METAL GEAR GEASS: THE PHANTOM DOGS
Date Started: 2022-01-31 A.D. | Date Finished: 2022-02-03 A.D. | Date Last Edited: 2023-09-08 A.D.
A/N: Well, this is even more awkward. I know, I know! I said that I would be updating DOOM: Puer Infernalis V2 and/or Mobile Suit GUNDAM: Starborne Ascendance, but this idea was something that tingled my brain for a while.
It all started when I was browsing through the Metal Gear crossover fanfiction archive, looking to get my fix for some Metal Gear fanfics to sate my thirst. I've been playing MGS Peace Walker on the PPSSPP emulator for months, grinding for the good gear and whatnot before going "FUCK IT!" and enabling some cheats (infinite health, unlocking some late game stuff, making the Railgun single-player compatible, et cetera) and engaging in some cathartic power fantasies.
Anyway, one fanfic in particular caught my eye. Metal Gear Solid Code Zero, written by Ralf Xing. Reading through the chapters, I was interested in the premise.
MSF gets sent into the Code Geass world and do what they do best: Become some of the most badass mercs to ever exist.
Of course, the story isn't perfect. Grammatical errors and whatnot on virtually every sentence although these are forgivable since English isn't Mister Xing's first language, and certain characters felt rather stiff or off in the characterization.
But, regardless of those flaws, the story still stuck to me, and it got me invested in the Code Geass anime. I'm currently watching the first season in the English Dub, both to familiarize myself with the Code Geass setting and to watch anime from the English Dub perspective instead of just the Japanese Dub (mostly to avoid having to split my attention between the subs and the actual scenes themselves), so that I do not get things wrong on the Code Geass side of things.
Obviously, from the title, this will not be involving the actual Big Boss. Instead, his Phantom, Ahab A.K.A. Venom Snake, shall take center stage alongside the Diamond Dogs.
Much like Code Zero, other settings (specifically ones with an emphasis on militaries and mercenaries) shall make an appearance but that's for me to know and for you all to find out later.
Without further ado, let's get this show on the road!
[Stage 00: Phantoms in a new world]
[Somewhere in South Africa, Outer Heaven, 1995 A.D. | Aftermath of "Operation Intrude N313"]
Despite the damage inflicted on his body, the man known as Big Boss started with a jolt. His lone eye slowly scanned his surroundings. His ears were ringing, and his vision was blurred. All his senses were off.
"What… what happened?" he groaned out, unsure of how he had gotten in this situation. He had not been in such a situation since 1984, back in Afghanistan.
He searched his mind for answers. In a matter of microseconds, he found it. He remembered the handgun firing multiple times into his center of mass, its owner a young male in olive drab fatigues not unlike what he had worn so long ago and the one he was wearing right now. He could not remember much of his killer's details, but one thing had stood out in his eyes.
The young man had worn a bandana. Much like him. Much like Big Boss.
He let out a pained chuckle, his bionic left arm reaching into his back pocket to fish out a real cigar.
"Yes… I remember now," just as he brought one end into his mouth, his Codec rang.
"A call? From whom?" he wondered for a brief moment before clicking one of the buttons on his iDroid to answer. In his dying state, he did not realize he had also pressed the button to play the current music tape in his Walkman. Now who would be calling him, he asked himself that question as he waited for the other end to connect. A survivor, perhaps, one that had managed to somehow escape Solid Snake's notice?
["Hello, Ahab,"] an aged man's voice called out to him. He knew this man very well.
"You're talking to yourself," his own voice, spoken by another man, had hinted to him back then in Cyprus, when Cipher had sent his troops to kill him.
"I've been watching over you for nine years," a man whose head was wrapped in bandages had spoken to him in that voice.
"You can call me-"
"Ishmael," Ahab answered back, breaking out of his thoughts, shaking his head at the Original's impeccable timing. "Heh, you've really kept me waiting." He could hear the voices of soldiers on Ishmael's end. Fellow soldiers who have sworn loyalty to Big Boss and will follow him to the bitter end.
