Chapter III: The day the Dragon awakens
(Governor's Palace)
Lelouch, Jeremiah, Viletta, Kewell, sat all around Lelouch's office and began to eat breakfast, they all did this because as they where the heroes of the moment they were all usually bothered with stories and autographs by other officers and personal whenever they went to mess so they avoided the cafeteria, and Suzaku was currently at project Camelot to test the prototype.
A strange silence was around the room, and although none of his underlings said it Lelouch knew that on their minds was the recent chest match, in which he intentionally lost against Todoh.
"Why the bloody hell where you thinking last night Lelouch" was heard in the room and the 4 officers looked around to see who had yelled out what they were all thinking and saw Clovis whose voice rang from the office entrance of which the door had been slammed opened by him.
Clovis was unable to scold his brother last night for he was busy keeping the media getting this story leaked to the public.
"Do you know what public embarrassment this would cause if it got out to the general public, that a prince bas outsmarted by a number, and not just any number but Todoh himself.
Clovis had a deep hatred and fear of Todoh for during the invasion of Japan, with the war clearly in a stage where Britannian total victory was drawing near, Clovis was eager to make a name for himself and return home as a war hero.
So he took command of a division and assaulted a small island situated in the southern region of Japan defended by a small regiment, under a colonel whose name nobody had heard and did no bother to learn it or how to pronounce it right, that colonel was Todoh and the island was called Itskushima, and after the battle, no man in Brittannia did not knew the name of "Kiseki no Todoh" .
Lelouch seeing his older brother within this outburst calmly took a sip of his orange juice, wiped his mouth with the napkin and calmly said "I was thinking of destroying the terrorist organizations".
"By giving Todoh West Point's, highest honor!" Clovis said angrily, as he was looking down at his little brother.
"By tricking them into making a mistake "Lelouch got up and said with a thunderous roar which made Clovis's outburst seem like a Chihuahua barking at a Alsatian, and at this Clovis was taken aback and he stuttered backwards with Lelouch looking up at him.
Lelouch then walked around his desk at walked towards Clovis, while Clovis at the same time was taking steps back as if he knew subconsciously the difference between their "dog personas".
"Why do you think the Nippon Kaihō Sensen, Blood of the Samurai, Yamato Alliance and other organizations have survived for so long? It is because they know that if they go in the open, then they will ne annihilated". Lelouch said and paused for a moment to let Clovis digest that piece of information, he then took another few steps forward, along with Clovis who made two steps backwards.
"But if we make them believe that the enemy commander is a moron and that there is hope for, victory they will become bolder, but boldness without brains is nothing short of suicide" he said deciding to leave out the part about how he slipped a bug on Todoh's sword for divulging one's secrets was not the best idea even if it was to his brother, after letting the information set in Clovis asked"
"But even if this gives them a boost of confidence, why should we wait for them to strike first, why not just get rid of them now, and with you to assist me, I don't think it would be that much of a problem"
"No, if I wanted to I could say destroy them, in let's say month or two, but that is the problem Clovis" he said to his brother while wagging his finger at him.
To Jeremiah and the others the scene of a shorter man who was staring down and lecturing a taller person who was also higher in rank (e.g Clovis being a governor and 3rd prince to Lelouch who was a major-general and the 11th prince) seemed like something out of a Marx brothers movie, and if they had heard about it and not witness it ,they would have considered it a bad joke, and it was only politeness, combined with an iron discipline that prevented them from laughing.
"We can't just attack them go gun-ho and slaughter them all, because they would them become martyrs, and a man can become 10 times more powerful dead than alive that way" he finished and then went to his desk took out a pack of cigarettes and offered Clovis one which he accepted.
"So you plan on discrediting them first?" Clovis said while exhaling a puff of smoke.
"That's part of my plan yes, there greatest ally is public support but if we take that away from them, then it's bye ,bye terrorist's"
"And what are the other parts of you plan?"
