Disclaimer: I own nothing of Code Geass, nor of Guilty Gear, nor to a lesser extent, BlazBlue and Rewrite. I do own this story, and all the inspirations along with it. And of course, the brain where the ideas came from.
"...With that out of the way, I'll be expecting those reports to come in nice and shiny...with a touch of elegance added on top... Well, now that you have your orders, I'd just like to say work hard everyone – and please don't disappoint me. Is the will of the student body clear to you all?"
Milly looked at each of the assembled members' faces. Suzaku looked ready, standing side-by-side with Kallen and the rest of the Elevens. He looked like he was just about ready to charge into battle as a Knight. The girl had an unreadable expression on her face, probably quashing down a protest judging by the tension she could practically feel.
Nina was on standby near the operation system (brought in courtesy of the Ashford principal), looking normally downcast yet strangely... full of pep. Same went for the bubbly Shirley, who was preparing the leaflets she and the other assigned members were to distribute with more than her usual energy. Rivalz was head of his own distribution division, and was bizarrely wearing a pensive look on his face.
And then there was Lelouch.
She clapped her hands together once. "Your silence is pleasing to this one." Milly Ashford took a deep breath. "Okay, let's do our best everyone! Fight!"
)()()()()()()()(
Code Geass: The Corrupted
"Aspiring dreams are the mortals' fare, just as capriciousness is the gods'."
)()()()()()()()(
"Ah, sir Knight, if you could put those pipes down and stand over here instead... we'll just have the Gear take care of those..."
"No, it's no trouble sir," Suzaku assured the Earl. Draped across the back of his shoulders was a large steel pipe longer than the transport and thicker than a tree trunk. He was just about to pick up the next pipe leaning against the wall of the engineering bay. "I like to help."
"Oh for the love of Ki... I do appreciate it, dear boy, but, er..." Lloyd awkwardly scratched his forehead with the butt of his pen. "Listen. We are in a bit of a hurry as your Order said. We've got less than an hour to have the Lancelot ready to be sortied. Why don't you try finishing up the sync checks with the Lancelot's Blast Pack to make sure there's no bugs, and let our resident Gear take care of housekeeping?" At his quick signal, Cecile gestured for the Division's blank-faced servitor to move and help.
Suzaku looked like he was about to argue the point as he glared at the Gear, but seemed to relent when he gingerly put the pipe back down. "Very well, sir."
He stretched his arms as he walked over to the beckoning engineer, who waved him to the sync seat. "The Blast Pack, as I said, is not something that's wholly suited to your specific mission. However, since we have yet to acquire even a single drop of data from it, and also because this is a relatively routine mission by the sound of it, we're going to be using this opportunity to test it."
"I understand, sir."
"The Lancelot will be equipped this time with the VARIS spitter, that's something you haven't used yet, along with the Hadron longcannons, I'm sure you're familiar with hadron tech, been around for over a century now... The more robust frame from the modular additions means it can withstand more concussive damage, at the expense of mobility. Now I know you're all about the movement, sir Knight, but take note that in heavy duty situations which require the Blast Pack, you're going to be spending a lot more time at the back of the lines, sniping opponents from a distance. Add to that the removal of any sort of melee and you're practically useless if anything comes close, which really emphasizes staying at long-range as much as possible... Are you ready?"
At the boy's assent, Lloyd typed in a few more keys into his terminal and nodded towards the Lancelot, which had already been outfitted by the aforementioned Variable Pack. After the boy had interfaced with it, Lloyd began the test.
"So tell me," said the Earl, speaking into a comm-link. "Are you able to tell us anything about the rumors on the Inquisition?" When Cecile, who had come in bearing a tray of refreshments, gave him the evil eye, he put a finger to his lip.
"I... I'm not too sure about the details, sir," came the boy's voice over the Lancelot's open channel. The test had begun, with the Lancelot's matrices latching onto the boy's and sucking on his energies like a leech. "I'm not even sure what the Inquisition is, other than what my friend told me. The most I've heard in the Office is that there's definitely been a call for an Inquisition, and it's started many rumors here."
"Rumors? What kind of rumors?"
"Lloyd sir!" Cecile hissed. The Earl leaned out of the way of the incoming swipes.
"I don't believe it myself, sir," Suzaku said firmly. "Zero will not become too much of a problem for the Guardians. I'll make sure of it."
The jagged edge in the boy's voice startled the two scientists, and Cecile was quick to chastise her superior silently with her eyes. "Er... yeah, that's the spirit, sir Knight. And to help you with your... determination, the Lancelot is always prepared."
Lloyd breathed a deep sigh when the the boy resumed concentrating, boosting the sync rate beyond the 100% threshold.
"I said not to mention it to him, didn't I sir?" Cecile admonished under her breath.
"Well, what can I say, Cecile? I've been colored curious. It's not every day that an Inquisition gets out from Andes to visit an Area. They're like the legend of Bigfoot or the legend of the Holy Hand Grenade. The last reported sighting was in Chernobyl, and we know why they had to appear there. But in this place...?"
Cecile continued to whisper worriedly. "Maybe the Order thinks Zero's too much of a-" Lloyd made an audible gulp in his throat, all the while wearing a small, toothy grin. The rapidly increasing sync rate, building up to 200% had nothing to do with it of course, oh no.
)()()()()()()()(
"You alright there, fresh meat? You didn't die while you synced, didja?"
"You wanna get fried, Tamaki? I can do it both ways - original recipe or extra crispy." The modulated voice of Kouzuki Kallen echoed from within her newly given Frame as the Guren moved to menace the joking Gear with its clawed arm.
"I reaaaaaally wanna say 'bring it on', but Lord Zero's gonna be real pissed if there're any more delays so..." The golden claw clenched, withdrawing back.
"Just don't bother me for now, alright? I'm still getting the hang of this system."
