Hi everyone, thanks again for your patience. I'm glad the previous chapter of the Iacon Relic hunt arc was so well received, and now we move onto the second. Obviously, this will be different this time around as Dreadwing is currently dead and Starscream is still aligned with the Decepticons, unlike in the canon episode. But I like the fact that it's different now, so this way it doesn't feel like a carbon copy of the canon episode just with additional characters. So anyways, with that being said, let's get this chapter started.
Clash of Ice and Metal
Megatron and Soundwave stood on the bridge of the Nemesis, communicating with Shockwave via the ship's monitor as they scanned the location for the next Iacon Relic.
"The decoded coordinates indicate the second of these eight Iacon Relics lies at the very bottom of this world." Megatron noted. "Ironically, the only piece of land that neither Britannia nor their rival super powers fought for."
"That is to be expected, given it's just a frozen wasteland without even a hint of Energon." Thundercracker said as he, Starscream, Slipstream, and Sky-Byte stepped forward.
"Lord Megatron, the Seeker team is ready to be deployed for this Antarctica." Sky-Byte said. "As a Sharkticon, dealing with solidified water is no issue for me." He said in a boasting type of fashion.
Starscream quickly pushed his way past Sky-Byte to stand front and center. "Of course, Sky-Byte's natural abilities, combined with my skilled leadership, we shall have no trouble acquiring this relic, and snuffing out any Autobot or Black Knight that stands in our way." He boasted, causing Thundercracker and Slipstream to roll their eyes.
"Put those words into action, Starscream." Megatron said, turning around to face them. "Otherwise, they are little more than empty promises."
"As you wish, my lord." Starscream bowed before turning to his team. "Come my fellow Seekers, and guest…" He cast a glance at Sky-Byte before speaking again. "The time has come once again to prove our worth to our master!"
"Are you going to keep boasting, or are we going to move?" Slipstream questioned impatiently, earning a glare from the head Seeker before leaving the bridge.
"Lord Megatron. Though the coordinates indicate this relic is still a relative distance away from the Thought Elevator located in this sector, it does pose a risk to exposing its location to the enemy." Shockwave told the Decepticon leader.
"Unfortunate, but there is little we can do about that." Megatron replied. "Though, in the worst-case scenario, would the destruction of this Thought Elevator halt our plans for Neo Ragnarök?"
"No." Shockwave reported. "I have studied all that I need to in order to properly enact the plan. Even in the absolute worst case scenario of the Geass Order being discovered by the enemy, or all the Thought Elevators being destroyed, it will only delay Neo Ragnarök."
"Good." Megatron sneered as his Dark Geass manifested in his optics. "Our endgame, is all but inevitable."
Antarctica
A Groundbridge portal opened up onto the frozen and uninhabited wasteland that was commonly known as the South Pole. The small unit known as Alpha Team, consisting of Optimus Prime, Zero, Elita-One, Kallen, Suzaku, and Ohgi emerged from the portal, the four humans in their respective Knightmares of the Shinkiro, Guren, Lancelot, and Gawain Nerion.
"Welcome to the bottom of the world." Kallen remarked.
Optimus took out a scanner. "The coordinates indicate the relic is roughly twenty kilometers from our current location." He said before transforming into his vehicle mode, followed by the other Autobots and Knightmares before driving or flying toward their destination.
"Why did we have to bridge so far out?" Suzaku asked. "Couldn't we have just teleported straight to the Relic?"
"The Relic was sent here to Earth thousands of your human years ago." Elita explained. "Due to Earth's plate tectonics, as well as the weather that occurs on this continent, there is a possibility the Relic could have been moved from its landing coordinates by natural means."
"And given the vast amount of distance that could be covered in that particular timeframe, we need to conduct a thorough sweep of the area." Zero said as he began to type specific commands in the Shinkiro's cockpit. "I'm already scanning for any possible Cybertronian beacons, if in the event the Decepticons were the locate the Relic before we do."
"If that's the case, we'll need to hurry." Suzaku said. "I don't want to risk another possible weapon of mass destruction falling into Megatron's hands."
"Hey Optimus, is it okay for us to be out here so long?" Ohgi asked. "I mean, the last time you and the other Bots were in a place like this, you almost froze to death."
"Rest assured Ohgi, the current temperatures and weather conditions are not extreme enough to affect our biology. We'll be just fine." Optimus replied.
"Just don't ask me to step outside." Kallen said. "I never could stand the cold."
After a moment, Kallen made some adjustments onto the Guren's communication before making contact with the Shinkiro.
"Hey Lelouch, you there?" She asked.
Taking off his mask for a moment, noticing this was a private channel, Lelouch responded. "I'm here. Something wrong, Kallen?"
"No, nothing's wrong." She answered. "But, I've been meaning to ask… what do you plan to do when this is all over?"
"Well our next step is establishing our charter and finding a way to clear the Decepticons off the…" Lelouch began.
"No, that's not what I meant." Kallen interrupted. "What I mean is, when the war is over. We beat the Cons, and we've established world peace for everyone. What are you planning on doing after all that?"
Lelouch's eyes slowly widened. For one of the few moments in his life, he didn't have an answer to give. At least not right away. When the war is over…? He had every confidence they could win the war and establish a new world where all the people could live in peace and happiness with one another. But, his own personal plans for after that? He honestly never really considered that.
"Lelouch? Are you okay?" He heard Kallen's voice through the channel, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Y-Yeah. I'm alright."
"You just went silent for a minute." Kallen said with concern.
"I'm fine it's just… I never really thought about it." Lelouch revealed, much to Kallen's surprise. "I've been thinking about trying to secure everyone's futures for so long… I guess I never really considered my own."
"If you're trying to establish yourself as one of those selfless hero types, I might just pull over, board your Knightmare and kick your ass." Kallen told him.
"I thought you didn't want to get out in the cold." Lelouch joked.
"Lelouch, I'm serious. You're telling me that you never once thought about your own future?" Kallen questioned. "You never thought of a life for yourself? I mean outside of being Zero? Not even… maybe finding someone… and starting a family…" Kallen was internally glad this conversation wasn't directly in person, otherwise he might see a blush on her face.
The young revolutionary took a moment to think about what she said before he gave his answers. "All these years… my first thought has been trying to build a world where Nunnally could find happiness. You know my sister has been my first priority for me for a very long time, so much so that… I never really gave any thought to my own future. I guess I didn't see anything past me becoming Zero." A sad smile formed on his face. "Guess that's pretty sad, huh?"
"A bit, but the fact that you're actually admitting something like that shows how much you've changed since then. And it's a good change." Kallen said, smiling genuinely in the direction of the Shinkiro.
Even though he couldn't see her face, Lelouch returned the smile. "What about you? You have a plan for your future?"
