Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion/Code Geass - Hangyaku no Lelouch: Lost Soldiers
by: Ominae
Rating: T
NOTE:
All character of Code Geass are under the copyright of Goro Taniguchi, Sunrise, CLAMP and Bandai Entertainment. All other characters are under my jurisdiction.
Summary:
With Zero and the Lost Soldiers in place, a plan is seemingly hatched to defeat Kusakabe's JLF faction and rescue the hostages. But what is this plan? Will they be able to escape alive and enact their plan in time? Stay tune to this chapter to find out.
Chapter 6: Big Debut
Bridge, G-1 Base, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"What the hell's going on out there?"
Ambrosia yelled, seeing the screens in the G-1's bridge showing multiple explosions taking place at the Westin Lake Kawaguchi Hotel.
"The hotel..." Clovis was too shocked to see the hotel blown up. "It's gone. It's all gone..."
"Did the JLF commit suicide along with the hostages?" Darlton gritted his teeth, angry at the scene unfolding in front of him. "I can't believe that they still hold on to that crazy belief of theirs, dammit!"
After Clovis, Ambrosia, Darlton and Guilford watched the hotel crumble to the ground, the screens then blacked out for a few seconds before it showed some vertical colored lines.
"What's the meaning of this?!" Guilford called on bridge personnel regarding the status of the screens.
"I don't know!" One of the technicians went forth to check on the screens. "It seems our signal's been hijacked."
"By who?" Ambrosia asked the technician. The technician, in response, only shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know about it, your Highness. We can't seem to trace it!"
"Greetings and good evening, Britannia!"
Zero's helmeted face appeared on the screens, merely showing his head.
"Who the hell is he?" Guilford was alarmed, seeing Zero on the screens.
"As you may not know, all the hostages are safe." He raised a fist in the air. "Delivered from the jaws of the renegade JLF faction safely to their freedom."
Ambrosia and Clovis couldn't help but watch as CO19 and Britannian SAS operators assisted the people in several lifeboats, alive and well from their ordeal in the Westin Lake Kawaguchi hotel.
"But they are not the only ones at fault for tonight!" Zero's voice boomed on the bridge's audio speakers. "For as you Britannians may not know by now, Prince Clovis himself had ordered the massacre of Japanese at the former city of Shinjuku." He clenched his fists, speaking very slowly. "And among those killed was a Jesuit priest named Jack McNeil of the Society of Jesus. Him of all people!"
A photo of Father McNeil was briefly shown on television before Zero's head appeared once again on the widescreen.
"I want each and everyone on you to know that starting from today," Zero extended his muscular arms, the cape gently moving from the movement of his arms. "I will be fighting against those who would lay a hand on helpless Britannians, Japanese or anyone who feels oppressed. I warn you, I won't leave anything unturned if an atrocity like that happens ever again."
Spotlights were suddenly turned on from nearby; the camera zooming back to show him standing on a yacht. Behind him were several unknown individuals, who also had the same tulip-shaped helmet as him with the exception of their sneaking-type suits.
"We, the Order of the Black Knights, shall make haste to protect those who are in need of help!" Zero raised his hands, cape moving once again due to body movement. "I'm officially declaring war against those who are willing to oppress the weak without any second thought!"
Silence came down on the bridge, alarmed by Zero's words.
"I'm not the only one who is ready to fight against the wicked and the corrupt." Zero, with his right arm, gestured to his right. Spotlights came on a dark portion of the yacht, revealing a few familiar faces.
"Also from today," declared Zero. "the Lost Soldiers shall be also fighting against the same people we are ready to face in battle!"
Dammit! Darlton gritted his teeth. It's them...
"Cut the feed now!" Clovis ordered the communications officers to end the feed as directed by Zero.
"We can't do it, your Highness!" One of the officers told Clovis. "It's coming from an outside source! I can't seem to hack it..."
"You seem to know something about these..." Guilford spoke to Darlton, seeing him alarmed. "Lost Soldiers on the widescreen just about now."
"Get the forces to withdraw after the hostages are secured." Clovis ordered the bridge personnel. He placed a hand on his face. Dammit. Now's not a good time for this...
Nunnally's Room, Clubhouse, Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11
"AAAHHHHH!!!"
Nunnally was in her bed, being tended to by Alice and Sayoko as Lelouch and Cornelia were attending school-related tasks in Ashford Academy since it was a weekday.
"Is she alright?" Alice asked, seeing Nunnally ever since Saturday morning.
"I don't know!" Sayoko was by Nunnally's side, trying to wake her up.
"Nunnally!" Cornelia came inside Nunnally's room, hearing her screams. "Nunally! It's okay! It's me, Cornelia. Shhh... You're safe now."
"W...what?"
Nunnally immediately woke up, checking her body frame to see that she had been bandaged all over, with some bandages over her face and neck.
"Big sister!" Nunnally hugged Cornelia. "You're alive."
Cornelia hugged Nunnally back. "Of course I am."
"I'm glad that you're okay, Miss Nunnally." Sayoko was relieved when Nunnally woke up.
"What happened?" Nunnally asked Cornelia and Alice; Sayoko left the room to get some water for the blind girl.
"The Black Knights saved us." Alice smiled, telling Nunnally the answer. "Don't you remember?"
Nunnally shook her head.
"It doesn't matter anyway." Cornelia patted her half sister's head. "Your big brother will be here to see you soon, okay?"
"Okay." Nunnally smiled at Cornelia.
Strange... Nunnally's thoughts began to nag at her. Did Nemo save me from the hotel when it blew up or something?
"Lelouch!" Nunnally heard Cornelia calling to her brother. "I just spoke to this C.C. in your room yesterday evening. She told me she was your girlfriend..."
"WHAT?!" Lelouch was heard outside her room, stunned by Cornelia's claims. "What are you talking about?! That's...that's a lie..."
