Hi everyone, welcome back to Code Prime! I'm so glad that the last chapter was so well-received. Now, we're kicking off the second-to-last arc with what may be the last of the breather chapters where everything seems lighthearted. After this one, everything else is action and character drama all the way till we get to the epilogue.
Once again, this has been an amazing journey to share with all of you. One of the greatest hurdles that I've had to overcome in this series is trying to find a proper balance for the development of so many characters, more than once I thought I had too many, and perhaps I did. But, I think I've built a proper development for all the major ones.
And now, with all that being said… let's get this chapter rolling.
The United Federation of Nations
Multiple Decepticons had gathered together on the bridge of the Nemesis, among them included Starscream, Schneizel, Shockwave, Knock Out, Steeljaw, the cybernetic Shin, Onslaught, Mixmaster, Sky-Byte, Knock Out, Thundercracker, and Barricade, as well as multiple Vehicons. Soundwave as also present, but he was at the monitor and appeared to be more focused on that particular task than this meeting.
"Fellow Decepticons…" Starscream began. "It has been one Earth week since the disappearance of our master, Megatron. And while our loyalty to him has always remained steadfast, his absence has served as the best kind of invitation for our enemy to grow. The Autobots and their Black Knight companions are well underway to uniting the rest of this wretched planet against us and it may be only a matter of time before we lose it all. With that being said, I believe new leadership is in order."
"Oh, and let me guess… it'll be you, right?" Knock Out assumed.
"The last time you took charge, it was a disaster!" Onslaught reminded. "You couldn't even lead us properly on Cybertron, how do you expect us to take you seriously now?"
Starscream growled, but Schneizel used this opportunity to speak up. "You are correct to be concerned, Onslaught. After studying the War on Cybertron, I have seen moments where Starscream's leadership skills are… for a lack of a better term, inferior compared to Megatron. No offense." He quickly said that last part to the glowering Starscream. "Which is why the two of us have proposed an idea that I'm sure all sides would benefit."
"And what would that be?" Barricade asked.
"A council, of sorts." Schneizel explained. "As Starscream is second-in-command, military leadership would logically fall to him in Megatron's absence. But, I also feel that with a small group of Decepticon commanders working alongside him, we make our decisions together. We debate and discuss plans and come up with a compromise that we feel could best suit our cause."
"A council?" Sky-Byte thought for a moment. "I think I can get behind that."
"What about Lord Megatron?" Steeljaw asked. "Do we simply abandon our search?"
"There are also many Decepticons here who probably won't like the idea and are still fanatically loyal to Megatron." Thundercracker added.
"Despite Soundwave working around the clock this past week, he's been unable to locate Megatron's signal since his departure to intercept the enemy at Shockwave's laboratory." Schneizel said as he gestured to the aforementioned Decepticon who continued to work. "He is either permanently offline or has chosen to abandon us. Neither is in the best interest of the Decepticons, especially as the Autobots and Black Knights continue to grow, using Megatron's absence to their advantage."
"Our enemy however is not simply the Autobots or the Black Knights." Shin spoke up. "Humanity has a whole has chosen to resist us. Even if we destroy those that directly oppose us, they can easily be made into martyrs which will only provoke further resistance."
"Oh, we most certainly agree." Starscream said with a sneer. "Which is why Shockwave and the Constructicons have been working on a special project that will be most sufficient in finally wiping that pathetic species off the face of this planet!"
Shockwave and Mixmaster stepped forward as the former held out a disk that projected a holographic image of what appeared to be a giant hovering station. "The Damocles is a heavily armed war station, it's primary weapons being fusion cannons which contain enough fire power to desolate any densely populated area of our choosing." Shockwave explained.
"My Constructicons and I have been working on it since our arrival on Earth." Mixmaster added. "It nears completion and should be ready to be deployed from New Kaon soon."
"With this weapon, we can lay waste to every major city on Earth!" Starscream stated for all Decepticons to hear. "We'll exterminate humanity in droves and scorch the surface of the planet! Once we've taken every scrap of Energon, we'll leave this wretched ball of dust behind and begin our domination over the entire universe with no one left to stop us!"
"Of course, we will need your assistance in this endeavor." Schneizel said in a more sincere tone. "Let this be our first motion to vote on our next move. Those who are in favor in allowing Starscream to ascend to military commander, and establish this council?"
It took a moment as most Decepticon spoke amongst themselves. But one-by-one, nearly all of them raised their hands to vote in favor. From Knock Out, to Sky-Byte, to Thundercracker, to Steeljaw, to Mixmaster, to Barricade, and even Shin. Each for their own reasons, but mostly because they needed leadership in order to keep up the fight or else risk losing the war entirely. The only ones who weren't in favor appeared to be Shockwave, Onslaught, and Soundwave, who still continued to work. But the majority ruled in favor, and with that, it was decided.
"All… hail… Starscream!" The head Seeker sneered as Schneizel could barely contain his own sinister smile.
Horai Island – One Week Prior
Lelouch and Optimus had returned to their base after defeating Megatron and destroying the Geass Order. They had brought Cera to medical where doctors were looking after her and trying to figure out the source of her amnesia. They were asked to come to the bridge of the Ark, where Nunnally, Sayoko, and Jeremiah currently were, who had been invited by Anya Alstreim. However,… what came about from this meeting was something that none of them could ever expect.
The young revolutionary, former princess, cybernetic soldier, female body guard… even the Autobot leader himself… they did not expect Anya to speak and introduce herself with another name, one that none of them had expected to hear.
"Y-You're…. our mother….?" Lelouch stuttered, looking at Anya, who had the red rings of Geass in her eyes as Marianne was currently in control. "I… I don't… I…" He looked ready to stumble backwards in disbelief, but Sayoko was quick to catch him.
"It really is me, Lelouch." Marianne confirmed, with the face of Anya becoming emotional as she looked at the face of her son, and that of her shocked daughter. "Nunnally… your eyes… they're every bit as beautiful as when you came into this world…"
Nunnally had no idea what to say. Was this really hers and Lelouch's mother? How? It shouldn't be possible. However, Jeremiah placed a firm hand on Nunnally's shoulder and spoke in a calmer tone.
"Marianne Vi Britannia was killed eight years ago." He said, looking somewhat distrustfully. "I know because I was there. I saw her body filled with holes, bleeding as she tried to protect her daughter. While Anya Alstreim was under Shockwave's cruel torment for more than six months since the fall of Britannia and I can personally attest to the fact that he would resort to any method to see to the destruction of his enemies."
"I would have to agree." Optimus spoke up as well. "If you are truly who you say you are, and this is not a trick orchestrated by Shockwave, we will need proof."
She knew this was coming. Of course, they'd be skeptical. But, she already knew what to say.
"Do you two remember that one time…. When Anticlea was harassing you?" Marianne began to her children. "She was mocking Nunnally, while you Lelouch tried to stand up to her and… she kicked you in the chin." She spoke that last part with disdain. "Do you remember what I did in response to that?"
"…You piloted the Ganymede into the courtroom and scared her off." Lelouch recalled. But then he looked skeptical. "Then again… such a fiasco was huge news; anyone could have known that."
"Alright, then what about that one night where Euphemia stayed with us?" Marianne asked. "The four of us laid on the grass and gazed up at the stars… but right after that, when you were about to go to bed…" She giggled. "Nunnally and Euphemia got into a fight over which one of them would marry you when you'd grow up, and put you on the spot by making you chose right then and there." She laughed even more. "Your face was so red it was adorable. But then, five minutes later… all three of you fell asleep together." She smiled lovingly.
That was really all they needed to hear. Nobody else knew about that. Maybe Cornelia, but only because Euphemia told her at the time. That was a private moment shared by only them, nothing noteworthy of anyone else in the royal family. And it was something the only adult present at the time would know.
Nunnally covered her mouth as tears flowed from her eyes, even Lelouch shook in his spot. There was no doubt about it. This really was their mother, Marianne Vi Britannia. She even reached out with both her hands to caress the cheeks of her children as tears of joy fell from her own eyes.
"You've both grown up… so much…!"
Nunnally leapt forward and wrapped both her arms around the body shared by Anya and her mother, burring her face in her shoulder and crying her eyes out as Marianne didn't hesitate to return the embrace. Sayoko and Jeremiah shared shocked expressions among themselves. Lelouch fell to his knees in disbelief, unable to process all of this at once, instinctively glancing up to the surprised Optimus, wondering what he should do, but for one of the few times in his life, even the last of the Primes was unsure of what to do.
"H-How…?" Lelouch questioned. "How is this even possible?"
"Geass." Marianne revealed as she and the emotional Nunnally parted ways. "I'm… a contractor of C.C."
That got their attention.
"But the Geass she gave me is not like any of the others. I can't call upon it like most other powers." Marianne explained. "In fact, it can only be activated at the moment of my death. It allows me to transfer mind to the body another person through direct eye-contact. Anya just happened to be there at the time."
"C.C. had given you a Geass?" Optimus asked. "And you have been inside the body of Anya Alstreim all this time."
"That is correct." Marianne confirmed.
"B-But… why…. How… how are we only hearing of this now? You were alive… this whole time…?!" Lelouch was starting to sound rather angry, much to his sister's distress.
"Lelouch…!" Nunnally tried to speak to him.
"No, it's alright." Marianne assured. "Lelouch, do you know who it was that tried to kill me? The one who crippled Nunnally?"
"V.V. also known as Victor Zi Britannia." Lelouch scowled. "Charles' brother."
"Yes." Marianne confirmed. "After that incident, Charles used his own Geass, which V.V. had given him, to alter the memories of everyone who was at the estate that night. That included you, Nunnally, Jeremiah…" She glanced up at the aforementioned man, who was in shock at this revelation. "And even Anya. He had to wipe all mention of his brother's existence in order to keep his plans for Ragnarök under wraps. But since I was also in there… I was subjected to that as well. Our powers… kinda glitched together."
"Glitched?" Optimus questioned.
"Two Geass powers were being used on one person." Marianne tried to explain. "It's the best way I can explain it, but it was because of that, that Anya had 'memory trouble'. By the time I had made sense of what was happening, it was already too late. Japan had been invaded and… I thought you two had died. There was little I could do without the risk of revealing myself and incurring V.V.'s wrath. But I am so sorry… to both of you." She said to her children.
