A/N: once again thanks to AnubisGundam0 for editing and proofreading the chapter as it helps a lot and hopefully makes my story much better to read.
Of course thank you guys for the reviews and the favorites/alerts as they are good signs that you folks are interested in how the story goes.
Ayane and Lelouch still have high chances to become a couple, but as mentioned in the first chapter I am going to wait at the recommendation of AnubisGundam0 until later to ensure conditions remain favorable. You guys will see one of my reasons why I say that in the coming chapters, but I'll say nothing further to avoid spoilers.
Next chapter I am involving another Code Geass character in the tournament as well, which should fit well with his back-story that was expanded upon in the novels.
Chapter 2
The Hidden Village
The following morning Lelouch was sitting quietly in the back of a DOATEC black painted VTOL transport that was flying him across the Pacific Ocean towards an ocean liner created by and used as a mobile headquarters of DOATEC. The Freedom Survivor was currently the world's largest luxury cruise ship being an impressive fifteen hundred feet in length painted white and blue making it a literal mobile floating city.
Lelouch had slept a few hours before they arrived at the ship, still wearing his Zero armor and carrying the briefcase along with a few tools and weapons. The masked man was quiet, only speaking when needed, the pilot and crew had being given strict orders to bring him to the ship on their CEO's orders with no further questioned asked.
Even so the former prince was quite relaxed in his new armor and mask, thanks to its first layer including temperature regulators which monitored a series of sensors throughout his suit and automatically maintained a comfortable temperature for its wearer. Even if Lelouch went for a stroll in a desert or the coldest arctic wasteland, the regulators in his suit would adjust accordingly enabling him to wear his suit and mask comfortably for extensively long periods at a time no matter the environment.
The armor Lelouch wore was composed primarily of two layers, but sandwiched between the two was a new invention created at DOATEC called Magnetorheological-Fluid based liquid armor system. The proprietary Smart MR-fluid hardened in response to impacts, specifically designed to provide superior shock absorption, as well as enabling greater force delivery behind counterattacks. The liquid body armor layer is also more flexible than the ceramic or fiber-based alternatives used in combat suits and body armor, allowing for greater maneuverability.
Lelouch's suit was capable of withstanding up to six gees of forces which was useful if he wanted to launch himself through the air for quick escapes if needed.
The first layer of Lelouch's armor besides possessing temperature regulators was a body suit made of a titanium-dipped tri-weave kevlar fiber mesh that was heavily insulated against electricity as well as providing protection against chemical and radiation hazards. It also had an extended collar that could be pulled up over the lower half of Lelouch's head as part of an air-tight seal that forms between the body suit and his mask.
The second layer was a kevlar-titanium tri-weave mesh that included ultra-strong micro hardened kevlar plating along the limbs, while segmented plates of black polished titanium plating protected Lelouch's torso to create an extremely durable combat suit, making it highly resistant to knives and firearms up to a fifty caliber, as well as being fireproof. The suit also had special brace to protect Lelouch's spine from serious injury. Most important of all, the entire suit was designed to be extremely flexible without hindering Lelouch's agility and movements and to enhance his stealth capabilities his entire suit was coated with a black latex-like material that dampened his heat signature making him more difficult to detect with night vision and heat detection equipment.
It's simply amazing how well this suit fits and how I can barely feel its weight.
Unsurprisingly the entire suit cost five hundred grand, but Lelouch had spares handy because all of its durability had its limits.
With nothing to do or say until he arrived, Lelouch's mind began to wander as thoughts of Raidou led him to remember the first day he and his sister were brought to the village of the Mugen Tenshin Clan.
October 25th 2010 A.T.B.
A ten year old Lelouch slowly opened his eyes as the drug wore off; he had taken it prior to their trip to the village, to protect its location from the outside world. He awoke to find himself asleep on a futon that sat atop of a straw tatami mat, nearby laid his seven year old sister Nunnally on her own futon.
Feeling a little dizzy as Lelouch slowly sat up, he noticed a man wearing a white and gray robe, despite the man's grey hair he presented himself as a strong and healthy man with dark grey eyes.
"Welcome young man, to our village." Shiden, the seventeenth leader of the Mugen Tenshin clan, greeted.
"Thank you," Lelouch said speaking in Japanese having learned the language during his time at the Kururugi Household, and finished his study in the language before going to the village since virtually the entirety of its inhabitants spoke it. He had been warned about the village he would be staying in as they would do whatever was needed to keep its existence a secret.
