Taking Revenge On Life.
AN : Hey guys ! It's been a while since I've posted a chapter of this story. For multiple reasons, one of them being that I lost what I was writing. Twice. And I dropped it for a while, second is a lack of motivation in writing fanfictions.
Anyway, I'm back in the game now and I hope this new chapter will satisfy you. Enjoi :D
'Rudolf V. Ivanov, how can I not think that you aren't the epitome of the loser? You don't deserve my wrath. The only thing you deserve is a bullet in the heart.'
Flashback
9/9/2018
Bogota, Imperial Colony of Colombia.
Soon, it would be over.
There would be no more walls, no more overly-resistant glass, no more guards bringing new prisoners each day, no more walls too close to each other, no more humiliating straitjacket, no more of this insipid food served twice a day, no more overly uncomfortable stone bank who was supposed to serve as a bed, no more of these dreams when he was weak enough to sleep, no more never-ending times of thinking, cursing, fearing, rehashing…
Today, all of it will end.
Rudolf Vladimir Ivanov's execution was planned for that day.
And, along with it, the Noble house of Ivanov would die, too.
One day, many centuries ago, a Russian peasant saved the life of the Tsar's only child, and as a reward, received a noble title. One of his descendants, Vladimir, barely escaped an early death caused by the revolution of proletariat. He fled the near-dead Russian Empire and managed to reach Britannia. There, he found his much needed help in the helping hand of the Earl of Bogota, who set up a marriage between Vladimir and his own daughter. In order to show his eternal recognition to Britannia by giving back his life, Vladimir made everything in order to stop the civil war between the South and North of the Empire. Eventually, he succeeded and assured his family a comfortable position. And now, his great-grand son was being incarcerated, simply for belonging to the family of an insurgent.
The young Rudy didn't know if the shouts he heard were real or not. Not like it mattered, anyway. In a couple of hours, the guards would come to draw him out of this cell in order to receive a dozen of rifle bullets, with the courtesy of his Majesty Lelouch vi Britannia.
It would've been so nice of him to end Rudy's sufferings quickly, but no, he had to stay in this cell for one month, two weeks, three days… the clock in front of his cell was keeping him from losing the track of the time. It was a worse sentence than death, Rudolf thought, to destroy one's family, homeland, honor, and let him lose one's sanity, day after day.
His father, Lord Alexis, had been pushed into insurgence when Lelouch stripped him from his rank, along with every other nobles of the Empire. And then, what did Rudolf do to avenge him? Nothing, he did nothing but hide. But what could he do? His supports, or rather his fathers, were either dead or refused to speak to him. That was when Rudy realized that he was completely and entirely alone. He had never made any true friends, and now, the two people he cared about were gone. His sister Catherine, who served in the Britannian Army, died in the line of duty earlier that year.
At least her honor was safe.
Yeah, that was how Rudolf was supposed to think. A post-mortem medal and a name on a memorial couldn't appease his sorrow. How could it? The only beings whom he cared about in this twisted World were dead. His father was like an inspiration to him, and Catherine… his sister was probably the only person he truly loved in this twisted World.
The thing that appeased him a little bit right now was that he would join her today.
The Ninth of September.
"Happy Birthday, big sister." Rudy mumbled weakly.
And then, just when he said that, the guards opened his cell. At this moment, the young Lord Ivanov was so sure that they came for sending him before a firing squad. The words the guard said to him would be graved to his head for the rest of his life.
"You're free." One of the guards declared. "Lelouch vi Britannia is dead, he has been killed by Zero."
Rudolf couldn't remember how relieved he felt when he heard these words, and how grateful to Zero he had been back then. However he remembered that it gave him the strength to move on, and the will to take revenge on life…
"If only what I heard was the truth, back then…" Rudolf muttered aloud. "Things would've been so much better. Or were they?" Two days later, a friend of his father, Lord Henderson, had stated that Zero couldn't have been Zero since he was Zero in the first place. It felt like a betrayal in his heart, and until then Rudolf didn't trust any of these fake messiah's followers. On top of that, his alliance with the Hendersons and Novak allowed him to restore his familly's fortune in the blink of an eye.
And now, the leader of the Britannian National Front was in Bogota, on the parliament of Colombia, witnessing the demise of Prime Minister Jimenez from his deputy seat, located at far-right of the assembly.
