A/N - Responses to reviews:
About the IFF tags, this is something I have had to point out before, but I will do so again, you must consider the time frame that the scene takes place in. This is 2015, where the Sutherland is still being introduced into full service and the Gloucester is still a late stage prototype.
My idea for the scene where the Glasgow had no IFF is for the reason that I thought: Hey, the Glasgow was only the first military knightmare, and the Sutherland is near identical in terms of capabilities, just "better" at doing them.
My thought is that for the first wave of Knightmares designed and produced by Britannia, they didn't have all of the bells and whistles that the later Gen-5 and up units have. Still functional, but lacking in quality of life improvements that make the Sutherland better and easier to pilot.
One of these absent things being an IFF transponder. But because getting as many Sutherlands out and into the field as possible is more important, the Glasgows being outfitted into Knightpolice are on backorder for their requisitioned upgrades before they get transferred to the KPD. So this PARTICULAR Glasgow didn't have one because IFF's (in this story) are a Gen-5 upgrade that improves tactical flexibility, coordination and unit cohesion that Britannia added after seeing flaws in their initial designs.
As for the Shinjuku scene. No, Clovis did not have her IFF. The red blip was Sutherland sensor data reporting her position via their factsphere system. You can tell because when the Sutherlands spotting her get destroyed, they loose track of her. If she had a traceable IFF signal they would be able to track her exact location, not having to rely on guesswork. And furthermore, why would a junkyard resistance knightmare have an IFF? There's nobody out there to misidentify her. Britannia uses Sutherlands and Kallen had a red Glasgow, not even Tamaki could fuck up with friendly fire that bad. If it had one it's been removed or shut off
Lelouch DID use the ENEMY IFF's against them as a double edged sword because he had his shut off while still being able to track enemy movements since he stole their shit. You even hear Tamaki complaining saying that the Sutherlands "the voice" gave them had their IFF's shut off as well. Why would they bother mentioning that if Kallen had one for the Enemy to track to begin with? It makes no sense.
Please, RanVor, there was no need to be so aggressive in your review. I trust that this explanation suffices so that you understand my decision making process and that, in the future, you ask about something that confuses you for clarification, rather than assuming I made a blunder. If I make a genuine mistake I will acknowledge and rectify it. There's a reason for everything I write and the way I write it, there's genuine thought going into each line of dialog and description and transition.
You can, of course, think I made the wrong decision, or disagree with my thought process. And you can believe that I am incorrect in my interpretation of how Britannia and other factions implement IFF tags. But as you mentioned, since this is my story and I can write it how I want, I ask that you respect my creative freedom in what I decided to do in that chapter.
In response to the other reviews now:
I was already considering pairing up Nuna with Kaguya, glad we think alike lol
Lelouch plays the piano- noted
Not telling you what's in the box, you must all wait and see but good guesses!
I also enjoy "Let me share the burden" a shame the sequel is on indefinite hiatus.
Lelouch is getting his own knightmare soon, most major characters (the pilots at least) are gonna be fleshed out with fresh bling. As for allies abroad, gonna have to wait and see.
Now as you may have noticed, the triple pairing of KK/LL/CC has been removed. It may not be permanent, but looking at what I have written so far. Honestly, it feels like I would just be doing the whole story an injustice if I went that route. This is, at least for now, going to be pure Kalulu. What Lulu and Kallen have right now is too pure and organic for me to go and muddy up by making it poly and this work of fiction would do better keeping it as just the red queen and black king
For those of you who where looking forward to a KLC ship, I apologize, but I will endeavor to make that pairing work in a future story!
However because C.C. is as of now indefinitely removed from the ship, I have hinted at the other more unorthodox pairing that I was planning from the very moment I decided to write this story.
I hope all of your concerns have been answered and that you continue to enjoy this story!
"So what do we do with this thing, exactly?" Lelouch asked.
"I don't know... it's just so huge, there's no way it'll fit!" Kallen answered.
"C'mon Kallen don't be like that, we can squeeze it in."
"But look at the size of the thing!"
"I know it's daunting Kallen but we don't exactly have another choice."
Kallen and Lelouch where standing in the Shinjuku Ghetto staring at the Knightmare that had been offloaded. Because of how tired everyone had been, the Kozuki Resistance settled for dropping the knightmare off at the back of the school in a closed-off courtyard, covering it in a tarp and then piling trash around it to make it seem like nothing more than a useless pile of junk to any who passed by.
But now they where left with a problem, they didn't want it to just be left outside to weather the elements, so they had to fit it into the school.
Knightmares where big, buildings where also big but meant to fit small people, this created a problem. How to get the damn thing inside.
"I don't suppose you know a crane rental service we could use?" Kallen quipped.
