Chapter Twenty Seven: Fall From Grace
Arc Seven: Reawakening
Opening: "I'll be back" - Da-ICE
"Can you walk?"
Kallen groaned, before nodding. "Just about, though I'm not exactly fit to man the front lines."
C.C chuckled, as various bodies passed busily by carrying rifles and bombs, unfamiliar sights to Kallen Stadtfeld but the fundamental essence of all Zero was. The red haired woman sat on the edge of a makeshift seat with the immortal witch attending her wound as various Japanese faces that shot back memories with every second of glance, them in turn taking a private moment to peek at the face of Zero, whom they had followed religiously.
As she sat below them immobile she paused to wonder what she was to them. Even having her memories returned, it felt like an alien, bizarre environment she was expected to leap into.
That she needed to leap into.
She had regained her memories and reason to fight with them, but the added context of seven years of complacency left her feeling lost and confused, and in a sense undeserving. She had been so far away for so long while the Black Knights had been forced to ground. How must they feel about that? Did they feel she was a charlatan, stepping in at the last minute to claim the glory? A liability, recaptured for morale?
Did they blame her?
They mightn't have been wrong to. She had hopped onboard the Chinese plan to take out Yuaikai and Britannian occupation in one fell swoop with a southward thrust, using the convention as a distraction. Instead, Zero was blamed with ruining everything, shooting both other participants and turning public opinion against them.
She had ruined the Black Knights, and here they were, offering her back the keys to the kingdom, or what remained of it. She looked up at the brief faces and silently asked them whether she was trusted, but their steely eyes refused to answer, as they seemed to be busy asking their own questions.
None of this was reassuring.
She then directed her gaze into the back of the mask of Zero, held at its bottom hinge upright like a mirror, and reflected on what she now remembered after her failure, which was atrocious for differing reasons.
"You going to put it on, or have we wasted our time?"
Kallen looked up, craning her neck to the characteristically blunt C.C who was now standing with a demeaning smirk as she dropped her medical equipment and grabbed a rifle.
Kallen looked down and took a deep breath. She still believed that Britannia was an oppressive force, and that one should always act on those beliefs.
She hooked the mask around the top of her head, before pivoting it into position with a satisfactory click as it wrapped flush around her chin.
Zero was back.
Or at least as back as her leg allowed, as she and C.C fashioned a makeshift brace for it before they began to follow the armed Knights. Kallen fell behind the first few, not leading like she normally would from atop a Knightmare, which certainly didn't help her confidence in her own right to take back command.
Still, they carried on, much slower than before with armed escorts, numbering about a dozen with submachine guns checking each corner. Dressed as a limping Zero, she followed with C.C attempting to drive her insane.
"So what happened when you were over there? How was Charles?"
Her mask hid a great many things, but C.C could always tell how to best go about winding up Kallen, and could always tell when she had succeeded.
"I'm serious."
She harrumphed. She recalled her brief meeting with the Emperor very well. Suzaku, the traitor to his nation, his father, and nearly everything that Kallen could mentally list that wasn't a swear, was also present. While she hadn't been able to appreciate it at the time, she now knew with hindsight that Suzaku handing her over was part of the conditions of the Commonwealth Act.
Just another one of his betrayals. It felt more personal with Suzaku, as even though she had had a greater stake of hope in Lelouch, his actions almost hurt less in comparison to Suzaku's. He was foreign, and didn't have a natural appreciation for Japan as she ought to be. He was calculating, and while he had miscalculated and gone against her, Suzaku ought to have known better. Suzaku had been born here, son of the Prime Minister, and certainly a being of more emotion than Lelouch.
That made it sting that little bit more when it was him to drag here, complete with a straitjacket, to Charles Zi Britannia. The fat buffoon seemed to smile, the edges of his stony lips twitching more than anything else. Kallen stared in righteous fury, which Charles' eternal eyes matched coolly.
"Let her go; she cannot move freely after all."