"And it is with great sadness that I must cede to this harassment from the Medias." Jimenez declared to the assembly. "And I declare officially my demission from the government."
Four years before, his 'comrade' and business partner Andrej Novak had set up a trap on the man who would have one day become the leader of Colombia: when Jimenez was stopped by a red light upon driving his car, a pretty teenage girl ran to him, feigning to be running from someone. Jimenez, just like any normal human being would do, let the girl in and drove her away from her 'assaulter'. Then, in order to thank him, the girl kissed Jimenez, allowing some hidden paparazzi to take a really nice photo of a politician snogging a minor prostitute. Because yes, the girl was minor, and sold her body to people. And this time, she had been paid to do this little bit of acting, in exchange for a bit of money. What would people do for money these days? In any case, the photos were kept during four years and the White Knights waited the good moment to publish them. And this good moment was right now.
The former Prime Minister Jimenez left the assembly under the shouts and protests of the deputies, who were mostly from the right wing.
The president of the parliament spoke up. "Silence. Silence!"
But the deputies didn't obey.
"Please." The old man pleaded, but it was useless. "The vice-Minister Enrico Smith will assume the interim, until a new head is elected by the people in next years' elections…"
Suddenly, Ivanov stood up, and, with a wave of his hand, ordered them to be silent. The protests faded away immediately.
'Do you see that, old man?' Rudolf thought smugly. 'Unlike you, I hold the real power in my hand.'
The leader of the opposition left his seat and reached the stairs. He descended them slowly.
"Where are you going? I don't recall giving you the permission to speak, Lord Ivanov." The old president said sternly. "Lord Ivanov?"
Rudolf didn't listen to him. He advanced to the central tribune and climbed up the stairs on the right.
"Lord Ivanov?" The president continued his rant. "This behavior is unfit for this assembly!"
The deputies were staring at him with wide eyes. In twenty years no one showed that few respect for a democratic institution.
"I'm sorry, mister president, that I have allowed myself to speak." Rudolf Ivanov began on a light tone. "If being disobedient is my crime, then I stand guilty."
He could hear a few laughs in the assembly. Rudolf smirked for a second, and then took a more stern expression.
"Raul Jimenez was the leader of this glorious country that is Colombia." Ivanov said. "And who put him here? The answer seems obvious to me. We are in a democracy, if I still recall, so the Colombians were the one who put him here."
"Are you blaming the people for his election?" The old president mused.
Rudolf refused to laugh and shook his head. "Can I blame them for believing that Jimenez was a proper human being? Hardly. We ourselves were far from knowing who he really was." Then he stared at the left wing of the parliament with a nasty glare. "However, I cannot help but believe that some of his closest friends knew his … illegal tendencies."
This time, the protests came from the left wing of the parliament.
"Can we really trust those who put a pedophile on a pedestal?!" Ivanov exclaimed, feigning indignation perfectly. "Can we truly trust a government who betrayed us? The answer is obvious, I think."
This time, no one dared to interrupt him.
"These new events have confirmed my resolve." Ivanov said. "This government is rotten. And yet, it is still supported by the crown, and the Black Knights. I do believe it is the right time to prove our integrity and our independence. I demand a vote of no confidence!"
Los Angeles
At a commercial centre, a certain blonde young woman accidently bumped into a young man by storming out of the hairdresser.
"I'm, ahem, sorry." Bianca said apologetically while scratching her head in embarrassment. "I wasn't looking in front of me."
The man just smiled at her. "No harm done."
Then he stared at her more closely, and his expression changed.
"Sonia, is that you?"
Bianca was taken aback by his question. "No, my name's Bianca." She corrected a bit too quickly. Then she realized that this guy probably knew her as 'Sonia Weinberg', which was a freaking coincidence, considering how big this city was.
The guy blinked for a few seconds, then said "Oh, forgive me then."
Bianca's first thought was 'why the heck does he apologize for? I'm the one who's bumped into him.' But then she realized that he was just being nice.
So she invited him for lunch. At a pizzeria not so far from there that she noticed a few moments ago. The guy accepted, much to her satisfaction, then Bianca reminded that she wouldn't be able to pay because of her not knowing "her" credit card number.
"You said your name was Kenzo, right?" Bianca asked casually once they were settled on a table.
Kenzo nodded. "Yes. And you're Bianca, isn't it?"
