Chapter 5
The Princess and the Witch
Baghdad, Iran – Mid-East Alliance, August 2017 a.t.b.
Rushing across the desert of the Arabian lands were multiple Knightmares. These, however, weren't normal Knightmares. These were Gloucester.
Designed by Britannia, they were remodeled Sutherland with a focus on close combat. Fast and powerful, the average Mid-East soldier feared them. Especially since they heralded the Commander who had been raining havoc on their forces.
Princess Cornelia li Britannia. Sometimes called 'The Goddess of Victory' and the 'Witch of Britannia.'
She and her Knights, along with the rest of the Britannia forces in the area, have been waging war against the Mid-East Alliance for control over the Arabian Peninsula.
The Mid-East Alliance was, as the name states, an alliance between the various Middle-Eastern nations. With how the politics of the world were changing, and be surrounded by potential enemies, especially a certain nation from the EU, it's clear that standing alone would do them no favors.
Yet it appears to be for naught, as it's clear that Britannia is winning this war.
Equipped with Sand Panels to allow for easier travel over the sand, the Gloucester waved through shots and artillery fire.
In the distance, large beige coloured machines with long barrels fired upon the Britannians. These were Bamides, an unusual Knightmare Frame that acted less like a Knightmare and more like self-propelled artillery. Powerful enough to destroy a tank or Knightmare, but not swift enough to escape from the Gloucesters or hit them.
"Shoddy, oversized, knockoff Knightmares." A pilot said with his Gloucester. He was a tall, brutal-looking man with a diagonal scar across his face. This was General Andreas Darlton, leader of the Glaston Knights.
"They would have been wise to have surrendered from the beginning." Another pilot remarks. He was slender, with dark hair and glasses. This was Gilbert G.P. Guilford, personal Knight of the Princess. He attacked one Bamides, shooting down one of its legs, causing it to lean.
Inside, the Mid-East soldiers were not the happiest. They had thought that the Gloucesters would have in Amman and with them gone, they could hold off the siege.
Now that they were here, holding this city just became infinitely harder.
Suddenly, a massive explosion engulfed the city behind them. "What!?" One commander said, looking at the city. What he saw terrified him.
In the flames stood a lone Knightmare. A Gloucester, purple coloured with its horn sticking out. With its cape and massive lance in hand, it stood there like a demon lord risen from hell.
"Cornelia." The commander growls. While her soldiers fought in the front, she used the distraction to take down the city. "Damn you!" That was the last thing he said before the Bamides exploded.
In her Knightmare, a beautiful woman with long fuchsia-coloured hair and lavender eyes stared dispassionately at the battlefield. "Another victory. Area 18 has been established." This war ended quicker than she expected, though less than half of the Mid-East Alliance still existed. She would've finished the rest of them off, but her attention was being called to another area of governance.
"My lady, about our next course of action..." Darlton communicated over the radio.
"I'm sorry you have to clean after my foolish younger brother." Cornelia said.
"Please do not apologise, my Lady. We live to serve in our places besides you."
Cornelia lets out a small grin. "Well then, do you think Area 11 needs our usual treatment?"
"Yes, my Lady!"
"Good." Cornelia looks away with a frown. I'll drag you out into the open, Zero. Clovis will be avenged!
Ashford Academy – Area 11
Lelouch was walking back to his residency, frustrated with what has happened. His friend, for who knows what reason, is heading back to his captors. Why!? They just tried to have him killed under false pretenses. Why would anyone want to go back?
He shakes his head and opens the door. "I'm home." That's something he'll figure out later. Right now, he would just like to rest and-
"Welcome home, Lelouch."
Lelouch stopped as he heard not his sister's voice, but someone else. He looks up and sees sitting next to his sister, the green-haired girl from Shinjuku. Who was Alive!?
"Welcome home, Lelouch." Nunnally cheerfully greeted. In her hands and the green-haired girl's hands were origami that were being folded.
The girl puts down her origami. "I'm guessing by your attire, you ate out."
"Thank God, you're okay." Nunnally said. "I was worried that you had gotten caught up in the mess that man Zero had made. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer." She faces him. "I've been trying to tell you that Miss C.C. has been waiting for you." As she discussed, C.C. continued making origami.
"C.C.?" Asked a stupefied Lelouch.
Nunnally giggles. "Your friend goes by such an odd name. Just her initials."
"Ah." Lelouch said, unable to comment on what he was seeing.
"I was wondering, is Miss C.C. your girlfriend?" Nunnally asked.
"Huh?"
C.C. sets down her origami. "He made a promise to me about our future together, right?" She looks at him.
"What?" Lelouch says. What was she saying?
"A future together? You mean like marriage!?" Nunnally asked, surprised by the news.
"No!" He shouts. "No, she just means... uh... she's just joking, really." Lelouch tries to explain to his sister.
"No, I'm not." C.C. quickly said. He let out a glare in her direction.
Nunnally looks down at the table, sounding a little sadden by the news. "Well, you're certainly doing it sooner than most. But everyone's different, aren't they? So, I suppose it's not that strange and if you feel that you're ready-" Suddenly, she hears a tea cup shattering on the floor. Unseen by her, Lelouch had taken a cup and dropped it on the floor.
