Turn 2:
Rebellion Renewed
October 19th, 2028 A.T.B
New Britannian Empire
Capital City, Pendragon
"We need to talk." The single line that no human ever wants to hear. And in such a case as a Black Sedan quite literally smashing through your front gate, it's especially bad. But the sudden reappearance of a man he thought dead and his immortal partner were more than enough to shake the very core of Suzaku. Even so, knowing that Lelouch was still alive both terrified and overjoyed him.
In appearance, Lelouch hadn't aged a single day since his 'execution.' Even as he emerged from the wrecked vehicle Suzaku was still having trouble processing what he was seeing. He wore the old academy uniform from Ashford as easily as he did ten years ago and as such appeared more as a student than once an enemy of the world.
"Get them inside! Quickly!" Suzaku commanded and several soldiers flanked Lelouch and C.C. and immediately escorted them inside the Palace. "Bring them to the secure lab."
Lelouch remained silent as he was more or less marched down the hallways. Examining the unique art style that accompanied the new Pendragon after Schniezel destroyed it. His gaze however froze when it met that of Nunnally. She looked considerably older than he remembered but she looked well taken care of none the less.
As their eyes met, Nunnally looked on in shock. "Big Brother!" she cried loudly as she put the wheelchair on path to intercept him. He turned to face her and she in turn nearly threw herself out of the wheelchair as she embraced him.
He wrapped his arms about her and gently smiled, "Nunnally. I've missed you."
"How?" She asked as tears ran from her eyes as they embraced. "I saw you-"
"All will be explained. But not here." he said unwavering but softly. He nodded at Suzaku and they all began once again moving to the lab in the lower levels. Nunnally followed closely with Suzaku following closely behind. C.C. walked directly next to Lelouch and she quietly spoke to him.
"You're sure this is the best idea?" She asked him as her expression remained neutral.
Lelouch gave but a single nod, "Yes. There is no one I trust more than Suzaku and Nunnally. I would have gone to Kallen, but I doubt the Black Knights would have allowed me to step more than twice before trying to kill me."
C.C. actually smiled, "Not that that would have stopped you."
"While it is true that I am like you now, I'd prefer to avoid such unpleasantness. I do still feel pain." He said rubbing his shoulder for a moment, "And I remind you, that it was not exactly a pleasant finding that out. However I just pray that we have enough time..."
The group entered the lab moments later. Suzaku mentioned to the guards that no one would be allowed to leave the room and that they were to discuss what they had seen with anyone. The guards took their positions outside and Suzaku locked down the lab.
Suzaku's gaze leveled with Lelouch's, "I believe you owe us all an explanation."
"I do. However, I owe more than just you." He said moving towards a monitor, "I believe our mutual friends deserve to hear this as well." He said pressing several keys, however he frowned hard. "Dammit! I can't get through!"
"Who are you trying to reach?" Suzaku asked as he stepped forward and looked down at the control panel, sudden realization coming over his face. "That's the frequency for-"
Suddenly, the door to the Lab burst open, "My Lord and Lady, we've just received word from Japan! The Tokyo Government Bureau has just been-" The guard didn't have a chance to complete his thought as the entire room exploded around them.
United States of Japan
Tokyo Government Bureau
Kallen pushed herself from the ground as she coughed violently. Ash and smoke filled her lungs as she held her bleeding shoulder. All about her debris and fire had cropped up in the wake of the explosion. Crouching low she began looking for a way out.
"Ohgi?! Tamaki?!" she weakly called out as she coughed violently once again. "Can anyone hear me?"
She stumbled and fell to the floor once again. She looked back to see what her foot had caught on and horror covered her face. Lying on the floor was one of the attendants that worked the floor she was on. A simple janitor or rather what was left of him. A metal beam had collapsed and decapitated him from the waist down. Blood pooled around his body and her foot rested on that of his outstretched arm.
