During a time of day upon the former country called Japan that is now named Area Eleven.
Our attention is to the outskirts of Narita Mountain as Kira is found standing in concealment of the tree's shadows. The young man wearing clothes that differ from his normal ones as he sports a greyish shirt with a black jacket suit, brownish black jeans, black boots, and a cap hat. He is looking at the outskirts of the mountain and upon the nearby town settlement.
Today is the day that Kira is allowed to leave the JLF and visit the nearby settlement and other areas. The young man not being alone as he is currently accompanied and supervised by Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. All five members of the JLF wearing disguises as well.
"we will first head into the settlement and then meet with an informant of ours." Tohdoh spoke out as the leader of the group. "remember to follow our safe routes and to split up in case there are those who recognize us."
"roger!" the Four Holy Swords replied in unison while Kira nodded his head.
"good. Let's depart." Tohdoh said after nodding before he and the group began their advance into the nearby town.
A few minutes later, a train leaves the town near Narita as it heads off to the Tokyo Settlement.
In the train's passenger cart, there is Kira and the group; they are seated at the nearly empty cart as today's passengers were a few.
Kira sat with Tohdoh and Asahina while Nagisa and the others sat on the opposite side. the young man sitting quietly before he turns and looks to the view outside by the window. He sees the town that they are leaving as he is frowning a bit because of how desolate the town looks from a far.
"Did the town….looked like that before the war?" Kira asks and Tohdoh glances at him for a moment and then closed his eyes while crossing his arms on his chest.
"no, it never was in such a state before the war." Tohdoh replied a bit quietly. "before the war had begun, that town served as a local settlement for all Japanese and it was filled with joy and happiness that was robbed away by the Britannians." He slowly opens his eyes that shows a hint of anger. "one day, we will return it to its former glory once we've defeated the Britannians!"
Kira looks at the town that is becoming smaller as the distance grows before he nodded and turns to look down, the young man now waits for the train to arrive to the Tokyo Settlement.
About some time later at the Tokyo Settlement. Kira along with Tohdoh and the others are walking out of the train station as they had just arrived to one of the many settlements of Area 11.
"so this is…the Tokyo Settlement?" Kira asks while walking with Tohdoh and the others as they head down a crowded road area. "it's quite busy."
"that's a fact considering that Tokyo was once the main national city of Japan and everything before the war." Asahina replied to Kira. "but, it's not that nice to see things like this."
"indeed." Senbda nodded in agreement.
"things here ain't the same anymore." Urabe added in.
"you two be more quiet!" Chiba shushes them. "we're in a covert mission, remember!?"
"you're not being covert right now though?" Asahina replied.
"enough." Tohdoh called out as they traversed down the road and made a quick turn. "we're in a hurry and have no time for unwanted chattering."
"yes, Tohdoh-san." The group replied quietly in unison.
The group traversed in the settlement as Kira started to see the entire view of everything that seems simply so new to him. From the beautiful sight of the city's infrastructure to the horrible discrimination to the former people of Japan that had been named Eleven.
At one time, Kira is with Tohdoh and Asahina as both accompanied him in seeing the entire scenario of Japan after the war.
In one area of the city, Kira along with Tohdoh and Asahina are walking at a crossroad as the young man was taking in the views of the settlement' inside environment.
"this is…just too much." Kira spoke as he and the others stopped to look at the once famous Tokyo Tower that has been damaged but crudely repaired by the Britannians. "they overtook the nation and made it into some living quarters for their people. then…they just discriminately abuse the Japanese who once lived here."
"yes." Tohdoh nodded as he looks at the Tokyo tower with Kira. "Japan's people, honor, and it's very soul of an existence…the Britannians took everything from us." He clenches his fists as he had a quick flashback of the war that raged at Tokyo that is burned in flames. "this is why we exist, our reason for fighting against such an oppressions."
Kira looks at the Tokyo Tower in silence and that somehow leads to him get abruptly bumped on the back by someone who was running.
"ah?!" "wha?!" Kira nearly fell forward but he caught himself but the person who bumped him had fell on the concrete road. He turns with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, are you alright?"
Kira turns to see who had bumped into him and fell, the young man seeing a young brunette girl wearing some sort of a uniform is on the ground and rubbing her back a few times.
"ow, ow, ow…" the girl moaned in pain as she constantly rubs her back before she looks up and sees Kira reaching out a hand for her.
"are you alright?" Kira asks, sounding worried. "are you hurt?"
"no, I'm fine." The girl said with a smile as she takes Kira's hand and gets pulled up to her feet. "it was me who wasn't watching where I was going."
"no, I was just standing still and didn't hear you coming." Kira said as he then offered a handkerchief to the girl. "please use this."
