Took me a while, didn't it? I hadn't expected the chapter to end up being so long. I'm in the midst of finals, so writing this was sort of hard.
Thanks to everyone that read, followed, favorited and/or reviewed.
To the Reviewers:
RoyalTwinFangs: That's on R2, which is pretty far away, but I will reply to the best of my ability. The Ikaruga will be slightly upgraded and overall more useful to have around. The Black Knights will have their own NEXTs for a few ace pilots, designed by Strayed and a couple more characters we'll get to know soon, by R2 as well, along with a few AC based Normals. I already have plans for them, so I'm afraid the Zenith are going to have to be left out.
Criticanon: Thanks again for pointing out that mistake and for the review. I won't be dedicating too many flashbacks to explain Strayed's past, only whenever I need to explain a turning point in his life and way of thinking. Let's remember that he started off as a Lynx of Collared affiliated to Rosenthal, it takes more than just a bit of faith and a will to protect humanity to throw all that out the window and fight against the whole world.
I hope this chapter will feel refreshing as well and that you will enjoy it.
brave kid/korat 5: I address you both in the same reply because I would have just written the same thing twice otherwise: Glad you liked it and here's hoping you'll like this one as well.
cj1of4: Oh, he's going to get mad about the whole flying thing, you can be sure about that. As for the whole suspecting each other, it's happening behind the scenes, but once they get a good, close up look at the machine, they'll quickly realize that it's not the other's invention. And I assure you those mission files are going to be put to good use, we all know Lelouch is not the kind of person to just watch those once and leave them be, he's going to suck those CDs dry of different strategies, and will probably realize a few things that he wouldn't have seen without the additional knowledge of the battlefield's workings he has been provided with. More on that in a chapter or two.
Sieben Nightwing: I understand what you mean, but you should also notice that I, as narrator or author, have not once stated that Raven was dead (If I actually have, please point it out as it's a big mistake on my part.) Strayed said it because it's what he believes to be true, nothing more. And considering the biggest explosion I have ever written ended up not killing its intended target, I'm afraid Raven would be immortal like C.C. if left in my hands. Still, you won't be seeing him here, sorry.
Illium Caderyn: Thanks for the praise, here's the update. Glad you like both the story and the pairings and here's hoping you'll enjoy this chapter too. Kojima contamination is an issue I'm still working with, but I'll try to come up with something believable. There's still time until the Primal Armor comes back, quite a lot in fact.
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or any of its spin-offs, nor do I own anything related to the Armored Core franchise, unless you count my copy of the Armored Core For Answer game, that I do own. All I own that is shown in this story are Hawk Magnus, the design of his NEXT/s, the K-Filter and the SKAI computer installed in it.
Chapter 04: His Name is Zero!
The news about Prince Clovis' death had taken mostly everyone by surprise, especially the Resistance cells all around the country formerly known as Japan. Even the most powerful group backing those organizations, known as Kyoto, was dumbfounded at the finding. And even more when they learned who had supposedly done it. All the heads that formed the supreme council of Kyoto were fully aware that Suzaku Kururugi was not the kind of man to just go and murder the third Prince in cold blood, even if most of the Japanese people would thank him for the deed.
Inside the hideout where Kallen's Resistance cell had its base, Ohgi was having a heated discussion with Tamaki, or rather being on the receiving end of a shouting voice far louder and annoying than biologically possible for any human except that one. Ohgi could only thank whatever divine beings were around when the man whose opinion changed like the results of a coin toss left, stomping his way out of the room.
"I wish you were still here, Naoto…" Kaname Ohgi thought aloud as he eyed the photo on the desk, depicting himself, Kallen and her brother, Naoto Kouzuki. "I'm not cut out to be a leader, I wish we had someone more capable."
"Hey, Kallen!" Tamaki yelled outside the room, getting the whole Resistance's attention. "Who the hell's that guy and why's he here?!"
"Look, he wanted to meet you all even though I told him it would be a bad idea." The redhead explained as Ohgi came out to the main room, having an idea of who their mysterious visitor was. He soon set his eyes on the brown haired teen by the girl's side, dressed in black clothes and a brown leather jacket with an eagle emblem over the heart.
"Well, who is he exactly?" A blue haired woman named Inoue asked impatiently.
"A pleasure to meet you all." The boy in question started, taking a step forward. "We've met before but last time I couldn't show my face around. I'm Hawk Magnus, also known as Strayed."
"Strayed!" The whole Resistance was in shock at the information.
"Come on kid, stop joking." Tamaki spat, eyeing the black clad teen angrily while Kallen took the sideline much to her displeasure, but Hawk had asked her to let him talk with the others on his own. "I know how that guy moved that machine of his, there's no way a fragile looking boy like you could be that pilot."
"Well, sorry to disappoint you with my looks." Hawk chuckled while holding his own against the man's glare. "The boss wants a meeting, by the way, that's what Kallen and I came to tell you."
"Hey, don't ignore me!" The rowdy man moved in for a punch, only to be tripped by Kallen before he could reach the guy. "What was that for?!"
"He's telling the truth, you idiot!" The redhead shouted, looking down on him. "I've even seen the Sky Ruler hidden under his house, if you need to know, he showed it to me today."
"Wait, Sky Ruler?" Another member asked, eyes wide open. "What's that?"
"The name of my NEXT." Hawk explained with a shrug, and when everyone else looked at him blankly he added. "That's how that type of machine is called, Armored Core NEXT, AC or NEXT for short."
"How many of those are there anyway?" A third member Hawk didn't know asked. "I think I speak for everyone when I say we've never heard that name before."
"To my knowledge, mine's the only one left." The mercenary replied, looking down. "And I doubt we'll see more than that one around any time soon."
"And… what's up with the name?" Ohgi asked, and the rest of the Resistance nodded, even Kallen herself. "Or are you going to tell us something as massive as that can actually fly on its own, hence the name?"
"Exactly." The Lynx nodded, and realized they weren't taking him seriously. "Believe it or don't, whatever suits you guys better. The system was malfunctioning back in the Ghetto… Hell, over half of the systems were toast. But now it's more or less back to how it should be."
"I won't believe it until I see it." Tamaki spat as he dropped back onto the couch. "So what, you came in just to say hello and tell us your boss wants a meeting?"
"Mostly, but I like to know the people I'm going to have by my side in the future, so I asked Kallen to bring me here." The Lynx explained, sitting down in front of Ohgi. "We go to the same school and she practically nailed me by voice alone."
"Wait, you go to Ashford as well?" The Resistance leader asked in surprise, and Kallen nodded to the question. "Then, you're not Japanese, right?"
"No, I'm not." Hawk replied honestly. "Neither am I Britannian, by the way, although my profile says so. Hacking my identity into the mainframe and all…" He added dismissively as an explanation.
"I see…" The leader of the Resistance sat down as well, and the rest of the members followed suit. "What can you tell us about your boss? You two left before answering our questions, although it was understandable given the situation."
"Actually, I can't tell you more than what you know." Hawk replied, taking them by surprise. "You see, I'm a mercenary. That job was a blind one, I didn't know who gave it to me, other than he would need help and wanted you guys to win, or at least show the Brits what you could do."
"You mean you came to the Ghetto and told us to trust the guy without even knowing who the hell he was?!" Tamaki shouted, standing with his fists clenched in rage. "We could have died there, you know?!"
"And what did you want me to say?" The mercenary asked, his tone slightly mocking but serious at the same time. "Hi there, I'm going to help. By the way, this guy who I know nothing of that sent me here wants all of you to obey him because he says he can make us all win this battle just cuz?"
