Conspicuous Gallantry
By Lord Raa
Disclaim-me-do: Please don't open up a new can of whoop ass when there is already an opened one in the refrigerator.
Chapter 7
Kallen Stadtfeld watched the replay of the broadcast from the bridge. Her cell of rebels hadn't been involved with this operation, not trusting the call for aid, but there was certainly something intriguing about this Zero character.
His physique implied that he was Britannian rather than Japanese, but what could have motivated a Britannian to turn against his people like that? This wasn't like one of the Honorary Britannians who had attempted to get themselves a better life under occupation and there was no implication that he was operating on the behalf of another nation. No, this was actions of someone who had been personally wronged by Britannia.
Of course, that didn't really narrow things down, as the Britannian Empire covered a third of the planet and subjugated a billion people.
However, two metre tall people didn't grow on trees, so finding someone with that build would be easier than finding a diamond in the desert. That said, his frame could just as easily be armour, so basically every tall man on Earth was now a suspect.
But was it really necessary to know the true identity of Zero if he was willing to help free Japan?
Kallen pondered that for a moment. Yes, they were potential security issues, this could all just be a plan to trap rebels, after all. Britannian pride was easily wounded and was often used against their forces, but to allow themselves to be humiliated so publicly like that just to earn their trust? She just didn't see it.
Luckily, it wasn't a decision she had to make.
"This complicates things," Ohgi said as he turned off the TV. He glanced at the young redhead and smiled.
"Perhaps…" Kallen conceded. "But you can't deny that he's effective. For him to arrange that display without us… He has to have some organisational skills."
"Yes, what he did was impressive," Ohgi nodded.
"You don't trust him, do you?"
"My gut instinct is telling me not to go with this. At least, not right now."
Cornelia li Britannia saw that she had two urgent messages. One was from a former subordinate, Villetta Nu, the other was a summons from her father.
Etiquette demanded that the Emperor's message was attended to first.
'¬Cornelia, you are to return to Pendragon immediately. You may already have heard the news that your idiot brother Clovis has gotten himself killed. He's body is being repatriated as we speak and after his funeral, you will be replacing him as Viceroy of Area 11.¬'
"Clovis is dead?" Cornelia asked rhetorically. She had little love for that particular sibling, but if he'd been murdered, then he needed to be avenged.
That their father had been so matter of fact about this announcement didn't surprise her, either, given that the Emperor did not have a reputation for sentimentality.
Cornelia wondered if it was a result of the Emblem of Blood, a particularly unpleasant episode of the Imperial Family's history. Seeing siblings, uncles and parents killed in a brutal power play for the throne would do that to a person.
Shrugging off the speculation about her father's psychology, she turned her attention to the other message. This one was a video message.
"¬Your Highness, I do not wish to give you undue hope, but I believe I have a potential lead on the whereabouts of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally.
"¬I have found a pair of siblings who would be about the right age and have the same first names living in Tokyo. While this could be a coincidence, I have some other evidence.¬"
The video showed the grainy gun camera footage of Lelouch in the aftermath of a battle.
"¬As you can see, this is hardly conclusive evidence on its own, but I also spoke with the sister, and she was defensive when I asked about her parents. This Lelouch is two metres tall and has a build similar to your father. Part of the problem I'm having with making the identification is that there have been issues with the school records.
"¬As I said, none of this is conclusive, but it would be a dereliction of my duty to the Crown if I didn't tell you this. I await your instructions on how to proceed.¬"
Cornelia rewound the video to get another look at the image of Lelouch. There just wasn't enough detail to make a positive identification, and seven years was a long time. Who knew how cruel puberty had been to him?
The princess decided that she needed more information. If this was just some coincidence, then it would humiliate her and damage her standing with the rest of the Imperial Household.
No, she would hold off of making any announcements just yet. Deciding to get more information first, Cornelia ordered Villetta Nu to continue her surveillance. She had to be sure before she told Euphemia, lest her little sister's heart get broken.
Hope could keep you alive in the darkest circumstances, but false hope was the cruellest of tortures. Cornelia couldn't do that to Euphie, not again.
Charles zi Britannia sipped his black coffee as he read through the latest status reports from the Empire.
The Holy Britannian Empire seemed to be trundling along, though the recent increase in rebellion activities in Area 11 was going to hamper the extraction of Sakuradite if it wasn't stamped out quickly.
This "Zero" character, whoever he was, would clearly be a thorn in the Empire's side and if he wasn't dealt with quickly, he would distract him from his goals.
Charles looked up at the door when he heard the knock.
"Enter."
"Your Majesty," the man with greying hair bowed respectfully. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," the Emperor nodded. "You have been my personal physician for decades, Doctor de Havilland, how would you describe my health?"
