Phase VII: KINGDOM COME
(Outside Lake Kawaguchi)
How are things looking at the scene?" the anchor asked the female field reporter from the news room.
"I'm here in front of the Lake Kawaguchi hotel and convention center; the hoteljackers have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front. Several members of the Sakuridite allocation meeting most notably Chairman James have been taken hostage as well as several tourists and Britannian hotel employees." A picture was shown on the screen of all the hostages kneeling on the ground with their hands on the back of their heads. "This footage was taken by the perpetrators in it you can clearly see Chairman James, as well as several students."
(Narita mountain base,)
Kallen, along with Ougi and the other new recruits we're watching the news
"The student council…" Kallen breathed fretfully when she caught a glimpse of Milly and the others huddled in a corner.
"The leader of the group claims to be Lt. Col. Kusakabe of the now defunct Japanese Military. Sakuridite, an essential component in the manufacture of high tempter super conductors is a vital strategic resource that directly affects world security. Area Eleven is the world's largest producer of Sakuridite, providing seventy percent of the world's total supply. Here at the yearly international meeting of Sakuridite producers, it will be determined who this resource is distributed among the world's nations. It's no exaggeration to say that the outcome determines the balance of global power Britannia and other nations of the world. It is believed that the terrorists are using world interest in the annual gathering to their advantage by carrying out this violent hoteljacking."
(The room where the hostages are being kept)
" I'm Kusakabe of the Japan Liberation Front. This stand we are taking is for the freedom of Japan and our countrymen." Kusakabe addressed as the hostages looked on in fear.
"Even though you are not soldiers you are still Britannians! You are the ones who rule and oppress us! Sit still be quiet and you'll be fine! If you don't…" Kusakabe trailed off leaving what could happen to the hostages to their own imaginations.
"Lulu…" Shirley fearfully whispered to herself.
(The bridge in the G1 mobile base)
Cornelia was trying to figure a plan of action.
"All bridges connecting to the hotel except for the main one have been destroyed. Our attempted approaches from the air or water have been unsuccessful." And officer reported. "There's only one route left that will allow us to develop a possible rescue plan, the main utilities tunnel running right under the convention center hotel. Basically we would go in through this route and then, destroy the foundation block and submerge the hotel. Since the hotel was also built to handle supply deliveries it should be able to accommodate Sutherlands. Even if the enemy has taken precautions it should be no problem. They've been using substandard weaponry so we'll have no trouble evading them. "
As he made his report three Sutherlands were already getting ready to infiltrate the utilities tunnel through the sewer system. The order was given for them to go once they reached the tunnel and they went full speed down the tunnel ready to attack. What they did realize is that they were walking right into a trap the JLF had set.
"Enemy detected, moving through the underground passage, as expected." A member of the JLF who was manning one of the shrapnel cannons reported to his partner.
"Rodger that! Raikou, Secondary startup! Left and right quad-linkage legs, locked. Super electromagnetic shrapnel cannon voltage, confirmed!" The second man said.
The Sutherlands were fast approaching their target. "I think these guys have anti-Knightmare rifles. Spread out and break their ranks." The first pilot ordered the other two before they were fired upon by something wholly different.
"Super magnetic shrapnel cannon fire!" the button was pressed and bits of metal went flying obliterating the three Sutherlands and killing the pilots inside of them.
"One shot!" a member of Kusakabe's entourage said when the words lost came up on the screen
"Yes it works!" another cheered. "The Raikou really works!"
"What do you think of that, Britannian pigs?" Kusakabe said smugly.
(Back in the G1)
. "Wiped out?" Darlton exclaimed.
"It looks as though they modified a Glasgow into a linear cannon!" one of Cornelia's advisors informed.
"Then there is no way we can break through?" another asked.
"What do we do now? If we release the political prisoners like they demand…"
"We can't show weakness to theses terrorists!" Cornelia snapped before the man could finish the thought.
Gilford leaned down with a worried expression "But Princess Euphemia is…" he whispered.
