Code Light Chapter 8: BattLe In The Works

Lelouch and Suzaku sprinted up the stairs after the the cat. Suzaku naturally wound up the tower with great ease as Lelouch struggled his chest heaving.

"Slow down you exercise nut!" He called after his old friend. Suzaku did not heed his calls and Lelouch swore internally. If he saw the mask than what would he do? He worked for the Brittanian military, even if it was just the research division. Which way would his loyalties fall if he found out his identity as Zero? He had saved his life once, but it quickly became apparent that their ideologies differed. Lelouch gasped for breath and pushed his spindly frame up the stairwell as he heard a crash.

Chest heaving as he rounded the top stairs, Lelouch saw Suzaku with the cat in his arms. But where was the mask? At the very least Suzaku had not seen it, so there were small blessings to be had. Suzaku looked up to Lelouch, cradling the reluctant feline in his arms.

"Milly said it had something but I didn't see anything, did you?"

"No no, not at all." Perhaps his response was a little too hasty, however as good a friend as he was Suzaku had rather trusting tendencies. Perhaps he could not be faulted for that, for they had been friends for a long time.

"Well then, I guess she'll just have to settle for the cat won't she?"

"Indeed she will." Lelouch scanned the area as he searched for clues to his mask.

"Are you looking for something? You seem a bit distracted."

"Just seeing if I could find whatever Milly was looking for, that's all." The pair walked to the clubhouse. Lelouch wondered what Suzaku did for the research sector. Perhaps with a careful geass he could acquire powerful schematics for the rebellion, like the white knightmare in Shinjuku. What was he thinking, he couldn't use geass on his oldest friend. Couldn't or wouldn't? Wouldn't or shouldn't? Lelouch backed himself into a corner within his own mind. To what ends would he exploit those around him to make the world a safer place for Nunnally? Would a world brought to peace by way of an irresistible force be one that Nunnally would wish to live in? He stewed on the issue.

"Lelouch," Suzaku started "What do you think of Zero?" Lelouch snapped out of his contemplation and opted to say what he really thought. Making a statement against his nature would be suspicious.

"Honestly, I believe he has the right idea. Japan has been longing for freedom and it would seem as though Zero will be the one to do that. The emperor would never let Japan secede peacefully. If Zero is as intelligent as he appears to be, he may be able to relinquish it from Brittania's rule quickly and permanently."

"Lelouch what do you think would happen if it happened that Light is Zero? He seemes intelligent enough to be Zero, he proved that by discovering your identity. He definitely has the charisma to lead the terrorists as well, even as an eleven like myself he does make friends with a good deal of people around here."

"In that case we should be extremely careful. However with the knowledge that he there must be some reason he has not come after me."

"I think its because you two are so much alike."

"What?"

"When Zero freed me from my trial, the way he spoke it sounded so much like you. Your intelligences seem to match. And the way you speak about Japan, he probably sees himself in you. If you were an eleven, he would probably directly ask you to join his side." If it had been a more proper time and place Lelouch would have laughed.

"Suzaku, what do you do in the research and development division? Who are the important people?"

"Lelouch, I don't think I can tell you that." Suzaku was taken aback by his fervent questioning.

"This is important Suzaku! I need to know if there is something that Light is chasing after."

"I work on weapons development."

"More specific than that!"

"I can't say." Lelouch sighed. He'd gone to far and Suzaku had shut down. Suzaku's conviction to the system was greater than Lelouch's powers of persuasion. They walked in silence back to the clubhouse. As they entered, Milly came out to greet them.

"Rats! Lelouch got to it first. Mind telling me what the cat had?"

"Nothing at all actually." Suzaku stated "should it have had something?"

"Never mind. You two run along now." Milly sighed. "Go run along now you two."

"So what did the cat have?" Suzaku asked after there were no extra ears around.

"Just some old keepsakes."

"I never pictured you as the sentimental type." Lelouch sighed. Lying seemed to come easily at this point, even to his friends now. However it certainly made things simpler.

"So have you found your mask yet?" Once again C.C. snide tone pushed Lelouch's mood into one more unpleasant than that he was previously in.

"Why must you always speak like that?"

"You've recently been getting more and more irritable. Is there a reason for this?" Lelouch flopped down on his bed and stared at his feet. "My plans for defeating Brittania have been accelerated, but not to the degree I expected. This is pathetic, running simple raids. Suzaku's rescue and Shinjuku are the only real events I've had so far that truly asserted me as a formidable power!"

"I thought you were better than this Lelouch. You've been too distracted with Light, he's making you lose focus of your original goal. Forget him for now find yourself a way to make a show of Zero. You mustn't always wait for the enemy to make the first move." C.C. gazed off for a moment before pulling his mask out of seemingly nowhere. "However it is slightly too late to be proactive. Cornelia is making a move at Saitama. If you'd spent less time puzzling over whether Light is Kira you would have heard. She's made a direct challenge to you, so it is undoubtedly a trap. It is best to approach carefully." Lelouch let out a loud laugh and C.C. raised an eyebrow at his mood swing.
"C.C. approaching carefully is not needed in this situation. I know Cornelia far too well for any of her tricks to work. She will attempt to play on the confidence of Zero to defeat him and yet she has practically guaranteed in her mind that this ploy will work. Besides if she's gone through the trouble to invite me how could I refuse?"

"Lelouch, you are taking this far too lightly..."

"He has nothing to do with this." C.C. groaned

"I never knew you had such a poor sense of humor. Perhaps my decision to offer you my contract was an incorrect assessment of you on my part."

"Of course a witch wouldn't recognize humor." Lelouch stood up and carefully tucked his helm away with the rest of his guise as he headed for the door, "No need to worry, by tomorrow I will have the information I need from Cornelia."

The board for the upcoming battle was set, but the pieces had yet to be arranged. Lelouch contacted several of the resistance cell leaders, first and foremost Ohgi. Though his tactical skills were lacking, he aided him in the rescue of Suzaku. Ohgi seemed to have faith in him, as well as the fact that Kallen followed him. He kept their conversation brief.

"This is Zero. I have new orders."

"Zero? I was expecting you to call at some point. Are we going to fight Cornelia on her own terms."

"Indeed."

"But that's crazy! Cornelia..."

"No arguments. I shall deal with her." Ohgi remained silent for a moment.

"We're putting our trust in you Zero."

"And it isn't misplaced. Rally your forces and be ready for tomorrow."

"I think I will discuss this with the others first. It reeks of a trap and I won't have them dying needlessly. " Ohgi wasn't much of a leader but he did have a true dedication to his people. Admirable, but not what Lelouch required in the situation at hand.

It was unfortunate that Ohgi's forces were the only ones he had to call upon. The splintered resistance movements would be hard to mobilize and he would have to do it on the spot. Now he could only hope that they would be disciplined enough to follow them. Lelouch decided to rest, because he could only make the first move before Cornelia took her turn.

Himself, Mitsugi Minase, Shuichi Aizawa and an idiot named Matsuda who's foremost purpose was to fetch him coffee. That was what he had to work with. He stirred his spoon around in his bowl to find that it was empty. Looking back at the screen he decided first things first, before he could catch Zero/Kira he would need more ice cream.