WAIT! Before you go ahead and read this chapter, read the previous one. I've updated a small spoiler (you can call it that). It's right before the "12:00 AM" mark. The choice is optional if you want to read it or not. Anyways, ENJOY! :)
-Not too far away from the Kozuki residence…-
-A Couple of Days Later-
-6:45 PM-
Gino looked around hurriedly for his faithful follower. "Nikolai, are we ready to proceed with our plan?" he shouted.
"Ahh, yes! Just a few more minutes."
Nikolai, Gino's follower of 2 years, was founded by Gino after a gang shootout. Poor Nikolai was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though, he was in the middle of the shootout, he was lucky and was able to escape with only a few scrapes. At the time, Nikolai was 15 years old and had nowhere to go. After Gino rescued him, he took him back to his apartment and fed him. It's Nikolai was thankful of Gino. So thankful that he dedicated his loyalty and life to Gino. He has studied under Gino for the past 2 years, and he now knows nearly everything Gino knows.
Nikolai has short, black hair and blue eyes. He dyes the whole top of his head white and combs it forward. His face is skinny, but it becomes a little rounder towards the chin area. He has a lean and muscular shape to his body. He usually wears the cloak, but other times he wears cargo shorts and a t-shirt.
"Good… We shall leave after you are done."
"Yes, My Lord!"
-Kozuki Residence-
-7:20 PM-
Lelouch and Kallen were stargazing in the field in front of their house. Cuddled in each other's arms and a calm night was just all they needed at the moment. It seemed like a perfectly normal night. No pressure for war, no hot debates or arguments, and no politics to worry about, thank God. But a job they have to worry about, yes. Kallen worked at a florist shop, while Lelouch works as the manager of a bank but only cause of his ingenious mind. Of course, he wears disguises when out in the public.
"How was work today?" Kallen asked.
"Oh, the usual. Had tons of paperwork, a customer complains, and so on. You?"
"Sold flowers and stuff, but an odd couple did come by."
"What do you mean by an odd couple?" Lelouch questioned suspiciously.
"Two guys dressed in a knotted up t-shirt and short shorts. One had a pony tail on the top of his head just dangling there for everyone to see!" she said in a [somewhat] disbelieving tone.
"Uhh I think those guys are gay, Kallen…" he said nonchalantly.
"Hmm, I never thought of that."
Lelouch gave a look of disbelief. A bead of sweat drooped from his brow. Kallen looks at him and says, "What? It's not like you see them out in the country ya' know."
"Yeah…" Lelouch continues the look.
"Oh, whatever! …I met a friend yesterday."
"What kind of friend?" Lelouch asked suspiciously.
"Oh, just Gino."
At the sound of his name, Lelouch sat up. That was one of the quickest physical reactions Kallen's ever seen him do. "Gino! What'd he do to you? Are you hurt?" Thoughts were racing through his mind. He was wondering if the cloaked figure might be Gino.
Kallen placed her hand reassuringly on his chest and said, "It's ok, Lelouch. He was guarding the area cause of Nunnally, and I invited him over for coffee."
Lelouch looked at her puzzled. "Guards? Nunnally said she only had 2 guards waiting at her jet."
Kallen's eyes widened in shock. 'Gino lied? He lied about everything? Why would he do such a thing?'
"Yes, that's right! I wasn't here on duty. The army kicked me out, because I assaulted a civilian AKA Lelouch!" a voice shouted in resentment over an intercom.
Lelouch looked behind him and saw the Tristan and another Knightmare alongside it. Immediately, he pressed the button on a king chess piece. 'Good. Jeremiah should be here within 10-15 minutes.' Lelouch tried to run into the house, but he was blocked off by the unknown Knightmare.
The Knightmare info:
Name: Atticus
Design Features:
Cockpit Ejection System
Factsphere Sensor [shoulders]
Landspinner Propulsion System
Integrated Float System
Armaments:
x2 Slash Harkens [wrists]
Hadron Rifle
x2 Blaze Luminous Particle Shield [forearms]
x2 Needle Blazers (add-on w/ Particle Shields)
x2 MVS [holstered at hips]
Appearance:
It's a custom-made 9th Generation Vincent model, but with rounded shoulder armor and a smaller V on its forehead. It has a slimmer appearance than most Vincents for mobility. Mostly black, golden V crest [forehead], golden float system, gold colored on the sides of the legs, golden chest plate, and gold-colored in the crotch area.
Uses:
Excels in melee combat, but is also fairly good in ranged combat. Its maximum speed matches that of the Guren's average speed.
The Hadron Rifle says it all. Although, the down side is that the power isn't as strong as most Hadron-based weapons. It's only strong enough to destroy a limb, rather than destroy the whole thing. Needle Blazers are a device that can penetrate armor with a devastating effect. It was originally developed from the Lancelot's Blaze Luminous Shield and is usually located at the Knightmare Frame's joint. In close range, it will emit a blast of focused energy that can be used to destroy an enemy Knightmare Frame. So the Blaze Luminous Particle Shield can convert into a Needle Blazer.
"Ah, ah, ah! No getting your Knightmare, Lelouch!" Gino taunted.
"Heh, I wasn't getting it. I was running to it." Lelouch smirked as the ground opened up, and from the base, the Guren and Shinkiro appeared. "Kallen!" When Lelouch programmed his chess piece, not only did he build in a distress signal to Jeremiah but also to remotely call for the Guren and Shinkiro.
"Hai!" Kallen boarded her cockpit. "Okay, wait Lelouch. First, explain the situation."