"Come come now brother, one must not declare checkmate before it is certain or the moves he wishes' to use to achieve it to anyone now would they" he said as he gave alight tap on Clovis's cheek in the manner as a school teacher friendly restraining a young pupil who was curious of the end of a fairytale, but did not have the patience to sit through the story.
Lelouch then let out a puff of smoke pick up a brief case from his desk and then exited the room followed by his commanders.
Clovis sat there in Lelouch's chair, and he replayed the conversation in his head he realized that, the plan or rather that one part of the plan which Lelouch told him was simple but brilliant, for the eleven's support was the terrorist, power base, and that inviting Todoh to the party and, loosing the dagger was all part of the plan, filled Clovis with aw at his little brothers genius.
Just then he realized something, and the shock of it made him choke on his Cigarette and stand up straight in his chair, for only know did he just realized that Lelouch knew the manes of the terrorist organizations Nippon Kaihō Sensen, Blood of the Samurai, Yamato Alliance, something which he who had been governor for over a year only knew, and Lelouch knew their names without him telling, but what shocked him was the fact that it took him months just to discover their names, and Lelouch had only arrived in Area eleven yesterday and had discovered it by himself .
He, Lelouch somehow had managed in a few hours what, Clovis needed months to accomplish, that itself made Clovis sit back down and rest his face in his palms as the hard cruel truth sank in to him, not the difference between Chihuahua and an Alsacian, but rather a Chihuahua and "Cerberus" himself the hellhound, who stood above all other dogs and a minor god within the Greek Pantheon.
" A dog and a demigod, is that how big a difference it is between you and I little brother?" Clovis said while he pulled a flask from within his shirt and took a sip out of it.
Clovis by know was a small time alcoholic, and partially the reason behind it was Lelouch himself, for whenever Clovis compared his accomplishments with Lelouchs he always became depress.
Clovis when he was younger he was enlisted at West Point, but he failed the entrance exams, but he was still let in because he was royalty, he barely maintained himself above the floating line, and graduated last in his class.
He was determined to prove he was a capable military commander, during the Second Pacific War, oh and he proved it alright, he proved that he was the least capable of all at Itsukushima.
Following that, officially he was honorably discharged for" health reason's", but in fact he had quit his commission, so he let his sorrow be healed by the " noble lady's" of Britannia after that he found he had a talent for speaking many words with little sense, so he entered politics.
For a while he thought he had found his calling and was appointed Governor of Area 11.
When he heard that Lelouch had passed as first candidate at West Point he was proud of his little brother, and when he graduated as first cadet he was prouder still, but after Lelouch military victory's in Siberia, Clovis had combed to realize that Lelouch had completely overshadowed him.
But Clovis did not hate his little brother for this, for he was happy for him, but he was envious for militarily Lelouch, was everything he was not, and that is why he started drinking he realized that he was incompetent and that Lelouch was his intellectual superior, that had drove him to the bottle it was the only thing, that made him forget.
And what happened just a few moments ago made him realized that he may even be in fact in Lelouch's way, that had made him seek the bottle and it's comfort once more.
" I wish I had only one tenth of your brains little brother, but then again I probably dew" he said as he laughed and took another sip of brandy from the flask and a puff of smoke.
Half an hour passed then his cell phone rang, Clovis answered it.
"Prince Clovis this is Justine and Emmanuelle, are we still set up for tonight at eight for the opera ore do you wish to meet early" she said laughing together with her sister.
Clovis silently searched through his little Black book, which was the size of a bible, and there was only a few pages left which did not contain, the names of various women he had dated and bedded over the years, and quickly found the names of the two girls, who where the daughters of the Jean Baptist 14th Marquis du Sade .
"No I am afraid, I cannot meet up early, but I will meet you at the opera" he said as he closed the conversation.
He knew that does women where in the mood of him bedding them again, but he was not, and just then he realized that the only reason they wanted him to bed him was because he was a prince, not because of his accomplishments, not because of who he was but what he was, a prince, someone of which all his desires would be fulfilled, despite how undeserving he was of such a privilege, this was an even greater blow for Clovis, and once again he turned to the sweet nectar within the flask for comfort.
