AN: Major rewrite concerning C.C. She no longer has the ability to acquire Geasses, but her Code still enables certain abilities. Chapter 5 contains the largest change, with a relationship flag popping up over Rin and Suzaku. And now, dear readers, the chapter.
Chapter 8: First Contact: Part 3
11 August 2017 a.t.b., 1354 hours
Shinjuku, Area 11
"For Promised Victory."
She felt the grains of concrete ground underfoot leave the grooves of her armored sole. The delicate tap of her foot on the ground was the final aspect of grace before combat, her body a tiny, sleek projectile as she left the ground's domain. Her world then blurred.
The light behind her blazed, the discharge of prana before its transformation into a movement of Invisible Air. Saber's blade was held dual-handed, opposite of the direction she launched. The Wind Barrier distorted the world that traveled in her wake; truly, she was thankful for its presence with her. Her dress fluttered briefly, then was compressed by a single clap of the armor plates that encased it.
After that one bound, she was flying.
This was where she enjoyed the privileges of being a Servant most. The power at her hands was a fragment of her crystallized legend, despicable though she found her legend to be. In a way, I am as bad as Shirou is when it comes to honor. I could sweep this white giant aside with one decisive blow of my Barrier.
But … Every enemy deserves to fight their opponent face to face. Visors raised and countenances clear before battle.
Perhaps this is my way of atoning for my legend. I used to be a faceless, White Knight myself.
At the end of my days, I was a faceless king.
Now, know who I am, white giant. See my face, and allow me my repentance.
Two spades flew from the arms of the white giant, sparks heralding their release followed by black, corded cables. The cables shimmered in the air, running lengths travelling dead-on to Saber's trajectory. Aimed to cross right where she would be in moments, the spades were to impale their target twofold.
Saber easily accelerated. Her garments twisted with her body while she spun around the first spade, and slipped by the second. The cables vibrated when their spades impacted into the ground, barely missing the edges of her dress. She narrowed her eyes, her vision closing in on the individual filaments.
Can I cut these?
I know what happens when a taut rope is cut. I have led too many sieges to forget.
The narrow space between cables grew as she flew past the crossing point. The horizon of opportunity was rapidly approaching before the cables became too far separated to cut, and she made her decision. She lifted her arms from their hold behind her across her body and swung.
With her blade outstretched and her body still spinning, Saber's weapon became an invisible disc about her. The length of Saber's blade bit into the first cable with far less resistance than she expected. She could see the stands fray and dissolve, and she knew that the hardest part was over. All she needed was to close in on her target.
She trusted that her new "allies" would distract the giant long enough for her finish her approach. Angling her Invisible Air to the ground, she touched the ground once again, and her foot initiated the first of several strides along the road.
The cables accelerated over her head, the crack of air slowly expanding over her ears as she decelerated on the ground. They whipped, their linear order dissolving into a wave snapping back with supersonic velocity. Saber allowed herself a small smile, and leapt off of the asphalt.
The blur of the cables slowed down in front of Saber, until she was moving at their speed. For a moment, she could only see the cable's shimmering black, and the oscillations flattened to a single plane. Now, she saw the giant. In the final seconds before impact, she prepared her blade.
I will smite this giant, and he will be consigned to oblivion. That is my Promise for Victory.
"Oops."
All that had transgressed was captured temporally in that one word, and the seconds consumed by Kururugi's silent focus when he launched the Slash Harkens. Only half a second had passed before his HUD registered the severance of the Harkens, and the Disturber's static blur was fast approaching.
Dodge!
Suzaku jerked his controls to the right. Given what he saw, that was the best decision he could make. Given what was coming, that was the worst.
If he had stood still, the cables would have flown back to their original positions, despite the lack of guidance from the Harkens.
Instead-
The left cable slammed into its arm holster, smashing it into splinters before wrenching the Lancelot's left side back.
The right cable tore through its holster, and burst into the upper torso of the Lancelot. The Lancelot's armor was enough to prevent any internal mechanical damage, but the right Fact Sphere was gone, and the pristine white armor was marred by the fractures of impact.
"-!" Pain erupted across Suzaku's chest. His world rocked forward. The belt across his chest pressed on him, but it kept him from flying into the HUD. His vision became tinged with black, his body slowing down, while his brain kept moving forward. Blood rushed to the front of his body. He gritted his teeth.
He slowed down, but the recoil of the Lancelot's restorative inertia sped up the entire frame behind him.
The back of his head. It-
The feedback from the destroyed Sphere married the recoil into one head-wracking torrent of pain.
Screeching and blood, iron on his mouth.
"Arrrrrrghh-!"
He wrenched his controls left reflexively, accelerating to maximum speed. The blur passed by the Lancelot by a wide margin
"Suzaku! Are you-" Cecile grabbed the screen, but was quickly pushed away.
Tohsaka's face jumped onto the screen. "Kururugi! I'm activating the painkillers in your suit. Listen to me carefully."
Relief flowed through his body, and he was able to focus. "Thanks, Tohsaka."
"Keep your distance from that blur. Buy as much time as possible. And don't destroy my knightmare." She glared at him, but Suzaku could tell she was worried.
"Got it." He opened up the Yggdrasil Drive, speedily maneuvering away from the blur's position. It was stationary, almost hesitant.
He checked its range on the HUD.
300 feet. I can work with-
The display blinked.
50 feet.
Shields!
With a single press of the joystick's command button, Suzaku pulled up his Blaze Luminous shields, both fortunately undamaged from the whiplash.
The shimmering green held, then fluxed. The blur was stopped, but it didn't drop. Instead, most of it was tinged green, except for a sliver that was simply static, uncolored-
"Tohsaka! The blur is on the shields! My energy levels are going down!"
"Pull back! Lloyd has a-"
Saber found herself in a curious situation.
Her feet were firmly planted on the green substance that blocked her charge. When the giant pulled up the green "plates," she reversed the hold on her sword, so instead of propelling her from behind, she had readied it for a forward thrust to attack the green.
