Code Geass: The Demon and the Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. If I did, then what you see below would be the show, instead of a fanfiction on the Internet.
Phase 5: Set-Up
- The Demon and the Dragon -
At precisely 2:00 AM, Japan time, Learme's alarm clock activated sending a radio signal to the nano-earbuds in his skull, which sent apparently ear-piercing soundwaves into his ear. This, naturally, jolted the Lamperouge twin up. Shaking his head a bit in a futile attempt to stop the ringing, he regained his wits later and reached over to switch the machine off. Moving quickly, Learme collected his clothing from his closet, exactly twelve paces away from his bed. He dressed himself in all black, from slacks to T-shirt, finishing with a ebony pair of combat boots.
In the hallway, he joined Lelouch, stepping into the bathroom and going through the security procedures, entering the facility.
"You finished the suits?" Lelouch asked, striding quickly to his computer.
"Yep". Learme said, opening a locker and retrieving two items: a black mask carved into the shape of a reptilian skull, In a way to suggest the skull was looking down, and a black hooded coat embroidered with gold and red lines on the edges and shoulders, and a strange angular symbol colored platinum. From the adjacent locker, he retrieved the armor and magnum from yesterday, sliding his arm into the armor easily, and ensuring the straps kept it from falling off. Inside the armor, pressurized bags inflated, further securing the technological masterpiece to its maker. From the same locker, Learme took out a belt with a sheathed katana attached, along with the magnum's holster. He slipped the coat on; pads in the right sleeve making the arms appear equal while a simple black glove covered his right hand. The belt went around the coat, securing the article of clothing to Learme's waist as the mask went on, concealing his features. With the entire outfit, the coat fell to Learme's ankles, the sleeves extending to just past his wrists. Both weapons were secured to his left side, the katana just below the magnum.
"You know where to go, right?" Lelouch asked, logging into the computer and beginning to type rapidly.
"Of course." Learme said, his voice coming out differently. It sounded like a more bass version of his voice spoke at the same time a hissing mechanical recording did, causing a strange effect, produced by the device integrated into the mask.
Learme moved to the eastern side of the facility, where the Burai used to be. Instead, a large eighteen-wheeler truck was in their place, facing the wall. Learme grinned under his mask as he climbed into the driver's seat, settling down and buckling in securely. It was the perfect disguise. Literally hundreds of these traveled throughout Japan, transporting a variety of items, from furniture, to alcohol, to medical supplies, and even, ironically, knightmare parts.
What especially pleased Learme was the invention that allowed him to drive the vehicle in public view. Behind the everyday windows were sheets of reflective glass, similar to those that adorned the walls of police interrogation rooms. And just like them, it was a mirror on one side, and a simple window from the other. However, small projectors installed in the gap between the two panes of glass projected an image of your everyday truck driver onto it, causing people to see just that instead of the menacing figure of Learme.
Lelouch keyed in a few commands, and the eastern wall slid apart just as it had when they returned from Shinjuku, allowing Learme to drive the massive vehicle out into the former subway tunnels.
Back at the facility, Lelouch hacked into the traffic control system, altering codes so that the traffic lights would divert traffic away from where Learme's truck would emerge from the underground, thus allowing his twin to proceed unmolested and unexposed. After the enormous vehicle exited the area, Lelouch erased all signs of his intervention, smiling as he did so.
An hour later, Learme passed through the gates to Saitama Ghetto, where the Japan Liberation Front was to meet him.
Up to this point, Learme had been quite pleased, looking forward to the trade. If the JLF's representative was who he thought it was……
A chatter of assault weapons fire brought him out of his thoughts. Right outside, he saw a group of Japanese, all dressed in rag-tag clothing,and with assault rifles that looked like they were from the war seven years ago. The one in the middle, apparently the leader started yelling and gesturing with his rifle.
"Hey Lelouch?" Learme whispered, into a microphone on the inside of the hood. "Slight dilemma."
"What?"
