A/N: High everybody. Welcome to my third Code Gundam story, Code Gundam: Wings of The Future. Before we begin, I just want to clarify something.
First of all, I'm not giving up on my Mask of Batman story. I've just had the idea for the first chapter of this story sitting around in my head for so long that I can't help but want to write it out now.
Second, I won't be writing out the full story. I'm stuck with a large plot problem which will determine where I go with this story very early on. The only thing I'm sure of is what I want to write is the first chapter and maybe the second one. Everything else I'm still trying to decide on. So I might just write the first chapter and let it sit for a while.
Third, Lelouch will pilot the Wing Zero Gundam from Endless Waltz, the one with the pegasus-like wings. I just think that Gundam is beautiful looking, compared to the standard Wing Zero from the anime. No offense.
I do not own Code Geass or Gundam Wing, both are works of Sunrise
Without further ado, let's begin.
The Day the Wings of the Future Soared
A few days later.
"You found him?" Schneizel el Britannia asked his trusted aid Kanon Maldini as they sat within his quarters in his flagship the Avalon.
"Yes, Your Highness." Answered Kanon as he looked over a tablet. "Our spies have spotted him at Ashford Academy. According to their observations, it seems he's been staying there since the death of the Emperor."
After learning Lelouch was alive, and recognizing the Ashford Academy uniform he wore, Schneizel quickly sent agents to monitor the Academy, in case Lelouch ever returned, and to use anybody close to him against him if needs be.
Schneizel frowned as he folded his hands and rested his head in them. 'Why would Lelouch choose to go back there of all places?' He thought. After hearing Bismarck claim the Emperor had died and having it confirmed by Kururugi, Schneizel had been pondering what Lelouch's next move would be.
Would he continue to wage war against Britannia, even though the main source of his vengeance was now dead? Would he go after the Black Knights, who betrayed him? Would he seek now to live his life in peace? Or would he just decide to end himself because he now believed he had nothing?
Schneizel didn't expect him to go back to Ashford. He must've known that both Britannia and the Black Knights would be watching the school closely in case he ever returned. He had to have known. If he didn't, there would have been no way for him to stay hidden from the empire for over 7 years after he was presumed dead alongside Nunnally. Or is it because he knew, but just didn't care anymore.
"If you want, we can get a unit of Knightmares ready to move out and apprehend him immediately," Kanon suggested.
"No," Schneizel said. "We shouldn't draw too much attention to ourselves with this. The Empire still doesn't know the Emperor is dead, and even then, we're on a fragile cease-fire with the UFN as it is. If this goes public, it could send the Empire into chaos."
"What would you suggest then?" Kanon asked his lord.
"Prepare a strike team. Having entered school grounds and capture Lelouch directly." Schneizel ordered as he straightened himself. "We need to hand this as quietly and as quickly as possible."
"Understood, Your Highness." Kanon bowed in acknowledgment. "I'll start assembling them right away!"
"And make sure they wear sunglasses. We can't risk Lelouch Geassing them." Schneizel warned, reminding both Kanon and himself of Lelouch's most dangerous weapon. Kanon nodded in understanding as he then moved to exit before Schneizel spoke again.
"And contact the Black Knights."
Black Knight Flagship - Ikaruga
"General Ohgi! We're getting a call from Prince Schneizel!" The comm officer of the Ikaruga called out over the intercom of the flagship.
Currently, all the Black Knights that participated in the coup, met in a private conference room. They were discussing their next move after Zero's "death". They had searched for him for days but were unable to find him, despite their best efforts.
After the betrayal, Schneizel had given the Black Knights his number, which he would use to call them privately, in case he needed them.
Ohgi, who had now been made the CEO of the Black Knights, wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and took a deep breath. "Put them through." He said, steeling his nerves.
Soon enough, the monitor in the conference room flashed on, revealing the Second Prince's smiling face. The sight of the Second Prince's smile made many of the room's occupants, particularly the Japanese, scowl. Despite him informing them of Lelouch's deception and crimes, that didn't exactly endear any of the Black Knights to him. He did order for a weapon to be launched that obliterated the Tokyo Settlement after all.
"You're all here. Perfect. Then we can get started right away." Schneizel said, his tone pleased.
"Just cut to the chase Brit and tell us what you want!" Tamaki demanded, his usual short fuse even shorter after finding out his "best bud" Zero tricked them.
If Schneizel was offended by the man's temper, he didn't show it, but instead, replied calmly. "It's not what I want. Rather, it's what you want?" At the confused looks on the Black Knights' faces, he then asked. "I assume you remember the deal we made before, right?"
"That if we give you Ze-Lelouch, we'd get Japan?" Ohgi asked, his fist clenching in anger at the name of the man that made him foolishly believe he was the successor to Naoto's dream.
Schneizel smiled, impressed. "I'm glad you remembered." The way he said that, made it almost seem like he was looking down on them, which he probably was. "I would like to inform you that that deal is still on the table."
"What do you mean, Your Highness," Viletta asked. Some of the Black Knights winced as she called him that.
"I have just been informed that Lelouch has been spotted on the grounds of Ashford Academy," Schneizel revealed, shocking the Black Knights, particularly Kallen, as she had attended the Academy with Lelouch. She frowned as she took a brief moment to look back on those memories that now felt like a lifetime ago. "I'm sending a team shortly to enter the Academy and retrieve him before he escapes."
"Then why tell us?" Tohdoh asked, narrowing his eyes. "If you had already planned on capturing Lelouch, why run the risk of letting us know?"
"While I'm confident in the capabilities of my men, you of all people should know that my brother can be quite… persuasive with others." The Black Knights, except Kallen, gritted their teeth. Yes, Zero was very persuasive, if you could ever call it that, at getting people to follow him. "I would just like you to remain on standby in case anything should happen. And if you do manage to capture Lelouch, then the promise I made last time will be fulfilled. Japan will be yours."
The Black Knights were silent for a long moment, thinking over Schneizel's request. Finally, after a long minute, Ohgi spoke up. "We'll do what you say." His words shocked the other Black Knights. "We'll be on standby should anything happen. But if you think of breaking your word, remember what we did to Zero, and how we tolerate traitors."
Schneizel didn't seem threatened by Ohgi's words at all. He just merely smiled with amusement on his face. "I promise you, unlike my brother, I am a man of my word. I'll be seeing you all soon." With that, the call ended and the screen turned black.
"Ohgi…" Kallen spoke up for the first time they entered the room, her voice trembling slightly. "You… You can't be serious about this… can you?"
Ohgi looked back at Kallen, noticing the torn-up and almost heartbreaking expression on her face. He knew the revelation of Zero's betrayal had hit her the hardest among any of them, after all, she was the one who believed in him the most, and probably even loved him. Just seeing the look on Kallen's face only made Ohgi's resolve more absolute. He would make Lelouch pay for toying with Kallen's feelings.