Her blade went straight through, piercing both.
And it was stuck between the two green "plates."
It was like pulling her sword through mud. Whenever she tried to shift it, or blast it away with her Wind Barrier, it rapidly recovered. The flickering grains replaced whatever she tried to destroy.
Whatever this is, I cannot spend any more time or prana on it. There is only one way to disengage.
She concentrated her Barrier, and sheathed her sword into another plane.
When her sword vanished, the Invisible Air didn't.
Gathered into such a small volume, it expanded, launching Saber away and blasting towards the giant's head. Her dress hugged tightly to her, the wind forcing her armor plates down.
The giant staggered back, its shields flickering weakly before completely disappearing. Saber called on her sword, and it appeared once more in her hand as she landed.
"Well met, giant." She braced herself for another pass, unleashing a portion of the Invisible Air. However-
The titan drew a long blade and held it at ready, its grey material emitting glowing, pink particles between its halves. The two edges met each other, fusing into a uniform, magenta weapon. It blurred and hummed with a high-pitched whine when the giant swung it experimentally, then settled pointing at Saber, the giant prepared for combat.
"You wield a blade? Very well." Saber took a defensive stance, sword held behind her. "May our blades cross honorably."
The massive sword came down. The whine's pitch increased in approach, telegraphing the attack. Saber braced herself, to cut through the enemy's sword and counterattack.
She noticed a curious change in the air, the whine growing louder and higher. The air was heating up.
Wait. This is wrong. That sword is wrong. A strange sense of foreboding permeated Saber, but she was already committed to her defense.
Her armored hands tightened their grip around the hilt, her feet set in a wide stance on the concrete. She was in no position to heed her alarm and evade the blow.
Saber found time slowing down. The Invisible Air about her vibrated ominously, beating against her with increasing frequency. Her armor began shivering and her dress rippling about her. A wave of heat hammered against her. And ever closer, the magenta blade approached.
The heat was almost unbearable.
She whipped her sword in a forward arc, in the last moment before the enemy's weapon struck. Disarming this giant is the priority here. I have indulged the enemy too much.
The invisible sword touched the vibrating sword.
The MASER Vibration Sword vibrates effectively at the frequency of the transferred amplified microwave, on the magnitude of one billion hertz. Its artificial-prana Sakuradite power source is harmonized with the blade itself after the initialization of the vibration, to maintain its stimulated emission of radiation. Sustained high-frequency reciprocation causes severe trauma to physical media, even at low amplitudes.
It has never been tested against biological substances.
Immediately, the Invisible Air was all but stripped from Saber's sword, hardening the air around her. Millimeter by millimeter, Saber's infinitely sharp edge cleaved through the magenta blade like it was nothing. The high-frequency reciprocation actually encouraged the invisible sword's passage. It was a small blessing to Saber, because as a perfect material, her weapon allowed full transference of the oscillations. And Saber's protection, her Wind Barrier, became a new medium for the high-frequency wave to travel through.
In effect, though she was destroying the enemy's blade, Saber had placed herself in a pressure trap.
The travel of the high-frequency wave ceased in half a second. That was all that was necessary for Saber's sword to cut the magenta sword, and to send a half flying away.
But that was also all that was necessary for the damage to be done.
…
Her wordless voice was swallowed by the screaming of air.
"Lloyd, I hit the blur."
"My word, it's flying-"
Rin pushed Lloyd out of the way, catching the last glimpse of the blur's movement. "Into a wall?"
"The blur is still there. What are my orders, Tohsaka?" I can do it with this. I can stop the fighting.
"Contain it, and wait for a clean-up unit to arrive." That's when Rin saw the MVS, sparking and flickering between red and grey erratically. "The sword. Why's half of it gone?"
Suzaku stole a glance at his sword, and widened his eyes. What was once a pristine sword now was a dagger. He looked back to where the blur was. It was moving.
"Damn."
Shirou had brought the children to safety, and he was running back to the sounds of combat. He found some Japanese loading vans, and he was lucky enough to find someone who had jump-started a bus. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to protect those kids forever, and going into a vehicle would protest them most. Now, his goal was joining Saber and helping others.
He ran up the mound, the last obstacle between him and Saber. He just had a hundred feet to go.
He saw Saber on the ground, leaning heavily on a wall. The white knightmare was poised to attack.
"Saber!"
Saber opened her eyes.
My magical resistance. That is what saved me. I knew that blade was unnatural.
She got up.
My sword. Where is it?
I cannot feel my sword.
She looked down, and sighed in relief.
Her sword was still with her. But …
Blood spilled from the crevices of her gauntlets, both tightly clenched to the hilt of her sword. The stream flowed red to her fingers, and touched the hilt, the pommel, the guard. They flew off in patterns of blood spatter, blown about by the Invisible Air.
I cannot feel my arms.
Nevertheless, I will still fight.
The white giant raised its arm. It was going to sweep her aside.
She leapt to the side, her legs the only part of her body that was working.
Even as she was about to land, the giant's damaged sword sped towards her again. Saber turned towards it, and tried to shift her arms. They move, but I- I cannot feel them.
She activated her Invisible Air, her power rushing through her arms and her sword.
Immediately, pain registered back from her arms. She was forced away from the next attack, but-
Saber could not stop shaking.
Shirou could only watch in horror as Saber barely dodged the assault of the knightmare's dagger. It struck, and struck, and struck. Clouds of dust were brought up by each impact on the ground, and each cloud was blown away by the wind emanating from Saber as she ran and jumped. She isn't able to counterattack? Why, Saber? You were so strong before-
She's hurt.
Because she should never have been fighting in the first place. She's only a young girl.
No matter how capable Saber is, she's just a small girl.
Why am I allowing her to fight?
That's all going to change. I'll fight for her.
He armed the rocket launcher he found from a fallen resistance member. Shirou lined up the sights on the cockpit.