"No. What about you, know any demo experts that can make a big enough hole without bringing down the building?"
"No."
They stared at the Glasgow for a few minutes longer. The seconds where ticking by at an agonizingly slow pace.
"Why not at School?" Lelouch asked, making Kallen raise an eyebrow, and gesture to the old Shinjuku school in front of them.
"No, I meant our school, Ashford. We could store it at the underground facilities that where used by the foundation."
"That could work." Kallen agreed. "But how do we get it there?"
"The Ashford underground is linked to Tokyo's old subway system. They used it to discreetly transport their products and services to and from the foundation to various other facilities scattered across Tokyo and other Japanese cities. That's how I get to Shinjuku from Ashford."
"Huh, you learn something new every day I guess." She grinned. "And that sounds really useful! We have access to an underground knightmare development facility! We could use it for all sorts of things not just storage, maybe even make our own Knightmare Frames!"
Lelouch honestly hadn't considered that. Well he probably would have at some point but it didn't cross his mind until Kallen mentioned it.
Sure, they lacked a lot of the tools and materials but such things could be purchased, the process could be automated...
"Our very own knightmare factory right under Britannia's nose..." He said in awe. "Kallen you're a genius."
The redhead flushed a shade of Crimson that made her hair jealous. "Well I mean it just kinda slipped into my mind ya know?" She said bashfully.
"You sell yourself short Kallen." Lelouch said encouragingly. "You're not stupid, far from it. You may feel like you live in your brother's shadow but trust me Kallen you are far more than that." He said comfortingly, and his words had a major effect on her, boosting her confidence.
Lelouch was right, she had to stop comparing herself to her Nii-Sama. She wasn't Naoto, she was Kallen.
She smiled brightly, and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek.
It was enough for his face to start burning hot and he coughed into his fist.
"Anyways... let's call the others and tell them about our idea." He suggested.
"Right."
And with that, Kallen whipped out her phone and dialed up her brother.
"Hey Naoto- no it's nothing bad, we had an idea for what to do with the Glasgow we scored, get over here ASAP... Love you too, bye."
She hang up and put her phone away before looking at Lelouch, who was still a bit flustered but was calming down from the kiss he got.
"So..." He began somewhat awkwardly. "What are we... exactly? Are we official? Or..."
"I think we should be." Kallen answered confidently, reaching out to hold one of his hands.
"Are you sure you won't regret this...? Knowing who I am now?"
"Lelouch, I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life. Besides, how many girls can say they're dating the only decent man in the entire royal family? Having a prince as a boyfriend is still the dream of like every woman on Earth." She deadpanned.
That made him laugh loudly. "Yes well, I aim to impress." He said with a wink.
"And you definitely hit the mark." Kallen assured him. "Bullseye."
He smiled, his own confidence building up at her compliment.
"Hey Lelouch?" She asked suddenly.
"Yes?"
"How come you haven't kissed me back yet?"
That made him freeze up for a second.
"Well I mean... I had social etiquette drilled into me at a young age, even when I was young my mother was very strict in how I was to act around girls. She was a stickler about proper mannerisms and one of those was to never initiate a kiss unless unless you are given express permission." He explained awkwardly. "That and... I'm nervous." He finished elaborating, embarrassed.
She giggled. "Well in that case you have permission to kiss me whenever you like." She declared.
"O-oh..." He blushed, and stood there for a second.
She smirked. "Yes, that's a hint you silly goose." She took a page out of Nunnally's book.
He gasped, staring at her in mock offense. "I can't believe you just called me that."
Kallen exploded into laughter at the look on his face, and Lelouch smirked, quickly going in and planting a smooch on her cheek. She stopped and stared at him.
"You cheater! I wasn't ready!" She whined.
"All is fair in love and war my dear!" He exclaimed dramatically, with an equally dramatic bow.
Revenge would be hers!
She hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him in for a noogie, rubbing her fist into his hair with an evil grin as he complained and tried to pull away. Once he was finally free from her grip, he stood back up, only for Kallen to hook a finger beneath the Kozuki band he wore as a choker and pulled him down into a full kiss.
Life was good.
Life fucking sucked
"Up and attem monkeys! You may have the honor of serving our glorious Britannia only if you prove worthy!" A drill Sergeant walked into the barracks, smacking a large metal serving spoon against the bottom of a pan as he briskly walked through.
Everybody shot up out of their bunk beds, they had to, ignoring the fact that they had only gotten about 3 hours of sleep and had bags under their eyes. They needed willpower to survive in here.
After being separated from Lelouch and Nunnally, Suzaku was all but certain that they had died in the chaos of the war.
His first and only real friends where dead, he all but knew that as fact.
In the wake of their supposed demise, Suzaku had a long, hard think about what he wanted to do, and the answer, to him, seemed simple.
