The bridge of the Avalon was buzzing with anxious energy. The crew was tensely watching every monitor, searching for any sign of the Lions that had ambushed the base. Their sudden arrival had forced the Avalon to rush through the rest of the preparations. Still, they managed to get airborne before the fighting became too chaotic.
Despite their escape, however, the tension didn't leave. Especially after they got a report from the base that the Lions had retreated almost immediately afterward. According to their monitors, though, they weren't pursuing them either.
"Prince Schneizel, the Lions don't seem to be pursuing us. Perhaps they have given up? They wouldn't dare attack now, not without risking Princess Nunnally's safety," Kanon said as he looked at the Prince.
"As appealing as that sounds Kanon, I highly doubt that that's the case," Schneizel answered, "With Knightmares as advanced as that, I don't think they would give up without a fight."
'If anything, my little brother is likely flying right into the trap that we set up,' Schneizel speculated. He knew that Lelouch wouldn't give up on his sister that easily. He would do anything to ensure Nunnally's safety. However, such behavior also made him predictable. Yes, Nunnally was the perfect bait when it came to Lelouch.
"Report! Four of the Lions have been spotted pursuing the Avalon, sir! The red, blue, yellow, and purple ones are in close pursuit!" a soldier exclaimed through the radio.
Schneizel blinked. Four? There had only been three that had attacked the base when they departed. And hadn't it been the orange, green, and black ones that had come?
The only way this made sense was for the first three Lions to be a preliminary strike, and now these other four were beginning the main attack. Where were the other three Lions, though? They disappeared once the Avalon had taken off.
"Prepare for battle, but be on guard," Schneizel ordered. "We don't know if the other three Lions from earlier will show up or not."
"Haaa! Got ya!" Kallen shouted as Aka's jaw blade easily sliced through a Britannian plane like it was nothing but butter. Her role in the rescue was pretty simple. Since Aka was not only one of the smaller Lions compared to the others, but also the fastest, her job was to keep the Britannian fleet busy. During this time, the other three Lions would drop off the infiltration team onto the ship. Lelouch had specifically warned Kallen to try and go easy on the Britannians, considering they needed as many able-bodied people as possible when Zarkon eventually tracked them down, but…
…Let's just say that some Britannians couldn't get a clue when the situation was a lost cause.
With most of the helicopters and planes focused on Aka's nearly erratic flying (and yes, Kallen was doing that on purpose too), the other three Lions managed to fly smoothly towards the Avalon. Polaris and Maeraka each landed on a wing, and Yoru perched at the top of the ship itself.
On the right wing, where Polaris dropped Rai off before quickly leaving, Rai raced towards the side of the ship and jammed his katar into the dense metal. Making a large enough hole for him to climb through, it wasn't long before the Green Paladin slipped into the hall.
The same happened on the other wing with Maeraka as Milly dropped Shirley and C.C. off on the left side. The two women quickly sprinted to the main body of the ship. C.C. then used an Altean knife she borrowed to wrench open the emergency hatch on the side, where they slipped into the flying fortress.
Finally, Yoru touched down on the very top of the Avalon. Suzaku watched anxiously as Lelouch and Sayoko exited Yoru and descended onto the smooth metal. A large part of him still yearned to go inside with the duo to get Nunnally, but Lelouch's logic always stopped him. If his identity was discovered, on camera or by a soldier, his people, the people of Japan, would suffer greatly. He couldn't afford to let that happen, no matter what.
Lelouch, fully donned in his Zero Paladin armor, cape and all, brandished his mother's knife and dug it into the roof of the ship. He effectively made a hole in the top that he and Sayoko jumped through. They were all on board. Now they needed to find Nunnally.
Once their feet hit the metal ground, Shirley grabbed C.C.'s wrist and turned her Geass on, extending its range as far out as she could. She was pleasantly surprised that she was able to cover almost all of the ship. Then again, they only needed to be unseen on their side, as Rai would be taking out the engines on the other end. They should be invisible to any soldiers and security cameras now. The more they avoided, the better.
Shirley held her breath as she and C.C. pressed themselves against a wall as a small squad of soldiers rushed past them. The Orange Paladin sighed in relief when the team turned a corner out of sight.
"You never answered my question earlier, Shirley," C.C. said sternly when it was safe.
Shirley flinched a little at the reminder. She hadn't forgotten what C.C. said on the flight over in Maeraka. However, the reality of having to fight and possibly kill people didn't hit her until now.
"You're not a schoolgirl anymore, Miss Fenette. You're a Paladin, a knight, a soldier, whether you like it or not, you will have to fight and kill to stay alive," C.C. said gravely.
Shirley gulped a little before shaking her head to clear it, "We have a job to do. Let's go!"
C.C. sighed and shook her head. She would hate for Shirley to learn the hard way how valid her words are.
"System ready?" Nonette asked urgently as she leaped onto the Lancelot.
"Float system nearly ready," Cecile confirmed as two other scientists finished attaching the new flying system onto the Lancelot. When footage revealed that the Lions could fly, a rush order was put out on the experimental Knightmares that could fly, as well as the custom one for the Lancelot. They had not had time yet to officially test the system, but in order to defend the Avalon as much as possible, they didn't have time to.