"Yes I know." She replied
"Since the terrorists haven't made mention of either one of them while they were making their demands thus far we have to assume that they haven't discovered that fact." Darlton said "If they find that the princesses are among the hostages they will no doubt use them as bargaining chips. They went there as tourists on a class trip so it's very likely they checked in as a party under the Ashford name so their names shouldn't be on the guest registry."
(Outside the command center)
Suzaku, Cecil, Lloyd, Jeremiah, Viletta and Kewell were all outside the command center, on the lake's shore.
Lloyd skipped some stones on the lake shore as he Cecile and Suzaku waited for further orders.
"Where is the prince anyway?" Cecil asked.
"His highness said he has to retrieve something wich is essential for his plans to free the hostages, until then he ordered u
"Can't the special corps. help with the rescue operation?" Suzaku asked.
I've already asked them but the special corps. is an irregular unit. And Prince Lelouch isn't here to give the orders" Lloyd explained. "Besides…"
"It's too risky to entrust to and eleven, right?" Suzaku finished for him.
"Princess Cornelia is hesitant about Britannians and Numbers."
"So despite Lelouch's efforts the Japanese still aren't accepted enough into your structure."
"If that were true then what would be the point of the honorary Britannian system?" Cecile asked
Lloyd would have given her an answer, but he was too busy messing with his portable stereo, he pushed a button and Willy Nelson's "Down in the Everglades" began pouring out the small speakers
Night had begun to fall and as far as Suzaku knew Lelouch still hadn't arrived yet. Everyone involved in the situation was beginning to feel anxious. Suzaku and Cecile distracted themselves with running diagnostics on the Lancelot.
When do you think Lelouch will get here?" Suzaku asked.
"Relax!. I know you're worried; those teenage hostages are friends of yours from school aren't they? They're still negotiating so let's not give up hope."
"I have faith in the system. I prefer the logic of systems to personal emotions." Suzaku declared before gasping. "Miss Cecile look!" he exclaimed pointing at the screen in the Lancelot. There were four JLF members with a tied up hostage on the top of the building.
"What are they going to do to him?" Cecile asked before…
"Oh no. Don't do it." Suzaku said to himself as the uniformed men pushed him off the ledge. "NOOOOO!" Suzaku yelled as the man fell to his death. What neither one of them knew was thatLelouch had just arrived at the G1 not but a few moments ago.
"Our demands have gone unanswered. There for we will throw one hostage from the roof every thirty minutes until our terms are met. For the sake of the hostages negotiations better be in good faith!" Kusakabe announced over the feed.
"I have a proposition." Lelouch said having just gotten there to hear what Kusakabe's terms. "For an exchange for the hostages."
"Since we've already given our conditions I have to wonder what we would gain in this exchange of yours." Kusakabe said with a hint of sarcastic flare. "We give you the hostages in exchange for what?"
"…Myself." Lelouch said plainly and a number of people around him gasped.
"Lelouch no!" Cornelia bellowed wide eyed.
"Hmm…an imperial prince in exchange for a few dozen civilians…" Kusakabe mused aloud "I must admit your highness that your proposition is very tempting. I will give it some thought." Kusakube said before cutting the feed.
"WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE THINKING?" Cornelia roared.
Lelouch still with his mask on turned towards Cornelia and said:
"Hear my plan out sister, then you can give me your opinion" and so he told her what he intended to do.
"This is crazy!,….you actually think I am going to approve of such lunacy?"Cornelia responded after hearing his plan.
"Cornelia, you care for Euphie, but remember she is also my sister, do I not also have the right to care for her, and need be risk my life for her? "Lelouch retorted which made Cornelia unable to reply.
"Are you sure this plan will work?" she asked hesitantly.
"Like you said this plan is lunacy, and that is the advantage, it's so crazy that no one will be able to predict it " he replied, and at this Cornelia had to admit he was right.
A moment later Lelouch stepped outside and explained the rest of his plan to his subordinates, they did not like it, but he gave his instructions as orders and not request and they all followed them they being good soldiers and all.