"Uuhh…" The leader coughed as Tamaki and the rest of the Resistance were left speechless. "Yeah, no one would have believed that."
"I'm sorry if it offended you all, but I needed to make sure you'd listen." The Lynx stood and bowed in apology for a few seconds.
"We all came out of it alive so I see no reason to hold it against him." Kallen stated firmly, and the rest of the Resistance nodded. "Now then, Strayed's boss wants us to be at Tokyo Tower tomorrow at 1600."
"Not all of us should go, we'll leave a few people behind to take care of things." Ohgi mused aloud. "We'll be getting a new Glasgow tomorrow from Kyoto after all."
"Your suppliers, huh?" The mercenary asked, getting a nod in reply. "Speaking of supplies, I should go back home, my own should be arriving pretty soon. The Sky Ruler was sucked dry of ammo the other day in Shinjuku, even the emergency weapons."
"Well then, see you tomorrow at school." Kallen told him as he stood and the boy smiled and waved goodbye to everyone before leaving.
"You two seemed really close, you know?" Tamaki teased with a perverted smile. "You even went to his house, huh? Our Kallen is growing up so fast." He sang out only to be knocked down by a fierce kick to the face from the now fuming girl as the rest of the Resistance face-palmed at his stupidity.
"None of your business!" She shouted as she left towards the other rooms.
Hawk got back to his house just in time to see a delivery truck parked right in front of it, and the driver was already ringing the doorbell. He ran forward and called out to the man, who turned and nodded. The driver gave him a few papers to sign for the goods and he did so gladly before the boxes were unloaded into the house and the delivery truck left just as his cellphone rang, it was Lelouch, unsurprisingly.
"I trust your payment arrived on schedule." The exiled Prince said from the other side of the line as Hawk secured the device on his ear.
"Yeah, just in time." Hawk replied, dragging the first of the boxes with him towards the basement. "I just came back from meeting the rest of the Resistance by the way."
"Oh." Lelouch tone sounded slightly interested. "And what do you think of them?"
"I couldn't really get to know them much, since I had little time thanks to Kallen gaping at my NEXT for almost half an hour, but their leader seemed to doubt himself a lot. The rest seemed pretty solid people, but still a bit inexperienced." Hawk explained as he kept dragging boxes one by one. "And that Tamaki guy was just like the human incarnation of an annoying fly." Lelouch chuckled at the comment and the annoyance in the Lynx's tone.
"And so, will they come to our meeting?" The raven haired student asked.
"Some of them will, it seems they're getting supplied tomorrow so not all of them will be available for your little act." He replied, dragging the last of boxes down the stairs. "What about Suzaku, do you have a plan for that?"
"I do, and it does not involve you going to the prison in the Sky Ruler and breaking him out, so don't get anxious." The Prince added with a smile. "You'll know tomorrow, like the rest of them."
"You know I could do that now that I have the ammunition for it." The mercenary stated coolly as he started loading the auxiliary weapons, the left Lare handgun being the first one. "But I assume we'll do this the theatrical way, not that I'm against it or anything."
"Like this power of mine, Geass, you also have your limitations and weak points." Lelouch explained simply. "And you're also an unknown factor in this war I plan to start, the longer your full power and capabilities remain hidden, the easier it will be to catch Britannia by surprise with the Sky Ruler's true might."
"Are you going to ask me something like 'Build one for me too'?" Hawk asked, his voice dead serious despite the childish tone in which he had asked the last part. "Although even if you did, I'm not sure if it would be possible to create a Kojima Engine on this world, mine may be the only one to ever exist here any time soon."
"That won't be necessary for now." The soon to be rebel leader replied with a smile. "I'll think about it once our resources are more stable and we get some decent supplies."
"Sounds legit." Hawk muttered as he finished loading the second Lare handgun and got it back into its holster at the back of the waist. "Well then, see you tomorrow at school, I have to prep this guy for whatever show you have in mind."
"Of course." Lelouch hung up and reclined on his chair. "Now then, I should go about my own preparations…" He stood up, ready to pay a visit to a certain crafter he knew.
That night, Hawk boarded the Sky Ruler and activated the battle/mission simulation program installed in SKAI. He wanted to get a good practice before going to sleep and he also wanted to run one final test on the NEXT's performance. The training program he activated was the hardest available, created by Kasumi Sumika herself, the simulator mission known as Occupation of Arteria Carpals. Even for someone as skilled as Hawk, fighting five of the strongest Lynx and their NEXTs at the same time was a challenge like no other, not to mention he had only cleared the simulation once before, the day before the Answerer appeared. But it was thanks to the countless hours dedicated to that one task that he had been capable of holding his own in the two against one encounter in the Arteria Cranium.
"I really need to thank her if we meet in the afterlife." Hawk mused as the five NEXTs approached his position in the simulated Arteria Carpals. "This is the best training program a pilot could wish for."
An hour later, Hawk exited the cockpit, satisfied with the victory he had managed to obtain at the last second, and walked towards his bed, where he dropped himself and fell asleep in a matter of one second as he thought that Otsdarva, Thermidor's alter ego, was truly a fearsome opponent, all the more when he had skilled people backing him up. Even though Hawk had defeated Thermidor in a one on one battle with relative ease when the ORCA Brigade decided to have a little competition in their ranks, he still thought of him as one of the most dangerous people to encounter on the other side of the battlefield, whether he piloted Stasis or Unsung.
The night passed and the Lynx woke up at dawn, showered and got into his uniform before walking towards the school. He didn't bother to take any material with him since today was Clovis' funeral, meaning there would be no classes either, only a speech from the Emperor and they'd be free to go. Free to go and see what Lelouch had planned for his introduction to the team, of course. The mercenary had to admit he was rather curious about what the exiled Prince had come up with.
The day passed, slowly, until it was time for the Emperor's speech. The whole student body stood firm inside the conference room where a massive TV screen displayed the image of Britannia's Emperor, Charles Zi Britannia. The massive man looked like made out of muscle in stark contrast to Lelouch, who seemed to have been born rather weak on that front. The Lynx made a mental note that if Lelouch ever wanted to pilot a NEXT, he'd have to go through the same training he had, or something similar. Weak bodies and ACs were not the best combination available, especially wherever the pilot's health was concerned.
Filing that for later, when he could have a chat with the exiled Prince on the matter, he started paying attention the Charles' speech… for about ten seconds. That was all he needed to feel the sudden urge to bring out his new gun and shoot at the screen. Or better yet, take the Sky Ruler and march right into the Britannian Imperial Capital of Pendragon, destroying everything in his path, and land his precious NEXT on the guy like one would on a disgusting bug. The amount of bullshit coming out of the man's mouth was so outrageous he couldn't even begin to describe it, but the worst of it all was the way so many people believed blindly in all he said.
"People are not equal?" Hawk seethed silently by Lelouch's side. "So very true, but the way you use that truth is so disgusting it makes me want to puke." The Lynx had never thought it would be possible to find someone who he wanted to see dead right after listening to him speak, apart from Old King that is. And now, he found himself glaring at the image of the second man to hold that dubious honor. The only problem was that, unlike with Old King, the consequences of simply taking out the Emperor would be disastrous without a way to prevent the struggle for power that would follow the man's demise. "All the more reason to help in this."
The speech finished after a while of senseless prattle about the strong devouring the weak, Britannia being superior to every other nation and other such things. It was then that Hawk and Kallen met at the school gate, it was almost time for their meeting with their mysterious boss, although he wasn't as mysterious to Hawk as he had led the Resistance to believe. They ignored the gossiping fools of Ashford Academy and had something to eat while on the way.
