6: Ideology
I rested on my knees, with my hands tied behind my back and my arms bound to my sides, riding on a square vehicle with low walls and no roof so that I could be plainly seen. Two soldiers stood beside me with automatic guns at the ready. Just off the side of the road, several hundred Britannian citizens formed crowds and stared at me with disgust. My vehicle moved slowly behind Jeremiah Gottwald's Sutherland Knightmare, the top of which was open, so that everyone could see him standing tall and grim with his arms folded. Two more Knightmares rolled along on their wheels on either side of me, and behind me was a fourth. Jeremiah was a resilient fighter, as was the woman knight Villetta Nu who piloted the machine behind me. Not even terrorists could do much to fight four Knightmares run by the ferocious pureblood faction. They, plus my two guards, were the only security deemed necessary.
As dusk gathered, and the bright street lamps came on, the procession I was riding within came to a halt. I could hear Jeremiah's voice as he talked through the radio communicator in his Kngihtmare. I couldn't make out the exact words, but it seemed somebody had arrived to "crash the party."
In a moment, I saw interloper come into view, driving Clovis' person vehicle down the road toward Jeremiah. The vehicle looked like a long, white-and-gold car in the front, with room for a driver and a passenger, but in the back it was more like a truck or a covered wagon. On top of the car part, just in front of the covered back part, the banner of Britannia hung down. As I watched, it went up in controlled flames, revealing a darkly clothed, helmeted man (or disguised woman) behind it, standing boldly for all to see. Jeremiah drew his pistol, demanding who was defiling Clovis' car.
"I am Zero," announced the helmeted person. He must have been using some kind of mini-microphone, because his (or her) voice carried loudly enough for me and those around me to hear.
The crowds started murmuring, and a few individuals shouted; it was clear everyone thought this Zero person was a terrorist. If he was, however, surely he was acting far too foolishly. Jeremiah seemed to think the same. He actually laughed. "Let's start by having you remove your mask," he said.
Zero raised his right hand and brought it close to his face, as if he was indeed going to remove the helmet. However, instead, he snapped his thumb and middle finger in some kind of symbol. In response, the metal roof and four walls, which had covered back area of the car, crumbled down dramatically. Now it was possible to see what was in the back of the transport. It was a round metal container big enough for a human to fit into, with different pipes, locks, wheels, and bars sticking out of its sides.
The purebloods and I instantly recognized this as the same type of container stolen three days ago by the terrorists: a container for poison gas. It didn't occur to me that it was actually the same one and thus empty and harmless; I thought it was a second capsule, and this time it was the real deal. Jeremiah was of the same opinion, taking a sharp intake of breath and grimacing. The crowds of onlookers didn't know exactly what was going on, or they would have fled. They didn't know that Zero had just effectively taken every single one of them hostage. The moment he opened the capsule, they would be in danger.
"Would you like to try shooting me?" Zero taunted, as Jeremiah shakily pointed his gun that way. "You should know what will happen if you do that. The contents will be released. Now, I command you set that young man free."
"Kururugi Suzaku is charged with high treason for killing Prince Clovis," Jeremiah growled, stalling for time. "We can't just hand him over."
"But you are wrong, Jeremiah," replied Zero, calm despite the brazen disrespect he was showing by addressing the Deputy Governor without any title, and by his first name. "Kururugi Suzaku has been falsely charged. He is not the culprit. The one who killed Clovis was me!" The outrage of the crowds was clear. Zero had a little trouble speaking over their hateful or fearful shouts. "This is not a bad deal," he stated. "For sparing life of one Eleven, you can save the lives of several hundred Britannians."
"That's enough!" cried Jeremiah furiously. "You will be punished for masquerading around in the Prince's personal car, and threatening everyone here!" He signaled the two Knightmares that had been on either side of me, and they moved closer to Zero, with their huge guns brandished.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Zero still sounded unruffled. "If you do, I will announce Orange." As the crowds and I watched in puzzlement, wondering what "orange" meant, Zero tapped his foot on the roof of the car, signaling the driver to move forward. Now he was within twenty feet of Jeremiah, and about on the same height level as him. "If I die," he went on, "then 'Orange' will be publicized."