Suzaku was mounting the Lancelot, when all of a sudden he yelled out in frustration" Dammit Lelouch, you and your "Lead from the front attitude" while Suzaku admired that in his friend, like all soldiers he developed a hesitant involuntary rebuking of the thought of his commander and his friend risking his life,
Suzaku please calm down." Cecile soothed. "It does no good to question our commander."
"I know but…"
While Cecile was trying to calm Suzaku down outside the video feed had come back up on screen in the G1 it seemed that Kusakabe had made his decision.
Alright, we are willing to accept your offer." Kusakabe said. "You in exchange for the hostages."
"I'll have somebody drive me across the bridge then."
"Just to the gate." Kusakube insisted. "I don't want any funny business."
"Villetta Kewell, Jeremiah requisition a vehicle for us." Lelouch ordered his subordinates
" Yes your highness." they obeyed hesitantly.
While they drove towards the hotel Jeremiah let his mind fall astray in thoughts for a moment
"'We did everything you instructed me to. I hope you know what you're doing"
(Narita mountain complex)
Todoh and his four holy swords we're watching the news in a separate room from Kallen and her group.
Todoh was especially pain attention, since now would be probably his only opportunity to see Lelouch tactical skills in motion.
"There is new development in the hostage situation in Kawaguchi; it seems that Prince Lelouch has offered himself up as a hostage in exchange for the release of the civilians being held prisoner." The field reporter said on the television.
"So the dragon has awakened" Todoh muttered under his breath, although it was not intended it was heard by the other Holy swords.
(Kawaguchi, main hotel entrance).
Lelouch stepped out of the car, and was immediately searched by the men of the JLF.
One of them found two boxes, one the size of a six pack of beer, the other the size of a cigarette case.
They opened the big box, and were surprise to see it filled with chocolate.
"Chocolates for the hostages, to help them calm down" Lelouch told the man who found the boxes.
"Well our men will appreciate your gesture" The man replied, after a moment of shock for Lelouch was speaking Japanese.
The man then opened the other box and saw an "Imperial medal of Honor".
"A medal given to me for my actions in Siberia, surely you would not deprive a soldier of his battle merit." Lelouch told him.
The man hesitated for a moment, since he felt the urge to stomp that medal with his booth in front of him, but being a soldier he understood what a medal meant he gave it back, and since he did not find anything else on him, he let Lelouch pass.
As Lelouch was being escorted, he noticed the man was already indulging in the chocolates, and he was passing them to the other JLF members.
(Kusakabe's command room)
"Prince Lelouch vi Britannia we meet at last or should I call you Zero?" Kusakabe said when Lelouch was lead into the room he and his men had been occupying.
Lelouch noticed that at the time he was speaking Kusakabe himself was indulging in the chocolate box, who at first had several hundred pieces of candy, now it had only a few.
"I see you like our Brittannian chocolate" Lelouch told Kusakabe.
"Me and my men as well" He replied with a chuckle.
"You shouldn't eat that, it's bad for your health" Lelouch replied in monotonous tone.
"Thank you for the advice, by the way what's with that medal you have in this case" Kusakabe's asked.
"It's for a colonel, who singlehandedly let 300 enemy soldiers into a trap" Lelouch replied, and at this statement Kusakabe's head snapped for a moment, 300 soldiers was exactly the number he had brought with him to Kawaguchi, but he would not realize the implications of Lelouch's statement until it would be too late.
"Alright Kusakabe, you have me. Now are you going to release the hostages or not?" Lelouch asked.
"I don't think so, there is obviously something very important about them for you to offer yourself up like this. So we will be holding on to them for a little while longer. With the addition of you we now hold all the cards." Kusakabe said as if he thought he was the most cleaver person in the world.
"I thought as much." Lelouch retorted.
Kusakabe's face fell "Is that so?"
"Yes, but I still didn't sell out my own personal sense of morals and honor by not keeping my end of the deal." Lelouch deliberately jibed.
Kusakabe visibly seethed at what Lelouch was implying "you…you brat…" growled in a low voice. "If I were youI'd shut my mouth for you are at our mercy at the moment."
At this reply, Lelouch only gave a small chuckle which disturbed Kusakabe a little for it sounded inhuman because of the voice distorter.