The fighting would stop when somebody won. People would stop loosing their loved ones, their friends and families, when the wars where over, and somebody reigned victorious.
Britannia was poised to win. Their military was massive, had a huge technological and industrial advantage, and had access to the largest naturally occurring source of Sakuradite on the planet, at least that which was accessible.
So his choice became clear. Help Britannia win, end the war, stop the fighting. And maybe... just maybe if he did well enough, he could gather some influence to change the empire from within.
That last part was delusional, he knew that deep down. He just didn't want to admit it to himself.
He owed this much, to Lelouch, to Nunnally, and to his father. He would bare the weight of his sins by debasing himself for Britannia. And when Britannia won the world would be at peace. This was his atonement, his punishment. And should he die fighting for Britannia he would be buried in an unmarked grave at the very best of circumstances. Nobody would remember him other than as someone who existed at some point, and if he was remembered it would be as a coward and a traitor.
That's the way he wanted it.
"Good news maggots, today's training is gonna be fun for you lot. You're getting a shot at the Knightmare simulators. Now as honorary Britannians you currently are not allowed to wield firearms or pilot knightmare frames. You will be unarmed scouts. However recent changes in policy demand that we put you through the sims. If any of you preform well, it will be put on record so that if one day Britannia decides to allow full service in the army you will serve in whatever way Britannia needs."
Suzaku, and everyone else in his barracks had to stop themselves from looking surprised. They knew breaking from their posture would result in a beating.
"Serial numbers 401 to 420, get your shit together and follow me, the rest of you wait here for your turn." The drill Sergeant announced. Suzaku quickly fell into the single file line, taking the 4th position and making sure to maintain proper posture. Suzaku as Cadet 404 marched out of the barracks following their drill Sergeant in the procession and headed towards the Knightmare training center. The building was empty. Suzaku didn't know if that was unusual or not since he had never been allowed inside but he supposed that it was cleared out to avoid altercations between the purebloods and trainees.
Not that they cared about an 'Eleven' being beaten or killed but they already invested time into training this batch of scouts so having one get wasted by an ill-tempered Knight was unfavorable.
There where 20 simulators in the room that they where led into. 10 on each side of the long corridor.
"Even serial numbers to the right, odd to the left." The Sergeant ordered.
Suzaky swiftly obeyed, stepping to the right as instructed.
"Everybody hop in, and await instructions. Remember maggots, if you do well there may be more to your career than as an early warning bullet sponge."
Suzaku sighed internally, hoping he wouldn't screw this up too badly. With little fanfare he got into the simulator and let out a silent prayer to Kami for help.
He got locked in, felt the sim power on, and tightly gripped the controls.
'Lelouch, lets see if any of the lessons you taught me managed to stick!'
Suzaku would soon find out.
Clovis rubbed his hands together anxiously, staring at the documents in front of him.
He was not a pencil-pushing politician, he was a socialite. He was not a career administrator, he was a painter. He was not a military genius, he was a connoisseur of the fine arts.
He was not a leader, he was a tool for someone else.
He was never a star pupil. Not like Lelouch, or Cornelia, or Schneizel. He couldn't lead like them, talk like them, command like them.
He was painfully average in every way that he really needed not to be. Or even worse, sub-par.
Lelouch was a child prodigy, even at a young age he understood sociopolitical dynamics, philosophy, the art of war. He even came close to forcing Schneizel to a draw a couple times shortly before... the incident...
Clovis gulped, tapping his pen anxiously against the mahogany desk he sat at. A shaky hand reached out to pick up a glass of chardonnay he had been nursing and took a sip.
Alcohol was the only thing he had that could calm his frayed nerves.
If the Emperor had been so willing to dispose of- arguably, the only child that could grow to surpass Schneizel then what could possibly stop him from doing the same to Clovis, an unexceptional child, on a whim?
The thought terrified him.
Lelouch and Nunnally had been sent here to die. The Emperor did not merely exile them, he signed their damn death warrant. They where all but executed.
Was Clovis sent here only to die when the Emperor felt like putting him down? Would he join Lelouch and Nunnally as unwilling sacrifices?
Was he next?
He had tried to tell himself he was just being paranoid but the more he thought about it the more fearful he became.
Clovis didn't want to die, he had to prevent that, he was terrified of his Father trying to have him killed once he outlived his usefulness. He had only one choice for now. Play the long game, and make sure that Britannia got as much Sakuradite as possible.
That was his job, make Area-11 profitable for the empire, let the sakuradite flow and make sure it kept flowing no matter what.
His life hung in the balance, the only thing keeping him safe was the success of the colony. So long as he did good here, he was safe, for now. That was about the only thing Clovis could rely on to protect him.