There was something completely casual in a discussion between two young adults during a lunch. But casual things were not meaningless ones, and this discussion, or even this encounter, was one of the things that could change the march of time drastically.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"So…" Kenzo asked tentatively. "You're from Italy?"
Bianca let out a small laugh. "Nah, I'm Americ…" She paused, realizing her mistake. "Britannian. I'm a bit Japanese too, but I don't think I have Italian origins."
"You're Japanese? me too!" He exclaimed in his native language.
Bianca grinned. "Ah, It's cool to speak my mother tongue with someone else than my family." She said happily.
"Yeah." Kenzo replied, smiling too. "Since I moved from Japan five years ago I didn't have much the occasion to speak Japanese."
"Where are you from?" Bianca asked with curiosity.
"Shinjuku." Kenzo said. "Well that's where I grew up, not where I come from. I was born in Vietnam."
That peaked her interest. "Vietnam?"
He nodded with a sad smile. "I've been adopted. I spent my first three years in an orphanage and I would've spent fifteen more if a couple of Black Knights didn't came here to take me as their child."
Bianca lowered her eyes. "Oh, sorry to bring that up."
Kenzo smiled reassuringly. "Arara, don't be. It's the case of many people from my generation, you know."
She raised an eyebrow. "Your generation?"
Kenzo shrugged. "Yeah, kids from the 2010s. Although I'm lucky, I don't remember things from that time considering I'm born at the very end, in summer 18…"
Bianca winced. She knew that Kenzo was talking about the war between Britannia and the rest of the World. A war triggered by Zero and her father, two people she deeply admired… and also her own grand-father Charles, a ruler that she respected, despite all of his cruelty, and despite all the hate her father felt about him.
"I wonder…" Kenzo said absently, in a low tone. "I wonder if those twenty five years of peace were just a passing era, if humans were just unable to contain their murderous pulses…"
Just when he said that, the waiter came with their pizzas.
"Nevermind, I'm digressing." Kenzo said quickly. "Thank you, sir." He said to the waiter.
"Buon Apettito!" Bianca said cheerfully, before slicing her 4 cheese Pizza.
A few moments later, when they finished eating, Kenzo continued the conversation.
"So, Bianca." He said, a bit hesitantly. "What are you doing in life?"
"For now, nothing." She replied simply with a grin.
Kenzo raised an eyebrow. "You're unemployed?"
Bianca thought about her future job in Mexico and how she'd probably never be able to work there. "For now, yes. In fact I just got my diploma."
"Uh uh."
"In International law, if you wanna know." Bianca said.
"Do you want to be a lawyer or something like that?" Kenzo asked with curiosity.
Bianca shook her head. "Nah, I wanna be a politician."
Kenzo had to repress a laugh.
She pouted. "Why is that so funny?"
He wiped an imaginary tear off his face.
"Nothing, it's just I don't see you acting like those cheap demagogues." Kenzo admitted.
Bianca chuckled. "I see. That's because I will not be a cheap demagogue." She finished with a smirk.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
She took a sip of her beer and continued. "Yeah, I'm going to go straight to the top, but with actions, not with perfumed promises and advices I'm not going to follow."
"And how are you gonna do it?" Kenzo asked, while Bianca took another sip of her beer.
"My father taught me how to deal with these people." Bianca said. "He taught me how to rouse crowds, win supports, and many other useful things."
Kenzo was now very interested by the turn of the conversation. "And what is your father's job?"
Bianca shrugged. "He's a lobbyist." She decided to tell the minimum to Kenzo rather than let slip that she was Lelouch's daughter. "He acts as a middleman in contracts between countries and corporation." That was true, among other things. Her father ruled a bureau in the United Federation of Nations that granted him influence in every world country's parliaments. Lelouch was also working in close collaboration with the International Monetary Fund and the Office Against Corruption. In clear, they were in his pocket. He had as much as power as the Supreme Chairman of the UFN, Makasi Eboto, maybe more.
"And you wish to follow his footsteps." Kenzo said rhetorically.
She shook her head. "Yes and no. I plan on making my own career. The Foreign Affairs Department, the Congress, perhaps a post of Minister, I'll gain what I lack the most: experience. And then I'll aim for the top of the pyramid."
"The post of the UFN's Supreme Chairman?" He asked.
First piece of information. The UFN indeed existed in this world. "Yup. I shall lead the World to a better tomorrow." She said, half-joking.
Kenzo sighed. "I hope you'll succeed then." He said in a murmur, but deep inside it sounded like a prayer.
