Death: Well, my idea of writing up the next chapter after finishing one but not update is actually going well. I'm trying to apply this method for the rest of my stories, so hopefully this will solve my inability to stick to one story.
Oh, and this chapter may start with Anghel, but the focus is mostly on Zero and the Black Knights. And there's some action! There's also a few plot twists here, so I hope you'll enjoy X3
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Stage 02: The Geass Crusaders
=3=
Anghel awoke to the sound of gunshots. Radimir was nearly crushing him as the immortal had leaned forward, a hand nursing a wound that was bleeding profusely. The young noble wiggled his way out of the immortal's hold. With the firing weapons he could hear the high pitched scream of Black King as the horse reared.
With a glance around Anghel spotted men wearing strange uniforms he had never seen before. The young noble didn't have time to ponder what the red symbols meant or why it seemed so familiar when another shot aimed at his immortal companion.
"Rad!" With a cry Anghel reached for the fallen man who had just risen from the first wound. The second bullet had aimed for his head.
Try as he might no amount of shaking or calling the immortal's name would make him stir. The men in white uniforms were making their way closer to the pair. Scanning around him, Anghel realized they were all wearing strange masks. Geass will not be of any help.
With great reluctance the young man ran towards his mount. Black King, although he was still frantic, had not left the area despite the sound of firing bullets. Before the men could take aim Anghel leaped on the Arabian and the two bolted. Anghel barely had enough time to hold tightly on the black mane when King sped off into the woods.
He could hear helicopters in the air giving chase. To his luck it was mid spring, the trees and flush of fresh grass and leaves granted them cover. As they ran through the forest towards the direction of the Thornberg manor, Anghel's mind was racing just as fast.
'Who are they? What are they doing here? Are they after me in particular or the entire family? Why would we be a target?'
The youngest child of the Earl of Thornberg cursed. It was all too convenient that this attack was shortly after it was made known his family supported the Black Knights. If it was anyone in the EU who was responsible, it was certainly not England. The Thornberg family was old, respected for generations as being the noblest of nobles. England would be reluctant to even think of ending the Thornberg family.
'All right, so there is a motive. But how would they know I am part of the family? Not even Parliament knows of my existence!'
Well, there were birth records. Even the most tightly secured records could be breached. Not to mention if the manor was already taken, then these people would surely realize that there was one member missing with all of the family pictures all over the place. It didn't help his mother had taken to the idea of recording everything of his life from the day he was born.
At that last thought Anghel quickly pulled his horse to a stop. Black King was still nervous, so as a distraction the young man urged his mount to walk in tight circles. The aircraft was still nearby, but the thick trees around them would make it hard for the enemies to spot them. In the distance he could hear voices of the men searching on foot for him.
Looking down he could see the ground was lush and damp. The tracks King left behind were hard to distinguish. Perhaps if he could keep his horse calm, he could find some place for them to hide and wait this out. If the nameless enemies had the manor in their clutches, then it would be the last place for him to race to.
However, there was just that small chance they weren't after his family but him. Hushed voices of maids arguing with his parents flooded his head.
"He looks like him, Mistress…"
"The way he speaks and the way he acts you would think he was from royalty. I'd say he would be the reincarnation of –"
"That boy is the same as…"
"He ordered me to properly clean the sheets as if I didn't know how! Ordered me! I know he is your youngest son, but that does not make him a prince!"
"I swear to all that is Holy he is a Demon!"
Yes, even Anghel wondered why he was so similar in appearance to the one they called the Demon Emperor. Although Anghel was at least a foot shorter than the 99th Emperor of Britannia, he still shared the same thin build as the ruler Zero had slain. They shared the same facial structure, even the same shade of black hair. Anghel's eyes were a tad wider than the Demon Emperor's had been. However, they were nearly the same color if it not were the touch of blue in his violet eyes.
Perhaps this could be the reason why he was being targeted? But, that wouldn't make sense. Everyone that had left the Thornberg service was sworn to never speak of any information regarding him. Then again, there could be those that had let it slip out. The few trusted nobles allowed to visit their home had made interesting inquiries the past few years.
Anghel frowned at his confusion. None of this made any sense to him. At best his theories of the entire family being targeted were the better logic sounding ones. It felt like something was nudging these foreign thoughts his way and he didn't know how to shut it off.