"Ah, C.C., look at what you've done. You're soaking wet. Come, let's get a dry set of clothes." Lelouch grabs C.C. by the arm and pulls her out of the chair.
"Stay here, Nunnally. I'll clean up the mess soon." He pushes C.C. out of the room. "And she was just joking. Just a silly joke."
Nunnally simply tilts her head.
"Who are you?" Lelouch asked as they reached his room.
"She said my name. I'm C.C." C.C. said with a mocking smile.
Lelouch frowns. "That's not what I meant. Why aren't you-"
"Dead?" She finishes, her smile still present. Lelouch frowns again. Her attitude was grating on him.
She walks around his room, looking around. "Do you like the power I gave you?"
Lelouch's Geass flares up in his eye. "As I thought, it was you."
"Dissatisfied?" She asks, sitting on his bed.
"On the contrary, I'm grateful. It allows me to speed up my schedule tremendously."
"Your schedule?"
"Yes, my plan to obliterate Britannia." He holds his hand over the Geass eye. "I would have waited much longer to make my initial move." Before, he would have to wait until he procured all the resources he needed. Now, with this, a lot more avenues for him have opened.
"You think you can destroy Britannia with just that power?" C.C. says, looking skeptical of his claim.
"I planned on doing so without it." He smirks.
C.C. laid back on the bed. "I just knew he would turn out to be a fascinating guy." She mutters to herself.
"So, what will you do now?" Lelouch asked. "After all, I'm sure the military is after you." If they are, he can't keep her here. Soon they'll come looking for her and find him as well.
"I wouldn't say it's only the military and even then, it's not the entirety of it. So as long as I can hide, I'll be fine." She starts undressing.
"Wait, you expect to stay here!?" He speaks up, deducing that she means to stay here.
Once undressed, she tucks herself into the bed. "A gentleman would sleep on the floor." She pulls the blanket up to her face, covering her mouth.
"Don't joke around." He walks up to her.
"Me being caught will cause trouble for you, too."
"It's dangerous to stay together." Lelouch climbs on the bed and gets on top of C.C.
"If I wander the streets, they'll find me." She tries again to reason with him.
"This isn't about you. It's my situation-"
"I hate stubbornness." C.C. interrupts by turning away. Lelouch frowns.
"You sure take things casually, don't you?" He sits on the floor next to the bed, picking up her clothes. "How did you survive before this? What did you do before now? And what's that deal about that so-called contract you spoke-"
"Goodnight, Lelouch." She said, interrupting him again before falling asleep. Lelouch glowers at her sleeping form.
Yes, this truly wasn't his day.
Military Base, Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
"Fukushima, Kouchi, Hiroshima." Cecile said, showing multiple images on the laptop she held. All showing the areas being inflicted with terrorism. "This has been the seventh occurrence since that man named Zero raised his head."
Over her shoulder, Lloyd also watched. "It looks like the others are following his lead and putting up a decent fight." Behind them, the Lancelot was being capsuled and stored in the transport vehicle.
"And now, that 'Orange' suspicion has cost Margrave Jeremiah his command." Cecile explains. From what she had seen and heard, ever since the incident, Jeremiah has been hunting for any hint of Zero to regain his honor. However, judging by their expressions and their actions, his own soldiers and even those from the Pureblood Faction don't trust him.
"Maybe he wasn't good enough." Lloyd says. "Thanks to him, the connection between the police and the administration is screwed up. It left a fine mess for us, too." He complains.
JLF Headquarters, Narita – Area 11
"Help them, Tohdoh!" Kusakabe shouts.
After the rescue of Kururugi Suzaku, the JLF has been a little restless. A player has just reveal themselves and just done something they didn't think possible or deemed it too risky to attempt.
Plus, there have been rumors that the Kyoto House may gift Zero and his group a new Knightmare for their efforts.
The Six Houses of Kyoto, also known as the Kyoto House, is a group of wealthy Japanese industrialist. Officially, they're known for collaborating with Britannia after the war, where Britannia deemed it better to have them deal with the industry.
In reality, they use their position to fund the multiple resistance groups within Japan. Which includes the JLF.
"Calm down!" Tohdoh shouted. "The rumors about Kyoto giving the Guren Mk-II to Zero are just that; rumors. If we're too hasty, we may very well walk into a trap." This is not a time for them to act impulsively. Especially in rumors.
For now, their best option is to wait.
Ashford Academy – Area 11
Lelouch worked on his computer, searching Suzaku's name on it while his green-haired 'companion' sat on his bed, wearing only his shirt and eating pizza, of all things.
"So, what did 'Orange' turn out to be, anyway?" C.C. asked as she took another bite. Lelouch turns to her but doesn't answer. "Well?" She asks again.
"You know, for someone who doesn't answer a lot of questions, you sure ask a lot of them." Lelouch points out.
"If you don't want to answer my question, you don't have to. Just like I don't have to answer yours." She takes another bite.
Lelouch sighs but decides to humor her. "There is no 'Orange'. It's just something I made up." He turns back to the computer. "However, the more they claim to be comrades of like minds, the easier it is to separate them with the thorns of suspicion."
C.C. smiles at the response.
She looks down at the various newspapers and magazines, all with Zero as their headlines. "The world is looking for you. Because of you, the world is going through an upheaval. So," She looks at the young prince, who was putting on his school uniform. "Is this it? Is this what you wanted, Lelouch?"