Second World
Sonia Weinberg woke up with a start, sweating and panting.
She had made a nightmare, an oddly realistic nightmare but a nightmare nonetheless. She had dreamed that she possessed the body of her mother and Lelouch vi freaking Britannia's daughter. Sonia put a hand at the left side of the bed to see if Chigusa was still speeping. She was already up. But why was it so damn dark in the room? If it was the day Sonia would see a bit of light through the window's curtains. So, maybe it was still the night.
Sonia stood up and stretched her arms. Maybe it was the night, but Sonia was thirsty. Today, or tomorrow, would be the day, she thought, the day she'd finally do something of her life and enlist in the Black Knights. Even if she enjoyed it, Sonia couldn't possibly be a bartender all of her life and she knew it.
She walked to the door to see if she could bring some light into the place. By feeling the walls she found a light switcher, or something similar. It was strange, Sonia didn't remember any light switcher being there.
Sonia turned the light on, and, surprise!
It wasn't her room.
Sonia blinked. Once. Twice.
The room was a typical post-teenage girl's one, or boys, really Sonia didn't really know. At least she hoped it was a girl one, because sleeping on a boys' bed wasn't her cup of tea. There were posters of the universe, a globe of the world, two computers, a TV and a couple of game stations. Clothes were on the floor. Girls' clothes, she guessed. Sonia went to the desk and found a couple of notes on foreign language vocabulary : Russian, Arabic and what she guessed was Romanian. There were many books on law too, put next to Karate winning cups and chess trophies. Sonia noticed a photo posed on the desk : two brown-haired girls and a blond guy were grinning at the camera, in front of the sea. Sonia guessed she was in the room of one of the two young women.
Sonia posed the photo, and watched the surroundings. 'I hope I've not slept with one of these two… oh shit." She said the last two words aloud.
Sonia's eyes stopped on a mirror in front of her.
She was one of the two girls.
It wasn't a nightmare.
It was reality.
Sonia was now the daughter of Lelouch vi Freaking Britannia…
First World
"And what about you?" Bianca Lamperouge asked finally to the mysterious young man named Kenzo. "What do you do in life?"
Kenzo sighed. "Me? Ah, I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you." It seemed in his tone that he wanted to brag about it, but that for some reason he wouldn't. "I'm Lieutenant of the Bakisu."
Bianca cocked her head. "Bakisu? What is that?"
Kenzo blinked in confusion. "You don't know? Well maybe we don't use that nickname in that side of the Pacific." Oddly, he switched to English. Or Britannish, maybe it was the official name of the language here. "It's the BKIS. Some pronounce it 'BeeKayIce' or 'BaKiSu' or 'BayKahiSs'. It stands for Black Knights Intelligence Service."
Oddly, Bianca's eyes were sparkling with interest. "Oh, you're a secret agent?"
Kenzo nodded with a smug smirk. "Yup."
"Like in the movies?" She asked with a childish grin that somehow looked cute on her.
He laughed. "Well, not really."
"Oh." She showed some genuine disappointment.
"Well, I did do some infiltration in the past." Kenzo admitted. "But now I'm mostly doing a bureau job."
She raised her head. "What do you do? If it isn't indiscrete…"
Kenzo chuckled. "Well I can tell you in the grand lines I think…"
"Okay." Bianca replied with a grin.
"I'm mostly investigating on companies specialized in security, mostly those that 'protects' corporations in sensible area."
Bianca was thoughtful. "I've read an article on this. Some of them are using it as a facade to do mercenary jobs."
Kenzo nodded. "Exactly." He was glad that his interlocutor knew a bit on the subject. "The Black Knights are the only authorized military forces in the UFN territory, which three years ago still consisted of the entire World, and now, as a pure and genuine coincidence, most of the security comps that are suspected in being Private Armies have moved their social seats to Brazil, Russia, or South Africa. Half of them didn't have to, oddly enough…"
That gave… a lot of information to Bianca.
"You find well your suspects it seems." She said simply. "And that poses diplomatic problems for investigation."
Kenzo shrugged. "Independent countries can do whatever they want with the federal law. But if they ever operate on the UFN territory they will be prosecuted."
Bianca wondered if there was any difference between 'Federal Law' and 'International Law' in this World, as if they didn't take time to anticipate the fact that some country would leave the UFN and thus break free from the Federal Law, but not from the International one. Better not ask Kenzo, she was supposed to know the thing better than him.
