Chapter 9: A Hard Bargain
Back at Ashford, Kallen was still using the Ganymede to expand the pizza dough, tossing it several times into the air with a smile on her face, "Man, is that why Lelouch was spending so much time with Kallen?" Rivalz asked, while still in his turkey costume, "It was just so he didn't have to pilot the Ganymede?"
"It seems so," Milly replied while wiping a piece of pink foam off her shoulder, "Is this what the science club was working on? Thankfully it only lasts for a bit, otherwise we might've been stuck like that for a while"
"Ye… yeah," the blue-haired boy replied with a weak smile
Meanwhile… "Oh man, this is too cool!" Kallen thought while placing the dough into a large brick oven, "It's a shame this has to end now…" she then maneuvered the mech back to it's charging port, which was being guarded by several students.
"There she is!" one shouted
"You're really going to challenge a Knightmare like that?" Kallen questioned before bringing the Ganymede to a stop next to a balcony, "Whatever, I've got to get to the elevator now!" she then transitioned to the balcony, shutting off the Knightmare in the process.
As the red head ran through the halls, she effortlessly dodged numerous students who were trying to catch her, then she slid under a table, and flipped the contents onto an encroaching group, causing them to slip and fall. "That was too easy" she thought
"Kallen…" called a sweet, but familiar voice.
Upon turning around, the former Black Knight ace came face-to-face with her friend, "Oh… hey Shirley, what are you doing here?"
The orange haired girl stood firmly planted in the middle of the hallway, with a determined look, "I'm sorry about this, but… I need to take you in, President's orders."
"What did she tell you?"
"That you know where Lulu is."
"Well… that's not exactly a lie…"
"Did he go gambling again!?" Shirley blurted out, "I saw him enter the elevator with some guy in a trench coat! I thought he said he wasn't gonna gamble for another month!"
"Of course! That's what this is about!" Kallen thought, before saying, "Listen, Shirley, that's not-"
"Then why would he need to leave the campus!? He could've just hidden somewhere else, why did he leave!?"
"I… can't answer that…"
Shirley sighed and clenched her fist. The poor girl didn't know how to fight, but she was determined to not let Kallen past, and that's all she needed, "I'm sorry Kallen, but if you can't answer that, then it looks like you'll be dressing up as a turkey in his place."
The red head took a step back; she couldn't fight Shirley, right? As easy as it would be to knock her out and move on, there's no way she could explain assaulting her friend to the rest of the council, but that didn't mean she was just gonna give up, "I don't plan on doing that."
With a single step forward, Kallen charged forth, attempting to fake left, then go right, however, as inexperienced as Shirley was, she just lunged forward, capturing the red head's hand before she could back away. Now this was trouble. When it came to sports, Shirley was no slouch, with her being on the swim team, she was definitely an above average athlete, meaning she wouldn't just let go with a quick jerk. So Kallen had to find a way to break free, without hurting her friend in the process.
The red head attempted to take a step back, putting distance between them, despite this, the orange haired girl didn't let up, as she used her other hand to tightly grip Kallen's arm, and bring her close. With the tug, however, Kallen allowed herself to crash into Shirley, knocking both girls to the ground, that's when the sudden shutter of a camera caught their attention, "ooh, cat fight~" Milly teased while standing over the girls, camera in one hand, and turkey costume in the other.
…
Meanwhile, on an empty train to Shinjuku…
"Put this on," Naoto commanded Lelouch while holding out a red headband
"No way, I'm not wearing that." the Prince responded while looking out the window, back at Ashford.
"You have to, that way, if we get separated, the Japanese will know you're with me."
"Do you have another one? Because that one looks crusted with sweat."
Naoto looked down at the headband and replied, "That's… because it's mine," he then put it on, setting it just underneath his bangs, "By the way, are you really planning on meeting the buyer wearing that?"
"Obviously not, once we arrive at Shinjuku station, I'll buy a change of clothes, then we'll head toward the meeting spot." Lelouch replied as the resistance leader dug into his pocket, and pulled out another red bandana, this time, the Prince took it, but hesitated in putting it on.
"Hey, it looks good on you," Naoto complimented the boy as he pulled his bangs out from under the cloth, "When're you going to meet the rest of my cell by the way?"
"I have no intention of doing that in the near future. Perhaps once we've establish ourselves as a fighting force, I'll reveal myself to them behind a mask. Until then, they will never come in contact with me, unless it's through a call."
"Oh come on, I can only vouch for you for so long; you'll have to reveal yourself soon, after all, the rest of the cell suspects you leaked our plans to the military." Naoto responded as the train entered a tunnel.