"thanks, but it's fine." The girl said with a smile before hearing someone calling out to her from behind. "oh? Here she comes."
"she?" Kira spoke before seeing a blonde girl wearing the same uniform as the first girl coming while carrying some shopping bags with her.
"hey, Marika! I told you not to run off that fast!" the blonde girl scolded the brunette while looking a bit angry. "you know how heavy all our new clothes are!?"
"sorry, sorry. I wanted to get to the new watch for Leon." The brunette replied before she smiles and turns to Kira. "ah, sorry. It's a bit late for introduction but my name is Marika, Marika Soresi." She then motions a hand to the blonde girl beside her. "and this is my friend Liliana Vergamon. We're both students of Tokyo Settlement's branch military academy."
"ah, I see.." Kira nods. "my name is Kira, Kira Yamato."
"Kira Yamato? An Eleven?" Liliana spoke out before squinting her eyes. "did you hurt Marika?"
"eh?" Kira looks confused to her statement.
"no, Liliana! I was the one who bumped into him!" Marika cried out while holding up her hands to Liliana. "he didn't do anything wrong to me!"
Looking to not be believing, Liliana looks at Marika for a moment before to Kira.
"you better watch yourself, Eleven." Liliana said before she looks at Marika. "let's go, Marika. We're going to be late for school."
"I know, I know." Marika replied before she turns and smiles a bit apologetically to Kira. "sorry, Kira. she's a bit egoistic in everything, but she means nice." She then waves a hand in goodbye to him. "well, let's meet again if we could! Be well! Bye bye!"
Afterwards Marika and Liliana leaves the area as Kira and the others watched them leave.
"judging by those uniform, I would say that they're from the military academy near here." Tohdoh spoke out as he and Asahina had been quiet during the little conversation between Kira and the two girls. "so they're even training young girls to be Knightmare Pilots, huh?"
"goes to show that the Britannians' belief that they are such superior people would make them lax for such moral rights and whatnot." Asahina said before he sighs a bit and then smiles to Kira. "it's a good thing that Kira here meets with them instead of us." He then shrugs his shoulders. "who would know what would have happened if they bumped with us instead. He's a lucky boy."
"eh?" Kira made a confused noise as he didn't understand what they were talking about.
As Kira was wondering what they are talking about, he heard a scream from nearby as he turns and become surprised when another teenage girl with lilac hair came running at his direction and bumps right into him.
"wha!?" Kira became surprised as he and the girl instantly fell on the ground.
"oh boy…." Asahina and Tohdoh looks at Kira as he is blushing because his hands are on the stranger girl's chest and are groping her breasts.
"ow…ow…ow…." The girl moaned in pain as she held a hand to her head before she looks at Kira who is looking very awkward and embarrassed. "eh? You are?"
The girl stares at Kira for a moment before she realized something that made her gasp before she quickly got off him and begins running off.
"sorry! I am in a rush! I'm sorry for bumping you down!" the girl cried out as she quickly leaves the area.
"see? A lucky boy, right?" Asahina said with a smile as he looks at Kira who is looking bewildered and baffled. "he's lucky in any situation that involves a girl."
"well, let's not stick around here to wait anymore unwanted encounters." Tohdoh said before he begin walking. "let's meet up with Chiba and the others."
"roger." Asahina replied while Kira is still left baffled. "hey, let's get back up." He patted the young man's cheek a few times. "hey, snap out of it."
"just what was that all about?" Kira asks before he snaps out of his thoughts and then looks at Asahina who then helps him up.
Afterwards, Kira and Asahina follows after Tohdoh, but as he walks and follows after the JLF's lieutenant colonel, two teenagers of the Ashford Academy passes him; the two being Lelouch and Rivalz.
Both students had come out of a building and were chatting while unknowingly passing by Kira and the others.
"hey, maybe we should hit up on the games against an Eleven." Rivalz told Lelouch. "unlike Britannians, they are a bit off and…"
"later, Rivalz." Lelouch replied before he pointed to a large screen on a building. "look."
"huh?" Rivalz turns and looks at the screen that shows a recorded incident that soon broadcasted a message.
"forgive the delay. It's now time for an announcement from Area 11 Vice Roy and Third Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire; Clovis La Britannia." An announcer spoke out the message before showing the live recording of the Prince who governs upon Area 11.
"To my Imperial Subjects! And of course, to the many Elevens who cooperate with us!" the Prince begins his speech of an announcement. "do you not see? Right now, my heart is torn in half! Into a heart filled with sadness and a heart filled with rage! However as the ruler of Area 11, I will not allow terrorism of any kind! The reason being that the battle we fight is a righteous one! A righteous battle to protect the happiness of all! Now then, everyone! Won't you join me in grieving for the eight who died in the line of duty for justice?"