"We live and die by your orders, Boss!" a flash of memory struck him, this time of saluting Diamond Dog soldiers as they accepted their fates of dying by the hands of the man they had sworn to follow.
["I just wanted you to know that I've made it out safely,"] Ishmael told Ahab. While he could not see it, he knew Ishmael was smiling at the success of their plan.
["They won't suspect a thing,"]Ishmael continued as Ahab lit the cigar. ["You played your role perfectly."]
"I see," Ahab replied. "That's good… So at least I've… done something right here." He winced as some of his fresh wounds flared up. While nothing compared to the 0.50 BMG rounds and their 0.50 DShK counterparts, being shot up by a full magazine of 9x19mm Parabellum rounds was more than enough to kill any ordinary man. If he had opted to wear either his personal Sneaking Suit or his Battle Dress, it would have been a different story.
Ishmael hummed, interrupting his train of thought, and spoke up once more.
["I never expected him to succeed,"] he admitted to Ahab, who let out a rough grunt in response.
"It seems that Solid Snake was more competent than either of us gave him credit for."
Ahab knew how the mission was supposed to go. Operation Intrude N313 was supposed to be a smokescreen, to fool the entire world with misinformation that the uprising was nothing more than a serious of loosely connected warbands stirring up a ruckus. Of course, life has a way with screwing you and your plans over.
After all, no plan survives first contact with the enemy.
Solid Snake had gone further, much like his true father, and had gone to uncover that Outer Heaven was in fact staging a true uprising against the world using the TX-55 Metal Gear and had moved to put a stop to it. So many soldiers, every single one of them the best of the best, had fallen before one of the sons of Big Boss.
Despite losing everything, Ahab could not help but smile.
"Quite a heavy tuition, for such a meager lesson," he chuckled, soldiering through the pain coursing through him. He gazed around for one last time, noting the bloodstains on the containers, both his own blood caused by Solid Snake's explosives and from Solid Snake's blood caused by Ahab's own personally customized AM MRS-4 assault rifle, which laid just a few inches from his right leg, the gun long since empty.
"It's over," Ahab spoke, relaying what could be his final words to Ishmael as the song in the Walkman got louder. "He's destroyed the Metal Gear and activated the self-destruct sequence."
Ishmael said nothing, listening to his Phantom's final words.
"Outer Heaven… will go up in smoke… in a matter of minutes…" Ahab was feeling weaker with each passing syllable, but he still fought through the pain to give one last message to the Original.
"And the public will… will think that Big Boss died with it."
["I see…"] Ishmael said in a neutral tone. ["Are you sure you can't make an escape?"]
A pained chuckled answered him.
"Positive," Ahab began. "He got me good. I can't feel my lower body." A glance to his own legs proved his point. They were bloodied and with a few bullet holes in them. He could not move them even if he tried.
"This is it for me, Ishmael," he said, continuing. "No amount of digoxin will get me up this time."
"Nothing like a little digoxin to get you back in the game," Ishmael's words echoed in his mind and with it the memories of him and Ahab escaping the burning hospital.
["Outer Heaven won't die with you,"] Ishmael said confidently. Ahab could admire that. Even when things are going pear shaped, Ishmael remained as calm as ever.
["As long as a man carrying the name of Big Boss is alive, there will always be someone striving to create a nation for soldiers."]
Ishmael's words gave Ahab hope, even in his final moments. It was why, even after finding out who he had truly used to be, he had chosen to follow Ishmael to the very end.
He was angry, true, to find out his existence was nothing but a smokescreen to fool the enemies and allies of the real Big Boss, but he had accepted his role. Try as he might, he could not remember who he used to be before he had woken up in Cyprus as Big Boss's Phantom. Perhaps he was someone from the San Hieronymo rebellion, or perhaps someone from the original crew of Militaires Sans Frontieres, or perhaps one of the many volunteers looking to serve under Big Boss himself.
With a smile, Ahab had accepted the role assigned to him. Like Ishmael said, he had played his role perfectly.