"But Lord Zero says you'll be heading out soon. I mean-"
"Tamaki!" Both eyes swept towards the entrance of the underground hangar. Their "co-leader", Ohgi, was running and waving frantically towards them. "-and Kallen, are you both ready? Zero says he's about to start the briefing now that the Gaia representatives are here."
"I'm always ready, leader-dude! I was just worried about fresh meat here, I mean she was given the hot new Knightmare to toy around with, and I was feeling a tiny bit concerned as her mentor-"
"You're not my mentor, moron." After a loud hiss, the upper body of the bipedal machine deformed, and after a bright red glow, the haggard, sweaty Gear form of Kallen Kouzuki materialized, blinking her eyes rapidly.
"How's your body Kallen?" Ohgi asked with concern. Tamaki snorted, shaking his head as he trudged first towards the entrance.
"I'm great... unless you factor in the fact that I don't know jack shit about actual fighting." The redhead bit back the urge to fire off her coarser expletives. "What do you think he's after, Ohgi?"
"I'm guessing," the man began as he gestured for the two of them to follow Tamaki out, "it's all just a test run for the Guren. I heard from Zero that it was a gift from the leader we met in Narita, that 'Kaguya Sumeragi'. So we have to show somehow that the gift is well-received, and that we'll be working very well with Gaia."
"Sumeragi... yeah, I remember her..."
"You should. I mean, it's the actual first time anyone in the group's seen a Holy Woman from Gaia. And I have a feeling it'll be the only time in our lives."
Kallen tilted her head. "What's with all the Holy Woman stuff, Ohgi? I mean, from what I've seen, there was nothing Holy or 'sacred' about some small, pale kid who was actually scared of Zero."
The man cleared his throat audibly, looking backward over his shoulder shiftily. "Watch what you say... We have Gaia guests..."
"Why?"
"Well... you see, the real members of Gaia can be really, shall we say, obsessed with their ideals. They're said to have an especial devotion to the Holy Women. Don't let what Zero did to Miss Sumeragi color your future interaction with her... She's said to be as ruthless as any of the Holy Women in the world, with her age cited as one of the reasons why she's a force to be reckoned with. Heck, I was surprised Zero had the balls to do that back at Narita... the whole lot of Gaia could've executed us right then and there for what he did."
"So I'm guessing it's another one of those 'Zero miracles'." The man saw Kallen roll her eyes.
"Yes." Ohgi stopped his pace, blinking and peering at the girl carefully. "It was. And it's something to be thankful for. That we've all got to be thankful for."
"Why are we stopping?" asked Kallen.
"I'll just be brief- Kallen, do you hate Zero now? Did he do something to make you hate him?"
The redhead flushed to the roots of her hair. "What? No- I mean, why would you think that?"
"Is it because he pushed this responsibility on you? Because we can talk it out with Zero if you really don't want to be the Guren's devicer. Or we could- quit Zero. You know..."
Kallen raised an eyebrow at her co-leader. "You're talking of betraying the Gear who has the express power and will to destroy the world because of...me?" She shook her head ruefully. "Thanks, Ohgi, but I don't know what to think about you guys valuing my life over yours."
"Then why're you so...awkward around Zero nowadays? Weren't you his supporter back before the Kururugi trial?"
"I was- am- I am his supporter," Kallen hastily replied. "And..." She wrung her hands. "It's not like I hate him, or anything. And I am grateful for going through on his promise of 'control' when he gave me the Guren..."
Kallen refused to meet the other's eyes, nor even to speak anymore as they continued towards their destination. Ohgi obviously knew that Kallen was hiding something. It made him wonder if Kallen knew something about Zero that neither he nor the rest of the group did not.
)()()()()()()()(
"Greetings to all, especially to our representatives from Gaia. I would like to express once more my deepest thanks for granting us the power of the Guren, through which we are all one step closer to fulfilling our ambition. As I've already gone over the mission details with my 'family', I shall thus now only enumerate the salient objectives of my current operation, which I have tentatively nicknamed 'Gearpaw', for the sake of our friends from Gaia.
"To start, the main objective of this operation is the..."
"Lord Brother, our brethren have browsed through the reports from the gateways. There have been no suspicious flags raised. Everything's all clear."
Behind his helm, Tohdoh grunted. His gaze was intensely focused on the gigantic katana-shaped Nox Nyctores in front of him, lying on its customary wooden pedestal. Beside him loomed his custom Gekka crouched in silent meditative repose. It was locked in stasis for the customary maintenance check. The model was half a century old, and required frequent checks to maintain battle capacity.
He turned his head to address his Elites. "Recheck them. And once more after that. Please leave no stone unturned."
"Is there a reason to this, Tohdoh-san?" one of them asked with concern.
"I've a bad feeling." And it hadn't failed him yet. It had saved him on many a lull in battle, alerting him to an impending enemy assault. The feeling had gripped his insides like a bitter morning breeze when the rumors of the Inquisition had broken out.
There was no Inquisition, as far as the Legion-Masters were concerned. He didn't know how or why exactly the piece of false information had broken out, but it had sufficiently reduced the rest of his brethren as well as the entire settlement into a chittering haven of gossips. There'd been no word from Headquarters. No announcement from the Grandmaster.
And yet, he had that feeling. He moved to clutch Susanooh's hilt and braced himself as the whispers in his head intensified.
The Inquisition, said a traitorous voice in his head. Does not need the Lord-Commander's consent and knowledge to proceed in their affairs. The 'Silent Arrows' will appear without me or any of the other Lord-Brothers knowing, whenever and wherever.
And it was all because of Zero. Perhaps the Inquisition was just now finally worried that Area Eleven's Order isn't doing more to capture or destroy the Gear...
"Suzaku-kun..." he said out loud. He turned to his Elites. "Has Brother Kururugi begun his mission yet?"