"and now, a moment of silence." The announcer spoke as the people in the Tokyo Settlement paid their respects for those who had died, but a number did not and those being Rivalz and Lelouch who are currently getting ready to go back to school on the blue haired teen's motorbike that has a side passenger seat attached.
"not going to do it?" Rivalz asks while adjusting his helmet.
"will you?" Lelouch asks as he pays the parking fare.
"nah, I'd be embarrassed." Rivalz replied as he gets on the motorbike's seat.
"exactly." Lelouch said as he receives the fare ticket that he then pocketed before going to the side passenger seat. "besides, our crying for them won't bring the dead back to life."
"now that's just dark." Rivalz said as he puts his helmet's goggles on.
"In the end, it's all just self-satisfaction." Leouch then looks at the large screen showing Prince Clovis' image as the noble is paying his respect in silence. "no matter how hard you try, there's no way to change the world." He then looks at Rivalz. "let's get going, Rivalz."
"okay." Rivalz said as the silence ended and the announcement finishing up.
Rivalz turns on the motorbike's engine and then drives out of the parking spot and into the road.
Lelouch begins to read a small book as he passes his time on the ride with it, not knowing that the vehicle went pass Kira again as this time the young man took a quick glance at him before looking away.
"an eleven, huh?" Lelouch muttered before reading his book.
An unknown encounter that passes by the two is about to come as an encounter that would occur in the future.
Meanwhile at a tv broadcast station, Clovis had finished his speech of grief for the deceased as he takes a few steps forward and stops for his servants to come close and began to take off the cloak attire that is to signify his position.
"amazing~!" "you have such great performance, Prince~! No one would've thought you were at a party before this~!" "to be expected of his highness~!" women approaches Clovis who just chuckles.
"the Viceroy is the face of Area 11." Clovis smiles. "you need to be able to switch roles quickly."
"you are so confident, Prince Clovis." A woman praised Clovis who gently waves a part of his hair to the side.
"confident? I'm just trying to please the media people." Clovis said as he turns towards a group of media broadcasters.
"oh, no, no! we're pleased to be of any assistance in your reign, Prince Clovis!" a man complimented the Viceroy.
The people keeps on praising Prince Clovis but one man who is of the media is just minding himself at a corner while reading a script book.
"a sham of a reign." The man spoke as his name is Diethard Ried who looks very uninterested to the conversation. "this publicity is unentertaining after the passing time."
As Diethard was just looking bored, a large man bearing the General rank uniform came rushing into the scene.
"your highness!" the man called out as he wear one monocle on his right eye. "Prince Clovis!"
"a soldier?" Diethard looks at the man who is named General Bartley, the media man wonders what is he talking to Prince Clovis for. "this better not be another media exclusive or…"
"you fool!" Clovis shouted at Bartley as everyone looks at the prince who is scolding the fat general. "how could've you let this happen!?"
"i-I'm sorry, your higness!" Gen. Bartley apologizes while bowing his head before he looks a bit panicked. "b-but do not worry! The police has been dispatched and they were only informed that it's just stolen medical equipment! If we scramble a small force to help retrieve it…"
"then send my personal forces!" Clovis exclaimed. "use everything that we have to take back what has been stolen! I order you to do as I say!"
"y-yes!" Gen. Bartley complied before he quickly rushes out while passing by Diethard who looks very curious.
"now what has a bunch of terrorist stolen to make the prince so angry?" Diethard asks himself before smiling. "very interesting."
On a highway road back to the Ashford Academy. Rivalz and Lelouch are on their way back to school after winning the game of chess with a noble and getting some good cash for their pockets.
"hey, Lelouch. Can I ask you a question?" Rivalz asks his companion.
"what is it?" Lelouch asks while reading the small book in his grasp.
"why'd you move with the King piece first?" Rivalz asks while focused on driving. "I mean, isn't that piece the one piece that you got to protect in the game?"
"that's true, but if I didn't move the King; how can the rest of the pieces follow?" Lelouch replied while flipping a page of his book. "for the people, they need a king. That same logic applies vice versa."
"I see…." Rivalz spoke.
'a King must move for his people..' Lelouch thought before he squinted his eyes when he remembered his past as a former prince of the Britannian empire. 'can't say the same for that man.'
As Lelouch continues to read his book, he got surprised by the sound of a horn blaring immediately behind them.
"what the?" Lelouch turns around to see a very nondescript truck right on their tail. The driver, a male Japanese man, looked very irate and stressed. His companion, a female, was trying to calm him down, but he seemed to have had the final straw at being blocked by a pair of school kids on a motorbike.
"Whoa!" Rivalz yelped as the truck drew too close, forcing the rider to dodge to the right, while the truck went along a route marked off for construction as it led into the Shinjuku Ghetto. It crashed into the entrance of the tunnel as Lelouch watched with wide, shocked eyes.
