Ashford Academy Pool
Lelouch looked through a list of applications of recruits as C.C. took a dive into the pool. One application that caught his eye was Diethard Ried, the news producer.
"Hm, a Britannian? Looks too confident to be a spy. An extremist?" Lelouch questions to himself.
"Isn't it wonderful? How the number of recruits keeps growing." C.C. said with a bored tone as she floated on her back in the pool.
"And it was simpler than I ever expected. 'While I bitterly hate the Britannians, I refused to condone terrorism.' That's the prevailing view of most Elevens." Lelouch explained.
"Then basically elevens support the Black Knights for the most part." C.C. said, moving the conversation forward.
"Which in turn makes it easier for us to operate as a whole. It's a huge help that people don't report our activities to the Britannians. Plus, I hear some group called Kyoto offer to send us some Knightmares. The number of informants has been increasing quickly, too. The Japanese can't resist jumping on the bandwagon. They hear well grounded buzzword enough as they go." Lelouch explained, happy the way things are going along.
"Hence the "Knights for Justice" act." C.C. concluded.
"Yeah, well everybody loves a hero, and what better hero than a knight?" Lelouch asked.
"How about a superhero?" C.C. asked in a teasing manner.
Lelouch rolled his eyes at her.
"Honestly, I think he watched too many films growing up. This is anything but a comic book story." Lelouch deadpanned to her.
"At least his antics aren't overshadowing your rebellion." C.C. added on.
"Yes, I have Kallen's mother to thank for that. She's been keeping his attention for the time being." Lelouch said with a smirk.
...
(Flashback)
Student Council Room
"You're Half-Eleven?" Suzaku asked surprised.
"Yes. My mother is Japanese." Kallen nervously said as she introduced her mother to the student council, who nervously waved to them.
"It's nice to meet you all." Naomi said with equal nervousness. Joseph put his hand on her shoulder to show support
"Why didn't you tell us, Kallen?" Shirley asked.
"I was afraid how you guys would treat me. I mean, you've seen what happened to Suzaku here. My mother had to do so much just so I could have the same rights you guys do." Kallen explained, smiling at her mother, who smiled back.
"Well, I say it doesn't matter. You're our friend Kallen, no matter what!" Rivalz exclaimed.
"That's right. And your mother is welcomed here as well." Milly said.
"I'm glad to hear that Prez, she's going to be helping Sayoko around here from now on." Lelouch told her.
"Wonderful! Wait until our next festival, you're going to love it!" Milly exclaimed.
"Yeah! Festivals!" Joseph exclaimed as he hugged Naomi, who chuckled.
Kallen was surprised by their reactions, but considering how accepting they were of Suzaku, it would make sense they would be so accepting of her and her mother. It made it her smile.
"Thank you, everyone." Kallen said happily.
Nina, however, shook nervously.
"Another eleven...Prince Joseph seems to like her...I suppose she can't be that bad then." Nina thought to herself, willing to give the Eleven a chance.
"And don't worry, consider this a council secret. Right everybody?" Milly asked the council.
"Agreed!" The student council agreed.
"Alright! To adventure!" Joseph exclaimed as he went to the window.
"Wait, Joe, where are you going?" Naomi asked.
"No idea!" Joseph proudly said as he left through the window.
Naomi looked on in confusion while the council just shook their heads.
"You get used to his eccentricities." Lelouch told her.
(Flashback end)
...
Joseph helped out Naomi on various duties, as she was still recovering from the refrain chemicals. He also got her involved in more dancing, teaching her from simple moves to more complex sequences(at least ones she could handle).
The student council actually got involved in the dance lessons too, as they found them very fun. Milly even hosted a "Roaring 20s' Ball" as they swung to jazz music. Nina tried to get as many dances with Joseph as possible, and every time he patted her on the head or gave her a hug she ended up going to the bathroom for some reason.
"I suppose it makes sense, probably looking for that mother figure he lost at a young age." C.C. casually said.
Lelouch narrowed his eyes at her, but didn't say a thing.
...
Diethard's Office
"Yes, I was demoted from my position. In very much the same way that you were." Diethard said.
Jeremiah grunts at that.
"We have no intention of letting the situation end this way. And we have the sneaking suspicion that you don't either." Villetta told him.
"That's so? Well, who can say." Diethard said blankly.
"We have a lead that might help us find zero." Jeremiah insisted.
That got Diethard's attention.
"You're familiar with Ashford Private Academy? I want to investigate a male student attending there. I think he may be working with Zero." Villetta told Diethard as he typed the school on his computer.