"I've got a group of terrorists - not the JLF - pulling me over. Looks like they want me to get out. Can I run them over?"
"NO. Get out and get them to move."
"Ugh. You never let me have any fun." Learme grumbled. Ignoring the repeated shouting of the leader, Learme opened the door and stepped out.
The terrorists froze. It was quite understandable actually. To them, they had been harassing what appeared to be an overweight Britannian truck driver. Then the door had opened apparently without any movement from the driver at all, and out had stepped a black-clad figure with a face like a dragon's skull. And despite their relatively low intelligence network, they, like every other insurgency in Japan, knew just who went around wearing a black coat and a dragon mask with a truck large enough to transport a dozen Knightmares.
Thus, when said figure stepped towards them, his right hand on his katana, the group dropped to their knees almost simultaneously to grovel, literally pressing their heads to the ground.
"F-forgive us, Zennyo Ryūō-dono!" The leader fairly whimpered, apparently attempting to imprint his forehead into the concrete. "W-we didn't know it was you! W-"
"Of course you didn't know it was me." Learme said irritably in Japanese, not that they knew, the voice modifier fairly eliminating inflection and tone. "If I wanted people to know I was driving a large truck, I wouldn't have designed that disguise." Lifting a device out of his one of his coats many pockets, Learme pressed a button, disabling the projectors and leaving the windshield and windows to completely reflect their surroundings. 'I'm sure, however, that you pulled me over only in a vain attempt to exact retribution against Britannia."
The sarcasm, of course, was completely lost on them.
It's times like this that I hate having to disguise my voice. Learme thought irritably as the terrorists somehow managed to frantically nod while still keeping their heads pressed to the ground. That must chafe.
"I commend you on your enthusiasm." Learme said, bringing their hopes up with those six words. "But I would recommend you focus instead on Britannia's soldiers." That got them up.
"But Ryūō-dono!" Even before that terrorist started speaking, Learme continued. "Britannia may say the war is over, but don't believe that. This is still a war you fight, and soldiers fight soldiers. No matter your cause, civilians are not targets." Leaving them to stammer, he clambered back into the cab, buckled in, and revved the engine.
The terrorists made it out with only an inch to spare between their hindquarters and the fender.
- The Samurai -
Further on in Saitama, a group of ten or so people with five trucks waited. From the looks of the area, it had once been a square, or maybe an intersection. Whatever it was, it was pretty much the only flat place with a road leading to it. At the front of the group stood five people, which the rest seem to give some deference. When they saw the truck coming, they tensed, seeming to prepare to fight. When the truck stopped, with the driver stepping out, they relaxed. Slightly.
"Ah, Tohdoh-san." The figure, the infamous Zennyo Ryūō, said, bowing in the Colonel's direction. "It is an honor to see you again." That confused them.
"Hmm? Have we met before?" Tohdoh asked, as his subordinates, the Four Holy Swords, shuffled around a litte.
"Indeed. I was there at the Battle of Itsukushima, where you performed your miracle." The arms dealer stated, with that strange double-voice that the JLF's previous dealers had described.
"You were a soldier?"
"In a sense. I took a bullet for you, if you remember." Tohdoh frowned at this, trying to remember. Then his expression shifted into one of mild surprise when he recalled the event. The Glasgow that intercepted that cannon round!
"I see you do remember. Well, in any case, it is my pleasure to again aid you, Kiseki no Tohdoh." The black marketeer motioned for the five to follow him, leading them around to the back of the truck. Without any visible interaction, the back opened, sheet metal rolling up to reveal twelve Burai, all painted the tan-green color of the JLF.
"I hope you and your superiors will be pleased with this." Ryūō said, climbing into the truck. "These Burai have some new modifications. If you look at the hands-" He gestured to the appendages in question, drawing their gaze. "- You'll see that I've added guards made of titanium diboride. They can block Sutherland tonfas, and they could perhaps deflect a Gloucester's lance, but I wouldn't recommend trying them against bullets." Then he motioned towards the cockpit. "The cockpit's ejection system has been refined. It should now propel you a further twenty meters before losing velocity and deploying parachutes, and the armor has been reinforced slightly."