On another helicopter, Cornelia, Guliford, and the rest of her guard were doing the same. All of their Knightmares had been equipped with a float system to fly and fight in the air.
"You, Zero, will pay dearly for this!" Cornelia declared as her Gloucester was launched out into the air.
A startled gasp from Kallen caused Milly, Rivalz, and Suzaku to pause their assault, "Everyone, incoming!"
Once the debris from another fallen jet cleared, the three Paladins were shocked to see dozens of Knightmare frames exiting helicopters and carriers rapidly.
"What the-!" Rivalz exclaimed.
"They can fly?!" Milly shouted, sounding shocked.
Suzaku grit his teeth and narrowed his eyes. He knew through Lloyd that Britannian had been in the very beginning stages of adding a flight mode to the Knightmare frames, but to see them being used now? His best guess was that the military had put a rush order on the devices to prepare them to fight the Lions, and that was only a few days ago.
"Just be careful," he advised as calmly as possible. "They still look like prototypes, so they may have trouble maneuvering! Kallen, can you see who's flying the Lancelot? The white Knightmare?"
"Um, not sure why you want to know, but…" the Red Paladin's Geass quickly scanned the battlefield. It didn't take long for her to locate the white Knightmare that had just launched from another airship. She was able to see her, but she didn't recognize the woman behind the controls. "...No clue, I don't recognize her."
"Her?" Suzaku asked, making sure he heard correctly.
"Yeah, just some lady. I don't recognize her, though."
"...Okay, leave the Lancelot to me," he said promptly before speeding off its direction.
"Suzaku!" Milly called out, but heard the Purple Paladin cut communication, "What's gotten into him?"
"...Guys, did you know that Knightmare was called the 'Lancelot' before we got back to Earth?" Kallen asked. Now that she thought about it, even with the Black Knights, no one had given that white Knightmare a proper title. And yet, Suzaku called it with a name. Something was off.
"Um, no?" Rivalz said, sounding more confused, "Why would we know? It's a military Knightmare."
"...Then why would Suza-ugh, forget it! We have a mission to accomplish!" Kallen snapped in frustration before speeding off as well.
"Hey, wait up!" Milly shouted before they darted forward as well.
The Paladins weren't the only ones ready for a fight. Nonette smirked as she spotted Yoru racing towards her. "Round two, huh? Okay, bring it!"
Another Britannian soldier hit the ground, twitching as Rai's katar returned back to him. The Green Paladin was making little work of the soldiers on the ship. Their bullets barely dented his Paladin armor, bouncing off it like tennis balls on a backboard. The shock function on his Bayard helped quite a bit with only knocking the soldiers out too.
It didn't take long for him to make it to his destination: the circuit box on the starboard engine. After making sure he was alone, and promptly destroying the camera in the corner, Rai held up his gauntlet to the box. He wore a slightly sadistic grin.
"You guys must have put a lot of work into this… Too bad!" he grinned before cackling and pressing a single button on his gauntlet's screen, "Demolition in session!"
Lelouch grunted as another soldier cried out in pain and surprise. He landed hard on the other end of the hall, uniform smoking slightly as the last traces of electricity coursed through him.
Sayoko just finished dispatching a pair of soldiers herself before turning her attention back to the prince. She would admit, she was quite shocked to see her young master with such a power at his disposal. But, she certainly wasn't complaining about how effective it was against their enemies.
Lelouch stalked over to the soldier he just zapped and grasped him by his uniform collar. The soldier was barely conscious as Lelouch's helmet lowered to look the soldier in the eye.
"Where's Nunnally vi Britannia being held?" the Black Paladin demanded calmly.
"At-at the center of the ship," the soldier stuttered through the pain, "down the hall to the left. In the Garden."
"Thank you," Lelouch said before dropping the soldier. He stood up and glanced at Sayoko. She nodded when their eyes met before they raced down the hall once more.
Despite the military being reasonably new to the float systems, they seemed to have trained enough with them to fight well. The Paladins were quite surprised at how easily the Knightmares maneuvered in the air. It made sense, though. Being in midair gave more space. And more space gave better places to run and dodge.
It also made the Knightmares faster. But not as fast as the Lions.
"Lord Guliford, look out!" a soldier exclaimed as Polaris intercepted Cornelia's knight. What alarmed the squad, though, was the large, cannon-like instrument that literally materialized on the Lion's back.
"Oh god, what is that?!" Guilford gasped, scrambling to fly off out of range.
"See if you can take this!" Rivalz shouted, slamming down on the shift. With a roar, Polaris fired her sonic cannon straight at the knight and his platoon.
Guilford attempted to dodge the attack but was shocked to see the Knightmare's system begin to glitch and shut down in front of him.
"Wha-what is this?!" he exclaimed. When he looked at his screen, he was shocked to see the rest of the Knightmares also shorting out and falling towards the ocean. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness from the sea's impact was a blinding flash of light engulfing Darlton's group above.