Lelouch still wasn't sure what to make of all this. A lot of what she said did make sense based on what he and his friends already knew, but it still seemed like he needed some convincing as there were still questions to ask.
"But then you and the Knights came to Ashford." He remembered.
"Yes… but I didn't expect to see you or Nunnally there…" Marianne choked up a bit, this part being a lie, but she couldn't tell the truth just yet. "…I… I was so happy to see you, both of you."
"Why didn't you say anything then?" Nunnally asked.
"I didn't think you'd actually believe me if I did." She replied. "I didn't know you were involved with Geass or anything."
"But C.C. was there." Lelouch said. "If you formed a contract with her, why didn't you approach her?"
"Because V.V. was also there." Marianne revealed. "By the time the Knights and I were sent to Area 11, V.V. went there in secret to make sure the Autobots wouldn't mess with the Thought Elevators. If he knew I was still alive… he would tear Ashford to the ground and kill you two along with me and Anya. You've all seen what he's like… and you know how far he would go."
That much was true. Everyone present knew how shallow and psychopathic V.V was. Destroying Ashford and killing everyone in his way to get what he wanted was certainly something they would see him doing.
"Is Anya aware of all of this? Does she know about you?" He questioned.
"She wasn't aware at the time." Marianne replied. "It wasn't until after the Fall of Britannia that I tried to work with her. That and a little help with Prime's Geass…" She glanced up to Optimus before continuing. "…I helped to piece together her memories and we found a way to work together. We worked with Alice's friends and everyone who was being held by Shockwave and… now here we are."
"Is Anya herself aware of what is happening now?" Optimus asked.
"Yes." Marianne confirmed. "We've established a link that even if one is in control of this body, the other can still see and hear everything around us, and we can switch between one another at will. We can even communicate with each other telepathically."
"Is there a way you can be separated from her?" Optimus asked.
"No." Marianne shook her head. "As I said, my Geass can only be activated at the time of my death, or the death of the body I'm currently inhabiting. I can only transfer my mind if Anya dies, but I can't take her mind with me, only my own."
"That's… that's horrible…!" Nunnally gasped.
"Yes, it is." Marianne confirmed with regret. "It's not the power I chose, it's just how it happened."
"I've been equipped with a Geass Canceller. Perhaps I can be of assistance…" Jeremiah offered.
"That would probably erase myself entirely." Marianne said.
"We'll think of a way." Lelouch said. "We'll think of a way to have you and Anya separated. She's been through enough."
"She has. And she says, 'thank you'." Marianne said. "Also… I am so sorry, Lelouch. I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you or Nunnally when you needed me. But… I promise, right here and now, I'm on your side. Anya and I both talked and agreed to fight alongside you, the Autobots, and all your friends. Please let me join you and… finally be here for you." She touched Lelouch's face with both her hands, just as she had done so with him as a child. "I love you… so much. And I am so proud of you…!"
Lelouch could tell that even though those weren't his mother's eyes, that she was dead serious about this. She was serious about helping him and wanting to be here for him. After so many years, he wanted to find out who killed his mother and avenged her. And he had. He learned who the culprit was and brought him to justice. But now… a miracle has happened. His mother was not only alive, but she wanted to be by his side. Seeing her smile and look at him the same way all those years ago finally brought him to tears. Right as he cried, he fell to his knees as Marianne pulled him in close and held him tightly as he wept. Nunnally also wasted no time in hugging both her brother and mother as she cried too.
A smile had formed on Optimus' face, truly happy for this reunion. He and Sayoko both shared happy expressions with one another as the ninja-maid wiped a tear of joy from her eye, feeling the same way Optimus did.
Jeremiah then kneeled before the trio, catching Marianne's attention. "I failed you in the past, Lady Marianne. I swore to protect you, but I failed. However, I have taken a new vow… that I would protect Lelouch and Nunnally with every fiber of my being. That is a vow I have no intention of breaking. And, if you would allow me… I would like to renew my vow to you, to serve and protect you."
Marianne smiled and gave a nod. "Thank you, Jeremiah."
End Flashback
Horai Island - Present Day
Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, Ironhide and Ratchet were all together on the bridge of the Ark as T-AI appeared before them.
"Everyone, Ultra Magnus, Elita-One, Ohgi, Tohdoh, and Cornelia have all returned from their scouting missions." The holographic girl reported. "Nearly all Decepticon activity across the planet has ceased. Most of their forces have retreated from the conquered areas once held by the now defunct Britannia and have reconverged within the main continent."
"Excellent work, T-AI." Optimus nodded. "Monitor all communications and keep us informed. Be certain to send this data to Lelouch as well."
"Got it." T-AI nodded before disappearing.
"Huh, so the Cons are all running, huh?" Bulkhead said with a grin. "Looks like we really scared them off."
"It would also mean that Megatron could actually be gone. For good, this time." Arcee said with a relieved smile.
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." Ironhide put in. "We had thought Megatron was destroyed after Metroplex crushed him, remember how that turned out?"
"Yes… but now the circumstances are different." Ratchet said. "Megatron is trapped in the Shadowzone, within a pocket dimension that can dimension that can only be accessed by the Thought Elevators, and we have confirmation that they've all been destroyed. The odds of Megatron escaping something like that are highly unlikely."
"Even if Megatron is truly gone, the Decepticons still remain an active threat." Optimus said. "Starscream, Schneizel, Soundwave, Steeljaw, Shockwave, and many others. They have each proven to be incredibly dangerous and unpredictable. The war is still far from over."
"But knowing how big Screamy's ego is, and how even his own side doesn't like em, we might get some in-fighting which is only gonna end up helping us." Bulkhead commented.
"And the UFN will be officially formed today." Arcee added. "All of Earth's military forces will be united alongside us and the Black Knights. We'll have more than enough firepower to take down the Decepticons."
"Not to mention the upgrades we've received thanks to the Forge of Solus Prime." Ratchet said as he remembered just days ago seeing Optimus himself wield the mighty hammer to do amazing things. "The Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield were old and ancient by the time we had found them, but thanks to the Forge's power, they're both as good as new. Horai's defenses… as well as the upgrades to the select few Knightmares…! And…" Ratchet paid a brief glance to a certain scout before smiling. "Oh, how the work of the ancients continues to astonish me."
Bulkhead chuckled. "You're kinda starting to sound more like Lloyd, Ratchet. You sure you don't want some… alone time with that hammer." That only caused Ratchet to grumble as most Autobots shared a laugh. "Hey, it's been a while since we had this whole gang back together, ya know? The original team? The Autobots that made first contact with Lelouch, Ohgi, Kallen and everyone else…?"
"Shinjuku seems so long ago… doesn't it." Arcee said with a reminiscent look in her optics. "Who would have thought a small group of Autobots, and ragtag bunch of humans could cause so much change."
Even Optimus couldn't help but smile at that. It was true, what started off as something so small had become so large. People and beings so different have now come together to build a better world than the one that was left behind for them. Though Optimus has long-since accepted that the Autobots and Decepticons as a whole may never truly mend their ways, it brings him such joy to see that humanity still has chance for a brighter future than the old Cybertron ever has. But, he still had hope that one day soon, Cybertron would live again, and a new generation would learn and grow from the failures of the old one.
Lelouch's Quarters
The young revolutionary didn't bother hiding his laughter as he got the reports from T-AI.
"Someone's in a good mood." Kallen pointed out, walking to the chair that he sat in as he looked at his hand-held monitor.
"It's done, look at the reports." Lelouch showed her. "Nearly all Decepticon forces have retreated to the former Britannia! Their actions have shown that Megatron is absent! He's still trapped!"
"Course that's still a massive bulk of metal we gotta plow through." Kallen said. "Not to mention the other top-ranked Cons that are still out there."
"I know." Lelouch acknowledged. "The Decepticons are still a threat, but at the very least… I'm content to know that Megatron can never harm anyone I care for ever again." He laid back with a smile.
Kallen herself couldn't help but smile with him. She knew what he was going through, the intense relief and joy one felt after exterminating a demon that hurt you in the one place you couldn't reach. She and Arcee both felt that same kind of relief when they killed Airachnid. Of course, the thought of Megatron being gone also made her happy. She leaned on the back of his seat as she slowly wrapped her arms around him, gently around his neck. He gazed upwards to see her looking down on her with the kind of smile that he'd only get from her, which only caused his smile to brighten even more. They were so caught up with each other that they almost completely forgot somebody else was in the room with them.
"Um… what should I be doing now?" The amnesiac Cera said from behind.
"Let's see… how about maybe sing a song?" Lelouch said somewhat absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off Kallen.
"And maybe dance with your clothes inside out too." Kallen added in the same way, as she also couldn't advert her gaze from Lelouch either.
"Yes, right away!"
They both finally turned from each other and looked behind to see Cera was preparing to undress herself, much to their shock.
"Wait! Wait! No, that was just a joke!" Lelouch exclaimed as they broke off, but upon that exclamation, Cera sank to her knees and held her arms in front of her face like a frightened child.
"I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!"
Kallen almost couldn't believe it. 'Is this really the same Cera?' She remembered the first time she met her and how cynical she was before becoming a mighty warrior in their ranks and a trusted ally, even friend. But now? Seeing her scared and timid like this? She just couldn't find the words.
Lelouch was the first to slowly kneel to her level and speak calmly, like how Optimus would speak. "It's alright. No one is going to hurt you." Cera slowly looked towards him. "I promise, Cera. You're among friends here, friends who care about you."
The door to his quarters opened as Anya walked in, causing Cera to back away in slight fright. "It's okay…" Kallen assured as she slowly walked in front of her. "She's a friend." This did seem to cause Cera to calm down a bit, though she did hide cautiously behind Kallen.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Sorry to keep asking this, but who am I talking too, right now?" Lelouch asked to be sure.
"Right now, it's Anya. Do you want to talk to your mother?" She requested.
"Actually, I have news for the both of you that I feel you'll like." Lelouch said with a smile.
Kallen also knew that was another reason Lelouch had been so chipper this week. His mother was alive. That certainly came as a surprise when she and all their friends heard. But even more surprising was that she was in Anya's body this whole time, even while at Ashford. That was certainly weird to think about. But regardless, Kallen was glad to know that Anya was safe and away from Shockwave, as well as happy for Lelouch and Nunnally.