["Are you familiar with Zanzibar Land?"] Ishmael's voice broke him out of his thoughts.
Ahab smiled.
"How could I not?" the Phantom chuckled at the Original's question. "Tselinoyarsk – the location of our first and last mission as part of the FOX Unit. Last I heard of it, they… split off of the Soviet Union and became their own state."
Ishmael hummed, pleased with the Phantom's memory.
["No, never mind,"] he said. ["It's not something you need to worry about anymore."] Then, his voice took a more determined turn.
["Don't worry, I'll keep our dream alive. From today onward, the name Big Boss is something you'll no longer have to bear,"] Ahab heard Ishmael say.
["Thank you, Ahab, and goodbye,"] Ishmael finished.
A full-blown chuckle escaped Ahab's lips when he realized what was happening.
"So, my mission is finally coming to an end," a small smile graced his lips.
"After so long," he can rest now, knowing that he no longer had to bear the burden that came with the role of Big Boss. Perhaps he would see some old friends in whatever afterlife that waits for him. Perhaps…
"It was my pleasure, Ishmael." He lightly shook his head. That no longer felt right to say.
"No… Big Boss." He cut off the Codec call from there and disabled the Walkman. Now, it was time to accept what was to come in the coming moments. The silence was deafening to Ahab, but he remained calm throughout it all. At long last, his mission was over, and he can finally rest.
Footsteps. A survivor? He wondered who among Outer Heaven could survive the handiwork of Big Boss's son.
The owner of the footsteps came into view, butterflies flying around her. He heard her hum, a melodious tune to accompany him in his last moments.
He smiled at the sight. He heard that humming before. He was intimately familiar with that humming. He was intimately familiar with the woman who was responsible for the humming.
"I see…" he resigned to his fate. "So, you… you've come to pick me up then."
The illusion of Quiet knelt down and reached out to caress his cheek. He knew she was not really there. She had died somewhere in Afghanistan, more than a decade ago. Perhaps it was fitting that one of his closest companions would be the one to escort him to whatever afterlife that was waiting for him.
"I guess… my battle… really is over…" closing his eyes, Ahab accepts the coming end.
There was a flash of bright light, and Ahab knew no more.
Darkness. That was all Ahab could see all around him. When he had opened his eyes, he had expected to find himself in some form of Hell. He supposed that he was right in a sense. In this vast void, he could not see anything other than himself. Perhaps this was the Hell that waited for him to come home. A fitting place for a Phantom such as he, to be discarded after fulfilling his purpose.
"This is not the end of the road for you, Ahab," a voice called out, alerting Ahab to another's presence.
Instinctively, he drew his sidearm only to find that it was not there. In fact, aside from his bionic arm and his fatigues, he was completely naked in terms of equipment.
Giving himself a quick look over, he found that all his injuries sustained in the battle against Solid Snake were healed.
But how?
He turned to face the speaker to get some answers only to find himself face to face with more darkness.
"Who…" he started but stopped himself.
Nothing more than an auditory illusion.
"I am very much real, old friend," the voice called out again, this time on his right. On instinct, he struck out his arm to grab the person into a CQC chokehold. He grasped nothing but air. He quickly turned to where the voice had come from and saw an average looking Japanese man in a tuxedo looking back at him.
Ahab tilted his head at this. The person before him was familiar, he just could not put to mind who he was.
Then, the Japanese man stepped forward and donned a pair of glasses. Now, the image was complete.
"Hideo," Ahab spoke before he knew it, and Hideo smiled at him.
"Your mission as Big Boss's Phantom is over, yes," Hideo told him as objects begin to form within the void. "But now it is time for you to leave your own mark in a new world."
"A new world?" Ahab was no stranger to the bizarre. The Skulls Parasite Unit, Sahelanthropus, the Vocal Cord Strain of Parasites, the Third Child, and the Man on Fire were just a few instances where Big Boss's Phantom simply shrugged off the near fantasy like occurrences and went on with the mission. Hell, from what little he had remembered of his old life back in MSF, he remembered Isla Del Monstruo. Miller and Chico had a field day with that one.