'Princess Cornelia…'
"Agh! I can't see!" a pilot shouted as the light fired from the Yellow Lion engulfed their vision. Darlton grit his teeth, his eyes watering from the brightness before he felt a hard jolt from behind. When he could finally see clearly again, the only thing left to greet him was the blue water below.
'I failed you, Viceroy! Forgive me…'
"That's my girl Maeraka!" Milly cooed, petting her dashboard. She giggled when she felt her Lion purr happily back to her.
"Well, it looks like your soldiers aren't having the best day right now, Princess!" taunted Kallen as she faced off a flying Gloucester with a flowing cape behind it. It was apparent that the pilot was the viceroy herself.
'I know you're Lelouch's sister and all, but I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass. Again.'
With a scream of fury, the Cornelia launched at the Red Lion, which promptly ducked and flipped around her quickly. The shoulders from the Gloucester than snapped open and a dozen missiles fired out towards Aka. Despite the close range, though, Aka was able to dodge nearly all of them. The two that were lucky enough to actually hit only jostled Kallen slightly from the cockpit.
"Where the Black Lion?!" Cornelia demanded, before charging the Lion again. "Is Zero too much of a coward to face me directly?!"
Kallen snorted, "Nah, you're just not worth his time right now."
This response only made Cornelia more furious as her movements quickly became erratic and sloppy. Even Kallen had to admit, the way the viceroy was fighting right now was laughable, even embarrassing.
"Stop! Moving!" Cornelia roared, aiming her gold scepter at Aka's eye.
"Yeah… nope!" Kallen quipped as Aka ducked down at the very last second, throwing Cornelia off balance and flipping forward.
Kallen took the opportunity to summon Aka's jaw blade. With a swift jerk of her head, Aka ripped the viceroy's float system in two. The Red Paladin watched apathetically as the princess's Knightmare collided with the ocean's surface below.
"Wow, and they say I got a temper," Kallen chuckled, shaking her head. Her seat vibrated slightly beneath her as Aka's growling guffaw joined her.
Down below, Cornelia was able to wrench open her cockpit door and gasp for air. Glancing around her, she saw several soldiers and pilots doing the same.
All the viceroy could do was glare lividly up at the sky, at the small figures in the air that continued to demolish Britannia's great army.
"Just you wait, Zero," she growled venomously, "I will have my revenge! One way or another!"
"Oh my, my!" Lloyd exclaimed in awe, eyes twinkling once more. He and Cecile were currently viewing the battle from another escort ship. The ship was mostly staying out of range of the gunfire.
"These Lions… they're incredible, but also completely terrifying to witness," Cecile murmured and flinched as she watched the Yellow Lion's jaws clamped around another Knightmare. It shook the machine like a dog would a chew toy before letting it drop to the sea below.
"I must say, despite being the clear enemy, I give praise to whoever created these Lions," Lloyd said with a grin. "If I ever get the privilege to meet the mind behind these machines, I will personally approach them and shake their hand. Nothing wrong with two scientists being civil to each other when off the battlefield, after all."
The Earl's eyes then lingered on the Purple Lion that was in the middle of clashing with the Lancelot. It was like the two were locked in a deadly dance of wit and strength.
Lloyd's eyebrows shot up, though, as the Lion suddenly dodged a downward kick from the Lancelot that several Knightmares failed to even notice before the attack actually struck. However, it seemed the Lion not only was aware of this move but had been anticipating it for a while. Literally, a split second before the foot would usually collide with the target, the Lion side-rolled out of the way, dodging the hit, spectacularly.
"Hmmm, curious…" he stated, folding his fingers in front of him. There was something vaguely familiar about the Purple Lion, or more precisely, the person piloting it. He couldn't seem to put his finger on it, though.
Lloyd wasn't incorrect. Unlike the other Knightmares that were dropping right and left, the Lancelot was holding a fairly decent fight against Suzaku. He had managed to hit the float system and make inoperable, but the slash harkens allowed the white Knightmare to remain airborne by hanging and jumping from numerous aircraft. It would sometimes even use other Knightmares as stepping stones.
The best Suzaku could do for now was to keep the Lancelot and its pilot away from the Avalon. Not only could they not damage the flying fortress without risking Nunnally's safety, but he didn't want to give the pilot the chance to board the ship either. If they were this good at piloting the Lancelot, he didn't want to think about their hand-to-hand combat. He knew Sayoko and C.C. could handle themselves, and Rai likely had combat experience as a gladiator, but Lelouch and Shirley he wasn't so sure about. Though he was getting better thanks to the Paladin training regime, Lelouch was still the most physically weak of all of the Paladins. While Shirley was athletic due to her involvement in the swimming club, she wasn't one for confrontation. She tended to avoid and sneak around enemies than actually fight them. Her Geass's power was perfect for her.
However, a sudden jump directly towards him caught Suzaku off guard. The white Knightmare landed right on Yoru's face before vaulting onto her back and leaping right towards the Avalon. The one place that Suzaku was trying to keep the Lancelot away from!
"No!" he shouted, pivoting around. The Lancelot's slash harkens attached itself to the side of the ship before flipping up and landing on the lower platform.
