Hello everyone! Things have been going unusually good for me (at least, I think they are). Despite my schedule, I still manage to find time to write, even if only for a little bit. This was finished recently, so here it is! Enjoy!
Milly walked down the path towards the academy. Those who knew her could once tell you that she was a cheerful person, always wanting to make sure the school had fun to balance out all the stress of normal high school life. In addition, she was kind, understanding, and could easily be friends with anyone. However, that description changed rather drastically recently. Now, she had been depressed for the longest time. Her playful nature was gone, and when she was in school, it was strictly business, although she didn't seem to put much effort in her studies anymore. It was hard to say how she coped back at home, but it couldn't have been good. No one could blame her though; it had been two weeks since her best friend was killed, and by her crush and the student council's own vice-president nonetheless. She went through classes in a daze as she thought about it. It just didn't make sense; how could Lelouch do such a thing? Why would he? The unanswered questions only added to her depression. The student council she had once proudly ran had broken up; with Milly in her depression, she couldn't hold it together, and now it was replaced by a new one. After school was over, she would just sit on the bench for hours, well into nighttime. No one bothered her; after all, who could really help her? She was going to do that today, as usual, but, from her perspective, fate wasn't kind enough to leave her alone.
"It's been rough lately, hasn't it?"
Milly looked up to see Rivalz. He was also normally a light-hearted, cheerful person as well, but with Shirley's passing, that too, had also changed. He always appeared to be sad nowadays, but unlike Milly, he seemed to be strong enough to go on despite the loss of their friend. "I'm not in the mood, Rivalz." Milly told him angrily as she turned away.
"What!" Rivalz exclaimed, shocked.
"Do I need to repeat myself? I'm not in the mood for your antics, I'm not in the mood for you to put the moves on me…I'M…NOT…in the mood for YOU!" She got up the bench, and stormed off.
"Well, I guess it's progress." The poor boy thought. Everyone including her knew of his crush on her, but he had pretty much given up on her ever since she became engaged to a nobleman. But that didn't mean he would just stand by as she slowly killed herself (figuratively speaking). "Wait!" He followed after her, causing her to walk faster in an attempt to escape him. "Will you wait up! Shirley was important to me too!"
"Then go visit her grave!" Milly yelled, refusing to face him.
"I have! Several times! But she's not going anywhere! What I'm concerned about right now is you!" Milly just continued to walk away from him as Rivalz reached out to her. "Please, Milly! I know things can't go back to what they once were! I just want to make sure you're okay, and that I want you to know I'll be here for you if you need anything, anything at all!"
Milly stopped, but the boy kept his distance. Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her shoulder, only for her to harshly swat it away. "Rivalz, for future reference, this is the lousiest way to hook up with someone!" she yelled without facing him.
It hurt Rivalz deeply that she was talking to him like this. "Fine then!" he shouted, throwing his hands up. "I'm not interested in you anymore! What I am interested in, is making sure you're taking care of yourself! Cause Shirley wouldn't forgive me if I just let her best friend ruin her own life, and stop caring about what happens to her! Maybe when you finally find the courage to visit her grave, you'll realize it's not your fault!"
Milly turned and slapped Rivalz across the face, hard. "Rivalz, get out of my face!" Milly shouted. Only Rivalz knew that she felt guilty for not going with Shirley, or convincing her to come home with her. And that last comment really hit home. She then walked off, a little more active than she had been, but not in a way that was healthy.
Rivalz walked in the opposite direction, trying to hide his crying face. "Please, Milly; hang in there."