Because if he slipped up and the Emperor decided he wanted Clovis dead, he would die, that's all there was to it.
So, what could he do to improve his situation?
Think Clovis, think.
He could use some reinforcements...? His Knight garrison was made up entirely of old Glasgow models. He hadn't gotten any Sutherlands, not yet. Defense took a backseat to offense in Britannia's budget. All the latest and greatest technologies where being pumped out and shipped to the front line.
Of course, Area-11 was very important as a Colony, it's uncontested access to the Sakuradite in the Fuji mines was worth its weight in pure gold. It was still well defended. He might just have Glasgows still, but Glasgows certainly weren't bad by any stretch of the imagination. And he had 6 Battalions worth of them.
Still, having extra equipment in stock to defend against a Chinese invasion or a mass revolt by the locals wouldn't be a bad thing. But how to get them?
Nobody was producing Glasgows anymore. Spare parts sure, and many of them where slotted to be retrofitted for police duty once the Sutherland became the mainline unit. But he couldn't just get Glasgows fresh from the factory, they'd all been converted to pump out the new Gen-5, leaving him with only one other option.
He had to ask Cornelia.
Sure, he could go to Schneizel and probably get exactly what he needed, but he would also owe the second prince a favor.
He did NOT like owing favors to the Prime Minister. Schneizel was a sociopath. He saw people as tools and nothing more. Any semblance of love he pretended to have for anything was just a show to make people like him. For Schneizel the amount he cared about you was directly influenced by how much value you had for whatever scheme he was cooking up.
If Cornelia was known for anything it was blunt honesty. She didn't play games like Schneizel. She told you exactly what she was thinking and didn't care if your feelings got hurt.
Clovis could admire that. And it brought him a sort of comfort. Cornelia didn't hide cards up her sleeve. She didn't do backroom deals, she didn't plot or scheme or plan of just disposing of people that outlived their usefulness.
Cornelia cared. She cared about Euphemia especially and had been just as broken up as he was when Lelouch and Nunnally where declared dead. She didn't talk to anyone for months after that farce of a funeral service.
So Cornelia was his choice. Because between the Lion and the Snake, he knew which one was less liable to bite him, and it was the sister with the ferocious attitude and wild purple mane.
He would not owe a damn thing to Schneizel, that silver tongued viper would have to drag him out kicking and screaming before daring to strike a bargain with that devil in human skin.
With his mind made up, he grabbed a piece of parchment. Of course he could just make a call, but he wanted to be discreet. The phone lines where supposedly secure- but where they really?
He wasn't about to take a risk here. A simple letter was about as low-key as he could get to make sure she got the message. If she got it with the seal broken they'd know that someone was watching them and that would set off alarm bells.
And so he began to write a very well worded letter that was basically just him begging for help by asking for any spare knightmares she had stockpiled in her reserves.
He just hoped that he was making the right decision here...
"Easy... easy... back it up..." Ohgi stood off to the side as he waved Naoto in. The leader of the Kozuki Resistance was backing their truck in, with the trailer containing the Glasgow they had appropriated.
Lelouch and Kallen stood off to the side, watching as the truck backed through the old loading dock and parked.
The Kozuki Resistance had been hesitant at first, but it felt too good to pass up.
A knightmare production and maintenance facility, in the Tokyo settlement, beneath the Empire's very feet? It was too good to pass up, and in a spiteful sort of way it felt like they where 1-upping the brits.
Everyone exited the truck and looked around the old facility. And Nagata let out a low whistle.
"Damn Lou, this place is lookin pretty good."
"I know right? It's swanky!"
Lelouch turned to look at Ohgi
"Did you really just use the word 'swanky' unironically?"
Ohgi blushed, and Tamaki started to laugh while everyone else smiled and rolled their eyes.
"Next thing I know you'll be telling me my school uniform is pretty hip." The exile smirked.
The former schoolteacher stuttered, before eventually giving up on trying to defend himself and just laughing alongside everyone else.
Naoto finished parking and hopped out of the truck. Placing a hand on his hip, he slowly did a 360 degree turn as he walked, gazing at the facilities. He nodded slowly, a hand coming up to rub his chin and a grin slowly working its way onto his face.
"Alright, I admit it, this is great! Thanks Lelouch, the Brits won't suspect a thing and we have plenty of room to expand."
Lelouch shrugged. "I wanted to help, and this felt like the obvious choice." He said with a smile. He was comfortable showing that much emotion around the Kozuki group at least.
Naoto nodded. "Mind if I talk with you and Kallen real quick? There's a couple things I want to discuss in private."
Oh?
"Sure." Lelouch agreed, and Kallen nodded, adding in. "Of course."
Naoto turned to look back at the rest of the group.