'It was partially their fault for being so damn close to us, but Rivalz is equally to blame for going so slow on a freeway.' Lelouch thought as the bike screeched to a halt, Rivalz gasping at the close call he had just avoided.
Lelouch noticed people stopping their cars and gawking at the crashed truck. They were taking photographs with their camera phones and gossiping with each other.
'The herd gathers to watch, yet do nothing.' Lelouch thought with contempt as he got out of the sidecar and took off his helmet. 'I will not be like them!'
Resolute, he made his way down, ignoring the catcalls from the crowd and the yells of Rivalz that there was only ten minutes until their next class.
Within the truck that had crashed, a teen by the name of Kozuki Kallen has recovered from the crash that her partner; a man named Nagata had partially caused.
"Nagata! Nagata!" Kallen called over to the stunned man.
The man groaned in response before shaking his head and cracking open an eyelid.
"Nagata! We have to get out of here! Move it! Now!" Kallen told the man who nodded before he grunted as he reaches a hand for the gear lever.
As the two were doing this, outside and on top of the truck; there is Lelouch who was climbing the ladder set on the middle of the truck, seeing as the cab was cut off from casual approach by metal girders.
"Hello? Are you alright in there?" Lelouch called once he reached the open hatch at the top.
Suddenly, his body was tingling. His senses were hyperactive and his heart skipped a beat. What was going on? He could swear he heard a female voice then.
'It's you! I've finally found my…' The voice cut off and the strange sensation with it.
"w-what was that?" Lelouch was having second thoughts about helping the truck drivers when the truck jerked backwards in reverse, causing him to fall into the truck, through the open hatch.
Lelouch recovered and landed, crouched on one knee. He tried to call out, to let the drivers know there was someone in the back, but the breath was driven from him before he could do so by being slammed into whatever it was that the truck was carrying.
In the distance, Rivalz gaped at the sight of his friend being carried off by a truck. "Soooo….would you call that a hit and run?" he wondered aloud. He couldn't go after them, as stopping that sudden stop had fried the circuits somehow, as well as cutting the fuel line.
He just hoped Lelouch would make it out of this in one piece, because Rivalz had a bad feeling about this.
Back in the truck. Lelouch looks to be in a dilemma as he is stuck inside the vehicle.
"If they put a ladder on the outside, you'd think they would apply common sense and put one on the inside as well!" Lelouch muttered to himself as he sought a way out.
He was about to try and climb the spherical object that was the sole cargo in this section of the truck, when a voice from a loudspeaker ordered the truck to pull over. The next thing he knew, the truck was moving in one direction then another rapidly-a very poor evasion. On top of it all, he heard a sound that is a helicopter or a VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) Gunship firing its main machine gun right at the Truck with several warning shots that intentionally misses.
Without even thinking twice, Lelouch deduced that he is on a terrorist truck and that he's stuck in it.
"cease further actions or we will shoot you down!" a voice is heard echoing outside as Lelouch started to fear for his life if the truck really didn't stop.
"now that this is going on like this…" Lelouch was trying to think of a way out when he heard a door sliding open which cause him to quickly hide.
Lelouch peeks out and sees Kallen coming out while taking off her disguise attire piece by piece before taking out a headband that she wrapped around her head.
'if I'm not mistaken, she looks a lot like…' Lelouch thought as he watched the girl.
"Can you use the Subway tunnel in the Azu-Bu route?" Kallen called out to Nagata who continues to drive.
"Kallen! Why don't we just use it here?" The driver yelled back. "we got to use it on them!"
"no! that would cause a bloodbath!" Kallen exclaimed as she climbed the steps to the next compartment. "I want to go against the Britannians but not in a way that could cause a whole damn massacre!"
As the conversation between Kallen and Nagata continues, Lelouch was running through all the redheaded girls he knew called Kallen, as that nagging sense of familiarity was insisting he was at least acquainted with her.
'Kallen….just where did I ever heard that name before?' Lelouch asks himself as he wondered why he find the name familiar and that he had recognized the woman's face before.
Meanwhile, the military was getting impatient as they are getting prepared to fire again.
"on my mark! Shoot the tires and put a stop to this madness!" an officer commanded his subordiantes before the VTOL gets destroyed when the trailer's back ejects open and something inside launched out sharp wire-guided projectiles that hit the vehicle in an instant. "agghh!"
"w-what's going on!?" the surviving VTOLs balance their flight as the pilots look and gasps to see a red and old Knightmare unit named the Glasgow that came out of the trailer.
The unit's Landspinners deploying with a flick of a switch, granting her maneuverability the VTOL's couldn't hope to match or track.
