Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Naruto. This is just a hobby of mine that I make no money off of. The characters used belong to their respective licenses.
June 1, 2017, Ashford Manor, Tokyo Settlement, Area 11
'Something's wrong.' Noah thought to himself as he ate the food that Walter had made for him this morning. The food today was excellent as always and his father wasn't here to make it even better, but Noah could tell something was bothering Walter. Mornings around the Ashford Manor were a pretty quiet affair especially when Noah's father was also at the table, but the man wasn't here this morning. Walter had informed him after he woke up and came down to eat that his father had already left to go to Warwick. Noah wasn't surprised by the news and was grateful for the chance to have a pleasant morning without him there.
He had expected Walter to be more talkative without his father here, but the old man was keeping silent. That was the indicator for Noah something was up. He thought about what could possibly be bothering his caretaker, but was drawing a blank. Noah figured that whatever it was Walter would talk to him about it when he was ready. Pushing that aside, Noah's mind went back to what happened last night.
Looking back on it he realized how stupid he was to take such a risk by going inside the warehouse. He had almost gotten caught and there was no telling what the Resistance would have done to him if they got him. The thought of them recognizing him and killing him because of his father had crossed his mind.
He held out hope that Kallen would have kept that from happening since they were friends, but after everything he found out last night he wasn't sure about that anymore. 'I wonder what she meant about ''being a part of that house" and her mother doing something to put her there?'
The only thing that made sense when she said the house was the Stadtfeld family. From what he gathered last night it seemed that Kallen wasn't a part of the family until her mother did something to put her there, but that didn't add up. He had met her parents before and Noah could tell she inherited her hair and eye color from her father. She also had a brother he didn't know about, and why wasn't he living at the house with her?
He had a lot of questions that he hoped to get the answers for but that would have to be put on the back burner. First he needed to figure out how he was going to get in contact with them in a way that didn't put him at risk.
The sound of Walter calling his name broke him out of his thoughts. Looking at his caretaker Noah could see concern on his face.
"Sorry Walter, I spaced out. What did you say?"
"I asked you what time you got back last night?"
Noah froze for a split second but quickly went back to eating, hoping Walter hadn't noticed him pause.
"What are you saying Walter? I was in my room all night."
Naruto heard the old man sigh before he pulled a chair out and sat down next to him. "I know you've been leaving the house at night. I found your little body double when I had to check on you for being absent at dinner."
Noah reached for his glass of water to drink, hoping to buy some time to come up with something to say. He hadn't thought that Walter had checked on him last night and now he realized what was bothering Walter this morning.
"Let me guess. You went to see your mother again didn't you?"
Noah looked at the man and thought about lying but he knew it would be pointless at this point.
"Yeah, but how did you know I've been leaving the mansion?"
Walter smirked at the boy and pulled out a piece of paper. Noah looked down at it and saw that it was a receipt from a gas station.
Noah looked back at Walter not understanding what this had to do with him.
"It's my job to check the vehicles in the garage and make sure they have fuel, Noah. So I thought it was strange when I began to notice that your father's old motorcycle tended to have less gas in it than what I remember putting in there."
Noah's eyes widened slightly in realization. He had completely forgotten about filling the bike back up. Noah thought that he had been careful. Even the routine he had for leaving the mansion was walking the bike to the street before starting it up and driving to the train station to go to Shinjuku. He had gotten careless and now it had gotten him caught.
"It's a good thing I found out before your father noticed and what you did last night was pretty foolish too. I can't believe you left the house before he even went to bed. Do you know how risky that was Noah?"
Noah lowered his gaze in shame. Hearing this made him realize just how foolish and careless he had been and how lucky he was that his father hadn't found out.
"I'm sorry Walter. I was being reckless, I won't do it again."
"I'm not trying to dissuade you from visiting your mother, Young Master." Noah looked up surprised by his response.
"I know how important being able to see her is for you and I wouldn't tell you to stop. You just have to be more careful from now on." Walter smiled at the young man and Noah responded in kind.
"Thanks Walter. I promise to be smarter about how I go about it."
"Good, now that that's cleared up I need to clean up the kitchen. Do you need me for anything else?"
"No Walter, I'm alright. I think I'm going to go sit out on the back patio for a little while."
Walter nodded his head before getting up and making his way towards the kitchen. Noah let out a sigh after the old butler left and got up to leave as well.
'I can't believe I made so many mistakes. I'm extremely lucky to have Walter looking out for me. I have to do better if I'm going to get in contact with the resistance. I can't make a single mistake or it would cost me my life.'
Noah eventually made it outside to the patio and laid back in one of the lounge chairs. He usually came out here to relax and think when he was stressed out about something if the weather permitted. With it being spring there were a few birds flying around in the trees chirping at each other. Closing his eyes Noah tried to think back on what he could possibly do to get in contact with the resistance and more importantly, figure out how he was going to get ahold of some information to give them.
The best and easiest way would be to contact them from a distance. Being who he is would make any type of face to face meeting too dangerous, especially since he would be by himself. The first thing that came to mind was to use a phone but he can't use his phone. It would be too easy for someone like his father to look at the phone records and see him calling an unknown number alot. He needs to find a way to keep suspicion off of him and be able to keep the Britannians from connecting him to the resistance.