At 1600 hours they were standing on the observation deck of the tower, just as Ohgi and a few others from the Resistance appeared and acted like they were looking around. Britannian propaganda played on the background over and over until it was thankfully interrupted by an announcement.
"Miss Kallen Stadfelt, your phone has been turned in at lost and found. Please come to retrieve it as soon as possible."
"That should be it." Hawk muttered, getting a nod from the redhead as they both made their way to the lost and found counter.
Once the phone had been retrieved, they met up with the rest of the Resistance, still keeping up a façade of being two separate groups, and waited until the phone started to vibrate in Kallen's hands. The caller ID was Zero.
'So that's the name you've chosen, huh?' Hawk thought as the girl looked at her leader, who nodded at her, and she took the call.
"Glad you made it, Q-1." The voice she had come to know so well said from the other end. "I want you and your friends to board the outbound train on loop line #5. Once you get there, I'll contact you again."
As the group obeyed, the acting Viceroy of Area 11, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald was planning Suzaku Kururugi's execution to the smallest detail. Once they had gotten rid of that filthy Eleven, the Purists would take over the military and abolish the Honorary Britannian system that plagued this land. And Area 11 would only be the first place where that would happen, several Area Viceroy's would follow their lead until only Britannians stood equally with one another and the rest groveled at their feet.
In the back of his mind was a small problem, two members of the Purist faction had encountered, some Eleven lover teenager that had beaten up the two civilian disguised soldiers with barely any effort. Those two were pressing for some help in locating and retaliating against said teenager, and it was becoming increasingly hard to ignore them. Still, he'd take care of that once he had secured his position and eradicated the Honorary Britannian System from Area 11, looking for that fool could wait until then.
On the other side of the city and inside a prison cell, the main suspect of Prince Clovis' murder, wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, sat on the floor. Suzaku Kururugi was worried, but not about himself, he was worried about the three people he had met in the tunnels under the Shinjuku Ghetto.
"Congratulations!" A happy voice he easily recognized shouted as a familiar white haired scientist sat on a stool in front of him. "None of the people you told me about are on the casualty list. In fact, I can tell you that the two boys are alive and well, as they're my students in Ashford Academy. No idea about where the green haired girl is but no body has been found that fits her description."
"That's good to hear." The boy sighed happily.
"You do know you're going to be executed in a day, right?" Lloyd's voice lost some of its usual enthusiasm, but not much. "All of them are going to be against you, even your defense attorney."
"But truth comes to light during a trial, right?"
"I'm afraid that with all the smoke and mirrors going around lately, the truth is something rather scarce." The scientist replied sadly. "To lose such a piece of equipment so easily, what a shame. And now that the Club is almost here I'm going to have to look for two Devicers and not just one." Suzaku smiled nervously at being referred to like that. "Oh well, I'm really sorry there was nothing we could do about it."
"Don't worry about it, Lloyd." The imprisoned teen told him with a serene look on his face. "If that is how the system works, I'll accept it. I have no regrets."
Inside the train, Kallen and her group looked around, nervous about the situation and anxious to meet Strayed's mysterious boss. The Lynx himself was looking forward to what his friend would pull off in order to get the Resistance on his side, knowing that Lelouch seemed to have a knack for the theatrical, there was no doubt it would be a good performance. The phone soon rang again, the same caller ID as last time displayed on its screen, and Kallen replied.
"Face forward and look to your right." The voice told her. "Now tell me what you see."
"I see the Britannian Settlement, a city built on our own land and over our countless sacrifices." The redhead replied, glaring at the scenery.
"And what do you see on the left?"
"I see our city. A destroyed ruin that the Britannians can't stop sucking dry every day." Kallen replied this time, her voice sad as she did.
"Good answers." The voice complimented with approval in his tone. "Now, come meet me at the front of the train."
The group started moving from wagon to wagon until they reached the last one they had to go through, which was inexplicably packed with people. Hawk spared and analytical glance at the eyes of a few, detecting the almost invisible light orange hue that signaled that they were under the effect of Lelouch's power. After a bit of struggling, they reached their destination as the train entered a tunnel, dimming the light available in the car.
"So, are you my boss?" Hawk asked the caped figure that was standing in front of them with his back to them.
"Tell me, how did you like my little tour of the Settlement?" The figure asked in that voice they recognized as he turned abruptly, revealing a masked face and a body fully covered by a cape that seemed taken out of a Dracula movie.
"Please, tell me it's not this joker." One of the Resistance members muttered as the others gaped.
"It's his voice. Like it or not, it's him." The Lynx replied, his eyes fixed on the obscured mask with an emblem similar to the one that appeared on Lelouch's eye whenever he used his power.
"I wanted you all to fully grasp the two." The figure opened his arms, showing a rather thin body dressed in a dark blue Victorian outfit. "Both the Settlement and the Ghetto."
"Yes, we know." Ohgi stated, taking a step forward. "There's a harsh difference between us, even if you do enter the system as an Honorary Britannian. Which is why we resist them!"
"Wrong." That one word caught each and every Resistance member by surprise. "A nation like Britannia will not fall to such petty things as terrorism. Those actions are little more than childish nuisance to them. Ask Strayed if you want, he knows full well from experience how ineffective those sort of actions are against an enemy of Britannia's size."
The Resistance members gazed at the brown haired mercenary for a moment and he nodded in reply, remembering Line Ark's actions and how ineffective they had ended up being despite their efforts and good intentions, even with Raven on their side. Only when an organization as powerful as ORCA had been created and waged war on the League on a fair and level field had the tide started to turn until he, the sole remaining member of the Brigade, fulfilled the Closed Plan's objectives. The Lynx figured Lelouch would attempt to use a similar formula in order to fight Britannia, he could only hope that more people other than himself remained when all was over and done this time.
"Your first and most important mistake is that you're attacking the wrong enemy." The mysterious man continued. "The Britannian people are not the ones you must face, but the nation itself!" His voice boomed with confidence as he proclaimed. "What you need to fight is a war, one that does not involve the civilians. Stand with me and fight for justice at my side!"
"That's all really easy to say, hiding behind a mask and using pretty words like justice!" Kallen shouted angrily. "Why should we trust you?"
The entire Resistance shouted similar objections but soon shut up when Hawk walked forward and extended his hand towards the caped man. They both shook hands before he turned to look at the Japanese gathered there.
"I have a contract, and I'll fulfill it to the letter." The Lynx explained, his face dead serious. "Besides, I asked him to get us all out of the Ghetto alive and he did manage that. Had that new Knightmare Frame not appeared, we would have even won that battle. I think he at least deserves a chance to prove himself to you, mask or not."
"As Strayed has suggested, what I'll show you will not be my face, but my power." The masked man continued after the mercenary's little speech. "I'll deliver to you the impossible, I'll rescue Suzaku Kururugi! And I'll prove to you that I can do that without using Strayed's NEXT for it."
"What?!" The Resistance was baffled at the statement, and especially the last part.
"Those of you willing to help me in realizing that deed, come to this location at sunset." He threw a card at Kallen, who caught it on the fly, and handed another one to Hawk. "Until then." The man turned around and entered the driver's cabin just as the train came to a stop.
Seeing no reason to remain on the train, the group exited it right then and there, their minds stuck on a loop, replaying the conversation with this mysterious man whose name was apparently Zero if the caller ID in that phone was anything to go by.