"We think we might know a way to separate you two." Lelouch revealed, causing Anya to gasp. "Does the phrase 'Cortical Psychic Patch' ring any bells?"
"I've heard Shockwave and Arkveille talk about it with each other a few times, but I don't quite know what it is." Anya answered.
"Basically, it allows one to enter the mind of another individual." Lelouch explained. "The Decepticons would use this as a form of interrogation. And Suzaku also underwent the process while he was still under Megatron's' command…" That thought caused Lelouch's smile to fade and be replaced with anger over what that monster did to his friend, but he was quick to put it away and continue. "…We've seen that it is possible for humans to undergo the process. That being said, I coined the idea to Ratchet, Rakshata, and all the others, but about using a similar process to transfer my mother's mind from your body into a new one."
Anya couldn't contain her own gasp. She even heard Marianne do the same within her own mind.
"Not only that… after we returned from the Geass Order, I did a blood test on Misty since she was from there, to see if we could try to find out where she was really from. I probably should have done that sooner, though." Lelouch went on. "But we found out, that she's actually a clone."
"A clone?!" Anya looked in surprise.
"A hybrid artificial being." Lelouch continued. "Her body was grown from combining the DNA of my mother and Cera. Maybe it was an attempt to try and replicate her Code. But regardless, she's proven that cloning is possible. And with her DNA, and the advancements of Cybertronian technology, we may be able to clone my mother a new body just for her. It may not be exactly like the one she originally had, but close enough."
"I… I…" Anya had no idea what to say, her eyes watering.
"It'll take some time. There's a lot to consider, but Ratchet says it is a possibility." Lelouch said. "But… I promise, you two won't have to be stuck together forever."
"Lelouch…" Anya was already crying as Kallen went over and put a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Y-you're mother… she wants to say something…"
"Go ahead." He allowed.
Anya's eyes glowed as Marianne took control, who was just as emotional as Anya was just now. "Lelouch… you'd really do that for me…?"
"Of course." His smile only grew as he gently took her hands. "Mother… you've been through so much… but now… now we have chance to start over, all of us. So many people here… Optimus, Cera, Bumblebee, Nunnally, Suzaku, Kallen… everyone… you would not believe the impact they've all had on me. They're… they're like my family and… I want you to be a part of that. I promise, once this war is over, and you have a body of your own again, we can be a family. All of us. And Anya, you're welcome to be a part of all of this too." He said to the girl inside as he knew she was still hearing all of this.
Marianne leapt towards her son and wrapped her arms around him, bawling her eyes out as he emotionally held her close. "I don't deserve you…! I really… really don't deserve you… you magnificent boy…!"
As she continued to watch the tender moment, Kallen nearly choked up, trying to push back her own tears. She happened to glance back at Cera as she smiled at her. While the amnesiac girl still didn't quite understand what was going on, she ended up smiling back.
The mother pulled away from her son as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I still can't believe how much you have grown."
"Guess I had some good influences." Lelouch said. "Perhaps we may even be able to use the Patch to restore Cera's memories." A smirk fell on his face. "I'm sure she'll have plenty of embarrassing stories of you to share with us."
Though that was meant to be a joke, a cold chill ran down Marianne's metaphorical spine at the thought of that. Cera regaining her memories? If she did then… No. She wasn't going to sabotage this. Lelouch should be allowed to pursue this. She would no longer get in her son's way as she had before. However, that also brought to mind another question she had to ask.
"Speaking of which… what happened to V.V. exactly?" Marianne asked.
Lelouch's smile faded as he spoke seriously. "We brought back the Nemesis chassis with him still inside after Megatron was sealed away. We were able to extract him from that metallic body, only to discover that he was dead."
"What?" Marianne looked in surprise. "Dead?" She saw her son give a single nod in confirmation. "What about his Code?"
"I don't know." Lelouch looked away. "The only other person who was with him at that moment in time was Megatron. I don't even want to think of what that could mean, but with all the Thought Elevators destroyed and Megatron sealed away, I am doubtful he can find a use for it."
"And… V.V.'s body?" Marianne wondered.
"We didn't want to take any chances, so we used a Groundbridge to send him straight to the Earth's core." Lelouch answered. "It's over five thousand degrees Celsius, so he'd disintegrate in an instant. Even if he was still somehow alive, he can't teleport out. He'd disintegrate over and over again for as long as the planet still lives." The young prince had a righteously vindictive grin on his face. "About as close as he can get to eternal damnation."
"Good." Marianne said truthfully. "He's done our family a lot of pain."
"He's done so many people pain. I'm just glad he can no longer harm anyone." Lelouch said.
"Well, I should be going." Marianne stood up fully and prepared to leave. "Oh… I do have one request though."
"What is it?" Lelouch asked.
Marianne smirked as she glanced at Lelouch as well as Kallen. "If possible, I'd like to have my new body before I'm a grandmother."
That comment caused Lelouch and Kallen's faces to turn red, which earned a laugh from Marianne before leaving.
"Grandmother?" Cera looked towards Kallen. "Are you with child?"
"What?! No!" Kallen said as her face was redder than the Guren. "That was just a joke!" She said as Lelouch sat back with his head steaming, but he couldn't help but feel happy. For some reason, hearing his mother joke about him and Kallen in a relationship felt like she was giving her blessing for them being together.
As they walked through the hallways, and they were certain they were alone, Anya spoke telepathically as Marianne was still the one in control of their shared body.
"Who are you kidding?" The younger girl thought with spite. "You don't get to act like a kind mother after what you did to them! But you are right about one thing, you definitely do not deserve a son like him, or a daughter like Nunnally!"
"I know." Marianne made no attempt to hide her regret. "But… you won't have to bear with me for much longer. If what they say is true… then..."
"I don't care how you're out of my body, whether your mind gets transferred into a clone, or a Geass canceller erases you. Just as long as you are out! But not before you tell them the truth!" Anya stated.
"And I will…" Marianne reasoned.
"But you haven't! You've had a whole week and you haven't said a thing to them!"
"Neither have you!" Marianne argued. "I can't stop you. You could tell them any time you want. But you didn't…"
Anya paused a moment before responding. "Because they're first priority is assembling the United Federation of Nations. I don't want to distract them."
"Neither do I, which is why I haven't told them yet." Marianne said. "Listen, I know I'm a hypocrite for doing this… but you've seen how happy and hopeful they are. That's lit a fire under them that's gotten all this going. And they're so close to having it done. Once the UFN is officially formed, we can take the fight to the Decepticons and finally rid the world of them! They need to focus on that. But I promise… when it's all said and done… I will tell them the truth."
Again, there was no response from Anya right away. "One week. You have one more week to tell them. If you don't… I will."
"Deal." Marianne accepted. She already knew what would happen once she did tell them the truth. She knew Lelouch and even Nunnally would end up hating her and she didn't blame them. She was resigned to it. She had already made her bed when she joined Charles and helped him with Ragnarök, it will be time for her to soon lie in it. That was something she had already accepted long before she and Anya were both rescued.
"Oh my… I can never get tired of looking at all this Ancient Prime, stuff." Lloyd said as he gazed at the Forge of Solus Prime that currently lay in the massive Knightmare laboratory.
"We agree, my dear Asplund." Rakshata stood next to him. "First, a shield that can deflect any known weapon of mass destruction, then a sword that can cleave a mountain, even a device that can merge other machines together… now a hammer that can create anything out of existence based only on the user's imagination!"
"What I wouldn't give to be a Prime myself and wield this beauty." Lloyd said as if he had fallen in love, caressing his hand on the shiny metal of the Forge. "What I could make…"
"Oh Lloyd, you are about as worthy of being a Prime, as you are likely to quit pudding, cold turkey." Cecile shot as she, Nina, Fixit, Perceptor, and Sophie all joined them, most of them laughing at Cecile's remark.
"Glad to see my assistant has such faith in me." Lloyd said sarcastically while Rakshata just grinned. He then spotted Sophie. "By the way, ever since we caught Arkveille, you've been digging into him non-stop, haven't you Sophie? And I mean quite literally, going into his mind with that cybernetic brain he's got."
"It's not just his brain though, most of his nervous system is cybernetic now." Sophie said. "But it's thanks to that we were able to patch into him and download all his memories, learn more about what he's been doing in the Geass Order."
"But there is one particular subject that you have been looking into." Lloyd already knew what Sophie's primary reason was for going into Arkeville's research.
"While the Cortical Psychic Patch was invented by Shockwave for horrible and irrational methods and outlawed by Autobots…" Fixit began. "With Arkeville's memories and research, we could find a way to fine tune it to awaken those who are stuck in a coma, perhaps even transfer the minds of certain individuals in new cloned bodies."
"But it's all theoretical now." Perceptor quickly said to prevent hopes from getting up too high. "I'm not saying we shouldn't explore options like this, just that we need to be careful and go one-step-at-a-time."
"I know." Sophie said with a faraway look in her eyes. It was her hope that this research could awaken her comatose husband, but she wouldn't rush into this. She knew this was unknown territory for all of them and would go in cautiously.
"But it is good to have hope, right?" Nina said, gently grasping Sophie's hand as she smiled at the older woman. "Hope is a beautiful thing… I lost hope a long time ago. But now… after meeting everyone and seeing the world outside of Area 11 or Britannia… Now I don't feel so shy or alone anymore. So, let's keep hoping, right?" She said with a beaming smile and a giggle.
Sophie smiled back. "Right."
Laughter. That was what could be heard outside as the group consisting of Leila, Akito, Sideswipe, Ryo, Grindcore, Yukiya, Ayano, Anna, Claus, and even Windblade as they all sat together with the humans in the group helping themselves to some ramen from a nearby food stand as they remembered their time with the gypsies back in the EU.
"And the guy was wearing a dress…!" Ryo laughed. "But with a face like that… you could almost mistake him for a girl!"
"Who would have thought the great Zero could be such a cutie." Yukiya joked, causing most of the group to laugh, save for Akito who merely smiled as opposed to outright laughter.
"These old ladies sound like they're a lot of fun." Grindcore said. "Wish we were with you guys back then."