The voices were making their way closer. Heart racing a million miles an hour Anghel urged Black King forward. Releasing a relieved snort, the black horse spurred on with renewed vigor. The aircraft were just over the treetops.
There was a town just nine miles out on the other side of the forest. Maybe if Anghel went that way he could find help. No, that wouldn't work. If he did so then he would involve innocent civilians. Besides, it was most likely the enemies, whoever they were, knew of the nearest locations of where he would flee to and keep an eye on any notion he would appear.
As Anghel thought over where he should go he had not realized they reached a clearing. However he did realize that Black King was heading towards a rather large fallen tree. Eyes widening Anghel tried to veer his mount away from the oncoming obstacle. They were coming up too fast and the log was too tall for the two of them to make it.
But it was too late to avoid the conveniently placed log.
Anghel leaned forward to be as close to King's neck as possible while his hands tightened on strands of mane so hard his knuckles turned white. His legs tightened their hold on the mount below him, nearly cramping at the mere pressure but the young noble ignored the pain. Black King leaped –
They were flying.
To his utter amazement it looked like they were going to make it over when –
One of the rear legs caught the trunk.
Everything happened so fast he had little time to prepare for the impact.
With a scream both horse and rider rolled forward from the momentum. Anghel had held onto his mount so tightly he didn't fly off and instead went down with Black King. The horse rolled on top of his small body with all of his weight pressing down against his chest.
Gasping for breath the young noble lessoned his hold on the horse. He let go just in time as King rolled back up. If he had continued to hold on tightly Anghel would surely have a broken leg or arm from how quickly his horse had stood up. There was still the matter of the injuries to his head and chest, however.
He most likely had a severe concussion from the high pitched ringing in his ears. It hurt to so much as breathe, so the chances of a bruised or broken rib were increasingly high. With effort Anghel wiggled his fingers and toes. At least he had not lost feeling in either of his limbs so he did not have a spinal injury.
His vision was swimming. That was most definitely not a good sign. It took many blinks later for him to lift his head to locate Black King. To his relief the horse appeared miraculously unharmed. Now if only he could get up…
He did not hear the shot but he certainly saw as the bullet hit its intended target. Black King fell to the ground in what seemed like slow motion in his eyes. Anghel could hear the almost human like scream pierce the air. He could only watch as the black horse struggled to remain alive, nostrils moving for every desperate breath. Their eyes met and the young noble watched as the life dulled from Black King.
'No!'
Even though he shouldn't move Anghel struggled to crawl his way to his mount. Black King was his friend, his beloved child he had raised and cared for four years. Four short years of training and love shared between them. Aside from Radimir, Black King was the only other being who understood him.
Tears were streaming down his face and for once, Anghel did not care. He was only able to manage to crawl a few feet towards the motionless horse. He was too far away for his liking, but he was near enough to see that his horse was in fact dead. With a pained tentative hand he reached out to touch Black King's head one last time.
He felt the gusts by the aircraft behind him as it landed. With quick thinking Anghel took off the ring that bore the Thornberg family crest. If these people did not know who he was then he should at least take precautions. Anghel discarded the ring, making sure it was as close as Black King's body his arm would allow.
He groaned as hands straightened him to lie on his back a few minutes later, careful of his unseen injuries. A masked face leaned over to speak to him. Anghel could not hear what was being said. But by the expression of the mouth and what little he could see of the cheeks, the figure was solemn.
Why would these people show concern for someone they forcefully captured? Nothing made any sense to him anymore.
He blinked when the odd symbol he saw before was up close for him to examine. Anghel stared at the red insignia for a few seconds for his brain to slowly register why it was so familiar.
It was the sigil of Geass.
The man who was trying to speak to him snapped his fingers in the corner of his vision. Anghel couldn't hear anything, but he flinched when he realized the hand was too close to his face for his liking. A hand then covered his eyes and he presumed they snapped their fingers once more next to his ears.
The hand left his face when they began to gently lift him onto a stretcher. One of the men caressed his hair as if it were supposed to be comforting.
'Oh, no you don't.'
In a final act of defiance, or perhaps in the hopes he will not fall into a false sense of security, Anghel spat at the man's face. The people surrounding him recoiled. Anghel smirked at his small victory. Then someone pulled something out and pressed the object against his neck. He felt a slight pinching sensation and then he felt nothing.