"Prez, bad news!" Nina shouted from her spot in front of the club terminal. Milly was too taken aback by the sudden outburst from the normally reticent girl that she let her tea ravage the top of her paper stacks. Fortunately, she was quick to recover, and the rest of the stacks were blown away by a light wind Ars which made a drier mess.
"Wha-What's wrong Nina? Gear alert? Emergency?"
"The Svenson Institute sent us an inquiry why we took three of their Frederick busts!"
"Didn't we send them a memo?" asked Milly, frowning.
Nina nodded, touching the tips of her fingers nervously. "I think so. But... "
"Do we already have the busts?"
"Suzaku and the others brought them in this morning, if I remember correctly..."
"Well, alright then. Write this down, as I dictate."
"Er..." Nina raised her hand. "I think it would be better if I went there and sorted things out personally... it's not too far away..." She continued in a clipped undertone.
"We're way past the information age, Nina," Milly said, eyebrow raised. "If they don't want a written apology then let's give them a video conference."
"But I think it's my responsibility, Milly... and I have to pick up the um- the um... Justice Fall panorama from the Museum..."
"Aren't Suzaku or the rest of the Ki fellows responsible for that?"
"...Supervise I mean..."
Milly spent a while scrutinizing her subordinate's face, peering at it with the suspicion of the overseer whose slave claimed he had to retrieve a bucket of water the water fountain. After a minute, she shrugged and nodded, saying, "If you insist, you can go... just don't let me hear or catch word that you've been playing hookie alright? We're very busy down here. Only Suzaku's exempted, and that's because he did an excellent job bringing those five-ton statues of Emperor Frederick down here."
"I will be back as soon as I can, Milly... Thank you!" The girl shrugged into her coat and left in a quick pace. Milly heard Shirley's shocked voice from outside, "Huh? Where are you going, Nina? ... Oh okay, take care!"
The girl herself came in the door, balancing stacks of leftover flyers in both her hands. "Prez, the Equestrians've okayed it. They just need coordination instructions with-"
"Aren't you curious, Shirley?" Milly cut in, pursing her cheeks in thought. "...About Nina?"
Shirley bobbed her head uncertainly. "But wasn't there an... emergency, Prez?"
"Yeah...I might just be overthinking it. Still, can't help but feel nervous all of a sudden. Rivalz was downright spooky, Nina's acting like that, Lelouch was even more of a crank... well scratch that, that's just how he usually is times ten - and you've increased a millimeter in bust size. It feels like I'm in opposite land or something."
It took a moment for the other girl to realize what the Ashford had said. And as if on cue, she instantly covered up her chest and shrieked, "B-b-bu... W-What're you talking about, P-Prez?"
)()()()()()()()(
"Much stealth is necessary for this first, and I believe crucial part of this mission. We must not, at any costs, let the Order know about any suspicious activity over in this area. I've taken the liberty of acquiring the names of each of the Knights on duty tomorrow, along with their specific assigned patrol routes. Now, these do not mean that they are final, for we cannot account for every single instance of human action and reaction. However..."
Insert loop, check, activate, snooze.
Insert loop, check, activate, snooze.
Rinse and repeat, ad nauseum, to infinity. Well, not exactly to infinity, since they only had a small number of detonators in use. And it would've been overkill to litter the whole district with them. Not only would the chances of discovery increase, the issue of fallout would be catastrophic – according to Zero.
Frankly, he couldn't care less.
He checked his cellphone. His body double was doing good, as expected. It would've been difficult to keep on making excuses for the sake of this mission. This utterly nonsensical, convoluted and ill-conceived mission.
He'd met Zero then personally, for the first time since his appearance. Having been requested by the Exalted One to aid "Lord Zero" in his request for personnel to aid in his mission, he had no choice but to slip in, his mask never leaving his face, and join some of the other operatives in meeting that detestable Gear and his cohorts.
Oh, the rumors were true, he could confirm now. Zero had an imposing, otherworldly presence, almost as strong as "that guy". His voice was thick and deep and slithered through his ears like a silken snake, smooth and confident in its baritone. But above everything, there was the utterly alien feeling exuded by his figure, his presence from within the dim portion of the briefing room making the surrounding darkness a palpable, alive thing whose depths hid monsters he dared not look at.
Zero was a monster, that was indeed certain. And he was being crazy following his commands. Were it not for his sovereign's command, he wouldn't be out here in the Chinese district, planting detonators left and right and following a monster's commands.
He thumbed his comm once he'd planted the final device. "Agent...oh what was it again... Agent G-02, reporting all devices planted. Over."
"...Very good, G-02. Standby for the signal. Over."
He sighed, pocketing the comm and smiling genially at a passing troop of kids dressed in Chinese costume, who pointed at him and laughed behind their hands. True, his outfit marked him very much as a Union, a waiter who worked at a Union bar at that, but there was no need for anymore subterfuge than what was necessary, especially when the Eyes of Gaia surrounded them all, unbeknownst to even the Order.
He pushed past the crowd to an ice cream stand and ordered one scoop. After thanking the server in his oiliest voice, he turned to look at the giant sign near one of the buildings, proclaiming the time in digital.
"Wow, seriously, did the Lord Brothers think this mission was important enough to bring in a Knightmare of all things? Or is it maybe Britannia throwing around its so-called 'superiority' in our face? Seems like they're really trying to make you the star, Brother."
Suzaku was silent inside the Lancelot, but still deeper inside, he was angry. That kind of speech was unbecoming of a Knight. No matter the task, if it was required by their superiors, all Knights should perform it without question. He was astounded by some of his brethren's attitude sometimes, now that he was a Knight. It made him think about how appropriate it was that an Inquisition was coming, though he didn't know the specifics of what exactly an Inquisition involved.
As it was, he guided the now heavier Knightmare forward, moving ahead of the truck as they exited outside Area Eleven's bubble.