"You kidding? Seeing giant metal robots might have given those old cronies a heart-attack." Yukiya said.
"Not those hags." Ayano replied. "No, those ladies had nerves of steel. Old Clause here wouldn't last ten seconds." She nudged the older man in the side.
"Eh, probably not." He said as he drank from his flask.
"Wonder what they would do with old Slick, here." Windblade nudged Sideswipe in the side. "Maybe they got something more his size."
"I can see him becoming more feminine myself, the same way he's so egotistical about his appearance, the same way most human females on this planet are." Strongarm joined in. "No offense, you three." She quickly said to Leila, Ayano, and Anna.
"None taken." They all replied at the same time with Leila petting Eliza on her lap.
"Was that some sort of jab about me being shallow or something?" Sideswipe said in a partial accusatory fashion.
"You make it sound as if we never suspected that of you to begin with." Akito commented.
That actually caused most people to look at him in surprise. "D-did… did you just make a joke?" Claus questioned. A proud smile formed on his face. "Akito Hyuga, the feared Ghost of Hannibal, has a sense of humor. Who knew?"
"Look out… or he might kill you all with his unnatural smiles." Grindcore joked, causing everyone to laugh even more, with Akito simply smiling.
"I suppose you've all rubbed off on me." Akito admitted.
"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Leila said as she reached out with her hand to lightly grasp his own.
One look into her beautiful eyes only cause his smile to grow even more as his heart felt lighter. He knew they still had a difficult trial ahead of them, with the war still raging on and his twisted brother still out there, just being here with everyone else, all the friends that he made, and the young woman that he had come to love… all his troubles seemed far away. He felt like he could accomplish anything.
Meanwhile, in a much similar setting, one group consisted of Marrybell, Orpheus, Oldrin, Ashley, Sokkia, Leonhardt, Toto, Jean, and Makira all sat together under their newly constructed ship, the Grandberry MK II. It looked almost exactly like the original ship the Glynda Knights operated, now it had a black face to it that carried the emblem of the Autobot-Black Knight Alliance on it.
"Ah, look at that beauty." Sokkia said with a smile. "It's sad what happened to the old Grandberry, but I think this one will suffice."
"How were you able to build a new ship so fast, again?" Orpheus asked.
"Cornelia and her team had brought down Schneizel's ship, the Avalon, during their Relic retrieval mission." Oldrin explained. "Our side was able to scavenged all the parts from that and combine it with what we could salvage from the Grandberry and… here we are."
"Kinda fitting, considering he betrayed us." Marrybell said with a glare at the mention of the brother who betrayed not only their world, but their family.
"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to what this badass mother can do." Ashley grinned. He then chuckled. "If you think about, this thing is basically a turducken."
That caused everyone to look at him with ridiculous expressions, save for Jean as she simply looked in mental exhaustion. "Ashley…"
"Hey, wait just hear me out, guys!" Ashley began. "See, this thing is supposed to have Knightmares inside it, right? Well that's the chicken part… and yes, I did the research and it turns out that it's a chicken stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey. And most of that traitor-bitch Schneizel's ship was taken apart to be re-constructed to help build the frame, so that's the duck part. And finally, the old Grandberry's parts were built over it to look like the original, making the turkey! See, we got a giant flying metal turducken here!"
"I… don't know whether you're joking or being serious." Marrybell commented.
"How have you put up with him for so long?" Makira asked Jean.
"I just tune out half the stuff he says." She replied.
"Only half?" Makira raised an eyebrow.
Despite that, the group couldn't help but find some levity in this one moment they shared together. This couldn't make Toto any happier. In fact, ever since confessing to her friends her origin and helping to bring down the Geass Order, everything just seemed so much brighter to her. She not only had friends to depend on, but she was also part of something that was truly changing the world for the better. In this moment, she felt she truly was where she belonged.
And that was made all the more evident as Oldrin reached out to grab Toto's hand with a smile, earning a smile from her as well. Oldrin then did the same with her twin brother, smiling as she held his hand, and he smiled as well as he tightened his grip over her hand.
"The Irregulars?" Dalque asked as she, Alice, Nunnally, Sancia, Lucretia, and Misty, all stood alongside Grimlock.
"That's right." Alice confirmed. "After you were cleared from medical, and you all said you wanted to join this alliance, I asked for Zero to bring us together as our own team. Our unit's name will be called the Irregulars."
"I think it's kinda fitting, considering how much we all stand out… for obvious reasons." Sancia commented.
"And you're the one leading this group?" Dalque asked Grimlock, feeling rather nervous around the massive Dinobot.
"Yes." He answered simply. "I know what it feels like to be a bit of an outsider, even with those on the same side. And… to be on the receiving end of experimentation." Grimlock truly did feel a kindred connection with each of these girls, he saw quite a bit of himself in them as well as his own team. For that reason, he would look after them.
Grimlock felt a gentle touch on his leg and looked down to see the tiny Nunnally looking up toward him with a sympathetic expression. He simply nodded in acknowledgement.
"But Alice, I thought you were part of the Zero Squad." Lucretia pointed out.
"I was, but this was still my choice." Alice said. "Anya and Jeremiah are going to be taking my place, now."
"And you? What role will you play?" Dalque asked Misty. "You're not a pilot."
"I'll be serving as logistics and coordination." Misty offered. "In a way, I'm an irregular too."
"Are you alright, Misty?" Nunnally asked as she gently took her hand. "How are you… dealing with…?"
"That I'm a hybrid clone of your mother and Cera?" Misty finished. "Honestly… it doesn't feel all that big a deal for me."
"Really?" Even Grimlock was somewhat surprised.
"Really." Misty assured. "I mean, I didn't expect it but… before escaping the Geass Order with Orpheus, I knew nothing. I was nothing. I had no past or family or even a home. But now… I have all that. I don't care for my origin anymore, all that matters is what I am right here and now, what I chose to be. And I chose to be Misty Ix, in Irregular of the Black Knight-Autobot Alliance."
Nunnally and Alice couldn't help but smile in pride at how far she's come. "Well said." Alice nodded with approval.
"What about our Knightmares? They were wrecked after that whole battle." Lucretia asked.
"It's all ready." Nunnally told them as she handed each of the three girls' data-pads, each one showing their repaired units, complete with new paintjobs. "Ratchet and everybody were able to reverse engineer that awful Nemesis Prime machine and use its parts to repair most of the damage. Everything else was easy enough for them to fix."
"They took apart that knock-off bot that V.V. piloted and used it to fix our units?" Dalque asked as she looked away with a satisfied and borderline vengeful grin. "Good."
"After everything that monster put us through… all of us…" Alice put a hand on Nunnally's shoulder, fully aware of what he did to her. "The fact that something that was once his is being used to build us back up again is rather cathartic." She grinned. "I imagine he must be throwing a fit in his grave right now."
"Well, I can think of at least one other that deserves to be on the receiving end of our new suits." Sancia commented.
"Shockwave." Grimlock growled.
"We'll all get our vengeance on him for what he did to us… all of us." Alice said that last part toward Grimlock, to which he wholeheartedly agreed.
"Speaking of which, you still have to name your Knightmares." Nunnally offered.
"Name them?" Lucretia asked.
"Of course." Nunnally smiled. "Alice named hers the Pegasus, so you have to name all yours too."
"You were the one that named it, Nunnally." Alice pointed out with a half-grin.
"But you still like it." Nunnally gave a bigger smile, causing Alice to teasingly push her away.
"Name them, hmmm?" Dalque began to think at first, looking at the data pad of her newly customized Knightmare. Gone was its black and purple design, now it was white with green armor on its upper body and weapons. "Well… it's primary weapons do kinda look like dragon mouths… how about Dragon?"
"Don't the Black Knights already have a team with the name 'dragon' in it?" Lucretia pointed out.
"The Black Dragon unit, yes." Misty confirmed. "And just 'Dragon' alone sounds pretty generic."
"Maybe something a bit more specific?" Nunnally offered. "If you don't mind, I remember Suzaku and even Tohdoh telling me about Japanese myths involving specific dragons… what about Ryujin? It's the Japanese dragon god of the sea. If you don't like it, that's fine. I'm just making a suggestion."
"Ryujin?" Dalque took a moment to let the name go through her head. She smiled. "I like it. Ryujin it is."
"Alright, my turn." Lucretia looked at her Knightmare, which was primarily red and white. She noted the double-mounted Energon guns. "Maybe something involving weapons… or metal even… hey, quick question… what's the strongest metal on Earth?"
"Tungsten." Misty answered.
"That's it. I'll name my unit Tungsten." Lucretia stated.
"I guess that just leaves me." Sancia pulled out the info on her unit, taking a look at how its appearance changed as well, which was now primarily white, though it had a black coloring to it on its armored chest plate, it also had white shoulder pads. She looked at the curved blades that it wielded. For some reason, she thought of a scorpion's tail when she saw the shape of the blades. "Maybe something related to a scorpion… maybe Scorpio?"
"I like it." Alice nodded.
"Simple and easy to remember." Dalque approved.
"I think it's great!" Nunnally beamed.
"It suits just fine with me." Lucretia said.
"Named after one of the Zodiacs. I think it's fine." Misty approved as well.
"Scorpio it is, then." Sancia decided.
"That settles it, we're a team now!" Nunnally said excitedly.
"We?" Grimlock interjected. "You're not a fighter."
"Maybe not but… I want to help." She responded. "I want to be a part of this. Plus… you're all important to Alice and she's important to me, so that makes you all important to me too."
That caused Alice to blush as she looked away to try and wipe her blush away before addressing her friends. "Lucretia, Sancia, Dalque… I love you guys. I love you as if you were my own sisters… but Nunnally… she touched me in a way I didn't think was possible. Having her in my life made me want to be better… and… I want that for all of you. I want the people who are most important to me… to be together with me. All of them. So… please… will you consider Nunnally to be one of us?" She bowed her head.
The three Irregulars shared glances for a moment before the oldest, Sancia, walked over and placed a hand on Alice's shoulder. "Of course, we will. Anyone who's a friend to you is a friend to us."
"You know we're a tight-knit group but… who can say no to anyone this adorable?" Dalque wrapped her arms around Nunnally as if she were something to cuddle, causing Nunnally herself to blush.