=3=
The land before them was in utter chaos. And yet it grew more as the battle that was taking place continued. If all goes according to plan, then this would be the final battle in eliminating the last of the resistance group of Britannia.
For years this group had been attempting to revert Britannia back to the supposed "glory days". The group started with protests, of which Zero did not intervene with the Black Knights at his heels. It was by their right to voice their opinions out in the open. However, Zero had to make a move when the group went too far in an assassination attempt on the empress.
They called themselves the White Knights.
Their goal was to turn back the page and undo everything the 100th Empress Nunnally vi Britannia has worked so hard to change Britannia for the better. And once this resistance group has fully formed, they took the opposite name to the Black Knights as if to mock them. The two opposing sides have been at each other's throats for nearly a decade.
Now the White Knights were cornered. They were cut off from supplies and funds, and so the Black Knights are taking advantage of this opportunity to squeeze them hard. Zero was putting his all into this fight, for it has been too long since this war started to finally have the White Knights in his clutches.
"P1, P2, follow up with N group and surround the enemy."
The order was carried out word for word. The little dots that were the White Knights on their screens flashed NO SIGNAL within seconds.
"B group, push hard against the enemy lines at two o'clock. P and N group reroute to the west wing."
A pilot watched on his Knightmare's screen as the two groups dispersed away from the rest of the Black Knights to separate the enemy lines. The far sides of the White Knights were scattered in minutes. He was amused at how panic could spread with such little time. This battle would soon be theirs.
Now the there was an opening for Zero to make his move.
"Q2, you're with me. We're going straight through the middle. It's time we take out these bastards."
The pilot of the Galehaut smirked. Finally, he was going to see some real action! Up until now he's been doing the easy work, staying by Zero's flank to fend off anyone who dared to challenge Zero head on. But since this battle started there had been nothing to do other than float in mid air.
Not even the insane enemy pilots would come near at the sight of the Galehaut due to its reputation.
He also found it surprising Zero would openly curse. In the eleven years of his twenty four he knew Zero on a personal level he was always composed and collected. Not once had the masked figure let a word slip out.
'Well, there was that one time when the Empress nearly died from the assassination attempt.' He remembered that particular incident well. It was the one and only time anyone can recall Zero losing his cool.
"Q2, are you coming or not?" The voice impatiently inquired through their private connection.
There was another thing. His nickname was Q2, the second Queen after Kallen Kouzuki of the Black Knights. Although he understood it was the most powerful piece on the field, it hurt his pride to be referred to as such.
The pilot rolled his eyes. "You know I've been itching for a fight since this battle started!"
"Then hurry up and help me before the enemy lines regroup."
Zero was so impatient. Maybe he craved a good fight just as he was.
"Yes, sir!" He couldn't hold back the wide grin. He did say he wouldn't take to following orders seriously.
Together the Lancelot Azeran and Galehaut raced for the front lines. Zero's frame was the third model of the Lancelot line. And although another Lancelot child was in the works, the Azeran was still something to be feared and awed at the same time. The concept and design was similar to that of the Lancelot Albion, though perhaps the Albion would be called tiny compared to the Azeran.
It was a wonder how Zero could control the Azeran like the performance of the previous Lancelot models when it was nearly the same size and weight of the Shinkirō.
The Galehaut pilot was curious as to why Zero wanted an enlarged version of the Lancelot to replace the lost Shinkirō. The man did have theatrical tendencies, though. Maybe he was simply carrying it on to the tenth generation Knightmare frame. Even so, the Azeran was a sight to behold.
As for the Galehaut, well, the frame was an inspiration from the Guren Mk II, but with a build frame similar to that of the Lancelot. Instead of one claw, the Galehaut has two. Instead of having a heat wave simulator in the palms the claws can be used similarly to the Slash Harkens. With a flick of the pilot's wrist he can control the timing and the grip power on his unfortunate opponent and render their knightmare frame's limbs useless.
Aside from the claws, the Galehaut carried two swords on its back, safely away from the yellow feathered Float System. For the most part the pilot uses one sword while arming the other clawed limb with a Blaze Luminous shield. Perhaps it was a style too similar to that of a knight, but his tactic was that if he found himself unarmed he had another sword at hand as a backup.
Despite the Galehaut's strange abilities, it was the pilot that struck fear in the hearts of the battlefield enemy and ally alike.