"Actually, yeah. I do." Kallen revealed. "I kinda got the idea from Ayano during our time in Europia. She said she wanted to rebuild Japan once this is all over, and I know Ohgi wants that too. And I want to help them."
"That sounds like a good idea." Lelouch said with an approving nod. The idea of rebuilding Japan after enduring so much hardship at the hands of Britannia and the Decepticons did appeal to him quite a bit. As did the idea of working alongside Kallen to do it. In fact, the idea of working with Kallen was appealing all on its own.
"Well that certainly sounds familiar." Eltia's voice chimed in on the communication, causing them both to stutter.
"E-Elita!?" Lelouch exclaimed.
"H-How the hell did… This is a private line!" Kallen shouted in anger.
"Yeah, and it was easy for me to hack." They could practically see Elita's smirk, despite her being in her vehicle mode. "Don't worry, Optimus, Suzaku, and Ohgi can't hear us."
"They'd better not!" Kallen shouted again.
"Seriously though, that sounds like a good plan, Kallen." Elita told her. "Certainly sounds familiar to something I've heard of before."
"Am I correct to assume you and Optimus had similar plans for Cybertron?" Lelouch asked.
"Well, Orion and I did, but yes…" Elita confirmed with a feeling of sad nostalgia inside her.
Kallen looked in remorse. "Sorry things didn't quite work out…"
"Thank you, and it's fine." Elita said with a slight sigh. "It may be too late for Cybertron, but your world has hope. And I'm going to make sure it gets the future it deserves."
"Thank you, just don't sacrifice yourself to do it." Lelouch said. "And, this may be too personal and I don't want to overstep my bounds here or anything, but I'm sure Optimus still cares. He may not be Orion Pax anymore, but just because something's different doesn't mean it still can't be good. Things do change, right?"
At first, there wasn't a response, and Lelouch was a bit worried he may have indeed overstepped his bounds and got a bit too personal.
"Lelouch… thank you." Elita replied. "You're a good kid, and maybe you're right. Sometimes we can't go back to the past, but that doesn't mean the future can't be as bright if not brighter. And those kinds of futures, are always worth fighting for."
His lips curved into a smile. "I couldn't agree more."
Kallen grinned. "So, let's get this damn Relic so we're that much closer to that future."
"Sounds like a plan to me." Elita said.
"Well then…" A determined grin fell on Lelouch's face as well. "Time to roll out."
Amidst the darkening skies over Antarctica, a group of flyers came straight down toward a massive ice wall before transforming to reveal Starscream, Sky-Byte, Thundercracker, Slipstream, and six Seeker Vehicons and landing on the ground.
"We've arrived at the coordinates." Starscream said to the group, only to gasp in shock at seeing not only was the relic no longer there, but a massive chunk of the ice wall had been carved out, with a series of frozen flags placed around the outside of the man-made hole.
"The Relic has been taken!?" Sky-Byte questioned. "How?! When?!"
"Search the area!" Starscream ordered as the group began to split off and look for any sign as to what may have occurred here. Thundercracker walked toward the hole and scanned it with a sensor built into his arm, analyzing the dimensions of the hole as well as it's structure.
"Commander Starscream, there are no vehicle tracks." One Seeker Vehicon reported as the Decepticons grouped back together. "Or any other sign that someone has been here recently."
"Well, the Relic did not just happen to get up and walk away. Something clearly happened to it." The Seeker commander groaned in irritation.
"Perhaps it wasn't recent." Slipstream said as she kneeled to pick up one of the frozen flags. "Something could have happened a while back."
"You might be onto something." Thundercracker said as he finished his scan. "According to this, that hole was carved out approximately seven Earth months ago."
"That's shortly before Britannia's fall." Sky-Byte noted. "Maybe they had something to do with it."
"What would Britannia gain from this? This continent has little-to-no Energon for them to harvest." Slipstream said. "They weren't that stupid to conquer a land where they could easily freeze to death."
"Oh, the people of Britannia were quite idiotic Slipstream, I assure you." Starscream said as he began to pace the area. "But I do have a possible theory. Perhaps the Relic gave off a similar reading to what they thought was Sakuradite, something they picked up from one of their primitive satellites and they've sent a team to locate the source of the phenomenon. However, if Thundercracker's readings were true and it was unearthed shortly before Britannia's fall, they would not have the necessary time to properly analyze what they've discovered. And given how weak humans are to the elements of their own vile planet…"
"They would likely have a base nearby to store the Relic and analyze it under conditions more habitable for them." Sky-Byte followed along. "Maybe the Relic is still at that base."
"Perhaps you should leave the theories to those who are intelligent enough to conceive of them, you Quintesson experiment." Starscream went into Sky-Byte's face.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't compare me to them." The Sharkticon growled as he got back into Starscream's face in retaliation, both looking ready to tear the other apart at a moment's notice.
"That's enough." Thundercracker got in between them to stop any altercation from occurring. "Let's focus on getting the Relic, we'll fan out to find that base Starscream mentioned…"
"I'm afraid it'll have to wait. We have company." Slipstream interrupted.
The Decepticons all turned in the direction she was facing to see the vehicle modes of Alpha team arrive before they all transformed. Immediately, the Black Knights had their weapons at the ready as Optimus Prime simply stepped forward.
"The Autobots and their pets." Starscream growled.
"Starscream." Optimus said as Lelouch, Kallen, Suzaku, and even Ohgi narrowed their eyes at the Decepticon second-in-command they all knew at one point or another.
"Well, it seems for once we're both late to the party." Thundercracker said.
"So, you do not possess the Relic?" Optimus assumed.
"Unfortunately, we do not." Starscream admitted with reluctance.
"We all know you're a liar, Starscream." Suzaku accused the leader of the Seekers as the Lancelot drew its VARIS rifle and aimed it at him. "So pardon me if I don't sound convinced."
"Oh, Starscream certainly is a pathological liar, but for once he's telling the truth." Slipstream said, earning a growl from Starscream. "We don't have the Relic."
"Which would mean that we are on equal footing, were it not for the fact that you are all outnumbered two to one." Sky-Byte said.
"Yeah, you should have brought a lot more guys with you." Kallen smirked.
"Oh, I remember you." Starscream glared at the Guren. "That upstart human wretch who destroyed as many of our forces as any other Autobot! I am going to enjoy snuffing you and your precious Zero out of existence!"
"Do your worst, Starscream. You're no Megatron." Zero said.
With that, Starscream fired both his missiles toward Alpha Team, forcing them to scatter as the Decepticons opened fire on their Energon blasters. Before Optimus even had the chance to attack, Thundercracker shot after him. The largest of the Seekers used the speed from his feet boosters to gain enough momentum that when he rammed Optimus with his shoulder, it knocked the Autobot leader off his feet and sent him rolling back along the ice. However, Optimus quickly recovered and opened fire with his Ion canon, which Thundercracker avoided as he hovered in the air while also returning fire.