"I'm sure Master Lelouch can handle that." Sayoko told Nunnaly, who came back in her room with a glass of water.
I'm not sure. Nunally tried to remember the last time Lelouch was able to escape Cornelia's grasp. Last time I remember was when she found out Lelouch disabled the cars of the SPs assigned to protect us and Suzaku.
From outside Nunnally's room, C.C. watched as Nunnally was being to by Sayoko with Alice assisting her.
Unknown Chambers, Unknown Country
"Master V.V.!"
A small, young Caucasian boy, perhaps around 6-7 years old, was wearing a purple cape over noble Britannian clothing fit for the only male child of a rich family. He was watching a large plasma screen from the BRBC that broadcasted the debut of the Black Knights led by Zero and the return of the Lost Soldiers.
"What is it?" V.V. didn't look back to see an unknown man, all covered in black clothing with a hood that covered his head and a black cape over his shoulders. "Is there something wrong?"
"He has arrived, Master. What should I do with him?"
V.V. grinned; he knew what the cloaked man was talking about.
"Yes." V.V. replied. "Send him in when he's ready immediately."
"Right away, Master. He's just waiting outside your private chambers."
The cloaked man stood up and ran out of the chambers; doors left open by his comrades. A few minutes later, an unknown person was in his middle to late teens was standing behind V.V. Like him, he had a purple cape and also wore noble Britannian clothing.
"I have arrived as you requested, Master V.V." The person knelt down on the ground, paying his respects to V.V. "Is there something that you need from me?"
"Have you heard?" V.V. spoke to the person, still staring at the BRBC broadcast. "About the debut of the Black Knights?"
"Indeed I have." The person replied, who grinned. "I even heard of the return of those, so-called Lost Soldiers."
"They're interesting." V.V. grinned, watching the BRBC broadcast zoom in on Zero's head. "Especially since those Black Knights are using the emblem same from us."
"You mean the trident-shaped emblem pointed upward?" The person pointed to the widescreen, already standing up.
"Indeed." V.V. saw another emblem of the Black Knights being shown on BRBC, showing the geass sigil on the suits of the Black Knight guerrillas. "It seems that our friend Zero is also using the geass sigil as an emblem too."
"You're right. That is quite interesting to hear all right."
"So what do you think, my dear boy?" V.V. turned around to look at his visitor. He was not shocked to see that the person had Lelouch's facial features, black hair and purple eyes. "Aren't they quite interesting to see out there in today's modern times?"
"They seem to be a curious bunch, uncle V.V." The Lelouch look-alike person smiled at V.V. "In fact, I'm wondering if we'll meet with them soon enough."
"Quite possible, Rolo vi Britannia." V.V. smiled back at Rolo. "But I'm hoping that the Lost Soldiers would pay a visit. It's quite some time since I gave one of them a gift to remember me by."
"Do not call me that for now, uncle." Rolo held his cape with his right hand before he outstretched his arm and opened his palm. V.V. was amazed to hear Rolo insist on his request.
"I wish to be known as from now as... the Cardinal!"
Governor-General's Office, Governor-General's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
Clovis was in his office alongside Ambrosia, Guilford and Darlton, all of them in the room after it was dawn in Area 11. They didn't get much sleep, wondering about the hoteljacking situation yesterday.
"This is all the information we've gathered from the attack on the Westin Lake Kawaguchi Hotel." Guilford placed a folder on Clovis' desk, who leaned back on his chair. "We don't have much information on the Black Knights, I'm afraid."
"And the Lost Soldiers?" Ambrosia asked her knight. "Were you able to obtain any information on them, Guilford?"
Guilford shook his head. "I'm very sorry, your Highness. I've tried to do everything I can to get much needed data on the unit, but MI5 and MI6 has made my attempts impossible to do so."
"And why's that?" Clovis asked the ponytailed Britannian officer.
"They insist that it was classified information and it wouldn't be possible for me to obtain the information." Guilford replied. "Plus they told me that I would be arrested for treason and illegally obtaining military secrets if I tried to insist on obtaining information regarding the Lost Soldiers again."
"Why with all this secrecy?" Ambrosia muttered, staring at Clovis as he was reading the folder. She noticed Darlton, her subordinate, was not himself when he was staring at either the folder or at the outside world. Damn! What's MI6 trying to hide from us? Even trying to hide classified information from me, a member of the Britannian Royal Family?
"Darlton." Ambrosia called the scarred man's attention.
"Yes, your Highness?"
"You seem troubled right now." Ambrosia eyed Darlton carefully. "Is there something that you would like to share with the rest of us here?"
"Not really." Darlton shook his head. "I'm just wondering about the Black Knights. That's all."
It seems that Darlton's hiding something... But what?
Ambrosia was suspicious about Darlton's answer, but decided to keep her thoughts to herself.
At least for now in the meantime.
"Get Special Branch and MI5 to work on the Black Knights." Clovis gave Darlton his instructions. "See if there's any information on the Lost Soldiers available as well."
"Yes, your Highness." Darlton left the office after he excused himself.
"Darlton seems to know something about the Lost Soldiers." Ambrosia asked Clovis, who was standing near him.
"I'm not sure on what you're saying though." Clovis answered. "Can you be certain?"
"He seemed nervous." Ambrosia raised her concerns. "Then again, the Black Knights and the Lost Soldiers did raise some concerns from within our intelligence communities."
Clovis sighed. "I just hope we can figure out how we can deal with them sooner or later..." He scratched his left cheek. "By the way, what about the inquiry on the van that a Met Police unit had found near the hotel?"
"No luck." Guilford shook his head. "From what I've been told, the van's being blown up after a CO19 team tried to approach it. Looks like the Lost Soldiers' handiwork."
"I see." The Area 11 Governor-General sighed again. Figures...