"Tohdoh." Ohgi turned to the elder swordsman. "Get our forces ready to move out. Make sure we have everything ready to move out at a moment's notice."
"Understood," Tohdoh said.
"So we're gonna do this?" Tamaki questioned. "We're gonna do the same thing over again? Taking orders from a Britannian Prince?"
"It's not the same!" Ohgi shouted as he slammed the table in the conference room. Even though he said that he couldn't help but think that as well. Were they doing the same thing they had done since the beginning, except this time doing it knowing full well they were following the orders of a Prince belonging to the Empire they all hated?
"Regardless, I believe we must take this course of action," Diethard spoke up. "For us to be free from Zero once and for all, we must make sure that the man himself is dead, along with the idea of him."
"I agree," Chiba spoke up. "It time we put that Britannian scum in his place for trying to use us, as well as our people!"
As most of the Black Knights began to make their way to their stations with a reignited fire in their eyes, Kallen only trudged along slowly, taking her time. Her eyes were currently devoid of that fire she was infamously known for.
Ever since the betrayal, she's been a colossal mess. She couldn't focus, couldn't think, and there were times when she couldn't even breathe. The rank and file Black Knights attributed this to her taking the news of Zero's death, the others thought it was due to the revelation of his deception.
But they were both wrong. What had her questioning her reality, the very ground she stood on, were only five mere words.
"Kallen, you have to live."
Those five words, that one sentence, had sent her mind tumbling in chaos. She had been ready to leave an abandoned Lelouch after he claimed that she and the Black Knights were nothing but pawns, and would have been fine leaving it at that.
But then he just had to say those words before he escaped. Why? Why did he have to do this to her? To torture her? The last act of punishment against her or something? Or was it genuine? Did he want her to live while he died? What was the truth?
Regardless, Kallen soon steeled herself. Right now, she didn't care about Japan, the Black Knights, or even her brother's dream. All she cared about right now was finding Lelouch and asking him what she meant to him. It was only then, when she received her answer, and from his mouth, that she would finally be able to move forward.
"Are you sure this is wise, Your Highness?" Kanon asked as Schneizel ended the call. "You mentioned you didn't want this to draw any attention."
"No, I said I don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." Schneizel corrected. At Kanon's confused look he explained. "Currently the world is closely watching Britannia after what happened at the Tokyo Settlement. If we were to attack a school of our origin, it would paint us in an even worse light. However…" Schneizel then smiled sinisterly, "If we stop the terrorist responsible for attacking a school full of innocent children, who acted out in retaliation for the loss of their city, and the death of their leader, then we would be seen as heroes. Wouldn't you agree?"
It was then that Kanon fully understood his lord's strategy and smiled. "You truly are the most cunning man alive Your Highness."
"I'll have to give credit to my dear brother on this one though Kanon," Schneizel admitted. "His use of Euphemia and the way how he discredited her for his Black Rebellion was simply genius, even if it was unintentional." He then chuckled to himself. "How fitting, what he thought was his greatest power would turn out to be what brought about, not only his destruction but the destruction of all he created and cared for."
BUZZ BUZZ
The buzzer for his quarters went off as Schneizel and Kanon turned to the door. "Come in." Schneizel beckoned. The door opened, and Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven, entered.
"Your Highness." He greeted as he bowed in respect. Schneizel frowned. Something was different about Suzaku than before. Despite having much anger and rage after the death of Euphemia, he still held some sense of honor, or what he believed of it anyway, in the way he talked and presented himself.
But now, it seemed as if that honor and nativity were gone completely. He caught glimpses of it when he offered to go kill the Emperor, and it now seemed like the change was complete. Gone was the naive and so-called honorable Suzaku Kururugi. In his place stood only a shadow of his former self.
"What is the problem Sir Kururugi?" Schneizel asked.
"Your Highness, I've come to request you fulfill your end of our deal to me," Suzaku said, getting straight to the point.
"Our deal?" Schneizel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. You promised that once the Emperor was dead, you'd make me the Knight of One, and give me governorship over Area 11." Suzaku reminded him.
"Ah yes, that," Schneizel said as he did indeed recall the deal they had made. "Why would I do that?"
Suzaku then narrowed his eyes as he glared at the Second Prince. "I've done what you asked. The Emperor is dead."
"Yes, he is, but by whose hand was he slain?" Schneizel asked, causing Suzaku's narrowed eyes to widen. "If you truly recall that promise, I said that I'd only give you the Knight of One position if you killed the Emperor in my name, effectively making me the new Emperor. But, it was not you who killed him, was it Sir Kururugi?"
Suzaku gritted his teeth and clenched his hands in anger. "No. I didn't, Your Highness" He admitted with a growl.
"Then this deal between us is left null and void. At least, that would normally be the case." At Suzaku's look, Schneizel explained. "Despite giving up his claim to the throne when he was younger, Lelouch killing the Emperor does make him the new Emperor by decree. Now if he would to die, say by the hands of a soldier acting in the name of one of Britannia's other Prince or Princesses, then they would become the next Emperor. You understand don't you Suzaku."
Suzaku once again narrowed his eyes. "What do you want me to do?" He asked, knowing full well what was being asked of him.
Schneizel smiled. "My spies have informed me that Lelouch has returned to Ashford Academy." He informed Suzaku, causing the boy's eyes to widen slightly. "I've already sent agents to capture him. But, you should know better than anyone how devious and cunning my dear brother is. I've already called upon the Black Knights to assist in capturing him should something unexpected happen. I want you to go along and assist them. However, your mission is not to capture Lelouch, but to terminate him. Should you accomplish this task, the position of Knight of One belongs to you."
"Understood," Suzaku said, surprising Kanon with how quickly the boy agreed. "Llyod had just informed me that he just finished the Albion. I'll make sure its first mission is a success, Your Highness." And with that, Suzaku left the room.
"I'm surprised at how quickly he agreed to such a proposal," Kanon admitted. "Kururugi has never been one for assassinations."
"He's finally let go of his naive morality," Schneizel commented. "While I would usually be thrilled for such a step forward in progress, it seems that he is now nothing more than a shadow of his former self. A useless Knight. Which is why I'm gonna be rid of both him and the Black Knights in one fell swoop."
"You're serious about this?" Kanon said, astonished slightly.
"Yes, I am," Schneizel said, his tone dead serious. "Contact Marrybell and her Glinda Knights as well."
"Why them?"
"After learning about Geass from my brother, I launched an investigation to see if anyone else had such power among the Royal Family. Aside from my father, I found that Marrybell has one as well, very similar to Lelouch's power if what the reports told me is true, if slightly more disturbing. I won't allow them, or anyone else related to such an accursed power to stand in my way."
"What do you suggest Your Highness?"