"Villetta and I are going to be shipping out with the military soon for duty. And will be stationed in the Narita mountains." Jeremiah told him.
"Narita? Isn't that where the Japan Liberation Front headquarters are rumored to be located?" Diethard deduced.
"You may be a bit too clever for your own good." Jeremiah deduced.
"You overestimate me." Diethard chuckled.
...
Night
Warehouse
Lights are turned on to reveal a bunch of knightmares. New Black Knights look at them in awe.
"Wow, it's amazing."
"These are Glasgows, aren't they?"
"Burais, a Japanese modification."
"I've never seen these before."
"Man, the Black Knights have gotta some serious muscle."
"It wasn't easy to sign up with the BK."
While the new recruits are talking. The main group consisting of Kallen, Tamaki, Sugimaya, Yoshida, Minami, and Inoue were looking at a special type of knightmare. Painted red with a sliver claw for a right hand.
"Those guys from Kyoto, They believed in us. They sent us this." Sugiyama said in amazement.
"A completely made Japanese Knightmare." Tamaki said in equal amazement.
"A Guren MK2." Kallen said its name in awe.
"Did you check up the manual?" Minami asked.
"I'm really love in this. The big shots in Kyoto are recognizing us. We've got their approval." Tamaki said with, very pleased with the situation.
"Wow. Super cool!" Another voice popped up.
"Sure is..." Sugiyama agreed.
But then realized that wasn't a voice he recognized. He looked at Yoshida who shrugged his shoulders and then looked at Minami who he said "Wasn't me."
When suddenly, a head popped up in between Kallen and Minami. A head that belonged to one Joseph Du Britannia.
"Hi." Was all he said with casualness and a smile on his face.
This surprised the Hell out of the group as Kallen and Minami jumped a few feet back and the rest of the group shouted in surprise.
"Holy...!" Minami shouted.
"What the hell!" Inoue exclaimed.
"Joe!?" Kallen exclaimed in surprise, not expecting to see him here.
"Hey Kallen. How be?" Joseph said casually as he waved at her.
"Hey! You're that 'Eat That Horse!' guy!" Tamaki exclaimed with anger, not happy to see the guy who took some of their thunder away at the hotel incident.
"Yeah! That prince who dresses like a bum!" Minami added on.
"Yep-per-rooni! Joseph Du Britannia, nice to meet!" Joseph introduced himself and stuck out his hand for them to shake.
Only to have a bunch of guns pointed at him. This confused him, only to realize something.
"Oh right. (He bows in a Japanese greeting.) Kon'nichiwa." He says in a polite manner.
This surprised the group, but it didn't deter them away from putting down their guns.
"Guys, wait-" Kallen said, deciding to step in, only for another voice to pop in from the shadows.
"What's the trouble this time?" The voice, belonging to Zero asked, as he stepped out from the shadows, Ohgi was right behind him, himself surprised to see the prince there.
"Captain Zero! Good to see!" Joseph said excitedly, guns still trained on him, as he walked over to Zero and shook his hand frivolously.
"Prince Joseph..." Zero muttered.
Truthfully, Lelouch was only half-surprised to see Joseph here.
The rest of the group though was shocked to see that Zero was taking this greeting so calmly.
"You know, you don't seem that surprised that a prince of Britannia just found his way into our base!" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Because I had a feeling it would happen sooner or later." Zero said casually.
This surprised the group even further.
"What do you mean?" Ohgi asked.
"Considering the enthusiastic applause he gave us back at the hotel, I had a feeling his curiosity would eventually led him to our base. Wanting to see it for himself." Zero deduced.
The group looked at him in surprise while Joseph enthusiastically pointed his fingers at Zero while loudly whispering "Professor X!"
Lelouch mentally sighed at that.
"What I do want to know, is how you managed to find our base in the first place?" Zero asked Joseph with patience.
"Followed Kallen." Joseph casually said as he pointed at a surprised Kallen.
"Huh?!" Kallen said with shock.
"What the hell, Kallen?! You brought him here!?" Tamaki asked with anger.
"No! I-I have no idea..." Kallen stuttered out, trying to explain.
"Oh, didn't know. Was far away." Joseph explained.
"...Wait, you stalked me?!" Kallen asked outraged.
"Naw, followed far distance. No presence known." Joseph explained as if teaching a elementary student.
"That's what stalking is!" Kallen said through gritted teeth, really wanting to strangle him at that moment.
Joseph looked at her blankly before the lightbulb went off in his head.