With this knowledge he knew he and his sister would be safe, but they were taking a risk by accepting Nunnally and himself here. Not to mention his time with the son of Japan's last Prime Minister had softened Lelouch a little so he wasn't as openly distrustful as others, which was helped by the fact he was being hidden in a secret village inhabited by formidable ninjas who were capable of superhuman feats.
Lelouch wasn't entirely convinced about that last part, but he had already settled on being a little more open since they had just as much to lose as he did if word about him or them got out.
"Not that I am ungrateful for the protection you are providing us with Shiden-sama, but aren't you risking a lot for your village by keeping us here?"
Shiden was slightly surprised by Lelouch's use of honorifics, but he knew that Lelouch had prepared himself before going to Japan by learning the language before arriving and during his time at the Kururugi Estate. He didn't know that this was part of Lelouch's effort to be self-sufficient as he was very distrusting of the Kururugi Household insisting on providing for his sister himself, so learning the language had been necessary in order to go out and purchase needed supplies from the local stores once he had access to some currency.
His efforts to shop for his own supplies on his own had resulted in him being beaten up on a daily basis by the local boys until Suzaku Kururugi had intervened more on his behalf despite their initially hostile introduction.
"With the conquest of Japan by the Holy Britannian Empire, there is a danger of our village being discovered, but thanks to arrangements made between the Ashford Family and Taizō Kirihara. Special Measures are being put in place to not only secure the safety of this village, but protect it against accidental discovery." Shiden explained, but there was more to the arrangement than he knew.
Over the next seven years Lelouch would discover that it had been DOATEC under Fame Douglas' orders for rendering the areas containing the hidden ninja villages as protected and restricted sites to protect them from discovery by the Britannian Colonial authorities.
"I see, and I assume the villages didn't get involved in the fighting because if the Chinese Federation and the Europia United got involved it would have been the three superpowers fighting for control of the Sakuradite Mines rather than Japan's independence which would have resulted in the country being torn in three destroying it over the course a of prolonged conflict."
The leader of the village nodded his head in confirmation, although it had not been an easy decision. His village and its inhabitants rarely involved themselves in the affairs of the modern world, usually lending aid to allies of the village and situations where the risk of their existence being revealed was low. He and Kirihara had discussed between the two of them about the war between Japan and Britannia after the treachery from the highest position of their government had made open war with the superpower inevitable.
It was a war they knew they could not win, and if the other superpowers got involved then Japan would have been destroyed in the crossfire between them.
Many feared if Britannia took over the country that it was only a matter of time before their villages were discovered, so when Shiden declared their village would not involve itself in Japan's defense it was poorly received. As expected many were not happy with the decision, but Shiden knew and the other leaders of the clans agreed with him knowing even if they got involved it wouldn't have changed the outcome. It just would have made matters worse, especially since even with their involvement they couldn't help Japan repel an invasion force of such scale as having far outnumbered and had superior military technology.
The introduction of Knightmare Frames merely shortened the ground battles, but before their introduction Japan had lost control of the seas and skies very quickly due to sheer numbers and possessing overwhelming material and resources to fuel their war machine.
"I am glad a young man your age understands, as that sentiment will not be shared by many in this village."
"All things considered I can't blame them."
Shiden nodded his head, "No, I suppose we cannot."
"Also I take it that I should avoid going into the village itself as much as possible?" Lelouch asked realizing the second purpose behind the conversation.
"You are quite observant."
"After what happened before I was sent to Japan, I learned the hard way that I better be mindful of the people around me, so I that know whom to trust and who to be wary of."
"I heard of what happened, and frankly I don't blame you."
Shiden knew about the Holy Britannian Empire like anyone else did, and he had especially heard about the events surrounding Lelouch and the royal family. Born from the defeated remnants of the British Empire after losing to Napoleon following his invasion of the British Isles, it would grow and take root within the American Colonies after the American Revolution had ended in victory for newly risen Britannian Empire.
The populace, especially its royal family would adopt the ideas of Social Darwinism justifying their action as survival of the fittest, the oldest rule of nature and one that even the Britannian Royal Family would be held to when deciding the successor to the throne. Thus members of the royal family would occasionally meet their end by assassination from other members of the royal family, or from the families of Britannia's nobility which would support a member of the royal family in the hopes it would mean higher status, titles and more wealth for said family upon their appointed successors' enthronement.
The death of Lelouch and Nunnally's mother was not the first time a consort of the Emperor had being killed and unlikely to be the last if the Empire continued as it had being.
"That being said I would strongly advise you stay within the grounds of our home."