"Robust, your Majesty," the doctor replied.
"I'm getting soft, Doctor. I've been neglecting my weight training and spent too many nights eating rich, fatty foods and drinking too much wine."
"I… If you say so, your Majesty."
"I do say so. I need you to perform a complete physical on me so I know how to best get into shape," Charles explained. "I used to be able to bench press 50 reps of 200 kg without any trouble. Now? I doubt I could break 80. That simply won't do."
"Your Majesty, if I may be so bold as to ask, what has brought this on? Has there been any difficulty with anything recently?"
The Emperor shook his head, his long grey hair moving freely. "I have been challenged."
"Challenged? What kind of challenge?"
"The kind where my manliness will be put to the test. I know that I cannot meet this challenge just yet, but fortunately, I have access to the finest medical science on the planet. You will help me get back into shape so that I might see off this challenge. This Emperor has clothes and is no paper tiger!"
Doctor James de Havilland blinked. He had expected the Emperor to mention a delicate matter, either erectile dysfunction or digestive issues; the sort of thing that men his age often complained about. To hear that the Emperor wanted to regain some fitness wasn't outside the realm of possibility – he had been the strongest man to sit on the Britannian throne, after all.
But this challenge he mentioned? There was something off about it and the fact that the doctor couldn't quite put his finger on it bothered him.
"It… It sounds like you are planning to charge into battle, your Majesty."
"No, not battle. But there will be a fight, of that I'm certain," Charles grinned. "No, let's get started shall we? I haven't had a proper breakfast and I wanted to know just how much I need to change my diet."
Doctor James de Havilland was surprised just how healthy the Emperor was. Aside from cutting back on the sugary and fatty foods that the Britannian aristocracy loved, there was little to suggest that there would be any problem with the Emperor's new plan to improve his fitness.
"Now, I think we should start with some low-impact exercises, maybe some swimming."
"Swimming? Yes, I did enjoy swimming," the Emperor smiled. "How long should I wait before hitting the weights?"
"Weights?" de Havilland asked, surprised by the question.
"Yes, weights. I could deadlift nearly 400kg in my prime!"
"But…"
Charles placed a large hand on the doctor's shoulder. "Trust me on this, I will need all of my strength to fight this challenge."
Seeing that de Havilland was unconvinced, the Emperor asked him a question.
"Do you know how I survived the Emblem of Blood?"
"I… I don't know, your Majesty."
"By literally being the fittest of the Imperial line. My uncles all fought for control of the throne after the death of my grandfather, and when my father died, there were several attempts on my life. I killed two would-be assassins in my bedchambers. One with my bare hands. I promote survival of the fittest because that philosophy saved my life."
The physician nodded in understanding. The Emblem of Blood was a dark time in modern Britannian history, countless nobles with claims of varying legitimacy to the throne were killed, some in horrifically bloody fashion. It made sense for the eventual winner of that struggle to be someone with both mental and physical strength, and that the experience would shape their thinking was only natural.
De Havilland realised what was bothering him about this situation. "Your Majesty, who was it that challenged you?"
"I don't know for certain," the Emperor grinned. "But I've got an idea."
"Are you expecting to fight this person?"
"Oh yes, and it will be a glorious contest if my suspicion is correct. One for the ages."
"And if it's not this person?"
"Then I will have to teach them a harsh lesson."
The doctor shivered at the Emperor's tone.
Lelouch sat at the breakfast table with his sister and their guest, C.C.. He looked tired, like he'd been up for most of the night. Nunnally had known that he'd left for something he deemed important, but had been unable to glean any details from him.
"I…"
"Nunnally," the prince said, taking his sister's hand in his. "Please understand that what I did last night isn't something I can talk about. I have to protect you and Sayoko and the best way to do that is to keep you uninformed about what I'm doing. If you ask no questions, I'll tell you no lies."
"But…"
"Please, it's for the best," C.C. insisted. "When the time is right, we'll tell you everything you want to know, but that won't be for some time."
"Fine," the young girl sighed. Part of her knew that they were right about keeping her in the dark, but that didn't mean she couldn't help them with whatever it was that they were trying to do.
"I'll take you out for ice cream later," Lelouch smiled.
Nunnally felt her heart race at the simple, innocent gesture of affection. She felt a little bad that her feelings for her brother were becoming less and less innocent, but the sight of seeing their maid ride Lelouch had been so exhilarating. Perhaps she could share him with others?
A thought occurred to the young Britannian. If Lelouch could become Emperor of Britannia, he could have as many women as he wanted! And there could be no limits as to who he took as his concubine. Who could tell the most powerful man in the world who he could or couldn't fuck?