Cabin, Unknown Boeing 737, over Pacific Ocean
"I'm surprised that his Majesty tolerated my appointment as your knight, despite my status as a Honorary Britannian."
A 17-year old brown-haired teen was traveling in the cabin of a white Boeing 737, wearing civilian clothes for reasons unknown.
"You will have to thank him soon." A young girl with pink hair, seated next to him, was also wearing civilian clothes for reasons yet known. "I'm not sure how it's possible to thank him if he's the Prime Minister and all..."
"You mean Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia?" The teen asked.
"Yes." The girl nodded. "Though I'll have to ask around and see if a private audience can be granted to him."
"I'm in your debt."
"Princess." A non-uniformed Royalty Protection Branch (RPB) officer, with blonde hair and in his early 30s, arrived next to the pink-haired girl. He wore a black windbreaker over his blue dress shirt and red necktie, with black pants and shoes on. "The pilots have informed me that we're about to arrive at the Tokyo Settlement's airport in two hours time."
"Thank you." The RPB officer went back to take his seat adjacent to the princess' seat and buckle his seat belt. "I'll inform you of any detail, your Highness."
"Are you sure this is a good idea? Well, going in with a bunch of civilian and military officials in order to conceal your presence?"
"I'm sure of it." The girl stared at the brown-haired teen. "Is there something wrong?"
"Well..." The teen shrugged his shoulders. "Someone will definitely know that you came to Area 11."
"I'm not worried. You'll be around to protect me. Right, Suzaku Kururugi?"
Suzaku smiled at the girl.
"I'm sure that I'll do my job, Princess Euphemia." Suzaku placed his clenched right fist over his heart, acknowledging Euphemia.
"I told you not to call me that." Euphemia scolded Suzaku. "Euphie will do..."
Command Center, Covert Base, somewhere near Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Any luck yet on finding the Geass Directorate?"
Marc asked Rai, who was busy checking out some coordinates from a piece of paper. It was very old as it had aged for a few years, but the writing on it was miraculously still readable. The other Lost Soldiers were busy manning the command center as the skeleton stuff from Kyoto were deemed a possible security risk on compromising their location. As always, they wore balaclavas to conceal their identity.
"None." Rai shook his head. "All of this are merely small bases we took care of in Japan during the Second Pacific War. We were lucky that JSDF forces that evacuated to China after the war and Xingke's covert faction in the Chinese Federation army offered their assistance by providing transport when we raided one of their bases in the Batanes Islands a few months ago."
"Thanks, Rai." Marc patted Rai's left shoulder. "You sure you don't want to get some rest?"
"Nah." Rai grinned. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Besides, we need to find out where theese guys and kick their butts to next week."
"What about that news on the BRBC though?" Rai asked Marc. "I heard rumors about some Britannian guy who's going to be..."
Before Rai could finish his question, the main screen in the command center showed the face of a very familiar person.
"It's a pleasure to meet the Lost Soldiers in person once again!"
"Zero..." whispered Marc. "So you're here and contacting us eh? It's a real gander for us Lost Soldiers." And about time too. I was about to ask Kyoto if there is some way to contact them with the resurgence of anti-Britannian action by guerrillas.
"It must be very important if you went out all the way to contact us." Rai spoke to Zero. "After all, you guys are hitting the BRBC with some juicy stuff on your activities."
"Kyoto has allowed me to make contact with you all, although limited." Zero said, trying to announce his intentions. "After all, I feel very honored to work alongside another anti-Britannian group such as the Lost Soldiers."
"Is there something that you want from us or are you just here to praise us like some fanboy?"
"No, no! Not at all." chuckled Zero. "Actually, I have a favor or two to ask of you if I may."
"And I'm wondering what that is." Marc asked, fueling sarcasm to their conversation.
"It's simple really. I promise you that it's not going to be that hard in the end."
"And what is this about, really?" The Lost Soldier's CO was really impatient with Zero. "Ah, never mind. Just get to the point instead of beating all of us around a bush."
"Very well." Zero grinned, sensing the impatience from Marc. "As you will find out now, I'm personally attending to an operation in the Tokyo Settlement."
"And what kind of operation is this?" Rai asked Zero.
"A drug bust. Particularly an anti-Refrain operation."
"If I recall right," Domingo snapped his fingers. "Refrain's been used in all of Britannia's colonies. Number one customers are the Honorary Britannians and the non-Honorary Brits who wanted to yearn for the good old days before Britannia invaded them like no tomorrow."
"You people seem to be quite knowledgeable about the drug itself."
"We've done on our own ops in the past, just to let you know." Marc replied to Zero's query. "Most of them on anti-Refrain operations like the one you just said, Zero."
"Then it would be in our interests if we join forces to eradicate this drug from Japan once and for all."
"I'll get back to you at once, Zero." Marc gestured to Rai to end the video feed from Zero's Black Knights covert HQ. "Out."
"So what now, boss?" Ken asked. "Do we join up with this Zero guy? At least we're in the public eye once again after the fiasco in Lake Kawaguchi a few nights ago."
"Hmmm...."
Marc was thinking about Ken's question regarding Zero's proposal to join forces with him and the rest of the Black Knights.
"I think we ought to do the same in return."
A minute of silence hovered over the command center before sounds of "Yes" and "I agree" came from the rest of the Lost Soldiers; they were ready to back their leader.
"Alright." Marc nodded, patting Rai's head. "Get Kyoto on the line ASAP and tell them to contact the Black Knights when possible. But I suggest that we better be careful. I don't seem to trust him fully for now. Let's see what Zero can do on the field in our joint op later on."
"Gotcha." Rai gave a thumbs up. "I'll be on it."
"I have a little counterproposal that I have in mind for Zero that he probably won't be able to resist."
Corridor, Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Dammit..."
