A/N: Did some thinking about how to handle Maya and ultimately decided that while adding her might be fun and interesting, it would detract from the Kalulu and eventual KKLLCC love triangle that i initially planned. She will still be involved, just not as a romantic partner. However in another story this is likely to change.
"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end." Some of the last words of the royal guard echoed in his mind, and as the Kozuki resistance began to rally by his command.
Lelouch could not help but agree more. After all, at it's core, Terrorism was the act of threatening and instilling fear in a civilian population.
Therefore the only Terrorists here to meet there ends was the Britannian Miliatary.
He twirled the chess piece in his hand as he watched the Kozuki Resistance get ready. Until he had gotten back from the battle, resistance from the cell had been localized to smaller groups organizing evacuations. But now the majority of civilians in the Ghetto had been evacuated. The rest unfortunately...
He stopped twirling the black king in his hand and inadvertently began to grind his jaw in agitation while his eyes narrowed.
It wasn't just the men. But the women too, even the children didn't get spared. The sound of the kid crying in that warehouse before being gunned down haunted him in that moment before he took a deep breath and looked at the current situation.
Kallen was to be commended. She was brutal, a menace. She struck the enemy fast as lightning and left carnage in her wake. The girl was fire, passion fueled her. A love of life, of her friends and family, and of him.
He couldn't believe how lucky he was that she fell for him, and would never take that for granted.
The way Kallen fought like a Goddess of war was admittedly also a bit of a turn-on. Not that he'd admit that...
He shook his head, knowing that he was getting side-tracked, he picked up the radio to check in.
"This is acting commander B-1 to all units, what's your status?"
"All of our Burai's are in the green except the two customs." Ohgi answered quickly.
Right... Q-1 and now Q-2 had both been doing most of the fighting as far as knightmare combat went. The others had been on standby while the recently captured Sutherlands were being crewed.
"Q-1, Q-2, change out your energy fillers and prepare to re-engage, you have 10 minutes."
"Roger!" The Red Queen replied, followed by an affirmative from the pilot of the blue Burai. Technically there was supposed to only ever be a single Q, but he was willing to make an exception, the girl inside was clearly far more skilled than most of the other pilots, with only Kallen being superior, and even then, being second only to his Q-1 was hardly a low bar.
His purist Sutherland was in the middle of the camp. And he was under heavy guard by a squad of the movement's better pilots. It gave him a sense of security and allowed him to focus more on their next course of action.
His opponent was Clovis, and he knew that his older brother when it came to Warfare. He was as clumsy as he was stupid. The type to throw all of his toys out of the pram when he didn't get his way. No doubt Clovis was already off-balance, given the enormous Kill-Count Kallen had racked up in his and Naoto's absence.
He looked at the red Burai and raised an eyebrow as he saw it get rinsed off with a bucket of water to try and clear out the joints of debris that might have gotten stuck, only to see the runoff turn a pinkish red.
Either the paint was thinning, or that was a lot of blood, and he was pretty sure the latter was more likely.
He crossed his arms and weighed his options. He knew that the only reason they hadn't come under fire was because the enemy was doing the same as him. They were regrouping, consolidating their resources and planning just like he and his troops.
But Lelouch had the advantage. He knows his enemy, but the enemy doesn't know him.
"I think we should remind brother dearest that we are still here." He mused before picking up his radio and speaking once more.
"B-Group, I have a mission for you, get ready-"
Clovis paced the bridge of his G-1, furious, and terrified.
This was like Saitama all over again! A pair of enemy knightmares thoroughly trashing his units. Both of them clearly were of ace level, and even though they looked roughly like Glasgows, the machines had clearly been upgraded to a significantly higher level of performance, perhaps even matching Gloucesters.
It wasn't fair! He was a prince of the Empire! Britannia was the best so how was he losing to a pair of filthy Elevens!?
"How many knightmares have we lost Bartley?" Clovis seethed.
The general dabbed a hankerchief against his brow and stuttered.
"I- I am afraid that 90% of our original formation has been destroyed. Only Margrave Jeramiah and a handful of other Purists have functioning machines. The rest are... mostly unresponsive.
Clovis swallowed a lump in his throat.
"And what of our reinforcements?"
"All arriving within the next 5 minutes. 47 units of Knight Police from the northeastern precinct, 23 Sutherlands from the Garrison, and 120 Glasgows from the Reserves. There is also Doctor Asplund's toy-"
Clovis nodded. He doubted he would need to use his Brother's asset. He didn't want to owe a favor to the snake. No he would much sooner see the regulars grind down the enemy in a battle of attrition than to give anything away to Schneizel.
He expected more casualties but he was certain this was going to be a victory. Aces or not, it was just 2 Glasgows, what threat could they possibly be to his army?
He was torn from his thoughts however. As the entire G-1 shook, causing the men on station to let out cries of panic as smoke billowed from the upper hull.
"We're hit!"
"Where did it come from?!"
"The rooftops! Look out!"
Clovis glanced out of the window to see the silhouette of a Knightmare frame against the backdrop of the cloud-covered skies before there was a flash, and a cannon round smacked into the G-1 again, blowing another hole into it.
"Activate point defense!"
A second later, one of the CIWS guns spun around and opened fire on the enemy.
However, when it did, the enemy unit backed away, avoiding the return fire.
Meanwhile in his cockpit, Lelouch smirked. Sure, one could see it as him being immature by toying with his opponent. But it was a viable tactic!
Fear, after all, was a useful tool. Clovis had never been physically threatened before, at least not by anyone other than the other. To have an attack take place against his G-1, to actually be shot at? Lelouch knew it would unnerve Clovis greatly to be subject to such harassment, and thusly throw off his already awful game.
Clovis shook with fear, his anger long since being replaced by a primal need to survive. He cursed and yelled.
"Lloyd!"