"She also did help to save us from the Geass Order so, I'd be more than happy to have her with us." Lucretia added.
"Well looks like it's unanimous. Nunnally, consider yourself an honorary Irregular." Sancia said.
Nunnally and Alice both smiled so widely as they each shed tears of joy before all six girls came together in a group hug. As they shared this tender moment, Grimlock couldn't help but feel a great deal of happiness for them. Yet, at the same time, it made him miss his own team even more. But, while nobody could ever replace Swoop, Slug, Snarl, and Sludge, these girls were his team too and he would fight beside them and protect them with every fiber of his being. When he would find his team, and he will, the first thing he would do would be to introduce them to these girls. He had feeling that Swoop would especially take a liking to them.
"Excuse me, Nunnally."
All their eyes were directed to two specific individuals, one being Nunnally's former maid now bodyguard, the other being Kallen's mother.
"Sayoko? Akari?" Nunnally asked.
The two women shared smiles with one another as the nurse spoke. "It's time."
"…And so, by ratifying this charter, it will give birth to an alliance that will ultimately push the Decepticons off our world!" Zero declared as he, Euphemia, Wizard, Leila, Xingke, Tianzi, Kaguya, Kirihara, the still-Geassed Smilas, and Velaines all stood together along with Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus on a stage before many delegates of various nations on Earth. A large holographic map of the planet Earth was displayed behind them, with most of the landmasses glowing blue, while the North American continent was glowing purple, emphasizing Decepticon control.
"And its name shall be the United Federation of Nations!" Zero revealed, causing many of the delegates to look in awe and surprise.
"The purpose of this charter is not only to remove the Decepticon threat, but to ensure a peaceful future for our world so that no superpower like Britannia can ever rise again!" Euphemia said.
"The EU has already pledged its full support to this charter." Leila revealed.
"The Chinese Federation stands by them as well." Xingke added.
"Euro-Britannia will also lend its aid." Velaines spoke up.
"Already, all military forces from the three superpowers have lent their support and will rally behind the Black Knights and the Autobots." Smilas said.
"Once this charter has been ratified, we'll begin our final campaign against the Decepticons." Wizard stated.
Optimus Prime then stepped forward. "All Decepticon forces are currently occupying the continent that was once the Britannian homeland, with their capital known as New Kaon residing where Pendragon once stood. The continent is protected by a defensive wall that is meant to keep out any and all intruders."
The holographic image of Earth changed to reveal an image of one section of the large and metallic walls that occupied the entire continent's outer boarder, which was lined with multiple large cannons. But one particular area of interest was a massive tower in the center.
"However, we've also managed to learn that this defensive wall is controlled by a series of command towers at various points throughout the structure." Ultra Magnus revealed.
"If even one of these towers were to fall, the entire system will collapse and leave the continent open for invasion." Kaguya stated.
"The operation is simple." Optimus went on. "The Autobot-Black Knight Alliance will launch a full-scale assault on one of these towers to take the entire system off-line. Once that is done, all the planet's military will begin a sweeping campaign that will purge all Decepticon forces from the continent and push them off the planet!"
"But we must solidify this charter now, before the Decepticons can muster their forces and further strengthen their defenses." Zero decreed. "Time decides our victory or defeat. I ask that you all cooperate only on the focus of our plan. I know that representatives here must discuss the needs of their own individual countries… but remember… what you decide will forever change the course of world history!"
With that declaration, the entire representatives were in an uproar of applause and cheers. Among them was Diethard, who had recorded the whole thing as he looked with a fanatical and gleeful expression.
'They did it… they actually did it. They've united the whole of humanity…!'
Meanwhile, the door to Lelouch's personal quarters opened as Rai, Shirley, Milly, and Rivalz entered.
"Hello? Anyone home?" Rivalz called out.
A quick yelp caught their attention as they saw the amnesiac Cera hide behind a bookcase.
"Rivalz, don't scare her!" Shirley scolded as she set down a small box on the nearby table. "Hey, it's okay…" She spoke to Cera as she slowly and calmly walked closer toward her with an encouraging smile, gently holding out her hand. "We won't hurt you, I promise. We're friends of Lelouch."
Despite still being nervous and unsure… Cera looked at the smiling face of the girl in front of her, and that smile seemed enough to lower her anxiety, only slightly though, as she slowly reached out to gently take Shirley's hand and be led out into the open.
"Do… Do you remember any of us?" Shirley asked, only causing Cera to look in confusion.
'She really has lost her memories.' Rai thought with a sympathetic expression. He knew exactly what she was going through right now. To wake up in an unfamiliar environment, to be surrounded by strangers you don't even know… The best thing he could do for her was help her feel more comfortable until they found a way to restore her memories.
"It's alright. Let us introduce ourselves. My name is Rai… this is Shirley, Rivalz, and Milly. You don't have to be afraid of us. I promise, nobody is going to hurt you." He assured with a smile.
Cera looked at each of them. "Rai… Shirley… Rivalz… and Milly."
"Yeah, that's right." Milly said as she walked over to open the box that Shirley set you down. "We brought you something to eat. Pizza." She revealed the warm dish that was inside.
"Pizza…?" Cera had never seen anything like this. They said it was something to eat. Was it food?
"Yeah, it's food. You eat it. Like this…" Rivalz took a piece and ate the small part of it first. "Hmm, that is good. Try it."
Seeing how they encouraged her, Cera slowly picked up a piece herself. She sniffed it for a second, it certainly smelled good. She then took a small bite, that's when her eyes widened. The sensation and taste were unlike anything she felt before. She then proceeded to eat more.
"You like it?" Shirley asked with a smile, while Cera nodded with a full mouth before she continued to eat.
"Would this really bring her memory back?" Rivalz asked Rai with a whisper. "Like a taste-muscle-memory or something?"
"That's not a real thing." Rai whispered back. "I honestly doubt having her favorite food could undo whatever Megatron did to her, but… it's still nice."
"What about that mind-patch thing Nina and Ratchet were talking about?" Rivalz still asked. "Could that fix it up?"
"Maybe…" Rai thought for a second. He even remembered Lelouch thinking about possibly cloning Cera's body, and if that body didn't have a Code to it, they could transfer her mind to that body so that she could be mortal again. But they still had a lot of testing to work out before they even began to think about doing it.
"Hey, listen." Shirley got Cera's attention. "We want you to know… you don't have to be so nervous. I get that you don't really know anyone here but… you can consider us your friends."
Cera swallowed the food in her mouth before answering. "Friends?"
"You do know what a friend is, right?" Rivalz asked, only for Rai nudge his side with his mechanical arm. "Ow!"
"A friend is… someone who cares about you and likes you… right?" Cera answered, unsure of her own response.
"Yeah, something like that." Milly answered. "A friend is a person who cares about you and is always there for you. And that's what we want to be with you."
"You may not remember what happened before… but you've had such a huge impact on all our lives." Rai said as he kneeled to Cera's level and smiled. "You are our friend, Cera. No matter what… we got your back. We'll always be here for you. Don't ever forget that."
She didn't know why, but these people that she had met… including the young master she currently served… they weren't like anybody else she worked for. They were kind, they were patient, and they always seemed to have a smile on their faces. Before she knew it, she found herself smiling along with them.
"Alright! Drinks all around!" Tamaki exclaimed as he brought a whole bunch of beer bottles for everyone present, which included Suzaku, Euphemia, Cornelia, Ohgi, Chigusa, and Guilford, and even the former Knights of the Round consisting of Gino, Anya, Nonette, and Monica. Ironhide, Warpath, Hot Shot, Wheeljack, and Chromia were all present as well.
"Uh Tamaki… I don't drink… plus Anya's underage…" Suzaku said.
"But she's got a ghost of an adult lady inside her." Tamaki slung his arm around him with an already open bottle in the other. "Don't be such a party pooper, Kururugi."
"You know by now that Autobots don't drink." Ironhide pointed out.
"But, we do have reason to celebrate." Chromia said. "After that whole speech, pretty much every country's already signing up for the UFN."
"And once all that boring political stuff is outta the way, it's on to the real fun part." Wheeljack grinned.
"I hear that!" Warpath agreed as he and Wheeljack slammed their arms together. "And we owe it all to this guy!" He patted Hot Shot on the back.
"You brought the Forge of Solus Prime here, Hot Shot! That was incredible!" Nonette stated with a wide grin.
"What can I say? I'm a Wrecker. We always shoot big." Hot Shot said with a satisfied grin.
"Well, that's not the only reason we're celebrating." Gino put his arm around Anya. "We got the whole gang back together!"
"We're all really happy to have you back, Anya. Even if you have someone else inside you." Monica smiled as she, Gino, and Nonette gathered around their comrade, who couldn't help but get a little emotional.
"Thank you…"
"And reason to celebrate number three… Buckethead has finally kicked the bucket!" Tamaki held up his half-empty bottle with a wide grin.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ironhide put in.
"Oh, come on!" Tamaki complained. "Don't be a party pooper, too Ironhide!"
"No, I have to agree with him." Suzaku said with a serious look. "I just… can't help but get this bad feeling that he might still be out there."
"It has been over a week though, and we've still seen no sign of Megatron." Guilford said.
"Even what Decepticon radio-chatter we could intercept suggests he's missing in action." Chigusa added.
"I just… like to feel more comfortable if we had more… concrete proof." Suzaku commented.
"It's not like we can fetch his body or anything considering the overly complicated trap that Lelouch and Optimus put him in." Cornelia commented.
"I… kinda feel the same way myself." Euphemia said. "Megatron has done so much damage… to many of us personally… I'd love nothing more than for him to be truly gone. But…. Without knowing for certain… I can't help but feel more than a little nervous." But she felt her own hand being gently squeezed and looked to see Suzaku's assuring smile.
"I know what I just said… but if he ever truly does come back, I won't rest until he's put in the ground for good." Suzaku vowed.
"You mean, we won't rest." Ironhide told him. "Don't forget Suzaku, we're all in this together. Cybertronian, Japanese, Britannian, all of us."
"Till All Are One, right?" Suzaku responded.
"Till All Are One." Ironhide confirmed with a nod.
'Till All Are One…' Marianne thought as she remained inside Anya's body with the girl in control as she continued to mingle with her teammates and friends. That particular phrase, it sounded very similar to what Charles wanted to do with humanity through Ragnarök. But at the same time, it almost felt like just the opposite. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that at first, other than regret that she didn't leave sooner.