His best bet would be to buy another phone and to be on the safe side, also buy one to give to the resistance. Two phones strictly used for communication with each other. He's also going to have to find a way to disguise his voice from Kallen. As much time as they had spent together at school Noah had no doubt that she would recognize his voice on the phone. That was going to be the biggest hurdle he would have to deal with.
Noah opened his eyes once he started to feel like he was drifting off to sleep. He couldn't afford to waste time anymore like this when he needed to make his preparations to make contact with the resistance. The Mall was his best bet to find the things he needed so with that thought in mind Noah got up and made his way inside. He needed to let Walter know he was heading out to the mall.
Noah told him of his plans after he found the older man washing the dishes. Thankfully Walter didnt make a fuss about driving him. Noah appreciated the work Walter would do for him but he couldn't have Walter hanging around him today while he gathered these things.
Walter told Noah to call him if he needed anything and let the young man go. The young man headed towards his room to grab a few things before he left. Even though he was just going into the Tokyo Settlement today, he still didn't want anybody to be able to identify him, especially since the mall had cameras.
Noah grabbed the keys for his father's motorcycle off the wall of the garage and turned it over. The motorcycle was an Indian Chief Bobber with a black metallic paint job. He loved riding the bike, and it was pretty much his at this point. Ever since his father was injured in the war the former knightmare pilot couldn't ride the motorcycle anymore. Instead of letting the thing waste away in the garage, Noah drove it every time he got the chance too.
He couldn't help but chuckle when he thought back to a few months ago when Rivalz first saw the bike. Rivalz was a motorhead and when he saw Noah's bike, he practically begged him to let him take it for a ride around the school. He found out that his friend wanted a bike of his own but his mom was against the idea because she felt it was too dangerous. Noah could see how much Rivalz enjoyed motorcycles and he felt sorry for his friend. Hopefully Rivalz could convince his mother to let him have one someday.
The trip to the mall didnt take very long for Noah since it was still early in the morning on Saturday. The mall wasn't very busy either to his relief. The last thing he wanted was for more chances to be recognized by someone. Noah quickly found a spot near the front and parked his bike. After he got off Noah put on a baseball cap and another medical mask like last night. He didn't want to take any chances of people seeing him even with there being hardly any people in the mall this morning.
He wasn't too sure about where he would need to go to buy what he needed. An Electronics store made the most sense for some cheap phones but he wasn't sure about a voice changer. Noah had not been to this mall before, mainly because he didn't want to be hounded by the public if they recognized him, so he would need to find a directory to find the stores he wanted.
After finding a directory with a cute girl working the kiosk Noah made his way upstairs. It turned out the closest electronics store wasn't far from where he was and on the second floor.
Walking into the store showed that it was just as empty as the mall. The only person inside was the cashier reading a magazine behind the counter. "Hey, Welcome to Circuit City."
Noah raised an eyebrow at the guy's dull greeting. The man hadn't even looked up from his magazine to see who walked in. Noah brushed off the bored cashier's words and started looking for some cheap disposable phones to buy. His search proved fruitful when he found a rack that had some older phones on it that were on sale. He took a couple of them and headed towards the front desk to check out.
The bored cashier sighed as he took the phones and swiped them through the scanner. "That'll be all sir?"
"No actually, I'm also looking for a device that can change my voice on the phone. You got anything like that?"
The cashier raised an eyebrow and looked at Noah incredulously. "You, planning on making a ransom call sir?"
Noah knew asking for something like that would come across as suspicious but he didn't have much choice. He just hoped he could play it off as something innocent with his explanation.
"Nah man, I've got a little brother that I'm looking to get a present for. I think he'd like something like that." Noah finished with a chuckle hoping it helped him sell the story.
The cashier sighed again not seeming to care. "Whatever, I've got a few but there in the back. Boss doesn't want them out front because of how expensive they are. Says it would be too tempting for people to steal."
"That's fine, I've got the money and I can wait."
The cashier nodded and mumbled to himself as he left to go get a voice changer. Noah was relieved that he was able to get one this easy. He wasn't sure a voice changer would be so available to buy at a store but it looks like he was wrong. While Noah was waiting the chime for the front door rang out signaling another customer had walked in but he paid it no mind. He was too busy thinking about how he was going to get some info for the resistance to care about looking.
"Hey Shirley, what do you think about this one?
"I don't know Mom, It looks too bulky. I was hoping for something slimmer."
Noah froze stiff and the color drained from his face. He knew that voice well, but he still glanced over his shoulder to see who was in the store. Standing in front of the display case that held the laptops was exactly who he thought it was.
Shirley was here with her mother and they were standing just a few feet behind him none the wiser to his presence. It looked like they were here to buy Shirley a new laptop for school. Noah couldn't believe the horrible luck he was having right now. He needed to get out of here before Shirley saw him and recognized him. It would lead to her asking questions that he didn't want to answer and it would put him in a spot where someone could prove he was at a store buying disposable phones and voice changers. He couldn't draw that kind of suspicion on himself.
Noah looked back towards the storage room the cashier went into and thought about leaving. 'I could just take the phones and bolt but then mall security would probably be called. I need that voice changer though.'
Noah tapped his fingers on the counter while waiting for the cashier. Every second he spends here now puts him at greater risk. The longer he waited the more likely he would get recognized. 'I've got to go! I'll find someplace else to get it.'