The image of the good doctor appeared in front of Clovis and his staff with a smirk on his own face before then pushing up his glasses.
"My lord, please be so kind as to call them the Lancelots."
"We have contact!"
"N-4 fire anchors to your 9 o-clock."
"Squad 7 needs reinforcements!"
"Squad 2 adjust course by making an immediate right at the next intersection and intercept Squad 7's assailants."
"They have reinforcements coming across the bridge, south side!"
"R-2, 3 and 4 volley-fire your rockets at the support beams."
"Enemy armor column approaching down the main street!"
"B-3 Blow your demolition charges at the base of the tower."
A Burai fired their harkens at a pair of Britannian gunships flying low, smashing them out of the sky. A team of Burai Kai's make a hard turn down a junction and flank a group of enemy Sutherlands, cutting them to ribbons with their chain-katanas. A Squad of Burai Oni take up positions at the base of the overpass and fire a fusillade of rockets at the support beams, causing the bridge to collapse and sending countless Britannians to their deaths. A set of demolition charges explode, causing a huge crumbling building to come crashing down on a column of tanks, APC's and Knightmares.
Lelouch smirked, and subconsciously brushed his left hand across his face. His index and forefinger splitting and outlining his left eye.
He felt it, his new power, like a new, strong muscle that he could flex at will. It coiled like lightning in the back of his mind, writhing with energy, he could almost feel it- nay, hear it. It whispered to him but he could not understand what he was hearing. It was like a voice in the wind, it carried a message that he failed to grasp.
But it was no matter, he would come to grasp his true potential in due time, it was inevitable.
He was taken out of his musings as Tamaki spoke over the Radio.
"Uh- hey B-1, I've got eyes on a couple of white Knightmares, they don't look like Sutherlands-"
Before he could utter another word, he let out a girlish scream and his comm-line went static.
"Whats going on? P-1 report!"
"This is P-1! I got eyes on a pair of white Knightmares, they took out P-5 like nothing, but he ejected!"
Lelouch narrowed his eyes and frowned, then scowled as P-1 was forced to eject shortly afterwards.
"Attention all units this is B-1, we have 2 Bogeys! Knightmares of unknown make and model have hit the field, capabilities unknown, watch your backs out there. Q-1, Q-2 head to their last known location, Squad 1 Rendezvous with them and provide cover fire!"
In another part of the city, a Red Burai Custom pulled it's Pile-Bunker out of another Sutherland, letting it fall limp with its cockpit leaking blood. A Blue Burai on the other side of the street finished the decapitation of another enemy Knightmare, sending it's head unit flying by cutting it clean off the frame's shoulders with a single strike from their blade, causing them to eject.
"We read you B-1 and on our way ASAP!" Kallen responded over the Radio before turning her frame to look at Maya's.
"Let's go."
"On your lead."
Kallen and Maya's red and blue Burai's would race down the streets while the rest of the resistance battled the Britannian army.
Upon rounding the corner, they arrived just in time to see one of the Sutherlands they captured earlier being destroyed by a white knightmare with gold plated detailing, while one of the Burai Kai's got wrecked by another white knightmare, this one had blue markings and some sort of horn on top.
They stopped to size up their opponents, and the white knightmares did the same. Each pair stood side by side, watching one another.
The blue Burai tossed their KAR to the red one who caught it, before reaching to their scabbard and pulling out a second revolving blade Katana to dual wield them. The white knightmares responded by crouching low, their landspinners kicking into gear.
"I'll take the gold one on the left." Kallen said.
"I've got the one on the right." Maya confirmed.
Kallen nodded to herself and began to transmit her combat footage to Lelouch, who was watching from his captured purist Sutherland with anticipation.
What followed would be the most intense knightmare battle to be seen.
All 4 of them charged at eachother, each pair rapidly advancing to engage their enemy in close quarters.
Kallen's opponent opened with a spin kick of all things, and she grinned, feeling excitement at the prospect of a proper challenge as she raised her armored Gauntlet and deflected the kick by redirecting it's momentum before raising her KAR to open fire.
The white and gold knight raised it's right arm. Kallen's eyes went wide.
'An energy shield!?' She yelled internally, her smile vanished and replaced with a look of concern and concentration. Kallen watched as her bullets ricocheted harmlessly off of the green energy barrier and hissed. She then fired her grenade cannon at the shield.
While it didn't break the shield or damage the knightmare behind it, the intended effect work as the detonation caused a condensed smoke screen to obscure the enemy's vision of her.
Suzaku was immediately blindsided. The enemy pilot in the red knightmare perfectly timed their attack to coencide with the reduced visibility, pivoting around his shield barrier to deliver a nasty right-hook with the pile-bunker smashing into the Lancelot's face. A weaker knightmare might have had it's head explode but the Lancelot was thankfully made of tougher stuff and survived the impact with its head still intact, but the sheer force of the blow sent Suzaku and his frame straight through the wall of an old office building.
Rai was having about as much luck against his accursed opponent. It was battle of speed, and while he wasn't losing, he wasn't really winning either. His wrist mounted slash-harkens were in their Messer mode as he battled the blue knightmare in front of them. The revolving blades connected with his harkens and they 'locked swords' with one another, their landspinners burned rubber as each opponent tried to overpower the other.
It was a very even match. Suzaku and Rai had the advantage of being equipped with newer machines. But Kallen and Maya both had natural skill.
And in Kallen's case, far more experience, training, and familiarity with knightmare combat, she knew her Burai Custom like the back of her hand and these combined advantages more than made up for the difference in technological advancement for Suzaku's Lancelot, it also didn't help that Suzaku had a nasty, throbbing bruise that gave him intense pain with any sort of sudden movement.