Just then his phone wrong again and Clovis angrily picked it up and said "For God's sake go castrate yourself you horn dog" thinking it was the Ladies once more.
"My lord?" a male voice was heard on the other end and Clovis immediately recognized his voice and his mistake.
"Forgive me Bradley, I thought you were somebody else" Clovis said and was quickly dispersed from his depression and immediately entered his "Governor mode" sow to speak.
"Do not worry about that you highness, but I am afraid that we have a grave problem, the capsule has been stolen!" Bartley said.
Clovis immediately panicked and went out of Lelouch office "I'll be there in 5 minutes, in the meantime ready the troops." Clovis said as he exited the room.
(Shinjuku's Highway)
Lelouch was on his way to school, namely Ashford Academy, where he maintained the identity of Lelouch Lamperouge, and no one knew he was royalty, for in his humble oppinion what better way to know the common people than to live amongst them.
He was reading the bible while being driven to Ashford, and for him this was the first time reading it, for although he was not religious, he knew that this book influence's over 2 billion of the world's population, and it never hurt to know such a powerful object's content's.
He had reached that part of the bible which told the story of Babylon, a great kingdom, which was undefeated, until it became corrupt and evil, and it fell apart.
He saw parallels between Brittannia and Babylon, both great kingdoms, which had fallen to greed and decadence, the only question now was how long until Brittannia falls on itself, he did not have time to mentally debate on that for a van suddenly bumped his car from behind, the impact drove both vehicles of the highway and into the Shinjuku construction site.
Lelouch regained his senses and drew out his pistol he saw that his driver was dead but he knew how to keep his presence unknown once he got back on his feet quickly took out his pistol, and started approaching the van and entered it, and saw a strange giant capsule, and a red knightmare which looked like an old Glasgow.
Just then he the van started its engine again and started moving, Lelouch hid himself as he heard voice's coming from the front seats, which were spoken in Japanese.
Lelouch had learned it from Suzaku so he was a fluent speaker of it.
"Tamaki you should have watched the road , you probably killed who was in that car back there" said a female voice.
"Oh shut up Kallen, that helicopter which was following us was starting the shoot, I got us out of its line of sight didn't I?"Said a female voice.
After a few minutes, the van stopped in some building, and Lelouch from his hidden position, that the two occupants left the vehicle, the woman mounted the red Glasgow and then he saw them Talking to someone called Oughi from what he heard of their conversation and, learned that, they stole something of value from his brother, namely a capsule of experimental poison gas and that now he was mobilizing his forces to get it back.
After they left, Lelouch approached the capsule, who just then burst open revealing a woman dressed in prisoners garments , realizing that this was much more t hat what it appeared, he knew that he had to for a minute on what course of action he should take and immediately after a minute he took out his cell phone and began dialing a few numbers.
"This is major general Lelouch vi Brittannia, I have a request of you"
….A few minutes later Lelouch dialed another number"
"Kewell and Villeta, you go to where my brother is and stay in constant contact with him, tell him I sent you and I advise him to keep you by his side, and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid ,Jeremiah take Suzaku with you, and come get me, I need you to roundevou with me, I need evac now is that understood?
"Yes my lord" they said.
Lelouch, the looked outside the building to the city outside and said, "Siberia was just an exercise, the real game of power begins now."
He then turned around to the girl who was in the capsule, only to be astounded by the fact that she was gone, he looked around and saw that she was nowhere to be seen within eyesight.
"What the Devil? She moves like a bloody demon!" he said with a silent giggle.
Just then he saw a semi-run down car pulling up near his location, and out of it Jeremiah came out, for it was easy for him to find his Prince if he was in danger, for he always carried a homing beacon with them.
"My Lord, are you alright?"He said while rushing to his Liege.
"I am perfectly fine Jeremiah , but we must Leave now before the army encircles this place."He said, and both master and servant entered the car,, which although look like a pile of junk, from the outside, on the inside it had a brand new V8, engine and was, tuned enough to be put into racing, the reason why Lelouch chose to let it remain ugly from the outside, was that no one would thing a Prince travelled in such a car, giving him an advantage of stealth whenever he traveled by car.