"You guys mind getting the Glasgow unloaded? Sugiyama, you and Minami can crack her open to make sure everything's where it's supposed to be, just make sure you don't damage it alright?"
Sugiyama, much to Naoto's chagrin already had a bunch of different sized drill bits in his teeth and a wrench in each hand.
Naoto couldn't help but roll his eyes and shake his head mirthfully at the poorly contained childlike enthusiasm.
He walked over to Lelouch and Kallen, his hands on their shoulders and walking them to a corner of the room away from the others. He pulled up an empty crate and sat down on it, gesturing for them to do the same. Once they did, he sighed.
"So, you two are, together?" He asked.
Lelouch and Kallen both blushed. But while Kallen only felt some embarrassment, Lelouch tensed up, feeling the familiar rush of paranoia and anxiety.
Naoto noticed.
"Hey, relax." He said softly, looking at the exile. "I didn't pull you over here to threaten you or anything like that. I know you, I trust you, alright? If you where someone I only just met then yeah I'd probably be a bit aggressive but that's not what this is, I promise."
Lelouch relaxed a bit.
"So... you approve...?" The prince asked tentatively.
"Dad isn't around to give his blessing. I will do so in his place. Yes Lelouch, I approve. Though I wouldn't dare to try and control Kallen, there's nothing I could do to stop this from happening even if I wanted to. I just want you to know that I'm aware, and you have my support." He offered.
The last of Lelouch's tension melted away as he sighed with relief, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.
Kallen heard it and reached a hand out to hold his. This action made them both start to blush again.
Naoto chuckled.
"You look cute together." He admitted. "But I want to make sure of something." He said before turning to look directly at Lelouch.
"Have you told her yet?"
Lelouch raised an eyebrow.
"About what?"
"Your past."
"My past...? Well... yes."
"So she knows then, about your family?" He pressed.
This made the cogs in Lelouch and Kallen's heads both begin to turn, and then realization dawned on them both.
"You knew!?" Kallen blurted out.
"Yeah."
"Ok..." Lelouch accepted quietly. "How long have you known for?"
"About 2 or 3 days after we first met, that's when I figured it out."
That easy huh...
Lelouch groaned, bringing his hands up to hold his face in dismay. If Naoto hadn't been so even tempered, if he hadn't been so thoughtful and down to earth, a straight man, Naoto could have lashed out and killed both himself and Nunnally.
Had he been careless? Was he so delirious from dehydration and sleep deprivation by the point of making it to the Kozuki cell in Shinjuku that he let too much information slip?
"Hey, chill." Naoto said reassuringly. "I haven't told a soul, alright? I've been keeping your secret for years now and I won't stop keeping it anytime soon. Just promise me something."
Anything.
"What is it?" Lelouch asked, perking up.
"Take care of yourself." Naoto said firmly. "I've seen people like you before. People that are hurt bad on the inside, a chip on their shoulder, desperate to go it alone and prove their worth only to let it consume them. I had a friend in gradeschool, before the invasion. His dad was a deadbeat and his mom died of a drug overdose. He threw himself into his studies until he snapped. He stepped out in front of a bullet train a month before graduating."
Naoto reached out a hand, gripping Lelouch's shoulder, firm but supportive.
"I don't want that for you, not just for your sake but for Kallen's. Remember that there are people that care about you and that you can rely on. If you try doing it all by yourself it'll only lead to more pain."
Naoto paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "Can you do that for me?"
Lelouch felt something change inside of him, he didn't know what it was, but it happened in that moment. He let go of something, and a wave of joy and relief washed over him as his fears burned away.
He couldn't stop himself from crying a little, embarrassingly reaching a hand up to wipe away the fresh tears running down his cheek as he grinned, and sniffed.
"Ok." Lelouch agreed quietly.
Naoto smiled, with his hand on the prince's shoulder, he pulled the young teen in for a brotherly hug, patting him on the back, and he accepted without resistance.
He had been hugged by his mother, and sisters- Nuna, Euphie, Nelly, and Kallen of course. But this one felt different. Strong, protective, supportive.
His father never hugged him, neither did Schneizel, Clovis or Odysseus.
Is this what it would have felt like?
He didn't realize it was something he was missing until he had it. This strong sense of protectiveness for you, held by another who wanted you to be safe.
Lelouch by this point, was a much different person than he would have been if he had not met the Kozuki's. His bloodlust had been all but erased, his desire for vengeance had turned into one for justice, the burning hate he felt raging inside him had been doused in the cool, vibrant waters of love and affection he felt not just from his sister, but from his found family.
First was the almost motherly figure in the form of Sayoko, who took care of him and Nunnally for years, his surrogate annoying older sister in the form of Milly who was always there to push him in the right direction. His lover and longtime best friend, Kallen, who accepted him for all that he was and was always there to comfort and support him. And now his new big brother, Naoto, the man who carried Nunnally out of a war zone and offered him shelter when all seemed lost, and who had kept Lelouch's past a secret from everyone to protect him.