The kick was minimal, and the stream of smoke clouded Shirou's vision.
However, he saw the flash on the knightmare, and he knew that he hit it.
It turned to him.
Shirou? Why? That giant is my enemy, not his. He is outmatched. I have to protect him, by any means possible.
She tried to take another step to attack, but a weakness in her legs finally betrayed her. She fell, her arms keeping her from the indignity of complete surrender to the ground. Blood quickly pooled on the ground from the effort, her gauntlets and vambraces now tinged red.
No. I have the power to save my Master. This hindrance is nothing-
The pain refuted that.
So. Let me in.
You?
I thought I killed you on Badonicus.
You thought wrong. Father of Britannia, you are truly a vile king.
Do not deny me, we who are Vortigern.
… We? Your sins are yours alone.
Nevertheless. To save him, will you let me in?
If I release you, you will replicate your sins on this world! I say-
To save Shirou, will you let me in?
I …
Saber's voice was caught in a whisper. "… Yes."
She watched helplessly as the corruption occupied her.
Her sword rejected the Barrier, the wind abruptly ceasing.
Revealed was a cruelly beautiful greatsword, ebony and empty. Her blood flowed down, filling the intertwining circles in shining and crimson. The edges gleamed harshly, then consumed the reflections of light, a definition of the true essence of black.
Powerless, yet … fortified. That was how Saber felt, as her arms moved of another's volition, holding a blade that belonged to Britannia's tyrant of old.
She found herself accelerating, aimed straight at the back of the giant.
Her sword was brought sideways.
And it struck in a full circle cut, in a heavy arc of malevolence. Every inch it passed was smooth and clean, the fractal edge splitting the material with ominous ease. An obsidian line traced the cut.
The black sword barely finished its downwards path before Saber felt the other shifting her grip, readying for another strike.
A roar filled Saber's ears, and she wondered where its origin was.
Then she realized.
It was coming from her.
Suddenly, her blade impaled the center of the giant's back, hidden under the shadow of the box above her. It slipped through the armor again with ease, as if she was stabbing at air.
The puncture exposed a glow from the giant's core.
There is power to be had here.
Currents of prana from the giant's exposed heart travelled up her sword, flowing into her. Saber, despite her numbness and lack of control, experienced warmth throughout.
Her aura grew in intensity and size, with more and more currents of prana circling up her black blade, filling the crimson circles and her being. The air crackled and spun, thrashing against her. Her hair was tossed to and fro, her dress and armor flapping and rippling. However, Saber was serenely peaceful throughout the death of the giant. She was focused on the enemy, watching the core grow dimmer and dimmer.
Fueling this display was the giant's power, its essence of life. The colors dulled, the white armor becoming translucent. The core became a tinted orange as it slowed down. Rapidly, the end of the giant approached.
So this giant is a product of magic. It is not surprising, but-
But you could have taken your other opponents' power as well. You thought they were living?
Yes. There is life here. At least, their blood is a product of life.
Then you are a fool. You wish to win, yet you will not use the resources you won. A true king takes what is hers by right. Even if you have not listened to me, Iskander's words should have opened your deaf ears.
I will not listen to a murderer! A king-
Takes every advantage she can obtain. And I thank you for this one.
As much as Saber was being rejuvenated (indeed, consuming more than her fill) from the giant, she recognized the flow of power into the ebony of her blade. Within her, she grasped the expansion of her corruption.
No. Britannia will not see your evil.
I am Britannia's protector, from life to death, and from death to this War.
You may be Britannia's saint of the fittest's survival, but I know who you are.
Begone.
Saber forced her counterpart away, and redirected the prana flow to herself.
As you wish, my king.
With that, Vortigern smiled, a cruel parody of Saber's own countenance, and left.
Relief filled Saber.
Until she understood that her other had left a last parting shot.
The giant was falling on top of her. She pushed off, and attempted to right herself.
That was when her excess prana healed her damaged arms, repairing the torn skin and muscles, and reconnected her nerves.
The hurt, the pain filled her vision with black.
She slammed into the ground, but she did not feel it.
"Lloyd? Ms. Cecile? Tohsaka?"
The Lancelot was pitch black.
I failed. Again.
Shirou ran, the weight of Saber in his arms hardly slowing him down.
He had dropped the rocket launcher and brought his rifle up to bear when the knightmare attacked, but he could do absolutely nothing as Saber fought once more. He was frozen in those few seconds.
When she stopped on the ground, he discovered his muscles were tightly clenched. Ignoring the giant, he dropped his weapons and ran to his Servant.
His only concern was getting Saber to safety. No, it was even more than that. Her safety was all that mattered to him in that place, at that moment. He cradled her curled body, felt the tension in her muscles. Blood crept through her gauntlets. It crawled up her sleeves, tainting them into a deep purple. A shimmering in the air indicated that she was still clinging to her weapon, despite the cessation of combat.
He ran to escape with her.
Saber. I couldn't protect you.
I know that you're better at fighting. I know that if I defended you, I would have died.
That would have been better. No, that would have been the best outcome, Saber.
Engagement ended at 1417 hours.
11 August 2017 a.t.b., 1354 hours
Shinjuku, Area 11
The sounds of combat grew lower and lower. Lelouch watched the head of that white monster fade in the distance.
"What do you think that was, C.C.?"
"Another weapon for the glory of Britannia." C.C.'s deadpanned across a tinny speaker.
"Hm." Lelouch just shook his head. Whatever that knightmare was fighting, he hoped that its target was putting up a good fight.
"All tasks at hand are complete. C.C.. Set us down."
"I'd have thought you'd want to use the knightmare to take out your sister."
"No. I have a more personal approach in mind." The knightmare slowed down, and Lelouch jumped. As he tried to recover, he saw a soldier's feet in front of his eyes.
"What-"
"Relax, Lelouch."
C.C. smirked as Lelouch snapped his head up.