"Zaniel, we only have one chance to do this and get it right. Can I at least trust you to carry out your duty?"
Was that agitation in Zero's voice? Or was it perhaps dread?
"Don't worry, boss. I'm not going to go all bloodthirsty on you today. It's my job to keep these assholes off of you, and I aim to do just that." The young pilot snickered.
There was a slight pause on the other line. He was about to ask if Zero was all there when the voice spoke once more.
"Good. Just be sure not to get yourself killed, will you? I would hate to come back to base and explain to your mother how reckless you are."
At that Zaniel laughed. "With all due respect, sir, she would skin you alive."
He heard a faint chuckle on the other line.
The White Knights in the front lines dispersed to give way. A large part of Zaniel wanted to let out a "hoo-rah!" Instead the young man bit the inside of his cheek, eyes scanning for any suspicious movement. Either they were too afraid of the Lancelot Azeran and Galehaut coming their way, or they had a trap set up.
Before either knew it, the gap they had created closed. The perfect duo was surrounded on all sides. Immediately the two pilots set their respective knightmare frames to float back to back, swords drawn and ready to clash.
"Shall we go about this the easy way or the hard way?" The young pilot inquired. "There's almost too many of them for the two of us."
"Carve a path, would you? These cowards would flee the moment they see their comrades' destruction."
"Guess we'll take the middle ground, then." Zaniel grumbled out. He still did as he was told as he opened the hidden cannon from the protruding point of Galehaut's chest.
Although Galehaut was equipped with a Hadron Cannon, it was built smaller than it should to fit the frame. Because of the cannon being smaller the power behind it is less than the Shinkirō in comparison. Not to mention the silly thing takes half of the power from Galehaut's battery charge when used.
It was the only drawback of the Galehaut. This was a weakness the Black Knights guarded fiercely.
Within seconds of pushing the button the Hadron Cannon fired. Even though the Galehaut's cannon was technically weaker than that of the Shinkirō, it at least has the power to reach a fairly long distance that rivals one of the most powerful knightmare frames that had been created.
Zaniel smirked at the sight of a gaping hole in the White Knights' defenses. Just as Zero predicted the fools surrounding them scattered like leaves in the wind. The moment the Galehaut and the Azeran broke their back to back formation a familiar yellow knightmare frame came charging at them.
"Oh, look who just joined the fray!" Zaniel laughed, as he lunges the Galehaut forward to meet the White Knight's pristine general head on.
Swords clashed. The sound rang in the air for miles. The two knights leaned forward and applied more pressure onto their weapons. Sparks flew and for a moment Zaniel worried for a few brief seconds his sword would break.
"You dare use the Hadron Cannons? You Black Knights are a bunch of power hungry bastards!"The general of the White Knights, a man calling himself Dante, shouted.
"Hey, all is fair in love and war, right?" The Galehaut pilot scoffed.
With a snarl Dante pulled back only to slice with his weapon. Too caught up with the moment Zaniel raised his shielded arm. He didn't realize too late that the aim was not at Galehaut's head but at one of the Float system wings.
Zaniel could only watch with horror as his left wing was sliced in half. The Galehaut was now swirling from an unbalanced wing support as it fell. The pilot was in too much shock to react the first few seconds until –
"Zaniel vi Britannia! Don't you dare die on me!"
Blinking furiously, the Galehaut pilot deactivated his shield and put away his sword. Zaniel carefully twirled his knightmare so the belly was visible to the enemy. With a few seconds to aim he sent his claws toward Dante's Golden Knight.
"If I'm going down, then I'm taking you with me!"
A claw caught the opposing knightmare's head while the other grabbed hold of an arm. Retracting the arms, the Golden Knight no choice but to follow the falling Galehaut, and together the two plummet the ground.
"Sorry, boss. Looks like you're going to have to continue without me."
With a push of a button, the claw that held the Golden Knight's head was crushed. The White Knights' general was now blind to the world outside of his armored shell. Spectators from both sides of the battle watched as Zaniel expertly maneuvered the Galehaut in a series of acrobatic moves.
Just moments before impact the Galehaut was suddenly flipped on top of the Golden Knight, the claws extending out once more in a way to push the heavier knightmare frame away. Dust and debris flew ten feet high from the crash.
"ZANIEL!"