When the other Knights saw that Suzaku wasn't responding, they fell into whispered conversation. His systems could still pick up on it, but he tuned it out.
"Sir Knight," came the voice over Lloyd's channel, "Could you maybe try shooting some of those debris I see in the distance? Let's try testing the Longcannon's range-"
"Lloyd sir! That's totally-"
"But we gotta have data-"
He sighed and shook his head, the tension in his muscles slowly evaporating from the comical sight. Over time, the two engineers who'd entered his life (though it could be argued that he entered theirs first) had grown on him. Their banter was something refreshing to see, even if sometimes he was put off by how utterly Britannian they acted. Lelouch never seemed to approach their kind of... eccentricity? Granted, his best friend could be overly dramatic sometimes...
A beep straightened his wandering thoughts, leading his eyes to the display.
"This is Brother Kururugi. Two D-Class unknowns north-northwest five hundred metres. Moving to intercept." A harken exploded from the Lancelot's fist, embedding itself into a far rock and then propelling the Frame forward.
Suzaku allowed himself another smile. The two shapes became more distinct in his sights, and they were moving. He squinted, adjusting the information feed the Factspheres were giving him. When he was closer, he was able to confirm the figures' identity. "Confirming D-Class monsters. Moving to terminate."
"Oh, thank the Emperor!" cried Lloyd's joyous voice in his ear. The Lancelot hefted the VARIS Rifle in its arms as its Landspinners dug into the earth. The weapon began to charge as soon as Suzaku flipped the safety switch, and from within, the automated systems locked in on the two monsters in his sights. He pressed the trigger twice and felt the Knightmare shiver around him from the recoil. Two flashes of green illuminated the Zone sandstorm, and in the next moment, the two signatures on his radar and on the live screen disappeared at the same time. He kept the Factspheres trained towards their direction for any more incoming threats, before disengaging the lock on the rifles. "Confirmed termination. Brother Kururugi is returning to the escort radius."
"Have these sent to my grandpa asap. And when I mean asap, I really mean ASAP!" Uttering cries of surprise, the assigned members of the council fled the clubroom like bats out of a crypt. "Slackers," Milly muttered under her breath as she turned back to the terminal that Nina had left behind. She had been close to uttering her own visceral howl, if it weren't for the fact that Shirley was in the same room. "If only I could get ten Lelouches and five Suzakus, this would all have been done yesterday."
"Prez, can I turn on the channels? I think we could use the soothing music from that Japanese one," Shirley said from the other side of the room. Milly gave her a silent thumbs up, her other hand tapping rapidly on the keyboard. She could be intensely focused when she needed to, at least until either Lelouch or Nina returned. She was none too pleased, for example, to discover that the timetable she'd established at the start would be off by two days. And that was why she was here in front of the terminal, as focused as a Devicer syncing with a Knightmare.
When Shirley gasped loudly in the next moment however, the cat's curiosity was enough for her to turn her head. She too couldn't resist an expression of surprise. On the screen was a live feed of something chaotic happening on the local news channel – the Area Eleven news feed.
Smoke filled the screen, with the camera bobbing up and down over the heads of panicking people, of whose costumes she recognized some as Chinese. The frantic, rapid-fire commentary was equally harried as the figures, some of which now included the striding white forms of Guardians charging straight into the smoke.
"What-" Shirley increased the channel volume in answer.
"- as a massive outbreak of gas all over the southern Chinese district has turned the daytime festivities into..."
)()()()()()()()(
"Once all the conditions have been fulfilled, we can move on to the next phase. This is when you, our friends from Gaia will graciously lend your fighting expertise which the Holy Woman has graciously promised. Surprise will be the key in this part. With the Federation distracted and the Order tied up, the way can hopefully be made for us by the other side's own actions. This is a very fluid phase. A lot of factors can be invalidated as human action - and luck – dictates. I expect my 'family' to remember the cardinal rule: Remember yourselves."
Given the circumstances, the Order naturally thought at first that it was Zero.
All the channels were quick to coordinate reports, sending in orders and data to and from the field. A hundred Knights were already afield in each of the districts that had been affected, with a hundred more coming in from the base. It was a tentative Class B alert, low because there'd been no reports of loss of life (yet), but elevated due to the suspicion that it was some ploy of Zero.
The preliminary evacuation and shelter protocols were being executed as the mages set about testing the gas - riding on the suspicion that it was some sort of weaponized substance - as well as prodding the surrounding areas for invisible arrays. In the meantime, many of the other brethren were spreading out over the Preserve, with or without riding Knightmares, all on high alert.
Tohdoh, whose own Gekka was still under maintenance, oversaw the the networking of information inside his own Branch Office's comm-station. It seemed as if his gut feeling had really born fruit.
"This is Brother Ebitsu to Office Nineteen, reporting no casualties, just the smoke. There has been no sign of any suspicious activities in the vicinity-"
"-Sister l'Astoria reporting, I've informed Federation command about-"
"-Detecting no irregularities with the air's waveforms, confirming Sector Eighty-nine's free of arrays-"
Without a word, the veteran Eleven swept out of the station, gesturing imperiously for his Elites not to follow him. The door slid shut in an echo of finality.
"The hell?" said one Sister tech. She started keying in sequences into the ars-fields on the screen before her. "There's a jamming over at lines delta-03, tracing the source... indeterminate. Assisting in triangulating efforts...Everyone, it seems there's an illegal transmission being sent."
"Is it Zero?" asked Sister Chiba as Tohdoh's Elites approached the line of techs before the multiple screens.
"No, it's-" And on one of the screens, a pink background appeared, and on it were emblazoned on dull silver letters the words, "Today marks The End..."
"The end?" quipped Brother Asahina. "Is it Zero's new messa- oh you've got to be kidding me. Seriously? They're so gonna be in for it now." The words had disappeared, replaced by new ones: "The End...of High Prices! Inquire Burl and Spry, Co. Offices Now."