"You're trying to keep me away from the ship. Plus, you've made no move to actually attack the Avalon," Nonette said calmly. "So, I can only guess that you're goal is to capture Princess Nunnally, correct?"
Suzaku didn't answer but grimaced. He knew if he explained, he ran the risk of his voice being recognized, and they couldn't afford to let that happen.
"I'll take your silence as a 'yes,'" Nonette deduced, before readying the VARIS, aiming it at Suzaku, "I won't let you pass."
Shirley shot down the camera that was positioned in the corner of the port engine room. The immortal was already in the process of connecting to the system on their side. It would take a few minutes for Rai to connect the engines and then be ready to shut them off. They also still needed the signal from Lelouch telling them that he had Nunnally. They didn't want to risk sinking the ship with any of them still on board, after all.
Shirley glanced back at the immortal again, but C.C. paid her no mind as she messed with some wires. As the two of them had sneaked and fought their way down the halls, Shirley had been lucky enough to not fatally hurt any people aboard. C.C., however, showed no such restrictions. She wasn't afraid to lift a gun to a head if it meant completing the task. The Orange Paladin swallowed as she remembered the immortal's warning from earlier, how she would have to eventually make that same call. Someday, her hands would have blood on them, whether it was human or Galra. Whether she liked it or not.
A bullet whizzing by her head snapped her out of her trance. With a gasp, she whipped around to the hall, readying an arrow. On the other end was a dark-skinned woman with a gun aimed at Shirley.
"Drop the weapon and surrender!" the woman shouted, running towards the engine room, continuing to fire at Shirley. Fortunately, none of the bullets penetrated the armor, so Shirley wasn't hurt.
The Orange Paladin tried firing several energy arrows at the woman, trying to aim for her arms or legs. However, the soldier was quickly able to maneuver around each shot. As she got closer, the woman put the gun away, drew out a knife. With a gasp, Shirley lifted her arm to block, just before the knife dragged across her gauntlet. Just like with the bullets, the armor wasn't even scratched.
This only seemed to irritate the woman as she started to swing widely and harshly, attempting to strike the black under-armor spandex instead. Shirley quickly summoned her shield to block a blow that was aimed for her neck. The force of the swing was strong enough to make her stumble. The woman took that opportunity to deliver a hard kick to Shirley's abdomen.
The Orange Paladin gasped as the air was knocked out of her. She tumbled back, landing hard on her back. Her head bounced against the floor, hard enough that her helmet went flying off to the other side of the room. She rolled several more times before coming to a stop on her side, back towards the woman.
Shirley grunted as she pushed herself to her knees. Noticing she had some distance between them again, she summoned her bow once more. Notching an arrow, she turned to face the woman soldier, eyes narrowed.
The woman gasped and took a step back. Her eyes widened.
"You-you're one of the students?!"
After checking to make sure the cameras were effectively destroyed, Lelouch slowly removed his helmet. He and Sayoko stood in front of the doors leading to what they were told was the garden area. Two more soldiers lay unconscious on the ground beside them as Sayoko punched in the code they had received from one through Lelouch's Geass.
Despite knowing she would be waiting on the other side, Lelouch was nervous. What on Earth would he say to Nunnally? He disappeared without a trace for nearly two months, and now because of that, he had unintentionally endangered her. Would she disapprove of him being Zero and using Voltron to fight Britannia? Speaking of which, how exactly was he going to explain that to her? About the Alteans? The Galra? A universal war that had been going on for 10,000 years?! And Earth's-
Sayoko placed a hand on Lelouch's shoulder, shaking him out of his panicking thoughts.
"My lord, no matter what happens or what you've already done, she'll still love you. And I'm sure once she knows the entire situation, she'll understand your actions."
Reassured by the maid, Lelouch breathed deeply and nodded.
The door opened before them, and Lelouch could see on the other side of an extended platform was a small figure in a large wheelchair.
"...Nunnally," Lelouch barely whispered, his eyes misting with tears as he and Sayoko slowly approached.
"Who's there?" the young princess asked as she looked around in the direction of the door.
"Wha-Wait, that's-!"
"It's Prince Lelouch! Princess Nunna-"
Both of the men standing watch over the cameras were suddenly gunned down from behind.
"Their reunion is starting," the assailant, eyes ringed with red, stated blankly, "they must not be disturbed."
"Lady Nunnally," Sayoko said, "It's me, Sayoko."
"Sayoko?" Nunnally asked in surprise, "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"That's not important right now milady. I have someone with me that has been waiting to see you."
"Huh? Who?" Nunnally asked, confused but still curious about what was happening.
Lelouch took another deep breath to calm himself before he slowly approached his sister. He swiftly removed his armored glove and reached unsteadily out to her. With a tremble in his fingers, he rested his hand gently on top of Nunnally's.
Nunnally gasped. Slowly, the princess reached with her left hand, turning Lelouch's over in her right. She grasped his hand gently as if it would break if she held them too hard.
"This is-" Nunnally could barely get the first word out before streams of tears fell from her eyes. She gripped Lelouch's hand harder as she brought to her face, "Thank heavens! Lelouch… I knew it! I knew you'd be all right!"