"Prepare a F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead for launch." He ordered. "As soon as we've confirmed that Lelouch is no more, we'll fire the warhead at the collective of Black Knights and Kururugi, ridding ourselves of these nuisances once and for all."
As Suzaku walked down the halls after leaving Schneizel's office, his mind flashed back to his last encounter with Lelouch just days prior.
'Why did I let him go?' Suzaku asked himself. It was a question he repeated in his mind multiple times a day since then. If he had captured Lelouch or killed him on the spot then and there, then he would've already been named the Knight of One.
But instead of doing that, he let him go. And now, because of that choice, Suzaku had to go through the trouble of capturing him, this time at Ashford of all places. Looking back on it now, he regretted his choice in letting him go that day, blaming it on the last dying embers of his nativism and morals.
He sighed.
"No matter." He told himself, his look quickly becoming resolved. He wouldn't let such emotions interfere with him again. He would kill Lelouch and become the Knight of One. Because at this point, it might as well be all he had left to live for.
Ashford Academy
"You wanted to see me, headmaster?" Lelouch said as he entered the officer belonging to said individual, dressed in his Ashford Academy uniform.
Even days after the explosion that destroyed the Tokyo Settlement, Ashford had yet to start up classes again. The only ones still there were staff members or students that couldn't go home since their homes were caught in the blast. Seeing that most of the student body was now made homeless, the Headmaster allowed everyone who couldn't go home to stay at the school and even opened it up to some other homeless Honorary Britannians. While some people thought this would be a problem, surprisingly, there was no discrimination found among the student body. They seemed more than welcoming of the foreigners. Perhaps the fact that everyone at the school had lost something in that explosion brought them together.
Some far, far more than others.
The chair turned to reveal an aged white-haired man, the wrinkles on his face more prominent, not because of his age, but more because of how rambunctious his grandaughter abused her privileges as both Student Council President and his granddaughter.
"Thank you for coming Lelouch, have a seat." Ruben K. Ashford, once head of the prestigious Ashford Family, now High School Principal, said as Lelouch did so in front of his large desk. "I must say, it's good to see you in school again, despite everything that's happened recently. Including what happened to Shirley."
Lelouch's heart froze as his look soon became downcast. "Yes, tragic." His words didn't even begin to describe how he felt about her death. Someone as pure and innocent as her, whose only mistake was loving him, died, all because of him and his foolishness.
Ruben noticed the look on Lelouch's face and decided to change the subject. "But enough about that. Let's get to why I called you here." He said, and Lelouch seemed to cheer up, or at least focus on something other than Shirley's death. "I only want to ask you a simple question: What are your plans for the future?"
Lelouch hadn't been expecting this question when he was called to the Headmaster's room. But he gave a supposedly satisfying answer. "Well after graduation, I may go find a job in a corporate setting. Maybe set my sights on becoming a CEO, Rivalz always did say I'd have a knack for that sort of thing. Maybe I'll start interning-"
"Cut the crap."
"-at one of the those-Huh?!" Lelouch stopped, clearly shocked by not only the words Ruben said but also his tone. His voice was low, his tone indicated he was in no mood for games.
"Lelouch, I'm almost 80 years old. I've spent a majority of my life rubbing shoulders with businesses man who look for any such opportunity to take advantage of me and my company for their benefit. Even rubbed shoulders with Britannian nobility." He then gave Lelouch a fierce glare. "So don't think of me like an idiot when you give me that poor excuse of an answer."
"I-I'm sorry?" Lelouch said, genuinely confused as to why he was acting like this.
"We both know the only thing you've ever wanted was to destroy Britannia, ever since what happened to your mother," Ruben said shocking Lelouch.
"H-How did you? How do you remember?!" Lelouch yelled. From what he understood, his father used his Geass to alter the memories of everyone at Ashford to forget Nunnally, and even that Lelouch was royalty himself.
"It happened around the time of Shirley's death," Ruben revealed. "I had taken a walk around the school grounds after Milly's graduation to see a cyborg man fighting against Sayoko, along with a schoolboy. I tried to intervene, but the cyborg unleashed a blue sphere that enveloped the area, including where I was standing. All of a sudden, my memories came flooding back and I realized what had happened to all of us… Zero."
Lelouch was dumbfounded. "Is that when you found out."
"To be honest, I found out who you were when that cat, Arthur, stole your mask and ran around campus with it." He revealed with a laugh, causing Lelouch to blush in embarrassment. "Security cameras boy. Remember that."
Lelouch rubbed a hand down his face as he let out a groan. Of course. How could he be so stupid to have forgotten that? But now knowing that Ruben knew he was Zero since the beginning, he had to ask. "Why didn't you do anything to stop me then?"
"I had planned to. Especially after I heard rumors of what happened in Saitama." Ruben revealed, causing Lelouch to look down as he thought back to his first battle with Cornelia. At first, he blamed his defeat on the rebels disobeying his orders. But now he realized the truth, it was his ego and arrogance that blinded him to the trap Cornelia had set up for him. If C.C. hadn't bailed him out…
He didn't even want to think about it.
"But then you saved my granddaughter's life." Ruben continued, causing Lelouch to look back up. "That's when I believed that you truly did want to do more than just destroy Britannia. That you truly wanted to create a better world for not only your sister but for everyone like her. That's why I didn't do anything to stop you."
"However, as things got more and more dangerous, I started to wonder if I should step in or not," Ruben admitted. "After what happened at the Special Zone, I figured it was time for me to step in. But before I could, that dastard Charles whipped altered my memories somehow. So I wasn't able to do anything for you."
"After I had regained my memories after that cyborg showed up, I knew then that I had to stop you, but then you disappeared from Ashford Academy, and I didn't know how to contact you. When I heard the news that Zero was dead, I blamed myself," Ruben confessed, surprising Lelouch, "One of my students died, and I thought to myself, 'If only I had stepped in sooner, then he would still be alive.' Imagine my relief when I heard you showed up on campus a few days ago."
"Though, in all honesty, I should have stopped you the moment I found out," Ruben said as he looked down guiltily. "If I did, maybe I could have spared you, and so many other people, from a lot of pain."
Lelouch was stunned as he looked at the man. This old man, this seemingly harmless high school principal, had known of his secret nearly the entire time, and strangely, held Lelouch's fate in the palm of his hands. Not only that, but he also held himself responsible for the things which Lelouch himself had done, only because he didn't do anything to stop it.
"It wasn't your fault," Lelouch said, getting Ruben's attention. "I have only myself to blame for the actions I took. I was blinded by rage, and arrogance, among other things. I thought this whole thing was a game from the get-go. If I hadn't… If I had only taken it all a little more seriously… If I only just trusted others, then…"
Lelouch couldn't continue as he bowed his head, trying his best to keep the tears falling from his eyes. Ruben looked at the boy with sympathy as he waited for Lelouch to compose himself.