"...It's just a publicity stunt?" Sister Chiba's surprise was echoed by the rest of the Knights, whose incredulous faces bore the extent of their current feelings well. "Confirm. And inform the other offices – assuming they aren't already trying to suppress bad thoughts about reaching out and strangling these wise-guys."
In the clubroom, Milly had the delicacy to resist spitting out her tea. She instead compensated by doubling up in laughter while being watched by a perplexed and worried orangette. In doing so, she bashed the back of her head against the far wall of the clubroom.
"Ow!"
"Prez!" There was the sound of rushing water, and after a pull of the room's scant seithr, Milly felt a soothing sensation on her injury. She wiped the tears from her eyes, nodding at Shirley. "Thanks, Shirley. That was some snappy healing."
The orangette stuck out her tongue, a stray blush covering her cheeks.
The smoke slowly ascended to the blue sky, cast adrift by an unseen, artificial wind. Most of it was caught and clung to the rooftops like grey moss. A few mages on aerial platforms swept through the haze, peering warily into the smoke and finding nothing.
Yet a lone figure shrouded in the smoke watched them fly by. The stillness of its form made it seem like it was part of the rooftop it was standing in, and the Order's eyes passed over the figure easily.
Were they able to observe better, or had a person gone up to the rooftop in that moment, they would have beheld the figure in its great severity. From far away, it seemed like it was fashioned out of, or perhaps encased in cold, white marble. On closer inspection, there were a few dark kinks in parts of what was obviously its armor, including the darkness hidden under the white hood over its head. Stylized carvings of a broken-headed hammer were set on top of the figure's shoulders. A dull silver mask covered up its face, with two golden orbs, which were its eyes, the only things that gleamed outward.
The figure was short and unmoving. It was no surprise that anyone's first impression would be of a statue. Yet it was unmistakably alive, its gaze darting every which way over the smoke as if it could see better than the Order.
In the next moment, the figure disappeared instantly into thin air, only to reappear kilometres away, on top of another smoke-clad rooftop. It walked deliberately towards the edge and cast its gaze down through the haze.
"Hostiles detected. Moving to engage."
"Is this the place?" Tamaki asked out loud, fingering the portable destruction Ars clutched between his fingers. He knew practically jack shit about Ars Magus, but it was an idiot who couldn't use portable arrays for the life of him. He and two other of Ohgi's original group were standing in the back alley of the Federation district, staring at a door stuck in the ass end of the middle of fucking nowhere. "Well, we better head on in, then." He turned to look at the smartly dressed Gaia roob that had been assigned to them, who was standing apart looking pretty. Flake even had a godamned mask on his head, and wasn't looking good with it, unlike Lord Zero. "You do your part, y'hear short-stuff? Last thing I wanna know about is you folks doing any other shit than what Lord Zero had us do. I'll be tearing ya many new ones if that's true." The roob actually smiled and bowed like it was some sort of ballroom.
"...Just do your job alright? Let's go. Lord Zero's counting on us." He flung three Ars at the door, and it immediately exploded inward before the detonation. "Heeeere's Tamaki!"
He watched the disguised humanoid Gears enter so very loudly and haphazardly through the door, utterly ignorant to the notion of stealth and subtlety. This wasn't an infiltration, they were doing it like they were raiding the place!
Unbidden, their bumbling incompetence set his muscles tensing for any sort of situation meriting his "skills". Normally, he readily accepted orders of termination, but doing it in broad daylight against what was probably more than one Order Knight was tantamount to operative suicide for him. Sure, he was just an unofficial associate in the League of Assassins, but he was still technically one of them – having learned from some of the best and hobnobbed with some of the more infamous killers-for-honor-and-hire that stalked the world day and night. And so, he couldn't risk his own moves and techniques being recorded or observed at all – not when it would clearly trace back to his teachers, who would hear of his failure, sooner or later.
Damn that Zero. Any thought of that Gear sent his blood boiling. The Gear was slowly rising up in his list of most-hated things, right up there with "that guy" and slavery. He had opinions on the issue of working with living weapons of mass magical destruction, but it was obvious that he couldn't just mouth it up to his mistress – she'd be very upset. Frankly, all Gears should be rounded up, beaten and stuffed into test tubes for the rest of their lives.
He looked up at the thick, heavy smoke that riddled the district. Seven minutes twenty-two seconds past the detonations. More than the time it had taken for the EU ambassador to Britannia killed and arrange for the Empire to be responsible. And that quest had been a failure, according to his teachers.
And-
Whoa!
He heard the distinct keening sound of a weapon flying through the air mere milliseconds before he lunged forward, pinning his body briefly into the door but quickly using his feet to propel himself upward. Two more weapons – he checked, they seemed to be bladed, probably swords – stuck into the spots where he'd been, and he was forced to deftly deflect the next one with the side of his boot.
He landed, the blood racing through him as his eyes sought out the source. Clinging to the side of the wall was a bizarre sight – a sight he recognized.
"An inquisitor? So Reid's intelligence was true. This..." He quickly readied his own weapons as he spoke loud, perhaps enough for the attacker to hear, "This is bad. I didn't think I'd be washing my hands in inquisitorial blood at least for another year." The jest was bold, and he knew it would be little provocation for the "antibodies" of the stuck-up Guardians, who were already prone to fits of rigid unpleasantness.
As expected, the inquisitor responded by leaping down, he quickly skittering out of the way, keeping the dumpsters overflowing with sharp, dirty rubbish between them, to retrieve its thrown weapons with a wave of its hands. They were short swords, he saw, perhaps simple transmutations or conjurations according to the way they simply disappeared into the enemy's hands, which would indicate he was either facing an alchemist or a sorcery-user. Great. I'm up against old magic. Mistress, I'm sure I can blame Zero for this! There was no guarantee that his movements had already been recorded by the inquisitor – who straightened up beside the door and pointed at him imperiously with a white, gauntleted fist.