"Then this Glasgow should suffice as proof of my loyalty to the cause," Lelouch explained while crossing his legs, "After all, you can't deny results."
The train then exited the tunnel and announced, "NOW ARRIVING AT, SHINJUKU STATION."
"Perhaps you're right… but results can only get you so far. Eventually, people will get curious, and that curiosity will lead them down a path that'll become a problem later." Naoto stated
The Prince gave his partner a confused look, and asked, "Where did that come from?"
"I have my moments," the older Kozuki replied as the train doors opened, allowing for them to get off, "Just take what I said in consideration."
…
At the same time in the Ghetto, two Britannian officers were wandering the streets dressed in brown ragged clothes, one was a woman with long silver hair, while the other was a man with green hair, both were utterly disgusted with the mission they were tasked with.
"Lord Jeremiah," Villeta Nu called, "Must we really be dressed like this?"
After quickly scanning the area, the Margrave turned to the dark skinned woman and said, "Villeta, please refer to me as Jeremiah for this mission. Remember, we're supposed to be covert."
"M…my apologies… but still-"
"Prince Clovis got an anonymous tip that there's going to be some sort of deal going down in this area, we're here to confirm those reports. There's also reason to believe that this deal's related to that Eleven rebel we almost captured last month, that's why we need to keep our heads down, and eyes peeled."
Villeta nodded and followed her commander closely, right until they came across a ramen stand, where an old man was inside, clearing his counter of a bowl and chopsticks, "Greetings! What can I get for ya!" he greeted the two Britannians merrily
Before the silver-haired woman could respond, Jeremiah opened up with, "We'll take two bowls of ramen, please."
"What are you doing!?" his partner whispered, "You're not seriously considering eating here, right!? This place looks like-"
As the Margrave took his seat on a stool, he responded in a quiet tone, "Calm down. We can't just loiter out in the open, that would be a dead giveaway what we're here for. You don't have to eat if you don't want to, but please, take a seat."
The proud woman skeptically took a seat, just as the owner set two bowls of tonkotsu ramen in front of the two, "Here ya go! It's today's special, so please enjoy!"
"That was fast!" she thought as Jeremiah split his chopsticks in two
"It might not be as fine as our meals back in the palace, but it's better than nothing."
"You can't be serious!"
"But I am," the Margrave responded while picking up some noddles with his chopsticks, and slurping them down.
"How d'ya like it?" the owner asked with a gleeful smile
"The flavor's most exquisite, and the pork," he took a bite of the round slice, "It's perfectly marinated, and super tender."
"Well, I'm glad you like it!" then, he slapped a small Manila envelope onto the table, "Think of this as thanks for the repeat business." he said while walking back to his sink to clean more dishes.
"Wait…" Villeta turned to her coworker with wide eyes, and thought, "Is he in on it? Why's Lord Jeremiah working with an Eleven?"
Ignoring his subordinates staring, Jeremiah quickly took the envelope and discreetly opened it, "Ah, this is good. Villeta, quickly finish up your meal, we've got a lead."
…
Naoto was currently waiting outside a men's restroom with his camera in hand, slung around his neck. He was cycling through the photos he collected of the school festival, specifically the ones of his sister; one was her in the Ganymede, another was her and Lelouch arguing, and the last was her picking Lelouch up out of the crowd. These images brought a smile to the older Kozuki's face, but that's when his partner interrupted his enjoyment with, "C'mon, let's go."
The Prince was currently wearing ripped blue jeans with a red shirt and black jacket, he was still wearing the resistance headband, but he also had a green bandana wrapped around his face, acting as a mask, "Not bad," Naoto commented as Lelouch handed him a bag with his school clothes in it, "But… where's the money?"
"Who said we're going to buy the Glasgow? At the price it's being sold, there's no way it's worth it," Lelouch responded effortlessly while handing over a hand gun, "When I give the signal, I want you to kill the seller."
"What!? Are you crazy!? What if there are guards?"
"Then I suspect you'll be able to handle them yourself without issue."
"But-"
"They're not Japanese, if that's what you're asking. The seller is some pompous noble who won a Glasgow in an auction; after taking it for a joyride, they damaged it severely, and hope to get their money back by selling it to some schmuck in the ghetto for a large sum. However, they'll probably report us to the police right after, so there's no point in letting them live." Lelouch explained in a low voice as they casually trotted toward a large warehouse.
"Seriously!? This is a set-up!? Those scum…"
"Relax. Luckily, it's us who's taking the bait and not someone else."