"No. This uproar is simply a means to an end." Lelouch answers as he finishes up. "The world is destined to descend into greater chaos. The world is destined to descend into greater chaos."
Tokyo Settlement – Area 11
"Case #107, Private Suzaku Kururugi, Area 11 Military Forces. In the murder of His Highness, Prince Clovis, you are no longer a suspect and hereby set free due to lack of substantial evidence."
Those words continued to echo within Suzaku's mind as he was walking out of the government building and into the streets with bags holding his belongings.
"I'm free?" He mutters to himself, still in disbelief at that fact. He would have expected them to follow protocols relating to this sort of situation. But no, they just let him out? All because the actual murderer of Prince Clovis revealed himself.
Zero.
Suzaku frowned as he thought of the masked man.
"Watch out from below!"
Suddenly hearing a girl's voice from above, Suzaku looks and sees a girl falling towards him. Reacting quickly, he drops his bags and catches her.
As she lies in his arms, he makes a note of her appearance. Her bright pink hair was long enough to reach her waist. She also had violet eyes that looked oddly familiar and made him feel as if she was seeing his soul laid bare before her. She wore a white blouse and an orange skirt and a green corset around her torso.
All in all, she was a very beautiful girl. Almost like an angel with how she fell seemingly from the heavens.
"I'm sorry. I didn't see anyone below before I had leaped." The girl apologises.
Suzaku smiles. "Well, don't worry. I wasn't expecting a beautiful girl such as yourself to fall into my arms, either."
The girl looks at him in the eye inquisitively, her violet eyes shining.
"Oh, my." The girl mutters to herself.
"Hmm, is something wrong?" Suzaku asks, confused by her demeanour as she had yet to leave his arms.
The girl looks down in thought before looking up with a smile on her face. "Actually... I do. See, I'm actually being chased by bad guys." The girl quickly explains.
"So, considering the circumstances, will you help me?"
Unknown
In an unknown room, a small group of individuals watched a screen play a live recording of Jeremiah Gottwald, ordering his troops to their position in preparation for Princess Cornelia's arrival.
"We must get rid of this 'Orange Character' before Princess Cornelia assumes her new post."
"Now the loyalty of us Purebloods is being called into question."
"Are the reports we've been hearing true? Lord Jeremiah was bribed?"
In the middle of the room, Kewell looked at a particular individual. "Do you know what this "Orange' means?" He questions.
The soldier looks away, his silence answering no.
"Either way, Lord Jeremiah is hiding something."
Kewell looks at the screen with contempt. "Saying he can't recall anything? That's the same excuse that Bartley used!" Even if Quirks exist, he won't allow such an excuse to sully the Purebloods' reputation.
Besides, there was no evidence of Zero using a Quirk. Recordings from yesterday have shown nothing that could indicate Quirk usage. The only one with verified Quirk usage was one of Zero's henchmen. He should know. He was on the receiving end of it.
No, Jeremiah was hiding something. And whatever it is, he'll find it. And when he does, he'll remove both it and Jeremiah.
Only then could the Purebloods be free from this taint.
Villetta's Knightmare
Villetta also watched the proceedings take place via her Knightmare's camera. "Lord Jeremiah's memories are muddled. Exactly like those who had their Knightmares stolen in Shinjuku." She mutters. Which includes her.
"And..." She thinks back to the warehouse, where all of a sudden, with no way of remembering how, she stood alone in the warehouse with her Knightmare stolen...
Suddenly, she remembers something.
Wasn't someone else there with her?
Tokyo Settlement
Down a path through a park, Suzaku escorted the pink-haired girl. He wore dark, thick sunglasses, partly for the bright sun, partly to not be recognised on the streets. Due to recent events, he was famous for all the wrong reasons.
The girl gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry. We haven't had the chance to properly introduce ourselves. I'm..."
The girl looks away in thought, seemingly trying to come up with a name. Satisfied, she looks at him and proclaims, "Euphy."
"Euphy?"
"Yes."
Hmm, a bit of an odd name, but he wasn't one to judge. Taking off his glasses, Suzaku introduces himself. "Well, then, my name is-"
"Don't tell me. I already know." Euphy interrupts as they move under the shade of a tree. "You're a celebrity. Private Suzaku Kururugi, son of Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi." Euphy finished with a smile.
Suzaku hums as he looks away. "You lied before. There was no one chasing you at all, right?" He questions her.
"Meow." Instead of hearing her answer, he instead hears her meowing like a cat. He turns around to see her a distance away, kneeling and meowing like a cat to a black cat.
"Oh, does the kitty's paw hurt?" She asks the cat, who hissed back at her, one paw off the ground. It turns out it was really hurting. "Hey, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." She says, her eyes seemingly shining from the sunlight.
Somehow this worked, as the cat stopped hissing and looks into the girl's eyes, meowing curiously. It comes closer to the pink-haired girl and Euphy smiles as she manages to rub the cat affectionately, meowing as the cat was too.
Seems she has a natural gift, for handling injured cats like that. He's never seen someone calm down one like that, especially so quickly.
Suzaku takes off his sunglasses and walks closer and saw Euphy was now holding the cat up in her arms, who was now calm this time around. She holds out the cat; her smile ever present.
"Never seen someone interact with a cat like that."