Like the subservient whore he was, Suzaku followed his orders, standing before Charles. As furious as she was, trying to squirm out of her binds, it was nonetheless fascinating to watch their body language.
Suzaku was very formal, but not subservient, his back held straight but his head held high, with a slight frown as he was demanding a similar respect from his opposite, which the Emperor would not yield. As such, there was a brief stare off, with the eternally prideful Emperor unused to the concept of respecting anyone, and Suzaku feeling that he was owed his dues as the new Prime Minister.
Suzaku blinked first, bowing his head slightly, which seemed to satisfy Charles. It struck Kallen that it was a test of Suzaku's fitness to serve; if Suzaku were in any way independently minded, there may be trouble.
This was another key issue with the Yuaikai model; as long as they were under the yoke of Britannia, Japanese democracy would be limited by Britannian interests. They could be free, but never too free. It was freedom only so long as Britannia would allow it, which was not freedom at all, if the Japanese people were to voice an unorthodox opinion.
Still, Suzaku passed whatever test of subservience that Charles' ego demanded, and so they both relaxed somewhat, before the Emperor spoke in a grandiose tone that seemed to shake the room.
"So this is the man who thinks he can govern better than I have."
"And has, in spite of overwhelming odds, had an opportunity through hard work to wrest said functional governance away, in the true Britannian spirit, would you not agree?"
"That was not my question. Your father demonstrated a complete inability to handle his affairs, to the point that I was forced to take over to prevent his stubbornness over a few Pacific Islands such as Kamine to ruin the state of geopolitics."
Kallen had actually laughed in the outrageous display of audacity on the part of the Emperor, before an Imperial Guard silenced her with a jab to the-
"He said Kamine Island specifically?"
Kallen blinked back to reality, as C.C interrupted her story over a minor detail.
"Yes, he did."
C.C paused, checking a corner, before nodding, permitting her to continue as the progressed through the building, now eerily empty.
In any case, following Kallen's reprimand, Suzaku responded to Charles' point with "Lelouch and his doings represent your ideology as much as my father's political skill represents mine."
Charles once again seemed satisfied with that response, and following some chat over policy, Suzaku was released with the elder Zi Britannia's dubious blessing, and Kallen was left alone with the towering figure.
"So. The two bit performer turns out to be the half-bit spawn of a no wit Duke. How appropriate."
Kallen swore, before roaring "You vile war crim-"
This earned her further prodding at the end of a guards stick, as Charles sneered "Do not insult my intelligence by acting in a manner unfitting of yours. I have a limited patience, please use it wisely."
"You disgusting piece of shi-"
The jab was significantly harder this time, as Charles looked on. She gritted her teeth as he seemed to sigh and look briefly away, contemplative behind his hard exterior.
"Very well." he grimaced, before staring her down.
"I, Charles Zi Britannia do rewrite your memories, and replace old with new!"
Kallen finished her story as they reached a stopping point where several men with heavy munitions needed to break down a bolted door, as C.C looked contemplative. As they had a minute, Kallen leaned up against the wall to rest her legs, as C.C finally responded.
"I think he was disappointed."
Kallen didn't respond for a moment, thinking over the comment before enquiring "How so?"
"I think he was expecting a better conversation. After all, you did gain a certain… notoriety as the thinking man's terrorist. More philosophical and intelligent than the generally more savage image they see. You've certainly gotten some zingers across in your time, and I'm in no doubt he was curious."
"Good for him." Kallen snorted. That certainly made sense, given the mind games she had seen him try on Suzaku, and while her substandard tone was more as a result of her anger, she was more than happy to disappoint him, if nobody else. If he felt let down by the fact that she was at the time allowing her angry emotions to control her, then more power to him, if that was possible.
The fact that her angry emotions were not a brilliant method through which to dictate one's actions was mentally brushed aside by Kallen as they broke through the door.
"Up these stairs, we're halfway-"
"Q1, are you online?"