"I see." Tohdoh said, nodding at the dealer.
"Now then, you have the payment?" Tohdoh nodded, and turned to lead-
"Stop right there!" Startled, everyone present looked to see a two policemen standing behind them, equipped with a modest amount of body armor and two shotgun. "Heh, looks like the informant was telling the truth." One said, chuckling under his breath. Tohdoh remained calm, although there was a slight twinge of angered disbelief that lasted about two seconds. "Well, well, Tohdoh himself....we should get big promotions for this, right?" As he spoke, the policeman stepped forward, shotgun still aimed at Tohdoh.
- The Dragon -
Learme's left arm darted down, grabbed the magnum, and brought it back up so that the laser centered right between the cop's eyes, all within perhaps a second. The next instant, he squeezed the trigger twice, two deafening gunshots following the rounds as they streaked past Tohdoh's head straight into the policeman's skull.
The other cop was already moving, panicked by the literally blood-red columns of flame that erupted from Learme's frigging handcannon. He felt his partner's brains splatter on his face, just before he dove behind a piece of rubble.
Learme holstered his gun, right hand grabbing his katana's grip as he sprinted for the same piece of rubble, moving quite fast for a sibling of Lelouch. The cop's shotgun poked out from around the rubble, its barrel pointed slightly away from Learme. He kicked the barrel, jerking the shotgun away just in time, its shot going off in the wrong direction. In the same moment, Learme drew his katana, slicing the weapon in half in the same quick motion as he shifted to move around the block of concrete.
Huh. He's quick. The cop had already halfway drawn his sidearm by the time Learme got around the block. It didn't make any difference, with the katana slicing straight across, decapitating the man. Learme shook his head at the mess it caused, spattering his coat with flecks of blood. He only paused long enough to clean his katana on the policeman's body, wiping the blade until its edge perfectly reflected its surroundings again. Learme admired his craftsmanship for a second, studying the monocrystalline beta carbon nitride edge and the European dragon etched into the titanium nitride spine. Just below it was inscribed: Determination that is incorruptible.
Learme loved that line.
Sheathing the blade, he moved back around the rubble, walking briskly back to the truck.
"Well then, shall we finish up here?" He asked, to the incredulous stares of Tohdoh and the Shisheiken.
- The Demon and the Dragon -
Two hours later
The facility's hidden door opened to allow the eighteen-wheeler through, closing behind the massive vehicle as it parked back in its designated spot. Learme fairly leaped out of the cab, grinning as he removed his mask.
"Deal went well then?" Lelouch asked. He already knew, of course, having been listening in on the hood microphone.
"Well, there was a little hiccup with two policeman." Learme answered, grinning as he opened the cargo trailer with the press of a button.
The back rolled up, and Lelouch was left staring at a literal wall of gold and silver bricks. "Whoa."
"Yep." Learme grinned. "Made the arrangements?"
"Of course." Lelouch said. "There's a Chinese freighter loaded up with raw minerals set to arrive in Yokosuka Port. Our Indian buyer will send one of her subordinates with it, cash in hand. All we have to do is show up at the dock."
"Wait, it's a woman?" Learme asked, a peculiar glint in his eye.
"Yes. Don't tell me you're turning sexist on me Learme."
"Of course not. But, if there's a female Indian scientist asking after large amounts of bullion - specifically gold and silver, which are some of the most conductive materials in the world - Then I think I can guess who it is." At this point, Learme paused, drawing a snort from Lelouch, who had taught him the concept of dramatic pauses. "Rakshata Chawla."
"The medical cybernetics researcher?"