Shinjuku ghetto was a desolate place no human being would want to live by choice, Brittanian or Japanese. But there was one there that did just that. Lelouch got up from the cardboard he had been using as a bed, and put on his hood. So maddening was his ordeal that he barely even thought of his life before. He faintly remembered being clean-shaven, not being so grimy and shaggy, and wondering why his cloak smelled of ashtrays. He also now had a crappy eye-patch made up of used band aids. He could have used that terrible power to get anything he wanted, but he was too frightened by what he may become. He didn't even know why he bothered to cling to this new life of his; it would be much better to end it here and now. Was he too afraid? Brittanian culture viewed suicide as a cowardly act, so Lelouch couldn't pin it on any fears he may have had. Lelouch didn't put much thought into it anymore. His thought process was more like an animal; the only thing on his mind was mere survival, anyway he could. He made his way to the closest dumpster, and scavenged for food. He couldn't remember the last time he ate for pleasure; again, it was best not to think about it right now. He found a half-eaten chicken, and decided this would be his meal for the day. Most everything else he found before was just junk, having no nutritional value even in their prime condition. He woofed it down as quickly as possible, trying to avoid tasting it. Food wasn't guaranteed when you were homeless and on the run from the law.
Finally, he turned on an old radio he found. It still worked quite well; some spoiled brat probably wanted a fancy stereo and threw the little handheld out. He tuned into the news station, and almost snoozed through the financial and homeland news. Finally, the local news for Area 11 started "…in other news today, police our still searching for Lelouch Lamperouge, who is accused of killing fellow student Shirley Finette…" Lelouch heard his supposed incident on the news over and over again. He hoped for news that his name was cleared, but it never came. This time around, students were interviewed. Most of them were students Lelouch was acquainted with at best, and had nothing to offer in favor or against him. Then, he heard a familiar voice on the radio.
"...I don't understand why my brother would ever do such a thing!" a young teen's voice cried.
"Rolo!"
"…he was kind, intelligent, the Lelouch I know would never hurt a fly!" Rolo continued on his tirade of pseudo-tragedy.
"Would you know where he is?" the interviewer asked.
"I have no idea where he could be! But, if he's listening to this, I want him to know that no matter what happened, there are people here who still love him unconditionally, and wish for him to return. We'll get through this…together!"
Memories of the time he and Rolo shared conflicted with those of his attempted assassination, starting to drive him mad. "AAAARRRR!" He smashed the radio against the wall, effectively destroying it. He hyperventilated, desperately trying to compose himself before anyone spotted him. He readjusted his hood, and walked off before anyone could notice him.
Kallen walked through the ghetto and into the small, hidden graveyard inside a condemned building. The Brittanian Empire allowed the Japanese to make graves for their fallen soldiers and all civilians, even if the graveyards were inadequate. But for terrorists and others who opposed the empire after Japan's defeat, no burial was approved. All the loved ones could do was to make even crappier make-shift graves for those involved in such acts.
Kallen finally reached her destination, to a small tombstone in an obscure corner inscribed with someone's name: Kozuki Naoto. She lit the incest she brought with her, and began to pray to her brother. She had a small shrine for him in her private quarters, but it just felt right to greet him where he was resting with so many other resistance fighters. "Naoto, is everything well? Things haven't been going so good down here lately. We're still in shambles, and…I'm afraid I've killed Zero in a way. I still have the Guren, but none of us can hope to do this by ourselves." She collected her thoughts before continuing. "I let you down, Naoto. Mom is still in prison, and it's my fault." Tears were streaming down her eyes. "I thought she was weak, but I didn't realize until it was too late that I was the one who was weak. If only I had been there for her as she had for me, she wouldn't have become addicted to refrain in order to cope. In a way, I almost wish she would pass on…just so I wouldn't have to face her…"
She continued to share with her deceased brother her darkest secrets, things she wouldn't even tell her closest friends. Finally, she rose. "I have to go, Naoto-nisan. I'll see you again."
She left, but not before looking for space for another stone. The person in question already had a grave, but she felt she should make a small substitute since she couldn't visit hers. "I'll need to make a stone for you, too, Shirley. Someday." She noted.
"Keep moving!" the guard yelled as he prodded Tamaki forward. The Black Knight probably was crazy enough to attack the guard were it not for his straitjacket.
That didn't stop him from shouting "If Zero were here, you wouldn't…"
This time, the butt of the rifle smashed the Black Knight's head. "Quiet, eleven scum! Your precious terrorist is dead, and if by some miracle he were alive, I doubt you'd be worth saving!" The guards laughed as they practically threw him back into his cell. "I guess you'll have to pray to one of those…what do you call them? SHITO gods?" They doubled over laughing at their terrible joke.