Kallen's ear exploded into crackles that betrayed the poorly adjusted receptor, as she banged the side of her helmet to try get it to an audible level, before gingerly responding "Aye, here."
The voice, now much clearer, continued in a desperate fashion which concerned Kallen, as she tried to get a grasp of what was going on on the far end, as the brief clarity was ruined by loud bangs and tinny explosions.
"We're under attack- Earlier than anticipated, earl- the OSI is backi- now they've RPJ markings-"
With that less than uplifting news partially transmitted, the brief conversation duly ended, leaving Kallen with partial snippets to guess with. Taking initiative, hoping to restore her reputation as the fearless leader that was always in control, she announced "Stop here!"
The team instantly fell to one knee and pivoted their heads towards her, well used to her bold pronouncements in the tone she had adopted for the purposes of Zero, and picked up from the dredges of memory to inspire the illusion of confidence. It had once been remarked that one ought not to trust a convert, as they have far too much to prove. To slightly abuse the phrase, Kallen, in a moment of reflection, caught herself in a moment of self awareness, as she realised she was now acting far more aggressively than ever to prove herself to her subordinates. She had to calm herself.
However, as she concluded this mental dialogue, she realised she had paused just as it had seemed she was about to give orders, creating exactly the sort of awkward situation she had been hoping to avoid.
Kallen became acutely aware of the fact C.C was chuckling behind.
To recover the situation and thanking her mask for disguising her embarrassed features, she made as if she had made a decision, announcing further "Squad 1, report."
The voice of the bespectacled Shōgo Asahina came clear through her earpiece, responding "We're ahead, ready for your command Zero."
"Our transport may have just been attacked, scout ahead, but be careful. Squad 3?"
"Indira, reporting in, a little behind."
"Entrench and cover us. We need to wait for Shōgo. Everyone else, take up defensive positions here."
With startling efficiency, they did so, covering all potential positions rapidly. Kallen herself took up a firing solution on a rear door with her pistol, with C.C beside her as they waited for news, which was swift in coming.
"Zero?"
"Here."
Shōgo sounded briefly lost for words, struggling to find a way to explain himself before finally stuttering "It's gone… the airship has been taken out. The OSI doesn't have this sort of firepower, they're an intelligence group-"
"Which means the Japanese Protectorate Army is onto us." Kallen concluded, before quietly swearing "Damned Ohgi, hurting us even now.", in reference to their former comrade turned Yuaikai founder turned Minister for Defence.
After another moment's thought, she announced "The only way out is down!", as their airborne exit was now out of the question. They would have to storm their way to ground level and disperse into the city.
They filed out in sequence, with Squad 1 ahead and to either side allowing for a hasty flank should the need arise, with the Zero Squad behind but centre, ready to bear the brunt of a frontal assault. Shōgo and his team were watching their backs and ready to reinforce, as well as using their intelligence to warn against threats.
They were five floors from the bottom before they had to avail of this, as the whole detachment heard the announcement "Scanners indicating hostiles straight ahead."
Immediately, the Zero Squad hunkered down and took defensive positions as the 3rd Squad flanked the threat, which revealed itself right on cue.
"Contact!"
With that, the unit of five or so men dressed in full combat gear attempted to raise their guns to their eyeline, but it was too late, as Squad 3 enveloped and cut them to pieces along a large arc from behind, as they tried to hit the Zero Squadron who were in full cover.
With that, they moved on, the Zero Squad muddying their boots in Japanese blood as they continued their path to ground level, refusing to look down as they rejoined 3rd Squadron.
However, this success was short lived, as the threats came along thick and fast. The unsecured roof allowed for a small unit to helicopter down and pinioning their rear. However, as Shøgo moved to engage and delay these forces, Kallens push to the streets hit vicious resistance as they reached the third floor, as an entire company held down the entire stairway system with suppressing machine gun fire.
As Kallen began to realise they were trapped without Knightmares, a Commander grabbed her by the shoulder and asked "What's the plan?"