"Excuse me… Suzaku, Cornelia, Euphemia…" They all looked to see Jeremiah approaching them.
"Jeremiah, would you care to join us?" Chigusa invited.
"I'd love to but… I was told to fetch you three specifically, as well as you, Lady Marianne" Jeremiah said to Suzaku and the former princesses, and even the ghost-like individual that currently dwelled in Anya's body. "It's Lady Nunnally."
Her eyes slowly fluttered open as the anesthesia had worn off completely. It wasn't meant to be a big dose that would knock her out for hours on end, at most it was just one hour. But Nunnally had awoken as she pulled herself up from the hospital bed with Akari and Cecile checking her over.
"Hello Nunnally. Are you doing alright?" Akari asked.
"I'm just fine… thank you." Nunnally said.
"And your legs?" Cecile asked.
Nunnally slowly looked at her lower body, her only clothing besides undergarments was a hospital gown, where she had a clear view of her own legs. No longer were they covered by the cybernetic exo-casts that used Cybertronian nanotechnology to repair all the damaged nerves and restore muscles that had been fatigued due to the lack of use for years. She could see the bare skin of her own legs. But more than anything…
She could feel them. Her eyes shook as she felt her own toes twitch. She could feel her legs all the way down to her toes, something she never felt since she was so little. She gasped as her eyes watered, prompting Akari to place calming hands on the girl's shoulders, but she couldn't help but cry herself as she had gotten to know Nunnally quite a bit during their time together and was beyond happy for her.
"Alright, let's sit up slowly." Cecile instructed as Nunnally pushed herself up from the bed and slowly set her feet down on the ground. She could feel the cool touch of the metal floor underneath, and despite that being unwelcomed for most people, that was a sensation she more than welcomed herself, and it only made her more excited. She almost lost her balance, but Akari was able to help steady her. Taking her hands away, she and Cecile watched as Nunnally was able to stand on her own two feet without any kind of incident for the first time in eight years.
Nunnally almost couldn't believe it! She was standing and walking on her own! She heard how this technology could enable her to walk again, but now that she was experiencing it for the first time….
"Now let's try and take it as slow as possible." Cecile encouraged. "You don't want to…" She was interrupted as Nunnally broke out into a run, much to the women's shock.
"Wha… Nunnally!" Akari was startled by this action, prompting her and Cecile to try and run after her.
The young girl had sprinted out of the hospital room where so many other people, including Lelouch, Kallen, Suzaku, Rai, Euphemia, Sayoko, Cornelia, Jeremiah, Kaguya, Anya, Shirley, Milly, Rivalz, Nina, Tohdoh, Marrybell, Alice and all her friends, and even Leila and Akito all appeared to be waiting. But none of them had expected Nunnally to run out at a full sprint.
"Nunnally…!" Suzaku was more than shocked. But as Lelouch was the first to rush after his sister, everyone else was quick to join him. Though the young revolutionary pulled out his communicator to contact a certain someone…
"Bumblebee…? Are you there?"
Nunnally ran at full speeds and was already out of the medical building, running through the open outside of Horai Island. She ran past many people and the occasional Autobot, many of them looking with curiosity and confusion at the young girl that sprinted past them. As she ran, she couldn't help but laugh as well as cry. She was running! For the first time in almost a decade! She was running on her own two feet! She was filled with so much emotion that it practically fueled all the energy she was using as she ran. She didn't know how far or how long she was running, but that didn't matter to her. All that mattered was the sensation of the air across her face and the feeling of energy surging through her fully restored legs as she ran.
Finally, Nunnally had to stop. Fortunately, she stopped at an area that had been constructed specifically for farming and growing vegetables and fruit, so there was plenty of soft grass for her to stand on. And even then, as she felt her hands on her knees to catch her breath, the soft and gentle feel of the grass beneath her bare feet was such a warm and welcomed feeling to her. She even opened up her arms with a laugh as she let herself soak in the bright sun that hung over the sky. This feeling, right here and now, it almost felt like she was born all over again.
"Nunnally!" She heard her beloved brother call her name. It didn't take long for him and everyone else to catch up, with Lelouch being the first to get to her. "You shouldn't be too active. You could…"
Lelouch was however interrupted as Nunnally grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to the ground with her tackling him and rolling across the ground, much to all their friends' and family's surprise. Nunnally rolled along with Lelouch for a bit until she was on top of him, where she laughed and cried at the same time, her smile was filled with so much emotion and child-like innocence, that the second Lelouch saw all that, any worries he felt melted away as he too became filled with just as much emotion as she. He was able to pull himself up slightly to a sitting position as Nunnally leapt at him with an emotional hug, something he didn't hesitate for a second to return.
All the people who watched them couldn't help but feel the same kind of joy that they were feeling. Euphemia, Cornelia, Rai, Shirley, Alice, Milly, Leila, Akari, Cecile, Sayoko, Kaguya, and even Suzaku were all openly crying, while Rivalz and Kallen tried to push their own tears down, trying to put on a tough act of sorts. Akito, Tohdoh, and Jeremiah all simply smiled.
As for both Anya and Marianne… tears were shed. Tears from both of them. Marianne honestly couldn't believe that her own daughter was walking on her own two feet again! After what V.V. did, even Britannia's most advanced medical technology couldn't restore her legs. And yet, here she was. It was truly beautiful.
Large metallic footsteps were heard from the side as Lelouch and Nunnally all turned to see Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ratchet, Elita-One, and Bulkhead approach them, all of whom were smiling, truly happy for the pair of siblings.
"Thank you… Ratchet…" Nunnally cried as it was his research and technology that helped make all this possible. "Thank you so much…"
"Yeah, Doc's a real miracle worker, isn't he?"
"Yes he…" However, Nunnally's eyes widened in absolute shock. She then turned to the black and yellow Autobot as he stepped forward and kneeled to her level. "B-Bum… Bumblebee…" Her voice shook. "Y-You're voice…"
A tiny plate on his face opened to reveal Bumblebee's mouth he spoke for the first time in years. "Guess who's got his pipes back."
"B-but… how… I don't…?"
"The Forge of Solus Prime." Lelouch explained. "First thing we did with it was use it to repair Bumblebee's voice box."
"Technically speaking, I created a brand new one, in which Ratchet used to replace the one that was damaged." Optimus added.
"I may have failed to save the old one… but I believe this one should suffice just fine. It is a perfect replica of the one he had lost." Ratchet said with a content smile.
"T-that was a week ago…" Nunnally stuttered. "W-why am I… why now…?"
"Well considering your legs were about to be fully healed around the time, your over-protective and borderline egotistical big brother over here wanted the whole thing to be a surprise." Bumblebee revealed. "Sorry I haven't been talking to you since then. Again, it was all his idea." He pointed to Lelouch, who gave a half-smirk.
"But you agreed to it wholeheartedly." The former prince commented.
"True." Bee admitted before looking back to Nunnally. "So, what do you think?" He asked, referring to the sound of his own voice. "Like butter to your ears?"
Nunnally, once again, cried tears of joy, truly happy for Bumblebee. "It's beautiful… But…" A half-smirk of her own crossed her otherwise emotional face. "I was also expecting something of a buzz to it, given your name."
"Funny, that's what I was thinking." Lelouch joked. "And that is a possibility… maybe tweak your voice box a bit…"
"Yeah, not happening." Bumblebee said with a fake glare, which disappeared as all three of them shared a laugh together. "Hey, if you're all finished gawking and crying up there, why don't you come down here and join the celebration?" He said to all the gathered friends and family members.
"God, I'm still not used to hearing him talk." Kallen commented as she wiped her own tears from her eyes as everyone came down to meet with all the Autobots and the happy trio of siblings.
There was one who remained behind at a distance as he watched everyone in this surrogate family celebrate and laugh together. Optimus Prime could not describe the joy he felt in his spark. First one of his oldest friends had regained what many had thought would be lost forever, now one of the most pure and noble souls had regained something of her own. While it was true that those responsible had taken things from them that they may never get back, what they could get back, they did. And Optimus couldn't be any happier, he even felt a gaze and turned to his side to see Elita smile in his direction. The two didn't need to say anything to each other, one look in each of their optics said it all.
Another who kept her distance was Marianne, still inside Anya's body. As much as she wanted to join them, she felt it wasn't right for her to do so. As much as it made her happy to see Nunnally see and walk again, it also filled her with a great deal of regret knowing all the pain that her daughter and son had to endure following that horrible incident, and how she was responsible for that as well. The more she saw all this, all these people, human and Autobot, interacting with her children… notably how Bumblebee carried himself like an older brother for the two… or even the gentle gaze of Optimus Prime who stood as the father that they never had and the one they deserved… she realized something right then and there.
'This… this is their real family. You were wrong, Charles. We both were.'
The Nemesis
Starscream and Schneizel currently resided in an Energon vault, one that seemed secure enough for the two to speak privately, unless one could count the special device that Schneizel had that allowed him to send coded messages to Kanon and vice versa. It was a special form of binary, one that had specific words that would seem random to the layman, so that even if Soundwave could intercept it, it would just be some random gibberish that not even he would make sense out of.
Schneizel had received one message in particular that caused him to smile. "Kanon says everything is ready. Despite a few of my siblings being a bit unsure… they've all agreed to our proposal."
"Well, the only other option they had is to be wiped out with the rest of their pathetic race." Starscream replied. "Do they truly believe they can bring about a new humanity with only half-a-dozen or so?"
"Anticlea has proposed the idea of incest believe it or not." Schneizel commented, sounding unsurprised. "Even now, they still stick to their so-called pureblood ambitions."
Starscream rolled his eyes. "I suppose I can tolerate their idiocy just a bit longer. But once it's all said and done, we are finally leaving this barren rock behind us!"
"Oh, come now, Starscream. You can't tell me Earth wasn't all bad?" Schneizel said trying to inject some humor.
"I despise this planet!" The Seeker stated firmly. "If it isn't a scorching desert, it is a frigged wasteland! Not to mention all those wretched humans…! Never setting foot on this mudball again would make me a very happy Decepticon. But first, we must tread carefully…"
"You firmly believe Megatron still lives?" Schneizel asked. "Even with your declaration as leader?"