"Query: what allegiance have you, delinquent? Who are your friends, and what business do you have here?" The words were spoken as if from a far away tunnel. "Answer with your throat, or I shall have to rip it out from you."
"Awww, so brutal, mistair inquisitor," he quipped lazily, his eyes darting behind his mask for any sign of reinforcement or hidden artifice. The smoke, their smoke, was now working against him. He then realized that the inquisitor couldn't have been more than a few inches taller than him. "Couldn't kind words and promises of amnesty get you your answer better?"
"So you admit you are doing something illegal," the inquisitor said shortly. "Intention confirmed. Beginning suppression procedure-"
"And you didn't deny that you're really an inquisitor. Hot dang, now that's some nice tidbit here. Thanks, we appreciate it." He was pleased to see the attacker start and hesitate, as if he had really struck some chord with his jest. "Whatsa matter? You-"
"Suppression procedure: Shoot to Kill. Attack, Bolverk."
Shots exploded; he dove backward into the trash, feeling some of them bite into his clothes as rubble showered him. "Whew." Inhaling mightily, he kicked the dumpster downward, and into the attacker while he leapt to his feet, assuming a stance.
The dumpster exploded from what seemed like another shot, and he had the glimpse of twin guns on the inquisitor's hands before he charged forward, fists blazing. Two shots rang past his neck, one bit hard into his shoulder. He nearly bit his tongue from the sting; but he was surprised an inquisitor could be that inaccurate in short range. He held that thought as his charge brought him nearer, when he delivered a roundhouse kick that slammed into his enemy's shoulder.
"Sustained damage: Assessing. Rerouting protection arrays-"
"Aw yeah, I know that hurts," he breathed as the attacker staggered backward, and he dove sideward to dodge the next shots fired. "Might not be Ki material, but it's Gaia modification at its finest, baby."
"Gaia...?"
"Oops. Should probably not have mentioned that..."
In the next instant, the white inquisitor had delivered its own kick, catching him in only on the side as he dodged, but slowing him enough for the shots to pierce where his stomach should be.
"YoU... yOu're f..f-from gAia?" He grimaced from the pain as the blood worked to "correct" the wounds, though relieved to discover that the bullets were magical in nature, and could be removed cleanly(but still hurt). He looked again; the enemy was now holding its twin guns at arms length, poised to fire. "Ki-Killll... Gaia!"
"Oh yeah, that's what I like to hear." He responded as he dashed in, ducking low to sweep the enemy's feet, realizing his mistake when the inquisitor jumped, aiming the guns downward now, and four more shots of pain exploded in his temple, worse now that it was point blank. He rolled forward, keeping momentum, now more than a mite pissed. If he'd pinned the guy down and he'd have had a clear shot of snapping that small neck.
He held a hand to his forehead as he rose to his feet a moment later, marveling at how in just a few minutes, the inquisitor had inflicted more pain and drawn more blood than most of his messier quests in the past year combined. He flecked off the blood on his mask carelessly.
"I- I- I'll KILLL you, GaIA WreTCH!" The inquisitor seemed to have gone berserk, shivering mightily but still holding up and aiming the twin guns firmly on him. The unhinged condition was bad – and good. He cricked his wrist and settled into a neutral stance, bringing his fists up.
"Not before I kill you, Guardian dog. Let's get dangerous." But not for your sake, Zero.
)()()()()()()()(
"And so, with the way made clear, we can move on to the third part when our Devicer, my 'young flame' will realize the fruits of Zero's and Gaia's union through the Guren, which will be the visible focal target of all Order hostility. We can all trust on her to do an excellent job. Young flame, I am sure I am not remiss in reminding you to be wary of Knight Kururugi's machine? ...Very good. In the meantime, the rest of the teams will split up to their assigned invasion teams, taking with each of you the requisite ward destruction arrays and anti-magic seals. At least one of you should be able to locate and begin download..."
"Kallen, I am estimating a small possibility of your encountering Knight Kururugi at the end of your part in the operation, with a smaller possibility of meeting towards the middle and at the very start. The latter two conditions will have to be watched and prepared for carefully.
"Just remember. Don't. Kill him."
Gee, I wonder why you won't kill him, Alan Spacer? Still need him to pick up those Justice caricatures from the Einzbern Foundation before the Prez finds out? Kallen pushed those rebellious thoughts away. She was in a machine now. Inside a Knightmare – as a Gear. She was Gear, inside a new Knightmare. A full-blown Gear, and she hadn't gone berserk. She was still "herself". Kallen Kouzuki.
But that wasn't the only thing that surprised her. What else did, was being chosen – "hand-picked" - as Tamaki had ribbed by Zero to become the Devicer for Gaia's Knightmare. She had to admit, the red paint on that Guren had drawn it to her eyes lightning-quick, and she had better syncing rates with it than even Zero, but that shouldn't have been enough for it to be assigned to her. Unless Zero was planning something.
Well, technically he was. Here she was inside the Knightmare, trudging slowly through the Zones in the direction of an Order satellite base. Zero had planned for her to unleash her full, but controlled Gear powers there as some sort of message to the Order and the other Powers.
"The second phase has begun, Kallen. What is your status?"
"I'm uh... about a kilometer away. I thought we were supposed to maintain comm-silence?"
"'By now, the Order's focus is on the Preserve, and so I count on human reactions. But now, you are free to attack, Kallen. Based on these reports, you should be coming up on an arsenal first. I'll give you rough directions from here on out; report any unusual sightings. Just wreak as much destruction as you can. With this, we can disable a major off-Preserve armory of theirs. And remember what I said about Kururugi Suzaku."
"Roger that..." she paused. "Zero," she added lamely. It felt weird now, addressing him like that all of a sudden. She urged her new friend forward.