"I'm here, Nunnally," Lelouch said softly as tears of his own coursed down his cheeks.
Hearing her brother's voice, Nunnally leaped forward. She nearly fell had Lelouch not caught her as she sobbed louder, burying her face in his shoulder. Lelouch hugged her too, one hand rubbing her back gently, the other combing through her hair.
"I'm so sorry I made you worry, Nunnally," Lelouch said softly after he found his voice, "I didn't mean to be gone for so long."
"Where have you been?" Nunnally demanded softly as Lelouch helped her sit back in her wheelchair.
"It's complicated, Nunnally, and I promise I'll explain later."
"What about the others? Suzaku, Milly, Shirley, and Rivalz? And Rai and Kallen, are they okay?"
"Yes, they're all fine. They're all okay," Lelouch told her reassuringly.
"Oh, thank goodness," she sighed in relief.
"You'll see them soon. Right now, we need to get out of here though," Lelouch went to kneel down and lift his sister up when her voice stopped him.
"But I can't big brother!" Nunnally protested.
"What?" he asked. He turned to look at Sayoko, but she looked just as surprised and confused too.
Shirley winced a little. Lelouch had told them that they couldn't risk anyone knowing their identities. Now someone had not only seen Shirley's face but identified her too.
'I don't want to kill her… maybe we can-'
Her thoughts were interrupted when the woman spoke again in a more accusatory tone.
"If you're… You're a Britannian citizen! Why are you supporting someone like Zero?! Why is a Britannain supporting a terrorist?!"
Shirley gripped her bow tighter, her vision blurring from angry tears, "Zero's not a terrorist! He's a hero!"
The woman blinked and took a step back before her eyes narrowed, and her mouth formed a sneer. "What on Earth are you talking about? Zero's done nothing but kill officials and endanger civilians. He even admitted to killing Prince Clovis! You realize you're supporting a person who has murdered royalty, correct?"
"Zero's not a murderer, Clovis was!" Shirley spat, remembering what Kallen and Lelouch had told her about Shinjuku and all the people that died there. Mothers, fathers, children. Grandmas and grandpas. Husbands and wives!
The woman's eyes widened again before they narrowed dangerously, "You dare-"
"Zero didn't just tell us. He showed us what happened! What you did! What Britannia did! And it's wrong! So, so, so wrong! How can you not see that?! Everything Britannia has taught us was about how we're the greatest nation in the world, and how we're proving that through all this prejudice and violence. That's nothing but a lie! Tell me, what's so righteous about any of that?! About slaughtering innocents? You're just hypocrites! I… I can never be apart of that!"
The woman just stood there, apparently trying to process the words that had come out of her mouth. It was likely the first time this soldier had ever heard a fellow Brittanian talking so harshly about their own country. Sure, maybe a couple months ago, Shirley would have felt the same way. After all, when she had heard out about Shinjuku and Clovis's death-
Wait…
Shirley took a closer look at the woman, and her eyes widened. She recognized her! She was one of the soldiers at Clovis's funeral. She was also one of the soldiers, one of the Purebloods to be exact, that had tried to have Suzaku executed for a crime he didn't even commit! What was her name? Vanessa or something?
"Were you one of them?" she asked tartly, "In Shinjuku? Were you doing nothing but killing innocents too?!"
Villetta frowned, "Terrorists had stolen poison gas. We were ordered to retr-"
"That's a lie!" Shirley screamed, "There was never poison gas! That was just an excuse you were given to kill the Japanese in that ghetto, right?!"
"You don't seriously believe were there to just kill everyone, do you?" Villetta exclaimed angrily, "And besides, how is it our problem if a few Elevens die? They should just stay out of the way of military business."
"That's it! Right there! You call them 'Elevens' just now!" Shirley shouted, pointing at Villetta. "You're treating them like they're not even human! Do you have any idea what it's like for them?! The Japanese, they don't see Britannia's greatness! They hate us! They're terrified of Britannia! They're scared that if they take one wrong step on the street, they'll be shot or worse! Britannia stole their home! Britannia murdered their friends and loved ones and condemned them to a life of pain and hopelessness! Can you imagine if somebody did the same to you?!"
Shirley's thoughts wandered back to the Balmera and about the conditions Shay and her family were forced to live in. Though she hadn't been there to witness it herself, if Shinjuku was anything like the Balmera was, and Clovis had ordered the people there to be killed, she could never forgive, much less support, someone who would do that. And the soldiers didn't question it. Sure, one may make the excuse that they were just following orders, but that didn't mean the crime wasn't still there.
Shirley was on her feet now, visibly shaking and crying tears of sorrow and rage. Seeing that Villetta hadn't responded to her rant, the Orange Paladin continued.
"I can't be a part of that. I can't be a part of something so... so... evil! I may be a Britannian, but I can't serve under that monster you call an Emperor! I am a Paladin of Voltron, and that means I protect the weak and helpless from bullies and monsters like Britannia! From bullies and monsters like you!"
Villetta was standing there frozen. This Britannian, a student no less, had just openly proclaimed she'd go against her own nation and called out its beliefs and philosophies. She even went as far as to not only insult the late Prince Clovis but the Emperor as well! She also called the nation that she was a citizen of evil.