"Megatron has come back from the dead before. It wouldn't surprise me if he was still out there somewhere." Starscream responded.
"Well, I sincerely doubt he'll survive if his whole body is completely obliterated." Schneizel said with an ambitious grin, one that matched Starscream's own.
"Let him come back, then. Even he will fall to Damocles." Starscream said. "And whatever Decepticons are foolish enough to still remain loyal to his ways… will be powerless before our ultimate weapon, my Apex Armor, and of course… those who serve us."
"And you are certain that your Seekers, Knock Out, and the Constructicons will side with us?" Schneizel wanted to make sure.
"My Seekers are unequivocally loyal to their commander; I have led them long before I even joined Megatron!" Starscream boasted. "Knock Out will side with whoever has the most power, and that will be us. The Constructicons only joined the Decepticons in the first place as they were laborers and sought more, but they are still that under Megatron's reign. Convincing Mixmaster and his lackies to join us wasn't all that difficult."
"Then it seems we are well on our way, aren't we… Lord Starscream?" Schneizel asked, his ambitious grin returning.
"Just as I've said when we've began this little coup…" The Seeker matched the former prince's grin with one of his own. "…You scratch my back, I scratch yours."
Unbeknownst to them, there was another individual who had been listening to their entire conversation. Hidden within the ducts above the vault was Steeljaw, who had remained quiet and heard every word they said.
'Well now… this just got interesting.'
The Next Morning
This was it. Today was the day. It was the day of the UFN charter ratification ceremony. All countries had signed and agreed to join the alliance. And this would be broadcasted all over the world, Diethard would see to it personally that humankind as a whole saw this.
"Yes, we've finished preparations for our world-wide broadcast." Diethard reported. "Lady Kaguya, Lady Tianzi, and Lady Euphemia are all preparing as we speak."
"Right. Thank you." Lelouch replied back over his communication before switching to another line. "Optimus, I'm on my way. See to it that everyone is there. We'll be deploying immediately once the ceremony is over."
"Understood. See you soon." Optimus replied.
"Will the rest of you be okay here?" Lelouch asked as Shirley, Rivalz, and Milly all sat near Cera in his personal quarters.
"We'll be fine, don't worry Lulu." Shirley assured.
"Yeah, you just go out there and kick some Con ass!" Rivalz pumped his fist.
"And don't worry, we'll take good care of Cera." Milly said as she put a hand on the amnesic girl's shoulder.
"You better not be thinking of doing anything perverted to her while I'm gone." Lelouch stated.
"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad!" Milly complained.
"We'll make sure Milly stays in line." Shirley said.
"So, um…" Cera tried to speak up, somewhat nervously. "Um… I've heard that… these metal giants are good… so maybe… I can… speak to them later?" She asked with a nervous yet hopeful smile.
Lelouch was somewhat surprised by that, remembering how terrified she was when she saw Optimus back at the Geass Order, but now she seems interested. Maybe she won't have her memories back yet, but this still seemed like a good first step.
"I'm sure they'd love that." Lelouch smiled as he put his Zero mask on and left.
The second the masked Revolutionary stepped outside, he was greeted by the smiling and encouraging faces of Kallen, Nunnally, Suzaku, Rai, Jeremiah, and Sayoko.
"R-Regarding the Union of the Nation's charter…" Tianzi practiced her portion of her speech in her own quarters with Xingke and his soldiers providing help. "I will leave explanation of it to the dual representatives of the Supreme Council, Kaguya Sumerargi and Euphemia li Britannia." She took a tired sigh.
"Are you alright?" Xingke asked with a smile. "We could always…"
"No, I'm good." Tianzi said with an excited smile. "I can keep going."
"You're the Empress. We know you can." Zhou encouraged.
"Dual representative?" Cornelia asked as Euphemia prepared herself with Guilford and the former Knights of the Round in attendance as well.
"It's something Kaguya, Lelouch, and Optimus all agreed with, and I think it works best." Euphemia explained. "If it's just a Britannian princess, even a former one, who's at the head, people could misinterpret this charter as just a façade and a possible return of the Britannian Empire and that's not what I want."
"So, you're standing on equal ground with someone who isn't a Britannian and demonstration that the old ways are done." Guilford commented before he smiled. "I'd say that's a brilliant idea."
Euphemia took a look at herself in the mirror briefly. "It was this face that started a horrible massacre…" All of them grimaced, recalling the SAZ. But she looked at her reflection in determination. "Now it'll be this face that helps bring the world back together!"
That earned smiles of pride from everyone present as they couldn't be any prouder.
Tamaki laughed as he appeared to be quite drunk, sitting in the room with various Japanese Black Knights, along with Ohgi, Tohdoh, Chiba, Kaguya, and even Chigusa.
"Okay Tamaki, I think you've had enough." Ohgi said as he took the bottle from Tamaki's hands.
"Hah, look at you buddy." The drunken Tamaki threw an arm around Ohgi's shoulder. "You used to be such a pussy back when this whole thing started…" He hiccupped. "But when we met Zero and Optimus you grew a spine and became a badass..." He hiccuped again as Chigusa pulled him away.
"Well, he's not wrong. You really have grown, haven't you Ohgi?" Chigusa smiled as she gently took his hand before kissing him on the cheek, causing him to blush before smiling.
"A soldier wearing makeup is disgraceful." Tohdoh commented as Chiba was the one putting it on him.
"I have to make you look good." Chiba said.
"It's true. We're going to be seen by the whole world. You have to look your best." Kaguya said with a wink. She also happened to notice a certain look on Chiba's face.
"Um… sir?" Chiba spoke to Tohdoh. "After this war against the Decepticons is finally over… I'd like to propose a request to… Kyoshiro Tohdoh that…
"Excuse me." All eyes set on the door as Fixit entered the room. "Everything is prepared, and all the representatives have gathered together."
"Alright, then it's time to go." Tohdoh stood up as they all prepared to leave, though Chiba looked in disappointment.
"Too slow…"
"Don't worry, you'll get your chance." Kaguya encouraged as she rubbed her hand against Chiba's arm.
Every television and radio in the world were now tuned in to the ceremony. The EU, the Chinese Federation, Euro Britannia, and all other smaller countries would watch and listen as a page in world history would turn.
"We're coming to you live where the ratification ceremony for the United States Charter is about to begin! To help our viewers in understanding this development, the ceremony and ratification of this new charter will create a federation of nations that will surpass the old Britannia in terms of numbers and military strength. Already, representatives of the EU and Chinese Federation have arrived, along with those from Euro Britannia and many smaller countries around the world. The Black Knights and the Autobots appear to be in charge of this formation..."
The Decepticons also appeared to be watching and listening, including the army that patrolled the defensive boarder of their continent, the Constructicons at a specific site near Darkmount in New Kaon, and even the Decepticon commanders onboard the Nemesis including Starscream, Schneizel, Steeljaw, Shin, Knock Out, Sky-Byte, and Onslaught, with many Vehicons behind them.
Yet for some reason… Shockwave and Soundwave were nowhere to be seen.
The Decepticons watched as they heard an applause from the broadcast, the source being the representatives clapped as they sat on multiple chairs on the stage with Euphemia, Kaguya, and Tianzi standing at the very center.
"As everyone in this broadcast has witnessed… all participating nations and superpowers have just signed and ratified this charter!"
"Looks like they did it." Sky-Byte pointed out. "That's pretty much every non-Britannian nation all united under one banner."
"Even Euro-Britannia has joined them." Shin said.
"But will their combined military be enough?" Knock Out asked. "Given how often humans tend to disagree, I honestly doubt it."
"My guess is that they'll follow Optimus and Zero." Schneizel assumed. "And we all know how charismatic and effective they are."
"Let's see for ourselves." Starscream said.
"…Finally, article seventeen of the United States Charter." Kaguya continued explaining the charter to all viewers. "All ratifying nations do now decree to abandon native military power forever."
"What…?!" Starscream was more than a little surprised, as were most Decepticons.
"Abandon military power?" Sky-Byte questioned.
"That's insane!" Onslaught stated.
"…To guarantee security, all member nations have agreed to employ a fighting force not affiliated with any one country. They have contracted the Black Knight-Autobot alliance!" Kaguya went on.
Right in front of the stage, nearly the entire alliance stood before the representatives. The Ark itself and several airships hovered over the small army as all Black Knights and Autobots stood together. This included all military officers, the Zero Squad, Elite Guard, Wreckers, the Black Dragon, the Aerialbots, the Black Wyverns, the Crimson Knights, the Irregulars, even those among the Research and Development branch, along with Intelligence and Espionage. All of them, human and Cybertronian (Mini-Cons included) all stood together with Optimus Prime and Zero at the very front, the Autobot leader having the Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield attached to his back.
"We accept the UFN's terms." Optimus spoke up. "Our acceptance allows for UFN funding and personnel involvement."
"In return, we shall become the shield to defend every member nation! And the sword to oppose every external foe!" Zero declared.
"Disturbances across this world are caused by military powers of desperate nations." Tianzi read her portion of the speech aloud. "The UFN shall only use military force in accordance to the full resolution by the supreme council."
"However, all member nations have not yet abandoned their military force." Euphemia spoke up. "Our world is under a grave threat from the growing Decepticon occupation, in order to push this evil back… we will need every asset and resource we can."
"And with that, I shall put for the first motion." Kaguya said, turning to representatives. "I propose that all military power now fall under the leadership of the Black Knight-Autobot alliance as they begin a sweeping campaign to push back the Decepticon occupation. Once the occupation is no longer a threat, all neighboring countries will abandon their military power. All those in favor of this proposal, please stand up."
Almost immediately, every representative stood up from their chairs.
"And so, with overwhelming majority, under UFN resolution number one… the Black Knight-Autobot alliance shall begin their Anti-Decepticon campaign at once!" Euphemia announced.
"So be it… Under UFN resolution number one… our first operational objective will be… New Kaon!" Zero declared.
"For today in the name of freedom… we take the battle to them!" Optimus declared as well.
Cheers and calls of excitement were sounded by nearly every Autobot and Black Knight present.
"We've been running from these guys for far too long. It's time to start pushing back!" Kallen vowed.