But an entirely new world? It was a little out of his expertise, but it was still doable, he supposed.
"Yes," Hideo continued. "A world much like our own. Strangely familiar yet very much its own existing entity."
"And why me?" Ahab asked.
"Because this is your second chance at a life that you have been denied of the first time by the times and the fates," Hideo said.
Ahab went to speak but thought on the proposal. For all intents and purposes, he had fulfilled his role. Now, free of the machinations of Big Boss and Cipher, he could live a life that was truly his own.
"What's the catch?" Ahab asked.
Hideo sent a small smile his way.
"This world, much like your own, is engulfed in conflict and strife. The masses suffer as three superpowers sit comfortably in their ivory towers," the Japanese man began to tell him.
"A world in conflict, huh?"
Despite the prospect of being sent into another war-torn world, Ahab smiled. He was not going to shit himself here: He was no good in the civilian sector. No, his place in the world was as a soldier of fortune, a mercenary.
Even before becoming the Phantom of Big Boss, fighting was all that he was good for. Even his medical expertise was focused on warfare.
"I suppose this means Outer Heaven's expanding into this new world," Ahab said, turning to Hideo and looking the Japanese man in the eye. "Is anyone else coming with me for the ride?"
"I have extended my offers to all Outer Heaven soldiers present in Operation Intrude N-Three-Thirteen," Hideo said. "I see that you have told them the truth."
He had indeed told the soldiers of Outer Heaven the truth. Many of the soldiers were understandably pissed yet none made to rip Ahab apart when he had told them. He had proved himself time and time again to be worthy of the name Big Boss.
"Phantom or not, you're still our Boss, Boss!" a veteran Diamond Dog soldier had spoken up that day, silencing the other soldiers. "We live and die by your will. We will carve out our path in history and be remembered as your finest soldiers, Boss!"
It had taken two years before the rest of the soldiers came around. Ahab was a fraud in name alone, but his actions more than convinced even the firmest of naysayers.
"It wouldn't be right, lying to those I call my family," Ahab admitted.
Hideo nodded at his words.
"You are an honorable man, Ahab," the Phantom scoffed halfheartedly at Hideo's words. In some ways, perhaps, but Ahab knew that he had done some things that were horrendous in the eyes of many.
"For that, you and your soldiers will not be going to this new world alone," Hideo continued. Around them, the objects formed into the personnel of Outer Heaven, all ten thousand of them.
Each of them snapped to attention, saluting Ahab. Instinctively, he saluted back.
"I have also extended the offer to some of your old friends," Hideo told Ahab. "Miller and Ocelot have accepted my offer first."
"Miller? Ocelot?"
Those names made Ahab confused. The last he had checked, Miller was still alive, training troops over at the United States of America, and Ocelot was busy in Russia finding leads on Cipher's movements and keeping an eye on Eli, the little bastard.
Even now, long after the Kingdom of the Flies incident, Eli firmly believed that the Phantom was the Original. Perhaps Ocelot never bothered to tell the blonde brat who he really was.
"That's right," he remembered himself telling the clone of Big Boss that day, leaving behind a single AM D114 pistol with only one 0.45 ACP round loaded into the chamber.
"Don't blame yourself… Blame me," the Demon had said to the Inferior Clone before leaving him to die on that island.
"Things have changed, Ahab," Hideo moved to clarify, breaking him out of his thoughts. "When you and Outer Heaven had fallen in Nineteen-Ninety-Five, Zanzibar Land would fall many years later," that caused some alarm in Ahab's eyes before understanding who was most likely responsible.
"Solid Snake."
Hideo nodded. "The Son of Big Boss had ended Zanzibar Land, yes, but the world shaped by you and Ishmael still persists. Soldiers around the world would still find employment in various PFs around the world."
"And where does Miller and Ocelot fall into this?" Ahab asked.
"Ocelot had killed Miller in Two-Thousand-Five in order to fool both Cipher and Eli," that stopped Ahab's thoughts and speculations.
