Code Geass: Lelouch's Gamble

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

"Radio"

Chapter 2: Daring Rescue

Crowds of people, each and every one a loyal Britannian through and through, lined the street that is the route one Suzaku Kururugi would be taking to the courthouse where he would be tried for the murder of Prince Clovis la Britannia.

The crowds shouted for the death of the Honorary Britannian, or as they preferred calling him Eleven. They might have even stormed the mobile platform upon which the prisoner was being transported if not for the presence of Sutherland Knightmare frames also lining the street and the four additional Knightmare frames that surrounded the platform itself. They formed a diamond formation around the platform. In the foremost Sutherland the cockpit was open revealing Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald who, in the absence of Prince Clovis and the arrest of the prince's command staff, has become the head of administration in Area 11.

The upcoming trial would be an event watched by all of Britannia, and maybe even the world. The whole affair of trying Suzaku Kururugi had been turned into a show, and Jeremiah had not only taken the spotlight, but he was the director of the performance. He would use this faux-trial of an Honorary Britannia to further his goals. One of which was the elimination of the Honorary Britannian system.

Jeremiah, leader of the Purists in Area 11, was a man who hated foreigners and especially hated the Japanese. But not because he was racist. No, he hated them because they served as a reminder of not only his greatest failure and loss to his honor but the loss of his only real chance to regain that honor, at least in his eyes. Because of that failure he saw anyone not of Britannian blood to be unworthy to be part of Britannian society, much less the Britannian military. Thus his reasons for convicting Kururugi even if there was evidence that proves he was nowhere near the prince at the time of his death.

Because if Kururugi, an Honorary Britannian, is found guilty of regicide, the highest crime a person could commit in Britannia, then that would lead the nation down a road that would surely end the Honorary Britannian system. But there was another purpose to this show.

It was being conducted in such a grandiose and open manner that it practically invited a terrorist group that wanted to save Kururugi's life to come and take him. Of course it would have to be one of the larger, better funded, and better organized groups that could try and hope to rescue Kururugi. But that just made them a bigger prize to take.

"Lord Jeremiah, there is a vehicle approaching the main highway from Third." Reported a solider over the radio as the transport and Knightmares were nearing a bridge. "We let it through as you instructed, but..."

"Do you believe it to be a terrorist's vehicle?" Asked the Margrave, silently wondering if his plan was about to be put into effect.

"Well sir, its Prince Clovis's personal car."

"The prince's car? Well looks like we have a comedian on our hands. Let them through." He said before bringing the procession to a complete halt.

"Yes Sir."

Jeremiah stopped the transport and waited with an expectant smirk for the terrorists falling into his trap.

And as the lookout indicated the vehicle that was driving towards the execution transport was an exact replica of Clovis's personal transport. Or at least that's how it looked on the outside. From within the driver Kallen Kozuki could see the rusty jury-rigged scrap parts that had been salvaged from a scrap yard in one of the ghettos. Bringing the fake car to a stop at the designated distance, Kallen only had one thought. 'This part of the plan is suicidal, if it fails then we're dead. Please let don't let them notice that this is a fake.'

It seemed fortune was smiling upon the terrorists for Gottwald was unable to tell that the car wasn't really Prince Clovis's. Or he simply didn't care whether it was real or not. "How dare you befoul his Highnesses car. I order you to come out."

As if those words were a cue, flames burst into existence at the bottom of the Britannian flag displayed on the car and quickly consumed the symbol, revealing the masked form of a man attired all in black.

"I am Zero." Stated the man imperiously, the eyes of all of Japan and Britannia upon him.

After a moment of stunned silence at the dramatic entrance Jeremiah smirked. "Well Zero, whatever it is you have planned it ends here!" He said while firing his pistol into the air. Upon his signal four Purist Sutherlands dropped from their aerial transports and surrounded the fake royal car, assault rifles trained on the masked individual.

Zero himself made no move as the wind from the dropped Knightmares flared his cape.

"Now then," began Jeremiah, confident that he was still directing this performance, "why don't you remove that mask so we can see your face."

Zero moved his gloved hand to the faceplate of his mask, as if to remove it, but then he raised it into the air and snapped his fingers. Immediately the walls of the car fell away revealing a metal sphere studded with valves and pumps.

"What?" Gasped Jeremiah and the other Purists. The civilians didn't know what it was, but that was the container of poison gas the military had been ordered to find several days ago. The day Clovis was killed.