"Tough talk, especially when you've got a gun and I'm in this damn straitjacket!" Tamaki yelled back.
"You shut your mouth, you little bitch!" The two guards walked towards him and kicked him on the ground. Tamaki was on the receiving end of many beatings throughout the year, and was now sporting various bone callouses to prove it. His cellmates were worried black and blue would become the permanent color of his skin. "Me and my friend would like to repay you, for all the entertainment you provided us the past year." The guard spat in his face, now that Tamaki was too beat up to even talk back. The two laughed as they locked up the door. "Seriously, you elevens are normally boring once you are captured. We're kind of hoping that you'll give us a reason for target practice soon!"
Tamaki could hear them laughing all the way down the hallway until they were gone. The other prominent members of the Black Knights overheard the entire thing. "You should just keep your head down low." Ohgi whispered from the other side. "You'll survive at least."
"Screw you, Ohgi." If anything admirable could be said about Tamaki, it was his loyalty to Zero and the cause.
"When are you going to get it through your head, Tamaki?" Chiba asked from another cell. "Zero abandoned us. He left without a word, and just threw us away." Of the surviving Black Knights, she was the most bitter about the Black Rebellion's conclusion.
"NO!" Tamaki protested. "He just had something to take care of, he-"
"It doesn't matter in the end." Todoh silenced everyone before the argument escalated. "It doesn't matter if Zero had a legitimate reason to leave or if he did as Chiba said. We were all caught in the end, and finding the truth to the matter won't set us free." An uncomfortable silence lingered between them.
"So what now?" Ohgi asked.
"We wait." Todoh replied. "That's all we can do, right now."
"But they could execute us at any time!" Chiba protested.
"And what can we do to prevent that, in our current state?" Todoh asked. "I'd be calm if I were you; they should have killed us all a long time ago. Yet we're still alive; there must be a reason for that."
"Indeed." A guard said. Their cells suddenly opened, as an armed squad arrived to greet them. "Get up. It's almost time." Todoh didn't need to ask what he was referring to. "So this is it." He had to accept his fate; he was just thankful that fate allowed him a second chance to fight the Britannians. He only hoped his name as well as those of his comrades would inspire other Japanese to rise up and fight once more.
Most of the Black Knights got up, accepting their fate with dignity. Tamaki, of course, would have none of it. He head-butted a guard, if only out of spite, earning him another blow to the head by a rifle. The guards prepared to take him out then and there. "Stop!" the warden ordered. "We are under specific orders to take them back to the settlement alive!"
"Under whose orders!" the guard with the broken nose shouted.
"It's done." Sir Gilbert G.P. Guilford said as he hung up the phone and turned in his chair. "Are you sure about this? I find it hard to believe Zero is still alive, and even if he were, he's been in hiding for so long I doubt he would be able to gather a rebellion like before, especially with the elevens' spirits broken." Though he didn't show it, he was seething with rage at the thought of the Black Knights. He could not imagine why the emperor ordered for them to be kept mere prisoners in the first place. His reasoning was that if Zero were still alive, they would make excellent bait. Guilford didn't buy that, but it was not his place to question his majesty. Had this man never came with the tip though, they would've been allowed to dispose of them as soon as tonight. "I'll ask you again; are you certain Zero is still alive? And here, in Area 11?"
He seemed like the average Japanese at first glance. Dark, standard hair, brown eyes. Pale skin. Someone who usually wouldn't be sitting in the same room as the knight. But he just strode in and asked to talk to the man in charge, showing his Black Knight insignia. The guards were about to shoot him, but Guilford allowed him passage and heard him out. "I'm positive." The young man answered him. "We just had a mission to recover him. I'm sketchy on the details, but from what I understand, he's alive but unwilling to join us."
Guillford put his hands together in thought. "And why should a public execution change all that? You can't count on a coward to come to your rescue."