"It's a gift," Euphy says before smiling proudly. "Some could even say it's my quirk."
Suzaku chuckles, "I'll take your word for it." And tries to pet the cat. The keyword being 'tries'.
Suddenly, the cat bites his finger and Suzaku flinches in pain.
"Oh, my." Euphy says, surprised as well.
While she might have a gift with animals, he most certainly does not.
Elsewhere
Inside the A.S.E.E.C. Transport truck, which was by a traffic light, Lloyd and Cecile were on their way to fetch Suzaku.
"Hope we ain't running late." Lloyd says.
"Considering the charge, do you really think they'd release him?" Cecile asked the scientist.
"They would have to. They have no evidence." Lloyd shrugs before looking out the window. "I bet they put him to the Third Degree because of that Zero incident. Huh?"
Well, lo-and-behold, there was their Devicer, walking around with...
"Why is he..." Lloyd asked as he recognises the person walking with Suzaku. A gasp from Cecile tells him that she sees it as well.
The two teenagers sat at a couple of stairsteps, Euphy tying a bandage around the cat's injured paw.
"Do you have trouble with cats?" Euphy asked once she was done.
Suzaku, wearing his sunglasses again, replies, "I like them fine, it's just..." He tries to pet the cat, but the cat just hisses at him, making him pull his hand lest he added more injuries to himself. "The attraction isn't mutual." He finishes.
Euphy smiles. "I think unrequited love is the mark of a kind person."
The cat then suddenly hops off the steps and dashes away. The two watch as the cat ran.
"Aw, the kitty ran away." Euphy pouts.
Speaking of which...
"Euphy." Her companion brought her attention to him. "Why did you lie when you said you were being chased?"
Euphy looks at him, her shining eyes showing some emotion that he couldn't pick up on, other than the piercing feeling he gets as she looks into his eyes. "Do you ask because you're concerned about me?"
"Um, of course."
"Good." Euphy then stood up and grabbed Suzaku by his arm, pulling him up quickly. "Then you can accompany me some more."
Suzaku could easily resist her, but he doesn't. Instead, he quickly grabs his bag and follows her. "Oh, okay."
He wasn't blind to how she dodged his question. He isn't worried, though. Her secrets are hers and he has no right to pry.
Certainly no right at all.
The two spent some time exploring the city, gazing at the various sights that it had to offer. Whether it be the clothing stores showing off the latest fashion trend, a food court to try out all the different cuisines or even just walking together.
"You know, being here is like being in Britannia. I feel right at home."
"Are you from the mainland?" Suzaku asks, curious.
Euphy hums. "That's right. I was a student there not too long ago. I think last week."
"Last week? So what are you doing now?" Suzaku then ponders. "By student, are you saying you're a high school student? You can go sightseeing any time."
Euphy chuckles. "You sure ask a lot of questions."
"Oh, uh, sorry." Suzaku looks away. He was acting a little forward, wasn't he?
"Oh no, I don't mean it like that." Euphy corrects herself. "It's just that... today is the last day of my vacation. I wanted to see Area 11 because I want to know what kind of place it is."
Unknown to the both of them, they were being shadowed by Lloyd and Cecile; the scientist having a smile as he looked at the two.
"Well, you didn't need me for that."
"No, but I'm glad that I could see it with you."
Suzaku smiles at that. "Is that so?"
Near them, a large screen on a wall showed the news. The picture of Zero standing on top of the car shows that people are still enthralled by this mysterious figure.
However, Suzaku frowns as he looks at the photo of the man who saved him.
Walking away from the scene, Euphy asks Suzaku something. "Suzaku, could you take me to one last place, please?"
Humoring her, Suzaku throws the bag down and bows toward her. "Your wish is my command. Where to, my lady?" He asks, grinning cheekily.
"Shinjuku."
Shocked, Suzaku looks up to see Euphy with an unusually serious expression.
"Suzaku Kururugi, please escort me to Shinjuku."
Ashford Academy – Area 11
Lelouch sat outside on a bench, continuing his research on Suzaku Kururugi. He still can't wrap his head around why he would go back to Britannia. He needs to understand why he would do that.
However, he'll soon be interrupted by a new presence.
"Lelouch."
Looking up, Lelouch sees Kallen standing before him.
"Do you have a minute?" Kallen asks.
"Sure." He replies, closing the computer. Now then, what is it she wants with him? Could it be about the phone call in the bathroom?
"About that phone call." Ah, so it was. "You know, the one in the bathtub?" Kallen says, embarrassed by the memory of her unintentionally showing her body to him.
"Ah, yes that." That was certainly a moment. "What about it?" He questions, trying to spare her from any further embarrassment.
"I was wondering if you could find the caller ID of the person who was calling. I want to contact them again."
So that's what she's trying to do. Playing dumb, Lelouch says, "I don't know if I can. That was a school phone-" He chokes on air, eyes wide as he looked past Kallen.
There, standing under the shade of a tree, was C.C. And wearing his clothes, no less. What is she doing!?
Kallen, unaware, looks down in slight disappointment. "I see then. Makes sense, I should have known."
Lelouch glares at C.C. who was twirling around in the background. "That girl..." He mutters, clenching his fist.
"Hmm? What? Is something wrong?" Kallen notices that his attention isn't on her and tries to look back, but Lelouch quick grabs her face and force her to look at him solely.