They were on the bridge which separated Shinjuku from the rest Tokyo, when they were stopped by a knightmare.
The pilot said through the Speaker's: "In the name of prince Clovis, no one leaves the ghetto, you filthy eleven's."
Just then Jeremiah chuckled and said" This out to be interesting" and stepped of the car and said" I was not a where that this is how Clovis's men addressee their superior officer's.
Needless to say the pilot once seeing that Brigadier Jeremiah Gottwald stepped out of the car, he immediately started panicking.
"My lord, I apologize, but what were you doing in the ghetto?"
"That's none of your business,lieutenant" Jeremiah said to the frightened pilot.
"Sir I'm a Captain "said the now confused knighmare pilot, for his knightmare had an insignia, which showed rank on his chest, one which clearly show that he was a captain.
"Well now you're a lieutenant, now get out of my way, before I bust your ass to non-commision officer" Jeremiah yelled out which made the knighmare frame take a step back from the sheer t one of his voice.
The pilot then let the car passé, and as they drove away Lelouch couldn't help but chuckle as he looked trough the back window at the knighmare.
"What's so funny my lord?" Jeremiah said.
"Just the image of you scolding a mammoth knightmare frame, it was like Jack scolding the giant" and to this statement Jeremiah joined his commander with his own laughter.
A few minutes later they arrived at Clovi's mobile command center, Lelouch opened the briefcase which he had been carrying he then took out of it the "Iron Prince" mask he had within it, put it on his face' along with his cape, and exited the car followed by Jeremiah.
(Clovi's mobile command center)
"I'm telling you that, that we must recover the gas at all cost, so I want a full scale attack to commence on Shinjuku" Clovis said to Kewell and Viletta.
"But my lord it would be a bloodbath, soldiers to not kill defenseless and innocent civilians" Viletta said trying to calm him down, Kewell was wondering how long can they delay this command.
"Innocent and defenseless? HA! They are hardly innocent, for they harbor terrorists and they are deserving in their faith for that, so once more I order all units destroy Shinjuku Ghetto!" Clovis said with a wave of his hand.
"Cancel that order" a booming voice came from the entrance to the command center's bridge, the occupant's turned and saw Lelouch in his mask walking into theroom.
"See here Lelouch you may be a general but I am a Governor, and these are my order's"
"You're order will only result in senseless death, and once the news leaks of what you've done to the population, the ranks of the Terrorists will swell why new recruits to avenge the fallen" Lelouch said .
This took Clovis aback and he pondered for a moment, what to do, but then he remembered t he fate he would suffer at his father's hands, if he found out about that capsule, and he said with his best authoritarian tone:" It does not mather, orders are orders and if you can't do them then I will find somebody else who will"
Clovis had said that, and an eerie silence, flooded the room, and after a moment, Lelouch pulled out his hand gun and aimed it at Clovi's, making him fall on his ass from the shock, Clovi's officers then tried to pull out their gun's but were halted by Lelouch's who pulled out they'res
Clovis by now was ready to pee himself and he was to scarred, but then he calmed down and said to himself "Cerberus has finally decide to get rid of the annoying Chihuahua" and he accepted his faith, knowing that between dying at Lelouch's hands and fancying the Emperor's wrath he would have gladly chose Death.
But then Lelouch flipped the gun in mid air and rolled it with the barrel facing himself and the handle towards Clovis's direction, then he calmly said" If you think that I am no longer needed then, fell free to kill me"
Clovis' was more shocked by change of events that by the fact that Lelouch pulled a gun at him.
He then continued:" As you said Clovis, you are a Governor, a leader, and when a leader has a subordinate which no longer follows him, he gets rid of that subordinate, I have my own methods of operation, and I will not use yours, I came here to offer my assistance, not my submission, you either accept me and give me free hand, reject me and restrict me, but if you deny me, then terminate me!" he said with a his thunderous voice, and with the effect of the voice scrambler, he sounded even more grander than usual.