The soldier sighed and shook her head. She wasn't sure what exactly Zero had said or did to her, or to the other students for that matter, but it was clear she needed help. No one had to die. She would see to her treatment and rehabilitation personally if she had to.
"Look, I don't know what Zero did or said to you to make you think those things," Villetta said carefully, "but I am going to bring you in, even if I have to tie you down and drag you there myself." She pulled out her gun again, "Put down the weapon, and no one gets hurt."
"You first," Shirley growled, hand trembling.
The tension seemed to thicken in the room as the two women faced off, neither one of them moving to drop their weapon, but not firing either. Shirley's mind raced. Just like she though earlier, this woman had seen her face and identified her. If she let her go, her parents could be in danger. Plus, the military would likely figure out who the rest of the Paladins were too. Right now, she could only see one solution. The problem was, did she have the guts to do it? Could she… kill this woman? Even if she was a Britannian soldier, she was still a human being-
A gunshot cut off any further thoughts from Shirley's head as she jumped in surprise. She stared as Villetta's eyes widened in shocked horror before she collapsed in a heap on the floor. C.C. was standing stoically behind her, gun raised and smoking. Shirley had been so focused on Villetta, she had wholly forgotten that C.C. was in the room too!
"Wh-why did you do that?!" Shirley exclaimed in horror, glancing frantically between Villetta and the immortal.
"She saw you. What was I supposed to do?" C.C. responded matter-of-factly.
Shirley winced and frantically tried to think of a response. However, a pained groan interrupted her again. Looking towards the source, Shirley gasped in shock and relief to see that Villetta was still alive.
Her relief soon shifted to panic again as C.C. leveled the gun at the woman again, this time aiming for her head.
"Wait!" Shirley shouted, running towards her, "Don't kill her!"
"Why not?" C.C. asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"W-we-well," Shirley stuttered, scrambling to come up with an excuse, "Well, why kill her? She's a soldier, right? I-If we take back to the castle, she may have some information that could help us! Lelouch can Geass her and make her tell us! I mean, the more we know about what's going on in the military, the better. Right?"
C.C. stared at Shirley for about five seconds. It was long enough for Shirley to fidget uncomfortably.
Finally, she sighed and put away the gun, "Grab her other arm."
Shirley sighed in relief that C.C. agreed and comply with the order, pulling Villetta's arm around her shoulders, C.C. doing the same on her other side.
"You were lucky this time, Shirley," C.C. said, "but you're going to have to make the call someday. Someone's not always going to be there to make it for you. You can't avoid it forever."
Shirley grimaced but nodded before the two departed the sabotaged engine room.
"Nunnally, Father's just using you. Whatever he's told you or offered, it's not going to change anything. He believes that might is always right! Do really approve of that, Nunnally?"
"Lelouch, you don't understand!" Nunnally gasped, "Father didn't send me to do this! I asked him to send me!"
"Y-You what?!" Lelouch gasped, stepping backward. Sayoko also gasped in shock, her fingers brushing her mouth.
"I think that with a peaceful approach, I can make the world a gentler place," Nunnally explained, "Even big brother Schneizel said he's willing to help."
Lelouch scowled. Had things been different, he may have been willing to let this go for his sister's sake. However…
"...Nunnally, such intention is noble of you. But this situation isn't just about Britannia anymore. There's something much more dire and complex at play here now."
"...I don't understand," Nunnally murmured softly.
"I know, and I promise I'll tell you everything, but not here. I have… I have so much to tell you, Nunnally, but there is one thing I'll say right now."
"What is it?" she asked as Lelouch knelt down in front of her again.
Lelouch glanced back towards Sayoko, who nodded. Taking a breath, he spoke two words. "I'm Zero."
There was silence within the garden for about a minute as Lelouch watched Nunnally's reaction. Her expression shifted to one of shock to sorrow again, tears gathering in her eyes once more.
"I-I didn't want to believe it…" she choked out.
Lelouch gasped, and Sayoko's eyes widened as well. "You knew?!" Lelouch exclaimed.
"I-I always had a feeling," Nunnally confessed, "When you appeared to save Suzaku, and I heard your voice on the radio, my heart told me it was you, but didn't want to believe it. Because if it was you… everything you've been doing, you've been risking your life, and putting yourself in danger all this time!"
Lelouch gaped before grimacing. He never stopped to wonder if his actions could negatively affect Nunnally. He never realized how much it could hurt his sister.
"I'm sorry, Nunnally," Lelouch whispered, "But, I had no choice. I couldn't stand by and watch what Britannia was doing. I had to do something."
"Lady Nunnally," Sayoko said calmly as she stepped forward, "I know you still have questions. But as your brother said earlier, he will tell you everything later. Now is not the time nor place for this."
"Yes," Lelouch nodded as he held Nunnally's hands again, "Nunnally, I promise, if you come with me now, I'll tell you everything. No more secrets. And I'll never leave you again. Okay?"
"...You promise?" Nunnally asked softly as she held out her pinky.