They alongside Nunnally had burrowed into his heart and anchored inside, holding him up, and warming it so that ice and darkness would always be warded off by the fire that blazed within.
They where his new family now, all of them. His found family, built on trust, built on understanding. Built on empathy.
Kallen joined in on the hug, and Lelouch didn't want either of them to let go.
"Sit."
Suzaku was still covered in sweat. He had been called into the office of the chief of staff for the training camp after he finished his simulator run. He didn't even get a chance to see how he did on the scoreboard. The Sergeant had a pair of MP's pretty much escort him all the way here.
He did as instructed, trying not to let on how nervous he was as he sat in the wooden chair offered to him.
The older man stared at Suzaku for a moment, looking into his soft green eyes before peering down at the papers on his desk, a pen in hand.
"State your rank, name, serial number and unit for the record in that order." He ordered.
"Cadet Suzaku Kururugi, serial number 404, Honorary Scout Brigade, Division 3, Battalion 5, Dog company, Platoon Bravo, Squad 7."
The officer jotted down the information as it was given.
"Date of Birth." He ordered
"July 10th of the year 2000." Suzaku replied succinctly.
The officer looked back up at him, staring at Suzaku for a moment.
Just a kid.
The man seemed to sigh internally.
"Young man, do you know why you've been brought in here?"
"No sir." Suzaku responded dutifully.
The officer glanced up at the drill Sergeant who brought Suzaku to his office with the MP's
"Apologies sir, we spared him the details to make good time, you said you wanted him here immediately."
The officer grunted noncommittally. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, affixing Suzaku with his steely gaze.
"Cadet, have you ever been in a simulator before today?"
"No sir."
"Have you ever piloted a Knightmare before?"
"No sir."
"You're sure?"
"Absolutely."
There was a pregnant silence, until finally the officer spoke up again.
"Cadet do you know what the average efficiency for a beginner knightmare pilot is?"
"I can't say I do sir."
The officer nodded, setting his jaw.
"The average for a first timer is around 34%, rounded up. Do you know what your score was?"
Had he really preformed that badly? Suzaku hoped not, he didn't want to make himself out to be useless.
"N-no sir." He said, clearing his throat at his stuttered. "I do not know my score. I apologize if it was not up to your expectations."
The officer raised an eyebrow.
"Son, you scored a 77.64% efficiency ratio. You've preformed over twice as well than not only a beginner but most seasoned pilots. You're up there with veterans that have been at this since Knightmares first hit the battlefield."
Suzaku tried to hold back his shock.
"I... um... what does this mean... sir? If I may ask."
"It means that the moment honoraries are allowed to pilot knightmare frames you'll be the first man called into service." He explained.
Suzaku felt... proud.
"Thank you, sir."
"Be careful not to brag private. The Knights of Britannia don't take well to upstarts. If they feel like their pride had been hurt they'll hurt you back, and they'll get physical, understand?"
"Yes sir." Suzaku replied, nodding firmly.
"Good, that's all. You are dismissed Cadet, return to your barracks, if anyone asks what this was about tell them we thought you where a witness to an unrelated incident and that its confidential. Sergeant, I'd like a word with you."
Suzaku got up and left after giving a brisk salute. The door had barely shut behind him before he heard the drill Sergeant getting reprimanded, and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.
Suzaku had hope now, and that was honestly what he needed most. It fueled him on his trek back to his barracks.
Lelouch was in the student council room humming a nonsensical little tune to himself. He was pretending to do the homework he already finished while the rest of the members of the student council where busy working on things. The budget for next year's festival and club activities had already been handled so this was being used more like a free period for everyone to catch up on their studies.
In reality, however, Lelouch was satiating his boredom as he continued to work on his blueprints for the Zero mask. Should it fully seal? If it did he'd need an air filter... it might not be a bad idea if for whatever reason he was stuck somewhere with a toxic atmosphere.
He was about to take an eraser to his latest sketch and revise it a bit when Milly entered the room, and walked over to him.
He perked up seeing the president enter, but then shrank in his seat when he saw the look on her face.
Milly had 2 modes. Playful and serious. Playful was her usual attitude, but when she got serious, it was really, really serious. And she was staring right at him as she walked in his direction. Her expression was most definitely not her usual playful grin, this was mode 2.
She stopped in front of him.
"I need to talk to you, in private."
Oh, this wasn't good.
"Sure, I'll be able to in just a-"
"Now." She cut him off.
Yup, this was gonna be great.
He cleared his throat to give himself a moment to prepare while everyone stared at him and Milly in confusion.