"The same. Amazingly, no one realizes just how close the fields of Knightmare and medical cybernetics are. Essentially, it's just a matter of scale. She could be developing new neural nerve networks to increase the reaction times of cybernetic limbs. If so, then she's doing it with literally hundreds of prototypes. But, if you think of this amount in terms of Knightmare development, then it makes sense." Learme mused. "After all, a ton of bullion? Either she's trying to play trader, or she's building a Knightmare or Knightmare-size weapon."
"Impressive deduction." Lelouch complimented, with Learme taking a small bow. "I suppose you want me to hack into her mainframe?"
"But of course dear brother. After all, if we can get a hold of her designs......" Learme trailed off, a large grin crossing both their faces.
Then Lelouch's computer beeped, causing the twins to look over.
"Well, time for the day to start." Lelouch said as Learme starting putting away his things.
- The Queen -
That evening
Kallen strode nervously into the museum, passing by several older weapons from the war seven years ago. Her nervous feeling was almost displaced by the resurgence of her disgust and anger at the Britannians. Off in the corner, she spotted the remains of a trashed mobile artillery gun, with the sign in front of it stating the shobby work of the former Japanese.
She could barely stop herself from sneering.
She spotted Ohgi with Tamaki and Yoshida walking towards a display case filled with Japanese small arms, attempting to look nonchalant.
"Kallen Stadtfeld, your phone has been turned into at Lost and Found. Please come to the front desk to retrieve it." Kallen started at that, and glanced at Ohgi. He looked just as startled as she was, but he nodded. She turned around and walked back to the entrance, in front of which the front desk was, staffed by a rather perky woman.
"Is this yours?" the receptionist asked, holding out a pink cell phone. Kallen nodded, taking the phone. Right after that, the barely noticeable red rim around the receptionist's eyes disappeared.
Before she'd taken so much as twelve paces, the phone rang. Checking the caller ID only heightened the confusion.
Zero? Kallen wondered, raising the phone to her ear.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Get on the monorail line. Bring your friends." Before Kallen could answer, the Voice hung up. Kallen motioned to Ohgi slightly, signaling for him to follow her. After they boarded the monorail, it set off, taking the group on a roundabout tour of the Settlement, with the Ghetto on the other side. The phone rang again, Kallen answering it after a single ring.
"Look to the front of the train, and to the right." The Voice ordered. Kallen did so, facing the Settlement. "What do you see?"
"The Settlement." She answered roughly. "A city of thieving nobles, built on our sacrifices."
"And the left?"
"Our city." Kallen said. "Destroyed by the Britannians seven years ago and left to rot." The Voice chuckled at that.
"Good answer. Come to the front of the train." The phone clicked as he hung up again. She proceeded immediately, Ohgi and the others following right behind her. None of them noticed that every passenger they passed was deliberately looking away from them, averting their red-rimmed eyes.
The moment they entered the front car, the train plunged into a tunnel, casting the interior into slight shadows. At the very front of the car stood two figures. The one on the left was wearing a flowing black cape that concealed his body from view, while the other wore a long coat that fitted tightly to his torso, showing his bulky frame.
"Konbanwa, Ohgi." The one on the left said, in a weird double-voice, turning to face them. The terrorists gaped at him. It was the black market dealer.
"Zen-" Ohgi started to say, before the man interrupted him with a raised hand. Kallen stared hard at that hand. It was covered in some kind of armor, each phalanx covered in a hard black material that tapered into a sharp claw-like point at the end. She followed the armor back into the sleeve, where, after the wrist, it turned into a kind of scale mail.
"Please, just call me Draco." The Japanese blinked.
"Are you the one that called us?" Kallen asked, knowing the answer. His voice wasn't right.
"Of course not." Draco said. "The one who called this meeting is my superior. He will explain." Then the other figure turned around. Instead of a bestial or monstrous visage like they expected, his mask was blank. Nothing more than a purple oval set into a helmet whose shape vaguely reminded Kallen of a crested eagle.