"To prevent anyone from seeking to kill me and my sister I assume?"
"I doubt they would do something so foolish, but given the resentment they hold for Britannia…"
"I understand…" Lelouch said as it bothered him that he and Nunnally would have to stay in the mansion of the clan leader, but he did understand the necessity of the precautions he was taking and why. On the plus side their accommodations were much better than those they had at the Kururugi Estate.
He didn't like it, but he had little choice considering the alternatives, and the risks of being found by the Britannian Military and returned to the homeland where he would face dying as a pawn of the Emperor, whose death would only be convenient to him. He had being so angry when he and his sister arrived in Japan, so for the sake of his oath and his sister he would accept their new arrangements…for now.
"Hello I am Kasumi!"
Lelouch was startled when a newcomer appeared at his bedside, which the former prince had failed to notice her presence until she had spoken, more noticeably she addressed him in his language instead of her native Japanese. The ten year old boy was trying to figure out how she pulled that off without him noticing, but no matter what he could come up with there was no answer.
Kasumi was the same age as he was, but as expected of a girl training to become a Kunoichi she was dressed in a pink shinobi suit, dark-pink boots, chain-mesh under her shirt, and a sash around her waist. The ten year old girl had a round face, small facial features, and amber eyes. Her copper-colored hair – an uncommon sight in Japan – is worn in a ponytail.
Recovering his composure from her sudden appearance, the former prince introduced himself to the girl, "Hello I am Lelouch."
I guess some of the people here were taught Britannian just like how Suzaku knew the language too. Lelouch thought as it would make it easier for Nunnally to speak to another girl.
Returning to the present Lelouch was shaken out from his daydream when an alert informed him that the VTOL transport was approaching the cruise ship. The former prince readied himself to disembark as he intended to quickly make his way to his secure cabin where he would reside until the ship arrived at the island before he could exit it without drawing too much attention to himself.
He was annoyed at being secluded inside his cabin for the majority of the cruise, but really who was he going to talk to anyway.
Aside from the contestants, most of the people here were likely self-absorbed and arrogant parasites from Britannia's nobility, as well as many wealthy industrialists from other parts of the globe...a real snake pit no doubt.
Disembarking from the VTOL he strode purposefully across the helipad, unfortunately before he could make his way off the pad and into the lower levels of the ship to reach his cabin, someone approached from the hatch leading into the ship. As the woman sauntered across the pad with feline grace, he observed her appearance; she appeared to be in her mid-twenties with medium length white hair and steel gray eyes complete with a pale skin complexion, wearing a red turtleneck coat-like top with black form-fitting pants and matching black stylish boots.
She was highly attractive with a bewitchingly voluptuous figure that would leave many a man dumbstruck, even Lelouch was initially affected. Something in his posture must of gave him away as she smiled at him as if she knew he was checking her out, however her eyes reflected a cold amusement. The sight broke him out of his stupor and he was quickly on guard.
No one was supposed to be here.
"So you're Mr. Douglas' choice." Christie said in sultry tones as she eyed him trying to take in the young man's measure and examine his outfit. "Nice outfit you have there... looks expensive."
I have never seen anyone wear such armor...so this is what our dear CEO has been up to. The white haired British woman thought, but without removing his mask there wasn't much else she could find out. "I wonder who you are." She mused out loud.
"If he wanted you to know that," Lelouch retorted as his mask's modulated his voice electronically giving it a deep metallic echo, "I wouldn't be wearing this mask, but if you insist you may call me Zero."
"Really, so are you some kind of superhero?" She teased.
"Hardly, but who are you, and what is your purpose here? I was informed by Mr. Douglas that no one would meet me until we arrived at the island for the tournament." Lelouch demanded knowing this woman was here for something besides a causal chat, but with that in mind he readied himself for a fight.
"You can call me Christie," She purred. "And I'm afraid something different was planned for you." Christie rushed Lelouch with her right hand extended prepared to strike at his throat, having anticipated an attack Lelouch let go of his briefcase and skillfully side stepped her.
Lelouch knocked the woman's feet out from under her with a low sweeping kick, but the white haired woman was quick to recover by using her hands to turn what should have been a fall into a back flip landing back on her feet.
No more words were exchanged as a battle erupted between the two with Lelouch deflecting her sinuous hand strikes aimed at his joints and other weak points as a fierce barrage of hand to hand strikes were being rapidly exchanged between the two. Christie managed to find an opening and deliver a kick Lelouch to the stomach, but the latter countered by taking hold of her leg and tossing her across the deck in a half-spin to add more momentum to his throw.