"Of course." He said as he closed his sketchbook and rested it on the table. He then got up and followed Milly outside.
When they reached a private area away from prying eyes and ears, she turned around and stared into his eyes.
"What the fuck Lelouch?"
Uh oh.
"M-Milly, whatever it is I can explain."
"Oh, then please tell me why there is a Glasgow in the Ashford foundation's old facilities."
... well shit, might as well come out with it then.
"I'm part of a resistance group-"
"I already know." Milly responded dryly. "I'm not angry that you're part of a rebel group, or that you have a knightmare, or that you shoved it into our basement. I'm angry that you did all of this and haven't come to me."
"Milly...?"
The Ashford Heiress rolled her eyes.
"For someone who's so clearly intelligent you sometimes forget and misunderstand the most basic things about human social interactions."
Yeah, that's fair.
"Lelouch." She began, sounding exasperated. "The Emperor, the royal courts, they all but destroyed my family. Marianne was one of my grandfather's nearest and dearest family friends. When she died he was devastated, and then after falling out of favor we where torn apart and left for the buzzards. Don't you think I'm entitled to some payback?"
Lelouch contemplated her words. He honestly never considered approaching Milly for any of this. He believed that she'd try to stop him, not help him. Again he had been proven wrong.
"I appreciate the offer Milly, but you aren't a fighter-"
"I'm not." She agreed. "But I do all but own the facilities you are trying to use. The Ashford name isn't worth what it once was but that doesn't mean we don't have any pull."
"... What are you saying?" Lelouch finally asked, wanting to know what she was getting at.
She rolled her eyes.
"I'm talking about me being a provider. If you're really going through with this you'll need more than a single damn Glasgow. If you give me the funds I need, I can purchase the tools and materials we need to equip for a proper fight at a discount. You where already planning on making use of the leftovers so I might as well pitch in as best I can. I might even be able to score us some blueprints."
She smirked, and Lelouch realized then, finally, what Milly was saying, and his own mouth formed a grin that was absolutely evil.
"It's been five long years since our humiliation. I think it's high time the old Iron forges of house Ashford roared to life once more."
"My my dear Millicent, had I known your intent I would have approached quite some time ago."
She laughed. "No point in being bothered over it now."
"No, no I suppose not, still I feel like my hesitation to approach you cost us some valuable time."
"We'll just have to work extra hard to make up for it now, won't we?"
"Quite right Milly. How much funding do you think we'll need to get the production facilities up and running?"
"Millions, we don't have a lot of space so we will need to buy the highest quality equipment to fabricate new knightmare frames of higher specs."
"Agreed, we can't hope to match Britannia's numbers, we need high tier pilots and better Knightmares."
"Let me handle the design and production. You get me the money, I'll get you some battle mechs."
Lelouch smirked and shook his head ruefully.
"Sure, let me go get my wallet."
Meanwhile... whilst Lelouch and Milly where having their spat, Kallen ended up having to go use the bathroom. So with all 3 of them out of the picture, that left Nina, Rivalz, and Shirley alone together in the student council room since Nunnally was out with Sayoko.
"What do you guys think he always works on in that sketchbook of his?" Rivalz suddenly asked.
That's a good question. Lelouch was very open around Kallen, and pretty open with Milly as well. He was on good terms with them. But the 3 of them didn't know nearly as much. He was much more reserved in his conversations with all of them.
"He's a genius." Nina said. "Maybe he's doing math equations?" What if it could help her with her project
"He's a philosopher. Maybe he's writing poetry?" Shirley pondered. The boy was an enigma to her. He was so aloof around them but he had such good grades, yet he never seemed to actually apply himself beyond what was required. The passion wasn't there, was there something deeper?
"Maybe he's drawing a comic?" Rivalz suggested. "I mean it is an art book." His point was probably the most realistic.
They all looked at each other, their interests now fully on the purple-eyed teen.
Why not just take a peak?
Nina got up out of her chair at her computer desk while Rivalz and Shirely both scooted in closer. Their curiosity getting the better of them, they opened up the art book and flipped to the page where Lelouch left his bookmark.
"Huh." Rivalz began. "Zero. It looks like a cool design for a villain! Or a hero?"
"Could be both?" Nina suggested.
"An anti-hero?" Shirley asked Nina, who shrugged.
"Well, I guess that confirms my idea. The guy is totally an artist, I bet he's gonna come up with a totally awesome comic series for this Zero guy he's been drawing up!" The blue haired boy said proudly, glad he was correct.
"I'm not so sure." Nina said, tilting her head a little. "This is more than a cool sketch for a comic, there's too much detail. Look, he put measurements, and there's blueprints for the mask's functions, like its something that'd actually be made by an artisan, not just some cool accessory in a comic sketch."
"Huh... maybe it's a Halloween costume?"