Elita-One and Ohgi returned fire in their respective Knightmares to some of the Seeker Vehicons, but the female Autobot was shot in the shoulder by an Energon blast from the smirking Slipstream before she transformed into her jet mode and flew into the sky above her in taunting fashion.
"Ohgi, can you handle these guys?" Elita asked.
In response, Ohgi's Gawain Nerion transformed into its Cybertronian tank-mode and fired a blast to obliterate two Seeker Vehicons in one shot.
"You even need to ask?" He replied confidentily Elita nodded before transforming into her vehicle mode to pursue after Slipstream before Ohgi resumed fire on the approaching Vehicons.
The Guren's Surger Claw grappled onto the face of a Seeker Vehicon before Kallen activated it, sending that same Vehicon to a fiery grave. Just as the dust cleared, Sky-Byte's shark-mode shot and rammed into the Guren, knocking it to the ground as Sky-Byte bit onto the red Knightmare's right shoulder. However, Kallen quicky shot both of her slash harkens from the Guren's shoulders to push Sky-Byte off. He flailed a bit before diving straight down into the ice, burrowing through it and disappearing before Kallen had a chance to retaliate.
The Shinkiro hovered in the air and fired both its shoulder-mounted hadron canons at the flying Starscream as he literally flew circles in the air around the black Knightmare. Both beams managed to miss him as Starscream circled around and flew toward the Shinkiro's back, firing a set of missiles, but Zero was quick to activate the Knightmare's absolute defense system in the rear and take the missile blasts. The shields vanished before Zero fired the slash harkens from the Shinkiro's knees, but Starscream's jet mode spun around to knock them back before attempting to ram the Shinkiro, but Zero pulled back on the controls to limbo underneath Starscream's flight path while also quickly lifting the right foot to kick Starscream and send him hurtling across the sky, though he quickly recovered and began to circle around.
"Insolent human! No matter how advanced your Knightmare is, challenging a Seeker to aerial combat is suicide! You cannot overpower…!" Starscream's rant was cut off by a shrill scream as the Lancelot quickly flew in and sliced one of its MVS blades, which Starscream barley avoided as he flew upward before the Lancelot came to halt, its energy wings shining brightly in the dark sky.
"That's why I'm here. You could say I'm Zero's wingman." Suzaku said with a smirk, something he shared with Lelouch.
'Thank you, Suzaku.' Lelouch thought, grateful once again to have his old friend by his side.
As Starscream continued to fly and circle around the pair, he growled with anger. "Megatron's greatest mistake was ever allowing you to live, Kururugui!" He unleashed yet another volley of missiles, this time aimed at the Lancelot, which drew its VARIS rifle in its other hand and fired to intercept them, lighting up the sky with an explosion.
Elita continued to drive around the area as Slipstream's jet mode flew down from behind before opening fire on the pink Autobot, though she proved quick enough to avoid most of the shots, the ice was proven to be slippery and made it difficult to maneuver. Decide to use that to her advantage, however, Elita waited until Slipstream flew in close enough before transforming and sliding on her back, gaining more distance from the momentum she gained her vehicle mode while also returning fire with her Energon blaster to clip one of Slipstream's wings and send her spiraling and crashing onto the icy ground in front of her as Elita slid to a halt and quickly stood up.
However, the respite didn't last very long as Slipstream rushed out of the crash site to punch Elita across the face and delivered a kick to her side to knock her down. Slipstream then leapt into the air and fell back down to try and smash her feet into Elita's face. Fortunately, Elita rolled out of the way as Slipstream landed. She quickly got back up via a handstand and struck both her feet into Slipstream to knock her down as she landed on her feet and make a combat stance. Slipstream recovered as well before engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
Optimus, meanwhile, continued to fire at Thundercracker's hovering form, who returned fire and kept Optimus on his toes. The blue Seeker then flew directly at Optimus, drawing his arm-blade to slice at him, which Optimus countered as he drew his own blade to block before forming an Ion blaster in his free hand to shoot point-blank at Thundercracker, striking his shoulder and knocking him to the ground. However, Thundercracker quickly pulled himself back up and was forced on the defensive to counter Optimus' superior swordsmanship skills.
Ohgi fired another shot from the Gawain Nerion's tank mode to obliterate the last of the Seeker Vehicons. "Ah yeah! You like that?! Who's next?!"
Suddenly, the ice beneath him broke apart as Sky-Byte's shark-mode shot up to knock the Knightmare's tank mode into the air, causing it to land upside down. Though Ohgi was still able to transform the Gawain Nerion back to normal, it only made it easier for Sky-Byte to pin him down as he transformed into his robot mode.
"Like tuna, it's always best when cut out of the can." Sky-Byte's claws extended as he looked ready to rip Ohgi out of his Knightmare, but as he brought them down, the Guren appeared to lock it's saber-knife her claws.
"You get the hell away from him, fishboy!" Kallen glared.
"Oh, like I haven't heard that one before." Sky-Byte replied sarcastically as he transformed into his Shark-Mode again and bit down on the Guren's knife-holding arm, flying to push the Guren back. But the Guren lifted its Surger arm and created an energy disk to blast point-blank at Sky-Byte, knocking him away. Though it didn't seem to stop him for long before he burrowed into the ice once more.
"Damn it!" Kallen cursed. "It's like a game of whack-a-mole!"
"Kallen, I have an idea." Ohgi said as the Gawain Nerion stood back up. "Use the Surger on the ice. Super heat the water and force him up. I'll handle the rest."
"Okay, get ready." Kallen agreed to the idea and plunged the Surger claw into the ice, setting the power level to maximum before activating her Knightmare's primary weapon. Waves of red energy shot out in all directions as the ice around the entire area quickly began to melt, boil, and even evaporate. This had even affected the battles Optimus and Elita were having with Thundercracker and Slipstream respectively.
Though they were still at a distance away that they didn't have to deal with the worst off the effects, the ice beneath all four of them broke apart and melted, causing them to sink up to their knees in the water.
"She's using the Radiant Wave Surger to turn the entire area to her advantage…" Thundercracker noted, but this surprise left him open for Optimus to strike him in the chest with enough force to send him crashing and skidding through the semi-boiling water. It took a moment for Thundercracker to try and pull himself up, but Optimus was able to use that to his advantage to grab Thundercracker by his shoulder, hoist him up and spin him around before throwing him to the nearest ice-wall, which he slammed into. The impact caused the ice to break apart in the form of a small avalanche as Thundercracker fell back into the water, with the wall collapsing over him to bury him alive.
Slipstream found herself struggling to move being knee-high in the boiling water, and Elita used this to her advantage to swiftly move in and punch Slipstream in her shoulder, and then drove her elbow into her enemy's side before lifting her foot up to kick Slipstream down.