Unfortunately for him, Shirley was walking past a window and saw this. She quickly moves and hides beside it. "No way." She whispers sadly. From where she stood, it looked like Lelouch and Kallen were...
No! That can't be it! There has to be a reason!
Back outside, C.C. grew bored and wander off, Lelouch's eyes on her as she does.
"Um, excuse me?" Remember that he has company, he looks back at Kallen, who was red in the face. "What are you doing?"
"Ah, yes. What indeed?"
Roof, Ashford Academy – Area 11
"Are you insane!?" Lelouch said as he pulled C.C. up to the roof of the academy. "You can't be walking around."
"Don't act strict with me." C.C. walked towards the railing. "I never leave the school grounds, so it's fine."
Lelouch frowns. "It's not fine. You can't just be walking wherever you like. You don't belong here."
"I don't belong anywhere." She mutters. If Lelouch didn't know any better, he would say she sounds slightly mournful.
C.C. looks down at the school from above and notices something peculiar. A female student was carving marks on the wall. "What's with her?"
Lelouch walks up to see as well. "Oh, is she doing it again today?"
"Again?" C.C. looks closer and sees multiple marks on the wall. So this was a daily occurrence?
"She's going to be marking that wall every day now because I used my Geass on her." Lelouch explains.
"Geass?"
"The name of my power. It's what I heard when we first met."
C.C. smiles. "Testing to see how long it last?" She asks, looking at him.
"I need to know the specs of my weapon, don't I? Speaking of which..."Lelouch looks back.
"What? Do you think it'll work on me?" C.C. asks.
Lelouch remains silent.
"Oh relax! We're in this together. I won't do anything to endanger you or this unique partnership between us."
Lelouch looks skeptical of her claim, but he continues. "I've been meaning to ask. What connection does Geass have with Quirks?"
C.C. looks back at the wall. "None."
"Really?" The heavy skepticism in that couldn't be missed.
C.C. shrugs. "What can I say? I don't know or understand how they came to be, but one thing I do know is that Quirks aren't Geass."
Lelouch doesn't entirely believe her, but she is more experienced in these matters than he is. So he couldn't argue.
If that was the case, then what was Geass exactly?
Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11
Suzaku and Euphy looked at the sight before them. The wall holding the photos of the missing and deceased, as well as letters either wishing them well or hoping they are found or returned. There were even makeshift headstones, standing before the wall.
There, the two teenagers stared at the altar. "The Shinjuku Ghetto... ruined again. Sad, people were just starting to come back."
Silence hang as the two looked on in solemn.
"Naw dude, I don't think they would use RG against elevens." Suddenly an unfamiliar voice interrupted the silence as behind them, up a hill, two schoolboys, who were taking pictures of the ruins.
The two frowned at the schoolboys, who were taking pictures of the torn ghetto as if it were a tourist attraction.
Unfortunately, their actions infuriated someone else.
"Hey, you!"
Suddenly, a man with red hair smacked the camera out of the schoolboy's hands.
"GET OUT OF HERE, YOU DAMN BRITANNIAN PIGS!" Tamaki shouted. Yoshida and Minami joined him. They were obviously furious at the blatant disrespect these teenagers had done.
Euphy stared. worried that a confrontation was about to take place. However, Suzaku ditched his bag and ran. "Stay here." He told her.
"How dare a lowly eleven like you tell-"
"Don't call me an eleven! I'M JAPANESE!"
The other schoolboy spoke. "Wrong. You people seem to forget that you lost the fight. You're nothing but a beaten dog."
Tamaki clenched his fist. "Why you... racist motherf-"
"Stop!" Suzaku ran up close to Tamaki. "No violence!"
"Stay out of this!" Tamaki swung his hand, missing Suzaku but knocking his glasses off, revealing who he was.
"Wait, you 're that..." One schoolboy said.
"Are you... Suzaku Kururugi?" Tamaki asked. The schoolboys whisper behind him.
"The one who killed Clovis?"
"You idiot! It was Zero who killed him."
Suzaku looks down at the ground.
Tamaki scoffs. "Big deal! This guy is nothing but a slave." His remark, which was in Japanese, had Suzaku looking at him. "You're an Honorary Britannian. Nobody cares. You sold your pride, your people and even yourself. Yet, you call yourself Japanese!?"
Suzaku's eyes grew large at that. "No, you're wrong. I'm-"
"I'm not wrong!" Tamaki tries to punch Suzaku but fails as Suzaku grabs his wrist as it flies by, grabs him by the chest, and flips him over. Everyone is shocked as they see Tamaki land on his back.
"Please stop." Suzaku looks at him with sorrow. "I'm trained for military combat. Please don't make me fight my own people."
"Like hell we're your people!" Tamaki gets up, angrier than before. But before he could attack again, Minami speaks up. "Come on! Let's go. Leave him." He and Yoshida walk away. Tamaki glares at Suzaku before following them. "Traitor." But not before leaving one insult.
Suzaku stares down at the ground, sadness in his eyes.
"Suzaku!" Euphy rushes up to him, holding his bag. "Are you alright?"
Suzaku looks at her, before giving a small smile. Taking his bag, he replies. "I'm fine."