"Oooooooooh..." Joseph said with realization. He thought that only counted for strangers, not friends.
Kallen groaned in annoyance as she facepalmed herself.
"Sounds like you know him personally, Kallen." Zero deduced.
"Uh, well..." Kallen stuttered out, not sure how to explain it.
"Yep! Me and Kallen, best buds!" Joseph exclaimed as he gathered her into a bear hug, swinging her around a bit, surprising the group. This warranted them to put down their guns.
"J-Joe!" Kallen said through strained breath.
"You're friends with a prince?" Ohgi asked with surprise and shock as Joseph put her down.
"Not exactly, he just comes to the school I go to and often hangs out with the council I'm apart of, and I just happen to be there when he comes by sometimes." Kallen tried to explain.
"Thus, best buds!" Joseph concluded for her. To which she gave him a glare that said, "Not helping!"
"I see...Joseph, would you mind giving us a minute?" Zero asked the prince.
"Aye-Aye, Captain Zero." Joseph said gleefully as he saluted him.
He then jumped onto the Guren like it was a jungle gym and looked at all its features.
"Hey, get down from that!" Inoue shouted at him.
"It's fine, he won't break it. Just let me know if he goes running off somewhere." Zero instructed.
"Uh, sure." Inoue complied as she kept her focus on the dimwitted prince.
"So what's the plan, Zero? We gonna hold him for ransom for the Viceroy?" Tamaki suggested.
"Or are we going to have to...take him out?" Ohgi asked, he didn't like the idea of killing the prince, as it was clear he was different from Cornelia, killing him would feel more dirty.
Kallen looked at them with surprise, not sure if she liked the sound of that after getting to know Joseph better and all he did for her and her mother.
"Actually, we're going to let him go." Zero said, that surprised everyone, even Kallen.
"Are you kidding! We're just going to let a Britannian prince waltz out of here after he just broke into our base!?" Tamaki exclaimed.
"Technically, he walked in. But I agree, I don't like the sound of that Zero." Sugiyama said.
"Say we did kill him. Not only would Cornelia crack down on trying to find us, she would make sure that the Japanese would receive even worse treatment than they have already. And considering the popularity he's gaining with some of the citizens, we would lose our credibility as knights and lose the faith we gained from the people here. If we were to hold him for ransom, he would unlikely have any intel to give us as I doubt the Viceroy lets him in on her plans.
And while she may be willing to negotiate his freedom for the liberation of Japan, I very much doubt the Emperor would allow it. We all saw firsthand that he doesn't care about his children, especially considering he opened his speech at Clovis' funeral with 'All Men are Not Created Equal.' Letting him go may seem risky, but it's our safest bet. And consider this as well, we all saw what happened to those JLF soldiers back at the hotel. If he really wanted to turn us in, he most certainly could have already." Zero explained to them.
The group looked at him in surprise, as they did not consider any of those things. Honestly, it all made sense when they thought about it. Ohgi looks at Kallen.
"What do think about all this Kallen? You know him the best, what say you?" Ohgi asked her.
The others looked at her as well, wanting to hear her opinion. Kallen was surprised by the sudden attention, but she thought about it for a moment.
"He's odd, I won't deny that. But I agree with Zero, he's not going to do anything to jeopardize our rebellion. Honestly, I think he's our biggest fan." Kallen told them.
This surprised the group but they accepted it.
"Alright, fine." Tamaki muttered.
"Very good. (Directs his attention to Joseph) Joseph! Can you come down here?!" Zero called out to him.
"Okie dokie!" Joseph shouted down as he jumped off the Guren and landed down with ease.
"Got name for robot. Cherry Dynamite!" Joseph exclaimed, confusing the group. "Or, Red Megazoid!"
"Joseph." Zero called out to him calmly.
"Apple Clawed-Monger!" Joseph exclaimed dramatically.
"Joseph!" Zero shouted, getting Joseph's attention.
"Yeah?" Joseph said casually.
"Look, I can't stop you from coming here, but can you at least guarantee you won't tell anyone where this base is located." Zero asked.
"Please Joseph, it's really important you don't tell anyone." Kallen insisted. Joseph patted her head in reassurance.
"Hey, hey, get it. Your Fortress of Solitude, Hall of Justice. Mi casa, su casa. (Zips mouth shut) All good." Joseph reassured with a thumbs up.
The group was apprehensive but they didn't protest. Joseph then realized something.
"Oop, gotta go, me, Eup, charades!" Joseph exclaimed.
He went over to Kallen and gathered her into a hug.