"Go, Kallen. Raise the flag of rebellion."
The Guren had only one Factsphere on it, but it seemed more than enough for it to see through the interference of dust and seithr. The red Frame gathered speed, its right, monstrous hand unclenching the claws attached it, charging up a powerful ars fuelled by the Gear inside.
The Order arsenal exploded.
"Earl Lloyd, can you give me any more information?" The alert had just buzzed in each of the escorting Knight's comms, and at the first moment, Suzaku Kururugi had instantly thought of Zero. There was no more information provided than that an incident had made the alert necessary, and to urge all Knights not currently on a mission to aid their brethren at the Preserve. As he was involved in a mission that had yet to be concluded, Suzaku couldn't just turn the Lancelot around. He was obligated to see it through, no matter how much it went against his inner instincts.
And so, he had turned to Earl Lloyd, who was technically his outside Britannian contact. They had different lines of communication after all.
"High Command's been apprised, but we haven't been told to mobilize," the Earl replied, sounding nonplussed in spite of the alert. "And even if we were, SpecDev doesn't have its military asset with it. We won't be able to do anything without the Lancelot."
"I understand, sir. Please tell me if an emergency comes up."
"You won't be a help since you're way over there if there was- ow! Mother- ... I mean, sure, haha. ... We have a shelter nearby, but we shall inform you of any fatal updates. Just keep on doing your thing, sir Knight."
"I'll do my best, sir." The Earl's face disappeared, leaving Suzaku with a clear view of the passing Zone. They were nearly there, but arrival in the secret base didn't mean the end of the mission; there was still the hiding of the escorted goods, which would take a while, he was told.
He eased the Lancelot forward, as if doing so would speed up the convoy. He tried to steady the turbulence in his mind, reminding himself that this was the call of the Knight - even if other people liked to label it as blind obedience. It wasn't like he was bending knee to a bunch of evil, or crazy people, like the people of Gaia. The Order stood for something more, something greater, nobler-
"Brother Kururugi!" shouted one of the Knights from outside, just as another beep stirred him at the same time from his thoughts. He focused himself, and then saw, rising from behind the view of a large, steel skeleton of a billboard fresh, black smoke. When the Lancelot dashed forward, he heard the sound of a big explosion.
"Moving to intercept!" he said hurriedly, and the Lancelot followed his command. He did not acknowledge the shouts of his fellow brethren in his ear. The Factspheres zeroed in on two, three more red gouts of explosions coming from the base. Blood pounding in his ears, he finally glimpsed a solitary figure emerge from a curtain of billowing flames, just as it threw another big fireball into a building.
"This is Brother Kururugi, reporting to the Sacred Order of the Guardians. Our satellite base is under attack; I've spotted a hostile, sensors indicate the attackers are on Knightmares. Engaging!"
"Sir!" The door slid open, and an almost breathless Brother Asahina found Lord-Brother Tohdoh sitting in a lotus position in the middle of the training room floor. "Gear assault. Level S, confirmed Diabolic-class. The secret base."
"... Suzaku-kun."
He'd asked, "Does the thought of killing distaste you Kallen?" when she'd brought it up in their conversation.
"Not really. I mean, I wouldn't go out and have a massacre. But... But if it's for something that has a greater cause, then..."
"Oh." He'd sounded surprised. "I suppose we're not too distant from humans in that regard."
"What?"
"I admire your mindset, Kallen," he'd said when he turned away in dismissal. "You might just be the anchor I... never mind. You'll make an excellent Gear."
She didn't really know what to make of that. Not back then in the shadow of their hidden meeting place, and not now, in the midst of torching an Order satellite base (A fricking Order base!) to the ground. It wasn't like the thought of killing would suddenly bring to the fore a brick-ton of angst. She imagined the thought in her head, and she decided that unless they were innocents, or pregnant women, or old people, or children or something, she had no issue with being ordered to kill. At least, if it was for a cause.
They were supposed to be free-willed Gears right? Outcasts on a mission. Not berserk Gears.
Kallen would put the question forward again, when she was to really go about slaughtering. In this first mission, there was only immobile, inanimate things to destroy.
She bled all of her pent-up passion into the machine, taking in the exhilarating sensation of the Guren accepting all her power and fueling it into itself without being destroyed. A blast later took care of the Knightmare hangar, turning the first Gekka it had impacted into a pool of hot slag.
The Order deserved everything it had coming to them, she decided. They deserved to be fought at every corner, burned to death, crushed under Landspinner and claw, defied, rebelled against. Sure they were the world's unofficial peacekeepers preventing true all-out magical war from erupting, but if it came at the cost of instilling in her the fear she hated so much, the fear that made her feel so damn weak, then to hell with them.
So what did that make Kururugi Suzaku?
"We were aiming for eighty-percent structural damage... But this looks good, Kallen. You're doing very well. I trust you're keeping the Heat level low?"
Kallen started, her eyes seeking the gauge on the corner of her display.
The Guren had its downside – being an outright prototype based off of the schematic of the fifty year-old Gekka – there were many features that had been installed and which hadn't been fully tested before it was incarcerated by Gaia. One of these was an inhibiting system over the Devicer's magical input that hadn't been fully tweaked – if the raw power was siphoned off of the Devicer started to rise above the set limits, then the Knightmare would start to overheat, leading to unforeseen consequences in performance. Zero had expressed his hope that the original creator, who was reported to still be alive, though hiding, would have a look at the Guren and sort out the bugs that hampered and otherwise ingenius machine.
It fitted, too, that the Guren seemed to grow hotter as its internal energies rose – its Devicer had an affinity with Fire.
"Hovering at eighty-percent, Zero sir." She could swear she had almost bitten off the tip of her tongue at the way she'd addressed him. In absent retaliation, she fired off a stream of fire from the Guren, incinerating a line of concrete that was the base's central receiving area for no reason.