There was a tense moment of silence, everyone waiting on bated breath. Just as the dust began to settle a green and yellow knightmare bolted out like a cannon. The Galehaut spun around once and then skidded to a full stop.
"Honestly, boss, I didn't know you had a soft spot in that iron heart of yours for me."
"Just don't do something like that again. How's the Galehaut?"
"I've got a leg that needs repaired. I can still move about but not as effectively as before. And I think something's off with the other leg, too. It doesn't say there's any damage but it's not as smooth as I would like."
Zaniel studied the screens before him a little harder. The Galehaut only told of one leg that had sustained damage from his leap of faith. Yet something still felt off with him when he did that little spin earlier. Or maybe he was reading too much into his frame's performance compared to when the battle started.
"All Black Knights, retreat! Retreat and out of the way of the White Knights' air force. Meanwhile, all ground units be sure to cover the Galehaut." Zero instructed to the rest.
"What exactly are you planning, boss?" Zaniel cocked his head to the side.
He did not receive an answer from the masked man. With great reluctance the Galehaut pilot joined the ranks of the ground unit and made way towards base. For the most part the rugged terrain gave him trouble, but Zaniel was able to maneuver around the worst of the destruction, if a bit clumsily.
"Why is Zero sounding the retreat? We were winning! And you took out the general all by yourself. We should push forward!" A female voice growled out in his communications.
"Just do as the boss requests, Tohdoh." Zaniel replied with a dry chuckle. "He's got something big planned."
"Oh, yeah? And how do you know that, Your Highness?"
Was that jealousy he sensed in the daughter of Tohdoh of Miracles? Of course she never hid the fact she hated his guts the moment Zero accepted him into the Black Knights. Eventually Zaniel earned the respect of Shiori Tohdoh through the battlefield, but she would still throw sour insults at his royal status just to spite him.
"Just look at the Azeran's position. Zero is still up there surrounded by White Knights. If this were a real retreat, he would have fled from them a long time ago."
He heard a curse in Japanese on the other line. Well, well, it turns out the daughter of the infamous Tohdoh was human after all. In the public eye and on the battle field she would put up a brave front and behave just as her father once did as Second in command of the Black Knights. He could tell she was attempting to overcome her father's shadow, but she was taking the wrong road he thought.
He wasn't trying to take control of the world and force it to obey his every command, after all.
Following in a father's footsteps sounded too cliché for Zaniel. Not to mention it would bring more harm than good in his opinion.
'Curse my father in the deepest depths of Hell.' The Galehaut pilot narrowed his pale lavender eyes, his spiked red hair seemed to defy gravity even more like a cat would raise its hackles.
'I will erase all the harm you did, and some day my mother won't be judged for giving birth to a bastard child.'
Above them he heard explosions and the familiar hum of a Hadron Cannon being used. Shocked, Zaniel turned the Galehaut around to watch as Zero commanded the large twin cannons with ease. First the forces within the air were wiped out within seconds. Then the masked man turned to aiming the knightmare frames on the ground that had survived the falling debris.
This was the first time Zero of the Black Knights activating the Hadron Cannon in over twenty five years.
=3=
She stared at the screen in a mixture of awe and confusion. The others in the room gasped in astonishment while she remained silent. She knew that although Lloyd had built twin Hadron Cannons onto the Azeran, Zero made it his mission to never use them. She had seen members of the Black Knights plead to him to use the cannons to end this silly war. Not even the Empress could make him budge from his oath.
She knew the day would come when Zero was forced into a position where he had to use the cannons. What the witch did not anticipate was the fact the masked man used the weapons at his disposal so willingly. From what she saw there was no hesitance in his actions.
"My, my~ It would seem our Suzaku has broken a promise." The blue haired Lancelot creator adjusted his glasses.
"Without the Galehaut beside him, he had no choice." Kallen Kouzuki noted with a dark tone. It was no secret the Black Knights' Ace did not appreciate Zero using her son in a battle so he could do the dirty work with his knightmare's cannon.
"It was because he nearly lost your son in battle he used the cannons, not because he did not have someone else to use one." The witch pointed out with little emotion in her voice.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because it's not working, witch. He should have never allowed my son to join the ranks of the Black Knights in the first place!"
"You're the one that filled your son's head with stories of your time piloting the Guren Mk II." C.C. bit back.