"You Seekers might have the advantage in the air, but spend too much time up there, and you're out of your element when you're stuck in a situation like this." Elita said before maneuvering around Slipstream's retaliating punch. "But I'm used to fighting on the ground." Elita parried another punch before forming her arm-blades to slice up on Slipstream's face, causing her to scream in pain and hold her face.
"Autobot wretch!" Slipstream fired her Energon blasters in retaliation, but Elita had already ducked and tackled Slipstream, keeping her stuck underwater before transforming to push her further and further away from the area. Though Elita couldn't drown Slipstream like this, she was able to get more distance away as the water became cooler and began to solidify, turning back to ice the further she drove from the epicenter of Kallen's attack. Elita transformed and fired a charged Energon shot to further propel Slipstream into the semi-frozen water before getting her stuck in the solid ice, which Elita fired around to collapse and burry the female Seeker in.
Back with Kallen and Ohgi, the water around them had almost completely evaporated as both their Knightmares were engulfed in a cloud of steam, the intense heat from Kallen's Surger had likely evaporated all the ice in the immediate area.
But regardless, the objective was still reached as Sky-Byte shot out of the boiling water with a scream, his outer chassis looked charred and burnt as smoke and steam came from his body.
"Ah! Ah! So hot! So hot!" Sky-Byte transformed out of his shark-mode as he writhed in pain. This of course, left him open for the Gawain Nerion to fire its Hadron cannons at him, causing the already-evaporated ground to explode even further and blast Sky-Byte away.
"I never did like seafood." Ohgi said confidently as Kallen pulled the Guren's claw back up and flashed it dramatically, the young redhead pilot inside grinning wildly.
Back in the air, Starscream and Suzaku continued their aerial duel, moving at equal amount of speeds and clashing with one another as the Lancelot kept up with Starscream's jet-mode. The Lancelot swung the MVS in one hand while firing almost all its slash harkens at Starscream, but he was able to avoid them all and fly further away to get some distance, flying closer to the ground, but Suzaku retaliated with a blast from his VARIS rifles as well as a hail of energy projectiles from the Lancelot's energy wings. Multiple explosions lit up the ground as Starscream flew just barley past all the attacks before curving upward straight toward the sky.
"He's too fast! I can't hit him!" Suzaku stated. 'Running away has always been his specialty.'
"Lets him dodge this." The Shinkiro flew in front of the Lancelot as all its systems got a lock on the area Starscream was in. "We'll turn his precious sky against him!"
The Shinkiro opened its chest to launch a prism before firing a beam at it. The prism then refracted the beam, splitting it off into dozens of smaller, yet deadly, lasers all across the area that Starscream flew. From then on, the Seeker found it near impossible to navigate through around the beams and found himself struck in his rear-wing by one, causing him to fall straight toward the ground, crash landing in his jet-mode before transforming and rolling along the ice.
The prism returned to the Shinkiro as it and the Lancelot land in front of the downed Starscream, aiming their primary weapons at him as he tried to pull himself up with a growl.
"You… you wretched humans!" Starscream yelled, glaring at the two Knightmares. "Who are you to deny me the very skies! They are my birthright as a Seeker!"
"You have only yourself to blame, Starscream." Optimus said as he, Elita, the Guren, and Gawain Nerion approached to surround him. "You frequently underestimate humans, and that has led to your defeat."
"If it weren't for their precious Knightmares… I would have long exterminated their pathetic kind!" Starscream exclaimed.
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Kallen said with a cocked eyebrow.
"Now Starscream, you might not have the Relic, but I bet you know where to find it." Elita told him as he pulled himself up. "And you will take us there."
"Yes, of course." Starscream said, appearing to accept his defeat. "I will lead you straight to the Relic. Now, if you would follow me…"
"Before we do that…" The lead Seeker turned around to see the cockpit of the Shinkiro opened as Zero stood up. The visor in his mask then opened as the Geass sigil appeared in both Lelouch's eyes. "We need to know you're not deceiving us."
Starscream gasped as he saw the sigil, just as it flew into his optics. A faint red glow appeared as Starscream was completely entranced by Lelouch's Geass.
"Of course, what do you wish to know?"
"Do you truly know where to find the Relic?" Zero asked as his visor closed.
"I do not know it's exact location, but I do have a general idea of where to find it." The Geassed Starscream replied.
"Explain what you mean by that." Optimus said.
"We believed the Relic may have been excavated by Britannia just shortly before its nation's fall." The Geassed Starscream explained. "Perhaps they mistook it for Sakuradite or something else they can use, but that is irrelevant now. Given Britannia's lack of technological progress compared to that of Cybertronians, they likely have a base nearby that may have been abandoned upon Britannia's fall. The Relic is most likely there."
"Do you know where exactly this base is?" Elita asked.
"Did you happen to see any manmade structures from the direction you came?" Starscream responded that question with one of his own.
"No." Elita shook her head.
"Then the only other direction this base could be is eastward." Starscream pointed to the only remaining pathway between two large ice walls. "At least that is my theory."
"Lead us there." Zero ordered. "Be sure you stay within our sight."
"As you wish." Starscream transformed and flew in his jet-mode, though he maintained a relatively slow speed that enabled the now-transformed Autobots and Knightmares to keep up with him at a steady pace, while also hovering somewhat close to the ground.
"Suzaku…" Lelouch spoke to his friend. "I know how you feel about using Geass like this but…"
"You don't have to explain it to me, Lelouch. I already understand." Suzaku accepted. "We need to find this Relic and secure it as soon as possible. And given this is Starscream we're talking about, using your Geass on him is a less risky option than trusting his word."
"On that much, I agree." Optimus added. "Starscream's true loyalty has always been to himself. He has only been truthful on the rarest of circumstances."
"Yes. I know." Lelouch was glad to hear they approved of it. He knew they would give the circumstances, but it was still nice to hear.
"Hey, since we have the Decepticon second-in-command under your little spell, Lelouch. I'd say now's a good time to get some good intel." Kallen said almost evilly.
"I agree." Lelouch gave his titular smirk. "Starscream. Tell us everything about Decepticon intelligence on this planet."
"I cannot." Starscream replied, much to their surprise.
"What do you mean you can't?" Ohgi asked. "You're Megatron's second-in-command!"
"Yes, but I do not know all Decepticon intelligence." Starscream clarified.
"Why is that?" Zero questioned.
"After Britannia's fall and the establishment of our new empire on this planet, Megatron only shared limited information with me." Starscream explained. "I suspect he has given only pieces of information to a select few of his subordinates. This way if one of us were to be captured by the enemy, most likely your forces, not all Decepticon intelligence would be at your fingertips."
Lelouch scowled slightly, though he wasn't surprised. This was to be expected from Megatron. "Who else is part of this?"
"I do not know for certain, but I suspect Soundwave and Shockwave to be among them, and most likely Steeljaw as well." Starscream answered.