"There's still some time until sunset, you'll have to make up your minds by then." Hawk told them, being the least affected.
"You're going with him, right?" Kallen asked as she took a deep breath. "I thought he said he wasn't going to use you in this one."
"He said nothing against me helping out, he only said he wasn't letting the Sky Ruler have a part in this." The mercenary replied dismissively. "Even without my unit I can do plenty of other things, my services are not limited to just piloting a giant robot around and killing people with it." They blinked at him, taken by surprise at the explanation. "So yes, I'll be going."
"We need to discuss this before we reach a decision, so we'll be going back to the hideout." Ohgi told him.
"Then here's where we part." Hawk concluded, getting a few strange looks, as if they had expected him to go with them. "I don't want to tag along and put unnecessary pressure on your group, your decisions are yours alone to make." They nodded in understanding at his explanation.
Leaving the Resistance cell to their devices, Hawk walked out of the station and back towards his house. He needed to have a conversation with Lelouch and prepare the tools he might need in case of infiltration work, oil the Sky Ruler's weapons just in case and try to catch the Japanese clandestine TV if possible in the meantime, it put on far better shows than the Britannian one.
Sunset was close when the brown haired teen got out of his mechanic outfit, having been oiling his machine due to running out of better things to do, and had a quick shower before changing into his usual black clothes and putting on his leather jacket, the one he had bought that didn't have the ORCA emblem, of course. It would be foolish of him to walk around in that considering the military had images of the Sky Ruler and the emblem was right there, engraved on the NEXT's left shoulder. Even if Britannia was corrupt and most of their ruling body inefficient, they were not that stupid or ignorant as to not put two and two together, even if it took them a while.
Hawk got to the meeting point at the same time as Ohgi and Kallen did, both of them gave him an apologetic look and explained that the rest of the Resistance simply did not trust him or this Zero guy in the least despite what they had done, Tamaki being the most distrustful of the bunch. With a sigh from the Lynx, the group of three entered the scrap dump that Zero had given as meeting point. Despite the initial impression of the place, one thing was clear, Britannia would never expect this to be the place where their enemies would plan their move, and Hawk had even checked the several patrols going around the Settlement and soon found that the place was not even close to any of the routes, making it perfect for such a meeting.
"I see, only you two and Strayed then." Zero mused as he saw them approach.
"I'm sorry, if you could get us more time to try and convince them…" Ohgi started, but the masked man quickly waved a hand taking importance off the matter.
"That's fine, you three are all I required." He explained as he threw them a couple pictures that Hawk caught. "I'll need these built by tomorrow, the exterior is all that matters."
"But…" The leader of the Resistance tried again but Zero did not let him speak.
"I'll also need to ask for that Glasgow you got today, if you don't mind." The masked man continued. "It's going to be our way out of the mess."
"So you want us to create a replica of Prince Clovis' car and a dummy of the poison gas capsule?" Hawk summarized, looking at the pictures. "And then the stage is yours, right?"
"Yes, of course, but you all have your parts to play in that stage." Zero replied confidently. "Now tell me, do you trust me? Do you believe that we can save Suzaku Kururugi from his execution?"
The three nodded and Zero smiled under his mask, there were two reasons for him to do this. The first one was simply because it was Suzaku, he'd be dammed if he was going to let Britannia and the Emperor take anything else away from him, an especially if that something was his first and only friend. The other was that, despite how wrong it was of him to think that, that pinch Suzaku was in was his chance to make a name for himself as Zero and pull off a miracle in front of both the Britannians and the Japanese people.
"We'll meet here tomorrow at 1200 hours." The masked man turned and walked away, leaving his three associates to their devices. "I expect good results."
"So, any idea how we're going to do this?" Kallen asked, worried. "Because I have no idea how to build any of these."
"No need." Hawk told them as he scribbled something on the back of the pictures with a pen he carried. "This is what we need to find." He handed a picture to each of them. "We have about an hour until the sun sets so gather all you can and be back here by then, I'll take care of constructing these things." It was then that Kallen remembered he had claimed to have designed and built his machine himself, even if other people provided funding and material, so he was probably the best person to take command, so to speak.
She and Ohgi nodded and the three went in a different way, they gathered as many parts as they could find in the time they had, using whatever daylight was left. Once they had that, Ohgi sat by a nearby streetlight, sorting through the most usable parts, while Hawk and Kallen built the first of the items. By midnight, they had managed to complete Clovis' car replica, Britannian flag included, and were about to start working on the fake poison gas capsule.
"You two go get some sleep, I'll take care of this." The Lynx told them when he noticed Kallen yawning. "I'm used to several nights without sleep in a row, just one is not going to make a difference in my reaction time."
"Wouldn't it be faster if we all stayed?" The girl asked, her voice revealing that she was indeed pretty tired.
"I don't know about Ohgi, but being who you are as Kallen Stadfelt, won't your family worry about you not being home yet?" Hawk questioned in a careful tone.
"Miss Stadfelt couldn't care less about where I am, so you shouldn't worry." The redhead replied as she shook her head to wake up. "I'll just say I was at a friend's house or something." She then chuckled dryly before adding. "I could even tell her I was at your house and she'd be bouncing happily around the mansion due to her daughter being so close to the Magnus family heir."
"She's that way, huh?" The mercenary mused as he worked while Kallen bit her tongue, she was still a bit sleepy and had let the last part slip. "By the way, why did you say Miss Stadfelt and not mom or mother? No need to tell me if you don't feel like it." He added, noticing the frown on her face.
"Don't mind if I don't then." She replied, joining him on the work he was doing. "It's way too complicated and I don't like talking about it."
"Alright then, let's finish this and be…" He was interrupted by a loud snore and both teens turned to see that Ohgi had fallen asleep where he sat sorting the parts around for use using the streetlights to see what he was doing. "I suppose he took my advice in the end." The Lynx chuckled before going back to work.
"Let him sleep, it's a miracle he lasted this long." Kallen told him with a small smile as she covered Ohgi with a tattered blanked they had found inside one of the scrapped cars. "The meeting with the rest of the Resistance was really stressful, it's no wonder it caught up to him."
"Tamaki?" Hawk asked, remembering the guy way too well.
"Among other things, but mainly him, yes." The redhead sighed. "He doesn't really like you, or Zero for that matter."
"One of these days that guy is going to fuck up badly and put everyone around him in danger, even the people he cares about most." Hawk's voice was pretty cold when he said that. "And when he does, he better hope he dies before I catch him."
"I'm not sure if I like you talking about my friends like that." Kallen told him with a glare as she gathered the parts Ohgi had selected. He didn't apologize and she had to admit he had a point in what he said, even if the phrasing ticked her off.
"I know what I'm talking about, I almost lost my life thrice because of people that acted like that." The Lynx explained, the coldness of his voice receding as he added. "But I understand what you're saying as well, so don't worry. I won't do anything too harsh if it comes to that. I'd rather put the effort in getting as many people out of there alive as possible and then take care of him."
"Is that all I can hope for?" She asked as she rejoined him with all the parts they needed, a part of her smiling at the thought of Tamaki being put in his place.
"Yes, I'm afraid you can't get a better deal out of me on that one." The Lynx chuckled, his tone slightly amused at the conversation going back to its less serious nature. "Let's get this over and done, shall we?"
Kallen nodded and they both got to work, a couple hours later they admired their handiwork, loaded it into the car and woke up Ohgi, who apologized profusely for falling asleep in the midst of the job. The group of three agreed to come back there at half past eleven AM, half an hour earlier than what Zero had told them, if only for appearances. They hid their creations as best they could so no one would find them, not that anyone came around the place anyway, even the homeless avoided it in fear of being found by Britannia and lived in the Ghetto.