Shirley however remained silent, staring at the design for the mask, a chill running up her spine.
If Zero had a face, what would they look like? If Zero was a person, what did they really want?
"I don't think we should bring this up with him." Shirley said.
"Huh? Why? It's just some art?" Rivalz asked, sounding oblivious.
"Lelouch never offered to show us any of his sketches in this book. I think it might be private, if we tell him we went snooping in his book we'll break whatever trust he has for us... he's... very closed off."
"I think she's right." Nina admitted. "Maybe we should just leave him be. If we respect his privacy he may just decide to tell us himself."
"But we're friends aren't we? Why wouldn't he want to tell us?"
"We don't know anything about him Rivalz." Shirley pointed out. "Just his name and some of his interests, he doesn't open up about himself or show any emotion... maybe he's hurt?"
"Hurt?" Nina asked.
"On the inside." Shirley explained. "What if something bad happened? He must not talk about his past for a reason." She suggested.
They all turned to look back down at the sketch, contemplating her words before Shirley closed the book and made sure it looked exactly the way Lelouch left it.
She felt dirty, like she invaded his privacy and stumbled upon something very private, she didn't like it.
'Lelouch.' Shirley pondered. 'Who are you, really?'
Schneizel sipped from his mug idly, staring down at his magnum opus.
Was it vain to call this blueprint such a thing? Perhaps, but he would never admit such a thing out loud.
This would be his way of securing peace. With this there would be no more war. When the fighting stopped so would all pain and suffering. If he had to kill a few million to secure the stability of the human race then so be it.
His first target would probably be Pendragon, he needed to remove father and most of the royal family from the picture.
Odysseus was not a threat, he could be spared if that fool learned his place quickly enough, it would legitimize his claim if the first born crown prince where to abdicate.
Guinevere and Carine, Castor and Pollux... all useless.
Cornelia would join him if he promised Euphemia's safety. She was not as skilled as him when it came to command, but she was a warrior, a soldier, and an excellent one at that. With him as her chief commander and her carrying out his will on the battlefield they would be nigh unstoppable, of that he was sure. She had been named Britannia's goddess of victory, after all. She was useful enough to keep around.
Clovis was neither a skilled warrior nor was he commander material, but he was a good socialite, maybe he could use his brother to secure the loyalty of the remaining nobility?
Then there was the matter of his sister Marrybell... he wasn't sure about her. She haunted him to a degree, she was very close to Lelouch and Nunnally in terms of their histories. Her mother was... removed... but she managed to save face and was now the leader of Britannia's premier counter-terror unit, the Glinda Knights. She would be useful.
Lelouch...
That name.
Schneizel was not like this before. True he was not overtly affectionate, but he had his soft spots for people he liked. People who in one way or another where... important to him. Too important to sacrifice on the world's chess board.
Even as a young boy... even as a child no older than 10 he had managed to give Schneizel the most challenging of games, he was a natural. He understood the board in a similar manner to the second prince, he was able to connect with Lelouch through their chess matches.
He saw it before anyone else did, the raw untapped potential that Lelouch held. The son of Marianne the flash was special, he knew that as much as he knew the sun shined every day.
Schneizel knew that Lelouch could have been his greatest ally, not just an asset. If only... if only he had been given time to grow, if only circumstances had not occurred in the way they did. His little brother would have been 15 by now.
If only...
When the Emperor banished Lelouch, it broke something inside Schneizel. He closed himself off from his humanity. One of the few siblings he was actually growing affection for had been unwillingly martyred. It was then that he decided to take destiny into his own hands and forge his own blade of justice.
In a way... in a way this was for him, the justice that Lelouch had begged for in front of the Emperor would be delivered, first to Pendragon, and then to the world.
But it was not ready, not yet. He needed more time... he needed technology to progress faster, he needed a brilliant mind that could help him achieved his dream.
He turned to look at his most loyal subject.
"Kanon."
"Yes your highness?"
"Get me Earl Asplund, tell the good doctor I have a proposition for him."
Kanon bowed dutifully and left his prince to make the call, and Schneizel looked back down at his blueprints, setting down his mug.
Yes, soon, he just needed a little more time that's all.
Damocles.
Dionysius II gave Damocles everything he could want, and hung a sword by a string over his neck.
And now Damocles would give the world everything it wanted. Rules, Boundaries, Protection, from invaders and from themselves.
He would grant the world it's greatest wish by delivering justice, and with Damocles he would reign as something more than an Emperor, with this he would become a just and righteous god to punish the world for its sins.
Schneizel El Britannia would rest on a throne in the heavens as Judge, Jury, and Executioner.
Just a little more time.
A/N: And that's a wrap for this chapter boys and girls! Let me know what you think in your next reviews!