Kallen Stadfeld, a seemingly frail high school student of Ashford Academy, was walking down the corridor at a fast pace after receiving a secret message from Ougi regarding an upcoming anti-Refrain operation. The recent operations that the Black Knights had done against the evils of Britannian society, from corrupt politicians to units of the Britannian Army during guerrilla ops. So far, their actions has won support from anti-occupation Japanese in Area 11, as well as anti-colonial intellectuals and the anti-occupation movement in the Britannian mainland.
I can't seem to move out with the others until Kyoto's able to resupply us with our Burais. Not to mention that Zero's suppose to give us some instructions...
Kallen was busy in her thoughts that she bumped hard to Lelouch, falling down to the ground.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..." Kallen felt pain in her left leg and head. She was able to stop from falling down on the floor completely by using her hands and arms to prevent herself from being badly injured. The last thing she needed was not to be in a Black Knights-mandated operation due to her clumsiness.
"I'm so..." The red-haired girl was about to apologize for her actions when she found out who she bumped into. What the hell? It's...
"Lelouch..." She was being careful to shout. Kallen knows that Lelouch is popular with the girls in Ashford Academy, especially if they're around or a bit above his age. His looks and charms have won them over.
Except Kallen.
Damn you, Lelouch! I can't be seen here. Not now. Not like...
"EEEKKKK!!!!" Kallen heard one of the girls scream out of the corridor.
Oh no! I almost forgot. Everyone's to be dismissed early due to the teachers having a meeting for two days. I'm in a big mess now.
"Oh my god! It's Kallen and she's trying to manhump Lelouch!"
Kallen was waving her hands, trying to tell them that it's not true. "W-wait! It's not true, I..." However, it wasn't helping for the fact that she was seated.... well, on Lelouch's... let's call it the pelvis for the meantime.
"Is this the reason why Kallen is so frail?" Another girl shouted. "So that she can take Lelouch, body and soul, all for herself?"
"The nerve of that girl!"
"How dare she?!"
"Come girls! We need to remove her from Lelouch's presence once and for all."
"I see that you're in a little dilemma..."
Kallen saw that Lelouch had recovered from falling down on the ground. She had the urge to hit Lelouch on his face real hard after she saw something in his face.
He grinned at her.
Outskirts of Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Are you alright?"
Kallen, now in her Black Knights outfit, watched Zero stretch his neck muscles. He was commanding a Black Knights cell consisting of Ougi, Tamaki, Yoshida, Inoue and around 6 new recruits. For the meantime, they were still armed with either IZHMASH AKMS or AK-74 assault rifles.
Damn that woman could pack a punch or two. Zero cursed at himself, remembering the slap he received after Kallen did so for the incident back at Ashford Academy. In that case, I better be careful with her at all times.
"Say, um..." Tamaki whispered to his comrades. "Who are we waitin' for again?"
"Weren't you listening, Tamaki?" Inoue scolded him without raising her voice. "It's the guys from the Lost Soldiers. Zero personally requested their assistance."
"O-kay?" Tamaki was a bit confused, but knew what the woman was talking about.
Next time, I'm finding that Tamaki another line of work from within the Black Knights. Zero sighed, hearing Tamaki and Inoue argue with each other. Maybe the official kitchen janitor should be good...
"Knock it off, you two." Ougi scolded his ex-NRA comrades before he pointed out a few shadowy figures on top of a nearby warehouse. "They're here."
Two flashes that came from a flashlight. The signal for Zero and the others to emerge.
"Move it." Ougi motioned to the other guys in the cell. Zero led them to the nearby warehouse, where they were met by some of the Lost Soldiers after they rappelled down from the roof to the ground.
Four of them to be exact. All of them were wearing their normal LS uniforms, consisting of their normal Britannian soldier gear including their body armors donned with their respective national flags on. Unlike their previous missions, they were armed with Heckler & Koch MP7 submachine guns.
"Sorry we're late." One of the Lost Soldiers greeted Zero. "Our boss' getting ready as backup."
"And you're leading the mission?" Ougi asked the Lost Soldier who had the Japanese flag on his body armor.
"Yessiree." came the reply. "I'm leading the guys for the ground part of our joint operation."
"Where is he? I mean, Spriggan?" Ougi asked again, referring only by a codename.
"The boss is already making preparations." explained another Lost Soldier who referred to Marc by his codename, who had a Korean flag on the body armor. "He'll dish out some needed help for you and me in case things go south..."
"Rai, Yi, Henri, Ken." The four Lost Soldiers were being contacted by Marc using their covert radio frequency. "If you guys are done meeting up, move in on the target already. I've got some trucks moving in on the target building, Rai. Let's move out."
"Roger that." Rai replied to Marc's transmission.
"Sorry." Rai told Zero. "We need to move now. I've been told that vehicles are approaching the target building."
"Understood." Zero motioned to the others to move in. "All right. Let's go."
This ought to be fun. Zero cracked the knuckles on his hands in anticipation of a gunfight. Indeed, I should be able to test my geass on these drug smugglers...
Somewhere in Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Hey man!" A Caucasian man with blonde hair in his 30s was checking in on an armed man in his late 20s, packing a crate full of medium-sized bottles. He had a Colt M-13 assault rifle strapped on his left shoulder. "How's the Refrain stuff for Nagoya coming along anyway? The boss wants to double check."
"Pretty easy though." The M-13-armed man replied. "Seems like the results are doing well. Right after we tested this stuff on the other colonies including Area 9, the boss was impressed that he wanted to test them even more with the Elevens."
"Can't wait to see this stuff work on them Elevens after I distributed the stuff with the Nines..."
An explosion was heard on the front area of the warehouse, taking out the metal garage doors in the process.
"Who the hell did all that?" The blonde man shouted, pulling out a Sig Sauer P225 pistol concealed in the waistband of his jeans after partially lifting his white shirt to gain access to his sidearm.
"The Black Knights are on the scene, punks!" Tamaki yelled, who began to wildly fire his AKM at all of the armed drug dealers. Inoue and Yoshida threw several RGO frag grenades to cause enemy casualties.