"So, where are you sleeping today, Kallen?" Ohgi asked as they exited the place.
"I didn't want to go home today, but going to the hideout is like asking Tamaki to yell at us all night and not let us close our eyes." The redhead replied with a tired sigh. "I suppose I'll pick the lesser of two evils and go home. What about you, Ohgi? Your house is pretty far from here."
"I suppose I have no choice but to take the hideout, do I?" The Resistance leader yawned. "Let's just hope Tamaki hasn't been drinking or it's going to be one hell of a night."
"Mind if I suggest a third option?" The Lynx asked, taking them both by surprise. The two nodded for him to continue. "My house is pretty big, I have more than enough room for you two to be comfortable. If you want to, you can spend the night there."
"Are you sure about that? I mean, we barely know each other at all and just started working together today." Kallen was bewildered. "Not counting Shinjuku, that is."
"On the battlefield, you either make allies fast or you just don't last." He quoted with a smile. "A friend of mine once told me that, his Codename was Raven. One of the best Lynx I have ever fought alongside and against."
"Lynx?" Ohgi wondered, and Hawk realized he hadn't explained that point.
"Lynx is how pilots for the Armored Cores are called." The mercenary explained as they kept walking. "I have no idea who came up with the name, but there you have it."
"Just like they call Knightmare Frame test pilots Devicers then." Kallen muttered, thinking about it.
"Yeah." The Lynx nodded before smiling and adding. "So, are you accepting my offer or not?"
Both Resistance members nodded slowly in reply, widening Hawk's smile. The group of three walked down the streets until they reached the house in question, and Kallen noted it was relatively close to her own, so she would be able to go get a change of clothes and a shower in the morning before meeting with Zero.
"Make yourselves at home, there's a room to the left and another to the right. I'll be sleeping on the couch in the basement." The Lynx explained as they came in, pointing to the different sections. "The bathroom's over there and the kitchen's on the far end."
"Sorry for intruding." Both of them said with a bow. "I have to admit I hadn't expected something like this when you invited us, this looks like out of a noble house."
"It actually is, I paid for it with what was left of the Magnus' family funds I got my hands on." Hawk replied with a smile. "It belonged to the Ashford family, which is why the basement's equipped for handling Frames, or my NEXT in this case. The access to the subway was just an added bonus I found out about, they used it for tests on their designs before they stopped the Knightmare Frame business."
"Will you be alright in the basement? My home is not far from here, I could walk there without a problem." Kallen asked, slightly worried.
"I'll be just fine, I assure you." The Lynx replied with a smile before taking the stairs downwards. "Well, have good night's sleep."
Once he was out of sight, the mercenary texted Lelouch about the meeting time he and the others had agreed, he didn't want him to be caught off guard or unmasked by their sudden arrival. Once he had done that he checked the clock on the wall, it was only three in the morning, he had more than enough time to get some late night training on the simulator before going to sleep.
"Hawk, what are you doing?" Kallen asked, appearing down the stairs just as he sat on the cockpit.
"I thought I'd get some training before going to bed." The Lynx replied simply as he looked at the girl. "What did you want?"
"I wanted to ask if we could get something to eat before sleeping." The girl explained with a yawn. "We didn't have anything to eat since early afternoon after all."
"I suppose you're right." Hawk said as he exited the cockpit, realizing he was hungry as well. "I'll get us something ready."
"In fact, mind if I use the kitchen myself?" Ohgi asked, coming down after Kallen, his eyes widened as he stared at the NEXT was coming out of. "So that's how it looks up close, huh? During the fight in Shinjuku, I never got a good look for a reason or another."
"If you had managed to get a good look while I was on the move that would mean I was not in a condition to pilot or that the Sky Ruler was in pretty bad shape." Hawk replied as if he was stating a fact, there was no smugness in his voice. "As for the food, go ahead. As long as you don't mind cooking for three you can use whatever you find in the fridge."
"Alright, I'll see what I can do." The Resistance leader smiled and walked up the stairs. "I'll just come get you two once it's ready."
"You're putting a lot of trust in us, aren't you?" Kallen started, walking down the second staircase to reach where Hawk was standing. "You bring us to your house, tell us to make ourselves at home and even let us take a look at your NEXT up close and use your kitchen."
"I already quoted Raven to you. On the battlefield, you make allies fast or you just don't last." The NEXT pilot replied as she walked up to him. "I do have a question for you though."
"And that would be?"
"Would you like to do something else?" Hawk asked with a mischievous grin. "Not only taking a look at the Sky Ruler, but pilot it?"
"You're going to let me take your NEXT out of here?" The redhead was pretty surprised at that. "Need I remind you we're having Ohgi cook dinner?"
"Oh, no, not that." The Lynx shook his head as the sound of something being cooked was heard over their heads. "I meant using one of the training simulation programs. We have time until he's done with cooking and they don't last for more than ten minutes in most cases."
"I wouldn't mind that actually." Kallen smiled, she would never admit it out loud, but she had been tempted to ask Hawk to let her into the cockpit of the Sky Ruler when he brought her to his house yesterday. To be offered not only that, but to run a simulation on it, was more than she had expected. "Although don't make it too difficult, I'm not at my best here."
"Sure, I got just the opponent." The mercenary smirked.
Around fifteen minutes later, Ohgi walked down the stairs to tell them dinner was ready, only to find Kallen chasing the Lynx around while yelling something along the lines of murder and surmised that the brown haired mercenary had triggered the girl's sore loser side somehow. He coughed loudly just as Hawk caught the girl's wrists before she hit him with the pillow she had taken from around the room, getting their attention.
"Although it's a bit late, dinner's ready." The Resistance leader announced as the Lynx let go off the girl and she dropped the pillow on the couch. Both of them looked fairly embarrassed and it somehow reminded Ohgi of how Naoto and Kallen would do similar things when the latter was still alive. "Come on, before it gets cold."
Compared to the scene they had made in the basement, dinner was fairly quiet. Hawk had to admit that Ohgi was pretty good at this, better than he was anyway. The Resistance leader then began relaxing the atmosphere by starting some small talk about school, revealing he had been a teacher before Britannia came around and took everything under their rule. Both teens started adding their two cents to the conversation and things became livelier again, once more reminding him of how Naoto and Kallen would act in a similar situation.
"Next time, I want a fair fight." The redhead told Hawk as they exited the kitchen where they had eaten and were ready for some sleep. "I won't lose then."
"Sure, just come by whenever you want and I'll let you try." The Lynx smiled, walking towards the stairs. "You're pretty fun to have around Kallen, I'm glad you accepted the offer."
"Same here. I can't believe I'm saying this, considering what we got ourselves in and all, but I had fun today." The girl sighed and took a deep breath before adding in a serious voice. "Let's come out of it alive tomorrow."
The mercenary nodded and that was all she needed to see, Ohgi observed the exchange from afar and smiled before going to the room Hawk had given him. Yes, they had to come out of it alive, but was it wise not to use Strayed's machine? What if they needed it? He had a slight idea of Zero's plan, it was a simple trade, the fake gas capsule for the prisoner, no doubt. But could they pull it off? It was something no one else would have thought of doing or dared to do even if they had, it was risky, very risky. Those thoughts were his last conscious ones as sleep took him.