"All conditions are clear, it's time to begin phase one" Lelouch said to himself and discreetly pressed his belt buckle which had a secret signal beacon built into it.
(Hostage storage room)
"An..an Eleven." Nina gasped a little too loudly.
The man obviously took extreme offense to it because he started yelling at her. "What did you say?" All Nina could do was whimper in Milly's arms as he pointed his gun at her. "We're not Elevens! We're Japanese dammit!"
"We know! Just lay off of her!" Milly snapped.
"Then correct her! We're not called Elevens!"
"Fine we'll correct her!" Shirley yelled trying to defend her friends.
"How dare you talk like that to me!" the man yelled. "You three come with me to the next room and I'll teach you a real lesson!"
"NO! NO! PLEASE!" Nina screamed when he grabbed her arm. "LET ME GO!"
Stop that this instant!" Euphemia ordered.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked throwing Nina to the floor.
"I demand you take me to your leader! Right now understand?"
"What?"
"You are addressing Euphemia li Britannia third princess of the holy Britannian Empire." Everyone gasped but she ignored it "Nina are you alright?"
"Yes I think so." She replied weakly.
"The squad leader said after recovering from the suddenness of this revelation gave the following orders:. "Take her to Kusakabe."
(Lancelot launch vehicle)
A few moments later Lloyd received the call down in that truck that transported the Lancelot "Wonderful!" Lloyd said.
"Time for phase one " he said towards Cecill and Suzaku who by now was in the cockpit.
Cecil started explaining to Suzaku his exact mission.
"Major Kururugi, here is the outline of your mission. According to prime search the hostages are located on the twentieth floor and are believed to be locked in a storage room Prince Lelouch however is believed to be on the top floor being held captive by Lt. Col. Kusakube himself. Advanced prototype weapon Z-01 Lancelot will use the utilities tunnel to move under the hotel. Once on site you will destroy the foundation block and submerge the building the area with the hostages should hold out for 8 minutes. Hostage rescue an d mop-up of the terrorists will be handled by other units. You will be using the V.A.R.I.S. to destroy the foundation. Set the impact rail to anti-material level three."
Suzaku nodded and began preparing his machine for launch.
Lloyd had been so eager to give his creation a baptism of fire, he forgot to turn off his stereo and he left it playing outside.
(Kusakabe's command center)
"Let me ask you a question, what were you hoping to accomplish with this action" Lelouch asked Kusakabe.
"To tell the world that Japan is not dead" he replied
"How out fashioned, what you did will serve no more than to demonize you in the eyes of the world, you lived for too long, you are nothing more than a relic from the past , a dinosaur in the age of the mammals, a grandfather clock in the era of the digital watch, I bet you did not even plan on what to do after you took the hostages, you truly are obsolete" Lelouch told Kusakabe.
"Shut your moth you brittannian royal swine" Kusakabe literally barked out
"Look at you , the famous "Iron Prince", Todoh always said that you are someone to be feared and I always said you were a moron, looks like we now know who was right" Kusakabe told Lelouch with a chuckle.
"Yes, Todoh was right" he replied.
"What do you mean? "Kusakabe asked.
"Tell me colonel would have I really, let myself ne captured by you if I was not certain I would in the end prevail?, would I not lead you into a false sense of security so I can strike when you let your guard down?" Lelouch told him with a sinister chuckle in his voice.
"Lelouch or Zero, or whatever, I have heard enough" Katase angrily replied and prepared to lunged at him ready to cut him with his sword, when as he got up a great pain echoed through his body, especially from his stomach.
The same thing was happening to the other soldiers who were standing besides Kusakabe, and from the security footage from Kusakabe TV set he could tell the same thing was happening to the other members of the JLF.
"I told you that chocolates were bad for your health" Lelouch replied with an evil chuckle.
"You poisoned it!" Kusakabe exclaimed in shock.
"No, just a muscle paralysis, I warned you but you wouldn't listen, and I thank you for letting each one off your men partake in the chocolate." Lelouch replied.