"C.C., don't do that again."
He followed her as she lead the way to the command center. She stopped him abruptly.
"Lelouch. How do you want to do this?"
He gave a cursory glance at the battlefield, then focused in on the threats.
"Five squads, a heavy protection detail around the base. Standard armament, though. They must have been hastily prepared."
This is unusual. My sister has always been cautious about security, quality over quantity. If they've invested this much manpower, though, they have to be compensating for something. Or this isn't her command, and Clovis is loaning soldiers to her. Either way, this is not ideal for just two people to infiltrate.
Then again, I have two powerful pieces left. But …
If Cornelia knows about C.C.'s disappearance, then she should have taken precautions. I'm willing to bet that this "terrorist attack" is just a media ploy. That they're hunting for any indication for their missing Immortal.
But even if that's true, why would C.C. attack her handlers the day after she escaped? Their weapon should be hunting C.C., not hiding in her base. And a weapon that can kill someone who can't die is not worth using to track a single person. Even if it did exist, then we would have been found by now.
Our only enemies, then, are the soldiers in front of us.
"You want me to take care of them?" C.C.'s smirk widened slightly.
Lelouch paused. "I don't want you involved. Not yet."
"Something to prove, then?"
I have a power that is almost completely unknown to me. I can afford to spend my first engagement testing it, and continue after its success.
"Like I said before, I need to examine the specs of my weapon."
C.C. took off her visor. "Roger that."
They approached the squad in the rear, the one with the most visors removed. Six men.
"Halt. Identification and weapons."
"Yes, sir." Lelouch removed his visor. The power flowed through his eye, making contact with each of the six men's eyes, except one. The first five's eyes went blank, but the sixth's gave no response. Lelouch then locked on to the last soldier's eyes, and he went blank. Eye contact is required.
"Shoot anyone with a visor on here, then approach the other squads without drawing suspicion. Wait for orders through radio."
Those with visors on reacted with surprise, one savvy soldier drawing his weapon.
Those without opened fire.
When they were finished, Lelouch and C.C. ducked behind some rubble.
"That was surprisingly thorough for a first test, Lelouch."
Lelouch didn't say anything, due to his activated radio. Instead, he began thinking.
An immediate command, a distanced command, and a long-term command. Let's see if all of them go through.
"Mhmm. Getting smarter, I see."
Immediately when the shots were fired, two of the squads approached the source of fire. They were puzzled by the calm approach of six of the rearguard.
What will they do?
"Rearguard squad, what are you doing? Report, rearguard!"
…
"Rearguard reporting. Stretching our legs."
"Just taking a walk, sir."
Lelouch sighed in relief. Phase two is complete. Now, phase three.
He spoke. "Prime your grenades. Run towards as many soldiers as you can."
He and C.C. just watched the small figures run and explode.
"The G1 Base personnel should be alert now. C.C., we're going while the other two squads run amok. I don't expect there to be too many soldiers inside a base so heavily defended. "
They ran into the panicked chaos, visors and facemasks hiding their features. Soon, they were at the entrance of the base.
C.C. looked at Lelouch. He nodded.
She opened the door, and she and Lelouch slipped inside.
Immediately, darkness greeted them.
"Seems like someone forgot to turn on the lights." C.C. peered around the corner, making sure that the entrance was clear.
"Hm. This will be easier than I thought." Lelouch strode boldly forward, C.C. following in a confident walk.
"You know, we look like pompous idiots."
How else to convince "command" that we have "urgent" orders?
"Touche. Soldiers."
"Right." Lelouch removed his faceplate. "Excuse me. I need to see your identification. We've had a security breach outside."
The five soldiers looked at each other. "We're not supposed to leave our post, sir."
Lelouch raised an eyebrow under his helmet. "I asked to see your IDs, not to leave your posts. Are they manning secure positions with idiots now? Identification, now."
"Erm." The one doing the speaking looked nervous, but he nodded. "Yes, sir."
They took off their faceplates and visors, and took our their identification cards.
"Good. Now, you will-"
Six soldiers marched into the command center's planning room. They stood at the exit, sealing off any opportunities to escape.
"What is it, soldiers?" The tacticians raised his head from the display.
On the throne, his charge in uniform barely gave any indication. Guilford kept by her side.
One soldier simply lowered his visor and looked back at the tacticians. "Secure Cornelia's knight." He pointed at Sir Guilford.
"Yes, sir."
Guilford hesitated in disbelief, but then realized how serious the situation was when the five other soldiers brought their rifles up.
"What is the meaning of this, soldiers?" Cornelia stood, a haggard look in her eyes. "Stand down, all of you."
Damnit! Treason, that's all there is to it. I must protect Cornelia!
Guilford went for his gun and dove for Cornelia. However-
The main soldier just nodded.
An alien sensation struck his back, then filled his mind.
He fell to the ground, his leg in tatters, his arm removed at the elbow, his neck broken.
Bone fragments caused spikes of pain to jump throughout his muscles. The blood pooled-
He opened his eyes.
He was alright. He was intact. He had just fell.
"Guilford!"
His charge- His commander- His princess was calling him. She was desperate, and when he saw her, she was being held down by two soldiers. Two Britannians. How-?
He was being held by four tacticians as well. He struggled, successfully slipping out of one's grasp-
"I don't think so."
C.C. had taken out Cornelia's knight quite nicely. Lelouch was surprised that she actually got behind him. Cornelia needs to recruit someone more … aware.
Still, he had a use for him.
Lelouch walked up to Guilford, held in place by the four tacticians and watched with a wary eye by C.C.. "So, knight."
"Who are you? Let Guilford go!" Cornelia bucked against the soldier's hold, but she stopped when a rifle was held in front of her face.
"Hm. You have a name. So, Guilford. You will exit through that door, and you will sound the all-clear and a cease fire. Then, you will forget the occurrence here." The sensation of his power, of Geass, filled his left eye.