Behind his mask Zero smirked. 'That's right Jeremiah. You never saw the contents of this container, so you think it's full of poison gas.'

Unseen by everyone around, whose focus was on Zero and the capsule, Suzaku tried to tell the people that it was a fake but the collar around his neck jolted him with a painful burst of electricity as his vocal chords moved.

'Damn it.' Thought the resident Margrave. 'He's managed to take every Britannian here hostage and they don't even know it.' With the feeling of powerlessness washing over him as he started losing control of the situation, Jeremiah did the only thing he could and pointed his pistol at Zero's heart.

However that just seemed to amuse the masked terrorist. "Please, go ahead and shoot. At this range you can't possibly miss." Stated Zero.

Having never been egged on to fire at someone by the very person he was threatening, Jeremiah lowered his gun and asked a question to figure out what was going on in the mind of the masked man. "What is it you want?"

"I wish to trade," stated Zero. "This capsule for Suzaku Kururugi."

"Impossible!" Declared Jeremiah. "This man killed his Highness Prince Clovis! I cannot simply hand him over to anyone!"

"You are wrong Jeremiah. Kururugi is not Clovis's murderer. The man who truly killed Clovis," Zero turned his head slightly so his face pointed directly into the portable news camera of the blond man that had run out onto the road, "was myself!"

Around the world the people who chose to watch the trial, from elevens to members of the Britannian Royal family gasped in shock as the masked man who called himself Zero proclaimed he was the actual killer of Prince Clovis.

But Zero wasn't finished with his declaration. "In exchange for a single Eleven you can save the lives of hundreds of Britannians. Not a bad deal I say."

Jeremiah had completely lost control of the situation. Never had he suspected that someone would come out and confess to a crime that was guaranteed execution. But since this 'Zero' had confessed then there was no need for a trial. "Why bother with this trade when I can execute you where you stand?" He asked as he once again raised his gun.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Asked Zero. "If you do then the entire world will know the truth about you, Orange." That statement was enough to throw the Britannians into confusion about what 'Orange' could be. Taking advantage of the confusion Zero tapped his heel twice on the roof of the cab, signaling Kallen to move the vehicle forward. Once it had moved closer to the platform by only several meters Zero initiated the most critical part of his plan. "If I die it will go public. Now if you want your secret kept then I suggest that," here a small panel in his mask over his left eye moved allowing Lelouch to make direct eye contact with Jeremiah, "you release Suzaku Kururugi and do everything in your power to let us go!"

The effect was instantaneous. Jeremiah's face went blank and unseen to all a red light rimmed his eyes. "Yeah sure. Release the prisoner. No one interfere." The margrave casually ordered.

'It worked! His Geass worked!' Thought Kallen excitedly as she stopped the car, Zero getting off to meet with Kururugi. 'With that Geass Lelouch could really do what he promises.'

Flashback

"I don't know everything about Geass," explained Lelouch, "such as how it came to be or where it comes from. All I know is the power Geass grants me. My power is Absolute Obedience, the power to control anyone I wish."

"IT'S WHAT!?" Exclaimed Kallen angrily. 'Was everything I just did something he forced upon me to do? Did he do it to Ohgi and the others?' The red haired girl roughly gripped the front of Lelouch's clothes and drastically violated his personal space, bringing the two nose to nose. "Did you use this Geass on me? On my friends!?"

Despite being in the grip of a highly aggressive girl who was most certainly stronger than he was Lelouch showed no outward sign that he was worried. "Did I use it on your friends? No. The very first limit that I discovered about my Geass, at Shinjuku as it happens, is that in order for my Geass to have affect I need to make direct eye contact. If the eye contact is through a video monitor or tinted glass than my Geass can't affect anyone. Did I use it on you? Yes, and in doing so I have made you immune to my Geass."

When he said 'yes' Kallen came very close to pummeling him, but what he said after made her pause. "You better explain and explain fast. Why am I immune and how do I know that everything I've done hasn't been because of your orders?"

"I had intended to explain so that you may understand your role." Said Lelouch, still not worried about possible bodily harm. "The first time I spoke to you was the third time I used my Geass, and thanks to you I learned of Geass's second limit. Something about you seemed familiar so I used my Geass on you to ask some questions. Namely if you were the pilot of the red Glasgow from Shinjuku and why you would participate in terrorism. I then turned my Geass off as I thought about the situation. You came out of the trance and I attempted to use it again to order you to not say anything about Shinjuku, but it didn't work. You remember don't you?"