Jeremiah looked confused, but Zero didn't give him the chance to speak. If I had been closer, I could have seen part of Lelucia's helmet retract itself, revealing her left eye. But I couldn't see that from my position; all I could be sure of were the words Zero spoke. "Exercise all your might to let us pass." Here he referred to himself and the driver. "Do the same for that man." Here he referred to me.
Like magic, Jeremiah's attitude changed instantly. "I understand," he told Zero. Then to the guards beside me he said, "Let that man go free."
Everything happened very quickly after that. Villetta Nu objected loudly and demanded to know what was going on, but Jeremiah ignored her and again ordered my release. One of the Knightmare pilots stood down as instructed, but Villeta Nu still looked like she might shoot me at any moment. The two soldiers had no choice but to cut my bonds, and to my surprise, I found that the will to live was strong within me. The fourth Knightmare pilot shouted at the Deputy Governor to stop playing around, and asked what he was planning. Again Jeremiah repeated his order to let me go.
"This is an order, Lord Kewell!" he emphasized. "No one will interfere!"
With no other option, I left the open vehicle to which I had been chained, and walked right up to Zero. (I saw the car driver—I believe it was a woman—start to sneak away and blend into the crowds.) Unable to stand for this, Villetta Nu tried to fire her Knightmare's gun at me, only to find herself blocked by Jeremiah in his mech. It seemed bizarre to me that Jeremiah would actually come to blows with another member of the purebloods, but that's what he did. At the same time, Zero pressed a button on a remote he had pulled out of his coat pocket. The capsule opened up, and pink-colored gas spewed out with an ugly hissing sound. The Britannian onlookers finally realized they were in danger and started panicking and screaming.
The road we were on, 3rd Street, passed over a smaller set of unused roads leading to a Ghetto area below. From here on the overpass, it was a fifty foot drop down to the streets below. Before I could say anything to Zero, he (or she) wrapped me up in her cloak and pushed the both of us off the edge of the overpass. We landed safely on one of the many nets of tough trampoline material that a third terrorist had been running around and setting up. This man also had a getaway car ready for us. Zero pulled me along—and I noticed it was difficult to do so because I was about three inches taller and probably thirty pounds heavier—until we reached the getaway car and climbed in. The third terrorist, a big man with fuzzy dark hair almost like an afro, served to drive us away at high speed.
Originally, I had planned to try my utmost to die that evening. I would have refused Zero's help, and purposely put myself in the line of fire from Villetta's guns. Perhaps I would have actually shot myself rather than letting Zero rescue me. However, since Lloyd had told me that Lelucia was still alive, my attitude changed completely. I was happy to be away from the parade leading me to my death. I was thrilled. I will never forget the wild feeling of free-falling down from the overpass, with Zero's arms around me and her cloak covering us both. It seemed almost romantic.
I now owed everything to Zero. On the other hand, I had already decided I didn't want to join up with this amazing rebel leader. As long as I had the will to live, my convictions and principles came along with it. I believed that acts of terrorism at this point were wrong, and certainly starting a bigger conflict was out of the question. I wanted the Elevens to live peacefully, and slowly change Area Eleven to a place where the Japanese were treated fairly. I wanted to work my way up to being a Britannian Knight, and with that power, do good deeds, fix any corruption I could, and set a good example. The road with the least loss of life sounded best to me, just it had ten years ago. I was convinced that Britannians would not slaughter any more Elevens, provided that they stopped their acts of terrorism, and that once Britannia had achieved conquest of all its Areas, most of the wars of the world would end. The only thing I could do was become a Britannian that treated people fairly, and encourage others to do the same.
We stopped in Shinjuku, at an old, run-down factory warehouse that looked like it had been unused for ten years or more. I saw about half a dozen terrorists sitting on the stairs outside the entrance of the warehouse, but it was too dark to see their faces. Besides, I was more interested in following Zero into the building. He (or she) tied a blindfold over my eyes, saying, "Forgive me—this is just temporary. I need to breathe for a few minutes without that ghastly helmet. I'm afraid I can't have anyone finding out my identity." I didn't argue, and thus unable to see, I relied solely on my ears. I heard Zero removing the helmet and sighing in relief. It definitely sounded like the sigh of a female.