Before she could answer, a mortar shot up and rocketed into the ceiling, shaking the ground and knocking Kallen off her weakened feet.
It took her a moment to reach her feet again, as she attempted to regain control of the rapidly unfurling situation. Shouting around her, she instructed "C.C, push back with the heavy machine gun! Ready the explosives!"
Rallying to her more than clamorous orders, the Black Knights readied their prepared ordinance for Kallens signature victory through superior explosions, or something to that effect depending on how dramatic she felt. Hell, she had once collapsed a mountain on an entire Britannian Division.
As such, the well practised tactic took little time to prepare. Kallen would have preferred Knightmares at least at the front for a bit of stopping power, but an Infantry charge would do.
"Ready!" she roared, lengthening the ending syllable to a higher pitch to amplify herself, before beckoning a mass of detonations.
Of course, detonating high explosives, as well as moderate explosives and most other sorts, is generally not recommended inside tall, narrow buildings, but Kallen possessed both the daring and vision to give two fingers to the Britanno-Japanese Structural Planning Authority, having, in the brief time it had taken C.C to brace Kallens knee, ordered tactical explosives to be laid in the building's superstructure.
The effect was dramatic. The rear half of the building's support columns collapsed in a cacophony of thunderous noise, as the entire top half fell down to the north, due to a lack of support on one side. From afar, it might resemble a Jenga tower collapsing at its halfway point like a broken domino.
Being inside the centre of the building, if a bit below the pivotal point, was quite an experience. In the mass panic of the building collapsing, the gunfire stopped, as over two decades of practicing earthquake drills came good with people grabbing onto whatever they could.
"Hold firm!" Kallen roared over the noise. "Reman the machine guns, do not allow them through!"
With the steely determination that defined the Black Knights, four men stayed as a detachment to man the stairs while the remainder seized the moment provided by Kallen's tactic of rigging the building, which now revealed its purpose.
It was obvious that without some serious piercing power lent through Knightmares, they could not force their way through the military opposition head on, let alone with the flank from above. However, now with the building on its side, they could escape through the newly formed openings while the opposition were now on the wrong side of the building to block their escape.
And like water flooding out of a cracked glass, the two dozen or so Knights withdrew, running along the sides of walls that were now leaned on their far side. Kallen was a bit behind, ensuring her entire team was escaping, before-
"Look out!"
C.C's warning from ahead came too late, as Kallens leg fell into a thin, shattered window twenty feet above the tarmacked road below. She fell hard onto her good knee, as her bad one slipped through the gap and trapping itself in a dangling position. Kallen looked up in panic, shouting "Help!"
However, as C.C ran back to help, Kallen could only watch helplessly as a pair of masked soldiers rounded the corner at the other end of the hall, and put a pair of simultaneous bullets through C.C's head.
"Keep on the green haired one!" the first rifle toting man roared at the top of his lungs, his own gun trained on Kallen's masked head, as more soldiers came into view. As he approached, and saw she was stuck, he chuckled, and reached for his radio.
"Guilford-sama, we've got her."
In the vein of my recent trend of trying to gain a greater psychological understanding of our protagonists, I feel that within this context, the Zeal of the Convert or some alteration thereof would be highly appropriate for a patriotic and yet guilt filled Kallen who feels she is being held up in spite of what she perceives to be shirking her duties. It's clear in her characterisation that she would love little more than to do all she can, in the same way Lelouch angsts over "abdicating his responsibility with a doctor's visit.". Things like these show the similarities between the two, who are arguably the most dichotomised enemies of the story.
Still, things are to take a turn for the fiddly, as, in the vein of this story, wits are far more critical than combat skill or military vision, and table side discussions will be the order of the day. No matter what though, Kallen will not be doing much with that knee.
Either way, all that is to come, as, in Chapter 28, Hatred, Fire meets Ice.
I'll see you then. Be safe, have a better plan than "Blow up the building and run.", and leave a rating or review.
~Eth0