Rai and Maya engaged in an elegant dance, a dance of death. Their frames moved in a delicate harmony, matching eachother in tandem. For every time they clashed it ended in a dodge, parry, block or deflect. Their machines each being pushed to the limits as sparks flew from every hit, the sound of metal grinding against metal filling the air, the whirl of hydraulics. For every action there was an equal and opposite reaction, with neither getting the upper hand on the other.
Rai watched as Suzaku's Lancelot took a brutal hit to the head and knew if he didn't act fast, his partner was finished, so he turned his Lancelot Club's head to look at the red Burai and fired his horn slash-harken.
Kallen reacted quickly enough to dodge the attack, sidestepping the Harken as it scraped the side of her frame, leaving a gash in the 'ribs'
"Bitch!" She cursed him out over the loudspeaker before quickly raising her gauntlets to defend against Suzaku's counter-attack, the Messer mode harkens slammed into her and she growled, this wasn't over!
Lelouch watched intently as the battle unfolded. His eyes were glued to the screen. He was nervous, anxious, worried.
Kallen had never been challenged like this before. Sure in her earlier days as a pilot taking on refrain dealers and knightpolice she had been uncertain, her actions carried hesitance back then as she slowly adjusted to her role as a soldier, as a freedom fighter.
Yet now even as the best pilot in the Resistance with a custom frame, she was legitimately struggling against this white knight, and it put him on edge. He trusted her, believed in her, in the skill of his Q-1.
But his concern for her well-being overrode his logic in this instance. He was able to act cold and distant at the drop of a hat, but never when it came to the people he cared about, not when he knew they could be in mortal peril.
"Squad 1 what's your status?" He asked as Kallen and the white knight went blow-for-blow
"We're almost there! We needed to take a quick detour."
"When you get there you are to provide defilade for Q-1 and Q-2, give them ample covering fire to enable their ability to disengage from battle."
"Roger that B-1"
He then hailed Kallen's Burai, his voice bleeding through her radio while her pile-Bunker made impact with the Lancelot's blaze luminous.
"Q-1, Squad-1 is nearly there. They'll cover you, use the opening to withdraw and RTB."
She almost wanted to argue with him, but she knew better. Lelouch wasn't stupid, and he cared for her well-being.
If he was ordering her to fall back it was for good reason.
"Q-2, follow my lead, we've been ordered by B-1 to withdraw, Squad-1 will provide covering fire momentarily, we'll make a break for it on my go!" Kallen barked out as she ducked just in the nick of time to avoid being decapitated by the Lancelot and countered by firing her harkens.
"Roger!" Maya replied as she held her katanas in a reverse grip and executed a series of deflects against the Club before slashing at it's chest, only for the Club to activate its blue blaze luminous and block.
Moments later, a Squadron of Assorted Burai, Burai Kai and Burai Oni rounded the street corner and opened fire. Rifles, Rotary gatlings, missiles and knightmare cannons all blasting away at the white Knights causing them both to group up next to eachother and use overlapping blaze luminous Shielding to withstand the Bombardment.
It was exactly the opening Kallen and Maya needed as they used their landspinners and went into full reverse. They pulled away from the fight at high speed.
"Whats the situation B-1, why'd you pull us out?" Kallen questioned.
"I have the combat data recorded, we have a good idea of their capabilities for the time being. Any further dueling would have been pointless. I have a much more critical assignment for you now..." He trailed off as he glanced at the Lancelots, now from Squad-1's perspective. Their squad was pouring in the fire and pinning the enemy down, the amount of ammunition being expended at just 2 enemy frames felt a little ridiculous but it was doing the trick.
However, a series of rounds bounced off of their shields and struck the building they where standing next to, a woman holding a baby fell out, and Lelouch clenched his fist, only to watch as the white and gold unit snapped it's head up to see the incident, deactivating it's shields and jumping up to catch the pair before they could hit the ground.
"Cease fire!" Lelouch ordered.
Squad 1 complied immediately by pulling their fingers off the triggers and the dust slowly began to settle.
Seeing that it was safe, Suzaku set down the woman and her child, looking surprised as she screamed in terror at him and ran away.
"He saved someone?" Lloyd mumbled as he and Cecile stared at the camera footage. He was focused intently on the battle between his beloved Lancelot and that weird looking Glasgow.
That a machine using such old technology could match his magnum opus had shocked him. The pilot of that red knightmare was skilled beyond belief to keep up with his frame. And it wasn't Suzaku's fault either, the boy was operating at ABOVE 90% efficiency according to the data which was absolutely ludicrous. And yet somehow his opponent in a supped up gen-4 had managed to trade even with his Lancelot.
He wanted- no, NEEDED that pilot. He thought he found perfection when Suzaku had been inducted into his special corps and earlier when he had found Rai after he applied for military service in order to pay for his schooling.
But now his world was turned upside down, because Rai and Suzaku had both been challenged by a pair of opponents who were of equal, if not greater skill.
It was... tantalizing, more so than even his chocolate pudding!
Lelouch on the other hand was confused. Why on EARTH would a Britannian knightmare pilot risk their own lives to save a civilian woman and her child? Much less an 'Eleven'? He wracked his brain but could come up with no logical solution. The enemy pilot had never gone for killing blows, and then just drops his defenses to save someone while being shot at.
A Britannian knight with morals, how peculiar.
But nevertheless the only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed, and vice-versa. These two hadn't hurt anyone. Destroyed equipment? Absolutely, but every knightmare they destroyed was done so in a way that allowed the resistance pilots to eject and reach safety.
That was no accident. It was deliberate.
Lelouch waged an internal war. The cold and logical side of him wanted to see them dead. They were immensely skilled enemy combatants and leaving them alive was, no doubt, folly.
But the other side of him, his humanity, demanded clemency. Lelouch was not a hypocrite. If they did not kill, if they saved women and children, Then he would be going against his own code by killing people who were ultimately innocent, free from the sin of murder, at least as far as he knew.