"I don't know if it will. I just figure that seeing his former comrades in danger will force him into action." He answered truthfully. "Captain Kouzuki seemed closest to him and spoke very highly of him. Besides, he always did seem to be the altruistic type.
Guillford thought about it. "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, perhaps? If Zero was anything like you claim, that would be the most likely explanation for why he abandoned his army." Guillford then looked at a frame of his princess and lord, Cornelia. "Even if he doesn't show up, it's probably best to dispose of those terrorists once and for all. While I am grateful for your help…why? Why betray your people?"
The former black knight sneered. "I don't give a damn. I only joined at the chance of grabbing power, perhaps as a politician, once you were…overthrown, if you'll excuse the term. As far as I'm concerned, there is no good or evil, just strong and weak. I'm simply doing whatever it takes to be strong. But, now I can see we have no chance of winning, so I'm just cutting my losses. " he sighed. "Let's just make one thing clear: I have no intention of becoming an 'Honorary Britannian' like your Kuurugi lap dog. Just enough money for me to live comfortably the rest of my life is all I ask for; that's not even a fraction of what the royal family possesses. And I promise I'll stay out of your affairs." He sneered.
Guillford nodded as he looked through the files. This man had run into trouble with the authorities on several occasions with misdemeanor charges. His impoverished background was most likely the seed of betrayal to his comrades. "The Black Knights have caused great dishonor to the royal family and our empire…" He took another glance of the photo of Cornelia solemnly. "My princess…what has become of you…?" He turned away, realizing his duty came first. "…as they say, what deed goes unpunished? Take me to them, at once! Then, you will have your reward!"
"Very good then. I'm glad we can do business together." He extended his hand, to shake, but Guilford was heading out already.
"Well, hurry up then. We haven't got all day for you to nab your friends." Guilford said without looking back. "Best to get them now and end this farce."
Lelouch crouched down as he felt his stomach doing cartwheels. "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that chicken." He ran to the corner of a building as his meal of the day was rejected from his body. After he heaved the last of it, he sat down and took a few deep breaths. By all means, he should kill himself, cowardly act or not. But something was making him cling to life, like he still had a job to do.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" Lelouch looked up to see another gang of Japanese. This time, he didn't have the heart to use his horrible power, especially if the rumors of his last victims were true. "A Britannian, here? Normally, we'd rob ya…but it doesn't look like you're worth shit." He bunted the teen with his foot, and Lelouch only grunted in response. "Feh. You don't see a Britannian in a situation like ours often." One of the punks noted.
"Try never." One of his friends corrected him.
"You think we'll leave ya alone since you have no money?" The leader asked as he kneeled down and spat at him. Again, Lelouch did nothing. He didn't even seem to acknowledge his presence. "Well, you're dead wrong!" He kicked Lelouch across the face, and the homeless teen went down hard. "In fact, by the time we're through with you, you'll just be dead!" The gang pounced on him, pummeling him from all over. In a way, Lelouch welcomed the pain; it felt nice compared to the turmoil he had been suffering lately. Soon, Lelouch began to lose consciousness…
"You think that's enough?" the youngest of them asked. He was known for being the softie of the group.
"No. For these Britts, nothin' ain't nearly enough, not for what they've done to us." The leader pulled out his pocket knife, and prepared to skewer him good.
"Alright, enough!" someone commanded.
The gang ceased their activity when an elderly Japanese woman with a bandana walked towards them. Though she was slow-moving and hunched over like most people her age, her eyes were like fire, ready to explode."K-Kouzuki-dono…" one of them muttered.
"Beat it!" she shouted again. She was outnumbered, and by the looks of it, outmuscled, but her glare sent chills up their spine.
One of the teens spoke up. "With all due respect, Kouzuki-dono, a Britannian like him should know better."
"And even if he didn't, this is as close to payback as we can get!" another shouted.
"So, two wrongs make a right, is that it?" The old woman asked. "You'll stoop as low as the Brittanian nobles have to prove a point?" The gang was silent. Comparing someone to their worst enemy worked often. "You kids go home to your parents." She shooed them away.