Noah quickly fished out his wallet and counted off the money he needed for the phones and laid it on the counter. He snatched the phones and turned around to leave but he bumped into someone knocking them down.
"Excuse you!" Shirley snapped from her spot on the floor. Noah looked down and froze for a moment. His first instinct was to apologize and help his friend up but he had to leave before she realized it was him.
Noah ignored Shirley and quickly made his way out of the store with his head down. He let out a sigh of relief once he made it outside. 'That was too close. I need to hurry up and get what I need and leave before that happens again.'
"Hey, you jerk! Get back here!"
Noah whirled his head around and looked back towards the store. He couldn't believe it but there Shirley was jogging towards him and she seemed to be pretty upset. 'What the hell Shirley!?'
He couldn't risk Shirley catching up to him, so Noah did the first thing that came to mind, he ran. He heard Shirely holler at him again but he ignored it and tried to get away from the girl. Noah turned his head back when he heard the sound of someone chasing him.
"Don't you run away, not until I give you a piece of my mind!"
'Oh shit! She's actually chasing me!'
Noah turned back around and focused on what was in front of him. He began to quickly look around to find something to help him get away from his crazy friend, but Shirley was hot on his tail. 'I guess all that time she's spent on the swim team has paid off.'
Hoping to lose the girl, Noah quickly darted around a corner and ran into a crowd of people walking around the mall.
"Ugffh-"
"Hey!"
"Watch it jackass!"
Noah pushed his way past the people he ran into and tried to find a way to get away from there. He saw some escalators and thought that his best chance to get away from Shirley would be to go down to the first floor. Noah quickly made the decision, and ran over to the escalator and started to head down as fast as he could. He looked back to the group and saw them arguing with Shirely. He guessed the crowd thought they were playing around and decided to reprimand Shirely, unintentionally helping him escape her.
He couldn't help but feel a little amused watching her desperately try to get around the people, and he sent a cheeky little wave to the girl as he stepped down the escalator. Now that he was separated from Shirley he needed to find a store to chill out in until he was sure she had lost him. The first place that caught his eye was a pawn shop at the end of the hall.
It seemed as good a place as any so he made his decision. Maybe he could also find a voice changer here for cheap, while he hid from Shirley.
As soon as he opened the door his nose was hit with a wave of smoke, cigarette smoke to be precise. Noah scrunched his face in disgust at the smell. He didn't spend a lot of time around smokers before but the few times he did, he was always eager to get away from them. He hated the smell of those nicotine sticks and the smell would even stick to his clothes if he got too close.
Noah was starting to regret coming in here but the hope of finding what he was looking for kept him from leaving. Swallowing the distast he had Noah walked up to the counter and ringed the bell that laid on it. He was a little surprised nobody was out here to man the store, but it wasn't his problem to worry about.
"I'm coming! Hold your fucking horses."
Noah looked around the store while he waited for the guy to show up. He hadn't been in a pawn shop before and it was impressive seeing the wide variety of things the shop was selling. Posters, Paintings, Coins, Music, Statues, and he even had a collection of Britannian Baseball cards. If he wasn't in here looking for something specific, Noah wouldn't mind browsing around the shop for a bit.
"Yeah? What do you want?"
Noah stopped his browsing and looked at the man who asked that. What greeted him was a short old man with almost white hair. He wore a pair of plain pleated khakis and a white and blue pinstripe button up shirt. Noah also saw that he was wearing suspenders, it wasn't too surprising since men his age tended to wear those.
"I'm looking for a voice changer. One of those things that you use with a phone. You got one?"
The old man looked at him like he was an idiot. "A voice changer? Why would you want one of those stupid little things?"
Noah's shoulders slumped and it was easy to hear the frustration in his voice. "I've got a little brother and it's his birthday, so I figured it would make for a neat gift."
The old man raised an eyebrow at his explanation. "Why the hell would you give him something like that? Give him a baseball or something. Take the kid outside."
Noah sighed. "Look, do you have the damn thing or not?"
The old man pulled out a pack of cigarettes and stuck one in his mouth. "No, I don't have one of those."
Noah was clearly disappointed. He mumbled a thanks and then turned around to head out of the store.
"But. I do have a voice scrambler."
Hearing that got Noah to stop and walk back to the counter. "A voice scrambler? And what exactly is that?"
The old shopkeeper lit his cigarette before taking a pull. "It's similar to a voice changer but those things are for kids. They're made to have your voice sound like a clown and shit. A scrambler completely distorts your voice so no one can recognize you. It's not exactly something someone uses for fun."
Noah could hear the unasked question in the man's tone, but he had no intention of letting him in on what he needed it for. "Well, my brother will probably like it either way so I'll take the scrambler."
The old man studied him for a few tense moments and then shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you say kid. Not really any of my business anyway."
Noah nodded his head in gratitude before the old man walked into the back to presumably get the voice scrambler. He didn't expect it but it looks like running into Shirley helped him today. If he hadn't then he would have bought that changer and it would have made him sound like an idiot on the phone. Now it looks like he was going to be able to get something that would be even more effective.
The only thing left for him to get before he contacted the resistance was some information to pass onto them. It would be the best way to get them to trust him. Noah knew that some random stranger calling them on the phone and revealing to them that he knew who they were wouldn't put him in their good graces, so he would need to give them something that they wanted.
"Here it is."