"And what is that supposed to mean? That I'm the one responsible for my son joining the Black Knights? We all know he's got a few missing screws in his head, and yet we still let him pilot a knightmare frame too deadly for his personality!" The redhead snapped.
"Don't back talk my precious child. The Galehaut needed a deviser, and your son was the only person who could clock in at 98 percent." Lloyd reprimanded with a pout. "The relationship between the Galehaut and your son is like you and the Guren~"
"Do we have to go over the meaning of families in society again?" At Cecile's threat the man in the white coat cowered.
"No, no! There's no need. Please don't make me go over those silly human interactions again."
The dark blue haired woman turned to Kallen. "What he was trying to say was that no one else can pilot the Galehaut with its full potential. As a pilot of the Guren, I'm sure you understand that a pilot has a special connection to a knightmare frame that meets the pilot's expectations."
At that the former Ace frowned. Of course she knew. There was no reason for everyone to remind her. She understood the excitement of controlling a powerful knightmare and demolish all enemies that revolt against the peace the Demon Emperor brought after his death. But as a mother, she could not help but worry over her only son.
"While I agree that Zaniel can pilot the Galehaut like no other, I would have to say Kouzuki has the right idea." Tohdoh, who had been silent since the battle started, stated.
Kallen blinked several times, eyes widening as surprise rattled her mind. "The right idea…?"
"Your son takes after his father in mind while his wild heart comes from you." The Man of Miracles was the only person brave enough to state such a fact other than the witch. "The more Zero allows him to fight by his side the more my concern of the repercussions grows."
"Are you saying my son will someday turn against us like Lelouch did?" Kallen glared at the old man.
"I am saying that the combination of his father's inability to show remorse and your temper will come back and bite us in the ass. And like Lelouch, the boy is a natural born leader. Meanwhile Suzaku is not. He is better at taking orders rather than issuing them."
"You're saying that the Black Knights will start to favor Zaniel more than Suzaku. Although it is his duty to wear the mask, Suzaku will step down if pressured. The fool has lost his stubbornness years ago, and now there is someone who can potentially take his place." The witch simplified. "If someone like Zaniel would take up the mask, we would have another Demon Emperor on our hands but far worse."
"It will never come to that!" Kallen yelled. "You're all worrying and thinking too far ahead. Have any of you ever thought of what my son actually feels? He hates his father! He despises what Lelouch had done, and yet you're all comparing them as if Zaniel wishes to be like his father! The chances of him becoming like Lelouch is slim to none. The lot of you is just stating theories, nothing more!"
With that, the former Ace turned to storm out of the room. The moment she was about to go through the door it opened to reveal a young officer. Seeing the angry woman the young man quickly shuffled out of the way. But before she could get very far into the hallway the officer cleared his throat.
"Kouzuki, Zero has called for a meeting."
"To hell with the meeting! I'm going to see my son."
"But Zero has requested all of the higher up members to appear. Oh, and miss C.C. is summoned as well."
At the mention of her name the green haired witch blinked. "Oh? This sounds serious."
"Obviously if you're to attend, witch." Kallen snapped, but even she was puzzled.
"What's the meeting about?" Tohdoh inquired. Normally the masked man would wait a few hours before he called for a meeting, not immediately after the battle.
"All I know is that an earl from the EU has made an emergency call to us." The officer was stiff as if he knew more but would not tell.
"Ah–ha~ Sounds like our friend Earl Thornberg can't shake off the bullies, hm?" Lloyd tilted his head.
"Vincent Thornberg is a capable man. He can take care of the EU breathing down his neck." Tohdoh pointed out.
"Whatever the matter is, let's go. I imagine we shouldn't make Zero wait if he's going to beat us there." Although she was devoid of emotion on the outside, the witch was concerned. This was the first time Earl Thornberg contacted the Black Knights. At most Zero would contact their EU supporter when his money was needed.
They arrived at the specialized room to find Zero already in his seat leaning on one hand, looking exhausted despite how no one could see his face. Fidgeting next the masked figure was the Galehaut pilot, trying desperately to hide the bit of dried blood on his forehead. Kallen ran to her son and immediately began to lick her hand to wipe the blood away and out of his dark red hair.
"You pulled a stupid stunt, you know that?" She reprimanded him softly. Her voice was stern but there was still tenderness in her tone.
"I know. I didn't expect the bastard to aim for the float system. Now would you stop babying me? I'm not a child, mother." Zaniel leaned away from her touch out of half embarrassment and half frustration.