'But how to make it happen? Father always liked strong men, so with his muscles, Lelouch could regain Father's favour…' Nunnally considered the idea of getting herself and her brother back into the tangled web that was Britannian royal politics. It would be difficult and there would be dangers that she couldn't predict, but with her brother's brains and powers of persuasion, they could come out on top.
This C.C. woman, she clearly had some knowledge of how to navigate courtly politics, too. Perhaps she could be of some use outside of sating her brother's burgeoning sexual needs?
"I'll hold you to that," Nunnally said, smiling at her brother.
Ashford Academy was buzzing with excitement about the upcoming festival. Student Council President, Milly Ashford had announced the grand prize in the raffle: Ownership of Lelouch Lamperouge for five hours.
There were exemptions, with Lelouch himself reminding them that he couldn't do anything that was illegal, but most of the girls were already fantasising about him taking them on a date.
Rivalz Cardemonde had been surprised that the tickets had all sold out, even when the price had been tripled by Milly. He'd been forced to buy one as part of the show of solidarity with the Council, but he wasn't sure what he'd do with Lelouch if he won the raffle.
Hanging out with him would be fine, but the two didn't have that much in common and they weren't that close. Then it occurred to him: He could sell off his prize to the highest bidder!
It was a little cheeky, perhaps even unethical, but Rivalz's grades were good enough for him to not need a tutor and he didn't need a bodyguard. Besides, he could foresee a lot of pressure for him to "donate" his prize to Milly or some other clique of heiresses so he might as well make some money out of his good fortune.
Villetta Nu nodded in approval of her special orders from the Princess Cornelia la Britannia, the continuation of her investigation into the missing Imperial children. The Ashford Academy was her best lead, as Villetta doubted she'd get much from the Lamperouge maid without extensive torture.
Torture wasn't a great method of extracting information, as those who were in pain would often say what they thought their interrogators would like to hear, even if it was inaccurate. Not to mention that the younger sibling would no doubt disapprove. And if Nunnally was unhappy, Lelouch would be unhappy.
Villetta shivered at the thought of Lelouch becoming an enraged beast, itching to maim whomever deigned to upset his precious little sister. Shaking off the fear of harm, the Knightmare Frame pilot prepared her words for informing Jeremiah Gottwald about her plans. She made sure to have a copy of Princess Cornelia's instructions.
After a few minutes' walk, Villetta knocked on the door to her commanding officer's office.
"Enter."
"Sir," the pilot said as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
"What can I do for you?" Gottwald asked, the tension of the Zero debacle writ large on his face.
"I… I thought I should let you know that I am planning to investigate Lelouch Lamperouge at the Ashford Academy today."
"Why?" the stressed man asked, looking up from his computer. After a moment's thought, he realised what his subordinate was talking about. "Right, the missing prince and princess. Are you sure about this? I mean, they only have the same names."
"I believe that they are the same people. I will get an answer one way or the other today, sir."
"This will the be the last day of your investigation, Villetta. Tomorrow, you're being reassigned," Gottwald said.
Villetta frowned. She was supposed to have another day on this.
"I need your help on this Zero character."
"Of course, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can," Villetta saluted.
"Dismissed."
Lelouch was bored by his lesson. Not because he didn't understand it, but rather because he was distracted by other things. Things like his Geass, C.C., Milly Ashford, Sayoko Shinozaki and that cute redhead that seemed to attend school on a part time basis.
'No, you're letting yourself get distracted!' the muscular youth chided himself. This was the sort of inattention that would mean his grades would start to slip. Sure, he could graduate now if he really wanted to, but that would leave him open to greater scrutiny. This scrutiny would prevent him from being able to work on his plans for revenge.
The injustice had burned for far too long as it was and while patience was one of Lelouch's greatest virtues, further delays would be unacceptable.
It had been nearly ten years since the death of his mother. Ten years of living in fear in a foreign land. Ten years of not knowing why his father couldn't protect Marianne vi Britannia or her daughter, Nunnally. That time was coming to an end and Lelouch would finally have his answers, even if he had to kill every one ahead of him in the line of succession.
The sounds of the public address system coming to life surprised everyone in the classroom, the teacher included.
"¬Lelouch Lamperouge, please report to the Principal's office immediately.¬"
The class all turned to look at Lelouch, who just shrugged in response. "Your guess is as good as mine."
"Well you had better get going, Mr. Lamperouge. It's rude to keep people waiting," the teacher said, pointing to the door.
"It is indeed," the muscular youth nodded. "Please excuse me."
Lelouch pondered the reason for his summons as he made his way to the Principal's office. He wasn't a delinquent, so he doubted he was in trouble. No-one knew about his antics as "Zero", so that wasn't the problem.