Noah blinked at the old man's words and focused on the small object with two cords that he laid down onto the counter. It didn't look like much in Noah's opinion but if it got the job done he didnt care what it looked like.
"You got a cellphone on ya?" The old man asked him with his hand out.
Noah nodded his head and dug into his pocket to hand the man his cellphone.
"It's not complicated to use but I'm gonna show ya anyway, so pay attention." The old man took his phone and set it down next to the scrambler.
"All you have to do is slide the scrambler onto the bottom of your phone here with these plastic clamps and cover the microphone. Plug both cords into the phone here in the charging port and the USB port and finally flip this little switch here on the side. This green light will come on and then you're good to go. Any phone call you make with this on will distort your voice to anybody listening."
"Pretty straight forward. I'll take it. How much?" Noah asked him. A device like this had to be a little pricey with how unique it was he just hoped it wasn't something outrageous.
The old man blew out some smoke before he gave his answer. "Seven hundred dollars."
"Seven hundred?! That's ridiculous, there's no way that thing is worth that much!"
"Look kid. I run a business here and I've got to make up the money I lost on this thing when the guy who pawned it didn't come back for it."
'All I've got left is about 500. Dammit!' He had to do something to get the man to come down on his price. Hopefully he could talk him down.
"How about four hundred?"
The old man gave him a smug smile in return. "Trying to haggle with me kid? That's funny. It's still seven hundred."
Noah blew out a breath of frustration. 'Damn this old man.'
"Four-fifty."
"Seven."
Noah's frustration was reaching a boiling point. It looked like he was going to have to come back to the store some other day with enough money, but he didnt know when that would be. He didn't want to take the risk that the old man would sell the scrambler before he came back. Chances were low that someone would buy it with how niche the scrambler was, but it was perfect for what Noah needed and he couldn't let this opportunity slip away.
"Look I ge-." Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Noah's attention. He glanced over and saw a familiar head of orange hair with her back to him looking around the mall. It was Shirley again and she was outside the store looking around for him. Reacting quickly Noah crouched down and moved behind a display case hoping she wouldn't look in and see him.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing down there kid?" The old man didn't receive an answer. He followed Noah's gaze and saw what he was looking at. It took the shopkeeper a few moments to figure out why the kid was hiding but then it clicked for him.
"Are you hiding from that young lady?" The old man asked while laughing. Noah glared at him in return giving the man all the confirmation he needed.
"You're something else kid. Why would you hide from a pretty girl like that?"
"It's none of your business why. I'll give you five hundred and that's as high as I'll go."
The old man shook his head. "Seven hundred take it or leave it."
Noah grit his teeth and looked back outside. He could see Shirley and she was talking to people. 'No doubt asking if they had seen me.'
"If she finds me then you wont make a sale on that scrambler old man."
"Oh? I'll just sell it to someone else, kid."
"Yeah? And how long until that happens? Something like that has got to have a small market. Not to mention it's probably stolen. I figure you're trying to get double the amount of what you gave for it, so what was it, three-hundred? Three-fifty? Five-hundred is a good offer and you know it." The two men stared hard at each other. Neither one wanted to budge an inch.
Noah hoped the old man saw reason and took the offer. It was the best he could do right now, and if he didnt then Noah would be out of luck.
"Alright kid, you've got a deal."
"Sweet!" Noah reached into his back pocket to get the rest of his money out.
"Uh oh, looks like your girlfriend is coming this way."
Noah looked up in alarm and sure enough Shirley had seen the old man and was headed this way. "You've got to get rid of her. She can't find me here or our deal is off."
The old man rolled his eyes and gave a loud sigh. He didn't want to get involved in whatever this was but the kid was right. There was no telling when another customer would buy the voice scrambler and it was most likely stolen. In his experience people who loaned stuff like this and didn't come back for it were either looking for a quick buck or looking to get rid of something that could get them in trouble.
"Can't believe I'm doing this. Damn kids today."
The old man moved around the counter and made his way towards the front door. Noah lowered himself a little more to make sure Shirley couldn't see him.
"Hello young lady. Something I can help you with?" The old man asked after he opened the door.
"Uh yes sir. I'm looking for a guy who was around here earlier. He was a tall guy wearing medical mask and a baseball cap. Did you see him?"
The old man pretended to think it over for a second. "Yeah I was just about to head to lunch when I saw a guy run by here earlier. He went out the exit over there."
Noah could hear Shirley sigh after he told her that. "Darn, I was wanting to tell that jerk off for knocking me down earlier."
"Sounds like an asshole but it's probably for the best. He looked like a thug, there's no telling what he would have done."
"Yeah, maybe so. Well thanks anyway sir. Sorry to have interrupted your lunch."
The old man chuckled. "It's alright young lady. Take care of yourself."
Noah heard the door shut but waited a few moments before sticking his head out to check. "You can come out. She's gone."
The look the old man was giving him told Noah how ridiculous he found the situation. "Sorry about that."
"Whatever kid. Are you still gonna buy this thing or not?"
'Looks like I've worn out my welcome.' Noah nodded his head and handed the shopkeeper the money. "Thanks."
The old man grunted and handed him the scrambler before inclining his head towards the door. The message was clear and Noah grabbed his things and quickly left the store. He looked around one more time to make sure Shirley wasn't around before making his way out the exit that led to another parking lot. Now that he was in the clear Noah thought about what he needed to do next while he walked around to his bike.