After a long moment, Ruben then spoke again. "Well, now that we got that out of the way, let's get back to my previous question: What are your plans for the future? And please, no more bullcrap answers."
Lelouch laughed a little at the small joke as he then began to put some real thought into the question asked of him.
The future.
For a long time, all he ever really wanted was to destroy his father and avenge his mother. But now that he accomplished that goal, what was there left for him? With Nunnally dead and the Black Knights lost to him, he now had nothing to live for, nothing to fight for.
"I don't know." He confessed. "Nunnally has been my reason for fighting, my reason for living, for so long, that I don't even know how to move on without her. I completed my vengeance against my father, but the victory feels rather hallow now that I know the truth. I can't go back to the Black Knights, nor can I go back to Britannia. I can't start over, I have nothing to fight for anymore, so what would be the point of it."
Ruben looked at Lelouch for a long moment. Due to his long years on this earth, he had seen this look upon a great number of people throughout his life. A look that conveyed a feeling of being lost in thick darkness, with no idea how to escape it. He even had similar look on himself after Lady Marianne was murdered and his family lost their nobility status. But even then, Ruben refused to quit and worked hard to try and build a sort of stable life for himself and his family. It took some work, but eventually, Ruben managed to find the light that led him out of that darkness
And he believed he could help Lelouch find that light. He even had an idea on how.
Yes, if he gave him that, then it might be just what both Lelouch, and the world, needed to move past fighting once and for all.
Before he could speak up, the door to the Headmaster's office opened suddenly as three men, dressed in black suits, ear pieces tucked into their ears, and sunglasses covering their eyes entered the room.
"Who are you?!" Ruben asked, furious at these unexpected guests. "What are you doing here?!"
"Were with the Britannian Secret Services." The man in the middle said, clearly the leader, pulling out his badge and showing it to the old man. "My name is Agent Smith[1]."
"What can I help you with, Agent Smith?" Ruben asked, calming down.
"Our intelligence network has reported that a dangerous terrorist is currently seeking refuge in this school." Agent Smith revealed, causing Lelouch to flinch in his seat, refusing to look the agents in the eyes, despite them being hidden behind sunglasses.
"A terrorist hiding at a school, surely you can't be serious," Ruben said, trying to play off what they said as a joke.
"Oh but I am, Mr. Ashford." Smith said, almost purposefully drawing out the 'Mr. Ashford'. "This is no run-of-the-mill terrorist either, but quite possibly the most dangerous and cunning individual the Empire has ever had since its founding."
"Do you have any proof?!" Ashford argued, slamming his hands on his desk as he stood up. "Do you even have a warrant to be here?! And do you even know who it is your looking for?!"
"Yes we do have proof, no we do not need a warrant, and yes, we do have an idea of who it is we're after, Mr. Ashford," Smith answered his questions in the order it was given, again drawing out his name as he finished. "Lelouch Lamperouge." The boy twitched slightly. "A Britannian schoolboy, age 18. He is currently wanted for multiple accounts of theft and murder, including the death of one Shirley Fenette."
Before Lelouch could do anything, Ruben spoke up. "I'm sorry, but there is no student under that name currently enrolled here at Ashford at the moment. After Ms. Fenette's tragic suicide," He stressed the word, almost as if he was correcting the agent, "We haven't seen any sign of the boy. He's probably grieving over the loss. They were close after all."
"Well, that's unfortunate," Smith replied, not convinced but playing along. "I guess we'll just have to visit the other students and… ask if they've seen or heard from Mr. Lamperouge," Smith said, moving his suit jacket a bit to show the gun he had holster to the side for emphasis before he and his fellow agents turned to leave the room.
"Wait!"
Before Ruben could even speak, another voice stopped them. The agents turned to see Lelouch standing up and looking toward them, a look of disgust on his face, but also one of resignation. He knew the agents knew it was him in the room, and he knew that threat to the student body was addressed to him instead of the headmaster.
He knew this would happen. The moment he stepped foot onto Ashford, he knew such an event would happen. Either the Black Knights or Britannia would have left spies and observers on campus after learning of his identity. He knew it was only a matter of time before he was discovered and eventually taken away.
It seemed Britannia came first and was well prepared in case he ever used his Geass, given that the agents' sunglasses were tinted so that his Geass couldn't affect their eyes. Not that it mattered, since he couldn't even use his Geass anymore.
To be honest, he hoped for this outcome. He was tired of running. Tired of hiding. He just wanted it all to end, but he guessed he was too much of a coward to end it all himself. So he just resigned himself to letting someone else do the job, he wouldn't try to stop them. He was done.
But he wasn't going to let anyone else suffer because of him.
"I'm Lelouch Lamperouge." Lelouch declared. "I'll go with you. There's no need to go to ask the other student body where I am."
The Agent, Smith, smirked. "Glad to see you're so cooperative." He said in an almost smug and cheerful voice. "If you'd now please come with us, Mr. Lamperouge," Smith said, him and the other two agents walking to the exit.
Lelouch let out a sigh. 'I guess this is where it ends for me.' He thought as he was about to follow after them when someone grabbed him by the arm and stopped him.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that to happen, Agent Smith," Ruben said as he pulled Lelouch behind him, which wasn't hard considering how weak the boy was.
Smith looked back at the old man, a look of annoyance and irritation plane visible on his face. "I'd suggest you rethink what you're doing, Mr. Ashford," Smith advised, his politeness gone as his tone was laced with venom.
"I cannot do that." Ruben stood firm. "This boy is one of my students, and not only that, he is the best and brightest among all of them. And if you think I'm gonna let some stooges dressed in fancy suits take him before he has his chance to shine, then you have another thing coming. This is my school, and if you even think about wanting to take any one of my students, you'll have to step over my cold dead body to do it."
Lelouch looked toward Ruben in shock. He couldn't believe it. Someone was defending him. Someone so old, and so fragile, was standing in his defense. He thought after losing the Black Knights, Suzaku, and C.C., he had no one left to stand by him. But he was just proven wrong. There was still someone on his side. And that fact brought warmth to Lelouch he hadn't felt in what felt like such a long time, even though it had only been a couple of days.
"Okay then." Agent Smith said, seemingly accepting Ruben's words. "If that's what it takes, Mr. Ashford."
BANG!
He didn't even see the gun be drawn or even pointed, only the sound of it going off. Lelouch was momentarily frozen by the sound of a gun but quickly regained his senses as he moved to catch the Headmaster as he fell back from the impact.
"RUBEN!" Lelouch cried as he held the old man in his arms, a dark red liquid beginning to spread across his stomach where the bullet entered. Lelouch looked up to Smith, gnashing his teeth as the Agents kept his gun trained on them, the barrel still smoking from his previous shot.
"I suggest you come with us now, Mr. Lamperouge," Smith said, his tone indicating he was done playing around. "Least you want any unfortunate casualties happening."