"Yup." She simply nodded.
"On top of that, the hierarchy fears scandals more than war itself so we have to respect the procedure to the letter." Kenzo said annoyingly.
Bianca rolled her eyes. "I hate that word. The procedure is made so you can be predictable, and you don't get results in Intelligence if you are predictable."
Kenzo chuckled bitterly. "Amen. A shame you're not my superior."
"I could be one day." She joked.
After a moment where neither of them spoke, Kenzo smiled. "I'm glad to find someone that still respects my job, it is so rare nowadays."
Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? But you're part of the Black Knights, and they're the knights of justice."
Kenzo snorted. "Knights of Justice… it is only used sarcastically nowadays." He said bitterly. "Now we're either seen as useless or evil goons that want control and interfere with other people's business."
She lowered her eyes. Bianca admired the Black Knights, mostly because they managed the impossible by changing the World for the better, but she also knew that 'governing' was tougher than 'winning'. Her father told her that, in times of peace and prosperity, the people tended to forget from whom they owed that peace. "It's the new generation, they grew up in peace and don't know what it was like…" Bianca said finally. "I don't truly know either, but I trust my parents' words, and I owe a debt I cannot repay to the Black Knights, and whoever fought for our rights, and I think it should be the same for everyone."
Kenzo stared at her with profound respect and gratitude. "Yeah, me too. I enlisted to honor my parent's struggle for justice. Most people prefer to care at the present rather than history, and now, the politicians on our side only use us as a tool of intimidation against their foes, while the others disrespect us, and meanwhile our superiors don't let us do our jobs correctly. Brazil becomes stronger and stronger every day, the UFN lost state members again, and while a half believes that those outside of the Alliance are evil, the other half is calling us evil. There's an ideological war going on and we can't do a damn against that…"
Second World
Sonia Weinberg was wandering in the Aries Villa, trying to find someone. The house seemed empty, there were no servants, which was odd. In a corridor of the first floor she found a door with a paper stuck on it. It was a drawing made by a child: 'Dad's office' was written.
Sonia couldn't help but smile.
She knew it was wrong but she tried to open the door. It was an old mechanical system, which disappeared in the last century with the democratization of the electronic doors.
Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked.
And Lelouch was on his office.
'Shit.' Sonia cursed in her mind.
"Yes, Diego, Bianca is indisposed at the moment." Lelouch said at the phone. He noticed her entering his office but showed no sign of disapproval or annoyance. He just greeted her with a simple nod. "No, no, nothing too serious, don't worry." He lied.
Lelouch invited Sonia to sit on a chair while he listened to his interlocutor on the phone. Sonia closed the door.
"I'll tell her." He said. "Thank you for your comprehension Diego. Have a good day."
Lelouch hung up the phone. "Hello Sonia." He said neutrally once she sat in front of him.
"You're all alone in the house?" Sonia asked casually.
Lelouch shrugged. "Naoto's still sleeping. Kallen is already on the military base, and Nunnally has gone to see her physiotherapist."
"Oh." Sonia simply said. "And you're not working."
"I do." He replied. "But today, I decided to work here."
Sonia looked at the surroundings. There were many photos of Lelouch's children in different places of the World. Sometimes they were with Sonia's mother, Lelouch himself, which somehow irritated Sonia, an old woman that she identified as her grand-mother. In one photo, next to her there was a man whom she couldn't ever hope to see, her grandfather that had already an advanced age. Kallen's father had passed away in the Pendragon bombing and Sonia hadn't met him.
"It is hard to believe, isn't it?" Lelouch's voice snapped her thoughts. She turned her head quickly.
"I…" Sonia didn't know what to say. "It goes beyond any logic."
Lelouch nodded. "Yes." He stared passively at his stepdaughter from another world.
"But… How?" Sonia asked simply.
Lelouch closed his eyes. "I don't know. There are phenomenons that we humans cannot understand."
Sonia stayed silent for a moment, trying to find her next question.
"How's the World going on here?" Sonia finally asked.
"Pretty fine." Lelouch replied simply. "Zero led a war against the Empire and succeeded. However…" There was some sorrow in his tone. "She died shortly after, taking a bullet that was for me."
Sonia widened her eyes. The revelation of Zero's gender was surprising at first, but then again, it was possible that Zero was a woman.
"I'm sorry." She said honestly.