'Well now that I've got the phones and something to hide my voice, I'm almost ready. The only thing left is to find some information to give the resistance. Getting a hold of something from the base is the obvious choice but security there would be incredibly tough and I don't have full access to the base.' Finally making it back to his bike Noah put his purchases in the saddlebag before getting on.
'If I can't get anything from the base then where else am I gonna get the info I need? There's no way anybody at the base would give me any, so I'm gonna have to steal it. So that means it'll have to be either Bartley or my Father that I steal the information from.' Noah put his helmet on and started the bike up. He was ready to get out of here and think about it some more at the house. Once he made it back he could figure the rest out.
After making it back to the mansion and into his room Noah spent a couple of hours wondering how he was going to get the information he needed. He eventually concluded that the easiest option he had was to break into his father's office and see what he could find on his computer. His father was a very repetitive man, and he could use that to his advantage. Noah knew that every evening after his father returned from the base he would spend his time in his office.
He had only been there a few times and he remembered that each time he was his father was behind his desk working on his computer. It was his best bet but he didnt know how he was going to get into the computer. It made sense that his father would have it secure and he didn't know enough about computers to know how to deal with that, but there was one person he knew that was very knowledgeable when it came to computers.
"Thanks Nina. You really helped me out here." He felt like a piece of shit for lying to her. Noah debated with himself on whether or not he should call her but he decided to do it in the end. As much as he hated to do this, it was something he felt that he had to do. He promised himself that if shit hit the fan, he would keep his mouth shut about this and protect Nina.
"It's no problem Noah, I'm happy to help. I just can't believe you forgot your password. You're usually pretty good with that stuff." Nina said with a surprised tone.
Noah chuckled in return playing up the act. "Yeah I'm not usually forgetful, but I've just been really busy lately. I'm glad I have you to call on, otherwise I would have been in trouble. Thanks again Nina, and I'll see you at Milly's party in a few weeks."
"No problem. See you then."
Noah breathed a heavy sigh after he ended the call. He had hoped this wasn't something he would have to be doing a lot of but he knew that he was being naive for thinking so. The path that he was choosing to go down meant he would have to lie to a lot of people including his friends. It wasn't something he hoped to become comfortable with doing though.
Putting his moral dilemma aside, Noah focused on what he had uncovered on his father's computer. Going over everything brought Noah a sense of justification on his decision to break into the computer and to call Nina. It had the details of every supply depot, military hospital, communication center and the shipments that were coming in and out of the port. This was a goldmine of information and he was going to make sure to get as much of it as he could.
Noah pulled out a spare USB drive he had for school and plugged it into the tower. Downloading all of this would take a few minutes but thankfully he didn't have to worry about Walter finding him since the man left to go grocery shopping earlier. While the USB did its job, Noah decided to browse around some more in his father's files to see what else was in there.
He clicked on a random file and a list of names were brought up. Clicking on one brought up a photo and a long and detailed explanation of their life. 'It seems Michael was keeping detailed dossiers of everyone of importance in the Military and Government. This could be very helpful.'
Interested in what he had found Noah clicked on a few other names and skimmed over the information. His father had files on Bartley, Gottwald, Nu, and even Prince Clovis. He noted to himself to read that particular file as soon as he could later.
Checking on how much time was left to download, it showed he still had some time left. He went back to the list of dossiers and found two that he had hoped to find. Lloyd Asplund and Cecile Croomy.
Ever since his father told him what they were doing here in Area 11, he was curious about the two scientists and their special Knightmare project. The basic information about their family didn't interest him but the bits about their education and military career did. The Imperial Colchester Institute was one of the most prestigious universities in the world. 'Only the brightest minds on the planet can go to that school.'
There was only one more thing in their dossier that grabbed his attention and it was an organization called Camelot. 'It seems that this is the name of the organization that my father mentioned.'
The Camelot Engineering Corps was a special research division that Prince Schneizel created and put Lloyd Asplund in charge of. It mentioned that they were given autonomy outside the jurisdiction of the Britannian Military. Camelot's Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps (ASEEC) was responsible for this new Knightmare frame Noah had heard about The Lancelot.
Noah widened his eyes when he read that the Lancelot was a 7th generation Knightmare. 'I didn't even know they had already made a 6th generation! What the hell can this thing do?'
Noah looked back at Lloyd's dossier to read more about The Lancelot, but he was disappointed when there wasn't anything more. 'No wonder Michael hasn't told me anything else about it, he's still trying to figure it out himself.'
A pop-up notification drew his attention away from the dossier telling him the download was complete. Noah couldn't help but grin sharply in satisfaction. He exited out of the files he pulled up and put the computer back to how he had found it before pulling out the USB. Walter wasn't back yet from the store but he didn't want to spend more time in here than he had to.
Noah was feeling excitement and determination as he walked back to his room. Now he had the info that he needed to get the resistance's attention. Now he would just need to write up a note and leave it with one of the phones at their hideout. 'That shouldn't be too hard. I'll need to check it out one evening and leave it when no one is there.'
He ran his thumb across the USB in his hand and thought about just how important the little device was. 'The information on this thing will seriously hurt the Britannians here in Area 11, and now I'm just one phone call away from completely putting that power of theirs in jeopardy.'
Noah couldn't help the vicious smile that spread across his face.