This internal battle only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like hours before he came to a decision.
'They are defenseless anyways for the time being, those shields no doubt are monstrously power-hungry, even if their Yggdrasil drives are more energy efficient they must be critically low on their energy fillers, they can't do much of anything.' He rationalized.
"Squad 1, discharge smoke and break contact, the enemy is beaten and your time is better spent elsewhere."
"Understood!" The squad captain gave a signal to the others, and they all fired off smoke canisters, completely obscuring the vision of Rai and Suzaku before they all activated their landspinners and sped away, leaving the Lancelot and Club worn out but ultimately intact.
Suzaku clutched his injured side, feeling the pain now more than ever he nearly doubled-over in pain.
"Suzaku-" Cecile's voice came over the comm and he looked up to see her on screen. "It's time to come back."
"Miss Cecile i-"
"No but's, and no apologies." Cecile cut him off with a compassionate, but stern expression. "Your energy filler is dangerously low, and the Blaze Luminous had to take far more punishment than what it's rated for. If they sustained any more firepower of that magnitude for even a few seconds longer it would have failed completely, and it needs rigorous maintenance before you can safely use it again." Cecile informed him, unwittingly proving the Black Prince correct in his assumptions.
She sighed. "As powerful as the Lancelot is, we can't afford to lose it. And especially not you Suzaku, you're irreplaceable." She informed him softly, and he felt his heart flutter. Nobody in recent memory had ever told him he was worth more than the dirt beneath his feet so he appreciated the comment immensely.
"I understand Miss Cecile, I'll return to base now."
"Good, stay safe out there." She ordered. "I'll monitor the Lancelot's readings, just focus on getting back here in good health."
"Understood-" He turned to Rai in the Lancelot Club. "Orders from HQ. RTB." He relayed to Rai, whom wiped the sweat from his brow and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Got it, lead the way good buddy."
Lancelot deployed its landspinners and zipped away, followed by the club
Clovis stared on in abject terror. This was horrific, an unmitigated disaster. He was afraid, and angry, so very, VERY angry.
How dare these Elevens win? How dare they beat his forces, beat HIM!?
"UNACCEPTABLE!" He all but screeched, damn near throwing a tantrum while Bartley and the rest of the command staff feared for their lives, stuck between trying to placate their prince or abandoning their posts as they feared the terrorists would close in on them.
The casualties had been mounting. Countless Knightmares had been destroyed, entire companies wiped out to the last man. The value in equipment lost easily ran into the billions and he was going to take ALL of the blame.
"No, no god damn it!" He snarled before pointing at the Tactical readout. There was a visible IFF signal in the town square.
"There! That is the enemy's location! It must be their base of operations! Send all units to that point and crush them!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Kallen waited with anticipation, her IFF Transponder Spoofed to be picked up by the Britannian's. A bead of sweat dripped down her brow as she stared at the screens, watching the factspehere sensors in anticipation.
It was nerve-wracking. She watched slowly as the Britannian IFF's honed in on her location. Behind her was the rest of the Kozuki resistance, dozens of Knightmares ranging from the Assorted Burai to the captured Sutherlands, as well as the foot infantry with their small-arms and RPG's.
"Go." She ordered them, and they all began to move out as she sat up straight, any moment now-
"Do it, Q-1."
No hesitation.
Her Burai fired its harkens at the ceiling above her before putting her knightmare into full throttle and joining the others in their rapid retreat, turning off her Britannian IFF and switching back to the resistance coded one.
Death followed.
Clovis watched in growing horror as a massive red circle expanded on the Tactical readout. Swallowing every Knightmare he sent in.
Lost. All of them, dozens of them, swallowed into the Abyss and being crushed by debris and their squad mates. Lost, lost, lost, that word appeared in every corner of every display as every single Knightmare was destroyed, their pilots never being able to eject, dead.
Clovis fell to his knees, staring blankly ahead as his mind went blank.
Hopeless, he was a dead man walking now.
He knelt there for he didn't know how long, even as Bartley tried desperately to snap his prince out of it. But Clovis didn't hear a single word, didn't hear anything at all.
He didn't hear his G-1 being breached, he didn't hear the alarms, he didn't hear the gunfire.
He didn't even notice as his command staff all met their Grizzly end. The doors opened and they got filled with bullets, entire magazines being dumped into them through the doorway. Their bodies littered the floor, blood pooled around them, covering the table, walls, ceiling and terminals.
Bartley raised his hands only to be shot in the head. His general's blood and greymatter splashed against Clovis' face and painted his clothes.
He looked up to see someone standing over him, a smoking gun in their hands. He could not see their face. Their mouth and nose were covered by textile. They wore a black hoodie with a red band around their neck as a choker.
Clovis saw red flash in their violet eyes, and then never saw anything again.
Clovis sat emotionless and unmoving as he knelt in the middle of the street, his eyes blindfolded and his arms tied with rope behind his back.
Lelouch paced around his brother, pistol held behind his back with one hand as he raised the other, signaling his request for silence from the resistance members around him.
Kallen was standing next to Naoto, who looked pale but a bit better as the sun began to set, washing over the small army in a golden orange glow. Maya opted to stay in her Burai, and several of the Knightmares held Japanese flags while the G-1 burned behind them.
Once the crowd finally quieted down from their victorious cheers, Lelouch spoke.
"Brothers, sisters, comrades all." He raised his hands in a sweeping gesture. "Britannia is defeated, today, VICTORY IS OURS!"
"NIPPON BANZAI!" The crowd cheered even louder, and Lelouch waited for them to calm down again before continuing.
"We have won today." He repeated "And this is no fluke! Britannia is NOT all powerful! They hide behind their material wealth. They look down at you like vermin, like you aren't even human! And yet here, today, they have suffered their greatest defeat since Tohdoh the miracle worker dragged them to their knees! Just as I have prince Clovis on his knees before you!"