"Bye Kallen." He said happily.
"Uh, later, I guess." Kallen said with a bit of embarrassment.
"Captain Zero." Joseph said as he pointed his fingers at him, Zero just nodded. "Later, new friends." He said lastly as he made his way out.
That definitely shocked the group.
"Wha-No! Hell no! We are not friends!" Tamaki yelled.
"Okay, new buddy!" Joseph yelled back gleefully.
"We're not buddies!" Tamaki insisted angrily.
"Amigos!" Joseph gave one last shout as he exited the base with enthusiasm. Leaving Tamaki to groan with annoyance and the rest of the group to look at the scene with bewilderment, wondering what the Hell just happened.
"Welcome to my world." Kallen said to Tamaki with sympathy
"Hard to believe he's related to the Emperor." Yoshida commented in bewilderment.
"I can't believe that guy out of all people is going to be able to roam in here, anytime he wants!" Tamaki exclaimed
"I'm surprised at you Tamaki. I would have thought having a prince as a fanboy would have been pleasing for you." Zero teased him.
"Not when it's the damn retard of the bunch!" Tamaki exclaimed.
Lelouch glared at him behind his mask, and would have scolded him if Kallen had not beaten him to the punch.
"Hey! He's not retarded! And even if he was, you have no right to call him that! Calling him that is like us being called Elevens!" Kallen lectured him.
"I agree, learn to be the better man Tamaki." Ohgi chimed in.
"Oh, suddenly we're going to defend a Britannian prince? Whose family is the reason why we're called Elevens in the first place?!" Tamaki came back with.
"Enough! We have bigger issues to move on to!" Zero ordered, ending their arguments.
"Sorry Zero." Kallen said, ashamed her emotions got the better of her.
"Alright, alright, already." Tamaki muttered.
"Good. Kallen, The Guren Mk-II is yours now." Zero told her as he tossed the keys to her. She looked at him with surprise.
"Mine? but we have a lot more people now, and we can't afford to lose you. We need the Guren's defense to protect you." Kallen tried to argue.
"You're a top notch pilot, I'm a commander, I'll use a Burai. But you're our only ace to play during a battle. Besides, You have a reason to fight." Zero told her.
"He's right Kallen. If anybody deserved to pilot that thing, it's you. " Ohgi added on with confidence. That seemed to do the trick.
"Right." Kallen said with a smile.
"Ohgi, any news?" Zero asked.
"Ah, right. We got some weird intel here from a Britannian who wants to join up with the Black Knights. (Passes coordinates to Zero) This maybe a trap to draw us out.
I'd say even if we wanna confirm the information it's too risky to contact him directly. But news like this isn't something we can just ignore. What should we do?" Ohgi asked.
"This weekend, we're going hiking. To the Narita mountains." Zero told them.
This surprised the group.
"Very well, then." Ohgi said.
...
Viceroy Palace
Joseph made his way back to the palace, the guards making sure not to shoot him on sight as they now had posters at their checkpoints to remind newbies that he was prince.
He was making his way to find Euphie when he heard a couple of voices arguing in Corn's office.
Always being one who liked to snoop, he brought his ear to the closed door and listened in.
"I must insist you let me come with you sister." Euphemia said with determination.
"Euphie, this isn't some field trip! We're going to be taking out the JLF at the Narita Mountains and it'll be dangerous for you there!" Cornelia insisted upon her.
"I took a field trip and ended up being held hostage. I think I have a pretty good idea of what danger is." Euphemia bemused.
"Well what about Joseph? Are we just supposed to let him be here by himself?" Cornelia asked annoyed.
"He travels back and forth around the settlement with ease, he'll be fine." Euphemia reasoned.
"Ugh, I swear, he's worse than you sometimes. I suppose I can stop him though, he's always been a free-spirited individual, a trait he probably got from his mother. " Cornelia said defeated.
Joseph smiled at that, being compared to his mother was something he took in strive.
"Very well Euphemia, but you must follow strict guidelines and stay within the G1 at all times." Cornelia ordered.
"Thank you Sister!" Euphemia said excitedly.
"JLF and the Narita mountains huh? Knowing Lelouch, he probably already figured out Corn's plans. Well that's not fair! How come he and Corn's crew get to have all the fun!?" Joseph thought with annoyance. Even Euphie was able to go.
Then a thought occurred to him.
"Lightbulb." Joseph quietly said with a devious smile.
...
Ashford Academy
Sayoko and Naomi both came into Nunnally's room to bring her a new batch of clothing and to help her out of bed.