"Damn it!" she cried as she turned and crawled along the floor. Her eyes watered as she pulled herself forward. Something had exploded, that much she remembered. But where it came from and what was going on was beyond her. She groaned as she managed to reach the far wall, where it was still intact. She once again pulled herself to her feet and blindly felt her way along the wall.
Her hand met a latch and she quickly turned it. Smoke clearing from her vision almost instantly as the window opened outwards. She pulled herself up onto the windows ledge and then found herself tumbling downwards. The fall wasn't long as she hit the soft grass beneath her. She wiped her face with her sleeve and her vision began to return to normal.
Paper and ash littered the air, the explosion was large enough to damage the top floors. However, that was not what caught her eye. Instead, it was that of the single Black Sutherland Knightmare floating in the air, taking aim at her that got her attention. She scrambled to her feet as the auto cannon began firing from the Knightmare. As the rounds impacted the dirt around her she held her head low, ignoring the ringing in her ears as each whizzed past her face.
As she neared the corner of the bureau building she quickly ducked around it and pressed hard against the wall. Concrete exploded from the support as the Knightmare continued to fire. She cringed and attempted to squeeze through the small passage between the bureau and the parking center. However, the passage was just barely too large for her to move quickly. Her eyes went wide as the Knightmare pulled up next to the passageway and took aim at her. However, the cannon never fired as the head of the Knightmare exploded, causing the ejection system to engage and the pilot was catapulted away from the burning wreckage.
"Kallen! Are you alright?!" A female voice called out as she looked inside the passageway. It took Kallen a moment to realize it was Villetta extending a hand towards her to pull her from the tight confine between buildings.
She took Villetta's hand and pulled herself from between buildings, panting as she asked, "What the hell Viletta? Why are our own people attacking us?"
Villetta frowned as she watched several more Knightmare's take to the skies and begin firing on ground targets. "I don't know. But there's only one thing we can do to stop them. Do you have your Key?"
Kallen blinked and lifted up the small necklace she wore around her neck, "It's in a museum...what good will it be?"
"Against Sutherlands, we know how effective it is." Was all Villetta would reply with as she nodded at Kallen and the two began running from the battle towards a black sports car parked nearby. Climbing inside quickly Villetta wasted no time starting the car and tearing out of the parking center. She reached forward and quickly began typing on the center panel. A map of Tokyo displayed and projected their route.
"We should be there in five minutes, provided no one saw us." Villetta commented as she put the car on a fast track for the Great War Museum. She tapped the console and a phone icon appeared, "Call Nina." The screen changed to that of a shaking phone as a dial tone began repeating itself before finally a click.
"Nina Einstein, Great War Museum Curator, how can I help you?" The distinct voice of Nina answered through the phone.
"Nina, it's Villetta, we have an emergency situation developing. You didn't start converting the Gurren did you?"
Nina's voice filled with sudden concern, "No...but why do you need the Gurren?"
Kallen leaned forward, "Nina, it's Kallen, some of the Black Knights have begun attacking the Tokyo Settlement, we don't know why but I need the Gurren ready to fight. We'll be at the museum in five minutes."
A few moments of silence filled the speakers before a sigh could be heard, "I'll do what I can."
New Britannian Empire
Capital City, Pendragon
Lelouch groaned as he pushed himself from the floor. His ears run from the explosion but the rather obnoxious alert klaxon wasn't helping anything either. He had just barely gotten to his feet before pain swept his abdomen and he dropped to a knee. As he looked down he noticed a rather thick piece of pipe had firmly impaled his stomach.
"Damn it." He cursed to himself as he reached down and attempted to remove the pipe from his body and failed. He simply didn't have the leverage or the strength to do it. Instead, he pushed himself to his feet and looked around. Nunnally was shielded underneath her wheelchair, which had been knocked over by the explosion. She looked unhurt but she was clearly terrified.
His vision shifted to that of C.C. who was busy clearing away debris with Suzaku from the lab doorway. Lelouch decided to check on Nunnally first before anything else. He slowly walked towards her and she began to look even more frightened than before. He knelt down in front of her and extended his hand.