Again, the crowd roared in approval.
"We will continue to win! We will fight them, any place, any time, on our own terms! We will beat them again, as many times as we have to until they learn their lesson!"
He waited a moment for the assembled resistance fighters to calm themselves again before continuing.
"But tonight, there is one more who needs to die. Clovis La Britannia ordered the deaths of countless thousands of innocent men, women, and children. He did so for no other reason than because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time! Everyone who died today was HIS responsibility!" Lelouch snapped and the crowd roared in anger and approval.
"So let this act of justice be carried out, here and now. Clovis La Britannia, for your acts of barbarism, for the heinous crimes you have committed on this day and every day prior, I sentence you to death. May you find peace in the next life, and may your death herald the beginning of the end for injustice in the name of Britannia."
Lelouch leveled his pistol at the back of Clovis' head, and pulled the trigger.
"Kampai!"
The clinking of glass and ceramic filled the air in the Ashford Underground. The original members of the Kozuki resistance were celebrating with Gusto. Alcohol was drank by most, and Pizza was ordered.
All seemed to be well, at first glance, until one looked to see that there was a participant missing. Kallen and Naoto stood slightly off to the side and looked at Lelouch and there was an awkward silence between them that could be sensed if one paid close enough attention.
He was sitting on a couch, his head down and his back hunched over with his arms resting on his legs.
He hadn't said a thing since Shinjuku.
Naoto gently took his sister by the shoulder in a manner of support and they walked together over to Lelouch. He didn't say anything, but Kallen saw the internal conversation taking place as his eyes stared at the floor.
"Lulu?" Kallen asked gently, laying her hand on one of Lelouch's arms. That was enough to snap him out of it as he jolted, and his eyes snapped over to see her with their clarity returned.
He smiled a little, trying to put Kallen at ease, but Kallen knew that smile was fake the moment she saw it and it hurt to see.
She frowned. She was about to ask what was wrong but that was a stupid question, and so was asking if he was OK, because he clearly wasn't.
She opted to bring her arm around him and pull him in to a side hug.
He didn't say anything or move, but he seemed to visibly relax a bit, some- but not all of the tension leaving him as her embrace helped him.
Naoto smiled, watching the interaction. He leaned over and gave his surrogate brother a pat on the back, using his good arm to do so before standing up and walking over to the crowd.
Naoto picked up an empty glass, placing it in the hand with the sling, while the other picked up a fork and he stepped up onto a chair.
He tapped the fork against the glass to get everyone's attention, which quickly had all eyes on him.
"Alright everyone, I have an announcement to make." He informed them all while Lelouch and Kallen watched from the couch.
"Ladies, gentlemen, Tamaki-"
"Oi!" Tamaki interjected but was shushed playfully by the others and left to pout.
"- as you know, I have been your leader for over 7 and a half years. I have watched this resistance group come together through thick and thin. I've watched you all grow, and I couldn't be more proud."
He stopped, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath.
"But-" He continued. "- there is someone here who I think deserves recognition for everything they have done, to help us all get to the point we are at right now. And I think they have a lot more to contribute if they are put into a position better suited for them."
Naoto closed his eyes and smiled. "Today, I must announce that I am stepping down as your leader."
That earned a number of shocked looks, gasps and glances.
"However, that is only because I have a replacement that can do better, that can do so much more if he was given the reigns."
He turned to look at the black prince who was watching from his position on the couch next to an intrigued Kallen.
"Lelouch Lamprouge. Effective immediately, you are now the leader of the Kozuki resistance."
Lelouch was stunned, his jaw dropping as he tried to wrap his head around what just happened.
Ohgi grinned and followed suit with Naoto's announcement. He raised his glass into the air.
"A toast, to Commander Lelouch!"
The other resistance members cheered in agreement, all looking at the exile and raising their glasses to him.
He was floored, left speechless even as Kallen was excited for him and she brought him in for a surprise kiss, earning some playful laughter and whistles from the others.
Lelouch seemed to come fully to his senses and gave a more genuine smile.
They believed in him, and he didn't want to let them down.
Taking a deep breath, he stood and walked over to the others with Kallen, shaking everyone's hands. Tamaki being tipsy threw his arm around Lelouch's neck and pulled him over for a noogie. Laughter echoed through the room, and for a time... everything seemed to be ok.
The party would go on, with Lelouch and Kallen both staying close to one another. Chatting, eating and drinking. A toast to their great victory.
But even still, Lelouch could not shake the feelings he harbored, hidden beneath the surface. There was something he needed to talk about with Kallen and Naoto. Of course Naoto already kinda knew the situation but he still had to clear the air, and he couldn't keep this information from his Q-1.
It just wouldn't be right to him, he didn't like lying or keeping secrets from those whom he cared for and trusted.
Once the party seemed to be winding down, he looked at both Kallen and Naoto before reaching up to the collar of his shirt and pointedly giving it a firm tug.
They both understood the message, and the 3 of them all excused themselves. They took the lift up into the Campus, and then walked up to the rooftops.
Lelouch leaned on the edge of the railing and nodded to them.
"Whats up?" Kallen asked as she walked up to him, and he seemed to struggle to find a way to begin.
He sighed, and decided to just go for it, opting to rip it off like a bandage.
"There was no poison gas."
She froze
What?
She might not have said it out loud, but he could tell what she was thinking.
"It opened after the truck crashed." He continued. "There was a girl in there, wearing a straightjacket."
"A prisoner transport...?" She muttered, trying to figure out what was really going on.
Lelouch nodded, and Kallen seemed to only be more confused.
"Why would Clovis go through all the trouble of labeling it as a chemical weapon if..." Kallen trailed off, shaking her head in confusion.