"Right. Long story short, Gino's out for revenge."
"That's good enough for me! I can kick your ass again and again, Gino!" The Guren plunged towards the Tristan.
The Atticus stood in an attack stance, but the Tristan held its hand in front of it. "Stand down, Nikolai. I got this." Gino pressed a button in the Tristan. Just as Guren's deadly right claw closed in at Tristan, it stopped and stood there in silence.
Lelouch got worried. He tried radioing her, but she didn't respond. "Bastard, what'd you do to her!"
"Oh, I just slipped some nanobots into her system when we had coffee the other day." He smirks in victory. "Now, I can control all of her actions, whether you like it or not Lelouch!" Gino laughs menacingly over the intercom.
"You BASTARD! You fucking BASTARD! I'll get you for this!" The Shinkiro's chest opens up to reveal the Diffusion Structure Phase Transition Cannon (DSPTC).
"Go take care of him, Kallen. Nikolai, stay by my side just in case," Gino commanded.
Guren plunges towards the Shinkiro. Lelouch quickly turned off the DSPTC and activated the Absolute Defense Shield. Shinkiro has no match for the Guren, so it was basically a sitting duck. The Guren shoots at the shield with her claw. Though, it did little damage to the shield.
'Damn it, Jeremiah! Where are you?' Lelouch scoured the ground for Jeremiah's Sutherland Sieg to appear, but still no sign of him. After a couple more sitting duck moments, his Sutherland finally appeared and pushed the Guren away. "Don't hurt her!"
"My Lord, What is wrong with My Lady?" Jeremiah asked in a worried tone.
"She's being controlled by nanobots. There's only one way to save her. Destroy Tristan's controls!" Lelouch commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jeremiah said as he charged towards the Tristan.
"Kallen, take care of that annoyance," Gino commanded.
"Hai!" The Guren darted towards the Sutherland with its claw extended and ready to take any life. The Sutherland dodged the attack in the nick of time. The Sutherland launched one of its tube missiles at the Guren, but it was a futile move.
While the Guren and Sutherland Sieg engaging in battle, Lelouch decided to fire up his DSPTC and aimed it at the Tristan. Out of nowhere, the Atticus is standing right in front of the Shinkiro. 'That's impossible! Only thing able to make it that fast is…GEASS!'
"Tell me. Do you have a Geass?" Lelouch asked Nikolai.
"Yes. I don't remember how I got it, though. All I do remember is that I got it when I was 14. My Geass' name is The Augmenter. It enhances my human abilities such as super strength, high intellect, night vision, etc. It's activated upon the user's will. Not only I get stronger, faster, and smarter, my ability to do things also enhances such as piloting a Knightmare that he hasn't even touched before." Nikolai attacks Shinkiro with its MVS swords. Lelouch quickly fired the cannon, but Atticus dodges it without flinching or breaking a sweat.
'There's gotta be a weakness. Every Geass user has one. I'll try to test him then!' Lelouch thought. Shinkiro raised its arm, and fired the Hadron Cannon on its wrists. Atticus dodges all of them, of course. Lelouch notices a pattern. Atticus dodges the attack then comes in for a simple close-range attack. 'When he's dodging, he's definitely using his Geass. But the attacks… They're just simple slashes that don't need the Geass… Maybe he can only use it for a limited time before something happens.'
"Nikolai, don't push yourself now. The Shinkiro is no match for your speed. Take it easy," Gino reminded him.
"Yes, of course."
"Tell me your name, stranger," Lelouch commanded him.
"I am Nikolai. I don't remember my last name, and I have no connection to my kin, for I've forgotten them, too. I figured it was a side effect or something for having the Geass. Nonetheless, I owe Gino-sensei my life," Nikolai responded.
"Why do you owe Gino your life, Nikolai?" Lelouch asked curiously.
"He saved my life. That's all I need to say." Atticus zooms towards Shinkiro as Lelouch is still testing his abilities.
Meanwhile over in the Guren VS Sutherland Sieg skirmish, Kallen is winning. Sutherland Sieg has lost almost all of its weapons to Guren's fatal Radiation Wave. Jeremiah tries his last time to put the Knightmare down. "This should put you down!" Sieg fired its cone-shaped Slash Harkens at the Guren, and ran an electric shock towards Guren.
"Oh, yeah? This should make it backfire then!" Guren grabbed the wire and emitted the Radiant Wave Surger. The Sieg malfunctioned and started bubbling.
"I am sorry, My Lord. I have failed… Marianne-sama!" Jeremiah's last words over the intercom before the Sutherland Sieg blew up.
"Jeremiah! Your death will not be in vain. You have served me well." Lelouch stared angry at Tristan.
A video-com flared at the screen showing Gino. "Lelouch, Lelouch, why the mad face? C'mon you have to admit that he was getting a bit obsessive over serving you. Now, it's three against one. What're you gonna do?"
Lelouch sat there in anger. His eyes were shadowed by his hair, because his head was down. "I'm gonna do this!" Lelouch hacked the Guren's control systems through the Shinkiro and activated the Gefjun Net. He launched the net towards Gino and Nikolai. This caused their systems to deactivate for at least 30 minutes.
"Ahh, clever move! Never underestimate the great Lelouch vi Britannia. But I doubt you forgot I can still control Kallen. Kallen, kill him!"
"Hai! Get ready to die!"
Sorry about the day-late update. Next chapter is Guren VS Shinkiro! Don't worry I'm sure I'll post that one soon.
R&R please! :)