Kallen got inside the bed she would be using and looked at the ceiling while gathering her thoughts. She had been honest, she had fun spending time with the Lynx, what she was worried about was why. Why had it been fun to have him around? At first he was just as mysterious as Zero, but she had come to know him quite well in a very short amount of time. Plus, he was a lot more trusting than his boss and had no problem offering the two of them a place to sleep where they wouldn't be inconvenienced. In short, she had come to enjoy having him around in a mere two days' time, some of her classmates would immediately say she was developing a crush on him but she knew that was not the case, no way.
"He's a bit like you, Naoto." She muttered as she remembered her deceased brother. "And just as annoying when it comes to messing with me." She added with a wry smile and a pout as she remembered the training program Hawk had put her through.
How had he expected her to beat five enemies with machines as powerful as that while being half asleep and inside that cockpit for the first time? Even if the controls for both NEXT and Knightmare Frame were similar, she had literally no experience in manning the Sky Ruler. She had only managed to take out two of the enemies before she was shot down by that incredibly fast bronze NEXT. The girl put those thoughts aside and yawned, she'd think about all this once they were done with Zero's plan tomorrow.
"Aren't you getting a bit too close to them, taking them in like that?" Lelouch asked Hawk as they both conversed through their phones using the ORCA line. "You'll get too close to them and end up to regretting it."
"I don't think so, the regretting it part I mean." The Lynx replied with a chuckle. "Knowing your allies is also a part of the battle, I'm sure you are aware of that."
"Regardless, you're taking a big risk here, aren't you?" The exiled Prince continued. "They're terrorists. How do you know they won't try to take the Sky Ruler for themselves or something of the sort?"
"Neither of them were armed, unless you count that knife Kallen always carries around, and she handed it over the moment she came through the door as a show of faith. Besides, they did nothing to me when I went to their hideout yesterday and Ohgi is a pretty good cook." The black haired teen frowned at the last reason he gave, just like Hawk expected him to. "Look, Zero, you have your way of earning and giving trust and I have mine, it's as simple as that. I'd rather reveal myself a bit so that the trust is mutual than keep everyone at arm's length and look imposing in a mask and a cape."
"Still…"
"One person alone cannot make a difference, it's through a group of individuals sharing similar values and ideals that the world can be changed." Hawk reminded him. "Tell me, how do you expect to accomplish that if you don't get to know the people you'll be working with?"
"I see, then I will not bother you with this matter any further. It seems you have the advantage in this sort of conversation." Lelouch replied with a chuckle, while they both had things in common, there were points in which they did not agree. "See you tomorrow, Strayed." And he hung up.
The Lynx dropped the phone onto a nearby table and jumped onto the couch, landing in perfect sleeping position. As he gave one last look towards his NEXT, his thoughts wandered for a moment to Kallen. The girl was even better than he had expected her to be, scratch that, she was too good to be true.
On her first run, with a unit she had never used before and that, unlike her, specialized in mid-to-long range combat and hit-and-run tactics, she took out two of Collared's five strongest NEXTs in a five on one battle by charging in head first and laser blades active before being shot down by a lucky hit from Reiterpallasch a mere second before she could finish Stasis off and up the kill count to three. She struggled, alright, and the A.I. of the simulations was not as good as the real thing and was set to a rather low level, but the results were amazing to say the least. If that girl ever got a unit she could truly work alongside with, one custom made for her, she could very well be on Hawk's level and even beyond.
"She said she'd like to try again, huh?" The Lynx mused as his eyelids closed and he slowly fell asleep while mumbling. "Perhaps I'll change the user's NEXT to the Saber on her next run, it would suit her fighting style more."
As the sun dawned on Area 11, Hawk's eyes snapped open and he stood up. The Lynx stretched and got some clothes he had inside a drawer in the basement for whenever he just wouldn't use the bed upstairs and got into the small bathroom there. He decided that he didn't want to use the main one just in case any of his visitors were using it. He spent some time preparing a little utility kit for the mission just in case, although not knowing exactly what he was supposed to do made it slightly more difficult than he'd like. He also needed to put his pilot suit and helmet in a bag to carry around.
Once he was done with all of that, about an hour and a half later, he climbed up the stairs, finding Kallen dressed in a clean uniform and with her hair still soaked. The redhead had gone back to her house and snatched the uniform and underwear before any of the servants or her mother noticed and came back to Hawk's house to take a shower. She would tell some lie when she got back from their little adventure tonight and be done with it, not that anyone there would suspect her of anything.
"Hope you don't mind that I used your shower." The girl told him and he waved it off with a smile.
"No problem, I'm more concerned about breakfast though." The Lynx replied, still smiling.
"Ohgi's taking care of that, he said to leave it to him." Kallen explained just as the black haired man's head popped through the kitchen's door.
"Everything's ready!" The Resistance leader told them.
Like dinner last night, breakfast ended up being quite fun. The group soon finished eating and collaborated on cleaning everything up before leaving towards the meeting point, their mood getting more serious as they got closer to the place. At half past eleven am, they stood right in front of Zero himself, who was already waiting for them.
"You're earlier than I expected." The masked man stated, showing them his back as he looked over the road Suzaku's trial parade would take. "Are you ready to hear what I have planned?"
"We are." Ohgi stated for the three.
"Very well then, here's what we'll do." Zero started with confidence. "The plan is simple, we're going to make an exchange, the capsule for Kururugi, and then escape. Strayed, your role is going to be mere backup, I'm afraid. You're to cover our escape route using their Glasgow and take out any pursuers that may follow."
"Understood." Hawk replied mechanically. He was starting to understand that this plan was not only about Lelouch announcing his existence to the world, but also about Zero proving himself to be equally effective with or without him and the Sky Ruler by his side.
"Ohgi, you'll be creating our escape route by using a civilian Frame I have obtained, it's parked in this location." He threw a card at the Resistance leader, who caught it. "Once Kallen gives you the signal, you're to launch the safety net and catch us as we fall."
"Wait, fall?" The redhead asked in surprise.
"There'll be a truck waiting for us down the road with an open ceiling, we'll jump off the highway and land safely inside it thanks to Ohgi, then we'll get away." Zero explained dismissively, the three people in front of them would never know how much he was sweating in nervousness. "Finally, Kallen, your role is to drive that car up to the convoy that's transporting Kururugi."
"What?!" She shouted. "But that's insane!"
"I asked you to trust me, and I promise you that you will come out of it alive, all of you." The masked man stated in a tone that calmed the girl down. "We have time to prepare, let's not waste it."
"One question." Ohgi stated, getting Lelouch's attention. "I understand the plan and see that it could work, but what are you going to do if Margrave Jeremiah does not agree to your terms?"
"I have that under control, you don't need to worry about it." He replied simply but in a tone that did not leave room for argument
And so, everyone got ready for their part in the play that was going to be Suzaku Kururugi's rescue operation. Night came and the patriotic Britannians Diethard Ried, the one in charge of the coverage of the trial, had gathered for Suzaku Kururugi's parade were ready to unleash as much scorn and insults towards the teen as they could manage.
"I must say, this has become a circus in which the monkeys dance a tune at the sight of a few peanuts." The reporter mused to himself as he eyed the preparations from inside the news van. "And I'm as corrupt as anyone else in the cage."
The broadcast started, being watched practically in every house both in the Settlement and the Ghetto. The Japanese people waiting for a miracle to save their late Prime Minister's son, no matter that he had supposedly betrayed his blood by entering the Honorary Britannian system, and the Britannians awaiting the demise of said young man. However, both groups held their breaths when the parade stopped abruptly, the newscaster explaining that it was not a scheduled stop.