Lelouch was about to say something when the door to the Headmaster's office was thrown open.
"What happened?! I heard a gunshot and-" A male student, Mario if Lelouch recalled the name correctly, said as he burst into the room in a panic, but quickly shut up as he saw the agents and the headmaster on the ground bleeding out.
Too terrified to move, he was helpless as the other two agents drew their guns and shot him.
Smith tsked in annoyance. "This was supposed to be a simple and clean operation." He muttered to himself. It had already turned into a mess.
Seeing as his attempted captures/killers were now distracted, Lelouch sprang into action. Grabbing Ruben, and using whatever adrenaline he now had running through his body, he vaulted over the desk. The agents saw him moving and quickly opened fire on him. Thankfully, Lelouch managed to get both himself and Ruben behind the bulletproof desk just as the bullets started flying.
Quickly opening a secret compartment in the desk, Lelouch pulled out the gun that was stored there. He made it a habit to make sure he knew where any weapon was and how to access it should he need one. And it seems that habit was paying off.
Making sure the gun was loaded, Lelouch waited for the shooting to stop. Shielding himself from falling glass and wood in the meantime. When the shoot stopped, Lelouch acted, rising from his crouched position, aiming, and pulled the trigger.
Now with Lelouch being far, far away from the average person in terms of strength and stamina, Lelouch would never stand a chance against three highly trained agents. However, put a gun in his hands, and it was a different story. Lelouch was always an exceptional marksman, even at a young age, his genius intellect and quick thinking mind allowed him to judge exactly what angle he would fire upon and where to hit to get a fatal kill.
Which was the case as all three agents soon collapsed to the floor, dead.
Seeing that the immediate threat had now been eliminated, Lelouch turned his attention to Ruben. He forwent asking if the old man was okay, he wasn't. Who else besides C.C. could take a bullet to the stomach at close range and claim they were fine a few seconds later.
Examining the wound, Lelouch grimaced. While not a doctor himself, he'd seen more than his fair share of bullet wounds, and he could tell that if Ruben didn't get to a doctor soon, he would die. Taking off his school blazer, he then wrapped it around Ruben's stomach to try and stop the bleeding.
"Come on old man," Lelouch almost begged as he finished wrapping it around him. "Don't you dare die on me." He then slung one of Ruben's arms over his and slowly stood up. He stumbled from the weight as he made his way to the door, but pushed on despite the burden.
A cracking sound then came from the dead Agent Smith's earpiece. "Agent Smith, report. Have you eliminated the target?" The voice of Schneizel's aid Kanon Maldini came from the other end, causing Lelouch to scowl. "Report, has the target been neutralized? If so, then proceed to phase 2!"
Lelouch stopped as he turned to look at the dead agent's ear. Phase 2? That's never good. Especially when it's Schneizel coming up with the plans. Moving toward the corpse, Lelouch took the earpiece from the dead agent and put it in his ear. Best to stay informed. He then exited the headmaster's office with said headmaster slung over his shoulder, listening to the orders Kanon was supposedly giving Agent Smith.
"Agent Smith, if your objective is accomplished, prepare to evacuate the school. The F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead will be launching momentarily." Lelouch stopped as his eyes widened in horror. Schneizel was planning on using the same warhead that destroyed the Tokyo Settlement and killed Nunnally, just to get rid of him!
Lelouch then looked out the window of the hallway he was in and began to notice a large number of Knightmares and a couple of float ships were closing in on the school. A glance and he could tell that one of those ships was the Ikaruga, the other one being the Grandberry, his half-sister Marrybell's flagship. It was then Lelouch realized Schneizel's plan.
He wasn't just trying to kill him, he was also trying to eliminate anyone else who stood in his way. Be they the Black Knights or any other competent member of the Royal Family, Marrybell mel Britannia along with her Glinda Knights were some of the most skilled forces in the Empire.
Lelouch cursed under his breath. There was no way he could go outside with Britannia and the Black Knights waiting for him, and he needed to get Ruben to a hospital and fast. He also needed to get the students and staff off-campus as soon as he could before Schneizel decided to fire the F.L.E.I.J.A.
Already having an idea of how to accomplish the second objective, Lelouch pulled the fire alarm. Soon enough, the entire student body and staff scrambled to make it off campus due to this unexpected fire alarm.
The hallway was flooded with passers as they all scrambled to escape the school, with Lelouch struggling through the tide with a bleeding Ruben in tow. He stopped as he noticed a familiar shade of blue hair among the crowd of students. He shot his hand out and grabbed the student by the hand.
"Rivalz!"
"Lelouch!?" Rivalz yelled in shock as he stopped moving. "What are you doing?! Were supposed to be evacuated, not going further into the supposedly burning building. And-" He stopped as he then noticed that Lelouch had spots of blood on his white button-down shirt and was carrying a bleeding Ruben Ashford. "What happened to the headmaster?! Is he okay?!"
"He's gonna be fine!" Lelouch tried to reassure his friend. "I'm gonna get him to a hospital, but
I can't go outside with the rest of you. I also need you to get everyone as far away from the school as you can!" Before Rivalz could ask why Lelouch continued. "I know I'm asking a lot Rivalz without so much of an explanation, but right now I need you to trust me! One last time! Please Rivalz!" He was practically begging, but he didn't care.
The blue-haired Student Council Secretary was shocked. In all the time he knew Lelouch, he never once seen the Vice President beg anyone for anything, let alone Rivalz. But he could tell by the look in Lelouch's eyes, that he needed help at this moment. And the best way Rivalz could help was by doing what Lelouch told him to.
"You got it, buddy!" He answered with a smirk, which caused Lelouch to smile. "You just make sure that the two of you survive this, alright?"
"Sure!" Lelouch said, truly grateful he had a friend like Rivalz. He then turned around and continued down the hall with the bleeding headmaster.
Now that that was taken care of, Lelouch needed to secure his and Ruben's escape route. Going outside was a no-go, which left using the route Lelouch would use to leave school during his days of gambling.
"So, someone wants to explain to me why we're working with this traitor again?" Tamaki asked from his Knightmare as he and a majority of Black Knights stood floating above Ashford Academy. The Ikaruga along with them.
The traitor he was referring to was none other than Suzaku Kururugi, who was standing by in his new Lancelot Albion, the same person who fired the F.L.E.I.J.A. and destroyed the Tokyo Settlement in the first place.
Many regular Black Knights were questioning the actions of the High Command, not just because of Suzaku, but because they also allied with the infamous Glinda Knights, headed by Marrybell mel Britannia, which they were accompanied by their float ship the Grandberry. Many wondered why they were allying with the forces who were responsible for Zero's death.
The explanation the new Commander in Chief, Kaname Ohgi, gave didn't help either.