"Well, I'm not." One schoolboy complains as he picks up his camera. "Just look at my Prime-G and Alex-4."
"Why did you wait?" The other schoolboy said. "Damn, some Honorary Britannian you are."
"Why did you let them go? You should have killed some. What's a few dead Elevens to you? Who do you think was taking care of y-"
SLAP
The camera falls back on the ground as the schoolboy was slapped.
Euphy stood in front of Suzaku, hand raised. "I will not allow you to insult this man any longer, you oafs!" She glared, a cold fury clear in her eyes. Eyes that frightened the schoolboys as they appear to be glowing with her fury. "This man defends you and this is how you repay him? Disgusting!"
"Now, remove yourselves from my presence. I wish no longer to see such disgraces to Britannian- nay, to human society!" The sharp look, combined with the unsettling feeling of vulnerability before her sight, had the boy hightail it out of there.
Suzaku watched in surprise. He didn't know Euphy had it in her to be that angry. Especially for him. It's... heartwarming.
"Thank you, Euphy." Suzaku says. "Sorry for having to drag you into this." He chuckles.
"Suzaku. I have a question."
The sudden request, as well as her, still hasn't turned around, throws him off. "Um, sure."
She finally turns around and looks him dead in the eyes. The odd, piercing feeling was back. It looks as if she was looking down on his soul.
"Why do you fight?"
Suzaku froze. Euphy, however, kept on looking at him, eyes seemingly glowing with intent.
Suzaku looks down in thought. This was a serious question, he could tell.
Suzaku stared at the ground for a while before opening his mouth. "When I was 10, the world was a sad place."
Lelouch's Room, Ashford Academy – Area 11
"To use my Geass, I need to have direct eye contact with my subject." Lelouch states as he looks over the notes on his laptop. "Transparent objects, like eyeglasses, present no problems. The effective range is 270 meters."
He has spent some time of the day studying his Geass, in and out. Out of everything, it's by far the most powerful weapon in his arsenal, so knowing what it can truly do is paramount.
"And the subject appears to have no memories before, during, or after the power has been used. I think this is because of the damage done to the brain subject due to Geass interference. Also, if the signal is optical, I can reflect it."
"In the short time you had it, you learned a lot." C.C. says as she dresses back to her original clothes. Lelouch gets up from his desk and walks to the window. Outside, he sees Nunnally and Sayoko have an afternoon stroll.
"My opponent is an Empire that controls more than a third of the planet. There's no such thing as being too careful." Lelouch says, looking at the two.
"I'd understand if you were an Eleven, but you're Britannian, are you not?" C.C. address him. "Your enemy is too large to just be simply be defeated with Geass alone."
Lelouch agrees. Britannia was the dominant superpower that ruled a part of this world. Even if he had the ability to control someone's mind and bend their will to his, Britannia had far more resources in hand. No matter how he looked at it, they were strong.
"Is it good to be strong?"
However, does that mean he must admit defeat? Just because he is weak?
"Is it wrong to be weak?"
Was that such a crime? To not have power? And to be subject to those who do?
"When I was ten, this world was a sad place."
He doesn't know why he spoke of this to her. Maybe it was to get it off his chest. Or maybe it was him trying to get her to see his view. To understand.
Nevertheless, he spoke. He spoke of the ills that plagued the world.
Hunger.
Disease.
Degeneracy.
Corruption.
War.
"The undeniable cycle of hatred."
No matter where he stood, he could see it. The same mistakes, like they were all trapped in a wheel.
Someone has to break that cycle.
"My, how idealistic." C.C. commented. She honestly didn't expect him to be like this. "And you say you're the one who has to do it?"
Lelouch scoffs. "I'm not so arrogant as to think I could erase all of it. However..."
He wants to make this world better. For the sake of his sister's wish.
"And how do you go making this utopia?" The more she listened, the more interesting he became.
"That's simple." Lelouch turns to C.C. "When someone wins, the fight's over." Demonstrating this, he takes a chess piece and uses it to knock over the King piece.
"Someone?" She raises an eyebrow.
"It doesn't have to be me. Just that somebody wins."
Shinjuku Ghetto
"I don't know if it should be me but..." Suzaku clenches his fists. "If I don't do something, my father's death would have been in vain."
Euphy stood silently as she listened to him finish his speech. The word he spoke sounded like they carried a heavy weight. He has thought long and hard for this, hasn't he?
Yet...
As Euphy stares into his eyes, one thought came to her mind.
Why do you harbor such guilt, Suzaku Kururugi?
Suddenly, an explosion brings their attention to see lots of smoke raising from what appears to be an old stadium.
Stadium, Shinjuku Ghetto – Area 11
Jeremiah cursed his situation.
Earlier this day, he was in a near-constant state of irritation. Last night has been an embarrassing moment for him. Zero, the actual killer of His Highness, the late Prince Clovis, was in front of him.
And he let him go!
When he checked the recordings, he couldn't believe the person on it was him. Yet, the proof was there. Worse yet, he couldn't even remember doing any of that.
And now, his reputation and standing have been ruined. He wasn't blind to the looks he has been getting from his soldiers and comrades. He knows their trust and respect for him had all but vanished. However, he knows one way of getting it back.
Zero.
He'll find that terrorist and bring him to justice! For his Prince and his very honor's sake.