Lelouch smiled softly as he hooked his pinky with hers, "I promise."
The peaceful moment was destroyed moments later as the garden doors burst open. Lelouch snatched his Zero mask from his waist and slipped it on as he whipped around. He leaped to his feet as Sayoko placed herself between the siblings and the soldiers, kunai drawn at the ready.
"There they are!" one soldier shouts.
"Wait! Don't shoot! You could hit the princess!" a superior officer ordered from near the back.
"Quiznack, this is bad," Lelouch hissed as he stood protectively by his sister.
"And… done!" Rai confirmed as he pressed a final button on his gauntlet. C.C. had alerted him moments earlier that she was finished on her end of the ship.
"Going down," he smirked as the engines on both sides of the Avalon shut down. The flying airship began to slowly descend from the sky to the water below.
"Prince Schneizel, engine failure on starboard!" a crew member reported from the bridge.
"Failure on port side as well!" another shouted in panic. "We're going down!"
"Have you tried restarting them?!" the head engineer demanded as he leaned down over the railing.
"We have! The computer won't accept any of our codes!"
"Sir! Look!" a female member exclaimed, pointing to the main screen at the front of the bridge. The screen began to glitch out of focus momentarily before brightened again. However…
"...What in the world?" Schneizel asked. His expression was one of complete bewilderment as he sat on his throne. A cartoon image of Voltron's head rocked back and forth on the screen, electronically laughing as load screen appeared underneath it. The second it filled up, more systems began to shut down on the bridge, computer images going black, and screens locking the crew out of the controls.
Nonette grunted as the ship beneath the Lancelot suddenly jolted. Looking down, she gasped in shock to see the turbines on the Avalon had stopped spinning.
"Oh no!" she gasped as the Avalon began to slowly descend towards the ocean.
"That's our cue!" Suzaku shouted to the three other Paladins as a green digital thumbs up appeared on his dashboard. It was Rai's signal telling them they were ready for pick up.
"Right!" Rivalz confirmed as the sonic cannon dispersed from Polaris's back. He then fired his boosters and raced towards the Avalon.
"On my way!" Milly shouted, twisting around and speeding off towards Shirley and C.C.'s entry point.
Both Lions successfully landed on the Avalon's wings once more as they waited to pick up their passengers. Rai was quick to leap from the hole he had made earlier and onto the wing. Snagging Polaris's canine, the Blue Lion swallowed the Green Paladin back and jumped gracefully from the ship.
Milly was relieved to see both Shirley and C.C. exiting the porthole, but her relief soon turned to surprise as the two women were dragging an unconscious Britannian soldier with them.
"Who-?"
"Don't ask," C.C. snapped as she and Shirley loaded themselves and their prisoner into Maeraka's mouth, "just get us out of here!"
"Um, okay," Milly said as Maeraka leaped from the wing, swiftly following her blue sister.
Suzaku grit his teeth. He couldn't land on the ship yet, not with the Lancelot standing on the roof. He couldn't risk injuring Lelouch and Nunnally.
"I've got to finish this quick!" he exclaimed as he flew forwards, aiming to blast the Lancelot directly off the ship.
He didn't see where the VARIS was aiming until it was too late.
With a grunt, Yoru took a direct hit from the weapon, knocking them off course as Suzaku's hand accidentally slams down on the laser's button.
"No!" he gasps as Yoru's mouth laser collides with a part of the ship further down.
With a sudden explosion from below the garden, the occupants of the area stumbled and struggled to remain balanced. Wind began to wildly whip through the garden, flower petals, and plants blowing in all directions.
The explosion shook the room so violently, Nunnally was rocked out of her wheelchair. She would've have hit the floor had Lelouch not dove down and grabbed her, holding bridal style against his chest.
Looking down, Sayoko and Lelouch saw the glistening water of the ocean beneath them approaching closer and closer.
"Brother, what's happening?!" Nunnally exclaimed as she clung to him in fright.
Lelouch, through his mask, looked frantically between the ocean and the soldiers. There was no way that he, Nunnally, and Sayoko could survive a fall from this height. Even though the ship was descending, they couldn't risk waiting for the water to be in close enough range either. Every second spent up here had the risk of the soldiers shooting them, and possibly Nunnally as well. From the sounds outside, the other Paladins were still engaging enemy Knightmares and planes, so they couldn't be picked up either.
Grimacing, Lelouch realized they were trapped, unless he tried one more thing.
He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind.
"Listen, I need your help. I know that you probably felt me doubting you after… Zarkon. But right now, I need you! More than anything! Someone I love needs my help, and I can't protect her without you. Please!"
Opening his eyes turns to Sayoko. She nods before he turns back and whispers to his sister.
"Nunnally, do you trust me?"
Nunnally was silent for a few moments before she smiled and held tighter to her brother, "I do Lelouch."
Lelouch smiled as a lone tear trickled down his face. He felt Sayoko grip his arm.
"Then hang on," he whispered.
This was the only warning Nunnally received before they leaped from the platform and through the hole below them. They heard the shouts of disbelief and panic from the soldiers behind them as the wind whipped their hair.