"Good. Since it seems that you're doing well, then I suggest we withdraw now. The others haven't yet finished, but undoubtedly the Order will be alerted to you now, so-"
A blast interrupted Zero's message. The world around Kallen shook, the systems blaring in alarm around her. She felt around with her senses, connected to the Factspheres, and saw him.
In that instant, she sensed something coming right at her, and she dove aside, crashing through a curtain of flames.
"Miss? How could I-" Suzaku cursed the VARIS in his arms as he eased off the trigger and flipped the safety off. Furious, he watched the enemy escape through the flames. He then began to engage the Hadron Longcannons that were mounted on the Lancelot's shoulders. It would be the first time firing this.
"Sir Knight, what's the situation? We see you starting up the Hadron, but that's a heavy duty-"
The blast sent the telltale red glow of the thin beams crashing into the distant flames. The impact sent a greater explosion rocketing upwards. Dimly, he recalled upon straining to contain the recoil that the cannons' impact might have damaged any remaining property further, but the corners of his vision were too seared in red for him to care.
"Die, Gear!"
"So he's come."
"What are your orders, sir?" Zero was silent. Kallen brushed off many snide thoughts she was contemplating of bringing up, but knew that even she herself had a bit of a qualm dealing with this guy.
They weren't necessarily best friends, or even friends for that matter. Their only contact was the cordiality required of Elevens such as them, in keeping with the tradition of their fallen nation. The council brought them together, but outside of it, he might as well have been another male in the crowd.
"Shit!" She sensed another attack, more concentrated this time, slam into the burning building right beside her. She backpedaled the Guren to be safe, using its sole Harken to steady its sideways slide. She did a cursory scan of her surroundings. No Order retaliation. Her attack must've been very effective.
The attack had ended, but there was no telling what was coming next. He was as hidden to her as she was to him. Now, it was a staredown.
"Zero? Your orders?"
"...I suppose for his sake... he will have to learn the brutality of this world..."
"So?" Damnit, Alan Spacer, just say that he's a friend of yours and I'll go! I know all about your little friendship, so-
"Right then. Engage him, please Kallen. Break his machine,make him feel fear. I laeve it up to you on the method. But don't kill him. Remember that."
Great, "leave it to me?" "Shouldn't it be wiser to retreat, Zero?"
"No, I trust in you, Kallen." There was that overly gentle undercurrent in his voice again. She wanted to scream his real name at him. Damn him!
Her radar display bleeped. She glanced at it, then muttered her next "shit" of the day.
The Guren fired up another flame blast in its arms, launching it just in time to fire it off at a very close Lancelot.
"Sorry, Kururugi," she murmured under her breath. "Whether or not it really is Lamperouge, I can't disobey Zero – not yet."
"Sir Knight, that's dangerous! You can't just leave parts of the Blast Pack lying around-"
"I've judged it too inconvenient, sir. I can fight better without restrictions." He pressed the next release button.
"But without those, the Lancelot can't really fight! You'll be up against a Gear with only your bare hands! Cecile, talk some sense into him-"
"He's right, sir Kururugi, this is a monumental risk you're taking-"
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said with finality. He dropped the VARIS on top of the other discarded armaments. "It's done. This is Brother Kururugi – I'm engaging the enemy!" He launched the harkens forward, propelling him upwards into the air. The Lancelot felt lighter around him, he noted grimly. He was right.
His insides burned with the same fury as the flames that ate at the satellite base. He couldn't guess at what twisted minds could be behind such an attack, but for now, he didn't care. They would die by his hand, by the hand of justice.
He jumped through the flames without hesitation, and unerringly fixated himself upon his foe. Only one? He cast the systems around to confirm – but there seemed to be only one.
One or a hundred, it doesn't matter, he thought. The Lancelot now crackled with his power. They will fall all the same.
Milly Ashford stared at the shattered teapot. She looked over at Shirley, who was watching the screen with worry.
"Shirley...did you do this?"
"Huh, what?" The other girl turned her head to look, and then gasped. "N-no, but – what happened Milly? Let's get that cleaned up before-"
"Weird that you didn't hear the sound of breaking porcelain," Milly made a face. Shirley flushed, before standing up to walk towards the pantry.
"I'm sorry Prez... I just have this bad feeling... Maybe Zero's behind that joke, I'm thinking... Or maybe I'm overthinking this...Sorry for not noticing-"
"You too huh?" Milly stood in her own turn to fling open one of the clubroom windows. In the distance, she could spy the black plumes of smoke. "You've also got that feeling. I know it's cliche, but this could mean that the Justice week celebration will be..." She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.
"Will be what, Prez?" Shirley asked as she bustled about with a damp towel over the mess. She glanced at Milly, who gave no further reply.
There were only two on that fiery battlefield. One was wreathed in red, and the other imbued by shades of blue.
They clashed first with their wills tentatively, as if sipping on a new shot of liquor.
"By the sovereign authority of the Guardians, identify and surrender yourself!"
"You're in the way, Knight. Back down."
Their harkens clashed, two to the one, though the first didn't use its other. The clashed and danced in midair before falling back to the sea of flames, which seemed afraid to consume them, and was content to sit back and form an impenetrable ring around the two.
One was quick, agile on its feet. The other was purposeful, measured in every action.
"Yield to justice, abomination!"
"You're only gonna piss me off!"
For each time they met steel against steel, neither could overcome the other.
Yet they knew and wished: that where there were two at the start, only one would remain in the end.
They stood apart now, amassing their power, as they watched the opposite side doing the same.
Blue clashed against red.
"-Rebel Magnum!"
"Ride... the Lightning!"
)()()()()()()()(
Code Geass: The Corrupted
Noontide
Part One End
AN: What is with this site? First version of this chapter was ready before the weekend started, now it's ballooned to this size since I couldn't log in to put this up.
Thanks for reading!
Merlin Out,