"Are you hurt Nunnally?" He asked quietly as he welcomed the kneeling stance over standing. His abdomen was on fire but he simply didn't care. He knew it would heal as soon as the metal was removed but Nunnally came first. Nunnally nodded but didn't speak as her eyes were locked on his stomach.
Lelouch sighed and looked up, "Suzaku!"
Suzaku turned and for a moment looked simply horrified but then remembered, Lelouch was clearly immortal now. He moved closer to Lelouch and took a hold of the pipe.
"This is going to hurt..." Suzaku said tightening his grip around the pipe and placing his other hand on Lelouch's shoulder. Lelouch nodded and Suzaku looked down once again at the pipe. His mind suddenly flashed back ten years ago. The bright purple sword embedded into Lelouch's chest. He looked up at Lelouch and inhaled sharply.
Lelouch simply replied with, "I know. Do it!"
Suzaku didn't hesitate this time as he pulled hard. Lelouch's eyes went wide as he realized simply how much it hurt as the pipe was pulled from his body. Blood sprayed across the floor as the pipe unblocked several arteries and veins inside of him. However Suzaku didn't stop until the pipe was removed and Lelouch sank to the floor. He smiled though he certainly didn't stop panting.
He began to chuckle as he held his abdomen, "Next time...no impaling...that's twice now and I'd prefer to not repeat it a third time."
Suzaku grimaced but nodded none the less as he knelt down next to Nunnally, "He'll be fine Nunnally. I'll explain later." He said turning the wheelchair back over and gently placing her back down on it. She manipulated the controls and looked up at him, fear in her eyes. His only reply was to kneel back down and pull her into a deep hug.
Lelouch couldn't help but smile at the embrace. However, time was limited as smoke began filling the room. "C.C. how far are you into digging?"
C.C. looked back as she tossed another fragment of concrete away. "I think the guards outside are digging too. If by any luck we will be-" She blinked as the pile before her collapsed and light began pouring into the destroyed lab. Multiple guards entered and immediately began tending to Nunnally and Suzaku.
Lelouch faced the nearest guard, "One of your men was bringing news to His and Her Majesty. He was unable to deliver it when we were trapped here. What is going on?"
The Guard looked at Suzaku who nodded and he began to speak, "Our embassy in the USJ has been attacked and the Tokyo Government Bureau is under attack from renegade Black Knight forces. The same is happening here as well it seems as several Knightmares and their devicers have begun attacking military installations and civilian targets indiscriminately."
Lelouch winced and frowned, "Damn it. He made his move..." The room shook again as several explosions rocked through the palace. Lelouch looked at the guard once more, "How many Knightmares are attacking and where?"
"We don't have an accurate number. The attacking Knightmares have turned off their IFF Devices. Though we estimate their strength at battalion strength."
Suzaku finally stood, "Give the order to Princess Cornelia to deploy the Glaston Knights around the Palace. We must secure this area before attempting to quell the enemy forces. I'll be going out in the Lancelot Ultima. Inform Lord Asplund that I will be there shortly." The Guard saluted and began running in the opposite direction. Suzaku faced the second guard, "See that Empress Nunnally and my son are safely seen to the underground bunker." He turned to face Lelouch, "Come with me."
Lelouch looked at him curiously, "Where are we going?"
"I need to return something that belongs to you." Suzaku replied as he began to jog out of the wrecked lab with Lelouch following right behind him.
((Authors Notes: Thank you so much to everyone that has followed the story and added it to your favorites list! It means a lot to me that you are enjoying the story!
I went back and tweaked the ending to Turn 1 and introduced Lelouch with C.C. as it makes more sense for them to be together than apart. So I hope that doesn't cause too much confusion!
I also intend to release longer chapters in the future once things start kicking off a bit more than they are now! For now, sit back and enjoy the ride!))