"How's the Galehaut? I couldn't help but notice you had to be escorted back to base. Not too much damage, I hope. Whatever the earl needs I get the feeling you're going to be needed back on the field ASAP." Of course Lloyd would inquire about the status of the knightmare frame he practically gave birth to.
"The Galehaut is mostly intact, of course. There are some damage to the legs, although the system says only one leg took the damage. But the other leg didn't feel right to me."
"Hmmm~ Guess we'll have to run some medical tests later and see what we can find." He didn't seem too disturbed, but perhaps he was simply glad he didn't need to rebuild the Galehaut from scrap.
"Now that we are all here, let us open the communications and see what Earl Thornberg needs." Zero spoke, and even though his voice was disguised, he still sounded exhausted as he appeared to be.
The large screen before them came to life and the members still standing took a seat. Everyone wondered why they were here, when Zero could have easily gone through a private conversation with the earl from the EU. But from the corner of their eyes they could see the masked man straighten up in his seat. Maybe with an audience around he wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep?
Well, to everyone in the room, Suzaku was not always the best role model about staying healthy. He was known to put aside human necessities until the threat was over and taken care of. He would charge into battle not having eaten in days, sometimes weeks, surviving only by drinking water if only so he wouldn't become delirious.
And although the witch tries to keep an eye on him, she was horrible at her job. Thus, the reason why the senior Black Knights were around to shadow Zero was to force him to eat or come to his aid if he had pushed too far. Which to their luck, has only happened once, but it still gave the Black Knights and the Empress quite the scare.
"Communication link open. Connecting to Earl Vincent Thornberg."
The link opened to reveal a rather concerned earl on the other line. His handsome features seemed to have aged some in the course of a few hours with the way he repressed his lips together. Clear blue eyes weren't the same bright eyes the public was used to see. Whatever was going on was bad if Earl Thornberg was this affected.
"Afternoon, Zero. I apologize on the unexpected call, but I find myself in a rather…unfortunate bind. I had no one else to turn to."
"Would you care to explain what has happened?" The masked figure pointedly ignored asking why the man could not turn to Parliament.
"My youngest son has been abducted by a group calling themselves the Geass Crusaders. They left a note on our doorstep, and not too long after we searched throughout our property and found an area within the forest near our home where he was taken."
At the mention of the group's name, everyone stiffened. They had just crushed the White Knights, and now another organization as arisen with a challenge? What really disturbed the few who knew about Geass, was the impeding danger of this new group by name only.
"…I seem to recall you only have a son and daughter, Earl Thornberg. Is this son that was abducted a bastard child?" Zero was too exhausted not to be blunt and hope the man wouldn't take it as an insult.
"He is legitimate, I can assure you. You have my permission to check the birth records as well as consult the doctor who was there at his birth. Perhaps I should briefly explain why I kept my youngest hidden from the public eye. Would it be all right if I send you the information through the link? Once you see his photo, you will immediately understand while I explain."
"Is your end protected?" Zero inquired, at which the earl nodded. "Then send the picture."
A picture was sent, and the link to the earl was minimized as the photograph was opened up. Once all eyes were set on the photograph of the earl's youngest son, realization struck like lightning. Cue cardiac arrest.
"His name is Anghel Claude Vladimirescu Thornberg. He was born December 5, 2025. My wife had difficulty during her pregnancy with him, so she was bedridden since the fifth month in until she gave birth prematurely. This is the most recent photo, taken about two days ago." Earl Thornberg informed.
The photo was taken in some sort of library with Victorian era furniture and large, church like windows. The focus of the warm atmosphere was a young man sitting in an old chair, apparently was just reading a book with the way his hands were lowering the object he had been reading. The photographer must have taken him by surprise, for he was tilting his head up at the camera in surprise.
He was rather short, they guessed, probably as a result of being born a month early. His frame was long and thin like that of a Britannian, and would have easily been mistaken as one. Inky black hair came just below his ears in a feather like fashion, bangs parting to the right. And even though he was unprepared, there was still a hint of a fond smile at whoever was capturing the moment.
It was the smile that seemed foreign to those who knew Lelouch vi Britannia personally.
And it took a few moments of staring, but they realized that the eye color of this young man was slightly different. The boy had inherited a little of his father's blue eyes. If the light was just right, one could see blue bleeding through the violet, transforming the sign of Britannian royalty to blue violet.