Walkway, Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Oh no! It's them!" One of the M-13-armed drug smugglers standing on the walkway above the ground took aim at Tamaki when suddenly, loud crashing noises came in from above.
"What the?" The Lost Soldiers came rappelling from above, firing their MP7s at the drug smugglers at the walkways with their right hands.
"The Lost Soldiers have returned!" yelled Ken, who was the first to land on the walkway.
"Take this!" A knife-wielding smuggler tried to charge at Ken.
"Behind ya!" Henri, who landed on the walkway behind the charging smuggler, grabbed him from behind via his shirt collar. He executed a couple of punches before he did a roundhouse kick that sent him down on the ground. Thanks to the construction of the walkway, it was wide enough for him to do the kick.
"Thanks." Ken gave the thumbs up after removing his rappelling gear.
"I know." Henri nodded. "Just watch yourself."
The four-man Lost Soldiers team rappeled down from the walkway after ensuring the area was clear of hostiles.
Somewhere in Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"AUUUAAHAHAHAHAH!"
The smuggler landed on the ground, face first. Nothing was there to save him from the fall, which broke his skull and several of his limbs on impact.
"Don't let up!" Zero ordered the Black Knights to charge forward, ignoring the death of the fallen smuggler. He ran towards a group of them; four of them were armed with AKMs. Their 7.62 x 39 Soviet bullets were not scratching his suit, let alone damaging or penetrating it.
"What the heck's this guy?" A smuggler yelled out to his comrades. "Our AKMs aren't killing this guy!"
"What is he? A demon or something?!"
"You are correct!"
Zero was already on the air, leaping towards them. When he landed in the middle of the group, Zero began to lash out at them by grabbing one of them by the head and smashing it on the concrete floor.
"Next." Zero followed his initial attack by doing an elbow attack on the second AKM-armed man, grabbing the Soviet-made assault rifle and hurled him over his left shoulder. Seeing that his opponent was down, Zero stomped on his head to ensure that he stayed down permanently.
"W-what the heck are ya?" The other two men, toting their own AKMs, were shocked to see Zero put down a couple of their buddies with his fast reflexes.
Automatic gunfire echoed from the ranks of the Black Knights, killing the two armed men in front of Zero.
"You alright, Zero?" Tamaki asked, being the first to see Zero. Some of the armed drug smugglers have retreated upon seeing superior numbers being used against them.
"I'm alright." Zero told Tamaki. He then gave his orders to the ex-NRA guerrilla, "Have Kallen's Burai deployed. Some of the Refrain smugglers have retreated towards the interior of the warehouse..."
"No problem." Tamaki went on his radio, giving Kallen the go ahead to enter the warehouse.
Somewhere in the Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Requesting emergency assistance from all available CO19 Armed Response Vehicles in the Tokyo Settlement. I repeat, requesting emergency assistance from all available CO19 Armed Response Vehicles."
A Britannian Metropolitan Police CO19 BMW 530i ARV was in a 4-way intersection somewhere in the Tokyo Settlement after it had stopped at a red light. Three Caucasian men in their early to middle 30s were inside the vehicle, wearing their standard CO19 gear except for ballistic helmets. Two of them had blonde hair, the driver and observer, while the navigator had brown hair.
"This is car 15, CO19. What's your emergency, over?" The ARV's navigator, seated in the front passenger seat answered the radio dispatch.
"Eyewitnesses had called in a 999 emergency, reporting sounds of automatic gunshots at the Yokohama Harbor. Proceed with caution, unknown individuals may be armed. Over." The observer, seated at the rear passenger seat of the 530i, patted the navigator's arm and gestured to him to ask the dispatch again.
"Dispatch. Are we allowed by ACPO to use assault carbines on scene, over?"
"They've given all CO19 ARVs heading ot Yokohama Harbor the go ahead to do so." The navigator gave the thumbs up as the ARV sped towards the direction of the harbor.
"Copy that."
Somewhere in Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
The red Type 10-R Burai busted through the warehouse, after Tamaki had radioed Ougi to sent in Kallen to clean up the rest of the Refrain smugglers out of commission for good.
"Okay, I'm in." Kallen communicated with Ougi on their private frequency, the same one they had used ever since their NRA days. "I should be able to clean this place up of the smugglers with no problem at all, Ougi."
"Good luck, Kallen." Ougi wished the Britannian-Japanese NRA guerrilla some luck before he commenced radio silence for the next few minutes as Kallen fired the Burai's anti-personnel machine gun mounted underneath its cockpit.
"This Burai's awesome." Kallen whispered, seeing the anti-personnel machine gun cut down a few more drug smugglers after they fired their M-13s and AKMs at it. "I can't believe Kyoto would be able to create an interesting knightmare such as this Burai." With nigh vision mode activated, she was able to conduct lone anti-personnel sweeps on her own.
Another garage shutter. Seeing the lone obstacle in front of her, Kallen took the precaution of arming her Burai with a submachine gun. She took aim and fired its underbarrel grenade launcher, launching a HE grenade that destroyed the shutter. That's not damn enough to stop this knightmare I got here.
"Is it clear?" Kallen searched around the new area, which was a storage area. It was big enough that the smugglers use it to store crates of Refrain, ready to be shipped out to either Area 11 or its other colonies overseas. "I don't see anyone else armed and hostile around here..."
She scanned the area to see several Japanese, or rather Elevens and Honorary Britannians walking around while seeing in a state of unknown euphoria.
"What the hell's going on here?" Kallen was stunned to see her fellow countrymen, hearing them shout out things that would make Japan known to the international community.
She heard the people praise about Japan's prestige to the outside world for its electronics, popular culture, media, food and the like. But there was only one thing that greatly interested and shocked her to no end.