June 4, 2017, Business District, Shinjuku Ghetto, Area 11
'Something bad has happened.' Kallen thought to herself in worry while she tried to keep up with her brother. The two of them were on their way to the hideout after Oghi had called her brother earlier. Kallen didn't know exactly what was said but from what she could hear Oghi sounded scared and frantic. It took Naoto a while to calm him down and once he had, her brother told her to grab her things because they needed to head to the hideout immediately.
That had caught her off guard. After their last job, Naoto had been adamant that she stopped coming around the hideout anymore and instead spent time at school, making friends. They had a pretty big argument about it a few nights ago and that was part of the reason why she was at his place tonight. She had hoped to talk to him again now that he had cooled off and convince him to change his mind. It was also an excuse to get out of that house and away from her step-mother.
The older woman had been grating on her nerves all day and when she finally had enough, she blew up on her at dinner tonight. The woman was furious and had ordered her to her room, but Kallen rolled her eyes at what she said. Unfortunately for her, her father had agreed with his wife and reinforced the order.
After storming off and making it to her room Kallen changed her clothes and climbed out her bedroom window to go see her brother. This was her typical routine whenever her parents would get to be too much for her. It was bad enough having to deal with her bitch of a step-mother and her weak father, but having to see her mother there pretending to be some dutiful maid in some foolish hope that the man she loved would take her back was sickening. She didn't believe her brother when he told her that their mother became a maid for her, it had to be because of him.
She hated being there and one of the only places she felt any sense of happiness was with her brother. Even though she had visited her brother to seek refuge from her home life, she had also hoped to convince him to let her help out again. Kallen found out about what her brother was up to months ago, and when she confronted him about it, she had told him she wanted to help. Naoto refused of course, but after wearing him down for a few weeks he finally relented. He told her though that she could only help out with little things, and she had to stay out of the jobs they did.
That situation didn't last long though. Eventually Naoto's group needed another set of hands for one of the jobs and there was no one else but her. Naoto didn't like it but he eventually agreed after talking it over with his friends. Things were going good for them after that until she got hurt on their last job. It wasn't anything serious, just some bad bruising but it was enough for Naoto's fear to rear its head again.
That was why she was shocked when he said she needed to come with him. As far as she knew he didn't want her around anymore, but for him to change his mind all of a sudden must have meant something serious had happened. She asked him what was wrong but he brushed her question off and told her that he couldn't talk about it in public. He reassured her that she would find out soon and that everything would be alright, but that didn't alleviate her concern.
Thankfully her questions would soon be answered because they had finally made it to the warehouse. Naoto opened the door and let her walk in first while he eyed the surroundings outside the building like he was looking for someone. Even though it was dark Kallen immediately saw all of the others huddled around a lantern and made her way over towards them. She could see the looks of worry on their faces but before she could ask what was wrong her brother spoke up.
"Alright, let me see the note."
Oghi quickly walked over and handed her brother a piece of paper that she just now noticed.
"Naoto?" Kallen asked in confusion.
Her brother didn't answer her, she called out to him again and he still ignored her. Frustrated, Kallen made to call out to him again even louder, but before she could do that he finally looked up and acknowledged her.
"Sorry Kallen, I was just thinking."
"What's going on Naoto? What's with the note?"
Instead of immediately answering her, he handed her the note to read for herself. Kallen felt a cold chill go up her spine when she saw what was on it. Her eyes gently widened the further she read it.
"I know who you all are. Tell your leader Naoto about this and make sure all 9 of your cell members show up here tonight. Keep the phone close. I'll be calling you soon to talk."
Kallen felt a lump form in her throat after reading the note. Someone found out about the hideout and knew who they were. They even knew Naoto's name and how many members there were too.
"Shit."
Tamaki laughed bitterly at her remark. "Yeah, Shit! Somebody knows who we are! It's game over man!"
"Tamaki! Shut up! You're not helping!" Oghi shouted at him.
"He's right Oghi! We're in the open now. We need to get out of here and go underground!" Yoshida stepped up and fearfully exclaimed.
Kallen saw Nagata's face set into a sneer. "Get a grip, you two! Crying and yelling isn't going to fix this situation."
"What are we going to do? The Britannians could be on their way here right now." Inoue muttered while holding her head in her hands. Minami put his hand on her shoulder and tried to reassure her but whatever he said was drowned out when the others' argument escalated into a shouting match. Kallen looked over towards her brother to see what he had to say but he seemed to be deep in thought.
She looked back down at the note to reread it, but she noticed that her hands were shaking. It wasn't often she found herself scared but now she couldn't help feeling that way. If someone really had figured out who they were then they were all in trouble. No amount of political swaying from her father could get her and her brother out of this if the Britannains found out. It would be the gallows for all of them if they were apprehended.
Kallen was brought out of her thoughts when she heard what sounded like a scuffle. Looking up she saw Nagata and Tamaki trying to grab at each other but Sugiyama and Oghi were holding them back. Things were getting out of hand but before it could get any worse her brother finally spoke up gaining everybody's attention.
"Alright everybody enough!"
Thankfully the others stopped what they were doing and gave Naoto their attention.
"Nobody is running out, you got that? This isn't an ideal situation but I think we're ok for now."
"Ok?! Naoto, somebody knows who we are and where we operate! The police and the military could be outside the building right now!" Yoshida exclaimed.