"That is no way to treat a lady." She mockingly admonished him.
"You attacked first, and even if I don't enjoy fighting women, don't think I'll go easy on you."
Christie flashed him a smirk before running towards him to continue the fight between the two.
Just before the distance could be closed between them Lelouch used his cape to briefly obscure him from her sight delaying her attack due to not having a clear target, before following up with another a series of quick punches to the woman's torso, but his opponent proved to be very tenacious as she weathered Lelouch's strikes before delivering a high kick to his chin. Christie attempted to follow up her attack with another kick aimed for the side of his head, but Lelouch let himself roll to the right before using his right hand to brace his body before driving both feet into Christie's torso delivering strong enough to knock her back.
It took less than a second for Christie to be back on her feet despite the blow she had received.
Lelouch was already pressing his offensive intending to quickly down his opponent; however the white haired woman was ready for him. Lelouch began his assault with two kicks as he leapt into the air to aim for her head, but Christie skillfully weathered his strikes. Once on the ground Lelouch threw a punch, but Christie caught it before throwing him to the ground. The masked shinobi quickly rolled back onto his feet to avoid a downward strike to his chest.
The older woman followed with a roundhouse kick, but Lelouch absorbed the blow with his right arm.
Christie on the other hand used this to strike with her other leg connecting the side of Lelouch's head momentary stunning him before capitalizing on her attack to seize his head with her legs before flipping him bodily over her and sent Lelouch flying, but the young man skillfully recovered in mid-air landing on his feet.
Lelouch's opponent tried to sweep him off his feet with a sweeping kick, but Lelouch interrupted it with one of his feet stopping the kick before delivering a roundhouse kick in retaliation knocking Christie to the ground.
Twisting on the ground Christie struck back with another low kick, but Lelouch maintained his distance as the woman recovered and returned to her feet still able to fight.
She is a lot tougher than she looks...
Lelouch thought as he waited for Christie to resume her attack, as she rushed him and the two exchanged another flurry of hand to hand strikes, but the two managed to deflect and absorb each other's strikes. The dead heat continued on for a full minute until Christie slipped a few blows in, but Lelouch's armor weathered those strikes allowing him to grab one of her arms pulling her forward to unbalance her before sending her into the ground.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON UP HERE?!" Fame Douglas demanded arriving on the scene with his personal bodyguard in tow, causing Christie to cease her actions.
The battle was over, but Lelouch knew from Fame's reaction that this was just the beginning.
Has Fame lost that much control over his own company?
Lelouch said nothing, but he walked over to where he left his briefcase and retrieved it.
"I am sorry about the unintended welcome party Zero, but I suppose some people didn't get the memo that you were not to be disturbed until the tournament began."
"Its fine, but I suppose the security measures you had in place to conceal my presence until the Tournament, has drawn some unwanted attention." Lelouch said keeping the tone causal as Fame was trying to avoid revealing any sensitive information that could risk exposing his identity.
"So it would seem; I want to make it clear that Zero as a competitor for the tournament will not be interfered with." Fame said with a stern expression as he shot Christie a withering glare. "Make sure your superior is aware of this."
"You need not worry about further interference, as I am sure he'll want to see him in action during the tournament." Christie replied seemingly amused by events that had taken place as she dusted herself off. "I think he'll go far."
"You'll find no further trouble from them Zero, and your room is ready as arranged." Fame said professionally before taking his leave with his bodyguard shadowing him.
So that's Raidou?
Raidou, the exiled shinobi from the Mugen Tenshin Village was a towering muscular man, with a darkened skin tone that seemed unnatural somehow as were his red eyes. Despite appearing to be in his fifties with graying hair and a beard with a scar over his right eye, he protected the aura of a frightening formidable foe. He wore a sleeveless dark gray karate robe with matching pants and appropriate footwear and an unusual necklace around his neck appearing to be some kind of talisman.
The two men silently regarded one another, but without a word Raidou continued on following Fame towards the parked VTOL.
Christie departed from the scene, but before leaving she said to Lelouch in passing.
"I am looking forward to your performance in the tournament."
The masked former prince said nothing, but once Christie was gone Lelouch quickly made his way to his cabin using the pathway Fame had told him would take him directly to his cabin. He used the service tunnels and ladders to avoid the other passengers and bypass populated areas, but thankfully his cabin wasn't hidden in the bottom of the ship and he didn't have to travel too far from the helipad as his special room was among those reserved for DOATEC executives and Fame had modified it to provide a safe place for Lelouch.