"We have an even more dangerous adversary to deal with."
His vague answer did little to quell the doubts and confusion felt by the other Black Knights. They all began to wonder that without Zero, would the Black Knights fall completely apart.
"Prince Schneizel said he would be sending his forces along with us to capture Lelouch, and given that Kururugi has the most experience dealing with him. So it only makes sense he was chosen to assist us." Minami said.
"Still doesn't change the fact that boy is as much a traitor to Japan as Zero, even more so," Chiba said, a tinge of disgust in her voice.
Tohdoh meanwhile remained silent as he stared at the Lancelot. Despite not seeing his former student since the destruction of the Tokyo Settlement, he could tell by the way the Lancelot stood, that something changed in Suzaku. Or maybe it was more accurate to say, something had broken in the boy. Gone was the naivety, and it was now replaced with a singular drive that caused even himself to shudder.
As for Suzaku himself, he heard all the chatter about him over the radio, but he didn't care. He no longer cared what others thought of him or his actions, he cared about achieving his goals and getting the results he needed. He figured his past self would be disgusted with the action he was taking now, but he didn't care. The naive Suzaku Kururugi who Euphemia loved was dead, all that was left was now a man who wanted to achieve his goals, no matter who or what stood in his way.
"I have to say, I'm surprised to see you here."
Suzaku turned to acknowledge the voice, seeing the Guren fly up to float next to it. Whenever he saw the sight of that particular Knightmare, he would steal his nerves and prepare for the fight of his life. But now, since they were temporary allies, he forged such action and merely stood still.
"I'm also surprised to see you back in the Lancelot so soon, given how badly I trashed it last time we fought," Kallen said from inside her Knightmare, a mocking smirk on her face.
"The data the engineers were able to gather from the use of the Guren's Energy Wings helped with repairing and upgrading the Albion. So in a way, you did us a favor by taking the Guren and using it in battle." Suzaku said, his tone speaking matter-of-factly.
Kallen gritted her teeth but remained silent. There was something about the tone of Suzaku's voice that kept her from firing back right away. The way he talked, it was like all he cared about was the outcome of what happened, not at all of what took place for them to reach it. Almost like…
Kallen shook her head. No way would she ever compare Suzaku Kururugi of all people to him!
"Just make sure to do your job!" Kallen fired back, a little more heat and anger in her voice than necessary. "And don't get in my way! I have a question I need to ask Lelouch!"
"Whatever questions you need to answer has nothing to do with me," Suzaku said, not even fazed by Kallen's comments. "I have a mission, and I'm gonna accomplish it, by any means necessary."
Again, that same tone and word choice reminded her of him.
On the Gandberry, the Glinda Knights all stood on standby, waiting for the command from either Prince Schneizel or Princess Marrybell to attack.
Said Princess was currently sitting in her Knightmare, the Lancelot Trail, contemplating. She wasn't exactly sure who this supposedly dangerous terrorist was, the only thing Schneizel revealed was that they had a Geass, much to her surprise.
While she was curious as to how her elder brother became aware of its existence, Marrybell knew firsthand how dangerous the power of Geass could be. So because of that, she couldn't allow such a power to be in the hands of a dangerous terrorist. As a Princess of Britannia, and leader of the Glinda Knights, she swore this terrorist wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
A ways off from the group of forces, the Avalon hovered above the ocean. The Second Prince and his advisor observe the situation from a distance.
"Schneizel, are you sure we shouldn't launch the F.L.E.I.J.A. now?" Kanon asked. "The Black Knights, as well as Kururugi and Marrybell's forces are all within the blast radius, along with the rest of Ashford Academy."
"Patience Kanon," Schneizel told his faithful aid. "While I will admit now would be the opportune time to strike, we need to be sure Lelouch has been eliminated. He does have a nasty habit of beating the odds when all seems hopeless. Still no word from the agents on the ground?"
Kanon shook his head.
"Then they must've failed," Schneizel admitted with a sigh. Despite having them prepare with Geass countermeasures, it seemed he failed to realize Lelouch still had more than just his Geass to get him out of trouble. "No matter. Send the other agents in after him. We need to make sure Lelouch is-"
"Prince Schneizel!" An officer said, interrupting the Second Prince. "We have a situation! The student body of the Academy, along with its staff members all seem to be evacuating the building. According to our forces on the ground, someone tripped the fire alarm, and the group of citizens seems to be trying to make it as far away from the building as possible."
Schneizel narrowed his eyes. If the student body was trying to evacuate as far as they could, does that mean Lelouch knew what he was planning? And if so, what did his little brother plan to do about it?
"Contact the Black Knights and Marrybell," Schneizel ordered. "Tell them the civilians may have been Geassed in an attempt to have Lelouch cover his escape."
As the comm officer got to work, Kanon leaned down near his Prince and asked in a whisper, "Do you believe he did so?"
"It doesn't matter if he did or didn't," Schneizel said. "All that matters is what the Black Knights believe him to do. And given how they feel about both Lelouch and Geass, they're certain to believe me."
Underground Tunnels
Lelouch traveled down the dark tunnel in the Ganymede, guided only by the GPS coordinates that Ruben had put into the old Knightmare's computer.
While he knew they tunnel well, using them often during his gambling days and when he needed to sneak off campus to act as Zero, after the destruction of the Tokyo Settlement, many of the tunnels and pathways he was familiar with had either collapsed or been destroyed when the explosion went off, meaning he couldn't use to pathways to go to any hospitals, not that there were many in the Settlement anymore since its destruction.
Ruben however, had typed a set of coordinates into the Ganymede. Seeing that the coordinates led away from the path that led to the Settlement, Lelouch thought Ruben had been guiding them to a hospital, or at least some medical facility to treat his wounds.
He tried finding something to help stop the bleeding in the nurse's office before he went down the tunnels, but with how many people they had been taking in, they had exhausted all of their medical supplies.
Hoping he could find some sort of medical supplies at the coordinates Ruben gave him, Lelouch pushed the Ganymede's landspinners to the limit, the old Knightmare creaking as it was pushed beyond what it was initially capable of.
Eventually, they arrived at the coordinates, but to Lelouch's surprise…
It was a dead-end!
His path was impeded by a large metal wall. Lelouch looked around frantically trying to find some way out. But there was nothing, no doors or anything leading to the surface or into the wall. It was just a dead end. Lelouch looked down as his mind contemplated what to do next, did Ruben put in the wrong coordinates.
Said man groaned weakly as he tried to stand up. Lelouch turned around as he tried to help the old man.
"Take it, easy old man. You shouldn't push yourself like that." Lelouch tried to tell him, but Ruben ignored his pleas and moved to get out of the cockpit, Lelouch helping him do so. He then guided Ruben to a section of the wall the old man wanted to go to.