"We'll make sure they answer for their crimes." Suzaku said.
"Looks like the end of the war is in sight." Bumblebee said with a smile towards Arcee.
"Then let's get started." She replied.
"We'll need a big clean up after this, right?" Rai joked to Bulkhead.
"Got that right, buddy." He grinned.
Nunnally couldn't help but looked toward her masked brother. Even if she was at a distance away, she looked towards him with pride.
Suddenly, the jumbotron at the top of the stage turned to static as a new face and voice appeared, one that nobody would expect to see.
"Quite the performance, my foes."
All celebrations came to a grinding halt as all looked in shock and even horror as they saw the face of the leader of the Decepticons himself, one that had been missing in action up until now.
Megatron.
"…What…?!" Lelouch's eyes were so wide, they were almost like dinner plates.
It wasn't just that jumbotron, however. Megatron's broadcast was seen on every monitor on Horai Island that connected to the live broadcast, which in turn connected to every television and radio all over the world.
"The system's been hacked?!"
"It's coming in from fourteen external paths!"
"Wait… what…?!" Rivalz fell back from his seat as Milly and Shirley stood up in shock, seeing the broadcast interrupted by the face of Megatron from the television in Lelouch's room.
Cera couldn't quite explain it. But the second she saw the dark purple optics of this being… she felt her heart stop for a moment. It was almost as if she had seen the very face of evil itself.
Even the Decepticons on the Nemesis were surprised themselves.
"Lord Megatron…!" Sky-Byte stuttered.
"Well, well, look who's back." Knock Out mused.
'I knew it.' Starscream thought with a scowl.
Schneizel looked with a serious glare himself. "A fake disappearance… a charade…" He clenched his fist.
"…T-That is not possible…!" Ratchet muttered.
"B-But the Shadowzone…. That pocket dimension…." Nina stuttered as every Black Knight and Autobot around her looked in just as much shock as she did. "W-We destroyed all the Thought Elevators, didn't we?!"
"Yes. All of them." Ultra Magnus confirmed as he glared at the screen.
"Soundwave. It had to be." Jazz assumed.
"Switch to the auxiliary lines! Cut the link, damn it!" Diethard ordered over the comms.
"We can't! They got those as well!"
Optimus balled his fists as he looked up with a glare at the screen. He didn't seem all that shocked that Megatron had returned. But had he just now escaped? Or did he simply wait and bide his time for his enemy to make his move? If it was the latter, it wouldn't be that surprising.
Of course, none were more shocked or terrified than Lelouch himself. "Impossible… He escaped…?!"
"Decepticons, you're rightful Lord and Master has returned!" Megatron's speech broadcasted all across the world. "Do not let this charter or collection of rabble intimidate you! I have led you through fire and rust for eons and I have no intention of stopping now! This world is ours, and it is time we remind humanity of that! And now, speaking to my enemies… Optimus, Zero, I must applaud your resolve. Despite the odds, you two have refused to give up the fight, I respect your conviction, but I cannot accept it. I told you before, to defy my will is to die… and no one defies Megatron! But if you believe this army of yours can truly stop me, then by all means, face me with everything you have, because that is what I intend to do! Fight to obliterate your enemy until there is none left standing! Come and face me! I… am the dominator! I… am the destroyer!" The screen showed him drawing the Dark Star Saber in all its unholy glory before he lifted it high above his head for the whole world to see. "I AM MEGATRON!"
"ALL HAIL MEGATRON!" All the Decepticon soldiers in New Kaon and those that guarded the boarder lifted their fists as they chanted. "ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON! ALL HAIL MEGATRON!"
Seeing everyone around him looking in fear and shock, Optimus decided to step forward. He wasn't about to let all these strong souls lose their will to fight, not when they still had a chance to win this war.
All eyes, including the representatives, and those who would fight alongside him, including Lelouch, all set their sights on Optimus Prime as he drew the Star Saber, which glowed its bright blue as he lifted it high in the air.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Optimus shouted.
With a fierce resolve of his own, Bumblebee drew his katana and lifted it in the air as well. "TILL ALL ARE ONE!"
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Arcee, Kallen, Suzaku, Bulkhead, Rai, Ironhide, and Ratchet all shouted.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Euphemia and Kaguya both raised their fists, with Tianzi following their lead.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Leila, Ultra Magnus, Akito, Elita-One, Sideswipe, Ryo, Strongarm, Ayano, Grindcore, and Yukiya all exclaimed as well.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Wizard, Tohdoh, Ohgi, Jazz, Cornelia, the Wreckers, the Black Dragon unit, the Crimson Knights, the rest of the Elite Guard, and nearly every other Black Knight and Autobot all shouted in unison.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!" Even the Irregulars shouted in conjunction with their new allies as Grimlock transformed into his T-Rex mode and let loose a roar before blasting his plasma-breath straight into the air.
Lelouch was in shock to see everyone like this. Despite the return of their greatest enemy, they were all still willing to fight. He wanted to fight too. He wanted to join them just as bad, but it felt like something inside him was stopping him from doing so. Was it his doubt? His fear?
He was startled out of his trance as he felt his hand being gently touched by another. He glanced down to see Nunnally looking at him with an expression that mixed assurance as well as a fierce resolve to fight. That was all he needed to wash away any doubt that he had.
With both their hands firmly held together, brother and sister lifted their joined fists in the air.
"TILL ALL ARE ONE!
From the underground chambers beneath Darkmount, Soundwave had ended the transmission as Megatron put away the Dark Star Saber. "Soundwave, you are truly among my most reliable soldiers. You have my gratitude for years of unwavering loyalty and service." Megatron said before turning to the other Decepticon in the underground chamber. "And you as well, Shockwave. For without you, I would be trapped within the Sword of Akasha indefinitely."
"My choices are based on logic." Shockwave responded. "And your ultimate goal of Neo Ragnarök will logically lead to the end of all conflict indefinitely."
All three Decepticons turned around to behold their latest creation. It was a tall and vertical structure that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. Large metallic frames on the side gave the impression that it was a Spacebridge portal, only in a rectangular shape as opposed to it being round. A thinner metallic plate was built in-between the frames, but what stood out the most, was the large emblem of Geass etched into the very center.
"An artificial Thought Elevator." Megatron looked in awe. "Shockwave, your work always exceeds my expectations."
"My personal project that not even V.V. was aware of." Shockwave spoke. "After spending time studying the Thought Elevators, as well as accessing the pocket dimension known as the Sword of Akasha, it was a simple means to combine Geass energy with that of Spacebridge technology. Even with all the original ones destroyed, so long as this artificial Thought Elevator remains standing, Neo Ragnarök is still in play."
"And we have one of the keys to activate it." Megatron looked into the palm of the stolen arm of Liege Maximo. His optics, which were now permanently purple as opposed to red, glowed brightly as the purple emblem of Geass appeared in his palm as well. "The Code of V.V. Though I may have lost my Dark Geass, it is a small price to pay for immortality… as well as the completion of Neo Ragnarök. All that remains, is the final key."
"The Code of C.C." Shockwave said. "But she is undoubtedly under the protection of the Autobots and Black Knights, specifically Prime and Zero. And seeing how their latest operation involved the destruction of the Geass Order and the original Thought Elevators, it is logical to assume they are aware of the Zi Britannia brothers' original plan for Ragnarök, it would only make sense that she'd be placed under the heaviest security."
"Then it seems we are well on our way, aren't we… Lord Starscream." The recorded voice of Schneizel played through Soundwave's visor before switching over to that of Starscream.
"You scratch my back, I scratch yours."
"Starscream and Schneizel's little coup is to be expected." Megatron mused. "In fact, should we play our cards right, their actions will provide us the means to directly acquire C.C. and initiate Neo Ragnarök immediately." The Lord of the Decepticons chuckled evilly as he gazed up at the artificial Thought Elevator. "As you say… Optimus. Till all are one."
Done.
Yep, Megatron is back! Not only that, but he has also acquired V.V.'s Code! Shockwave has also constructed an artificial Thought Elevator, and that's how Megatron was able to escape. Soundwave could enter the Sword of Akasha through that realm and used his own abilities to free Megatron from the Shadowzone. I'm sure many of you weren't expecting Megatron to come back so soon, but he has a reason for doing so. He knows Starscream and Schneizel are planning to betray him and wants them to continue with their plan as it'll only serve his purpose in the end, his reappearance will only encourage them to go forward with said plan. But more importantly, Neo Ragnarök is still an active threat now that Megatron has his own artificial Thought Elevator. We'll get to that in the next arc though.
(I know I didn't put in the Starscream-dance meme in this chapter, but don't worry… I still plan on including that soon. Trust me.)
This also means that V.V. is dead, his body being Groundbridged to the Earth's core as Lelouch thinks vaporizing his corpse is the best way to be safe. Though we all know what really lies at the center of this planet… as for what kind of impact that will have in the future… you'll just have to see.
I also have established a new unit in the Black Knight-Autobot alliance called the Irregulars, which are led by Grimlock. This unit consists of Alice and all her friends, along with Misty. This also means that Alice is no longer part of the Zero Squad, but Jeremiah and Anya/Marianne have joined their group.
Of course… one of the biggest takeaways of this chapter… Nunnally has her legs fully healed! And Bumblebee's got his voice back!
I know that part seems somewhat anti-climactic compared to how he got it back in the canon TFP. But given how the heroes now have the Forge of Solus Prime, and Lelouch thought of using it to repair Bumblebee's voice box, it didn't make any sense to keep waiting. Lelouch has always been practical, so this just seemed to fit.
It also fit a bit more emotionally as Nunnally and Bumblebee both got back what they've lost, and Lelouch couldn't be any happier.
Up next is the big battle as the Autobots and Black Knights finally begin their assault on the Decepticon continent, ready to break their outer barrier and start their sweeping campaign to end the Decepticon occupation once and for all. It should also be noted that Optimus has used the Forge to not only repair the Star Saber and Sky-Boom Shield (to the point where they are brand new) but has even upgraded a few certain Knightmares. However, he didn't upgrade every Knightmare as the Forge's power is not unlimited (and there is a reasonable explanation for that which I plan to explain in the next few chapters). You'll see what some of these upgrades are in the comping battle.
Until then, see you soon.