Kallen fired off her Slash Harkens simultaneously at the other VTOLs, winging one and destroying the other.
'Even although killing these Brit dogs will never bring you back, it still brings me one step closer to fulfilling your dream of a free Japan, Oniichan.' Kallen pushes a button that retracts the Slash Harkens' cables.
"The rest of you back off. I'll take it from here." a new voice came from loudspeakers as a VTOL came flying in while carrying a Sutherland Knightmare unit.
"damn! The damn military unit is here!" Kallen looks at the new Knightmare unit that came into the scene, the Sutherland spotting markings that belong to Purist Faction, a radical, racist element of the Britannian Military that despised the 'Numbers', those who are the native residents of the Area's conquered by Britannia.
"a Glasgow, huh? I can only assume you dug that obsolete relic out of some scrap heap." The Sutherland pilot verbally sneered at her as his Sutherland detached from the VTOL and began to descend. Kallen fired off a single Slash Harken at him. He countered it with one of his own, deflecting it with ease. "An over the hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland!" the Sutherland pilot continued to verbally sneer at her as he executed a perfect landing and took a battle stance. "Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of out glorious Emperor!"
The Sutherland fired a burst from its battle rifle. Kallen avoided most of the shells, but one ripped through the Glasgow's left forearm, destroying it.
"Kallen! We need to split up! We can't be together if this guy plans to kill us!" Nagata called out to Kallen via a radio.
"I got it!" Kallen responded as she tried to fire the left Slash Harken, but it was stuck. "damnit!"
The Sutherland pilot saw this and smirks before his knightmare deploys its Tonfa-attachment for close combat.
"Second-Hand junk!" the man in the Sutherland before her sneered as he brought the tonfa down. Kallen did the only thing she could: She ejected the remains of the left arm right into the path of the tonfa, using the smoke from the resulting explosion to get away.
"Nagata! Be safe!" Kallen called out to her friend on the radio while piloting her Glasgow to get out of the area.
Meanwhile somewhere at the Tokyo Settlement that is by the borders of the nearby Ghetto. In a storage facility that is private and quite hidden from sight; there's some small noises coming from inside.
Within the storage facility is a military truck vehicle left parked on the side, various mechanical equipment, and the Lancelot Club Knightmare that is stored on a frame base and is getting tinkered by Athrun who is in its cockpit.
The ace pilot of the Justice is currently on a laptop that he is using to check on the Lancelot Club's OS. His fingers taps the key of the keyboard very fast while his eyes scans all the data that he is sending and receiving from the Knigthmare.
"It makes me wonder why they never tried to fix the problem of this machine." Athrun said as he keeps on working in tinkering the Lancelot Club' OS to better suit him. "application is wise enough, but the power and performance would be quite challenging to fix. Quite the over yet under spec unit."
As Athrun was working on the Lancelot Club, the main entrance door was opened by Cagalli who came in while pulling in a large trolley cart filled with crate boxes that are marked with Caution and Fragile on it.
"Athrun, I'm back~!" Cagalli hollered out to Athrun before proceeding to use all force to pull the trolley cart before huffing a bit. "I've got the parts you ordered from Gregory!"
"alright, I'll get on them after I fix the Club's OS." Athrun replied as he is still focused on fixing the kinks and glitches of the Lancelot Club's program.
This storage facility is privately owned by Athrun and Cagalli who bought it under the usage of storing personal items. The place is also used as a little hideout for their espionage activity in the Tokyo Settlement.
A crowbar's claw tip is hit on the side of a crate box, Athrun handled the tool and pushed it down to rip open the wooden container's top lid that is thrown to the side.
Athrun looks inside as it is filled with bubble wrapped PC components. The items were soon taken out and placed to the side as the young man is more interested to the inner parts of the crate as there is hay covering military grenades.
With a purchase from Gregory of Amore Supplies, Athrun had purchased weapons and components for the Lancelot Club.
"not that heavy, but not that light.." Athrun mumbled as he picks up a grenade and checks its weight before he reaches in and takes out a belt strap that is used to clip the explosives to. "they will do."
"more grenades?" Cagalli asks as she came near Athrun who clips all the grenades to the belt and then gives it to the blonde who checks it out. "or are these different types?"
"I've purchased all types of grenades that Gregory has for sale." Athrun said as he carried and settled one empty crate box to the floor before he takes the crowbar and pry open the next crate that is filled with more pc components but underneath are black metal briefcases. "from smoke grenades to flash bangs."
"don't you think we should just stick with the usual ones?" Cagalli asks as she placed the belt strap of grenades to the side and then picks up the PC components that Athrun set down on the floor. "seems like a waste of money to purchase other types of grenades from the guy."