"Well, what can you tell us?" Elita asked.
"I have the general layout of armament surrounding the continent that was under the control of the former Britannia, as well as intelligence regarding the Seekers." Starscream explained before coming to a stop and transforming into his robot mode, followed by the Alpha team as they came to a stop at a ridge that overlooked an a small human military base in the middle of a large frozen valley. "Ah, as I suspected, an old Britannian base. We will likely find the Relic there." He was about to walk forward.
"Wait, stop." Zero told him, causing Starscream to stop in his tracks. "Let's make certain the Relic is still in this base and it wasn't taken by Britannia when this base was evacuated."
Optimus took out his Energon scanner and managed to calibrate it for even the tiniest trace of Energon, something that even an inactive Iacon Relic would carry in order to power it, be it a sacred item of the Primes or a Decepticon doomsday weapon. He did manage to get a small Energon detection as the device beeped slightly.
"The Relic is still here." Optimus said.
"Then let's get it and get out of here." Kallen said.
"Agreed. Starscream, tell us everything you can on what Decepticon intelligence you know." Zero said as they proceeded forward.
"As you wish."
Meanwhile, back at the sight of the battle, amidst the zone of broken ice and boiling water, something shot up and out of the water, which was revealed to be the jet mode of the now recovered Thundercracker, who transformed to land back on solid ground and regain his baring's. He was soon joined by Slipstream as her hand broke through the ice and she picked herself up.
"That went well." Slipstream commented sarcastically. "Where are those two idiots?"
"I'm an intellectual!" They heard Sky-Byte's voice as his shark-mode emerged from the wall he was blasted into before soaring to land rather roughly on the ground near them as he transformed as well. "And you try swimming through irradiated water! It's not pleasant, even by Sharkticon standards!"
"Enough!" Thundercracker got in between them once again. 'I swear, I feel like I'm surrounded by bickering children.' He thought in frustration before getting back to the mission. "Since Starscream's not here, it's likely he's been captured and is leading the enemy to where he suspects the Relic might be."
"Of course he is, that useless coward." Slipstream said with a sigh. "Why does Megatron even bother keeping him around?"
"Perhaps to keep himself looking over his own shoulder and expecting betrayals." Sky-Byte assumed.
"That's…" Slipstream thought about it for a moment. "Huh, I never thought of it like that. That's… actually pretty clever."
"Getting back to the mission, if the Autobots and Black Knights are on their way to the Relic, then we have a chance at finding it ourselves." Thundercracker pointed toward the distance where a set of vehicle tracks in the snow, likely from Optimus' and Elita's respective vehicle modes, going off into the distance. "Let's move."
With that, all three Decepticons transformed and flew away. 'If Zero's here, then Starscream is likely under the influence of that Geass power that Megatron has told us about. And if that's the case… then I have a little surprise of my own.'
Optimus managed to pry open the main door to one of the two large hangars of the base, allowing Alpha Team and the still-Geassed Starscream to enter inside. The hangar appeared to be completely empty, save for a large block of ice with the Relic frozen inside.
"Bingo." Kallen smiled as they approached their frozen prize.
"The Relic remains sealed in the ice." Optimus acknowledged.
"But what is it, exactly?" Ohgi asked.
"Not sure…" Zero then gazed to their 'ally'. "Starscream, do you know what this Relic is?"
"I do not know." Starscream replied automatically. "I can't quite see it clearly through all this ice. Perhaps if it were free, I would be able to identify it."
"Then let's get it out." Suzaku said, but before they could even make a move, the group turned around at the sound of Energon blasters being primed at them from behind.
"Turning your back on the Cons to save yourself, Starscream?" Slipstream commented as she, Thundercracker, and Sky-Byte had their weapons at the ready. "Why am I not surprised?"
"I am merely doing as ordered." Starscream replied robotically.
"Oh, so you did use your Geass on him, huh Zero." Thundercracker observed, causing Lelouch to narrow his eyes before the Seeker scientist smirk. "Too bad for you, I have a counter for that. Activating Geass Canceller."
"What?!" Zero exclaimed, his own eyes widening in shock.
Thundercracker's optics suddenly turned green, complete with an upside down Geass sigil as a green energy aura shot out in all directions, much to everyone's surprise as the red glow in Starscream's optics, as well as a red ring in Suzaku's own eyes, flashed before disappearing forever.
Starscream gasped as he looked around in surprise. "Huh, what…?"
"What did he just say…?! A Geass Canceller?!" Ohgi questioned as all the heroes looked in shock, even Optimus was caught off guard.
"Did you really think we spent the past six months dedicated to just uprooting Britannia?" Thundercracker said with a confident grin. "Shockwave had developed a counter to Geass if in the event an enemy where to use that power against us: the Geass Canceller, which can negate the effects of any enemy Geass, be it from humans or Cybertronians. A little gift he gave to a select few of his subordinates, including myself."
'I see…' The shocked Suzaku thought. 'But if that's the case… then Lelouch's command to live is also gone…!'
Lelouch growled underneath his mask. "Megatron's resourcefulness truly knows no bounds, hmm?"
"Even with your Geass Canceller, we will not allow you to obtain this Relic!" Optimus declared to the Decepticons.
"Got that right. We don't need Geass to wipe the floor with you guys! We can do that the old-fashioned way!" Kallen shot the Guren's Slash Harkens at the trio of Decepticons, forcing them to split as she and the rest of her team charged out of the hangar and began to engage the enemy.
Sky-Byte and the two Seekers transformed and took to the skies as the Lancelot and Guren did the same, giving pursuit while Optimus, Elita, the Gawain Nerion, and the Shinkiro provided covering fire from the ground. However, Elita noticed something.
'Wait… if Starscream's not under the effect of a Geass…' She turned around in shock to see the glaring Starscream activate his own Energon blaster and shoot the roof of the hangar just above the main door, causing the front half of the structure to collapse and seal himself in with the Relic.
"Starscream's got the Relic!" Elita exclaimed.
"Scarp!" Zero cursed. "Help the others with the Seekers and flying shark, I'll get to Starscream!"
With the enemy momentarily distracted, Starscream turned his Energon blasters on the block of ice and began to fire at it, avoiding shooting the Relic and possibly damaging it.
"They dare to control me?! Me?! I am nobody's puppet!" Starscream ranted as he had cleared away the ice and exposed the Relic inside. He got a good look at it, the Relic appearing to be a compacted disk of sorts, but Starscream recognized it immediately. "Armor, of Decepticon origin." The head Seeker smirked as he picked up the Relic and placed it on his chest.
Back outside, Suzaku and Kallen fired their respective Knightmares' ranged weapons form the Surger Claw and VARIS rifle at Thundercracker and Slipstream as the continued to fly up and around them before returning fire with their missiles, prompting the two ace pilots to fly away as the missiles tracked them. Kallen fired a slash harken to destroy the missiles following her while Suzaku fired another shot from his VARIS for the missiles tracking him.