"Stop Yoshida! Let's hear what Naoto has to say." Oghi said, trying to diffuse the tension.
Naoto sent his best friend a nod and then cleared his throat. "I don't think we have to worry about the authorities just yet. The note said to keep the phone close cause they wanted to talk to us. Where's this phone?"
Sugiyama turned around and grabbed something from the table before handing it over to her brother. "I know you guys are scared right now, cause trust me I am too, but we have to keep a level head here. This note didn't say anything about going to the Britannains, it just said they wanted to talk."
"Then what about the part where they drop your name and how many of us there are? That sounds like a threat to me." Inoue said. Kallen couldn't blame her for sounding confused because she felt the same way.
"I think that was done more to get our attention than to threaten us. If they didn't do that then we probably would have just packed up and moved to another location. This way we have to listen to what they have to say."
"And what if the call goes bad?" Tamaki asked him. Kallen could tell that he was asking the question that was on all of their minds.
"Then you can start to worry, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Call it a hunch." Naoto told them as he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. Her brother could tell she was still a little shook up and tried to reassure her, it helped a bit.
"Oghi. You and the others gather the things we need in ca-"
*Baaaring-Baaaring-Baaaing*
Everybody stopped what they were doing and looked at the phone in Naoto's hand. The worry that Kallen felt earlier returned in full force. She could see the tension return to everyone by the way they froze, including her brother. Naoto took a deep breath before he brought the phone to his ear and answered.
"Hello? Yeah this is him...Alright, give me a moment."
Naoto put his hand over the microphone and told everyone that he was going to put the phone on speaker. Kallen followed him over to the table with everyone else as Naoto placed the phone onto the center of it.
"Alright, they can hear you."
"Thank you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Naoto Kozuki." Said a deep distorted voice that unnerved the others when they heard it.
"I'd say the same but I don't know who you are."
The voice laughed and it was a weird noise with it being distorted. "I intended for it to stay that way. Are the rest of your..associates there?"
Naoto glanced at Oghi and indicated for him to answer. "Yeah, we're all here. How do you know so much about us?"
"It's a long story, but to save you the boring details. I heard one of your friends let something slip the other night and curiosity got the better of me and I followed him. Don't be too mad at him though, he was quite drunk."
It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was talking about, and everyone showed that they knew who it was by the way they were glaring at Tamaki.
The man in question looked quite nervous and Kallen could even see beads of sweat forming on his brow. Sugiyama sneered before pulling his hand back and slapping Tamaki on the back of his head. "Idiot."
"We'll be talking later." Oghi growled at Tamaki while the guy gingerly rubbed his head.
"Alright, why are you doing this? What do you want?" Naoto asked the voice on the phone. He would deal with Tamaki later, but now they needed to focus and figure out what this guy wanted.
"Well it's not so much what I want but what you need and what I have to offer."
"What exactly is that?"
"I know your planning on making a move for one of the supply depots that the Britannians operate. I have in my possession the inventory logs, and the active duty rosters of those depots, and I'm willing to give you that information."
Kallen and the others' eyes widened after hearing that. One because the voice knew what they were planning and two; that he was willing to give them that kind of information.
"That's very generous of you. I'm sure you're going to give us this information out of the kindness of your heart?"
Kallen could practically hear the grin on the other end of the phone. "Not exactly. I do want something in return."
"Well, what is it?"
"A partnership."
Kallen and the others didn't expect that and when she glanced towards her brother, she saw that he was just as confused as they were.
"A partnership? What the hell are you talking about?"
"A professional partnership between the two of us. I call and give you information and you use it to go after the Britannians."
Naoto didn't know what to make of what this guy was saying. It sounded too good to be true to him. "Just like that?"
"Just like that."
Neither party said a word for a few moments. Kallen and the others looked to her brother to see what he would say but he was still contemplating what was said.
She hoped her brother took up the guy's offer. Of course trusting him was dangerous but if he wanted to turn them in then her and the others would be in handcuffs by now. This was a really good opportunity for them that they couldn't pass up. The longer her brother waited to answer the more her fear that he would decline the offer grew. "Why are you doing this?"
She could feel everyone's gaze on her and tell they were all surprised she spoke up but she didn't regret it. This was something they couldn't pass up.
"...We have a common enemy and share a similar goal Ms. Kozuki. I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time. The Japanese people are suffering and with us working together I believe we can give them some hope for the future and some just revenge along the way."
Kallen was surprised at the amount of emotion she could hear in his voice. The fact that he knew it was her talking to him didn't slip past her but that wasn't as important as what he said. "How can I believe you? I doubt the Britannains would put a Japanese man or an Honorary Britannian in a position of power that lets them access the kind of information you say you can provide. How can I trust that you care about our people?"
There was another long pause after her questions. If it wasn't for the fact that they could hear him breathing Kallen would have believed that he hung up on her. It seemed that he was taking a while to think something over. "Despite what you think, I am Japanese. The Britannians...killed someone very important to me. I will punish the people responsible for taking her away and I want to help the land she loved so much. That's why I'm doing this Ms. Kozuki."
Everyone was quiet after his revelation. Kallen could see some of the others' faces relax after hearing that. Each of the people here could relate to what he said in one way or another. Thankfully she hadn't lost someone she loved but she could sympathize with him wanting to help Japan.