"we can't not be cautious here, Cagalli." Athrun said as he picks up one of the black metal briefcases that he opened to reveal the content being parts of a rifle that he soon closes. The young man placing the first one down before checking the rest. "in an unknown land and in unknown world with no information about its current situation is a sign of bad luck for us considering that information is key for situations like this." He checks all the briefcases before he goes for the next crate that he pries open, he reaches a hand in and pulls out a military grade gas mask. "it's best to be prepared for everything instead of regretting it later."
"I guess so…" Cagalli said after a minute of silent thinking before she sighs and then looks at Athrun with a deadpanned voice. "but do we really need to prepare that?"
Cagalli looks at Athrun as the young man is holding up two colored wigs.
"it's the best thing for disguises, remember?" Athrun replied.
Afterwards, all the crates had been emptied as Athrun returns to tinkering with the Lancelot Club with the PC components he got while Cagalli is sitting by a large table; the blonde is currently tinkering with the guns and rifles that they got as she is assembling them one by one while watching a live news broadcast on a small portable TV.
"currently, as the economy of Area 11 increases; there's been a terrorist incident at the Osaka Settlement…" the news anchor reported the news of terrorism as Cagalli watches a few glimpses while tinkering with the gun in her hand.
"another news of terror, huh?" Cagalli said before she finished clicking in the Gun's laser sight and checked it by pointing the weapon at a bin can nearby, she had one eye close as she focused her line of sight with the weapon that she twist and turn a few times before she placed it to the table and continues to assemble the other guns. "must be the people of Japan who are being oppressed."
After some time in their current world, Athrun and Cagalli learned that acts of terrorism occurs daily in Area 11 as many of this are done by people of Japan who are trying to revolt against Britannia's rules.
"hey, Athrun." Cagalli called out to Athrun who was by the Lancelot Club's feet as he was changing the parts underneath its frame. "this place isn't that much different from our world, right?"
"why you say that?" Athrun asks.
"the thing is, I saw a live broadcast on my way back here." Cagalli said. "the viceroy is without a doubt someone who is a stuck up person who thinks of doing things in his own way that he believes to be in the right to be done." She sighs and thought back to that live speech. "fame, and wealth, Britannians oppressed the former citizens of this nation and just do whatever they wish with it. It's so much alike with the whole discrimination and racism between Naturals and Coordinators that exists even here."
"I see…" Athrun said while standing near the Lancelot Club's right leg that he just give some quick maintenance. He thought about Cagalli's words and could only feel pity that other worlds would face the same problem as they have in their own world."chaos is always present, huh?"
The time goes on as Athrun and Cagalli keeps on doing what they need to do in their safe house.
Athrun was currently adjusting the scope of a hand gun that he assembled as he is helping Cagalli, the young man checking his aim with it as he did several twists and turns before he placed it down and begins assembling a rifle.
"that's the last one." Cagalli said as she finished assembling and checking the rifle that she just put together, the blonde placing the item down on the table as there's a lot of guns, grenades, rifles, and much more prepped by them. "I feel like we can raid a corporate building with these."
"we could, if we could get them out without being inconspicuous." Athrun said as he finishes assembling the rifle in his hands that he placed down. "now then, let's settled them up at our various hiding spots and then…"
As Athrun was talking, a loud rumble of a noise is heard outside as this alarmed the two.
"what was that!?" Cagalli got up from her seat while Athrun went to the portable Tv that he connected with his phone.
Athrun begins to access the security cameras that are all around the Tokyo Settlement as he hacked in a live recording of a chase by the police that are going after a large trailer truck.
"Where is that?" Cagalli asks, seeing what Athrun had done.
"Somewhere downtown of the settlement." Athrun said as he keeps on changing the footage in following the chase. "must be terrorists making a getaway."
"that sound was really near, ain't it?" Cagalli asks before they heard a loud racket coming from outside as the ongoing chase has come near their current area.
"hey, this place…is safe, right?" Cagalli asks Athrun who nodded. "there's no chance of the chase coming to us, right?"
"There's no chance, but if this chase goes on to the Ghetto…" Athrun spoke out as he thought about how Britannian treats Eleven casualties as collateral damage. He squinted his eyes and clenches his hands into hard fists.
"Athrun?" Cagalli looks at Athrun as she was confused on why was he being silent.
"Cagalli, let's go." Athrun spoke out as Cagalli made a confused noise in return, the young man looks at the blonde with a serious look. "let's go to the Ghetto and stop an upcoming massacre!"
"upcoming massacre? What are you talking about?" Cagalli asks, confused. "and why the Ghetto?
"if this chase goes on, those terrorists would definitely go to the Ghetto to hide." Athrun said with a serious look on his face. "and without a doubt, the Britannians will cause so much damage and death to all the people living there."