"Sayoko, Naomi, we won't need any breakfast for my brother this morning." Nunnally told her.
"He's going out?" Naomi asked.
"He'll be leaving on a three day trip starting today." Nunnally continued.
"Oh, I see. My, your brother's been going out quite a bit recently. Think it's a girlfriend?" Sayoko happily asked.
"Maybe it is." Nunnally said.
"Well perhaps Joseph will come over and keep you company, he's been very helpful." Naomi commented happily.
"Yes, it's nice to have him back in our lives." Nunnally said happily.
"Kallen told me you were childhood friends right?" Naomi asked.
"You could say that." Nunnally said.
...
Narita Mountains
"We're certain that the Japan Liberation Front headquarters are in this area. We've already split 4 battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity. We've only to wait for the viceroy signal then we'll surround them in one fell swoop and wipe them out" Darlton explained.
"And are you confident that the enemy won't show up outside the encirclement line?" Euphemia asked.
"You mean Zero?" Cornelia asked.
"Have no fear about that. As the operation begins, we'll be blocking off the surrounding highways and mountain routes also." Darlton reassured.
"Plus, we have reserve units. If Zero is stupid enough to show up, it'll be the end of him." Cornelia concluded.
...
"I've been wondering about something Lelouch, Why are you Lelouch?" C.C. asked him.
Lelouch sighed with annoyance.
"I don't have time to discuss philosophy with you." Lelouch said.
"You changed your family sir name to Lamperouge but you kept Lelouch the name that was given to you at birth. How sentimental. You can't let go of the past." C.C. quietly said.
"Well, C.C. swings to the other extreme, doesn't it? It's not a human name." Lelouch argued.
"Lelouch, do you know why snow is white? Snow is white because it's forgotten what color it's supposed to be." C.C. said with a smile in a somewhat sad tone
...
"All units are in position." A soldier told Cornelia, who was in her Knightmare.
"Understood. Euphemia will provide logistical support From G1 as planned. Have her command medical group." Cornelia ordered
"Yes, Your Highness." The soldier said.
"Princess Cornelia..." Guilford communications came up with something on his mind.
"Guilford, let me guess. This is about Euphie, isn't it?" Cornelia asked, guessing where the conversation was going.
"Yes. she really should be in a government agency, not…" Guilford tried to insist.
"But she's being unusually stubborn about this. She told me she wanted to see actual combat for herself. Still, at least she's just one sibling I have to worry about here today." Cornelia said.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave Joseph by himself?" Guilford couldn't help but ask.
"I don't like the idea either, but Euphemia insisted I give him some leeway, so just got to hope for the best." Cornelia said tiredly.
...
Meanwhile, an eager Joseph jumped out of a cargo truck he snuck into when the trip to Narita began. Thankfully, he had his tree bark to keep his stomach settled.
He took a deep breath in of the area.
"Ahhhh, Narita Mountains, very...mountainy...............Okay, I'm bored. Might as well explore until the fighting starts." Joseph thought to himself as he made his around into the forest-filled mountains.
...
" What's that unit there holding to the rear." Euphemia asked, looking at the map in front of her. She could see a unit away from the Cornelia's forces.
"Our reserve force with an Eleven pilot." One of the soldiers explained to her.
"What? You mean that's the Lancelot?" Euphemia asked, surprised.
" As a rule, Numbers aren't permitted to operate Knightmares but that particular unit is an exception." The soldier explained to her.
"The second prince is the patron of that unit. We have no say over their personal selection. But he said he wants them to have as many chances at real combat as possible." Another soldier explained to her.
Euphemia looked at the map with concern, thinking about Suzaku.
...
Joseph made his way down the mountains as he danced to some country-pop, he wondered why a lot of them were about break-ups, but he couldn't deny they had a great beat to them. As traveled further down, he saw a small town, this excited him as perhaps he could buy some knick knacks and some batteries for his walkman with the money Cornelia gave him.
When he got to the town, a few people noticed him but didn't do much else.
"I wonder if they watch the news out here?" Joseph thought to himself when a middle-aged man approached him.
"Prince Joseph Du Britannia?" The man asked, surprised to see a prince in his presence.
"Yep-per-rooni. Nice to meet, Mr...?" Joseph happily asked, sticking his hand out for the man to shake.
"Oh, uh, Fenette. Joseph Fenette, your highness. It's an honor to meet you, this may just be a coincidence, but I believe you know my daughter, Shirley Fenette. She goes to Ashford Academy." Mr. Fenette explained nervously as he shook Joseph's hand.