Kallen did remember, and she remembered when Lelouch told her not to say anything about Shinjuku, which was what made her suspicious of him in the first place. And now that she thought about it she could recall something odd about his left eye. It looked like it was glowing. She also remembered that shortly before she had 'run away' from a bee, but the few minutes between the two was a blank. "Your Geass is in your eye, and it does something to a person's memory." She concluded out loud, finally loosening her grip upon the boy, and putting him once again at arm's length.

"That's right," confirmed Lelouch, activating his Geass to give her a closer look. "And that should also be the proof you need that I am not now controlling you. Those who were under the effect of Absolute Obedience cannot remember anything while under its power, nor can they remember anything thirty seconds beforehand. Meaning that they won't remember me revealing my eye. And as you've probably figured out the second limitation of my Geass is that I can only use it on a person once."

Kallen mulled it over in her mind. "So when you called me your insurance against yourself…"

"The ability to absolutely control the mind of another human being is an incredible power. And all it takes is a little creative thinking to overcome the limitations I've found. However no matter how hard I try I can never use Geass on you a second time. Power can be dangerously addictive, and it would be so easy to abuse my power. This is why I am trusting you with this information. So you can watch my back and stab a knife into it if I should ever give in to the temptation."

Kallen thought about that and the implicated trust Lelouch had just given her, a girl that he barely knew. That clinched it. "So how did you get this Geass?"

Flashback End

Kallen had gotten out of the car and now stood just a little behind Zero who stood before Kururugi. "It's time to go Zero."

"Well then," said Zero holding up a small detonator, "until next time." With that he pressed the activation button causing the capsule to release copious amounts of purple gas and causing mass panic. In the confusion Zero and Kallen forcibly led Suzaku to the edge of the bridge.

One of the Sutherlands attempted to stop them but its rifle was knocked away by Jeremiah who immediately ordered the soldiers to help them escape.

Kallen and Zero leapt off the bridge, Suzaku in tow, and fell for a few meters before being caught on the net that Ohgi had fired from the utility Knightmare Frame he was using. The canvas stretched, slowing the fall, allowing the three to land inside a train car without injury. Its passengers aboard the train started up and carried them away to safety.

The location where Zero had decided that they would hide and meet up with the rest of Ohgi's group was in an old abandoned theater on the edge of the ghetto. The terrorists waited in the lobby as Zero took Suzaku to the main theater room.

"It looks like they treated you rather roughly." Commented Zero from the pile of rubble that had fallen from the caved ceiling that he had taken as his perch. "Now you know what they're really like Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten and if you wish to change this world join me."

But Suzaku, the shock collar removed, ignored the invitation. "Is it true?" He asked, "Are you really the one who killed Prince Clovis?"

"This is war," responded Zero evenly. "Why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander?"

"And the gas? Those were civilians out there."

"A bluff to help things along, it was a harmless colored gas. The result, not a single death."

"The result?" Muttered Suzaku. "I suppose the results are all that matter to you."

Undeterred by the negative tone of Suzaku's voice, "Come join me, the Britannia you serve is a worthless dominion."

"That may be true, but this nation can be changed for the better. And from the inside." Suzaku then turned to the stage and began walking. "And any change gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything."

"Wait," called Zero, "where are you going?"

"My court martial begins in an hour."

Behind his mask Lelouch scowled in anger. "Are you mad!? The only reason you're getting a trial is so that you can be found guilty! The judge, prosecution, and defense!"

"Rules are rules," was Suzaku's reply. "If I don't go then they'll start cracking down on Elevens and Honorary Britannians."

Zero paused, his anger on hold, and sighed in exasperation, Suzaku was right. If he didn't show up many Britannians would see it as an excuse to further restrict the rights of the Japanese, even if the Purists were ousted because of what Jeremiah did under the influence of Geass. So as much as Zero wished to curse and shout at Suzaku for his stubbornness about this decision he couldn't. "You are a fool Kururugi, but if that is truly how you feel then I won't stop you. Hopefully my confession will alter the outcome of your trial so that the truth prevails. But before you go I would like to say one thing."

Suzaku paused and turned back to face Zero to hear what he had to say.