"It's been 23 years now, and I've taken the lead with a couple of its proud followers. Euphemia is leading the Black Knights…"
Sonia widened her eyes again. "What?"
"Yes." Lelouch said, unable to hide his guilt. "In this World my half-sister is one of the kindest person on the planet, proud successor of Zero and builder of a peaceful society."
Sonia observed the man that was depicted as a monster in her World. For the first time she was seeing the human being behind that face. The man that has lost his daughter, the man that knew his sister, and even himself are monsters in Sonia's eyes, and he had to suffer that gaze from the woman that was now looking through his daughter's eyes…
"Why did it go so wrong?" Sonia muttered simply. "If here, you are a decent human being, then how…?"
"Decisions that has been taken." Lelouch replied. "Mistakes that have been made. Encounters that didn't happen. An event can cause a person to become a murderer, or to the contrary, change its fate for the better."
For a moment, Sonia wondered if he… no, that couldn't happen. But he knew so much about the two worlds… no, it couldn't happen.
"I'm curious though." Lelouch said suddenly. "What's going on in the reality you come from?"
Sonia wondered if it was mere curiosity or if it were something more.
"After Lel…" She stopped. "After your alter-ego died there has been peace, prosperity and unity. After 25 years there is still peace…"
She couldn't help but notice the relief in Lelouch's face. "… but prosperity not so much, and unity even less."
Lelouch had all her attention. "Tell me what is happening."
Sonia cleared her throat. "Well…" She began, wondering if she'd tell him what she knew or just what everyone knew. "First, bad politics had brought up will of independence from the UFN, but it is more complex than that…"
Then Sonia told him everything she knew. She didn't know exactly why, but she felt this Lelouch could be trusted, and if there were someone able to help it would be him. Sonia told him what Alexander said, the alliances between South American corporations and Mercenary companies that created a group called the White Knights. Lelouch had snorted "How unoriginal" and she couldn't agree more.
She spoke about the total control the WK had over a nationalistic party, the BNF, and its implication in actions against Britannia. Sonia told her that a massive conspiracy had been in place to make Brazil secede from Britannia and it succeeded, causing mistrust in the system created by Zero and the Black Knights.
And then, perhaps she didn't intended at first, but Sonia told Lelouch about her encounter with Alexander Ivanov the night before, and told him that a group of people were planning to restore the old system and tried to sack down the Empress' authority on her subjects for more than twenty years.
Lelouch digested Sonia's declaration and stayed silent for a minute, thinking at the implications of what this World, this universe that had seen him born and where he grew up, learned life and waged one of the most violent wars of its existence.
"It's my fault." Lelouch muttered.
Sonia widened her eyes. His voice was so low so she wasn't sure of what he just said…
'I've brought too much people to this timeline. Suzaku, Nunnally, Kallen…' Lelouch thought. 'And now the World is left under the hands of bigotry and injustice…. And my Bianca is there…'
He widened his eyes. 'Maybe it is …' Then he shook his head. 'No, it is foolish. It was just a mere coincidence. Or was it?'
"Thank you for telling me everything." Lelouch said gratefully. "Do you know how Cornelia is?"
Sonia was surprised by his question. "Princess Cornelia? She is retired and has a son."
"When did she retire?" Lelouch asked.
"Before I was even born." Sonia said.
Lelouch couldn't help but feeling some satisfaction and relief. 'Okay, so my first Geass command still works on the other side. I've ordered her not to harm anybody and she did so by retiring. This means I can put my plan in motion.'
"You talked about Rudolf Ivanov." Lelouch said.
Sonia nodded. "He's one of the first members of the White Knights and a political leader."
Lelouch frowned. "I know Ivanov."
She widened her eyes. "Really?"
Lelouch took his phone. "Yes. Bianca and his daughter are friends. In this World he is all but dangerous though."
"What are you going to do?" Sonia asked, digesting the information that Alex was a girl in this timeline. She was glad she wasn't in a boy's body right now…
"Ivanov is the key." Lelouch said while composing a number. "If his son knows that much then he is aware of everything. The plan, the members, the facilities…"
Sonia blinked. "But, this Ivanov and the one responsible are not the same. They aren't…"
Lelouch showed her his right eye.
"… from the same world. Oh I see… Geass."
"I've put a special lens on it so I can't use it by accident." Lelouch explained. Then he composed a number.