"A cover story for something worse." Lelouch answered. "Human experimentation."
Kallen blanched, looking at Naoto for confirmation and getting a solemn nod.
She looked like she was gonna be sick.
Lelouch walked over to her and gave her a hug. He understood, he was disgusted too.
"I had Naomi go ahead and download all the contents from the G-1's databanks onto a flash drive before we torched it. I took a look at it before the party started and it's... bad."
Kallen just shook her head, disgusted and angry.
"We should have went after the damn research lab sooner... what happened to the prisoner?" She finally asked after finding her voice.
"She's dead." Lelouch said with a sigh. "As the royal guard was about to shoot me, she jumped in the way. She took a bullet to the brain and saved my life."
Kallen felt relief and remorse in equal measure. She was so happy Lelouch was safe, and felt so bad for the poor girl who went through so much only to save someone else.
"What happened after that?" She asked after a moment.
"That's when it got weird." Naoto muttered, shivering. Lelouch nodded.
"Weird how?" Kallen quarried with curiosity.
"After she was shot in the face..." Lelouch began with trepidation. "Her arm reached out to grab me."
She blinked owlishly as he continued.
"I could hear her voice in my head. She offered me power, and gave me the ability to save myself. Geass."
Lelouch saw a flash of... recognition?
Kallen saw the look and went on to explain without further prompting.
"My Britannian side of the family is of Celtic origin as you know. My dad's lineage can trace their origins all the way back to the highlanders of old, centuries ago. My ancestors intermingled with the Irish for a long period of history before the battle of Waterloo and subsequent conquest of England by the French." She explained the background. Lelouch knew this but could tell it was going to be expanded on so he remained silent.
So she continued. "In ancient Irish folklore and mythology, there's legends of something called Geas, Geis, Geasa and so on- at least as far as Old Gaelic and later modern Scottish Gaelic are concerned. There's something similar for the Welsh cultures as well but-" She shrugged.
This drew Lelouch's attention, and he leaned in closer, focusing in as she extrapolated.
"Geas in old taboo from my family's history. From what I've read of our ancestral texts and journals kept from that time period. It's considered to be a vow of sorts. A binding contract of magical properties, like a spell... though It was often treated more or less like a curse-" She paused thinking about it. "If the contract's conditions are met it is said to fulfill the contracted person with power and blessings, but failure to adhere to the demands you agree to would lead to ruin." She finished, crossing her arms with a look of contemplation.
"What happened next?" She eventually asked as Lelouch drank in the information Kallen presented.
"The royal guard were about to shoot me. I told them to die and they all killed themselves."
Kallen stared at Lelouch for a good, long moment as her mind went blank trying to accept this insane scenario Lelouch was painting.
She turned her head to look at Naoto. Their eyes met, and he just nodded once, tensely.
Kallen sucked in a deep breath and walked over to sit next to Lelouch.
She took a minute to just think. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she flinched at first when Lelouch pulled her into a side-hug, but she immediately hugged him back.
"This... Geass..." She began with trepidation. "How much do you know about it? Do you know what it does? How it works? The limits- restrictions it has? If it has any at all..." She trailed off.
Lelouch nodded. "I don't have all the details, this didn't exactly come with an instruction manual. I know that I need to intentionally activate it... it's like flexing a muscle almost. And when I use it I need direct eye contact. Though mirrors and transparent glass might work? But they need to be able to see my eyes- or at least my left eye I think in order for it to work. I also think I need to be very careful with my wording depending on what I need to use my Geass for. Telling my enemies to die is one thing but if I need something more complex then the conditions I stipulate when giving an order will likely need to be very clear and concise."
Kallen considered this, her face scrunching up as she concentrated on the information given. "Almost like a combination of the Monkey's Paw and the trapped Djinn." She surmised. "Immense power granted to another, the ability to cast a spell of sorts on others. Great power, but without great care I'm equal measure can backfire horribly." She could feel a disturbed tingle go up her spine.
Lelouch could feel her trepidation. "Kallen I would never-"
"I know." She said firmly, cutting him off before he could finish. She reached up to cup his cheeks and pull his face down for a kiss, and Naoto looked away.
She pulled away and smiled. "You would never use it on me, on any of us, I know that." She reiterated, her voice soft and her smile true. Lelouch felt relief wash over him at the confirmation of trust and he relaxed a bit.
"Have you used this power on anyone else?" Naoto asked once he knew it was safe to look at them again.
Lelouch and Kallen held each other's hands and the prince turned to look at Naoto.
"Just one other."
"Clovis?" Naoto asked, and Lelouch confirmed with a nod.
"I was high on our victory when I broke into the G-1. When I saw Clovis I just told him to 'obey' but when I did..." Lelouch sighed. "That was it. After I got done questioning him, he just sat there waiting for more orders." He deflated.
"What did you ask him about?" Kallen questioned. "Your mom?" She asked softly
Lelouch nodded tensely. Both Kallen and Naoto looked on, they promised to help him find justice, if there were any leads- but he shook his head and continued.
"He only told me that Cornelia or Schneizel could know, but he didn't have any true answers, only vague assumptions on who might have more information." He said with dismay.
The Prime Minister, or the head of Marianne's guard. Both family, and it did not leave good implications.
"After that, I told him he could go back to normal, that I released him, that he didn't have to obey any more but... he just kept sitting there."
An uncomfortable silence followed
Lelouch sighed. "I'm... I'm tired." He finally said. The sun had set quite some time ago and tomorrow was a school night.
Naoto walked over to Lelouch and patted his shoulder, giving it a firm and supportive squeeze and offering a smile.
"Go get some rest. You're our new leader now. I know you'll do great."
Lelouch smiled weakly, proud of himself because of Naoto's own pride and belief in him. But it was soured by his experience with Clovis earlier.