"Rules are rules, as you said. Without them society would crumble into desolate waste. And in a truly just world the rules would serve for the betterment of all people. And those people would have the ability to change the rules as the times and situations of the world change. But Britannia is not a just world and many of its rules are meant to segregate people, controlled by the corrupt elite who are born into power. You say that this nation can be changed from the inside, that is true but you will not be the one to do it for that right belongs to an exclusive few, the royal family. Only they can truly change law and enact policy…as long as the Emperor says nothing against it. That is a fact that I believe in and I am sure that if you were to have a truthful conversation with a member of the royal family they would tell you the same thing."

Suzaku scowled and was silent for a second before saying. "I don't believe that is true, governments are meant to serve the people, and if I try hard enough and follow the rules then I can make a difference." Suzaku then turned around and began walking away again. "I'd like to try to bring you in but then you would just kill me. And if I'm going to die it's going to be in the service of the people. Even so I thank you for saving my life."

Zero watched Suzaku leave in silence. He was half annoyed and half angry at Suzaku and his stubbornness.

"I see Suzaku turned down your offer." Said Kallen as she walked into the large room, none of her fellow terrorists in sight.

"No he didn't." Responded Lelouch. "I had hoped he would. He would have been a great asset, both for his own skills and the fact that he is the former Prime Minister's son. But it seems that he has grown up to be just as stubborn now as he was 7 years ago."

Kallen looked quizzically at Lelouch for the reference he made to the past. "Some secret that you want to tell me?"

"It is not so much a secret as something I just didn't tell you about. I met Suzaku as a child. He hated me at first but we came to an understanding and even became friends. One thing that I remember clearly about those days is that he has always rather naïve about how the world works. And it takes something of considerable magnitude to change his opinions on anything."

"So if he was your friend why not show yourself? Or is there something you're not telling me?" Kallen said that in a way which implied danger depending on the answer.

"Showing my face would not have achieved the results I want. I wish for Suzaku to join us of his own free will, not because of some obligation he may feel to a childhood friend. So as disappointed as I am I, Zero, will do nothing."

"And what will Lelouch do?"

Behind his mask said boy smirked, "Lelouch will do what he believes is right for his childhood friend."

Kallen walked tiredly into the mansion that she hated calling home. It wasn't very late but all the excitement from tonight's events had drained her. Fear of being caught trying to pull off what seemed like a half-baked rescue plan could do that to a girl.

She didn't have to worry about disturbing anyone as her father and step-mother had gone to a private club to watch the trial amongst other Britannian nobility, and it was late enough that the servants would have gone home.

"Miss Stadtfeld, why are you home so late?" All except for one that is.

Kallen barely gave this particular made a second glance before she angrily replied. "None of your business, but I was at a tutoring session with a classmate. Now I'm tired and am going to bed."

She walked into her room in a huff, upset with the women she had just spoken to. She would have continued to be upset had her phone not rung. Looking at the caller ID she saw that it was from Lelouch. 'Odd that he would call so soon...' "Hello?"

"Kallen, something's come up concerning our studies. There's no need to worry but I do need to speak with you at school on."

Lelouch hung up his phone and turned to look at the very stubborn and now sleeping woman that currently occupied his bed. The same woman that was in the capsule at Shinjuku, the one that had given him this power called Geass and the one that sacrificed her life to save his own. Or at least that was what he believed. But somehow she had survived a gunshot to the head.

The question was, how?

'Could it have anything to do with how she gave me my power? Or is it the work of the military?'

Whatever it was he would learn soon enough. After all, didn't she say that they were now partners, helping each other in the pursuit of the other's goal?

Monday came around and Lelouch could be found sitting in the academy courtyard reviewing the latest news on his laptop. As it has been for the last several days the big topic headline was Zero, and the media ran rampant with speculations and rumors about whom he was, where he came from, his motives, and how he managed to infiltrate a G-1 base and kill a member of the royal family. For the most part it was all nonsense, not a single one even close to the truth.

Lelouch was interrupted from his information search when a shadow fell over him. He didn't even need to look up to know that it was his coconspirator in this grand scheme. "Good morning Kallen." He greeted in his usual manner when in public.

"Hello Lelouch," she greeted quietly in her sick-girl persona. "You wanted to talk about our tutoring sessions?"

"Yes, it seems something has come up concerning our political science project." That was one of the codes indicating that something happened that was connected with their alternate identities.

"What kind of something?"

"Well there is a…" Whatever Lelouch was going to say he stopped midsentence and for a brief moment a look of horror passed over his features. The cause was one green haired individual whom he just caught sight of.

"Lelouch what's the-" Kallen was cut off from asking her question when Lelouch suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.