"Much like you, Solid Snake and Liquid Snake, Eli's new name, were smokescreens. Their long battle was waged to draw out Cipher and his allies out from hiding wherein Big Boss and his loyalists would swoop in for the kill."
"And Miller's murder was another smokescreen?"
"Sadly, yes," Hideo said as two people formed into the void. One was a blonde man with sunglasses missing his right arm and his left leg, standing on a crutch, and wearing his signature coat and beret. The other was a white-haired man wearing what could only be described as a modern day take on a gunslinger's outfit.
Kazuhira 'Kaz' Benedict Miller and Adamska 'Shalashashka' Ocelot stood before him, the former glaring at the latter.
"Poison gas? Really? Couldn't have done it personally, Adam?" Kaz spoke hotly, the rage in his eyes hidden from most thanks to his shades.
"Kaz, it was strictly business," Ocelot said coolly, the opposite of Kaz in this regard.
"Enough," Ahab stepped in between the two. Even back when all of them were alive, Kaz and Ocelot would be at one another's throats with their bantering.
"Boss?" Kaz's eyes widened in surprise before narrowing when he recognized who was before him. "Oh, it's you."
Ahab opted to ignore Kaz for the time being, turning to Hideo.
"Who else is joining?" he asked, and Hideo simply pointed to someone behind Ahab.
"Her?" Ahab heard Kaz's voice. Back then, it was full of malice and venom. Now, it was simply full of surprise.
Ahab turned to face the person that Hideo was pointing at.
His breath stilled.
There she was, in all her glory. That raven black hair, those cold yet paradoxically warm chocolate brown eyes, and wearing only her web gear over her stockings and undergarments.
Quiet smiled at Ahab as she approached him.
"So… you really did come when…" Ahab did not finish. He did not need to.
Her smile was enough of an answer for him.
"Others shall be joining you in time," Hideo explained.
"Wait, so it's not just us going to this world?" Ocelot asked, curiosity in his eyes. Hideo nodded to the gunslinger.
"Other mercenaries from worlds such your own shall join you when the time is right," he explained.
"Heh, another haven for mercs then," Ocelot smiled at the prospect.
"This time," Ahab began, grabbing their attention. "We're doing it right. We will not be scattered to the heartless seas and the cold winds."
The soldiers around him nodded in agreement.
"Wait a minute," Kaz spoke up. "While I'm not opposed to making Outer Heaven again, there's something that's been nagging at the back of my mind." He turned to Hideo with a hard look.
"Who are you, really?"
Hideo continued smiling.
"You know me as simply 'Hideo,' back in Militaires Sans Frontieres and in the Diamond Dogs. In truth…" he shook his head.
"I am much more." Without warning, a bright glow covered Hideo's body, making everyone shield their eyes from the spectacle.
Once their vision adjusted, they found themselves in a familiar place.
On the main command deck of Mother Base. In the years following the Phantom Pain incident, Ahab had the offshore rig expanded until it had rivaled the island of Hawaii in size. To say that it was magnificent was an understatement.
The floating artificial city was and still is an engineering marvel.
So surprised they were that they were standing on the artificial island once more, they did not notice Hideo's new appearance until a minute later.
Where he once wore a simple tuxedo, he now wore bright white robes.
Where he once looked ordinary, he now looked like an angel from the heavens above.
"I am Kojima," he introduced himself properly. "And I have been observing your world for quite some time. Documenting events and keeping an eye on persons of interests. It was only with MSF and Diamond Dogs that I have directly interacted with you all."
"No fucking way," one soldier breathed out in sheer disbelief, and they were not alone in that sentiment.
"This entire time…" Kaz spoke. "We had a god amongst us this whole time?"
"I could not intervene in certain events, Kazuhira," Kojima said. "I had been overruled by an unsavory council and had been relegated to being a background observer for the most part."
"I… I see…" try as he might, Kaz could not find it in him to be angry at this divine being before him. Like him, Kojima had been stopped by a group of individuals from doing what should have been done.