Lelouch, in his Zero guise, was nervous. But it was not only because of the possibility of failure that he was like that, but because this was his grand debut as well. The black haired Prince was ready for this, he had made the choice to fight and had gathered whatever allies he found that could help him, all he needed to do now was prove himself in front of the entire world as the man that would bring change to the world, for Nunnally's sake.
Kallen, driving the replica of Prince Clovis' personal car, was as nervous as she could get. Sure, they had Strayed as backup, even if he was using a Glasgow, but that was only if the first and most important part of Zero's plan worked, and that was not going to be as easy as their masked leader was trying to make them believe. Even if the guy had led them to almost winning the battle of Shinjuku this was a totally different matter, and yet they had listened to him and were doing as he had told them.
Ohgi observed the situation from his spot. His job was simple, creating an escape route using the civilian Frame Zero had gotten him when the exchange had taken place, but the Resistance leader's nervousness could put Kallen and Lelouch's combined to shame. And the fact that Strayed was being so silent over the line wasn't helping.
The mercenary was, despite how dire the situation seemed to the others, very calm. For one, he trusted Lelouch's planning abilities, which he considered at least on par with Thermidor's after what he had seen. And then there was the fact that Lelouch had an ace in the hole no one but he and the exiled Prince knew about, that Geass power of his would take care of anything that went wrong, especially considering that all soldiers were out of their cockpits and showing themselves around.
"Well then, so starts my third rebellion." The Lynx mused to himself in a whisper that Ohgi did not hear despite the open line as he gripped the Glasgow's controls, he had spent all the time he had until now to familiarize himself with the machine, and he had done a pretty good job on it, plus he now had a better understanding of a Knightmare Frame's movements, something that Lelouch had probably planned to give him when he assigned him and not Kallen to be the one covering their retreat. "Like Thermidor would say… Time to put on a show."
"Now then, who are you and how dare you desecrate His Highness' vehicle?" Jeremiah Gottwald asked as the car came to a stop in front of him and the rest of the parade.
Suddenly, the Britannian flag on the car burned, dissolving into ashes as a masked figure clad in a dark purple dress with golden decorations and a black cape with crimson insides appeared from behind it, unharmed by the flames. The figure took a step forward before starting to speak.
"My name… is Zero!" He proclaimed in a powerful voice that left no one indifferent. As many wondered about the possible meaning of his name, Jeremiah chuckled.
"Well, Zero, nice to meet you." The Margrave grinned confidently. "Now, you'll be going somewhere far away, it's called prison."
Just as the blue haired Purist finished speaking, five Sutherlands dropped around the car replica, making the road tremble as they landed, assault rifles pointed at the caped figure who did not show the slightest amount of fear. Zero's performance was so appealing to Diethard that he darted off the news van, camera in hand, when one of his subordinates told him he wasn't up to the task of getting close to the masked man.
"Amateurs!" The dirty blond seethed as he focused the camera on Zero.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Margrave Jeremiah." The masked man's voice was calm despite the situation.
"Shut up you filthy Eleven! Now show us your monkey face." The margrave replied, pointing his gun at the masked man.
Zero smiled all the way through the gesture of taking off the helmet that concealed his features, only to stop at the last moment and lift his hand upwards, theatrically snapping his fingers as Kallen purged part of the car, revealing the fake poison gas capsule to the amazement and terror of every single Britannian soldier on the scene while the crowd just looked on in awe, not knowing what was going on.
"I'm sure you recognize this, Jeremiah." The exiled Prince smirked under the mask as he eyed the shocked and terrified faces of the soldiers around him. "You wouldn't want it to go off here, now would you?"
'That bastard! He's taken every single Britannian present hostage, and without any of them even realizing that!' The Margrave thought angrily. "Very well, Eleven… or Zero, as you call yourself. What are your demands?"
"They're fairly simple and easy to fulfill." Zero replied dismissively with a wave of his hand, keeping up the theatrics that had Diethard and the rest of his audience rooted to the spot. "I want Kururugi. Give him to me and the capsule is yours, no one will be harmed."
"Like hell!" Jeremiah snarled. "He's Prince Clovis' murderer, there's no way I'll hand him over!"
"Wrong!" That simple word was again incredibly effective in shocking everyone around him, and Lelouch made a mental note of that. "You're wrong, Jeremiah Gottwald. The one who killed Clovis…" Zero then turned towards the camera Diethard was holding almost to his face, as if to look at every single person watching the broadcast. "Was myself!"
The reactions differed among everyone watching but they all had one thing in common. Everyone, whether Eleven or Britannian, was shocked at the man's daring and wits. To just walk up to the most powerful man currently present on Area 11 and reveal he was Prince Clovis' murderer to his face was something not a single rebel would have ever dared to do, not even Tohdoh, the Japanese's personal miracle worker and living legend.
"And you think I'll let you go after hearing that?!" The Margrave shouted as he pointed his gun back at the man's mask. "You're coming with us!"
"Careful now, you wouldn't want anyone to know about Orange, right?" Zero lightly tapped the car's surface, indicating Kallen to move it forward as he spoke. "If I die it'll all go public. If you don't want that to happen…" Part of Zero's helmet moved, revealing his left eye to the blue haired man. An eye that had a red bird symbol instead of a pupil. "You'll hand over Kururugi and let us escape."
"Understood." Jeremiah replied once the Geass took effect, overriding his mind and surrounding his eyes in and almost unperceivable light orange hue. "Hand over the prisoner at once!"
"What are you doing, My Lord?!" Villetta Nu asked in shock at the turn of events, this was not like Jeremiah at all.
"You heard me! Hand him over!" The Margrave commanded again, and this time the soldiers complied, releasing the Honorary Britannian who staggered towards the masked man and his white clad aid, who started walking away from their transport.
"I see they wouldn't even let you talk." Zero noted as he eyed the device around his friend's neck, designed to deliver a painful shock whenever the boy tried to speak. "As much as I'd like to rid you of it this instant, that is not possible. So bear with it a while longer."
"We're ready." The red haired girl muttered on her com line and they jumped off while Jeremiah held off the two Sutherlands that attempted to move and capture them under the effect of Zero's command, the masked man pressed a button hidden in his sleeve and the capsule released colored smoke to mask their escape.
Ohgi knew that was his cue and fired the safety net his Frame was equipped with just in time to prevent their fall from being deadly and have them land safely inside their transport. The civilian Frame was soon dismantled by a rain of bullets from a Sutherland as two more chased after the vehicle that was racing away at top speed. Kaname Ohgi ejected in time and sighed, it was all in Strayed's hands now, he had done his part.
"Something was up with Lord Jeremiah, he's never acted like that." One of the pilots, a purist and a big fan of the Margrave, stated as they chased the vehicle.
"We have to catch that Zero bastard and bring him with us. He'll pay for murdering our Prince and messing with Lord Jeremiah's name." The other replied just before a black Glasgow landed in front of them. "Looks like this guy wants business."
"In a Glasgow? He must be insane." The first soldier laughed as he readied his weapons.
Without a word of reply even though the last part of the conversation had been through an open channel to provoke the Glasgow's pilot, the outdated machine dashed forward, Land Spinners at full speed, and punched one of the Sutherlands in the face before any of them reacted, the black Frame then sidestepped, moving around his enemy, and plunged the two Slash Harkens into the cockpit of the one he had just struck, killing the pilot long before the ejection system activated.
"Barry!" The other pilot shouted as he shot the Glasgow from behind, only for the black unit to move out of the way and grab the other Sutherland's rifle. "I'll kill you for that!"