"Yes, sir."
Cornelia looked stricken. "Guilford? What's going on?"
He simply walked out.
Cornelia, to her credit, only remained in shock for a single moment. Then, she wrestled against the guards to turn to Lelouch. "You bastard! What did you do to my knight?"
"Presumptuous as always, Cornelia. Though it might be hypocritical of me to say so. After all, isn't a prodigal son the most presumptuous of all?"
"Who are you? I demand that you let me go. You terrorists are surrounded by my best forces!"
"We were able to enter surrounded by your best forces. I would hate to see what your worst forces are." Lelouch smiled when Cornelia struggled even harder. "As to who I am …" He removed his helmet. "It is I, Lelouch vi Britannia. You're in check. Your move."
Her eyes widened. "Lelouch? You were in Japan all of this time? You can't be-"
"You sound like you actually care." A hard expression crossed Lelouch's face. "A shame. I don't suppose you care about Nunnally as well?"
"… So you actually are Lelouch." With that, Cornelia's shoulders slumped, her head bowing down. "I see. Then perhaps I deserve this."
"What?" Now, Lelouch was surprised. "What do you mean, Cornelia?"
"It's nothing."
"It is not, dear sister. What is it?"
"I am defeated, just like you've defeated me in chess. This brings back memories, doesn't it? I always leapt to Euphemia's defense whenever you crushed her in chess. Strange, that even in a real battlefield, you defeat me."
"You-! Don't make me laugh. You 'deserve' this?"
"What's there to explain?"
"My mother. Is this some guilt-"
"You're caught up in your games, Lelouch, that you don't know the bigger picture."
"What do you mean, Cornelia?"
"I can only see one course of action, Lelouch. You're going to hold me hostage, and you're going to negotiate my release with Guilford. It was a smart move to send someone to tell everyone about a royal hostage, but Guilford is far more competent than you. Though I can't imagine what you were thinking, trying to order him around. He was just pretending, brother. I knew your game. I played along."
"Heh." Lelouch covered his mouth. "Ha."
And the laughter burst from the floodgates, Lelouch laughing in Cornelia' face.
He finally stopped, sighing. "Cornelia, why didn't Guilford storm in here yet?"
"Because-" And Cornelia could not respond. She understood. She paled.
"If what you're saying is true, then he should have brought an entire division up here already. But he hasn't. I'm sure he isn't taking a stroll, if he is your knight. If he is your knight …" Lelouch chuckled. "… Then he would actually care. I'm still waiting. I'll give him a minute or so."
Silence reigned for one, then two, then five. Lelouch broke it. "So imagine … What if Guilford actually worked for me?"
"… You bastard." All pretenses of regret or confidence, the expressions Cornelia played on before, vanished.
"Finally, all tasks at hand are complete. Now, you will answer my question." Lelouch bent down. He gazed into Cornelia's eyes. A subtle heat filled his left eye, the sheer force of Alaya's will, the will of mankind, manifested. Expelled into Cornelia's mind, it locked her will for that moment, ready to be molded by Lelouch's commands. The power did not merely appeal to Cornelia's nature. It dominated it.
"Answer my questions. Who killed my mother, Cornelia?"
Cornelia's gaze became blank. "I cannot say."
"What? Then who knows?"
"…"
"You were in charge of her personal guard, and you deserted your posts. Tell me, who told you to? Tell me now!"
"Lady Marianne. She wanted us to leave that day."
That's impossible. Mother knew she would be attacked that day? If she did, she would have gotten us out of there!
Lelouch began trembling. "What really happened back there? Who killed her? Who killed my mother, dammit!"
There was no response.
"Who knows, then? You personally led the investigation, didn't you?"
"All I found was that His Majesty ordered Schneizel to dispose of the body."
As I thought. Father, it came from you.
"Why are you here? You were supposed to be leading the campaign in Saudi Arabia."
"I was ordered here by His Majesty. There was a Code R emergency."
"Code R?"
"A threat to the Emperor's Immortals and an-" Cornelia struggled, hesitating in sharp contrast to the fluid ease she had when she answered Lelouch's questions before. "-an –an obstacle to Fuyuki."
Is my power wearing off? "Fuyuki? What's that?"
Silence.
So she can't answer questions she doesn't know.
"Fine. Was this emergency the cause of your attack here, to investigate your missing Immortal?"
"No. Our forces were attacked at 1020 hours. I was called here to help Clovis's inept forces."
"I see. That's all."
His sister's eyes became alert again. "No, Guilford would never betray me. You lie, Lelouch! You-"
"Cornelia. Look at the time."
She didn't respond. She didn't have much left to say.
Lelouch stepped away, crossing his arms. "You know this is it. I'll congratulate you on becoming the first truly Britannian casualty in this war. C.C. …"
C.C. placed her hand on Cornelia's head.
Before C.C. enacted her Code, he turned to Cornelia.
"I'll be sure to take good care of Euphemia."
Lelouch felt slightly sick.
I'm becoming like them.
"Yes, you are."
C.C. led the way, guiding Lelouch out of the G1 Base, and past the soldiers gathering the bodies of their comrades outside. The tinny voice of Cornelia's knight rang out over the battlefield through the speakers. "The battlefield is all clear. Cease fire now. The battlefield is all clear."
Those words from Lelouch's Geass command called to mind his commands for the other soldiers.
To the first soldier:
Take and plant all of the C4 in the armory throughout the G1 base with thirty second timers. Then, engage the soldiers outside on my command.
To the other four soldiers:
You will follow me, and when I tell you to fire, you will open fire at whoever I am pointing at. On my command, detonate the C4 explosives inside the base.
Lelouch activated his radio. "And here we go. Open fire. Detonate."
Gunfire cracked on the opposite side of the base. Lelouch and C.C. started running, along with a few other soldiers.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then, the C4 exploded.