"But, as compensation, I grant this to you and many others," Kojima spoke up, grabbing their attention.
Waving his hand, a bright glow enveloped them all.
Kaz was blinded for a brief moment. When his vision adjusted and fixed itself, he noticed something was amiss.
His eyes… Ever since Afghanistan, he had problems seeing with his eyes in a sort of blindness, specifically he had dealt with cataracts for the last few decades of his life since his rescue in Afghanistan in 1984 to his death in his home in Alaska in 2005. He could not see further than a few meters ahead of him because of that condition.
Now, his vision had been restored as if he never had cataracts to begin with.
"What?" he blinked, not believing that his eyesight was fully restored. Then, he felt something on his body.
His left leg and his right arm, including all five fingers of his hand, were completely restored! Like they never were cut off to begin with.
He could not find the words to describe what he had felt. He moved them around, to truly see and feel if they were really there.
He felt them. The nerves sending feedback to his brain, the sensation his flesh felt when they made contact with his clothes.
"You will need this new body for the trials ahead," Kojima said.
"If Miller is restored, then that means…" Ocelot turned to Quiet.
She nodded at the unspoken words.
"The parasite has been removed from her and her voice has been returned," Kojima explained. "But it appears that she prefers to communicate with the Boss the way they used to."
She hummed at this, taking Big Boss's flesh and bone right hand in her own.
"I see…" Ahab was glad that she no longer had to bear the curse of that monster Skull Face.
Quiet then frowned, confusing him for a moment, before pointing at his head and his bionic left arm.
Ah, right, the shrapnel was still lodged in his head. Truth be told, he no longer minded it. The shrapnel serves as a reminder to never be careless again. As for the bionic arm, he preferred it over his old one.
"The Boss prefers to keep them," Kojima explained to Quiet and the others. "After all, a multipurpose bionic arm has more use than his old one, I am sure."
Ahab nodded, flexing the fingers of the prosthetic. The bionic had served him well. From the lethal Blast Arm to less than lethal options such as the Stun Arm and the Hand of Jehuty, the prosthetic arm had greatly expanded his arsenal and strategy in ways he never would have realized.
To go back to his flesh and bone left arm now would, ironically, give him a phantom pain of where his bionic arm used to be.
"In addition to the restoration of most of you, I also give you this," Kojima held up a group of USB drives. "The files within these drives shall be of most use to you for the coming trials of this world."
Ocelot grabbed the drives, inspecting their uniform shape and size.
"Hmm, not bad," he had a feeling whatever was in these drives, it would be most useful to them.
"Anything we need to know about this new world?" one soldier asked.
"The continents are the same," Kojima answered. "But the countries are different."
That drew some confusion among them all. What exactly has changed in this Earth compared to their old Earth?
"I suggest you tune in to the local broadcasts. They shall provide an adequate answer," the divine being said. He then turns to address Ahab directly
"I wish you the best of luck, Ahab. No…" Kojima shook his head. Like Ahab to Ishmael, it did not feel right.
"I wish you the best of luck, Big Boss," with that, Kojima vanished, leaving them all to gather their thoughts.
With the fates once more asking of him to participate in a new play, Ahab spoke up.
"Alright, let's get to work," Big Boss's words broke them out of their stupor. "All of you, to your posts!"
As one, all ten thousand soldiers of Outer Heaven saluted him.
"YES, BOSS!" they immediately went to wherever they were needed.
Those most capable in combat headed for the various Combat Unit posts on Outer Heaven. Those with an affinity for science and technology headed for the Research & Development platforms. Those with the gift of cooking, headed for the Mess Hall platforms. Those who were better at saving lives than taking them headed for the various Medical Unit platforms. And finally, those skilled at the art of espionage, intel gathering, and recon headed for the various Intel Unit platforms.
"Like we never left, eh, Boss?" Ocelot said, patting Ahab on the back as he went to his post.
"With a few… additions," Kaz said, still in awe that his lost limbs were back.
Big Boss could only nod at that before issuing orders to his two commanding officers.