"Diethard." Lelouch said, and then a blonde haired man appeared on the screen.
"Lelouch." The man said, and then addressed a greeting nod to Sonia. "Bianca."
"I need you to localize, and arrest a man for me, and bring him to the CIA headquarters so I can interrogate him myself."
Diethard nodded. "Sure, who is it?"
"Rudolf Ivanov."
Diethard didn't even show a hint of surprise. It was surely an everyday job for him. He checked on his computer and, after 30 seconds of searching, said. "Ivanov has taken a plane for Bogota this morning."
"Fine." Lelouch said abruptly. "Tell the bureau of Bogota to pick him at the Airport."
"Yes, your Highness." Diethard said, nodding.
"Don't call me that." Lelouch groaned.
The screen went off.
Sonia turned to see Lelouch. "Do you think you can do something to prevent what will happen?"
He nodded, then smirked. "I have a plan."
First World
Bianca stared at Kenzo absently. She met him only a moment ago and the feeling was good. He wasn't like the jerks she was accustomed to see. Whether it were dudes with a weak spirit and annoying center of interests, or just that they were insufferable, Bianca didn't have any chance with boys. A part of her believed that those that was interested in her were only the wrong ones, but another part of her wondered if the problem came from herself. Maybe it was the fear of being dependent from someone, or the fear that someone would see her true self. In any case, Bianca could very well live without these kinds of relationships.
"I've got to go back to the base." Kenzo said, snapping her thoughts.
He stood up and gave a 50 pounds note to the waiter.
"Thanks for paying my part." Bianca said, grinning. "I'll pay you back when my credit card is fixed."
Kenzo smiled. "No, don't worry, it's on my…"
"Nope." Bianca interrupted him. "You won't get away that easily." She grinned.
Kenzo smiled. "Alright, alright, I surrender. You won." He said lightly. Then he took out a piece of paper and wrote a serial of numbers.
"Here's my number." Kenzo said, giving the paper to Bianca. "Call me whenever you want."
"I will." Bianca winked and took the paper.
They went outside of the restaurant.
"Good bye Bianca, it was nice meeting you." Kenzo said.
"Yeah, it was cool." She said absently. "Until next time."
They went into separate ways.
Bianca walked in the commercial center, a grin on her face. Today she met a guy who wasn't like any others, who shared her views on the world and who didn't look like an idiot. For once, she had the impression that she'd find her way in this World, and more importantly, her place.
Bianca stopped when seeing a cybercafé in front of her. She still had 20 pounds on her, which would be useful for small spending.
'Ah, Internet.' Bianca thought in satisfaction. 'Just the exact thing I need. I can't just ask things to people, they'll ask too much questions. Now I can search whatever I want in privacy. I wonder how is father, mother, uncle Suzaku, and aunt Euphemia…'
She entered the cybercafé, completely unaware of the things she would learn there.
Britannian Consulate in Bogota
If there was one word to describe the mood right now, then panic would be the most suited one.
"Ivanov will not have the majority, has he?"
"The conservative group is on our side, isn't it?"
"What about the sovereign party from the far-left, they can't possibly rally to the BNF?"
"How can you tell? They basically want the same thing."
"The real question is: will those who supported the government will all vote "no" to the motion or not? What do you think, your Highness?"
William de Britannia had enough of their constant agitation, as if it would change a thing to panic at this moment. The one who truly could achieve its goals was the one that thought calmly and stayed pragmatic in the most sensible of situations.
He went to the private parts of the Consulate and, before opening the door, turned to see his collaborators.
"In three hours, I will hold a videoconference with the Britannian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the president of the Colombian Parliament." William said coldly. "Until then, no one dares to bother me, even if there is a nuclear attack. I'm going to rest, please refer to my assistant for important matters."
Then he closed the door, leaving his collaborators dumbfounded. William knew how to be respected, contrary to his sister who was being manipulated to the so-called gentle leaders from the UFN. It was for this reason that he couldn't give up, that he supported all of this. In order to bring a certain respect to Britannia, all of this had to be done.
William entered his bedroom and, instead of going to his bed, went to the mirror at the other side of the room.
From his pocket, he took out a white ring and put it on one of his fingers.
It was the White Knights ring.
William passed the ring on a scanner and an hidden door behind the mirror opened, revealing a corridor and an elevator.
He walked right into it and closed the door.
Second World
It had been 30 minutes now that Sonia Weinberg was in Lelouch's office, observing him closely doing his job.