Lelouch got up with Kallen, and they walked hand-in-hand down into Ashford's halls before reaching the clubhouse and heading up to their room.
They faced away from each other as they changed into their sleeping clothes. Kallen then turned to face Lelouch reaching out to take his hands and guiding him to the bed. She laid down with him and this time she acted like the big spoon, cuddling with her prince.
The following morning, Kallen woke with a start as Lelouch jolted her by pulling himself out of her embrace and rushing to the bathroom.
She heard as he wretched into the toilet, and her heart sank knowing he was in pain.
She walked over to the bathroom as the toilet flushed and she saw him leaning over the bathroom sink. She looked at the mirror to see his face. His eyes looked tired, haunted, and there were bags beneath them.
She walked over and hugged him from behind one hand rubbing his back while the other laid on top of one of his hands.
He smiled weakly. "Thank you, Kallen." He said quietly before standing up straight and putting on his mask, taking a deep breath, he turned and planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Let's get ready for class, I'll make us some breakfast." He offered, trying to appear better.
But Kallen had been around him for almost a decade now, she frowned, but she didn't want to push him.
He needed time.
Kallen gave a nod, hugging him tighter for a moment before letting go and they walked out of their shared bathroom to start their day.
He was a mess.
She saw it in the way he moved. The way he walked, the way he talked, his mask was perfect as usual, his visage of aloof indifference. But she knew him better than almost anyone else, she could tell.
He went through his day on autopilot. When the students in homeroom discussed the Shinjuku massacre they prattled on about how the 'eleven's' used poison gas and how awful it was.
Kallen held back a comment. She knew these people for years. They were ignorant, not evil and so she bit her tongue and kept her eyes on Lelouch who sat in his usual seat at the back of the class.
She joined him. And when the school day began in earnest she joined him in all of them, sitting next to him. She held his hand at every opportunity provided.
'I'm here for you.' The silent message was given.
'I know.' He squeezed her hand.
They went on like this throughout the day. Lelouch kept his emotions firmly bottled up for the duration of every class as they went through all the lectures and went over class assignments.
They would return to the Student Council room, entering the clubhouse only to see Milly in a maid outfit, a dinner table had been set up and the place looked ready to hold a party.
Kallen groaned while Lelouch remained unresponsive and just looked around.
"What is it now madame president?" Kallen asked with an annoyed and sarcastic tone.
"We have a new member joining us and I wanted to celebrate!" Milly said with glee, causing Kallen to sigh.
Milly turned to look over at the kitchen area, taking a deep breath. "Mayaaaaaaaa~" She called out. "Our final guests have arrived!"
The same girl they ran into before with black hair and blue eyes popped her head out and waved at them before walking over.
'Maya?' Kallen heard that name before, and with the information on hand decided to go for her assumption.
"Q-2?" Kallen asked, causing Maya to freeze.
That all but confirmed it.
Kallen reached a hand up and held it above her chest, over her heart. "Q-1." She greeted with a smirk and then placed that hand on Lelouch's shoulder. "B-1"
Maya went from worried to relieved, and even a bit excited as her shoulders relaxed and she smiled brightly, before glancing questioningly at Milly who nodded with a coy smile.
"My company makes most of the Knightmares used by the Resistance." She whispered quietly. "I hope you liked that blue Burai Kai custom. It was originally for Q-1's brother but since he was injured you might as well keep borrowing it."
Lelouch took the chance to interject. "We'll take you down to our base and officially induct you as a member if you wish. Your skills are more than qualifying to be an Elite Knightmare Ace and you would be financially compensated for your time."
Maya looked ecstatic, clasping her hands together. "Thank you so much! Yes absolutely!"
Kallen grinned, more than pleased to have another truly skilled pilot in their ranks, but before she could make another comment, Shirley popped up from beneath a table on the other side of the room, cutting the conversation short.
"Found it!"
"Oh thank goodness!" Nina ran out of the supply closet to greet Shirly who handed the flash drive to the petite little nerdy girl. Relief washed over Nina as she saw that it wasn't damaged.
This was followed by Rivalz walking out of the Kitchen, carrying a tray with various drinks and snack foods on it while Sayoko walked out with Nunnally who was carrying a small platter.
The series of events that followed went by in a flash, as Lelouch watched Rivalz pull out a bottle of champagne with a goofy smile on his face, only for Shirley to throw a fit over him trying to bust out alcohol and attempting to wrestle it from him as they argued.
Pop went the cork, and on instinct Kallen swatted it away from her as it zipped towards her face.
Her smirk was replaced with a scowl of annoyance as foamy champagne splashed down on her from above, soaking her hair and clothes.
Lelouch shot an angry glare at Rivalz for what he did- unintentional or not, before gently taking Kallen's hand and guiding her to the bathroom as the redhead let out a series of angry rumblings beneath her breath trying not to make a scene.
Shirley watched them go, and she felt a pang of jealousy echo out from her heart as the Black Prince of Ashford escorted the Stadtfeld Heiress.
Lelouch left the bathroom once they reached it, and jogged over to their shared room. He reached into the drawers and closet to find some fresh clothes for her to wear, grabbing a black shirt and red skirt combo he knew she liked to wear.
With some measure of embarrassment he also grabbed her a pair of panties. But he knew she wouldn't be upset about it given the circumstances.
He brought down the assortment of fresh clothes for her and walked in. His eyes landed on the silhouette of his girlfriend behind the curtain and he blushed. WHY was there a window up there in such a perfect position?
He tore his eyes away from the outline of her figure with some small measure of difficulty before placing her clothes on the counter.
"Kallen, I brought you a fresh change of clothing." He announced.
"Thank you. Oh! By the way, could you hand me my bag?" She asked, pointing a finger out from behind the curtain and at the bag she had set off to the side.
"Of course." He answered on instinct. He picked up the small bag and offered it to her, but when she reached out she didn't grab it from him.