Purple metal crumpled and burst. The remaining C4 in the armory vaporized half of the G1 Base, and an entire squad vanished. The command bridge was relatively unscathed, but the blast threw it up a few feet, before it came crashing down. The other half blasted forwards, squashing the soldiers in front like so many insects.
Lelouch and C.C. were thrown to the ground.
"Ow."
"So the conqueror graces us with an undignified grunt."
C.C. quickly got up, Lelouch following after scrambling to his feet.
She switches quickly between combat professionalism and a soldier's banter. Is it a tactic for distracting herself? Or me? I killed too quickly. But all the same, if I have to become the same as my family to bring peace for Nunnally, then so be it.
"Can you get us a car, C.C.?"
"Sure. Are you alright, Lelouch?"
Lelouch, naturally, was surprised. "I am. I never thought-"
"Good. Now what?" C.C. crouched, fixing up the wires in the car on the side of the road.
"Now then … we find Shirou and his friend."
Lelouch had closed the door of the command center, which also, incidentally, was a command bunker. The blast merely lifted the bridge up into the air, but the gouts of flame and combusted high explosive took its toll on the structure.
Gilford coughed, and stood in the wreckage. The door to the interior planning room was open, and he limped in.
"Guilford." A hacking cough followed.
"Princess Cornelia!" Guilford staggered over to his charge's position. He knelt.
Surrounded by four bodies, she had escaped the brunt of the blast under the throne. However, the shrapnel had cut into her, and the bleeding …
"What happened, Guilford?"
"Princess, I-" I don't remember. "We were attacked."
"I'm dying, aren't-" She coughed more, blood dripping from the sides of her mouth. "Aren't I."
Guilford nodded, trying to suppress his tears. "I failed you as your-"
"Shhh." Her hand reached out, touching Guilford's cheek. "I need-" Her coughing intensified. "-you to promise me. Protect Euphy."
"I will-"
"No, protect her. You and Dalton, and everyone-" Blood dripped down, pooling on the ground. "-else's oaths to me are here and now given to my sister. Serve her as you served me. No one else."
"Yes, Cornelia." Guilford broke protocol, and caressed Cornelia's face.
"Swear it."
"On my honor."
"And please, tell her I'm sorry. Goodbye, Guilford. I love you."
Guilford let her go.
Shirou set Saber down. He was tired, and they were on the outskirts of Shinjuku.
She was so small, so helpless. Her arms stopped bleeding, but she was still unconscious.
"Saber. Saber. Wake up."
She didn't.
She's still breathing, but she might have lost too much blood. How can I help her? Only she can tell me what she needs.
"Saber, you have to wake up." He shook her lightly. Her eyes fluttered. Her eyes opened, and she looked at Shirou.
He sighed in relief, and held her shoulders.
The pain from the grasp was dulled from her recovery, but she still felt the sharp torment coursing through her arms. Saber winced.
"Saber. How are you injured?" Shirou began looking Saber over, checking for any obvious wounds. He tried to examine her arms, but she pulled away.
"I am fine, Shirou. You did not need to concern yourself with me."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
He shook his head. "You're being stubborn. C'mon, let's get you up." He got up and held out his hand.
Saber looked at it tentatively. "I can get up by myself, Shirou. Thank you." She placed a gauntlet on the ground, and tried to push herself up from her seated position. She gritted her teeth as her hand came into light contact with the ground. She tried harder, but she couldn't take it. Her arms were unable to carry her weight, as she attempted to lean forward, to use the wall to support herself.
Now, Shirou has most likely lost all of his respect for me. I am no knight-
"Well, Saber." Shirou crouched down, looking at Saber with a strangely unreadable expression. "Do you need help?"
She lowered her gaze, hesitant to speak. Then, "Yes. My arms are not in the best condition. Can you assist me, Shirou?"
"Alright." Shirou moved his arms under Saber's back and legs, but she shook her head.
"Shirou, I can stand and walk. I do not wish to be carried."
Shirou gave a gentle smile. "Good. I'm glad you can still take care of yourself." He moved his hands to gently grasp Saber's shoulders, and guided Saber's movement upright. All the while, he kept the thoughts of the recent conflict out.
Saber spoke softly. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. I still have to get us out of here." He turned slightly away from Saber, a slight flush entering his cheeks. "I think the best way to leave is to pretend we're lost students. Can you change into your uniform?"
"Of course, Shirou. I am finished."
"Uh, well-" He couldn't help himself, and he rotated his field of vision to see Saber in the corner of his eye, to check if she actually did change that fast, or was in the middle of changing. And she was actually done. "How did you do that?"
"I will save my explanation for later."
"Right, so we're going to leave. We have to go quickly." Shirou took off his jacket and placed it on Saber. "I think we should try to talk our way out of confrontations from here. We can try to pull that trick again."
"Understood." Saber appreciated Shirou's gesture. The length of the jacket allowed her to hide her trembling arms, and if she needed to draw her weapon. "… What trick, Shirou?"
"Um. Well, soldiers are more sympathetic to an injured girl."
Saber blinked. "Very well."
A screeching of tires caused both of them to jump. The noise of an approaching vehicle grew louder and louder.
Shirou walked alongside Saber, between her and the car, hoping the driver of that car didn't bother them.
The car slowed down, stopping right in from of the pair. The passengers, two Britannian soldiers, got out. Their weapons were at their sides.
Shirou leaned down and whispered to Saber. "Let me handle this."
He looked at the soldiers square in the eyes. "Excuse me, we're from Ashford. Could-"
The first soldier interrupted. "We know you go to Ashford, Shirou."
"What?" That was the last word Shirou had expected from the soldier. "How do you know my name?"
"You don't- Right." The soldier took off his helmet. "I completely forgot about the helmet. Hello, Shirou."
Shirou was speechless for a good ten seconds. "Lelouch? You're a Britannian soldier?"
Lelouch chuckled. "No, nothing of the sort. My friend and I were looking for you, and we picked up some uniforms along the way. Are you looking for transportation out of here?"