"w-wait, are you saying that…" Cagalli spoke out as she is understanding Athrun's worry.
"there will be lives at stake here." Athrun said before he went to a nearby locker that he opened to take out his red ZAFT pilot suit. "let's go and save the people before it happens."
Cagalli looks at Athrun for a moment before she nodded in agreement and went to another locker that has her ORB pilot uniform stored inside.
Athrun and Cagalli begin to prep their things as they take their weapons and also jetpacks that they modified for usage in their current world.
With their pilot suits on and their gear readied, Athrun and Cagalli opens the large door of the storage facility as the two are going out while riding on a customized red motorbike with a side passenger seat.
"hang on." Athrun said before pulling on the throttle a few times that made the engine roar and the wheels spins fast as the vehicle zooms out of the storage facility that has its door automatically closing shut.
Time moves on upon a different location as it is the nearby Ghetto of the Tokyo Settlement.
By the top of a broken down railway bridge that is from the distant past of Japan, Athrun and Cagalli came by on their vehicle that went to a stop as both looks at the direction of the Ghetto that is getting invaded by dozens of Britannian military forces consisting of IFVs, VTOL aircrafts and foot soldiers.
"just what is going on here?" Cagalli asks while Athrun uses a pair of binoculars to check and see how the foot soldiers were barging into homes of the Elevens and then using their guns to kill them. "is this some sort of a terrorist clean up act or something!?"
"I don't know." Athrun said while pulling down the binoculars. "but the fact stands out that the Britannians are killing all Elevens here. It's a complete massacre!"
"definitely." Cagalli nods before she made a gasp and she with Athrun quickly duck from the eyes of foot soldiers that were looking around the areas before leaving in a minute. The two then peeks their heads out to see where the soldiers went before they looked at each other.
"let's go and stop this madness." Athrun said and Cagalli nodded before the two geared up with their weapons.
Athrun and Cagalli gets on their vehicle and drives out of the area.
Meanwhile back at the Tokyo Settlement, Kira along with Tohdoh and Asahina had met up with Chiba and the others as they had finished getting all the tasks for their mission done.
"now that we have the informant's data, let's head back and…" Tohdoh spoke out before noticing Kira looking to the distance as the group are at an area that allows them to overlook at all areas of the settlement. "what's wrong?"
"no, it's just…" Kira spoke with a glance at Tohdoh before he looks at the direction of the Ghetto where he spots the military forces. "just what is occurring there?"
"seems that the Britannian forces are on the move for some reason." Asahina said before adjusting his glasses. "why?"
"look. It's the Viceroy's G1 Base." Chiba called out while pointing to a large movable fortress of a vehicle that is making its march in the Ghetto. "Prince Clovis is on the move there."
"for that spoiled prince to make such a move…" Urabe spoke while crossing his arms.
"extremely concerning." Senba stated with a nod.
"does the Britannian forces always do this type of thing?" Kira asks Tohdoh who shakes his head.
"this is possible the work of something that they need to accomplish. For even the Viceroy to move…" Tohdoh said as he thinks about the reason for a moment before he looks at the others. "looks like we have to cut this mission short. Let's return back to Narita."
"eh? Already?" Asahina asks. "you sure, Tohdoh-san?"
"I am." Tohdoh nodded before he looks at Kira. "I'm sorry, Kira. but we have to cut short this trip. With the Britannian forces at the move, we cannot afford to stay here for too long."
"it's fine." Kira said before he looks back at the situation at the Ghetto as he sees the Knightmare forces roaming the ruined city of Japan. "there's always next time."
Back at the Shinjuku Ghetto, two Knightmare Sutherland units are making their way in their march on the area that they are assigned to.
"this is Rudolf, no sign of the trailer truck at point A12." One knightmare pilot reported to his superior. "moving onto point A13 for further search."
"is the talk true?" the other Knightmare pilot asked his comrade as his Sutherland's head turns to look at the other. "is it really poison gas that the damned terrorists stole?"
"probably." The first pilot replied to his friend. "with how even Prince Clovis is taking charge of the operation, it might really be poison gas."
"just why did the poison gas get developed in the first place?" the other pilot asks. "was it made for our homeland forces to subdue the EU's lands?"
"who knows. It might be." The first knightmare pilot replied before he made a noise when his sensors picked up movements nearby. "movements!"
The two Sutherlands stops and then aimed their Assault Rifles at one abandoned building where their sensors picked up the movement.
"come out, Terrorist!" the other knightmare pilot shouted via his unit's external speaker. "return the trailer to us and we will spare you!"
The pilots watched the building, unaware of Athrun and Cagalli who are flying into the air with the help of their jetpacks as they got right on top of the two Sutherland's cockpit unit.