Instead, her hand grabbed onto his wrist, and she pulled him in closer, the curtain moving enough so that it was out of the way for them to share a kiss.
Lelouch was surprised, but by no means disappointed at the spontaneous act of affection. His shock replaced by acceptance as he returned the kiss she was giving him.
Several more deep kisses followed before Kallen pulled away.
They looked into each other's eyes then. Kallen's was full of warmth, and Lelouch's held a deep-rooted pain.
One of her hands kept holding his cheek and the other held his own hand, her cheeks flushed red and she bit her lip. She had an idea.
"Get undressed." She blurted out, and Lelouch- forgetting his pain as temporarily, had his own face burn red in embarrassment.
"Kallen-?" He asked with trepidation. He was by no means deaf but he needed to make sure he heard what he thought he heard.
"I want you to join me in the shower." She said with restrained frustration.
He swallowed some saliva to try and get rid of the sudden dryness in his throat.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
He asked and she answered. And while the red and pink on their faces didn't lessen, Lelouch found his resolve to follow through.
He stepped away, and took off his clothes. He was nervous, he felt anxiety creep in. Lelouch knew Kallen said it was ok, but he couldn't help feeling bad about this. He didn't want to objectify Kallen and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
But she told him to do it, and while he wasn't sure what would come of this... he wanted to do it, even if there was some discomfort.
So he stripped down, and cleared his throat.
"I um... I'm ready."
For someone who was so good at public speaking and being charismatic, he found himself unable to do anything other than stutter that out.
"You can come in... but keep your eyes closed."
He understood and closed his eyes, reaching a hand out to the edge of the curtains and pulled them aside. He then carefully raised his right foot and stepped into the tub. He could feel some of the warm water hit him, and the humid air thanks to the steam, warmth enveloped him.
Kallen had been looking away as well, her eyes closed. Once she heard the shower curtain move back into place, she spoke again, giving him an order.
"Turn and face the wall with the shower head."
"Alright."
She heard his feet shift on the watery floor of the bath, and carefully opened her eyes, keeping her gaze above the waistline as she looked at his back. She walked towards him and slowly wrapped her arms around him in a hug. Her naked torso pressed up against him and his face burned an even darker shade of red. Her arms were firm around him, but her hands were gentle.
"Sit." She ordered.
Slowly, to make sure they didn't fall, Kallen pulled them both down to the floor of the tub. He was sitting down while Kallen rested on her knees behind him, her hug holding strong.
"You can open your eyes now."
He did so, looking ahead as he felt the water cascade down his body, the tendrils of pleasantly hot water washed over him and his mind, in this instance, remained quiet.
"Lelouch, look at me."
He did as he was told, turning his head so that he came face to face with her.
She leaned in, kissing him on his forehead and brought a hand up to pull his head down, resting into the crook of her neck.
"Let it out."
And then, as she said that, while Kallen interlocked her fingers with his, it all came rushing back.
Shinjuku, the massacre, the dead children, Clovis.
His eyes slammed shut and he grit his teeth.
He felt shame. He could kill so many without feeling a damn thing, but the sight of those poor children, all the blood, and then his brother...
It hit him in a place he thought untouchable, why? Why was it bothering him now? Why not before? Had he been lying to himself so well that even he didn't realize it. How long had he been bottling this up for? Was Shinjuku just the catalyst?
He couldn't cry, he wouldn't, not in front of Kallen, he didn't-
"Lelouch." Her voice cut through all the internal strife. "It's ok."
He understood now, that Kallen was doing this on purpose.
She was his shoulder to cry on, literally.
He felt his eyes start to water as everything he held back threatened to come out, his emotional control, the mask, they began to slip.
"I'm sorry Kallen." He admitted, his voice a low croak. "I'm sorry for not being as strong as I pretend to be."
"You don't have to be." She whispered, her hand that was rubbing his chest and back slid up to his hair and slowly began to massage his scalp. "You don't have to be strong I don't expect you to be strong. Not now. It's ok to be weak Lelouch." She promised as her voice cooed to him, voice hushed. "Be weak with me."
The dam broke.
He turned Clovis into a mindless Zombie and blew his brains out in a cold blooded execution.
But that wasn't his brother. He realized that Clovis had already died, slowly, long ago.
Because Clovis used to be so gentle, so sweet when Lelouch knew him. The boy was a brat true... but Clovis cared back then. He played with Nunnally and kept them company, he treated the Vi Britannias like they really were family. When the other snobbish nobles and contorts snubbed them, snubbed his mother for their status as commoner filth Clovis was there to reassure them.
He was there for Lelouch and Nunnally, for the good times, and the bad.
And then Marianne was murdered.
The fear, the anxiety of being killed just like her, it must have eaten away at Clovis, seeing his siblings being exiled, watching them being cast out like trash and never to be seen again.
It changed him, Lelouch was certain of that. Clovis had been killed the day he was cast away, by their father.
The terror he must have felt every day, the knowledge that he could be next. The paranoia and all the things that came with it.
Clovis had been killed long ago, and a monster wore his skin.
Lelouch began to shake as he finally allowed himself to cry, to sob and let out his anguish at the injustice of his brother's fate. A casualty of the system he swore to destroy.
Black was the color of mourning, and for the past 7 years Lelouch almost exclusively wore black, a permanent state of incomplete mourning. He mourned for his mother, for his sister, and now for Clovis.
He just cried, Kallen just kept hugging hugged him, and for the first time, Lelouch was allowed to finally just let go.
He was letting go not of the memory, not of his need to find the truth and get justice, but the pain. He released the pain, his quiet wails of anguish muffled by Kallen's shoulder as she cried with him.
They both just needed to cry.
AN: I am overjoyed to announce that Empathy Redux has now reached a total of over 100,000 words and I could not be more happy!