"Damn." Kallen gritted her teeth. "They so long for the good old days that decide to drug themselves with Refrain. A bunch of weaklings..." But she was even more shocked to see something else.
Among the Japanese wondering around in euphoria was her mother.
Her biological mother.
Governor-General's Office, Governor-General's Palace, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Hmm..." Clovis was busy working on papers regarding an upcoming visit to inspect the troops stationed at RBA Tokyo when he caught a glimpse of small flashes in the distance away from his office. What were those?
"Your Highness!"
Guilford entered the office, despite being warned by his secretary that he was busy doing work.
"What is it?" Clovis sighed. I feel a headache's coming on to me.
"We've received word that gunfire's being reported at the Yokohoma Harbor. It's one of the locations of the Refrain smugglers the SOCG's Project Team's being trying to apprehend after a previous arrest back in the mainland."
Looks like the SOCG's done some hard work for us. "Alright. Get Special Branch and a SOCG Central Task Force out there. Make sure a Knightpolice team is also with them to be sure."
"Why the Special Branch, sir?"
"I've received a few last minute intel that they had corrupt police officials on their pockets. I need the SB to get the names and locations."
"Right away, your Highness." Guilford complied with Clovis' instructions, leaving his office.
Clovis stood up from his chair, watching from his window to see more flashes from the direction of the Yokohama Harbor.
"And if I'm right," murmured the Area 11 Governor-General. "The Black Knights and the Lost Soldiers would be there too. If that's the case..."
The blonde third prince of the Britannian throne grinned.
"Then I'll just have to make use of them for the meantime until we crush them for good."
Storage Room, Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Mother..."
Kallen stuttered, watching her biological mother walk around the storage room. "What's wrong with you..."
"Kallen..." Kallen's mother said, thinking that Kallen was with her. "Don't run off like that now. You'll get hurt. Wait for your onisan to come with you, okay?"
"What..." Kallen was now visibly angry, seeing her mother degrade herself low by taking Refrain to escape from her present problems. She gripped her control sticks hard. Very hard.
"What are you doing there?!" Kallen shouted, grabbing her on the Burai's left hand after she maneuvered it to kneel. "You're so weak. You give in to Britannia, and then a man. And now....this drug!"
The Burai's right arm had been gunned down, seemingly by an unknown knightmare that had somehow sneaked up on it without her noticing it. "W-what the hell?!"
The Eurasian guerrilla was confronted by a Britannian Knightpolice knightmare frame.
And it was aiming its machine pistol at her.
Outskirts of Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
The outskirts of the Yokohama Harbor had been fully cordoned off by armed CO19 operators, guarding the area to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the premises unless they can prove their identity as either with the Met Police or as civilians.
"So what now, boss?" A Central Task Force detective, in his middle 30s and wearing a trenchcoat, approached another CTF detective. He was in his early 40s and was talking to a CO19 operators. Both men had auburn hair. "I heard word that the Knightpolice was deployed in first to contain the situation."
"Yea, you're right." sighed the second detective, who was zipping up his black windbreaker. "We got word that some unknown perps in the Yokohama Harbor may be trying to use knightmares to evade and resist arrest. I just hope we can arrest those Refrain drug smugglers without calling in the armed forces for a police intervention or something."
"I don't know whether to feel sorry for the Elevens and the other Numbers who had to be suckered in by them Refrain dealers." said the trenchcoat-wearing CTF detective. "If you ask me, Britannia should've been able to sustain itself without conducting those military adventures overseas."
"Beats me." The windbreaker-wearing detective took out a Marlboro cigarette and lit it after it was between his lips. "What the bureaucrats does is none of our business. Our job's to protect lives and arrest criminals who threaten them, either Britannian or non-Britannian."
"Che. Easy for you to say."
As the two detectives stared at the Yokohama Harbor, two squads of five CO19 operators were being assembled while three Knightpolices had been deployed to enter the harbor.
Storage Room, Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
"Kallen!"
Zero, Ougi, Tamaki and the other Black Knights rushed in to the storage area, hearing automatic gunfire from the Knightpolice that ambushed Kallen's Burai.
"Dammit!" Tamaki gritted his teeth. "The Met Police's knightmare squad!"
"You mean the Knightpolice?" One of the Black Knights recruits asked Tamaki.
"Tamaki!" Ougi yelled at him. "I thought I told you to make sure the police aren't involved."
"I did!" Ougi shouted back to defend himself. "And I was pretty sure that they weren't suppose to be involved in the first place."
"They must've heard the gunfire from here." Inoue told the others.
"That tears it!" Zero shouted, rushing in towards Kallen. "I'm going in. Ougi, make sure the police doesn't get here."
"What happened?" Rai and the other Lost Soldiers came rushing in. "Is he..."
"Yeah." Ougi sighed. "Don't bother to ask. And the police are here too."
"Damn." whispered Henri, snapping his fingers. "Won't be able to blow this up to smithereens."
Cockpit, Kallen's Type 10-R Burai
"Dammit."
Kallen moved as fast as her Burai could take here, evading the Knightpolice's machine pistol away from her. It wasn't working so well as the Knightpolice was now trying to aim for the Burai's landspinners instead to disable her.
"Why?" Kallen tried to toss her drugged mother from the Burai's left hand. But every time she tried to do so while evading her pursuer, Kallen didn't have the heart to do it. "Why? Why, why, why, why?"
The red-haired girl didn't have the time to weigh in her option after her OS had warned her that the right landspinner was heavily damaged by machine pistol gunfire, making the Burai crash somewhere in the storage area near some crate-sized shelf.
"Errghh!" Kallen tried to get her Burai to move. "Damn piece of..." In her anger, she didn't notice that the knightmare's left hand had dropped Kallen's mother on the ground. But since the metallic hand was near the ground, she wasn't hurt in any way.