Clovi's was not expecting this, he did not know what to do but stare , at his Little brother, the man was hovering above him, and only did now Clovis's realized that he was totally eclipsed by Lelouch, both figural and literal, and when a person meets someone, who is grater then them t hey do the only logical thing left to do.
"You have command Major General, do what you please" he said with half breath, and immediately the tensions in the room dissipated, and Lelouch officers lowered they're gun's.
"I thank you Governor, "Lelouch looked outside and saw that a news van had arrived.
"Now if you will excuse, me I have a crisis to avert" he said and then left the room followed by his subordinates.
"Treason! it's treason to pull a gun at someone higher in rank" Bartley said to his Prince, who was still on the floor.
"You're highness, we could have him arrested, for the crime he has committed", he said out loud, and the other officers all nodded in agreement.
"Is it a crime for a man to remind a mouse his place is the world?"Clovis said out loud.
This statement shocked Bartley to the core so much that his monocle fell from his eye, Bartley understood, that Clovis looked to his younger brother for military advise, and he knew that between the numerous chest matches they had that Lelouch was a superior general and overall leader, he knew that but he hoped, that they day would never come when his Lord realized, that, but the dreaded day had come.
"Arrest him? For what? For offering to terminate himself, if I saw to consider him useless? Any court would not condemn him, but even praise him for his dedication and loyalty, no Bartley, the truth is he has completely outmaneuvered me and outshined me on every level, I am know only in his way, what we shall do is watch , and see as my little brother only become's greater."
At hat statement Bartley, and the other officers, all closed their eyes, in despair, for they knew it was true, and after a moment and they returned to the monitor.
"Now let us watch a Titan in action "Clovis said with sarcasm.
(Outside the command center)
Lelouch in with his mask on towards, the news van, and when he reached it he was greeted by, a tall blond man.
"You're name is?"
"Diethard Reed, you're highness, I am pleased that you requested our presence here, might I ask what for?" he said looking at the man with a metallic mask on his head.
Lelouch turned towards Kewell and said" Is the Lancelot ready?"
"Yes my lord, ready to be deployed at a moment's notes".
"Very well, then" he then turned towards Diethard again.
"Mister Reed, I would like a Live broadcast right here"
"What should it's territorial limits, my lord?"
"None" Lelouch said.
"Now .this is a good stage, wouldn't you agree mister Reed?" he said
Diethard eye's went big with amazement with this, no territorial limit meant the whole world would see it, and he wondered just what was the "Iron Prince" planning.
(Shinjuku Ghetto entrance)
Kallen was in her knightmare, and was in a hidden position, waiting for Britannia to strike, she remembered, the invasion from seven years ago, how they're force proudly paraded into Shinjuku without a single army unit left to stop them, and now with battle near and the Britannian army, preparing to enter Shinjuku again and would no way out,she swore that this time they would defend it, they would fight no matter what.
But what striked her, was that they we're in position but they we're not attacking what we're they waiting for?
And then , the radios went silent, all the TV's all of a sudden went blank, then the image of 'The Iron Prince" appeared on the screen, and his thunderous voice was heard on the radio's.
"Everyone, a good day to you all, I am Major General Lelouch vi Brittannia , but you may call me Zero if you like."
What shocked Kallen, was not his sudden appearance, but the fact that he was speaking Japanese, and not just any Japanese but he spoke it fluently ,and elegantly, like he was the former prime minister.
"Earlier today, from a research facility, a capsule of poison gas, was stolen by an anti-government organization, and now it resides within Shinjuku, what the hijacker's did not know is that the capsule must be kept at a certain temperature, or it will explode"
This statement sanded a collective shock , trough the whole of Shinjuku and Tokyo, even Kallen was shocked.