Shirou nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks."
"Not a problem."
"… You're being vague on purpose, aren't you? How'd you get those, really?"
They all entered the car as Lelouch replied. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies. Besides, I'm not going to inquire what exactly you were doing bringing a lady into a terrorist hotspot."
Lelouch's friend in the back chimed in. "Unless that was your idea of a date."
"C.C., not now." I had told her not to talk. This is going to lead to some annoying questions. Still, it couldn't be avoided.
"So, someone's a bit of a hypocrite. Who's your friend, Lelouch?" Shirou briefly smiled, but his attention was focused on Saber's silence. She's pretty quiet. I hope she's alright.
"I supposed we should all introduce each other. C.C., this is Shirou, a good friend of mine. His friend is Saber."
"A pleasure." C.C. sounded distracted. Admittedly, she was driving, but she kept glancing at Saber.
Saber remained silent, and Shirou followed suit. Lelouch, for once, was at a loss for words. He understood when it was time to speak, and when it was time to allow his friend some privacy.
C.C., most of all, understood what was happening. They had seen war firsthand, no matter how murky the involvement of Lelouch's friend was. The status quo would protect them, for now.
They drove uneventfully to the Emiya residence. It was strange, that a violent endeavor would end with such tranquility.
AN: So.
I don't really know what to say.
Part of me wants to blame my studies as an engineer, as a lawyer, as an investment banker. To blame my 80+ hours spent on creating art for this fic, and 20+ hours on this chapter, only to lose it when my hard drive went down, as Mr. Sparkles can attest. Part of me blames my perfectionism, that no matter how many times I run this through my mind, there isn't any way I can capture all of my thoughts here. In my mind, F/NA was finished the start of last semester. Indeed, today marks the anniversary of F/NA's birth.
But in reality, it comes from myself. Yeah, I'm a tad dramatic. I express myself best with dramatic freewriting, stream of consciousness, True Art Is Angsty. (There you go, TV Tropers.) I've been trying to juggle real life with the world I've created. You know, it's quite easy to just jump into the world you've made, and live it out in every spare waking moment. I've placed myself in Shirou's shoes on the train, Saber's armor in Contemporary Civilizations, Lelouch's eyes in the law library. I realized that I cannot capture the world I created in mere writing. Everyone's going to see my creation differently. No matter what, I will never convey in full what intricacies the world encompasses, what Lelouch thinks of Saber and Shirou' philosophies, what Suzaku and Shirou will fight and die for once they meet, what connection Servants and Immortals share. So I spent some time soul-searching.
As an engineer, I don't believe in cutting corners or hiding facts. Here goes.
I am not giving up on this world I made. I've already planned out the plot, the characters, the interactions. All I need is time. Don't expect me to finish anytime soon, but I am going to do my utmost to update when I can. My studies will only intensify over the next year, and I regret only discovering anime last year. Yeah, my update speed is pretty terrible.
Art and the next chapter will come out together.
Fan-created characters will appear in more dignified introductions. My apologies, Mr. Sparkles and The Philosopher King. I'll try my best to get them up.
Projected completion time: At the rate I'm going … 2015, and that's a conservative estimate. I guess I aimed too high for my first fanfic. Still, I've never given up on a project before, and I'm not planning to for this. Feel free to drop in and out, but I'll always value any advice you have to offer.
The elephant in the room. C.C. being a mind-reading Immortal commando. That was a remnant of the origin of F/NA. This fic started out as a C.C. centric story, based on a "what-if" of the possibility of multiple Code-bearers. Then, it expanded to multiple, Immortal spies and soldiers. Then, I watched F/SN. "What if Britannia pitted its might against Servants?" Well, that was the motivation for all the action scenes so far, but I wanted to keep my original idea somewhere inside. And so appeared the Immortals, the only agents who could have kept the Fourth Grail War from destabilizing Britannia's bid for Japan, and Britannia's only tools against Servants. To create some sort of variety, I thought that taking a part of the contractee's Geass would be useful. However, that would have broken the story, since Immortal soldiers who can control thoughts, read minds, and stop time perception would be … bad.
So yes, I rewrote that bit out. Still, the Code does allow for limited mind-reading (see Suzaku's little acid trip with distinctly Freudian overtones in the Battle for Shatter Mountain). Since Immortals are trained to use their Code for imposing psychedelic experiences on human beings, I thought it realistic that some would gain an aptitude for receiving experiences as well. A "decrypting" of the Code, so to speak. With the transmission of the Code's power along metallic surfaces (ahem, the Lancelot), the Immortals become weapons of mass delirium, wrecking the weak-minded. And since the Code's influence should affect all human beings, then Servants are not exempt. I believe I may have spoiled a bit much, but I've received too many questions to leave it alone.
Saber Alter as Britannia's King Arthur, Vortigern. There was an explanation here, but it has been stricken out because of spoilers.
I highly, HIGHLY advice reading Chapter 5 The Day A New Fiend Was Born. Suzaku and Rin interaction.
Reviews:
KizaruBoss1: Sorry, no Excaliblasting. Though *hint hint* with Saber's power being based on a far greater belief than in F/SN, I would imagine that she could use it more than her F/SN counterpart.
EVA-Saiyajin: Those ripples have far more implications than anyone could imagine. *ominous music* I mean, how could Odysseus become a Master? What does that mean for Lelouch? Hmmm.
AsskickingEqualsAsskicking: I think I covered most of your questions above. Thanks for reviewing the specific ideas in the chapters. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
MisterSP: Thank you so much for your questions. They've helped me so much in searching for errors and revising this fic. I won't repost my PM response, as it was obscenely long and incredibly dense. I look forward to more of your questions for revision and possible plotlines.
Lycosyncher: Well, hopefully, the battle played out well. And Diethard will have prime material very, very soon.