"I understand now why you kept him a secret, Earl Thornberg. You even kept him from me when I could have provided you the protection you are seeking now."
"You had slain the Demon Emperor, Zero. Even though I admire and respect you, I can't help but be too careful. He is my son, and I hope that you do not judge him by appearance alone."
"Is that a threat I hear in that tone of yours, Earl Thornberg? I would sure hope not, for that could be misinterpreted as a declaration of war." Zaniel scoffed, earning a smack upside the head from both his mother and Zero.
"Maybe you should teach your subordinates proper manners." Vincent growled out.
"He will be punished properly later." By Zero's tone one knew he would not forget. "And one cannot blame you for taking such actions to protect your son. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes."
At the last bit, Tohdoh sent a curious glance at the masked man. Even the witch was pondering over Suzaku's choice of words.
"Does this mean you will help rescue my son?"
"I will gladly lend a hand, although I have to inform the Empress. We will need clearance to enter territories under the EU."
"I can help from my end. And before you protest I am willing to do this, losing my title be damned. I just want my son safe and back home."
"Aha~ The man's willing to give up being head of the family for his boy. Not many can even think about such an action." Lloyd commented with a lopsided grin.
"Very well. Send over all information you have and keep me updated. I shall take this up to the Empress and hopefully in a few days we shall head over to Britain. And be sure to tell Parliament I have already complied to help you in any means necessary. By the sound of it, the Geass Crusaders will be just as bad as the White Knights."
"Thank you, Zero. I don't know how I can ever repay you should we succeed. I don't know what would happen to my family if he were to…"
"Don't think such thoughts!" Kallen exclaimed, her outburst unexpected. Realizing she had been too vigorous, she composed herself and cleared her throat. "I…I mean, it's too early to know what these people want from your son. So until we find him, don't give up hope."
At her words the earl smiled sadly. "Thank you, we'll try and stay positive. But considering the circumstances, I am sure you understand that death is a very high chance. My wife is hysterical as it is."
"We will do everything we can to help, Earl Vincent. And I promise you, we will bring your son back alive."
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Zero. It will come back and haunt you someday."
"Who said I'm not already being haunted?" It was barely an audible whisper, spoken so softly only C.C. could hear the pained words by sheer luck of focusing her attention solely on Zero when the conversation got boring for her taste.
'Lelouch, if that is you in a new body, you owe each and every one of us an apology.' The witch thought darkly.
=3=
Death: Soooooooooooo. All I have to say is, how am I able to write something so awesome? =A= There were a few last minute additions of my plot into this, but I believe I can make room and have fun writing more about Zaniel and a potential love interest. Though he's not going to be he main focus here, well, just by being the bastard child of Lelouch and Kallen he plays an important role in this story. Time will only tell if he'll be good or bad.
1) The Galehaut: It took some time to name this thing, but after looking around for names of the Knights of the Round in King Arthur's days, I found an interesting story of Lancelot's enemy turned best friend named Galehaut. As soon as I read it, I knew that it was the perfect name for Zaniel's knightmare. It sort of suits him, actually, for at first the Black Knights didn't want him around until after the first battle Zaniel was deployed in. He is fearsome on the battle field, and it is better to have someone like him on your side than on the enemies lines, no?
2) As for the Lancelot Azeran, well, it took even longer to name it. So I thought about looking at cars for an inspiration. My dream car is the 2012 Hyundai Genesis, so I did a little exploring with other Hyundai cars. My goal was to look at cars and then tweak the name a little to suit the Lancelot and Shinkirō love child. I came across the Hyundai Azera, and just by adding an "n", became Azeran. It sounded cool in my head so I decided on that.
I know, I know, the Geass Crusaders haven't made their real public debut yet, but they are the catalyst that gets this whole story rolling. Much more about them will be revealed in the next chapter!
By the way, I hope I got Kallen down? As in, her not appearing too out of character. Writing about how someone like her is hard for me, since I'm better off with someone like C.C. for the silent type and not the rash, open mouthed, and ready to punch someone in the face type. Though the fact I'm making her super over protective of her son helps.
Anyway~ That's all folks. And a review would be much appreciated. Makes me feel better knowing this story has a shot at being read from beginning to end which then encourages me to continue writing.