Athrun looks at Cagalli who nodded to him before the two looks down to one part of the cockpit unit that they grabbed and detached to reveal a numerical passcode and a switch.
"if you do not come out on the count of 3! We will fire immediately!" the two knightmares got ready to fire their rifles that are aimed at the building, not knowing that their machine's systems are being hacked by Athrun and Cagalli who use their phones and cable connectors to the passcode lock. "3! 2! 1!"
As they were about to fire, their systems went on an alert and instantly opens the cockpit's back unit that exposes both pilots who look completely confused.
"h-hey! Why am I out!?" one pilot exclaimed before he noticed something and looks up, but instantly gets a round house kick to the face by Cagalli who literally kicks the man off his Knightmare. "guahh!"
Athrun did the same to the other pilot as both of them takes out the Sutherland's pilots before getting inside the cockpit.
Both of them now in the Sutherland's cockpits as they check the unit's capabilities quickly.
"looks like it's the same as the Club." Athrun said as he checks the systems once before he gets full control of the unit's mobility as it move to his wishes. "alright!"
Cagalli did the same with her unit as both Sutherlands looks down at their former pilots who are left on the ground.
"hey! How dare you steal my unit!" "return it now and I'll spare both of you!" the two pilots shouted angrily before they squeaks in fear when their Sutherland units aimed their assault rifles at the two. "h-hey! Don't you dare!"
"sorry, but they're ours now." A gruffy yet computerized voice is heard from one of the Sutherland units's external speakers as Athrun is speaking while using a voice scrambler with his phone to hide his identity. "good luck staying alive here."
The two Sutherlands then deployed their landspinners and then zooms right out of the area.
Meanwhile at the Ashford Academy's Library.
Yzak is found accessing the school's data via the usage of the library computer, the young man's fingers were typing on the keyboard very fast while his eyes catches glimpses of data that are being delivered to an external disk connected to its CPU.
While Yzak is gathering digital data, Shiho is found walking by the many bookshelves in the library and checking each book while picking a few that interested her.
"Quantum Physics…this could help us." Shiho said as she pulls a book out and checks the title page. "or perhaps world anomaly would be better."
Shiho is checking out the books as she planned to see and find out if there's any possible answer to her and Yzak's current predicament. The girl hoping that one book could give a theory or two about why are they even here.
After a minute or two, Shiho came out of the bookshelves' corner and went to Yzak while carrying several books in hand.
"are you still hoping that the books might have answers to our current predicament?" Yzak asks while focused on his work on the computer.
"it's better than just assuming things without a base." Shiho said as she sat near Yzak and begins skimming through the books. "right now, we're still without info about how we are even here."
"that's a question we can focus on finding the answer later, Shiho." Yzak said as he presses the enter button and the data delivery was finished and completed, he then pulls the harddisk out of its port. "right now, we got to find out on the question whether or not we are the only ones here in this world."
"do you believe we could encounter anyone else?" Shiho asks while pausing her book skimming to look at him. "do you have any leads?"
"i do, but it's not a lead considering how I find it." Yzak said as he takes out his phone and checks the data a few times before showing to Shiho a photo ID of Athrun and then Cagalli in the Tokyo Settlement' residential data. "Athrun and Orb's princess are somewhere here and they're possibly doing the same thing as we do in surviving this unfamiliar world."
"w-wait! When did you find it!?" Shiho asks surprised. "if you found that Athrun-san is here then why didn't you.."
"relax." Yzak spoke out while checking his phone. "I'm still not sure if this guy is Athrun or not. For all we know, this guy might just look like him."
"i-I see…" Shiho said, understanding Yzak's words. "then, should we make contact?"
"later." Yzak replied before he checks his phone that has the data that was delivered from the computer. "right now, we need to focus on what we need to do to keep ourselves here safe before we act. right now, we can't get fully involved in anything that happens here."
Shiho nodded in agreement as the two haven't fully blended into the society.
"for now, I'll think of a way to make contact with that guy." Yzak said as he kept the harddisk into a pocket of his before getting off his seat. "you stay here and find anymore information about how we are even here."
"what about you?" Shiho asks Yzak.
"I'm going to go and see if I can directly send a meet up call to that Athrun lookalike." Yzak said as he takes out his phone. "I'll be trying to find him on my own and in case he's not our guy, we can think of this as a chance that the people we know aren't even with us in this world."
"I see.." Shiho nodded. "be careful."
"yeah." Yzak nodded before he leaves the library.
Shiho watches him leave as she then turns to the books she had collected in the library.
"now then…" Shiho spoke as she cracks her knuckles before stretching her hands out. "let's get started."
Shiho began to read the books as she searches for the answer to the question that she wish to solve. Not knowing of the incident occurring at Shinjuku Ghetto.
that's a wrap!
Bye bye