Joseph got a lot more excited now knowing who the man was.
"Shirley's dad?! Get over here!" Joseph exclaimed as he brought Mr. Fenette into a tight hug, surprising him and suffocating him at the same time.
"Can't breathe, your highness." Mr. Fenette said in strained breath. Joseph put him down.
"Hey, same name! Joseph, Joseph!" Joseph said excitedly, it was a common name, but he always enjoyed coming across another Joseph like himself.
"Um, yes, indeed." Mr. Fenette said, catching his breath.
"Father of Shirley, friend of me!" Joseph exclaimed, happy to meet another parent of one of his friends. Especially one who was going to be his father-in-law!
"I-I appreciate that your highness. But, what exactly are you doing here?" Mr. Fenette asked, shocked that a prince was willing to be friends with him so quickly.
Joseph was about to answer when a rumbling started to occur.
"What on Earth?" Mr. Fenette wondered as the rumbling got louder.
They looked up and saw an avalanche of dirt, rocks, and trees falling straight towards the town.
"Holy Guacamole!", "Oh my God!" Joseph and Mr. Fenette said at the same time.
Seeing how all that dirt was going to the bury that whole town, Joseph thought it be best they both hightail out of there.
"Go time!" Joseph exclaimed as he thrust a surprised Mr. Fenette over his shoulders.
He started running as fast he could, dodging trees and jumping over large rocks. And while he was pretty fast, he wouldn't be fast enough to escape the dirt waterfall that was rapidly approaching them.
"We're not going to make it!" Mr. Fenette yelled, fearing for their lives.
But Joseph was determined, and he was certainly not going to let his new father-in-law die like this.
So he jumped onto a tree branch, and then onto another, and then another. Until finally he reached the top of a very tall, thick tree, hoping it would be enough to save them
As the avalanche hit them, they shook around chaotically, and the dirt was getting higher, and they started tilting. It was all such a rush for Joseph, he couldn't help but laugh!
"ON CRASHER, ON THRASHER, ON THE VOMIT AND BLITZKRIEG! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Joseph exclaimed, enjoying the ride.
Mr. Fenette on the other hand, was screaming frantically at the top of his lungs in fear and panic.
Suddenly, when they were just inches away from the dirt, the rumbling stopped, and so did they.
"Wow! Awesome! Roller-coaster!" Joseph happily exclaimed as he jumped down onto the dirt.
He put Mr. Fenette down, who was trying to catch his breath.
"...Oh God...I didn't think... we would make it...what was that?" Mr. Fenette asked as he caught his breath.
"Dirt avalanche." Joseph said.
"What could have caused it, an earthquake?" Mr. Fenette asked.
"Nah, fighting going on. Intentional, most like." Joseph explained.
"Intentional? You mean like terrorists?" Mr. Fenette asked, more in fear now, wondering if he just entered a battle zone.
Instead of answering, Joseph hopped up onto another tall tree to get a better look at what was going on. Once he got to the top, he could a catch a glimpse of what was going on in the higher parts of the mountains. Knightmares were fighting, explosions occurring, it was all amazing to watch.
But first things first, he had to get his father-in-law to safety. Luckily, he made sure to memorize where the G1 was.
He jumped back down, and picked up a confused Mr. Fenette.
"Wait, where are we going?" Mr. Fenette asked, surprised he was being lugged around again.
"Sisters." Was all Joseph said casually.
...
"Orange? Die!" Jeremiah exclaimed as he charged his knightmare towards Zero's Burai, only for Kallen's Guren to land in front of him and knock his gun out of his hands. He responded by having sword-like weapons come out of the knightmare's arms.
"Lord Jeremiah!" Villetta exclaimed, wanting to help.
"Stay out of this. This is my duel." Jeremiah told her.
"But look at it, I've never seen a Knightmare like that before. Is it possible that the Elevens have…" Villetta said, analyzing the strange knightmare.
"You think Elevens are capable of such technology?" Jeremiah said, brushing off his comments.
He charged the Guren, only for it to block and dodge his moves and then jump high in the air.
"It's fast." Jeremiah said, surprised.
The Guren landed in front Jeremiah, trying to attack him. Jeremiah was able to block it just in time.
"This thing, is this what destroyed Carius's unit?" Jeremiah asked.
"Yeah that's right Britannia. We can finally go up against you on equal footing head on. And our counter attack begins with this baby the Guren Mk-II!" Kallen exclaimed inside the Guren as she reaches her silver claw towards Jeremiah's knightmare.