Everyone was likely in the grand ball room for the tournament reception so Lelouch saw few people along the way, but those few he saw were the ship's crew which he avoided easily as their attention was focused elsewhere on their pre-assigned tasks. Security was instructed to ignore him as he had special instructions from their superior, so he didn't have to worry about interference from them.
After some effort Lelouch reached his cabin without further confrontation and went inside before locking the door.
This is a bit nicer than I was expecting.
His room was large and unsurprisingly in a way that it was quite luxurious possessing a king size bed in the bedroom while the living room area had a large sofa with a seventy inch flat-screen television screen. It had a small bar located in the same room and an equally impressive bathroom. A few things that made his room different from the others were the fact his windows had been polarized to appear transparent on the inside and black on the other.
The windows the doors leading to the balcony had been sealed shut for the duration of Lelouch's stay preventing anyone from casually opening them to break into his room.
On a nearby desk in his bedroom were a series of monitors and a laptop with a stack of folders sitting on top of it.
Better sweep this room...
Lelouch placed his briefcase on the bed and opened it to draw out a small device designed for scanning and locating any kind of surveillance equipment like bugs and hidden cameras. Lelouch dedicated an hour searching every likely and unlikely location for anything that didn't belong in this room, but after he had confirmed there were no surveillance devices, he sat down at the desk to remove his mask.
Lelouch took a deep breath as it was nice to look around the room with his own eyes, but he couldn't deny how advance his mask was.
Aside from its exterior appearance the mask itself served as something much more than in addition to concealing his features and contributing to his imposing appearance. When putting it on, three plates on the back of the mask slide down behind Lelouch's head forming a air-tight seal with the first layer of the suit providing protection from chemical and smoke hazards through specialized flitters built into the mask. It did come with a built-in oxygen supply for a period of ten minutes if Lelouch found himself in a location without air such as being underwater or a place too hazardous to risk breathing.
The mask also made use of a special heads-up-display feature across the visor that provided GPS location, navigation assistance and allowed Lelouch to toggle between different vision modes such as; infrared vision, night vision, ultraviolet vision and as well as magnification. One of the spikes on the back was a high-gain antenna installed for an internal communications on the left side of the mask, allowing Lelouch to stay in communication with others. The communication device can also scan police frequencies and other communications; it also had a directional microphone built into it for listening on conversations from a distance.
The mask itself was created with a graphite exterior that housed kevlar paneling, which made it impact resistant and protected the wearer from small-caliber firearms and concussive blows. The front of the mask and the sides of the mask where the wearer's temples would be also have small armor inserts to increase the effectiveness of skull strikes as well.
Ok, I better start going over these files and see what my opposition looks like.
The stack of folders were full of information about the competitors which Fame had provided to help Lelouch gain some insight about his opponents and what kind of fighting styles they employed so he would know what he was up against to better his chances to advancing through the tournament until he could face Raidou.
Let's see...Bass Armstrong...I remember Rivalz talking about him.
From what Lelouch heard of the man he was a professional wrestler known through Britannia holding the title of heavy weight champion and even world champion, before the war with the EU and Britannia broke out, for many years straight a feat no one else has been able to claim. Much of his information came from a fellow classmate at Ashford Academy, but he had hoped the folder might provide some more insight he could use.
He might have height and strength over me, but I think I can handle him. Not to mention his winning streak might make him over confident and that could be an advantage I could use too.
Once Lelouch was finished reviewing the information on Bass he put the folder aside to go over the next one.
Jann Lee, Lelouch thought as he began reading over his file. He is a self taught master of Jeet Kune Do, before that he lived as an orphan in the Chinese Federation. His skills were enough where he served as a bouncer for high-class night clubs.
The former prince studied the information for time until he concluded that Jann Lee was a fighting manic who had come purely for battle.
He might be a little troublesome, but perhaps I could use his desire for a good fight against him.
The next folder gave Lelouch pause as she was the last person he had expected to see in the tournament.
Kasumi...
At first Lelouch thought it was just a look alike with her name and appearance, but further reading of her file revealed that she was indeed the same young woman she met at the village governed by her father.
Why is she here?
A thought occurred to Lelouch and he brought up the security feeds from the cameras around the ship to do some investigation work.
Everyone should still be at the reception where Fame Douglas is planning on giving a speech soon.
Using his control over the cameras, he tuned into the ones inside the grand ballroom on the stern of the ship while switching from one camera to another looking for Kasumi.
There she is, Lelouch thought seeing her through one of the cameras placing her near the back of the ballroom.