Thanatos: I'll repost my response for propriety:
"I won't spoil next chapter, but thank you so much for your review. I did think about making Rider a future-Kururugi, but that would create WAY too many plot holes and absolute insanity. Besides, the current Rider plays a far more important role than a Kururugi would, concerning the fate of Britannia.
There will be a lot of Shirou vs. Suzaku. A. LOT. Two hotheads duking it out.
I did consider having C.C. meet Saber in the past. However, C.C., according to CG canon, existed when monasteries were present. The Arthurian legend, unfortunately, only truly starts around (at best estimates) at ~600-~700 AD, making it quite iffy for C.C. to ever had encountered King Arturia. Saber is a knight only by legend, and has received her powers and armament from this. Her personality and memories, however, are not tainted by legend, but she has the benefit of knowing her legend and acting accordingly. Where her memories end and her legend begins, according to Nasu's (quite frankly) asspull history, is up for my interpretation. I will stick to Nasuverse and Code Geass canon as much as possible. Now, if Joan of Arc were summoned ... The Witch of Britannia vs. the Witch of France. Heh.
Fixed names, thank you so much for that.
And thank you so much for the review. It means a lot to me that someone thinks my story is good. If you send me a reply, odds are I won't be able to answer. My apologies in advance."
Concerning your note on Joan: Joan of Arc is the Witch of France in CG. Joan of Arc is a referee of the Grail War in Fate/Apocrypha. Hmm.
Aiur: Hoo boy. You gave me a load of trouble. Still, I have to hand it to you. Thank you for pointing out the detracting points in this fic.
First off, C.C. has been rewritten, and the above explanation should suffice. I'm moving the Lelouch/Sakura interaction into the next chapter.
Second off, pacing. Unfortunately, I have to disagree with you here. Sadly, I write a lot for short spans of time. We're currently at Episode 2 in Code Geass. Yeah, there wasn't much plot development there, and there isn't plot development here either. Plot will come after the obligatory resolution of first contact. I expect plot to come a bit easier than action, but that all comes up in the next few chapters. So yes, there's a calm before the storm.
Third off, the scenes with Lelouch were rewritten, and I hope this chapter establishes the lack of unnecessary, flamboyant displays of intelligence, and a keen sense of practicality tempered by a bit of cruel indulgence. Originally, that was supposed to be C.C. carrying Lelouch into his house, using Mao's Geass to read Sayoko, and then Lelouch's Geass to order her around. That was silly, and it was fixed. Concerning recruitment, in the early stages, Lelouch would not want to show the Japanese that he had a few Britannian cronies running with him. Now, here, he makes use of the Britannians.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Jigoku no Yami: Of course, but please, follow protocol. Write a detailed character description (Describe the character in detail. His role is the most important part. Then personality and qualities. Then appearance. More would be great.). Then, a 500 character review would go a long way to making me amiable to said character. Unless you want him eaten by sharks. In a pool of steaming lava. With acid stripping the living- well, you know.
Now, for my good friend Mr. Sparkles. He is the driving, questioning intellectual force behind this fic. Thank you for helping me bounce ideas on Servants, knightmares, Madoka, and techers. And that damn sparkler up his ass.
I think that's it. Edits may float in sometime.
Thank you, dear readers. It is quite the pleasure. Read and Review. It truly means so much to me.
HeavyValor out.
Omake #1: Spinzaku vs. Saber.
"For promised victory."
Saber sped towards her target, the giant likewise. The giant had an obvious advantage in height and weight, but Saber had-
What is the giant doing?
The white titan began spinning in midair, until it became stationary, the lift from the revolutions of its outstretched leg causing it to rise.
"That is absolute madness." Nevertheless, Saber leapt, sword outstretched. Her blade soon touched the blurring foot. She braced herself.
The foot passed effortlessly, falling off in a clean cut.
Saber's path was not impeded by the bizarre attack. Every revolution that the giant made caused more of its material to be lost. Saber just proceeded to cleave her way toward the body of the giant.
She decapitated the giant in one blow, with a full circle cut. She landed, and observed her work.
The giant came crashing down, only its leg remaining of the four limbs it possessed. Saber allowed herself a simple smile, and turned away.
The pneumatic hiss caused her to spin around. A hatch opened, and-
"Hyaaa!" A shout filled the air, Suzaku Kururugi easily crossing the gap between the fallen Lancelot and that … thing.
There is no way that thing can dodge me now. I'll capture it for Lloyd and Tohsaka!
He spun, his foot gaining a significant amount of kinetic energy. Possibly enough to shatter steel, if we believe a certain episode.
It didn't matter. Saber brought her blade up. She didn't even need to strike.
Suzaku's thigh collided with Saber's sword. Skin, muscle, bone, were simply disconnected from their host. His leg spun away, and Suzaku landed on his side.
"Arrrggh-!" Suzaku crawled on the ground. My leg … Where's my leg?
"I must complement you for your … courage, but you were a fool to present a vital part to me for my blade."
Suzaku turned to the beautiful voice, the face that owned it similarly so.
Such a beautiful girl. In this sunlight, on this battlefield, what is she doing here?
"Ma'am … please leave. There's a … weapon out here." Suzaku's breaths became labored, difficult.
She raised her arm out to him, offering to help him get up. Her hand shimmered, but that was just a trick of the light.
"Ma'am, I- I can't get up. Save yourself."
She walked forwards slowly. A prick, then a cut appeared on his chest.
"I can't get up! L-leave, please! I can't be helped."
Why am I being cut? She has to go now! I can't walk. Why is she offering her hand to me?
Then he noticed the shimmer again, from the girl's hand, along a broad line, touching his chest.
Saber pitied her enemy. There was no way for him to survive, with his muscle and bone exposed. The blood loss would kill him. She was holding her sword towards his chest, and he was becoming delusional about how he couldn't get up. Perhaps he was begging for mercy.
She gave him the last comfort she could, smiling kindly, her eyes warm.
The sound of the blade slipping into his heart was the last sound Suzaku heard.