Sky-Byte had dug into the ice, burrowing through it as Optimus, Elita, and Ohgi tried to track him; only for Sky-Byte to pop out of the ice beneath them, knocking all three of them down from the impact before Sky-Byte shot at Optimus with open jaws. Though Optimus was able to catch the jaws and keep them pried open and from biting down, Sky-Byte's boosters allowed him to keep pushing forward and made it difficult for Optimus to counter.
Meanwhile, the Shinkiro had managed to easily break through the rubble of the hangar door, but before Zero even made a move to enter…
*SMASH!*
The Shinkiro was sent crashing into Optimus, and by extension, Sky-Byte. All three slid on the ice as the shocked Elita and Ohgi recovered. The event drew the attention of Kallen and Suzaku from the air, as well as Thundercracker and Slipstream. None of them were prepared for what they saw.
It was Starscream, clad in a hulking set of shining armor that allowed the Seeker to stand on even greater height than Optimus himself.
"Wha-what is that…?!" The shocked Ohgi exclaimed.
"The Apex Armor." Elita said gravely.
"A perfect fit." Starscream sneered.
Optimus and Zero both recovered as the Lancelot and Guren flew closer to the ground and provide aid for their allies while Sky-Byte stood up and stepped back to get some distance.
"Optimus, Elita, what are we looking at right now?" Zero asked.
"It is the Apex Armor." Optimus began. "It was forged by Solus Prime long ago, but it was commandeered by the Decepticons during the war. It is almost completely indestructible and impenetrable."
Starscream laughed. "Were up to you or Alpha Trion, this glorious piece of equipment would have simply gathered dust in that overgrown museum you call Iacon. Instead, I shall use it to crush all of you like the insects you are!"
"I'd like to see you try!" Kallen was the first to attack, shooting the Guren forward.
"Kallen, wait!" Elita called out to her, but she was already on the smirking Starscream. The Guren's claw grabbed the Apex Armor's head unit before activating the Radiant Wave Surger. A large surge of red energy shot out form around the gauntlet and engulfed the outer shell of the armor before exploding. The Guren pulled back briefly as the smoke began to clear, only to reveal the armor wasn't even scratched.
"What?!" Kallen shouted, seeing her Knightmare's signature weapon not even dealing a hint of damage.
"Not so big and strong now, are you, human wretch?" Starscream used his armored hand to backslap the Guren, sending it crashing and tumbling through the hangar on the other side of the base. "You three!" Starscream pointed to Thundercracker, Slipstream, and Sky-Byte as they regrouped. "Stay out of this! I want to test my shiny new armor by myself!"
"Go ahead." Thundercracker waved off.
Immediately, Optimus and Elita opened fire with their Energon blasters as they began to circle around Starscream, while the Shinkiro, Lancelot, and Gawain Nerion also went on the attack, gaining up on the armored Starscream.
"Sky-Byte, there's nothing but frozen water beneath us, right?" Thundercracker asked the Sharkticon in a hushed whisper.
"Yes, why?" Sky-Byte replied.
"Use your natural ability to break and collapse the ice beneath Starscream if he decided to 'test' his new toy on us." Thundercracker said.
"You think he'll betray us?" Slipstream asked. "Oh, what am I saying? Of course, he would."
"He wouldn't be Starscream if the thought hadn't crossed his mind." Thundercracker answered. "He might even get some funny ideas about overthrowing Megatron, yet again. Probably using the Apex Armor to beat him to a pulp."
"Fair point." Sky-Byte acknowledged. "I'll move in if he decides to turn on us."
"But for now, let's just enjoy the show." Slipstream smirked as they continued to watch the battle in front of him.
Energon blasts, Slash harkens, and even VARIS rifles were all shot at the armored Starscream from all directions, but he just stood there to tank each of the attacks as the Apex Armor wasn't even chipped. Deciding to go on the attack, he rushed Optimus first, who tried to punch him, but Starscream caught Optimus by the first before hoisting him up and throwing him away. Elita tried to come in from behind, slashing across the armor with her arm-blades, but Starscream quickly turned around to smack Elita and knock her into a pile of cargo containers.
The Gawain Nerion fired its Hadron Cannons at the armor, though the impact did knock Starscream back slightly, he used the delay after the fire to rush Ohgi. Though Zero brought the Shinkiro down to block Starscream's path and quickly activated its Absolute Defense System, however Starscream barreled through the shield with the Apex Armor, easily shattering it and ramming his elbow into the Shinkiro to knock it into Ohgi's Knightmare and send them rolling back.
"What's wrong, Zero? Run out of miracles?" Starscream taunted. "I haven't had this much fun since I leveled Pendragon!" The Lancelot then flew straight at Starscream, drawing one of its MVS blades and swung it down onto him.
However, Starscream had also pulled back an armored fist and swung it just as the blade was brought down, shattering the blade in that instant, much to Suzaku's horror. But he didn't have time to process it as Starscream grabbed the Lancelot by its shoulders, and by extension the energy-wing system and had already begun to squeeze in an attempt to crush the Lancelot.
"And you, Suzaku Kururugui… I am going to crush you to a smear inside your precious Lancelot! Consider it retribution for all your never-ending pontification back in Area 11!" Starscream exclaimed. He continued to squeeze the Lancelot, taking his sweet time while doing it. But this left him open for a combined assault of the Hadron and Radiant Wave Surger of the Shinkiro and Guren from behind. The impact startled Starscream and forced him to let go of the Lancelot, prompting Suzaku to drive it and regroup with the others.
"Suzaku, are you alright?" Zero asked.
"The Lancelot's still operational." Suzaku reported. "But the energy wing systems are too badly damaged, I can't fly anymore."
"We're throwing everything we have at him, and it's not even scratched! What the hell is that armor made of?!" Kallen questioned.
"He's coming!" Elita exclaimed as the armored Starscream charged them once again.
"Scatter and keep your distance!" Optimus ordered, prompting the group of six to break apart and maneuver around Starscream, while also firing at him with their long-ranged weapons.
After taking a moment to mentally analyze what he saw with the Apex Armor, Lelouch established contact with his team. "Everyone listen, I'm communicating on our comn channels so Starscream can't hear us. Optimus, do you know if the Apex Armor has long-ranged weapons?"
"No, it does not." Optimus replied, firing is Ion Canon. "Nor is the user able to transform while they wear the armor."
"Which means Starscream can't fly." Ohgi realized. "That's some good news at least."
"In that case, I have a plan." Lelouch told everyone as he hovered and circled the area, using the Shinkiro to scan the ice below. "I need all of you to hit Starscream from every direction but keep your distance. Make sure he's focused on all of you. I'm going to charge Shinkiro's main cannon to absolute maximum power, channeling all the Shinkiro's energy into it. If it can't break the Apex Armor, then maybe it can at least damage it."