The threat was not fulfilled, the Sutherland pilot got a shot at the Factsphere for his troubles before a sharp kick to the side sent his Frame against a wall back first, rendering the ejection system useless. The Glasgow shot a burst of bullets straight into the chest cockpit, finishing him off.
"I have to admit it, these Knightmare Frames may not be as powerful as a NEXT, or even a Normal, but their maneuverability and movements are something worth praising." Strayed muttered as he turned the Glasgow around and left towards the meeting point, he hadn't even moved for a minute when a sudden flash of inspiration went through his mind. "I'll have to see if there's a way to combine both technologies in one machine, it would really help to have the ability to move in an almost human-like manner like that white Knightmare I faced in Shinjuku, especially if more units like that one start appearing."
The Resistance hideout was agape at what they had seen. Zero had done it, just like he said he would and keeping true to his word of not using Strayed's NEXT to do the deed. That masked guy had actually pulled off a miracle in the face of the Britannian military like it was something easy to do. A moment later, a message from Ohgi arrived, telling them to go to the old theater in the Ghetto where they would be meeting with Zero again. The whole group agreed to go and maybe pay a bit more attention to what Zero had to say this time around. Said masked man was right now having a conversation with the prisoner he had rescued.
"Do you see now?" Zero started as Suzaku rubbed his now free neck, the first thing the caped stranger had done once they had gotten out of the vehicle was get rid of the device around his neck, like he had promised. "This is what Britannia is truly like from the inside, putrid and corrupted. If you want to change that, then join me!"
"Was it true? Were you the one to kill Prince Clovis?" The brown haired boy asked.
"I'm fighting a war, Private Kururugi." Zero stated simply. "Why would I not take an enemy commander's life?"
"And what about the gas capsule? Those were civilians out there!"
"A mere bluff to help things along, nothing more." The masked man explained dismissively. "And as a result, not a single dead civilian. I can't say much for the fools that chased after us and met Strayed, though."
"Strayed?" Suzaku asked, not having heard that name before.
"That would be me." A slightly distorted voice replied as a man dressed in a black pilot suit and a helmet with a golden visor that did not let anyone see what was inside came in from the side. "It's good to see you are well, Suzaku Kururugi."
"Do I know you?"
"Not really, but I heard a lot about you the past few days." The black clad man replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just came to report that I took care of our pursuers. That is all."
"I see." Zero replied absently. "You can leave now." And without another word, the man left towards the back of the stage where the rest of the Resistance was to gather, although Suzaku was not aware of that last part. "Now, where were we, Private Kururugi?"
"I need to ask you something." The Honorary Britannian started. "Are results all that matter to you?"
"The ends justify the means, that much I believe." Zero replied before adding. "Although I'll admit there are means even I am not willing to use."
"In my case, I believe any ends obtained through contemptible means are not worth the sacrifice or the result." The brown haired teen explained before starting to walk away. "I'll be going now, thanks for saving me."
"Where are you going?!" Zero asked, trying to keep the shock off his voice "Don't tell me you're going to hand yourself in!"
"I am." The boy replied. "I'd bring you with me as well, but I don't think I would be able to do that without being killed. And if I die, it will be in service of the people, not here."
"If you go back they'll kill you!" Zero insisted taking a few steps forward. "Everyone will be against you, even the defense!" Seeing Suzaku's unwavering eyes, Lelouch added. "Don't be a fool!"
"A friend of mine used to say that. He called me a fool quite often, and perhaps I am one. But even so, I have to go." Suzaku's voice was slightly sad as he said that. "Rules are to be obeyed, that is all I need to know." The boy looked directly at the obscured oval that hid Lelouch's face. "I want to change things, but I will do it from within. That is the right way to do it."
"Maybe not." Strayed interjected, coming out of the place he was hiding. "Sorry, Zero, but I just couldn't keep to myself anymore." The masked man nodded, accepting the apology, and let the Lynx continue while he processed what he knew and thought about a reply he could give Suzaku. "What do you do when there's something that can't be changed from within because the rules just do not allow it, nor do they allow themselves to be changed to let that option you want to take be possible?"
"Even if something like that were to happen, that's no reason to resort to something like terrorism and hostages." Suzaku replied, glaring at the other obscure helmet around him. "That's just wrong!"
"And neither I nor Zero will deny that." The black clad man told him, remembering his own experiences. "However, there are wrong paths that lead to good endings, just like there are good paths that lead to bad endings. A wise man once said that the road to hell was paved with good intentions, and I personally think he was right."
"I will not ask you to throw away your beliefs, Private Kururugi." Zero started after using the time Strayed provided to prepare what he was going to say, getting the boy's attention back to him. "Go, if it's what you feel you must do. I can only hope that my revelation of the real killer's identity will be enough to let the process be a kinder one and, hopefully, have a better ending than the one Jeremiah Gottwald had in mind. For the sake of the Elevens and Honorary Britannians as well."
To say Suzaku Kururugi was shocked at that statement would be lacking. The Honorary Britannian walked away with his head being a mess of conflicting ideas. Many things he had been told were against everything he believed, but they sounded so incredibly right at the same time that the poor boy just didn't know what to make of it all. Stumbling, he made his way to a nearby phone post and called the police so that they'd pick him up, he had a lot to do before thinking over what he had been told, mainly attending his trial and whatever came after it.
"Are you sure about this?" Hawk asked the masked form of Lelouch. "You could have just ordered him to join you and be done with it."
"As I said, there are means even I am not willing to use."
"And as long as that remains true, you won't become a monster." The Lynx concluded with a smile, taking off his helmet. "You should get going, your sister's going to miss you. I'll take care of the Resistance cell and give them the contact information."
"I'm counting on you." Zero stated before he left towards his home in Ashford, not expecting what he was going to find there.
Well then, Chapter done and I'm pretty satisfied with it. I hope you guys are too.
Now then, I want to explain my line of thinking a bit in case it wasn't clear. Lelouch did not use the Sky Ruler to avoid beeing seen as useless or inferior without its help. He had to prove himself to be capable even when that resource is unavailable in his big entrance or else he could be perceived as weak. Everyone who has watched Code Geass knows he's perfectly capable of doing these sort of things without having a massive, army destroying machine at his beck and call from the get go, but the people populating this AU of Code Geass haven't really watched it, I'm afraid.
Another thing I want to add, and then I'll let you guys go, is that I'm suffering from a disease. It's nothing serious, it's just a little thing that seems to not let me keep a crossover to just two series and leave it at that, like what happened with my FoZ/Kamen Rider Crossover that ended up with Code Geass thrown into the mix. As such, and since most of my inspiration for this crossover came from Super Robot Was Z and Z.2 (Both of them) for the PS2 and PSP respectively, expect a few of the original characters from the game to appear. AU versions of them with similar yet different stories, adapted to the Code Geass universe as best I can. Also, expect one character that's not a Banpresto Original to pop up too, for the sake of a pairing I've recently become a fan of. And whoever has played SRW Z probably has an idea about who it is and what pairing I'm talking about.
Some of you may be thinking, why not just make a SRW/ACFA crossover then and forget about doing something so complicated? Well, I'm afraid Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and the whole Alternate Universe selfs sort of got to me when i read it. I love putting characters from another series in different yet similar situations. The soul and personality is the same, but the events in their lives and their growth differs, it all happens similarly, yet it is not.
Well, I'm done with that. Next Chapter we'll get to know some new people, C.C. included, and the Lancelot's new battle partner will get its inauguration battle. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review.