"Move!" Kallen stared at her mother. "Move, damn it! Get outta here!" She tried to bear with the gunfire from the Knightpolice when she saw her mother speak up.
"Don't worry, Kallen. I'm here for you."
WHAT!
Kallen then realized why her mother had stayed behind in Japan aka Area 11 after the defeat of the JSDF in 2010 ATB and with the subsequent remarriage of Kallen's Britannian father to a fellow Britannian and having divorced her mother.
Mother stayed in father's house...because of me?!
"I'll always be here for you, Kallen."
Storage Room, Warehouse 12, Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
The Knightpolice slowly approached the downed Burai, tossing away its machine pistol and brandishing its anti-Knightmare combat knife at the ready.
The white mech was already nearing its target when another Knightpolice appeared on the scene. It brandished a machine pistol of its own, seemingly aimed at the disabled Burai also.
"You're just in time!" The Knife-armed Knightpolice spotted its fellow knightmare nearby. "Here! We need to take down this nosy knightmare down. CO19's about to come in after we secure this area."
However, things had begun to be a little different when the second Knightpolice took aim at the first one.
"Wh-Hey, man?! Is this some kind of damn joke?!"
It was no joke when the second Knightpolice took aim and fired it at the Knightpolice standing near the Burai while it was trying to get its other machine pistol to defend itself. With both of its landspinners taken out, the disabled Knightpolice helplessly watched as his colleague armed itself with an anti-Knightmare knife.
"Did those freakin' smugglers have you on their damn pay or somethin'?!" The pilot of the disabled Knightpolice yelled at the other police frame, watching it dash towards his unit.
"No." came the cold reply from the other Knightpolice. "I'm with the Lost Soldiers."
Shit! The Knightpolice pilot then realized who his opponent.
"Today was not your lucky day, pal."
The Knightpolice stabbed the disabled police frame's cockpit, driving its blade well deep into the cockpit and removed it. It moved Kallen's Burai to safety; her mother had began to wander off again in the storage area and was safe when the Knightpolice exploded after the other Knightpolice had knifed it. The screams of the Knighpolice pilot were not heard when it blew up.
"Uh... Thanks..." Kallen thanked the Knightpolice that saved her life.
"I'm with the Lost Soldiers, so it's my job to help you BKers as much as I can." Marc cheerfully replied. "Besides, Zero came to me and requested that I participate in this little op of yours."
"Kallen!" Zero yelled, seeing Kallen being helped out by Marc's Knightpolice.
"Zero!" Kallen shouted, seeing her leader arrive. "What are you..."
"No time!" Three more Knightpolice frames arrived at the storage room, all armed with machine pistols and ballistic shields. "We've got more unwelcome company that we needed aside from that Knightpolice I took out before he could skewer your frame alive."
"Oh no!" The red-haired girl exclaimed, seeing more Knightpolices. "More Knightpolice! And I'm busted..."
"Don't bother yourself with that..." Marc got his Knightpolice up and ready, holding its machine pistol with both of its hands. "Right now, you've got more pressing concerns than helping Zero and me here."
"Like what?"
"Helping that person over there that you call mother."
Kallen was shocked to hear the Lost Soldier speak of her biological mother. "That is, if you still want to call her your mother."
"How did you..."
"Your speakers were wide open, in case you didn't know. But don't worry about that! Get yourself outta here! Your knightmare's disabled and you're in no condition! Retreat!"
"So am I still a fool?" Kallen wondered, still seated in her Burai while Ougi and the others rushed in to assist Kallen and guard the downed knightmare with their AKMs and AK-74s at the ready. "Who knows?" She whispered to himself. "Maybe I was the fool. Too deluded to see the bigger picture..."
Zero and Marc went to work to battle against the Knightpolices that arrived in the warehouse, with the intention of stopping them in apprehending Kallen.
"Hmph!" Zero leaped up towards one of the Knightpolices, extending its left hand towards it. "Prepare to meet your maker, Knightpolice pilot."
"I don't know what you're doing right there." Marc's Knightpolice strafed to its right against another Knightpolice that had fired its machine pistol. "But it better be some cool fancy move, Zero."
"ERRRRAHHHHHH!!!!!!" Marc yelled out loud, firing his own machine pistol at the incoming Knightpolice's landspinners before he went to target its Factsphere/head and left arm joint that held its ballistic shield. "EAT THISSSSSSSSS!!!!!"
Cécile Croomy's Apartment, somewhere in the Tokyo Settlement, Area 11, Britannian Empire
Cécile had awakened from her sleep with some fast breathing.
She was back in her apartment in the downtown area of the Tokyo Settlement, where she had been when she had a day off as the pilot needed for the Lancelot has not made his presence known yet. Cécile didn't know why she woke up, but she felt the need to do so.
Why did I just do that? She was in her pajamas when she got up from her bed, going to the curtained windows to open them up a bit. When the Special Dispatch Guidance System scientist did so, she saw flashes of bright light from the area that was the Yokohama Harbor.
"What's going on there?" Being curious as to know what was going on, Cécile opened the widescreen television to check on the BRBC channel. A friend of Cécile's had given it to her after her 24th birthday.
"The Metropolitan Police has reported that gunfire has been heard from the Yokohama Harbor for the past hour." Cécile heard the voiceover of the BRBC anchor as it showed CO19 operators standing guard at the perimeter of the harbor. "Eyewitnesses have said that the gunfire had started after an explosion was reported in the harbor's warehouse area. Police believe that the Black Knights are involved in their own anti-drug operations after their leader, Zero, had announced the existence of their organization with the return of the Lost Soldiers after hiding from the aftermath of the Second Pacific War."
"The Black Knights?" Cécile murmured. "Why would they do such a thing like that?"
"As of now, there is speculation that the Lost Soldiers are also involved in the Black Knights-led operation. However, there is no official word from the Metropolitan Police as of now. Stay tune to this breaking headline as we bring more developing news."