"Miller, get the Intel Unit up and running. I want to know where we are, when we are, and what exactly is the situation. Leave no stone unturned."
Miller nodded, heading off to the main Intel Unit platform to get things organized.
"Ocelot," the gunslinger looked to the phantom of Big Boss. "I want you to inspect the base. As much as I want to take Hideo's word at face value, I'd rather we make sure now than pay for our ignorance later. When you're done, inspect the drives. I want to know what he gave us."
"Got it, Boss," with that, Ocelot went off.
That left only him and Quiet, standing alone in the deck. No words needed to be spoken between them.
He gestured her to follow him, and she obliged. To his surprise, she took one of his arms and held onto it tight. It seems that this time she was going to be more open with her feelings towards him. He smiled lightly at this.
It was time to see what Hideo meant by a 'new world.'
[Elsewhere | Somewhere beyond space and time]
It had come to them so suddenly. A collective pain that threatened to split their minds and souls apart. They could not help but scream in complete and utter agony as the sensation went on for what felt like decades.
This was not foreseen by any of them.
"What exactly has befallen our brethren, Brother?" Charles zi Britannia, current Emperor of the Holy Empire of Britannia, asked his immortal sibling.
V.V. could only shrug in response.
"I do not know, Charles," the immortal with the appearance of a child answered honestly. "This was not within our plans."
They both gazed at the writhing members of the Geass Order. Among them, only one, the most senior of their members, recovered while the rest continued to spasm and writhe on the ground.
The senior moaned in pain as the sensation subsided slowly.
"What happened?" Charles all but demanded of the Geass Order member. The senior took a moment to steady themselves before answering their Emperor as best as they could.
"It felt as though… a rift had opened, Your Excellency," they said, clutching their head as the pain still lingered.
"A rift?" V.V.'s eyebrow rose in response. This changes things. Unfortunately, without any knowledge of who or what was responsible for this incident, he could not respond appropriately.
"It was like the world's very spirit was being ripped apart as something forced its way in," the Geass Order senior continued, releasing their head as the pain lowered to more tolerable levels.
"Can Ragnarök still be achieved?" Charles inquired. If this rift derails their plans, then it may spell the doom of them all.
"If we adjust accordingly, My Emperor," the senior said. By now, the other members of the Geass Order were coming to, in varying states of mind. Some were fine, physically and/or mentally, but the rest were very much in need of medical attention.
V.V. was curious. There was more to this rift than meets the eye or mind in this case.
"Did you see anything?" he asked the senior.
They closed their eyes and searched their mind. Various images flashed through their mind.
"I see many things, Your Excellency," they said. Charles and V.V. nodded to one another and motioned for the senior to continue.
"I see an Eagle, ruling over a land shrouded in storm," the senior began. "A land recovering from turmoil, the Eagle rules from atop its mountain, sending forth its Army of Chaos against the black-handed interlopers that dare thread its home."
Charles narrowed his eyes. History lessons from his youth made him remember the Washington Rebellion. Of how the traitor George of House Washington had rallied likeminded rabble under the banner of a white eagle. He remembers how history speaks of the chaos brought about by Washington and his soldiers, causing devastating terror against the Britannian people in their rebellion.
It appears that someone in the world was trying to emulate the Great Traitor's actions in a more modern context.
"I also see a Raven, Your Excellency, standing upon the ashes of a barren land," the senior continued. "A serene haze follows him wherever he goes. The stench of God and Death come from his very being."
"A Raven?" The Emperor of Britannia was intrigued at this. There were not that many noble families within Britannia or Euro-Britannia that had a raven in their iconography. A barren land may imply of a conquered nation left behind by Britannia for being of no worth. As for that last bit of information... That does not bode well. To have both God and Death in one's favor is to court untold disaster.
"There are more, Your Excellency," the senior said. They searched their mind once again and saw a different set of images flashing through their mind.
"I see a Damned Hound, flinging itself from the Pits of Hades. It soars through the endless blue skies, raining down death and despair upon the land."