But in truth in was neither, the chocolates contain inside them as a filling a small piece of Cecil homed cooked food, Lelouch remembered that miss Cecil skill as a scientist was only matched by her lack of skill's in the kitchen.
That was the reason he was latte to arrive at Kawaguchi he went to the research facility to get a hold off Cecil's leftovers, and disguise them ass chocolates.
After he himself first tasted Cecil's cooking he thought to himself in gesture that they could use her food as" biological weapons of war" and now he had found out that the idea was actually quite practical and efficient.
"Do you remembered, this medal?"Lelouch asked Kusakabe while he took the said object out of its box and strode towards him.
"I told you that it was for a colonel who single handedly led 300 enemy soldiers into a trap" He paused and suspended the medal right in front of Kusakabe's face and then continued:
"Colonel Kusakabe for extraordinary service to his majesty and the empire in singlehanditly capturing 300 enemy's of our government you are here by awarded the "Imperial medal of Honor". He paused again and pinned the medal on Kusakabe's chest.
"You are the best soldier our side has" Lelouch replied with a mocking tone.
"ZEROOOOOOOOOO!" Kusakabe roared out of anger with his mouth literary foaming from sheer rage, just then a knock was heard on the door.
"Excuse me these soldiers were escorting me when the suddenly collapsed outside the door" Euphemia said as she opened the door.
"Euphie?" Lelouch said as he saw his sister.
"Lelouch!" what are you doing here?" Euphie asked surprise at seeing her brother there, albeit he was in his Zero costume.
"Saving you of course, and you helping the ones who took you hostage, that is so like you Euphie" Lelouch replied with a chuckle.
Just then footsteps where heard and Jeremiah and the others came rushing in.
"Sir, all of the JLF have been incapacitated from the chocolates, and we have tied them up as per your instructions" Jeremiah told his commander while he gave him a radio.
"Excellent!, secure these people here and get the hostages into the rafts, and the terrorist to the main entrance,
Euhpie go and make sure the hostages remain calm" Lelouch gave his orders , he then turned on the radio and said:
"Suzaku, are you ready for phase 2?"
"Yes sir! Ready when you are" Suzaku replied.
"Then initiate phase 2" Lelouch commanded and Suzaku began immediately.
"ME boost." Suzaku said to himself as he activated the mechanism while waiting for Cecile to give him the signal, and then it came…
"Lancelot now launching!" she announced over the radio. And he quickly activated his land spinners to speed down the tunnel, approaching the linear cannon faster than he could have imagined.
"Reaction confirmed! One enemy Knightmare! It moves twice as fast as the others!" a JLF member who was still manning the shrapnel cannon announced.
"So what? It'll end up like the rest!" another said firing up the cannon. "Supper electromagnetic shrapnel cannon FIRE!"
The same ammunition that had done in the Sutherlands that had attempted this earlier was fired towards the Lancelot. Suzaku pulled back and dodged it they fired once more and he used the momentum to drive up on to the walls and ceiling of the tunnel to dodge the hail of metal again.
"What? The Lancelot?" Cornelia asked not quite believing what she had been told.
"Yes at the rate it's going it'll brake through soon." Darlton confirmed.
Suzaku used the Blaze Luminous shields to deflect another barrage from the linear cannon as he continued advancing on his target. "Yes! It can take this level of destruction!" he said to himself while looking at the screen in the cockpit.
"That thing broke through salvo number five! I can't believe it!" one of the JLF members said beginning to panic. It seemed there was no stopping this thing.
"Just don't panic!" the other said becoming quite nervous himself. "Deploy the quad-link free-fire arm gun! Batteries too!" he ordered. "We'll shield this final defense with our lives!"
"Miss Cecile." Suzaku said over his radio "It's time for me to use the V.A.R.I.S."
"Suzaku no! you could get killed!" she protested as he deflected another attack.
"There is no room for me to evade! I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot!" he said taking aim with his V.A.R.I.S.
The JLF in the shrapnel cannon saw as the white Knightmare approached. It was either do or die and they had already made their decision "Maximum output! I don't give a damn if it wrecks the guns! Be prepared to die defending this spot! SMASH HIM!" they fired once more but Suzaku was ready. He gave a blast of the V.A.R.I.S. disintegrating the barrage and blowing up the Raikou and killing the men inside. All that was left for him to do was come up through the lake and blast the foundation blocks of the hotel to submerge it.