When he received word about Zero's whereabouts, he was excited. Finally! He'll get his chance to redeem himself. And right before Princess Cornelia makes landfall even.
He hopped right into his Knightmare and took off.
Jeremiah cursed again as he thought to himself. I should have seen this coming.
As it turns out, no, Zero was never here at all. What was here, however, was a group of Knightmares waiting to ambush him. All of them Sutherlands.
Worst of all, they were from the Purebloods Faction. His own comrades.
"Jeremiah! You will pay for not bringing justice to the death of Prince Clovis!" Kewell shouted from his Knightmare.
"Kewell, you bastard! You lied about Zero's location, didn't you?" Jeremiah shouts back. He surveys his surroundings, but everywhere he looked he saw a Knightmare blocking his path.
"We have to get rid of all dishonor before Princess Cornelia arrives. This is how we deal with traitors!" And with that, Kewell charges.
Hearing gunfire and heavy thuds, the two teens deduced that a fight had taken place. But by who?
That would have to wait as a truck drove up to them. The doors opened, revealing Lloyd and Cecile.
"Suzaku!" Cecile shouted.
"Miss Cecile." Suzaku and Euphy ran up to the truck.
"It's dangerous here. Get in."
"The Purebloods are having a petty squabble. Better get out of here." Lloyd said. "Oh, by the way, what a shame about your acquittal. Now you're going for me again."
"Wait please." Suzaku stepped forward. "Wouldn't this be an excellent opportunity to gather combat data for the Lancelot?"
Cecile looked surprised, while Lloyd smiled.
"Suzaku." Euphy says faintly.
Suzaku turns to her. "I'm sorry Euphy. I'll have to leave you here. I think I need to do this. With the Lancelot, I can stop them. I have to."
Euphy stared into his eyes, the same thought earlier coming back to her mind.
"Very well then. Here you go." Lloyd throws something at Suzaku who catches it. In his hands was a Capsule. "Inside is the Lancelot. I'm sure you understand what happens next."
Suzaku stares at the Capsule before nodding.
Jeremiah's Knightmare gets knocked down, his gun falls from its hands. A blade comes down, destroying it.
"Damn, this is a 4 on 1 battle. Cowards!" Jeremiah shouts, sweating as he fights. In his Knightmare's hand, a high-powered is activated. But before he could discharge it, a spear pierces the weapon.
"Don't worry, Jeremiah. We'll say you died fighting. Your family's honor will not be tarnished." Kewell states as he jams the lance deeper. He then jumps back as another Knightmare attacks Jeremiah from behind, destroying one of his Landspinners.
"You're serious? You actually intend to kill me!?" Jeremiah attacks back with a massive baton from his arm but misses as his opponent dodges.
"Kewell!" Jeremiah shouts. This was really turning out to be a disaster. He was surrounded, crippled and far away from any friendly forces. Was he really going to die here?
"Silence 'Orange'! We serve the Imperial Family! Why else would we be here!?" Kewell readies his lance and charges. His comrades do the same.
"All Hail Britannia!"
But before they could kill him, a Slash Harken lands in front of Kewell, forcing him to stop. The others stop as well as they see the Slash Harken being reeled back. Up on top of the stadium, they saw it. A familiar white Knightmare.
"Stop it! You're all Britannian soldiers!" Came the familiar voice of the Honorary Britannian.
Jeremiah stared, shocked at what he saw. "It's him. That Honorary Britannian. And the advanced weapon, Lancelot!"
Within Lancelot, Suzaku readied himself.
"What's the Special Corps doing here? Interlopers will dead!" Kewell shouted.
"No, I cannot stand by and watch this senseless bloodshed." And with that, the Lancelot pulled out two blades that had a black handle with golden crossguard. Pinkish light appears in the stem of the swords before the blades turn from white to red in a flash.
Inside his Knightmare, Kewell is looking on in shock. "T-they perfected the MVSs!?" MVS. Maser Vibration Sword. Weapons that use a combination of extremely high oscillation and high temperatures for effective cutting power. But weren't they still in development?
He growls. "Whatever! I'm not giving up now!"
He fires his Slash Harkens at the Lancelot, who dodges them with ease.
"Stop it! We're on the same side!" Suzaku shouts as he continues to dodge the attacks from Kewell and his companions, even slicing up some Slash Harkens with ease.
"Suzaku Kururugi... is saving me?" Jeremiah mutters as he sees the Lancelot land in front of him. One Knightmare attacks with his lance, but Suzaku blocks and kicks their leg, bringing them down.
Kewell rushes in with his lance, but Suzaku takes care of him, his blade slicing through the lance and his arm like a hot knife through butter.
"We can still kill Orange!" Kewell shouted as he sees he was obviously not going to beat the superior Knightmare Frame.
Another Knightmare attacks Jeremiah, which he barely manages to block. Grunting, Jeremiah holds out when suddenly the Sutherland is knocked aside by another Sutherland.
"Lord Jeremiah!" The voice within notices him that this was Villetta.
Earlier, she had noticed strange movements within the Pureblood Faction and investigated. After realizing what was truly going on, she rushed quickly over here to assist him.
Now, with both Villetta and Suzaku in their Knightmares, protecting Jeremiah, the situation had become untenable for the Purebloods. "You still want to fight?" Suzaku calls out, blades ready for anything.