Even though Lelouch was right, it still infuriated Naoto how the nobility exploited the Japanese people. But that's why they were going to stop it. With this Glasgow, their revolution will begin. "What's the plan?" he asked the Prince
…
"So you're final here?" the fat noble greeted Lelouch and Naoto as they stopped at the entrance, silhouettes cast a shadow upon the Britannian who was surrounded by several bodyguards dressed in suits, with five more on a catwalk above, each were armed to the teeth with machine guns, "And here I thought you'd Elevens would be a no-show. Where's the money?"
"Don't worry, you'll get your money as soon as you show us the goods." Lelouch announced
The noble snorted, then snapped his fingers, signaling for a guard to walk behind him, and pull down a large cloth, revealing a Glasgow with all of its limbs intact. "The right slash harkens don't work, and the IFF interface is severely damaged, also, you'll only be getting a quarter of an energy filler."
There was obviously more wrong with it, but now wasn't the time to find that out, "I want to see the inside," the Prince demanded, "Allow me to enter the cockpit."
With that, the noble let out a loud cackle, "Oh? And how do I know you aren't going to drive off with my product?"
"In order to do that, I'd need the key, and the activation code, both of which, you have."
Naoto sighed internally, and thought, "Lelouch… I hope you know what you're doing here," a drop of sweat glistened as it dripped from his forehead, and hit the ground.
The boy in questioned calmly approached the towering machine, and climbed into the cockpit, "So? How is it?" the noble taunted, "Is it good or spectacular?"
Only one screen was fully intact, while the others either had a large crack across them, or were just completely out, still the port was intact, and that was all Lelouch needed as he pulled out a small USB drive and plugged it in, turning on the main screen. Meanwhile, Naoto put on a green bandana, and prepared his gun for the next step.
"Hey, answer me!" the noble shouted as the raven-haired boy navigated the screen, quickly denying pop-up after pop-up until what he wanted, appeared.
"Oh, it's more than perfect," Lelouch responded while rolling the joystick, powering up the Knightmare.
"What the!? How did he do that!?" one of the guards shouted
Suddenly, the resistance leader whipped out his pistol and shot at the guards, gaining their attention, then he took cover behind the main shutter as the Glasgow stood up, crashing through the catwalks, sending the guards above falling hard onto the ground below.
"Lord Jeremiah!" Villeta shouted while outside the warehouse
"I know!" the Margrave responded as he readied his pistol, "We're moving in!"
"You filthy Eleven cheats!" the noble shouted while trying to run away, however, Naoto leaned out from his cover, and emptied several rounds into his body, killing him instantly.
"So much for the signal," Naoto thought as the bodyguards foolishly fired upon the Knightmare with their rifles.
Lelouch pushed the Knightmare forward; the land spinners struggled to move, but they eventually gave-in, and allowed the Glasgow to maneuver out of the warehouse, where it waited for its passenger.
"Don't let 'em get away!" shouted a guard as he attempted to open fire on the rebels
"Freeze!" Jeremiah shouted as he jumped out of a corner with his pistol drawn, "by the orders of Prince Clovis La Britannia, you are all under arrest!"
"Shit! It's the feds!" another guard shouted as he pointed his gun at the soldiers, however, Jeremiah was quicker and instantly killed both guards by shooting them in the head.
"Let's get out of here!" Naoto shouted as he rested on the Glasgow's shoulder
"Didn't you filthy Eleven's hear us!?" Villeta shouted as she leapt from atop the warehouse, and onto the Glasgow, sending her knee into Naoto's face, knocking him against the machine's head.
The Britannian woman held a knife against the man's neck, threatening to end him if he made any sudden moves, however, Naoto wasn't going to give up that easily, because as soon as she got close enough to take off his bandana, he sent his left leg into her side, causing her to groan in pain. Once she shifted left, the resistance leader stood up and punched the woman in the face, then he grabbed her arm and attempted to throw her off the Glasgow. That's when Jeremiah leapt onto the machine and kicked Naoto back, luckily, Lelouch moved its hand to catch him, "Are you okay, Ms. Nu?"
Villeta clutched her side and, through struggled breaths, said, "No… I think he broke a couple of ribs…"
The Margrave then took her knife and announced, "Then allow me to take on this heathen"
"Hey, are you gonna go or what!?" Naoto shouted at Lelouch
The Prince was currently cycling through pop-up after pop-up, and responded, "No way! This thing's way more damaged than I thought! You'll just have to fend them off until I can jump start it!"