"You don't mind working in my presence?" She asked, as Lelouch was typing on his computer.
Lelouch shrugged. "Not really. I'm accustomed in Bianca's presence in my office."
Sonia raised an eyebrow. "She is allowed to see you work?"
Lelouch nodded. "Since her 10th name day. That's how she got most of the tricks, but observing me doing my job."
Sonia was skeptic. "You forced her to become your heir or something like that?"
Lelouch stopped typing and stared at her. "Not at all. Bianca was interested in what I was doing."
Sonia was still skeptic. "But maybe, maybe you did what was necessary in order to make her interested in your job, in order to make her your heir."
Lelouch's attention was now full focused on Sonia. "What are you getting at?"
Sonia kept the eye contact. Purple eyes against Purple eyes.
"Are you the Demon?" She asked coldly.
Lelouch had a hard time hiding the fact that her question destabilized him.
"You know how much it hurts hearing that with my daughter's eyes?" He said in low tone.
Sonia didn't care. "Are you, or are you not?" She asked imperiously.
Lelouch's phone ring saved him.
He picked up the phone and turned on the screen. "Yes, Diethard?"
Diethard's face was the only thing Lelouch needed to understand that things were not so well.
"There had been an accident." The director of the CIA said. "The plane Ivanov took crashed near the Mexican border. There is no chance for survivors."
Lelouch and Sonia both widened their eyes at the same time. "How…"
Hundred of thoughts entered Lelouch's mind.
"What do I do, sir?" Diethard asked.
"The usual stuff." Lelouch replied quickly. "I let you handle this crisis."
Diethard Ried nodded. "Yes, sir."
Then Lelouch hung up his phone, and then threw it on the table.
"Shit!" He snarled.
Sonia was surprised, she'd thought that Lelouch wouldn't deliberately show his anger.
"Is it such a bad thing?" She asked. "There are others…"
"It will be the same!" Lelouch snapped.
Sonia stayed silent.
'Shit!' Lelouch thought. 'It is more serious than I thought. It was like reality itself doesn't want me to interfere in the other world's fate. Or maybe it was just a coincidence? No, it is too big. I'm sure of it now, what happened this morning was not a coincidence. Everything was done so Bianca would be into this World, into the World that has seen my darkest self…'
'Lelouch vi Britannia, 99th Emperor of the Realm, is one of the most evil, bloodthirsty and destructor ruler this Earth has seen…'
'Is God trying to punish me for what I have done?'
'He is responsible for the death of 200 Million people.'
'Is he hoping that Bianca could fix my mistakes or does he only wants to hurt me, knowing that she won't go back home?'
'He destroyed entire families, entire populations, entire cultures and identities.'
'I'm sure of it. What happens today is a Divine Intervention.'
'Until his death by Zero, as some call 'The Divine Intervention', Emperor Lelouch ruled over the entire planet.'
"Do you think they will make it?" Sonia asked with a worried tone. "Do you think it is possible that they will achieve their goals no matter how hard we try?"
'No matter how hard they tried, rebellions were always severely repressed.'
Lelouch stared at her. "You know, if a dozen of people can change the world for the better, a dozen of people can change it for the worst."
'Lelouch is completely different from his successor, his full-flooded sister, who fought him during the last war.'
"And, if someone can destroy millions of lives then become a happy father and a happy husband, everything is possible."
'Lelouch is commonly called "The Demon Emperor".'
"Yes, I am the Demon."
In another World, in another reality, a certain Bianca was reading an article about Lelouch vi Britannia.
Her father.
"No…" She said weakly. "It is not possible…."
In Bogota, a certain William was entering an underground complex, just below the Maximilian Tower, named after the 97th Britannian Emperor and social siege of the B&N Media Center.
He stood right on his spot, where fourteen other people were standing in circle. There were the leader of a mercenary group, a lawyer, a director of an intelligence agency, the President of Brazil, the CEO of a Media company, a political leader, and other people of influence.
A hologram appeared on the center of the circle.
What can I say about this man? He was wearing everything in White. His gloves were white, his mask was white, and his clothes were white. Even his hair was white. The only thing that sorted out of the ordinary was those ice blue eyes that were observing each one of them.
"Welcome, gentlemen, to this White Knights inner circle meeting. The time has come. Our twenty-year plan will now be put in motion."
Infinity has made his appearance.