Nunnally screamed as she held onto her brother with all her might, bracing herself for what was likely a hard impact below.
Suddenly a loud roar rips through the sky as a large splash erupted from the ocean. The Black Lion burst from the water and, with a single snap of her jaws, caught the three humans safely in her mouth.
From above, Nonette froze as she spotted the Black Lion erupting from the water. This moment of distraction cost her, though, as Yoru body-slammed into the Lancelot, forcing it off the Avalon and sending it crashing into the ocean.
"...He did it," Suzaku breathed with a smile as he and Yoru regained their aerial balance.
Zinnia and Zerith were quick to follow after their sister as they emerged triumphantly from the sea as well. The two Lions joined their pride, un-manned, in the air above the falling Avalon.
Lelouch sighed in relief as he finally relaxed in Zen's seat. Sayoko was standing by his side, and Nunnally sat in his lap, still holding him tightly. She was looking around almost frantically, causing Lelouch to wince. He could only imagine how confused and frightened Nunnally felt right now. He figured the only thing keeping her from screaming was the fact that he was with her still.
"Thank you… Zen," he said quietly with a smile. He felt the Black Lion nuzzle his spirit reassuringly. He, in turn, projected his regret of having doubted her.
"Lelouch, are you okay? Did you get Nunnally?" Suzaku's voice asked as the Purple Paladin appeared on the screen in front of him.
"We're fine, Suzaku," Lelouch answered as he glanced down at his sister.
"Huh, Suzaku's here?" Nunnally asked, turning her head in confusion, trying to locate the Japanese boy.
"I'm right here, Nunnally!" Suzaku answered with a smile, spotting the princess in his friend's lap, "I'll see you really soon, okay?"
"Okay," Nunnally nods with a smile.
"So Lelouch, now what? Do we finish this off with Voltron?" Kallen asked as her face, and the faces of the other Paladins lit up the dashboard.
"No. We came to get Nunnally, and we did. Our work here is done," he said sternly before smiling genuinely at everyone, "Let's go home."
From outside, the Britannian forces could only watch as the seven lions ascended into the sky and disappeared.
As the Avalon finally hit the water, warning lights and alarms were ringing from every part of the ship. The airship had completely lost power and was dead in the water. Nothing the crew did could get it up and running again. They weren't sure who created the virus that infected the system, but it had been thorough and had done its job well.
"Prince Schneizel," an officer exclaimed as he approached the Prime Minister, "we just received a report. Princess Cornelia and Lady Enneagram are both alive and are in the process of being rescued. Also…"
"What is it?" Schneizel asked, noticing the soldier's hesitation.
"...Princess Nunnally was captured by the enemy. I'm sorry your highness, we tried to stop them," the officer bowed deeply.
Schneizel frowned deeply. He was certainly not expecting this outcome.
'They sabotaged the Avalon and went with a more 'surgical' route as opposed to using a blunt weapon. This allowed them to not endanger Nunnally in the process, as well as keep casualties to a minimum,' the Prince smirked as he looked up absently at the sky.
'Well played Lelouch. Well played.'
Hours had passed since the battle, and most of the clean up had been finished on the ground. The base the Avalon originally left from only had a few unoccupied Knightmares lining the platform.
A lone figure gracefully walked onto the runway, glancing around curiously.
"So… this is the home planet of the new Paladins. Interesting," she mused aloud.
A small commotion to her side caused her to look to her right. She raised an eyebrow as a reasonably well-built Earthling hobbled deliriously towards her. He was leaning against a thin piece of wood and clutching his left eye in pain.
"I swear I'm not Orange!" he exclaimed almost manically, reaching out to her, "Zero!"
The man then collapsed forward, all his remaining strength gone.
Haggar stared at the fallen human for a moment, then a sinister smirk split her features.
"Perfect…"
AN: Okay! So I FINALLY got this done! I'm so sorry for the long wait, but with final exams and then a very busy holiday season, I didn't have much time to write this chapter out until today.
So, Lelouch and Nunnally are officially reunited! I know you've all been waiting for this moment, and so have I! I teared up as I wrote their official reunion scene and I hope it was to your expectations.
Also, you all already know I suck at making fight scenes, so sorry if the fights seem a little short or undetailed. I may come back and add more later, I don't know. Speaking of which, for those who may complain about how easily the Paladins seemed to win again, remember in the original anime, the float systems didn't appear until R2. So at this point in time, the soldiers haven't had the time to officially train to maneuver with the equipment. They were given more of a crash course version of it so that they could be ready to fight in time.
I'm deeply sorry for any grammar errors that may still be lurking around, but it is currently 1:00 AM where I am and I'm heading to bed.
Before I start working on the next chapter, I'm actually going back and editing some of the earlier chapters a little bit. Nothing plot altering, but mostly grammatical errors I missed before.
Anyway, R&R, update the TVTropes page, and I thank you all once again for your patience! Good night!
Update Feb 1st: So all chapters have now been edited and updated! Now I'll start writing the next chapter. I have a couple of exams coming up, so it won't come out for at least a couple weeks, but I'm now beginning to work on it. Stay tuned!