"Alright, you've got a deal. What can you tell us about the depot at Willington Street on the south side of the Settlement?" Her brother asked, if the voice's info was good it may even give them something they didn't have before.
"The depot on Willington Street...It's heavily fortified with about four squads worth of soldiers, but the worst part is that they have a Knightmare active inside at all times in case of an attack."
Everyone's eyes widened at that last bit of information. They had figured around the same amount of guards from their own scouting but a Knightmare? That wasn't something they were prepared for and it probably would have gotten them all killed.
"A Knightmare? Really?" Naoto asked, shocked at the revelation.
"Yes, they keep it there inside the building to help protect the supplies. That depot houses Knightmare frame parts, and the Britannains don't play around with that. It would be disastrous for them if someone were to destroy the parts or steal them and try to make their own Knightmare."
"Well I'm glad you told us. We had no idea." Naoto thanked the voice.
"Yeah that would have been a nasty surprise for all of you. I have another depot here you could hit. Not as many guards and its mostly weapons that are set to be destroyed. Old munitions that are being phased out of service."
That piqued Naoto's interest. They desperately needed guns and the weapons the Yamato Alliance promised them weren't close to military grade. "Where's this depot at?"
"Birmingham Avenue in the north of the Settlement. It's near the old Tokyo stadium."
"Ok yeah I know where it is. I have a question for you now though. You haven't given us a name. What should we call you?" Naoto asked the man.
"Call me? Like a codename?" Kallen could hear the amusement in his voice again.
"Yeah, we can't keep calling you, the guy on the phone can we?"
"I suppose not..then I guess you can call me..Kingfisher."
"Kingfisher? Like the bird?" Naoto asked incredulously.
"Yes, I always enjoyed watching them in the mornings when I was a child."
Naoto just shrugged his shoulders in return. "That's fine by me then. Anything else you wanted to say?"
"Yeah, don't call this number. I'll call you once the job is done or if something changes on my end."
"Alright. Until then." Naoto nodded to himself right before he hung up the phone. Once it was over Kallen could see his shoulders relax. The tension in the room melted away soon after.
"Well that was something." Oghi spoke up as he stepped over to Naoto's side.
"Yeah. Pretty fortunate for us huh." Nagata said.
"What do you think Naoto?" Oghi asked his friend. He wasn't too sure of what to make of this Kingfisher guy and he wanted to hear what their leader had to say.
"Well, he seemed genuine and the information he gave us probably saved all of our lives. If he was telling the truth." Naoto replied as he crossed his arms.
"You think he was leading us into a trap?" Sugiyama asked.
Naoto shook his head while he took a seat. Kallen knew her brother well and could see his mind was running a mile a minute, trying to figure what to do next.
"No, I think he was telling the truth, but we would be fools to not check for ourselves. Inoue, Yoshida, and Sugiyama, I want you guys to go check out this other depot we talked about. If what Kingfisher said was true then there shouldn't be that many guards there. Also make sure to check the perimeter for any suspicious looking people or vehicles."
"You got it Naoto." Sugiyama replied as they began to head out to the Tokyo Settlement.
"Call me with what you find and we'll go from there." Naoto added as they walked out. Yoshida waved back letting him know they heard him.
"What should I do Naoto?" Kallen asked her brother, eager to help out.
Naoto shook his head in frustration. "We already discussed this Sis. It's too dangerous."
Kallen almost snapped back at him but she took a deep breath to control her anger. She wasn't in the mood anymore to have this discussion, so she was going to make it clear to her brother that she was going to be a part of this, with our without his blessing.
"Naoto, for the last time. I'm not going anywhere. I want to do this and no one is going to stop me. Not Dad, Mom or you. I know the risks and I'm willing to take them. You need to understand that I'm not a little girl anymore. So either get on board or move out of the way."
Naoto studied her for a moment before his shoulders slumped in defeat. "You're really not going to let this go are you?"
"No."
Naoto sighed in resignation. He looked over to Oghi hoping to get some help from his old friend. "Hey don't look at me. This is between the two of you."
"Thanks for the help." Naoto sarcastically replied.
Naoto rubbed his chin thinking it over before he closed his eyes. "Fine you can help us again, but you aren't going to drop out of school and I won't argue with you about that."
Kallen's face lit up with a smile. She went over to her brother and hugged him quickly causing him to laugh. "Alright, alright, just make sure to not get hurt ok?"
It wasn't something that she could realistically promise him but she knew he was just worried about her. "I promise."
Now that the moment was over the two siblings let each other go. Kallen believed that with that out of the way they would be heading back now but Naoto had one last bit of business to take care of. "Now with all of that out of the way. Let's address our little loudmouth problem."
Tamaki had been keeping himself in the back so as to not to draw any attention to himself after it was revealed that he was the reason Kingfisher knew about them. As soon as he heard Naoto's words his hope vanished in an instant. He looked up and saw the guys glaring at him causing a chill to run up his spine. It was going to be a long night for him now.
Author's Note: writing 3 fics at once is tougher than I thought it would be. Idk how Helghy does it. Gonna work on Casings and Cigarettes next and Heavy Burden to Bear. Leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks to everyone who follows the story. If anybody wants to hang out on the server Aizenthegoat made, here is the link.
https/discord.gg/W4Hh5W3gsr
It's a pretty cool place imo. Lot of chill guys just hanging out and shooting the shit. Check it out and see for yourself.