From the second floor Shirley saw this and wondered where Lelouch was taking Kallen and why they were in such a hurry. Too bad the trees blocked her view of where they were going.

Lelouch dragged both Kallen and C.C. to a secluded section of the school roof where he immediately began berating the woman.

"Are you insane!? You can't just go wandering around!"

"Oh don't act strict with me," C.C. said nonchalantly. "It's not as if I leave school grounds so its fine. If anything is wrong it's having this girl here."

"No its not," stated Lelouch. "First you don't belong here, that makes it easy for you to be spotted. And Kallen here is my compatriot. Because of her importance to my plans she is to know everything I do. And that includes you."

"So will you to get to explaining who she is already!" Demanded Kallen, foot tapping impatiently against the ground.

"Remember how I said that the contents of the capsule that you stole was not poison gas but rather a woman who was the one to give me my Geass?"

"Yeah… Wait, you don't mean her!? You said that girl got killed protecting you!"

"I was shot in the head, not killed," said C.C. as if there was a difference.

Kallen shot Lelouch a look that was part confused and part accusing.

"Hey! I didn't know until after I got home the other night. Nor do I understand how she can be alive. C.C. here has kept rather quiet about that." Said Lelouch defensively. If things got violent there wasn't much he could do against Kallen.

"C.C.?"

"That's my name," responded the green haired girl idly watching one of Lelouch's test subjects mark a wall. "And I'll tell you this now Kallen," she said, turning to look at the red head. "Lelouch and I are connected now. We have a unique partnership that I am not going to allow anyone to endanger. If anyone does I will eliminate them, including you."

"What did you say!? Eliminate me!? You're the big mystery woman here! If anyone will go it's going to be you!" Kallen said ready for a fight.

C.C. just calmly leaned against the railing, not worried in the slightest. "Hmm? I'd like to see you try little girl."

"Little!?"

"That's enough! Both of you stop now!" Commanded Lelouch taking the posture and tone he used as Zero and both girls couldn't help but comply. "That's better." He said, then turned his attention to the hot tempered red head. "Kallen, you're right. Essentially everything about C.C. is a mystery. However we have little choice but to trust her considering what she already knows. Besides she has shown considerable resourcefulness in locating me, and with her connection to Geass she could be a great ally. And one that I doubt we could get rid of easily."

"And you C.C.," he then turned his attention the green haired witch. "Kallen is my most trusted ally in my fight against Britannia. She knows everything about my plans and me."

"Really?" Asked C.C.. "Then she knows of your heritage?"

"Yeah," snorted Kallen. "I know that he used to be part of some Britannian aristocrat's family that he was kicked out after the death of his mother. So what? Technically I'm a noble too if I didn't think of myself as Japanese instead of Britannian."

C.C. raised an eyebrow at the description "some aristocrat" but decided to keep her mouth shut at the understatement.

"Kallen is also strong where I am weak." Continued Lelouch. "Battles cannot be won by strategy alone. Kallen is a fighter and her skill with a Knightmare is such that I doubt that there are many knights in the military capable of matching her. All she needs is a machine to match theirs."

Kallen felt a little flushed from the compliment, fortunately her current hair style hid it well.

"We all share a mutual goal do we not? Although I am sure we each have different reasons to walk this path, we walk it together. We cannot argue with or mistrust each other, for we cannot afford such pettiness. Not when our common enemy is an empire that controls a third of the world."

Lelouch's speech had its affect and the three had an understanding that whatever happened they were in this together. But Kallen had one more question for the witch.

"So C.C., can you give this Geass power to anyone?"

"If you're asking for me to give you the power as well the answer is no."

"Why is that?" Asked Lelouch. "Are you unable or unwilling?"

"Everything in life has a price," responded C.C.. "For me to give I must receive. A contract must be formed, a promise given that both sides must agree to even if it is done subconsciously. But there is another price." C.C. stared now a Lelouch, her usual expressionless face somehow conveying a grave seriousness. "Remember this Lelouch, those who hold the Power of the King live a life apart from those around him. It is a lonely existence and a burden you must bear till the end of days."

An understanding had been established between the three. Lelouch, aka Zero, was their leader, strategist, and tactician, as well as anything else he needed to be. Kallen was their connection to the resistance groups, and when she needed to be would be their Knightmare frame pilot. C.C….

Well C.C. would do what she could given her status as a wanted fugitive, even if only part of the military was after her. But she would not be giving Kallen Geass, not unless it was vital to their survival and success.

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