"It has however an emergency supply of cooling liquid, which is used for transport and judging by the time of its theft, the power supply has approximately 30 minutes left, after that it will release a poison cloud which will without a doubt cause countless death's, my intention of coming here in Shinjuku is not to fight, but to save lives'
I request the people of Shinjuku, to evacuate immediately, my men will that the evacuation goes as quick as possible, and as for the anti- government insurgents, I do not ask of you to surrender, merely evacuate with the rest, of the population, my only concern is saving innocent Japanese lives, you will not be harmed, however some of you, have little reason to trust my word, however…."
He said as he visibly unsheathed a dagger from his cape, he then showed the dagger, to the cameras and then did the unthinkable and stabbed himself in the left arm.
He then pulled out the dagger, made a fist out of his bloody arm and said
"I swear on my honor, on my mother's grave and on my blood, that I will keep my word"
This shocked even Kallen, and for a moment she did not know how to react to this gesture, but then, she saw that the resident's were evacuating the ghetto, and her confusion was replaced by astaundment, that the citizen's had believed him.
Just then Oughi's voice was heard over here radio, and he said"KAllen, come on this is our only chance to escape".
"What about the knightmare" she angrily said?
"Hide it in the usual spot, and we will get it back latter" he said
Kallen was now angrier than she had been ever before in her life, she was prepared to fight Brittannia to the death, she knew that she was fighting a loosing battle, and she would probably die here, but she was determined to take down as many Brittannian soldiers as possible, but now she realized that they had lost Shinjuku was recaptured, they had surrendered, and Brittannia, NO! Lelouch had won , without firing a shot.
It would have been better if they attacked and killed them all.
(Outside the command center)
Suzaku was in the Lancelot's cockpit, and he bread a breath of relief that , a battle was avoided, although he was concerned about the fact that Lelouch literally stabbed himself, he was still relived, that no blood need be shed.
After seeing that the evacuation, was almost over, his communicator rang, it was Lelouch.
"Suzaku the evacuation's almost over, take command of the frames and go and retrieve that capsule, but be careful there might still be insurgent's inside Shinjuku" he said
"What about the capsule's cooling system" Suzaku said with concern.
"What cooling system" Lelouch said with a chuckle.
It was then that Suzaku realized, that the story about the cooling system was a lie, oh Lelouch you magnificent bastard, you done it again, he said to himself and then launched the Lancelot to retrieve the capsule.
After that Lelouch went back inside the mobile fortress and noticed it was dark and there was no one there, he then saw Clovis on a throne and noticed he was drinking from a half empty bottle of brandy.
"Clovis, what's wrong you should be happy, I got your capsule back" he said while removing his mask from his face.
" Happy, yes I should be, but you know that was weary clever of you, with that lie about the capsule, and stabbing yourself in the hand, I would have never thought of that, and it made me realize just how insignificant I really am," Clovis said as he took another sip of brandy.
"And I realize this is the only way out for me" Clovis said as he pulled a gun seemingly out of nowhere, at first Lelouch though that he was going to shoot him, but then Clovis pointed the gun at his own head.
"When father finds out about this, and the fact that you cleaned up my blunder, he will punish me, and you know just what ma man he is" Clovis said with tears now falling from his eyes.
"Wait don't do this, just because he disinherits you or something like that, doesn't mean you should kill yourself" Lelouch said panicking at his brother's action.
Clovis then looked at his brother and said
"No I don't care what he does to me, but my mother, she would be penniless and in disgrace, I could not bare the thought of her suffering for my incompetence, also I would like to thank you Lelouch , if it weren't for you I probably would have ordered a massacre, and, I tell the world that I died fighting, make a good lie, you're very skilful at that. "
"Clovis wait you mother would understand, I understand ,the world would understand, you know you favorite saying the world is yours, so enjoy it" Lelouch said in an attempt to stop his brother.
"The world is your's ? Maybe it will be yours someday Lelouch, I am convinced you are destined for great things, and those where pretty words you spoke just know, "Clovis said and smiled at his little brother.
"But if you want the world, you cannot have it with words alone" he said then pulled the trigger .
A bang was heard and Clovis was now dead.
Author's note
Read and review, let me know if I should continue,.