"How does it feel to meet the one running the operations? I must apologize for the roundabout way I brought you all here. As you understand, neither Draco nor I wish to be caught by the Britannians." He spoke with a regal, commanding tone, and unlike Draco, sounded entirely human. The Japanese nodded in response. They could understand perfectly well. After all, Britannia didn't take all too well to terrorist suppliers.
"W-we have to thank you for supporting our resistance." Ohgi stammered.
"It is no problem." The caped figure said.
"A-as you know." Ohgi continued, still a bit nervous. "We're resisting Britannia-"
"No." Both figures stated, stopping him cold.
"Britannia will not fall due to terrorism."
Fall? They thought.
"The acts of terrorists are little more than childish harassment!" Draco said, still in that emotionless stereo. "Your target is not Britannia's citizens, but Britannia itself!"
"Wha- Do you mean war?" Ohgi asked, eyes narrowed.
"Of course." Draco affirmed. "Japan has the largest military presence left over from its invasion out of all the conquered Areas. And yet, it is disturbing that, instead of waging a guerrilla war, it focuses on such dishonorable tactics as threatening civilians. Resolve yourselves for a bloody war, and fight to correct the injustice of Britannia!"
"Stop messing with us." Kallen growled. "How can we trust you two, who won't even show us your faces?"
"Yeah, take your mask off!" Tamaki shouted, stepping forward.
In a flash, Draco stepped forward, drawing his katana and resting its point against Tamaki's throat, the blade almost seeming to caress his Adam's apple.
"Calm down Draco." The superior said, stepping forward and laying his hand on Draco's shoulder. In doing so, he moved the cape aside from its position, revealing what lay underneath it. The terrorist's eyes widened a bit at the sight of large armored plates covering his entire body, from neck to boot. "I'm sure he didn't mean anything by his..... aggressive posturing." Ever so slowly, the katana drew back from Tamaki's throat, before dissappearing back into its sheath.
"It is bad for security for us to show you our faces." Draco said. "For, while you cannot fully trust us, we also cannot fully trust you as of now."
"However." The other declared, "We can show you our power. If we show each other what we can do, surely we can come to trust each other?" A strange coughing-like sound came from Draco's helmet, that the Japanese realized was him scoffing. "Come now Draco, one needs to give trust to earn trust." The apparent bodyguard was silent for a moment, before nodding.
- The Author -
Another phase, another couple of dead people, and an alliance in the making. Uh, by the way, I may be rather indisposed for the next two weeks, as my family will be going on vacation for the holidays.
If you want to get a real good image of what Learme's coat looks like, imagine Hei's coat, from Darker Than Black, and then add a hood, gold and red trim along the edges of the sleeves and the bottom, and an Asian-looking pattern in gold and red along the hood's edge. And, of course, the Black Knight's (or what will be the Black Knight's symbol) on the right breast.
As for the Zero Squadron OCs, there are six slots left, and please, no more melee-oriented characters. At my last count, including Learme and Kallen, we've got four. And considering there's going to be only twelve people, that ought to be enough. Still have room for heavy assault personnel though.
Oh, and the outfit Learme wears at the start is not the Draco outfit. Well, the coat is, but the clothes, mask, and left-arm armor isn't. That's all one piece.
Replies:
Infinite Freedom: Give it time, sheesh. It's only the sixth chapter in a twenty or thirtyish chapter story.
Kojiro Kun: So....he's....servile?
00virtuezero: Slight differences in costume. For one thing, I don't believe a coat is as hindering as a cape. Shorter length, for one thing.
Nivek Beldo: Oh, there's a reason Nunnally's walking. Although I still haven't decided exactly how its going to change the plot. Nice OC, fits into the EU angle I want to fit into the story at one point.
Alex Yamato: Thank you. Good OC, except....if he's 23, why does he wear an Ashford uniform?
aznblackhowling: Thank you.
Ah yes, those of you who've read my stories before know of my tendency to put technical files in, just to show off mine and other's original designs, and technology. That will indeed happen soon.