"And if it doesn't? What then?" Kallen asked as she threw another projectile from the Guren's Surger Claw.
"Lelouch, if you do that, then your Knightmare will be almost completely drained." Suzaku tried to warn him as the Lancelot continued to fire its VARIS rifle, while circling around Starscream. "You may have motor control, but that would be it. Your weapons won't be able to work anymore, at least not till your powered back up."
"Then Starscream will focus on me alone." Zero replied. "That armor might be indestructible, but it doesn't take away Starscream's most grave weakness: his arrogance. While he's focused on me, fire all your weapons on the ground around him and send him plummeting. There's nothing but ice and the ocean below."
"But… if we do that… even if we do get away, the Cons still get the armor." Ohgi stated.
"That may be our only option, now." Elita said with reluctance, moving in her vehicle mode around the base and keeping her gaze on the armored Starscream. "We don't have anything to remove it from Starscream, so we may have to cut our losses with this one."
"Agreed. We will live to fight another day." Even Optimus seemed to go along with this plan.
"We'll buy you the time you need, Lelouch." Suzaku said. "Do what you have to do!" He charged the Lancelot at the armored Starscream once more, firing his VARIS rifle to keep Starscream from attacking before leaping to perform a spinning kick in the air, which did manage to push Starscream back a few steps before the Lancelot flipped and landed behind Starscream.
"Are your fancy flips and kicks the best you can do, Suzaku? Megatron sorely overestimated your talents." Starscream continued to taunt.
"Maybe it's the same reason he keeps you as his second-in-command." Suzaku shot back, causing Starscream to growl as he focused on the Lancelot.
As he did, the Shinkiro continued to hover and circle around the battle as Lelouch begun to re-direct all his Knightmare's power into its central Diffusion Structure Phase Transition Canon. It was already beginning to surpass its normal charge.
Ohgi transformed the Gawain Nerion into its tank mode and fired its heavy cannon into the armored Starscream. Though the blasts didn't seem to damage the Apex Armor, it did draw Starscream's attention and leave him vulnerable for Elita, who had climbed onto the roof of one of the hangars before jumping down to land on the armor's shoulders and concentrate her Energon blaster fire into the armor's right shoulder joint, hoping it would do some damage. Starscream struggled for a bit, but he managed to shake Elita off and grab her by the arm.
Optimus quickly drew his Energon axe and brought it onto the arm that held Elita. Though Starscream did release Elita, he turned to face Optimus as he clapped his armored hands onto the axe that was brought down for another strike. Starscream then wrenched the axe from Optimus' hands before sending him flying with a single punch.
Starscream then felt many energy projectiles strike him from above, courtesy of the Guren that flew toward him from the air. However, Starscream leapt with the armor to smack the Guren out of the sky, leading it to crash on the ground.
"Might beats flight." Starscream boasted.
"Starscream!" The Shinkiro landed some distance in front of the armored Decepticon. "Let's see how well your new toy can withstand this!" Zero activated the Shinkiro's central canon. The chest piece opened up to unleash a massive purple beam, one that almost the size of the Knightmare that fired it. Starscream didn't expect such an attack as the beam not only seemed to engulf him, but also obliterated what was left of the hangar behind him.
All of his friends and allies, even Optimus, were surprised at the sheer amount of power that was displayed from the attack. Even the Decepticons of Slipstream, Thundercracker, and Sky-Byte were caught off guard.
The beam stopped firing as the Shinkiro went limp, descending to its knees as nearly all its power had been drained by that attack. Lelouch saw all the readings from his Knightmare's cockpit that all systems had been drained to almost or completely zero. He still had motor controls to move the Knightmare, but the most he could do with it is either steer his Knightmare away or redirect it for a short burst in flight to gain a relatively small distance. Despite that, Lelouch kept his eyes focused on the smoke as he prepared for the worst.
And the worst had indeed come to pass as the smoke cleared to reveal the laughing Starscream, the Apex Armor not even remotely dented or scratched.
"That tickled!" Starscream boasted and cackled. "Fools! Not only am I intelligent… I… am… INVINCIBLE!"
"I'm glad to see all that power hasn't gone to your head." Zero said, not even trying to hide his sarcasm, causing Starscream to focus all his attention on him.
"Make your little jokes, boy." Starscream slowly made his way toward him, taking his sweet time while doing so. However, this is exactly what the rest of Zero's team wanted, knowing what to do next as they got into position.
The armored Starscream then loomed over the near de-powered Shinkiro. "Tell me something, Zero. Since we've crossed paths, you and your kind have felt they could stand on equal footing with us thanks to your precious Knightmares. But now that I have armor of my own, the odds have once again shifted in my favor as they were always intend. With that in mind, how does it feel to finally know your place beneath me?"
"Boast all you want, Starscream. My armor still has one distinct advantage over yours." Zero told him.
"Oh? And what might that be?"
Underneath his mask, Lelouch gave his titular smirk. "Mine can still fly!"
From one end, Optimus brought down his recovered Energon axe onto the ground while Kallen plunged and activated her Surger Claw into the ice on the other side. This caused the ground underneath Starscream to shake and de-stabilize. Zero had managed to divert the Shinkiro's motor controls to the float system and fly backwards just as Elita, Suzaku, and Ohgi fired Energon blasts, VARIS shots, and Hadron blasts otno the already destabilized ground, causing it to collapse completely.
"No! NNNNNOOOOOOOO!" Starscream screamed as he and his armor both plummeted into the newly formed chasm, one so deep that they couldn't even see the bottom.
The Shinkiro landed back on the ground, still almost completely de-powered as Optimus, Kallen, Elita, Ohgi, and Suzaku regrouped around him, all of them turning to face the remaining Decepticons of Thundercracker, Sky-Byte, and Slipstream.
"One down, three to go." Elita glared.
"I'm sure most of you had already figured out what we're planning." Suzaku spoke to the Decepticons. "But you didn't even bother to warn Starscream?"
"He told us to stay out of it, so we did." Slipstream said with a cocky grin. "It's not our fault he let his arrogance get the better of him again."
"No honor among Cons, huh?" Ohgi glared. "So, who wants to to take the first shot?"
"None of us, we're done here." Thundercracker answered, much to the heroes' surprise. "Even with Zero's Knightmare appearing de-powered, I'm doubtful the three of us will survive against Optimus Prime and his strongest followers."
"I agree." Sky-Byte added. "Starscream is still alive and the Apex Armor intact. We have what we came here for, so we'll just take our leave. But you all still get to live, so we'll go and call this a draw."
"But don't get cocky." Slipstream warned. "We might not be so merciful the next time we cross paths."
The two Seekers and Sharkticon then transformed and flew away from the scene, leaving Alpha Team behind as Elita walked toward the hole and lightly kicked a rock down into it.