Ruben pressed a hidden panel in the wall and the wall opened up, revealing a security terminal. He then put in a 6-digit code before a handprint scanner opened up, which he placed his hand on. Then a retina scanner popped out and prepared to scan his eyes.
Despite the direness of the situation, Lelouch was impressed by the level of security Ruben had here. Whatever he was hiding, must be important.
After the retina scan, the terminal then asked for a voice authenticated password. "Meteor," Ruben said. The prompt then lit up green in confirmation.
Then, a loud rumbling could be heard as well as the sound of gears and cogs turning. Lelouch turned to see that the supposed dead-end opened up into a vast chamber. Inside was a tall white cocoon-like structure with a booster unit attached to the bottom. Lelouch couldn't help but marvel at the structure. For some reason, it looked almost angelic.
"What… What is this?"
A groan from Ruben pulled him out of his thoughts as he turned to see Ruben collapse next to the entrance. Breaking out of his trance, Lelouch ran over to the old man. Removing his black blazer, he grimaced as he saw the wound had gotten worse. He needed to treat this fast before it got any worse. He was about to move to find more medical supplies, but Ruben suddenly grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"It's… too late now…" Ruben said, his voice weak and tired. His breathing noticeably slowed.
It was then that Lelouch realized. Ruben was leading him to get medical attention. No, he was leading him to hear, to… that. Lelouch turned and looked back at the angelic cocoon. Why though?
"I know… that you feel lost…" Ruben struggled to say these final words as he took Lelouch by the hand. "That you have nothing to fight for… but you do. The dream Lelouch… her dream… their dream… of a peaceful world. That dream still lives… even if they do not… it lives on in you. You can make that dream come true… with the Gundam…" Ruben said as he pointed to the white structure.
Lelouch looked at the cocoon again. Was there more to this Gundam than meets the eye?
"But beware…" Ruben coughed. "Don't let yourself… be consumed by it…" He pleaded, using the last of his strength to do so. "Do not let yourself… be consumed by… Zero…"
And with that, the final embers of life in his eyes gave out as his head slumped and his grip around Lelouch's hand released.
Lelouch just looked at the old man as he bowed his head in sadness, trying and failing to keep the tears from streaming down his face. Once again, another one's life was ended too quickly for his sake. How many people did this make it? How many more times would others suffer for his sake? When was it ever gonna end?
Lelouch already knew the answer to that. It would end when he was dead. That's why he didn't try to run, nor did he resist when those agents came for him. He was ready to accept his fate if only to spare other people from it should he continue to live.
But even though he did surrender, people like Ruben still put their life on the line for him. Why? What right did he have to such loyalty? Especially after all the people he's lied to, killed, Geass, etc.
He didn't know. But what he did know was that this wasn't gonna stop with his death. Schneizel wasn't gonna stop with just him dead. He would kill anyone and anything that dared to stand in his way.
And Lelouch was the only one capable of stopping him.
After taking a moment to morn for Ruben, Lelouch rose from his position and turned to face the angelic cocoon, a fierce determination reignited in his eyes. Ruben said he could use this to bring to pass a peaceful world. The world both Nunnally and Euphie wanted. But he also said something else.
"Do not let yourself be consumed by Zero."
What did he mean by that? Could he mean not to fall back into his old ways or something similar?
He shook his head. Either way, it didn't matter right now. He now knew what he had to do.
He was gonna take this Gundam, and use it to stop Schneizel before he takes any more innocent lives.
"This brings back any memories for you Ohgi?" Tamaki joked as he tried to use his Knightmare to control a bunch of school kids.
"A little," Ohgi said with a small smile, remembering his days as a teacher when he would try to control the rambunctious kids in his class whenever a fire drill happened. But that smile soon left his lips. "But we have to focus. Lelouch could be among the crowd. Keep looking!"
"Yes sir!" Said the Black Knights on the ground out of their Knightmares, including Kallen.
She desperately looked through the crowd of students, trying to find some trace of that raven black hair and memorizing violet eyes. But she found none who matched his description. Much to her frustration. She had to find him first before anyone else among the Black Knights or Britannia did. She needed to know. She needed to know what she truly meant to him.
It was then that she spotted a familiar person among the crowd, urging all students and teachers to get as far away from the school as they could. While he did not have raven hair or violet eyes, he did have familiar blue hair and gray eyes.
"Rivalz!" She called.
Hearing his name, he stopped urging students and teachers along for a moment to see the sickly Kallen Stadfeld, who was revealed to be a Black Knight, walk toward him, a look of pure desperation on his face.
"Kallen!" Rivalz called in shock. "What are you doing here?! Did you come back to school?! Are you here with the Black Knights?! If you are, can you tell them to get out of the way so we can get away from here?!"
He would have continued but stopped as Kallen grabbed him. "Rivalz…" She began, trembling. "Where's Lelouch?!"
Rivalz's eyes widened as she asked her question. While he always suspected something was going on between them, he didn't expect Kallen to be this worried about Lelouch. But worried wasn't the right word. She seemed desperate to find him. Almost like she needed to. But why?
Before he could answer, another hand shout out and pulled him away from Kallen. Suddenly, he was met with a pair of green eyes, in them holding the look of a man on a mission.
"Rivalz," Suzaku began, his tone serious, and in no mood to be lied to. "Where's Lelouch?!"
Rivalz stood dumbfounded. Here were two of his friends and fellow student council members, both of which were part of a military organization, and they were both asking where Lelouch was.
Rivalz didn't know what to do. What in the world was Lelouch wrapped up in that involved both the Black Knights and Britannian Military? Did it have something to do with why the Headmaster was shot and bleeding?
Regardless, he decided it would be better for him to be honest.
"I-I don't know!" He shouted, nervous. "Last I saw him, he was dragging old man Ashford around with him. The old guy looked as if he had been shot!" Both Knightmare pilots looked in slight surprise. "He told me to get everyone as far away from the school as possible. He didn't say why, only that he couldn't come with me outside."
"Where did he go?!" Both Suzaku and Kallen asked at the same time, causing Rivalz to jump.
"I-I don't know that either!" Rivalz answered, then shudder at the two's glare. "If I had to guess, maybe he used that passage we used to sneak off for gambling."
Both Suzaku and Kallen cursed under their breath as they let go of him and moved to contact their superiors, leaving Rivalz just feeling confused.
'Lelouch… What that heck have you gotten yourself into?'
Avalon
"I see, I understand Sir Kururugi," Schneizel said into the comm channel he set up with Suzaku. "Just standby for now. I'll give you instruction soon." He then closed down the comm. "How far do those tunnels spread?" He asked Kanon, who had a data pad with him.
"They span across the whole island, Your Highness," Kanon said as he reviewed the tunnel system over his datapad. "While the destruction of the Tokyo Settlement does narrow any paths he could have taken to escape, it still leaves too many tunnels for us to follow to pin him down immediately."