'It's got to be that woman from the other day…' he decided, struggling to remember her name. He arrived at the Principal's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," the Principal instructed.
When Lelouch opened the door his suspicions had been confirmed. There stood the strikingly beautiful woman who'd brought him home after his first encounter with C.C..
"What can I do for you, sir?" the young man asked innocently.
"Ms. Nu has some questions for you," the old man smiled. It was Ruben Ashford, Milly's grandfather.
"I'll answer them to the best of my ability," Lelouch smiled. He turned to Villetta and flashed her a winning smile. "What is it that you would like to know?"
"I… Well, I believe that it would be best if we spoke in private," Villetta answered, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I'm sorry to do that to you, Mr. Ashford. It is a rather delicate matter."
"Oh, well, I suppose that could take a little impromptu inspection of the campus," Ashford replied. He rose up from his desk and made his way to the door. "Please excuse me."
By the time they were alone, Villetta had composed herself. "Mr. Lamperouge…"
"Hmm?" Lelouch replied, blinking innocently.
"If that is your name," Villetta's tone took on a harsher edge. "I have reason to believe that your real name is Prince Lelouch vi Britannia."
"A prince?" the young man scoffed. "Why would you think that?"
"You gave me a fake name. A name that didn't match your student ID."
"I was confused, that was a stressful situation. And maybe I don't like the name 'Lelouch'?"
Villetta shook her head. This wasn't going the way she had imagined. "You're Lelouch vi Britannia."
"Consider the following: If I was a member of the Imperial Family, I'd have a security detail protecting me. Do you see agents of the Imperial Security Service around here?" Lelouch asked in his most convincing tone.
The woman nodded as she conceded Lelouch's point. If he and Nunnally were part of the Imperial Family, there would indeed be tougher security on campus. Villetta was about to leave when the fog of his persuasive charm lifted. "I'll need your fingerprints and DNA."
"I don't think that will be necessary," the young man said.
"How else are we going to determine your identity?"
"If I was claiming to be the missing Prince Lelouch, then yes, you would be expected to take fingerprints and DNA. But I'm not claiming that. And you know how hard it is to prove a negative."
Villetta nodded. "But this will clear things up. It won't hurt a bit and will only take a few minutes." She prepared her fingerprint scanner and DNA testing kit.
"No."
"What?"
"No," Lelouch repeated. "I do not consent to this."
"I already have the form signed by Principal Ashford," Villetta replied.
"No." Lelouch's tone was becoming short and his expression stony.
"But…" 'I'll have to try the damsel in distress angle…' The woman's shoulders slumped in defeat. "But Princess Cornelia gave me direct orders to confirm your identity. I'll get into trouble if I don't!"
Lelouch winced, despite his intent to remain stoic. Cornelia did have a reputation for being ruthless, but that was mainly on the battlefield and this wasn't combat. 'Stay strong. You can do this.'
A crocodile tear began to form in Villetta's left eye. "B-but…"
The muscular young man grit his teeth. Yet again, he was about to be walked over by a woman. 'Or are you?'
"Consider the following: If you show me your tits, I will consider helping you."
"That's fair," Villetta agreed absently, opening the front of her tunic. She was about to lift up her bra to reveal her breasts when she realised what she was doing. 'Wait… Why am I exposing myself to him?'
"I guess we're done here," Lelouch said, preparing to leave the office. "Good day, Ms. Nu."
"Wait!" the voluptuous woman called out, finally freeing her breasts. "Here, see!"
Lelouch let out a smirk. "Nice tits. But you can't have my fingerprints."
"But…" Villetta could feel her plans for an inheritable title slipping through her fingers. "What about a DNA sample?"
"Nope, you can't have one." Lelouch's expression turned serious. "Consider the following: If you try to contact my sister, I will kill you."
The more time she spent with Lelouch, the more Villetta was convinced he was the Emperor's son. The physicality, the swagger, the aura; it all made sense. She just needed to get some evidence to prove her case.
"Please…"
The use of his Geass powers was making Lelouch consider options far lewder than he would have done even a week earlier. "You're not taking my blood or my hair. I'm very particular about what I put in my mouth. That leaves you with one other option… Of course, I'm not about to wank into a cup for anyone."
Villetta's yellow eyes widened as realisation sank in. "Y-you can't mean…"
"If you want a DNA sample, it'll be a creampie or nothing. Consider my very generous offer to be final as I'm about to return to my class…" Lelouch said, his smirk growing. "Of course, I don't know how much you'll have left and if it will even be usable by the time you get back to the base, so perhaps you might need another sample to confirm…"
"W-what are you implying?"
"That we're going to fuck on a regular basis."
To be continued…