Unknown to all of them, however, is that Euphy was running towards the stadium.
Kewell glares at them before replying. "Men, stand down."
"Kewell?" Villetta is confused. Kewell's isn't usually known for giving up so easily.
"You understand now?" Suzaku says in relief, no longer having to fight.
However, Kewell grabs a cylinder-shaped object from the right hip of the Knightmare. "I'm using a Chaos Mine."
Suzaku's eyes widen. A Chaos Mine? Here!?
Kewell tosses the mine into the air.
From behind, Euphy arrives. "Stop it! Now!"
Everyone heard and saw her. Jeremiah's eyes expressed his shock as he sees her. "What!?"
Mid-air, the Chaos Mine activates and begins spinning, releasing hundreds of dangerous shrapnel, all targeted towards the group.
Including Euphy.
Euphy stares up and sees the danger, before the Lancelot stood before her, blocking the shrapnel with its Blaze Luminous. However, some shots still managed to damage the Knightmare by hitting where the shields didn't reach. Nevertheless, Suzaku stood valiantly, making sure his new friend didn't come to harm.
Soon, the mine runs out and falls to the ground, ammo spent.
Silence hangover the battlefield, everyone processing what just happened.
"That Honorary Britannian... he risked his life to save..." Villetta muttered in surprise.
"Everyone, lower your weapons at once!" Euphy commanded. Walking up to Kewell, she continues. "In my name, I command you!"
Kewell stared in shock, as well as horror, as what he had just done donned on him. "It can't be..."
"I am Euphemia li Britannia. Third Princess of the Holy Empire of Britannia." Euphy, or as she has just proclaimed, Euphemia, glared at the soldiers. "From now on, I'm assuming control. Fall back at once!"
"It really is her. The Princess..." Jeremiah mutters.
Back at the entrance of the stadium, Cecile, who was holding up a riot shield, and Lloyd, who leaned at the entrance with his leg up, watched the proceedings taking place.
"Did you know it was her, Lloyd?"
"Uh-huh. But she's been a student and hasn't made a public debut yet."
"We-we... We're truly sorry Your Highness!" All remaining Knightmares kneeled before her. Suzaku quickly exits his and makes his way to Euphemia. "My Lady!" He stands at attention. "I'm truly sorry, Your Highness, for not recognizing you. Please forgive me."
Euphemia turns to him, an unusually serious look on her face. "Suzaku, you have suffered and lost a lot. Especially on the battlefield." We all have. She thinks back to all her siblings who lost their lives in this corner of the world.
Clovis.
Nunnally.
Lelouch.
She looks him in the eye. "Which is why I ask you this. Will you help me create a world in which no one has to continue suffering?" A soft smile appears on her face.
Suzaku's surprised, but quickly bows before her. "Yes! I'm unworthy of your kindness.
Euphemia's smile softens even more, her eyes glowing more brightly than before.
Tokyo Settlement Airport – Area 11
"I heard what you did, Euphemia. You shouldn't be so reckless."
At the airport sat Princess Cornelia's plane, which had just recently landed. Euphemia stood in front, a row of soldiers behind her, welcoming Cornelia. Another line of soldiers stood behind Cornelia. These were the Royal Guards of Princess Cornelia.
"I'm sorry, sister. Please forgive me." Euphemia said. "But..."
"You'll address me as Viceroy here, Sub-Viceroy Euphemia." Cornelia corrects. "As siblings, we follow a stricter protocol."
"Of course, Viceroy." Euphemia smiles, yet it's quite clear it doesn't reach her eyes. Eyes that were lit with a glow.
Cornelia smiles as well. She looks to the side, where an officer stood. "Now then, give me your report."
The officer raised his hand to his heart. "Yes, my lady. Our first order of business is a welcoming party we have set-" He is soon interrupted as a barrel of a gun stared him down.
"Sloppy. Senile. Corrupt." These words were spoken with such venom, they froze the officer stone cold. Cornelia glared at the officer, her gunblade in hand. "Where is Zero? I want the enemy of the Empire caught!"
"GET ME ZERO!"
Unknown Location
"The public has been getting excited, haven't they, Doktor?"
"Yes, well, it's understandable. Zero certainly has a theatrical ability to draw attention."
"Oh, there's no denying that." The man chuckles. "However, the people are so quick to latch on to something new. First, it was those vigilantes in sailor uniforms, and now it's Zero. And don't get me started with what's happening in China." The man's chuckles turn into cackles. "Even the Fuyuki Settlement is turning out to be interesting judging by our reports! Truly, this is glorious!"
"What would have us do, Major?"
The man, called Major, let out a wide grin. "We will wait, Doktor. We will wait and watch. To see just what these pieces have to offer. And the opportunity for us to join in on the fun."
A/N: Woah, been some time. Sorry for the long wait. Had things to do IRL. Am back, though updates may be slower than before.
On the surface, this chapter may change nothing in the Code Geass world, except for a few instances here and there. However, I left some pretty obvious hints that not everything is as it appears.
This is a Code Geass world that already had some time to process the fact that some people have powers, as well as the amazing tech from Capsule Corp. However, there are things happening not only outside of Tokyo, but even inside.
All in all, hope you enjoyed this chapter. And please leave any constructive criticism. I am here to improve and I can't improve if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.