(Outside, in front of lake Kawaguchi)
The people outside watched as the hotel started to submerge and the Lancelot jumped seemingly out of t he ground and right where the entrance to the hotel used to.
"What's going on, what are you planning" Diethard said to himself from the news van as he waited impatiently for what he perceived as the finally of the chapter called "Lake Kawaguchi"
Everyone fell silence and the stereo which Lloyd had forgot to turn off was now being heard by everyone around lake Kawaguchi from the sheer lake of noise.
Just then as the smoke was clearing Lloyd stereo began playing a song by Black Sabbath :
The dust was settling and from it you could see that next to the Lancelot, a caped figure was becoming distinguishable.
What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me
Lelouch was standing with his back towards the crowd, he then turned around, the motion of turning was amplified by his cape making it look almost an action donned by someone inhuman to those who looked at him.
Turn around quick, and start to run
Find out I'm the chosen one
Oh nooo!
Diethard had the men get a close up at Lelouch's mask, and at the curbed glass portion had the reflection of the various spotlights before him giving making it a very disturbing thing to look at.
Big black shape with eyes of fire
Telling people their desire
For a moment there was silence for to the crowd before Lelouch had never witnessed such an apparition.
Satan's sitting there, he's smiling
The verse, combined with Ozzy's demonic sounding voice, the recently destroyed building, the giant knightmare which now stood behind Lelouch the fire image in Lelouch helmet, which it itself had three horns on it made this scene truly something like Satan himself descending upon the mortal world from hell itself while riding the beast from the book of revelation.
But this silence was broken by Lelouch himself, and his voice now drowned out the stereo.
"People of Britannia, do not fear I have liberated the hostages, and have captured the terrorists, just then from behind him Kusakabe and his men began rolling along the bridge, they were bound and gagged and none of them where dead, that fact that he captured them, which was infinitely more difficult than killing them made Lelouch's presence more scarier.
Just then a few flood light when off and revealed Viletta, Jeremiah and Kewell all giving a bow is the manner of a salute towards the crowd.
"People of the world fear us or seek our aid; we are the allies of justice ,we are the order of Black Knights!" Lelouch voice roared to the crowd.
"Knights?" Cecile asked.
"Well, looks like the prince is going public with his army" Lloyd replied.
"The Black Knights are allies of justice, our purpose is to make those who break the law pay for they're actions.
The cowardly Japanese Liberation Front took hostages and killed innocent civilians who not only had nothing to do with the current political situation, but where incapable of defending themselves" he pointed towards Kusakabe and his men who were tied up and lying on the ground before him.
"It would have been easy to kill them all, but my purpose is to bring justice to Japan and not revenge and retribution!
The various politicians and business men I arrested some time ago was also for this same reason, they're corruption, and indifference to the sufferings of the Japanese people have turned them into monsters, whose only belief is money, therefore I have punished them! And have locked them in our deepest darkest dungeon, where they will never see the light out day again, I do not wish to fight, but I cannot stand by and watch as the innocent suffer under the guilty, the corrupt steals the bread of the just'
"Only those who are prepared to be killed should have the right to kill!"
"Those who are evil fear us!" he waved his right hand.
"Those who are weak seek us!" he waved his left hand.
"The Black Knights will bring justice to this world!"
He then motioned his head upwards until he was looking towards the heavens, he put his hands together the way a person put's his hand when praying and said:
"Father ! Here before the world, and before you I pledge to you that the corrupt will be brought to justice, the wicked will be punished, and as long as I breathe never again those who are innocent will suffer under those who are evil"
He then turned his head from the heavens towards the crowd, quickly motioned his hands from the praying position towards the crowd and shouted
"THY KINGDOM COME!"
Author's note
Well there you have it, some off you may like it and some off you may hate it, I changed the speech because Lelouch now is a prince and he has to be careful what he says.
Anyway read and review let me know if I should continue