The seventeen year old Kunoichi was recognizable even as a ten year old child, but clearly she had matured into a young woman with an alluring figure. Kasumi wore a Japanese-style school uniform with a white top, a red tie with a black skirt. Lelouch suspected that Kasumi presence had something to do with Raidou, but it didn't make sense for the second in line for leadership of their clan to be sent on such a potentially dangerous mission like this.
Then Lelouch was met with another surprise as he saw another familiar face. She was only one year younger than he and Kasumi, but what made her stand out was her light-reddish pink eyes, straight lavender hair cut to the nape of her neck possessing a fair skin complexion. She wore a black tank top with white shorts, and long purple socks that reached up to her thigh with white shoes to match her shorts.
Acting quickly before the two noticed one another Lelouch used another handy feature of the cameras, activating the directional microphone thus enabling him to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Ayane!?" Kasumi called out seemingly surprised by her presence, which only confused Lelouch further as to what was going on. "What are you doing here?"
"What do you think traitor?" Ayane replied smugly, whose response surprised Lelouch.
Kasumi...a traitor to her village, but when did that happen?
From what Lelouch remembered the Mugen Tenshin Village was divided into two sects, one was the main branch that lived in the village with Shiden and his family being the line from which the next leader would be chosen from. However living on the outskirts of the village was the clan's most shadowy sect known as the Hajinmon Sect.
The same sect that Genra was currently leader of and they were responsible for protecting the village from outside threats as well as eliminating those who had betrayed the village, which Ayane was a part of, so it would be natural someone from said sect would be sent for Kasumi.
But why...? Kasumi would never betray the village unless...
Realization dawned on Lelouch as he began to suspect a possible factor behind Kasumi being labeled as a traitor.
Raidou turned against the village after he was passed over for the title of next clan leader and was not taught the family's signature technique passed from the clan leader to his or her successor alone.
He was exiled after he raped the wife of his own younger brother, Shiden, whom he had lusted for and resented Shiden for marrying her.
Shiden's wife gave birth to Ayane; Raidou's daughter and Kasumi's half-sister.
Shiden would have repelled him, unless he wasn't there, so the only reason...
Lelouch began to realize that at some point over the past few years Raidou must have returned to the village, likely while Shiden was away seeking the Torn Sky Blast and likely forced the clan's current heir and Kasumi's older brother Hayate into using it against him providing a chance for him to copy it himself through observation.
Kasumi adored her older brother and if something had happened to him...
The conversation Lelouch was about to overhear would confirm his suspicions about events that led to Kasumi becoming a traitor to the village and their presence on the ship.
"Genra-sama's orders," Ayane answered holding up a ticket, "I am here to kill you and then Raidou to avenge Hayate-sama, as well as our clan."
So that's it...Kasumi has become a Nukenin (runaway shinobi)...all to avenge Hayate.
Lelouch had yet another reason to see Raidou dead now; as he knew Hayate just as well as he'd known Kasumi. But Ayane on the other hand, their first meeting had been unexpected.
November 5th 2010 A.T.B.
A ten year old Lelouch was walking alone as he was following the river towards a spot he had heard from Kasumi where to find a good spot for fishing. Even through Lelouch was grateful for Shiden for all he had done for him and his sister so far, the former prince knew that sooner or later they would be sent away to live under the Ashford's care, so he wanted to make use of his time to become more self-sufficient. His attempts in the past had involved going to the store and purchasing his own food and supplies to provide for his sister and himself, which had been hazardous for him since he had typically gotten attacked by the local children for being Britannian.
The village was no different, along the way Lelouch had been attacked by some of the local children for being a Britannian until guards from the mansion broke it up warning them their village would be endangered if he was killed as it was part of an arrangement they would watch over him for a time in exchange their village would be kept hidden.
At least they didn't stand around like the guards Suzaku's father had assigned to watch over me.
Upon nearing the waterfall in question, a bruised and battered Lelouch drew out some fishing line and hooks he had in his pocket. He brought some bait as well, but he didn't bring a fishing poll knowing chances were high he would get attacked and feared any pole he brought would end up broken. So Lelouch fashioned his own, which was probably for the best as Lelouch bitterly recalled the last time he attempted to fish with Suzaku and Nunnally at the beach.
This time I'll get it right…
Five minutes later after fashioning a make-shift fishing poll from a long stick the former prince could already hear Suzaku's words in his mind from the last time they fished.
"Lelouch you better hope you never end up stranded on a deserted island otherwise you'll be in trouble."