"I see," Schneizel said with a frown before he sighed. "I guess he still managed to slip through my fingers, even with the Black Knights' help."
"What do you intend to do now, Your Highness?" Kanon asked.
Schneizel contemplated for a moment before he gave his orders. "Tell the F.L.E.I.J.A. operates to fire when ready." He said. "While I would've preferred to eliminate Lelouch first, it seems I'll have to settle with getting rid of the Black Knights, along with Kururugi and Marrybell."
"Right away Your Highness!" Kanon bowed and got to work to carry out his orders.
Schneizel just looked out on the horizon. To be honest, he felt a tad bit disappointed. He expected Lelouch to try some way to turn this situation around, or at least confront him or one of the Black Knights. Instead, he ran away like a coward. Well, no matter. Sooner or later, Lelouch would run out of places to hide, and once he was out of the way, no one would be able to stop Schneizel from achieving his goals.
"Prince Schneizel!" Avalon's radar officer yelled, pulling Schneizel out of his thoughts. "We have an anomaly!"
"What kind of anomaly?" Schneizel asked, a sinking feeling in his gut forming as he moved to the officer's station.
"At first I thought it was an earthquake." The officer explained, pointing to a change in the geological structure of the land near the academy. "But as I took a closer look, I realized that it is no natural movement for tectonic plates. I suspect it most likely be a Knightmare or something similar, cutting through the rock. I can only confirm two things. First, it's not an ally because I can't raise them on the radio."
"And the second?" Schneizel asked.
"It's rising to ground level, Your Highness. Fast!"
("Last Impression" Starts at 1:53)
At that moment, the ground broke through and a tall angelic cocoon shot out of the ground near the Academy, flying upwards, powered by a booster unit.
The sudden appearance caught everyone off guard as they turned to stare at the newcomer.
Within the cocoon, a hand flew across a control panel of a large cockpit and pressed several commands.
Suddenly, the booster disconnected from the main cocoon and fell to the ground, a majority of pieces from the cocoon soon followed, leaving what seemed like large pegasus wings behind.
The hand once again hit several keys.
The wings then opened up and spread out wide to reveal the body of the mechanical angel slumbering in the cocoon. Needless to say, all who saw it were shocked.
It looked like a Knightmare, but at the same time, nothing close to it. It had a blue torso made out of a metal none of the onlookers had seen before. It was taller than any Knightmare made to date.
And the wings, the four white pegasus-like wings, gave it the appearance of an angel.
All who looked were in awe of its appearance, especially Knightmare engineers like Llyod and Rakashta were speechless. Even the stoic Tohdoh couldn't help but marvel at the beauty.
But was even more shocking, was the voice that came from within the mechanical angel. A voice and name caused all occupants to widen their eyes in even greater shock.
"Lelouch vi Britannia."
"Wing Gundam Zero." Lelouch continued from within the cockpit of the Gundam. His eyes were ablaze with a fierce determination.
"Ready to engage!"
XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero
A machine developed in secret by the Ashford Foundation after the successful creation of the Ganydeme and the discovery of a powerful yet rare metal known as Gundanium Alloy. This "Gundam" was created using some of the most advanced technology Ruben Ashford could collect since it started construction. In addition to powerful weapons and near-indestructible armor, it also has a transformation feature, turning the Gundam into a fast and agile fighter. Finally, Wing Zero comes with a powerful, yet dangerous, computer system.
Design
Classification: Transformable Mobile Suit
Height: 8.35 meters
Weight: 4.0 metric tones
Crew: Pilot (Located in the chest)
Armaments
Twin Buster Rifle: A double-barrel type Buster Rifle. In Neo-Bird Mode, it is equipped on both sides of the shield in a divided state. It is a type directly connected to the generator so rapid-fire is also possible. Tests have theorized the power output of a fully charged shot could obliterate a Battleship class Float Ship.
Beam Saber: Slashing equipment for close combat. Since it adopts devices made of Gundanium Alloy in every part; the power, function, durability, etc are exceptionally increased. One apiece is stored within the pylons that connect the two smaller wings to the Gundam's back. It is even capable of slashing through standard MVS.
Machine Canon (Wing Vulcans): Located on the shoulders, the two cannons are short to medium-range weapons, used to intercept missiles and Slash Harkens. They are capable of rapid-fire thanks to their internal drum structure. They are covered when not in use.
Shield: Made out of Gundanium Alloy, the shield also comes with its pair of Wing Vulcans, equipped with anti-beam coating. It becomes the nose in Neo-Bird Mode, having excellent aerodynamic performance in the atmosphere and also functions as a ram when charging.
Equipment
Wing Unit: The four angelic pegasus-like wings. The two larger wings can be used as shields or weapons, as well as be used to protect the Gundam during atmospheric re-entry.
Neo Bird Mode: A transformation that turns Wing Zero into a highly agile fighter jet.
Self-Destruct System: Wing Zero was built to self-destruct should the pilot choose to. A remote detonator is placed within the cockpit and if a dire situation arrives, the pilot can destroy the Gundam. The system was designed to overload its power systems and has enough explosive power to destroy several city blocks. It's a last option tactic if the pilot is incapable of protecting the Gundam, while not allowing it to fall into enemy hands. It also can be used as one large explosive device to eradicate large targets.
ZERO System: The ZERO (Zoning & Emotional Range Omitted) system is an interface designed to eliminate weakness and bring out the full capabilities of the Gundam. The system analyzes a given situation based on the massive amounts of data collected by its various sensors, then transmits multiple possible responses, as well as the results, directly into the pilot's brain. In other words, it shows the pilots the actions necessary to achieve victory. However, its predictions usually prioritize tactical victory above all else, ignoring any possibility of collateral damage, harm to the pilot, or the pilot's own emotions and morals. As such, controlling the system requires extremely high willpower, and weak-willed users risk being controlled by it. The system also includes advanced biofeedback equipment in the cockpit, allowing it to scan the pilot's brain activities and control the emission of neurotransmitters, alleviating the strain placed on the pilot by the mobile suit's maneuvers, allowing the pilot to operate at a level beyond human limits. To accommodate the system, Wing Zero featured a unique panoramic cockpit, with a three-dimensional radar display in the center of the console panel and a data display showing enemy data and the unit's status on top of it. Target markers showing enemies within range are also displayed on the surface of the cockpit during battle. Since its creation, no test pilot has ever been able to completely control the system.
A/N: What do you all think?
I hope it's okay to end it here, considering if I included a battle, it would take a long time to write.
I will write the next chapter. But after that, I'm going back to the Mask of Batman. Just wanted to give my brain a break from all the Batman for a moment.
Anyway, here's a preview of the next chapter.
Zero's Wrath:
As Lelouch struggles against the combined might of Britannia and the Black Knights, the Gundam activates a deadly system. One that may spell doom for all.