The...Lost Soldiers?
Cécile was now shocked when she heard of the Lost Soldier's involvement in the matter.
But...why? What's going on here.
The purple-haired woman struggled to remember one of the last few things that the Lost Soldiers had done, which had made an impact on her life.
2009 ATB
Corridor, RBA Camp Red Cloud, somewhere in California, United States, Britannian Empire
Cécile, who was 16, was in a corridor at Camp Red Cloud when she heard a commotion from near the cafeteria. Although military policy states that anyone under 18 is not allowed to be in military facilities with the exception of Britannian nationals who chose to enlist early in their national service, Cécile was working with the Special Division Guidance System Division as part of her co-op program with the Colchester Institute.
"Hey!" One of the off-duty Britannian soldiers saw Cécile. "It's that co-op girl from the Colchester Institute."
Despite her age and her associate with the university, Britannian military officials do not view it negatively. In fact, they do encourage the "younger generation" to enter the military whether they would want to be soldiers or be civilian staff.
"What happened?" Cécile asked the soldier, who was watching from outside the cafeteria. "I heard some people shouting from in the cafeteria."
"You didn't know?" The auburn-haired, Caucasian soldier replied. As he was not on active duty like most of the soldiers are when not on sentry duty, they had their respirators and goggles taken off.
"No." Cécile shook her head. "And I just got here, in case you didn't know."
"Sorry." The soldier chuckled. "Well, something did happened in the cafeteria."
"What about it?"
"Not sure. Heard from some of the other guys that it was them Purist people led by that Jeremiah whatshisname."
"The Purists?"
"Yeah." Said a Hispanic Britannian soldier. "Them people do nothing but trouble, spouting some crap that we're suppose to be better off than the other nations. Nothing but bullshit."
"Was there a fight..." The purple-haired teen asked the soldiers. "or something inside?"
"From what I heard..." replied the Hispanic Britannian. "A Purist got into a confrontation with some.. Uhmmm, what 's their unit designation?"
"COSMOS." The Caucasian soldier helped his comrade remember. "Yeah, that's right. The Purist guy that confronted the young soldier from COSMOS."
"How'd it happen?" Cécile asked the soldiers on more details.
"The COSMOS soldier and the Purist guy started to stare at each other. Then the other COSMOS soldiers stood up from their seats and confronted the other Purists." The Hispanic Britannian explained the situation in detail to Cécile. "Not before long, something that looked like from some spec ops movie came about."
"Was the Purist soldier..." Cécile trailed off.
The Caucasian soldier nodded. "The COSMOS dude grabbed the Purist from behind." He then swallowed his saliva. "And that's not the worst part that happened to him..."
Cécile waited in anticipation as she waited to hear what the soldier had to say.
"His throat was slit open all of a sudden...with a plastic knife."
Chapter 6 END
PS - Sorry for the late update. Been busy with keeping pace at university for this Winter semester, not to mention that I celebrated my birthday on January 19th. I won't reveal my age though. Aside from that, I've been playing Metal Gear Online once again with a dash of Persona 4. I'm so addicted to it that I forgot to do this. Japanese 101 class is keeping me busy since I have mandatory quizzes every Tuesday and Thursday. He he he he....
The Royalty Protection Branch or better known as SO14 is the official protection unit responsible for conducting close protection duties for members of the Royal Family, both internationally and locally. For the story, these guys would be responsible for protecting the Britannian Royal Family from all sorts of threats, including assassination and terrorist threats. Alongside the Specialist Protection Branch (SPB) or known officially as SO1, they're under control of the Protection Command of the Metropolitan Police Service's Specialist Operations directorate. The SOCG means Serious and Organized Crime Group. It's kinda hard to explain since it's going to be very long and very complicated for me to do on the SOCG so and I don't wanna do it. Go check wikipedia for that instead.
I'd like to note here that BMP is the abbreviation for the Britannian Metropolitan Police from this chapter on. Though I am kinda worried if I should mix up the same abbreviation for the Soviet APCs later on in the story. Who knows?
Camp Red Cloud is a US Army camp based in Uijeongbu, between Seoul and the DMZ. Its job is to counter any DPRK aggression against South Korea in a future Korean-based war. But since the entire Korean Peninsula's under the Chinese Federation, I saw no need for it to be there and instead, I moved it to the US in the world of Code Geass instead. This is only for those who are scratching their heads and wondering "Why the hell is CRC is US soil instead of being in Uijeonbu?" That oughta save me from some reviews telling me about that part.
999 is the main number used in the UK for emergency calls, similar to the 911 number being used in the US and Canada. I've heard 112 can be used but in the story, the former will be used. The ACPO, or Association of Chief Police Officers, is an organization that handles matters in times of need (e.g national emergencies and such) such as advising governments on police procedure/policy and strategic response. For CO19 officers in ARVs to use their "other toys" (e.g SMGs, assault rifles), someone from the ACPO must authorize it. Otherwise, sidearms can be used if a CO19 officer deems it so.
I hope you guys enjoy the chapter just to make up for me being late and all. Will appreciate all reviews, with flames if they help me improve my writing and all. Corrections too are also appreciated if any so's I can fix them ASAP. For now, I'll be able to update again once I got the time. I hope I don't keep you peeps waiting. Thanks for reading it. I'll try to make it more awesome for the next chapter or so, yeah? In the meantime...
And woot! Rolo vi Britannia aka the Cardinal straight from Nightmare of Nunnally. I promise you folks that Zero and Cardinal will meet up real soon. I promise a fistfight too while I'm at it. For now, I did insert a Lelouch/Kallen moment for the chappie. I'll do a Lelouch/Cornelia one if I can and maybe, some Cécile/Marc as I had hinted in the previous chapters. XP
For the references of Area 9 and stuff, go back to chapter 1 and check that out. I don't feel like explaining them again. Ta ta for now.