Very much like last time Lelouch had become entangled in his own fishing line, although Lelouch was uncertain how it happened but the young man was hopelessly tied up by his own fishing line. The former prince kept struggling in vain, but his frustration only grew during the fishing trip with Suzaku and Nunnally.
His own little sister despite being blind and crippled caught more fish than either of them with some help from Suzaku. On the one hand he was happy for his sister, but on the other hand in light of his own difficulties at fishing Lelouch frustratingly couldn't comprehend what he was doing wrong.
His mood didn't improve when a little girl about a year younger than he asked, "What are you doing?"
Lelouch turned over and saw a nine year old Ayane wearing shinobi garb similar to Kasumi, but hers was purple instead of pink.
"I'm fishing"
Ayane raised an eyebrow at him in response.
"Using yourself as bait?"
"No!"
"I see so you just suck so badly at fishing that you got entangled in your own line." The lavender haired girl replied bluntly, arms crossed. "Why bother if you can't fish?"
"Because I want to prove I am alive?"
"Huh?!"
Lelouch remembered the last words his father, or rather the man he once called father, the Britannian Emperor had said to him before banishing him and Nunnally into exile to Japan to serve as political hostages.
"You are dead. You were always been dead to me, dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the fine clothes you wear and comfortable home? The food you eat and your very life? All of those, I have given to you; in short you are not nothing to me because you have never existed. Yet you dare to speak such foolishness to me?! Lelouch, you are dead, therefore you are not entitled to any rights. I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan, as prince and princess; you will serve well as bargaining tools."
Ever since that day Lelouch was determined to earn everything by his own power and ability as well as finding a way to live on his own without the support of anyone else. It was these factors especially with how distrustful he had grown towards others that made his initial time in Japan very difficult.
However it had also caused an unintended problem with his younger sister Nunnally.
Because of the trauma associated with being rendered crippled that caused her to close her eyes to a cruel world, it had affected her more so in terms of her mental state than Lelouch could realize initially. His desire to tend to all of Nunnally's needs created a dangerous situation where Nunnally was growing too dependent on Lelouch, which became apparent whenever Lelouch left her alone for a time he would return to find their room wrecked.
The doors had been locked and so had been the windows, but Nunnally was sitting in her wheelchair alone seemingly unaware of what had happened.
After a few more incidents Lelouch realized it was Nunnally who had been trashing the room whenever he left.
He would scold her of course, but she could never understand why, leading Lelouch to realize that Nunnally was attempting to keep Lelouch by her. Unfortunately Lelouch knew this would be impossible as he had to leave to get food and supplies for their room they lived in, but overtime her tantrums got worse leading to an incident where her hands had been bruised and cut. She even fell out of her wheelchair one time which after seeing their room destroyed again Lelouch actually yelled at her.
She had closed herself off from the world only wanting me to stay with him.
Nothing he did resolved the situation and the fact she was unable to do anything herself and was rendered practically helpless for the rest of her life, had impacted her more mentally than he had thought. Her growing dependence and insistence that Lelouch stay with her was dangerous and it would damage and hinder her emotional growth and possible recovery from the trauma of their mother's murder.
That was until Suzaku became more involved in their lives and did the one thing Lelouch was unable to do.
Lelouch was grateful and it was why Lelouch didn't mind leaving Nunnally to spend time with Kasumi knowing that the more social interaction she got with others the better it was for her and her emotional health.
"How do you prove anything when you are so terrible at it?"
Lelouch seethed as Ayane looked down at him.
"Maybe you should try actually catching fish instead of using whatever that is?"
"It's a fishing pole!"
"It's a jumbled mess with you stuck in it!"
"Like you can do better!"
"I can actually!" Ayane replied confidently before diving into the water. It took a few minutes, but one by one fish were being tossed out of the water landing on Lelouch's head. Ayane emerged from the water later having caught six fish all without using a fishing pole.
Lelouch was speechless, but he said nothing to save whatever pride he had left.
"I told you so!" Ayane replied after getting out of the water with her hands on her hips.
I guess I always have a difficult time meeting new people.
Lelouch thought as his mind returned to the present and he listened in on the rest of the conversation.
"Enjoy the cruise, because it will be your last."
"You won't beat me!" Kasumi said defiantly under her breath, but Ayane overheard it as she walked away.
"What was that?"
"I said you'll never beat me."
It was turning into a tense stand-off, but neither Ayane nor Kasumi would do anything foolish in a public gathering like this where it's more likely to end badly for both of them regardless of who won the fight that would've broken out if they lacked any kind of self-restraint.