"They say it's a draw, but it sure doesn't feel like it." Kallen said. "How are we supposed to fight something like that Apex Armor if our strongest weapons couldn't even damage it?"
"We will find a way." Elita assured her. "What's important is that we're all alive and we can go home."
"Agreed." Optimus turned to the Shinkiro as its cockpit opened up, and Zero stood up from it. "Lelouch, you were able to identify the weaknesses of the Apex Armor and exploit not only them but those of Starscream, creating a scenario in which we would all walk away as opposed to continuing a battle that was unwinnable."
"Nothing we had could have taken that armor from Starscream. It seemed like the logical choice." Lelouch said as his mask opened to reveal his face. "But I'm a little more concerned about that Geass Canceller, and who else in the Decepticons may have one."
"Thundercracker said it was only a select few." Ohgi said. "Maybe if we can compare notes with everyone else, we can at least get an idea of who might have one."
"But it's still a threat." Suzaku said. "I even felt it wipe out that live command you gave me a while back, Lelouch. It's gone."
Lelouch did find that somewhat troublesome, but it didn't sound as bad as Suzaku made it out to be. "To be honest, I'm not sure you need it anymore, Suzaku." That got Suzaku's attention and everyone else. "You've proven time again that you no longer intend to sacrifice yourself, you want to live of your own accord now." A smile formed on his face. "I think it's safe to say you're finally free of your own guilt."
Suzaku didn't quite expect Lelouch to say that. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was true. Lelouch really didn't give him the command to live since the Ark fled Japan's oceans some time back, and yet Suzaku continued to fight without feeling the instinctual need to fly headfirst and risk his life. For a long time, he truly wished to die to atone for killing his father; but now, after working for the true cause of freedom, fighting alongside his friends and making new ones, he really did feel free. And it felt good. He even looked to see the genuine and encouraging smiles of Optimus and Elita, and even those of Kallen and Ohgi as they stood up from their Knightmares' open cockpits, even Kallen gave a thumbs up.
"Thanks… I'll try not to let this freedom go to waste." Suzaku said as he thought about a friend of his who was no longer here. 'I promise... Dreadwing.'
"I'm certain you won't." Optimus confirmed before using his comn. "Optimus Prime to base, we require a Groundbridge." He turned back to Lelouch. "I will take the Shinkiro back to base as it is does not appear to be functional." Optimus offered as a Groundbridge portal appeared before them.
"Thank you." Lelouch nodded as the Guren rolled up and Kallen kept her cockpit open.
"I'll give you a ride." She offered her hand to him, which he accepted as he climbed from the Shinkiro's cockpit and into hers. Though Kallen did catch Elita giving a knowing smirk in their direction, which she responded with her middle finger as the cockpit closed.
Optimus transformed into his truck-mode and hooked the Shinkiro up to its back like a trailer before moving into the portal, followed by Elita, the Lancelot and Gawain Nerion. The Guren was the last to enter.
"Kallen…" Lelouch began, sitting behind her as they traveled through the vortex. "I've been thinking about what you said, about having a plan for my future. I still don't quite have one in the long term, at least not yet. But… when this war is over… and you start your plan to rebuild Japan, maybe I could join you."
Kallen looked back toward him. "You want to help rebuild Japan?"
"Yes." Lelouch nodded. "For a long while, that place has been my home, mine and Nunnally's. It deserved so much better than what it got at the hands of Britannia and the Decepticons. I would love to see it filled with life once again. And I wouldn't mind spending my life there either… that is… if you would want me by your side during that time." He said, looking away slightly as his cheeks brightened a bit.
Kallen's eyes slowly widened. Did he just say he'd want to spend his life with her?! While she did partially expect him to offer assistance in rebuilding Japan, she didn't expect him to say he wants to stay by her side even after it's all done. Her heartbeat increased quite a bit as shel felt something warm in her chest. The idea of spending time with Lelouch, while not worrying about the fate of the world, did sound appealing to her. In fact, she loved the very idea of it.
"I-I'd like that." Kallen admitted, looking away with a smile.
"Really?" Lelouch asked in surprise.
"Really." She confirmed. "You're a good person, Lelouch. One of the best I've ever met and…" She looked away further, making sure he didn't see her smile and blush. "I wouldn't mind the idea of… you and me… after the war's over."
She felt a gentle grasp over her right hand, looking back to see Lelouch smiling down toward her as he held the back of her hand. The kind of smile he gave was the same kind he always gave Nunnally and even Euphemia, one of genuine care, respect, and even love. And seeing him extend that same smile toward her made Kallen feel a kind of happiness she never felt before. She moved her hand around to hold Lelouch's back and squeeze it firmly as she smiled back at him.
Meanwhile, on the ocean floor beneath the ice of which he fell, Starscream marched through the icy water, still clad in the Apex Armor. He had just received a report from Thundercracker and the others as they had returned to the Nemesis. Starscream had also called for a Groundbridge portal, which just opened in front of him, and he wasted no time in marching into it.
Though he growled in fury at being tricked so easily by Zero once again, that did not take away the cruel joy he felt in acquiring the Apex Armor. Though he was certain Megatron would try to take it from him the second he made it back, he was certain he could reacquire it later when he and Schneizel initiated their plan.
"Enjoy your short time alive; Zero, Prime, even you Megatron." Starscream said to himself. "That time will be coming to an end real soon."
Done.
This chapter was quite a bit of fun as we had Alpha Team clash with the Seekers and Sky-Byte over the Apex Armor. Like in the canon, Starscream had acquired the armor, and now it's in the possession of the Decepticons.
However, Thundercracker has revealed himself to be one of the few carrying a Geass Canceller. The other known one is Devastator, and yes Jeremiah as one as well, but now that he's defected to the Autobots and Black Knights, it might work more in their favor. But who else among the Cons has one? You'll just have to see for yourself. Though Suzaku's Geass Command to live was erased, everyone is confident he no longer needs it, believing he's finally broken free of the chains of his self-destructive guilt.
We got a nice little moment with Lelouch and Kallen as well, as the former admitted he never really thought of a plan for himself once the war is over. It was really something he never quite thought of in the canon either due to… circumstances. But, with things being different now, he's starting to think about what he wants for himself. There's one thing though that's certain, he's beginning to admit his feelings to Kallen and wants to ensure that Japan is given the rest and justice it deserves after years of abuse. It's a start at least, but also a step in the right direction.
Of course, Starscream is planning something with Schneizel behind Megatron's back. I mean, this is Starscream we're talking about, he wouldn't be Starscream if backstabbing thoughts didn't occupy his mind. But what are he and Schneizel planning? I guess we'll find out soon.
Up next, we're moving onto Akito's team in Egypt for one of the Relics not featured in the TV show, and I've got big plans there. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.
Peace out.