At that moment, the Margrave lunged at the resistance leader, causing both of them to crash into the ground, while Villeta worked on opening the Knightmare's hatch.
"You! I recognize that hair! You're that Eleven from before, right? Then let's duel once more!" Jeremiah shouted while charging forth, swinging his knife with swift precision, forcing Naoto onto the back foot instantly, "And this time! There's no way for you to escape!"
Naoto dodged one of the Margrave's strikes, and pulled out a small orb, before throwing it onto the ground, casting a large screen of pink foam between them, however, the soldier burst through the pink substance and slash at the rebels face, taking off a few strands of hair, "Too close!" he thought while using his palm to push the knife away.
The sticky substance stuck to Jeremiah's clothes, forcing him to rip off his cloak, and use it as a distraction by throwing it at Naoto, blocking his field of view temporarily; then, he swiftly ran around the cloth as the red head shifted right, reaching into his pocket to pull out another bomb, but that same trick wouldn't work twice, as the Margrave almost instantly closed the distance with his opponent, and sliced his wrist, barely missing the veins. However, he wasn't done yet, as the soldier pulled his fist back, and delivered a swift punch to Naoto's jaw, sending him flying backwards, despite this, Naoto wasn't done either, as upon being lifted up, he used his right leg to deliver a strong kick to the Margraves jaw, causing him to stumble slightly.
Upon recovering, they stared each other down while Villeta continued to bang on Lelouch's cockpit, "You filthy Eleven! You better open up! Otherwise, there'll be hell to pay!"
"I can't beat him like this," Naoto thought while staring at the knife, then back at the Glasgow, "I've only got one bomb left, and a few rounds in my gun. My best bet is to…"
"Keep your head in the game!" Jeremiah shouted as he rushed forward, taking the rebel by surprise with his speed.
In retaliaton, Naoto reached into his left pocket and pulled out a gun, attempting to shoot him in the side, however, Jeremiah managed to barely reach the gun with his left hand, and grab it, then he swung his knife toward the rebel's face. In the knick of time, the Kozuki ducked, allowing for the slash to nip a few strands of hair, then he delivered a deadly palm strike to the Margrave's side.
Despite this, Jeremiah didn't slow down one bit, and brought his knife back around, slashing at the straps of Naoto's camera, causing it to drop to the ground, cracking the lens, then he used his legs to sweep the rebel off his feet, and ended the combo with an elbow to his gut. Naoto bounced off the ground, rolling away in the process; once he regained his bearings, he instinctively brought up his arms, blocking a swift, but devastating kick from the soldier, that sent him flying back into the Glasgow's leg, knocking the wind out of him.
Now, with the gun in hand, Jeremiah pointed it at the resistance leader and ordered, "Surrender, now."
Just then, Lelouch activated the Glasgow's anti-personnel machine gun, and fired one bullet into the Margrave's right shoulder, knocking him onto his back from the impact, then he tried to fire again, only to find the gun now jammed, "Useless piece of-"
"Open up!" shouted Villeta as she slammed her fist against the cockpits hatch, it was only a matter of time before it opened up.
Seeing this, Naoto crawled over to Jeremiah, and retrieved his handgun, firing a single bullet at the dark-skinned woman, making contact with her side, causing her to fall off the Knightmare. Finally, Lelouch got the machine started, and grabbed Naoto, before taking off into the ghetto, leaving both Villeta and Jeremiah to bleed out.
"W…we failed…" the Margrave muttered while reaching into his jacket with his left hand, pulling out a hand-held device with two buttons, one red, and one blue. He pressed the red button; sending a distress signal to the nearest Police Station, "Forgive me… Prince… Clovis…"
AN: With this Chapter, the rivetting adventures of Naoto and Lulu come to an end (For now)
While Jeremiah was racist to Suzaku in the anime, it's a pretty one-off occurance, as he treats all other Elevens normally. Hell, even when he's fighting Kallen, he barely even makes a remark about her being an Eleven, instead, he's only focused on winning the duel at hand so he could kill Zero. And while it was established that the Purist faction was pretty racist when it came to anywone who wasn't a Britannian, I just don't see Jeremiah as the kind of guy who would allow something as simple as race deter him from a mission.
If he needs a number's help to complete a mission, then I have no doubt he would accept their help (with a few conditions), as long as he completes the task at hand. After all, he does value honor above all else.
Whereas Villeta; she kept her racist remarks throughout the entirety of R1 and (maybe) a bit into R2. So, if she was given the same choice as Jeremiah to complete a mission, I don't doubt she wouldn't side with a number.