Lelouch always knew that relations between Ayane and Kasumi were strained and bitter due to how Ayane had been treated and raised as an outcast, while her sister Kasumi was raised lovingly and lived the life of a princess. However Kasumi was hardly responsible as it was the decision of her mother Ayame to not raise her having felt ashamed for giving birth to the child of the man who had defiled her.
The former prince couldn't blame Ayame for her resentment, nor did he think it fair for Ayane to have endured such hardship for matters beyond her control.
I guess Kasumi fleeing the village has caused relations between the two to turn ugly, as now Ayane has a justification to kill her now.
The young man was already considering various plans and contingencies; although their presence was unexpected, Lelouch did realize having them both here increased his chances of eliminating Raidou.
If they seek Raidou's head, perhaps a temporary truce could be negotiated between them, although that would be easier said than done.
There was something Lelouch knew that they didn't and it was that Raidou had been altered by DOATEC's bio-weapons division which had dramatically increased his already impressive physical strength and endurance, turning someone who was a dangerous rouge shinobi into a genetically modified monster. Lelouch had yet to determine the full extent of Raidou's modifications, but from what Fame had told him it just made killing him all the more difficult.
Even if I told them that, Kasumi might be difficult to convince, and Ayane has always been stubborn so she will be far more difficult.
Regardless Lelouch needed to be careful since he couldn't risk exposing his true identity to them as they could see through his mask, so he needed to carefully plan how he would approach them. For now Lelouch would remain out of sight until they reach the island.
I have plenty of time to plan the best approach, but...
The former prince returned to going over the rest of the contenders. The next folder surprised him, although he realized his chances of winning the tournament greatly declined, he did feel more optimistic about his chances of killing Raidou.
Ryu Hayabusa the proclaimed super ninja of the Hayabusa clan.
He had heard a number of interesting tales involving Ryu from his best friend Hayate who had met him a few times and were close friends. His skills and natural talents as a shinobi were the stuff of legends and he has been hailed as the greatest ninja the Hayabusa Clan has ever produced.
Perhaps...I should consider approaching him.
Meanwhile in her own private cabin Christie was making a call on her cell phone while relaxing on the couch in the living room of her cabin.
"It's me; I found where some of those resources from the Applied Science Department and Military Research Projects have gone." Christie said speaking to the caller on the other line.
"Do we have a name?"
"No, but he uses a call sign; Zero. I fought him to get a measure of him and he is a tough one that is for sure."
"I see, so Fame is being unusually cautions I see."
"Do you think he suspects something?"
"Most likely as he has been growing increasingly wary lately, but he likely doesn't know enough to prove anything."
"Shall I order our man to take him out at the first opportunity?"
"Yes, but wait until after the ship arrives at the island and the final round of the tournament."
"Understood, but one more thing, about this Zero?"
"Go on..."
"His fighting style resembles that Kasumi girl's and the other one taking part in the tournament." Christie noted as she had been the one to personally extend an invitation to the newly runaway ninja on the outskirts of her village. She had arrived in an armed VTOL transport to pick up the Kunoichi and she had run into some problems with Ayane attempting to prevent Kasumi from leaving.
A scuffle on a wooden draw bridge between the two had taken place allowing her to observe their combat skills, so recalling that she noticed some similar moves used by Zero during their own fight.
The caller was quiet for a moment until he said, "What an interesting development."
"Do you want me to investigate Zero further?"
"No...I suggest we leave him alone for...now. We'll observe him closely during the tournament and we'll see what happens."
"Of course, Mr. Donovan."
A/N: Well Lelouch has just gotten the attention of some unsavory people which could result in him becoming part of Donovan's experiments. The last thing this world needs is an army of Lelouch clones which we can all agree would be as bad news as Kasumi clones lol.
Lelouch is going to have to deal with Donovan especially as his projects will give Britannia a deadly advantage against Lelouch and his allies later, so the tournament is the beginning of a plot that will extend through the story.
I don't want to say more to avoid potential spoilers, but anyone familiar with the games and the back stories of the characters should have an idea of what I am planning.
And that line Suzaku gives is hands down one of my favorite lines he gives in the novels as he strangely predicts the situation he finds himself in along with Euphy during season one of Code Geass.
The bit about the troubles with Nunnally was also mentioned in the novels, which was a key reason in Suzaku and Lelouch becoming good friends.
Anyway thanks in advance for reviews and I hope you guys enjoyed the story so far, although Lelouch's armor is tough his foes especially later are going to be anything but human and he'll need a good advantage to survive especially against the likes of Raidou.