"Oh hell! There's something on its right hand." Jeremiah saw the attack coming, and started to back away.
"But if I keep my distance." Jeremiah deduced, thinking he was safe.
Only to see the claw extend itself.
"What's this?" Jeremiah asked in shock.
The claw grabbed onto its face, the ground started to rumble around them.
"Sorry." Kallen said, not really meaning it.
She pushed a button and Jeremiah's knightmare started to glow a bright red and puff up like a bag of popcorn.
"Ah! What– What the hell's happening?!" Jeremiah asked himself as everything around him started to short circuit.
"Lord Jeremiah, eject!" Villetta tried to tell him over the communicator, before it fizzled out.
"I can't run now! Zero's right in front of me! He's standing right here!" Jeremiah tried to reach out to him, only to see the auto-eject warning pop up on his screen.
"Damn it! The auto-eject! Don't you dare activate! I can still get Zero! I know it! I know I can still get him!" Jeremiah shouted crazily as his nose started to bleed and his eyes shrunk down to dots, wanting to get his hands on the person who disgraced him.
But it was no use.
"Aah!" Jeremiah gave one last scream as he fell unconscious before the cockpit ejected itself.
The silver claw retracted back into its slot and the knightmare exploded around the Guren, making it look like a fiery demon out of Hell.
"You know, Cherry Dynamite might just be the perfect name for this beast!" Kallen said with a grin.
"They defeated Lord Jeremiah! Who are the Black Knights? Who are they, these warriors?" Villetta asked herself, shellshocked.
...
"What are our losses?" Euphemia asked.
"At least 20%, your highness." A soldier told her grimly.
"Dear Lord..." Euphemia said quietly, never expecting this to happen.
"I can't reach General Alex. It looks like the second division has been wiped out." Another soldier told her.
"And the Viceroy?" Euphemia asked with concern, but making sure to present herself with leadership.
"Her and her forces seem to have made it unscathed, your highness." A soldier told her. Euphemia gave a small sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, please make it back sister." Euphemia thought to herself.
"Your highness, one of our units sees something heading this way!" A soldier told her.
"The JLF, or possibly Zero's forces?" Euphemia asked.
The soldier received word back and his expression turned into confusion.
"Uh...no. They're not sure but they think it's some homeless man with an overcoat on, carrying something around his shoulders.
"Huh!" Euphemia thought flabbergasted, but made sure to keep her composure.
"Hold your fire. Let him through." Euphemia ordered.
"Your highness, are you sure?" A soldier asked.
"Trust me, he's not a threat." Euphemia told them tiredly.
Soon enough, they see the figure jumping in and out through the trees before finally landing in the grasslands in front of the G1.
"Hey! Eup, Corn! Up there?!" Joseph yelled out, still carrying a frazzled Mr. Fenette.
"It is him!" Euphemia exclaimed, not expecting this at all.
"Prince Joseph?! What's he doing here?!" A soldier exclaimed.
"Hello! Man in need!" Joseph yelled again as he gestured to the man he was holding over his shoulders.
Euphemia pushed the intercom button.
"Joseph, it's Euphemia. Please make your way up to the G1's command center." Euphemia told him.
"Sure thing!" Joseph said gleefully.
And instead of walking up to the entrance, he started jumping onto the G1 like an obstacle course. Euphemia was confused at first, until she saw where he was heading.
"Wait, wait! I meant use the-"
*CRASH!*
Euphemia didn't get to finish, for Joseph crashed through a window of the G1, feet first.
"...main entrance." Euphemia finished weakly.
He finally put the very frazzled man down, who was a bit shellshocked at all that had just happened to him.
Before Euphemia could get a word in, Joseph ran up to her and engulfed her into a tight hug.
"Hey Eup! How you be!?" Joseph asked her excitedly.
"Uh..." Euphemia didn't really get to answer because she was having a hard time breathing, and Joseph didn't let her answer.
"Oh! Meet someone!" Joseph exclaimed as he dragged the frazzled man by the hand up to her.
"Eup, Shirley's dad. Shirley's dad, Eup." Joseph introduced them to each other. He got close to Euphemia and whispered to her loudly. "Same name!"
"Uh, yes, Joseph Fenette, a pleasure to meet you, your highness." Mr. Fenette said nervously as he curtsied, still getting over his shock and now surprised he met two royals in the same day.
"Uh, a pleasure. But why did Joseph bring you here? And how did you even get here in the first place, Joseph?!" Euphemia asked, more confused than ever.