Charles and his immortal brother shared a glance at this. A flying Hellhound was something to make note of. A callsign, perhaps, of a pilot, but whether this was a pilot for an aircraft or a Knightmare Frame, neither he or his brother could not say. Personally, Charles had a feeling that this pilot was an airman. As powerful as Knightmare Frames have gotten over the years, they were still easy prey for aircraft, especially those that can fly fast and hit hard before the enemy could react.
"I see… a Monarch, an inheritor of a Broken Throne and Ruler of the Dead. Under his cascading wings are the people denied of their freedom."
A rival monarch leading a conquered nation? Charles will need to keep an eye on the conquered nations, then. As amusing as the thought might be, there have been numerous incidents over the years of rival monarchies, often smaller than Britannia, trying to retake their conquered lands to no avail. If the Geass Directorate Elder could see a new monarchy rising from the ashes to challenge Britannia and prove to be a threat, then caution is to be observed.
"And lastly," the senior continued, grabbing his attention once more. They stilled for a moment; their breath seemingly taken away.
"I… I see a nation of mercenaries, independent from all others. Its inhabitants great and terrible warriors, numbering in the thousands, and capable of untold amounts of destruction and suffering in their path."
A nation of warriors? And one independent of Britannia's rule? V.V.'s eyes twinkled in curiosity.
"And who leads this nation of mercenaries?" Charles demanded. The senior gasped out as the image showed itself in their mind.
"A… A Demon, Your Excellency," they stammered out. "A Demon with a Metal Horn and Arm, soaked in the blood of his enemies and shrouded in the Dualities of Man."
Charles zi Britannia and V.V. looked to one another. This changes things very much.
It appears that they will have to make adjustments to ensure Ragnarök's coming.
[Lelouch Lamperouge's Room, Ashford Academy, 2017 A.T.B. | Area 11 | Noon]
"Ngh!" C.C. gasped out and held her head as a splitting pain threatened to rip apart her head.
"C.C.?!" Lelouch was immediately to her side. "What's wrong?!"
"Ngh! I… It hurts!" she gritted her teeth as the sensation got worse on her. Her head started to ring, making her scream at the top of her lungs.
It was a good thing they were in an isolated area in the academy and on a time when most of the students were out, otherwise things would have escalated further.
Suddenly, C.C. fell, crashing onto the bed. Lelouch quickly was by her side, instinctively checking her pulse.
She was immortal, yes, but Lelouch would be a fool if he thought that meant C.C. was invincible.
Deep in his thoughts, Lelouch began to speculate as to what had caused this.
"Whatever that was… it may change my strategy against Britannia," his eyes narrowed at this.
As much as he wanted to investigate this event, he had to be realistic here. His own resistance movement against Britannia, the Black Knights, must be his top priority for now. The liberation of Japan must be achieved if he was to take a stand against his bastard of a father.
This anomaly will have to be dealt with at a later date.
Come what may, he will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
[END]
A/N: And that's all she wrote, folks! This is the start of another project of mine and hopefully I actually dedicate some time to it.
Now, if some of the characters (especially on the Code Geass side of things) feel off, let me know and I'll do my best to fix it ASAP.
And in case some of you recognize the beginning scene, yes, it is in fact the famous fan made Metal Gear webcomic "Last Day in Outer Heaven" by Cody Shaw (shawcody34 on Tumblr). Go check it out or watch either the dubs of it on YouTube or the SFM adaptation.
I've added some extra scenes in it, mostly little flashes of memory for Ahab.
As for those extra factions and characters, I'm sure some of the more well-informed of you will know who they are based on the riddle-esque descriptions I have given them.
And with that, I shall see you guys when the next chapter comes out!
[EDIT 2023-09-08 A.D. 01: Changed some of the predicted factions and characters. Specifically, I changed the Eagle into the Raven and I'm fairly certain you can pick up the rest from there.]
[EDIT 2023-09-08 A.D. 02: Added back the Eagle because I know how I can work that particular element into the greater narrative now.]