"I couldn't help but notice the bruises on your face," she said, and though her voice was vaguely familiar, I couldn't place it. (Lelucia was talented at doing different voices, and just then she was imitating Princess Cornelia, a very deep-voiced woman.) "The Britannians treated you unjustly. Now you know how they operate. That country is rotten. If you wish to change the world, become my ally."
"You," I began, finding my voice dry and weak—I had only been given three small cups of water in the last three days, and no food. "Did you really kill His Highness Viceroy Clovis? Why would you do that?"
"I'm starting a war, after all," Zero replied. "One doesn't need a reason to kill an enemy leader in a war."
"What about the poison gas?" I asked, trying my best not to sound angry. To be honest, even if the crowds had all been Britannian, they were still civilians. Threatening civilians was something I couldn't easily forgive, let alone killing them with poison gas. However, Zero assured me that had all been a bluff. The capsule contained only a small amount of a harmless pink-colored gas that any chemistry student could make in their spare time.
"The result in the end is that nobody died tonight," the strange woman stated.
"Result?" I repeated. "I see. So that's how you think. It's true that Britannia isn't worth serving as it is now. But that's why I'm going to change it into a worthwhile country from the inside out. And I believe that results are meaningless if they're achieved with methods that are wrong. Will you release me now? I'd like to return to my commanding officer."
"Are you an idiot?!" cried Zero, and I was surprised by how upset she sounded. "They'll kill you!"
"I don't think so," I replied, taking slow, cautious steps toward the exit since I was still blindfolded and unable to see. "You claimed you killed Clovis. You said it on live, nationally broadcast television. Britannia doesn't hate me quite so much that they would continue to try to kill me after this. For one thing, you're the more likely culprit from any perspective. For another, I'm a valuable soldier who is extremely compatible with Knightmare frames. If I stay here, the army will call me a traitor. However, if I return now, my loyalty will be made clear. The people who wanted me dead are those of the pureblood faction, and they'll be in chaos for a while after the stunt that Jeremiah Gottwald pulled tonight. If I thought I was going to die, I wouldn't go back. I still have a reason to live, after all."
"You're right that you probably won't die." Zero approached and, to my befuddlement, embraced me from behind. "But I still don't want to go. Please, come to my side. We need someone like you. No," she corrected herself in a whisper, "maybe it's just me. I need you. Come to me."
Being so close to Zero, I could detect her scent; it was alluring, and somehow slightly familiar. I felt emboldened by the fact that I was going to live after all. I felt like I should do something special to show gratitude for having my life saved. And I felt not quite like myself, because I hadn't eaten in three days. These reasons made me turn around and lean my body against Zero's. I put my arms around her and kissed her. She was receptive. We kissed for several long seconds, our tongues sharing a silent conversation while our hearts raced. I had expected Zero to be insulted by me making a move on her, but if anything, she seemed too responsive. The kissing was heating up. I broke away forcefully.
"That was a thank-you for saving my life," I said stiffly, turning my back to the woman. I could hear her putting on her helmet, so I untied the blindfold around my eyes. "Of course, a kiss isn't a fair exchange given all you've done for me. So listen. I swear on my honor as a Japanese man that I will remain silent about any information I've gleaned tonight. The location of this warehouse. The number of terrorists I saw gathered outside. The fact that you're a woman. I won't reveal any of it. I'll also do you a favor. If I'm sent out to battle in the Lancelot again, and I have to clash with your men, I won't kill them. I'll force them to surrender or use their ejection rockets. It's only natural. Your forces are slim. And I value life."
With that statement, I started walking out the door. Just briefly, I looked back behind me. Zero was on her knees on the ground, with one hand reaching out toward me, as if she didn't want me to go. I didn't hear a single sob, but I saw her trembling slightly, and I suspected she was shedding silent tears. It took a lot of effort to turn around again leave, but I did it. Firstly, it was because I was stubbornly convinced my way was right, and that I shouldn't join forces with a terrorist. Secondly, I turned my back on her because there was someone else that already had my heart. Lelucia. She was alive, and I had to find her. As soon as I reported back to the officers, and got permission to leave, I would seek her out at once.
Of course, I had no idea that I was about to meet a new contender for my heart, a person who would speak to my soul and change the way I viewed the world forever. That is, Euphemia li Britannia.