"Snuck on truck. Be part of fun too!" Joseph exclaimed.
"Joe! We are in the middle of a battle!" Euphemia told him.
"I know!" Joseph told her happily.
Euphemia was starting to get frustrated. Usually, she was fine with Joseph's antics, just not when they were dealing with life-threatening situations!
"Your highness, if I may interject. If Joseph hadn't come here to Narita, I probably wouldn't be alive right now." Mr. Fenette explained to her.
This surprised Euphemia.
"What do you mean?" Euphemia asked.
"Well, when I came to meet Prince Joseph, an avalanche started and headed straight into the town I was in. He threw me over his shoulders and got me out of there just in time. He saved my life." Mr. Fenette explained, smiling graciously at Joseph, who gave him a thumbs up.
"Avalanche? Wait, you were there when that happened?!" Euphemia exclaimed with concern, knowing now that her brother was literally inches away from death.
"Yep! Dirt and trees were(makes a sound imitating the avalanche and sliding his hand down to show how the avalanche came). Pick up Shirley's dad(literally picks Mr. Fenette up, who tried talk him out of it) and ran!"
He starts running circles around the command center, Euphemia and the soldiers watch him with WTF faces.
"Dirt closer, so jump on trees!(Starts jumping on the machinery that's there, the soldiers tried to make him stop. He finally stops on his own, landing next to Euphemia, and puts down a bewildered Mr. Fenette.) On tallest tree, avalanche hits!(Makes a crashing sound) Dirt rising!(dramatizes the dirt rising with his arms.) Me, HAHAHAHAHA! Him, AHHHHHHHHHHH! Then stops. Come down tree, jump back here." He finished explaining his story with a dopey smile.
Everyone looked at him with bewildered expressions, not sure what to say.
"So, where Corn?" Joseph asked.
"Um, she's currently trying to wipe out the JLF. Though with this avalanche, she's most likely up against Zero's forces now." Euphemia told him.
Joseph was surprised at this, he didn't expect Cornelia to actually go into the battlefield. Just do what generals do and stand there while giving out orders. His thoughts came to a crossroad at that point.
He wanted Lelouch to succeed in his superhero endeavors, but he didn't want Cornelia to get hurt or worse, killed. He knew Lelouch wasn't against killing his siblings with Clovis, but he actually had a good relationship with Cornelia.
So he made his decision.
"Will check on Corn! What siblings do!" Joseph proclaimed.
The rest look at him with shock.
"What!? Joseph, you can't be serious! It's a war zone out there!" Euphemia exclaimed.
"Done war zones, Eup. No big deal." Joseph told her as he stretched his arms and legs. As if preparing for a run.
"Your highness, please. We have plenty of forces to dismantle the terrorists!" A soldier tried to reason with him.
"Any siblings?" Joseph asked the soldier.
"Uh, no your highness." The soldier responded.
"Then shad-up." Joseph told him in a mocking tone. Surprising and confusing the soldier.
Joseph went over to Mr. Fenette and gave him a quick hug.
"Bye, new father-in-law." Joseph told him.
This surprised Euphemia and Mr. Fenette.
"Wait, what do you mean-" Mr. Fenette didn't get to finish his question as Joseph suddenly stick fists in the air and yelled.
"COMING CORN!"
And then he charges straight for the center window.
"Wait, Joseph, don't-!" Euphemia tried to warn him, but it was to no avail as he broke through the window, yelling out a "WOOOOO" while he was at it, and landed on the ground with ease.
He then charged his way back into the forest like a man on a mission, which he was.
Back in the G1, Euphemia was pinching her nose while Mr. Fenette and the soldiers looked in shock at the sudden action.
"Well he's...um...spontaneous." Was all Mr. Fenette could say.
"Yes he is." Was all Euphemia could say with a tired smile. Like it or not, this was just her brother being her brother.
"That was bulletproof glass he broke through, right?" Mr. Fenette asked with disbelief.
"Yes it was." Was all Euphemia said.
"...Huh." Was all Mr. Fenette could say from all the craziness he witnessed today.
"Yep..." Euphemia said, feeling like she really needed a nap.
To Be Continued...
Once again, apologies for taking so long to post, been busy with work and other projects. So we now reached our first biggest canon divergence, which is Shirley's father lives, saved by Joseph no less. If anybody hasn't realized it by now, Joseph is an adrenaline junkie, he loves the action that happens around him. I gave hints of it when he was in the elevator with the JLF soldiers. What he does with it here will be seen next chapter. Tell me what you think and I'll see you next time!