sent hurtling through began to crumble, unable to hold its structural integrity together any farther.

"All surviving units, pull back now! The structure is collapsing! I repeat, pull out now!" Naoto barked, praying one of the communication's officers was transmitting his orders.

"Kaze is already safely away, sir," Sancia reported. "Umi and Hagane are in sections of the building that have not yet begun to collapse, and will exit ASAP. However, Taiyou has not responded… it may be they have been wiped out, with Kallen-sama driven back this way."

"How is she?" Naoto asked worriedly practically bowling over Minami as he ran towards the control consoles, spotting the read out on the Amaterasu on one of the screens.

"She's unconscious, but her vitals are strong, sir," Sancia informed him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to remind him of his position. He gave her an apologetic look, and she continued, "The Amaterasu's own structural report, according to the readouts, is relatively heartening- whatever it was must just have knocked her back, that's all."

"But what could have knocked Kallen-sama back like that?" Minami said in wonderment.

"It was him," Naoto said grimly, and all eyes on the bridge looked back towards the main observation screen, where a single Knightmare stood, amidst the rapidly crumbling ruin of the industrial complex.

"Kinma," Minami breathed, eyes widening. "So this is what slaughtered Kage company all those weeks ago…"

"He was able to beat Kallen-sama," Sancia said softly, a note of worry in her usually placidly calm tone.

"This is no ordinary Knightmare Frame… whoever he is, he's a bigger threat than Kyoto realizes," Naoto muttered, clenching his fists.

He hurt my sister, he thought furiously, biting his lip until it drew blood. He's killed my men. Whoever you are, buddy, I am taking you down, if it's the last thing I do.

00000

"Get a shot of this, you idiot!" Diethard Ried urged excitedly, as his buffoon of a cameraman merely stood there, wide eyed and gibbering with shock at the golden Knightmare Frame which presumably had beaten even Kouzuki Kallen, one of the Shichitennou.

"Are you crazy? We've got to get out of here!"

"Oh fine, I'll do it myself!" Diethard snapped, grabbing the camera violently from the hands of his useless (and soon to be fired) cameraman, pointing it towards the crumbling factory with fingers that trembled with nervous, excited energy.

Who are you, Diethard thought, his mind feeling feverish. What do you want?

And as if it had heard Diethard's unspoken desires, the pilot of that golden machine began to speak.

00000

Reporters, Suzaku thought, a feeling of dark satisfaction settling in his gut. Perfect.

It was time to send the message to the Empire that he had come all this way to deliver, and the more people who could witness it, the better.

"Citizens of the Japanese Empire!" he roared, consciously forcing his voice to be harsher and darker than his usual tenor. He still had to hide his identity for a little while longer. "I have come here to deliver a message!"

All the fury of the past seven years, all the regret, all the desperate, dark wishes he had held in his heart, began to pour forth, like a dam bursting at the seams, letting loose a flood that would drown the entire world in its rage.

"You are evil."

The force of such a simple, but powerful statement reverberated in the post-battle silence, those three words being the summation of Suzaku's feelings towards his own kingdom since he discovered the depths of hypocrisy they would sink to in the name of their false justice.

"You who hide behind your justice of heaven! You who have butchered and subjugated countless peoples! You are an empire of tyrants and liars, built on the corpses of good people, and held with the blood of the innocent, and I have come here to deliver your punishment!"

His vow returned to him, a vendetta seven years held in check, but no longer.

"I will crush Japan!"

And I will, Lelouch, Suzaku promised. I will make things right again.

"Even if heaven forgives you, I will not! I am the justice of the people, not the false justice you claim shields you from judgment, the justice of your gods! Your Tenchuu, your Justice of Heaven, will crumble in the face of true justice! "

His eyes blazed, and Suzaku knew his next words would cast the die that would set him forever against the Empire, and his own people.

"I am the Justice of Man," Suzaku declared, and within those words was a great doom.

For whom, however, it was not yet certain.

This is my name now. This is the symbol I will give Brittania, Lelouch.

"I am Jinchuu," Suzaku named himself, "And I will be your end."

Author's Notes

Somehow this too came out quickly, though it became a monstrously long chapter in its own right (16,000 words, almost).

While in canon Suzaku and Kallen are always on equal terms in battle, here, I want people to remember that Suzaku has had no training and in fact has only fought in one battle previous, whereas Kallen is a trained, professional veteran of multiple wars. It just doesn't feel probable that Suzaku could immediately trump Kallen as a result.

Jinchuu, I have to admit, is actually taken from a philosophy by Yukishiro Enishi of Rurouni Kenshin. It just fit so well that I couldn't help but steal it for use in this story.

And yes, Gurren Lagann exists in this universe. Because a universe without it is a universe not worth talking about.