The leader pulled out his knife and yelled "We ain't lettn' this punk get away just because of your sympathy for your whore daughter and bastard half-breed grandchildren!" He charged and lunged at her with his knife, but she caught his wrist and sent him flying head first into a brick building head first.
The rest of the gang stood motionless in fear. She couldn't be sure due to her bad eyes, but it looked as if a couple wet themselves. "I'll say this one more time: Leave. NOW!" she commanded.
Reluctantly, the thugs walked off sulking, a couple walking over to collect their woozy comrade. "Killjoy." One of them muttered.
The old lady walked over to the boy, and heaved him over her shoulders. "They do have a point, though; you're pretty stupid to be wanderin' around these parts." She hissed as her shoulders began to ache. "With crap muscles like these, I'm lucky to have used even just Aikido. You better be thankful I'm such a nice lady." She began to walk back to her intended destination…
The remaining Black Knights were forced to their knees as the Britannian soldiers held them at gunpoint in their own hideout. They knew they couldn't hide forever, but this was too soon, no indication that they were on their tail. "How did they find us?" they wondered.
Then, Sir Guilford stepped forward, looking at them with contempt. "It was foolish to think you could hide from us forever. To put your trust in this man…even more so." he gestured behind him. Then, the snitch stepped forward, and the Black Knights felt their hearts sink.
"Sota!" one cried.
"How could you!" another yelled in anger.
"Silence!" A soldier cried as he butted the barrel against the back of his captor's head.
"You all should have disbanded while you had the chance!" Sota sneered. "Don't you see, Britannia is taking over, and it's stronger than ever? Even if I did believe this stupid cause with all my heart… even a fool can see the futility of going up against the empire. The only thing that matters now is survival! And if you want something…" he chuckled maliciously. "…you gotta do whatever it takes to get it. And speaking of which…"
Sota leaned against Guilford's shoulder in a friendly gesture and held out his hand. "I believe it's only fair to give me what I deserve, correct?"
Guilford narrowed his eyes at the traitor. "Yes. You're quite right. My apologies…it's time to give you what you deserve…"
Guilford quickly upholstered his gun, and shot Sota in the kneecap. "AAAHHHH!" Sota screamed on the ground in pain, as his leg began to bleed profusely. "WHY! I gave you the Black Knights on a silver platter, you son of a bitch!" he cursed in Japanese.
Guilford showed no remorse for his actions or pity on the tattle tale. "Never trust a man who would betray his King, lest he betray you as well, so the saying goes." The knight replied coldly. "No doubt you would use any reward money to start a rebellion of your own! Besides, even if you were trustworthy, I find no honor in allying myself with a man who switches sides only for the promise of wealth and power!"
"But, Kuurugi…" Sota protested.
"Sir Kuurugi's loyalty is to the crown. And it was the emperor's decision to accept him in the first place; not I nor any other noble. Besides, he has more honor than any of you filthy elevens will!" Guilford then leaned in close. "I will treat the wound though, if you tell me one more thing: Where is the Red Lotus, the pilot of the Red Knightmare?"
"You bastard, what makes you think I'll tell you, after all this! Go ahead, torture them! You'll get nothing!" Sota screamed in fury.
Guilford only replied "But that doesn't apply to you now, does it?" He smashed his foot against the knee, causing Sota to howl in pain; it would only take a few more strikes to cripple him. "I'll ask you once again…"
Lelouch suddenly woke up. At first, his body felt a bed. "Was it all a dream? Please, let it be a dream!" But when pain shot through his body, he realized that his beating did happen. And for that to have happened, so did everything else. It took a minute for Lelouch to accept this. "If I really did become homeless…why am I lying on a bed?" he began to ask himself
"Oh, you're awake I see." Lelouch turned to see an old Japanese woman approach him. She was old, clearly in her late 70s at least. "I'm sorry about those young uns. Poverty will do that to young children as they grow older. Now, sit up. Let's have a better look at ya. I ain't no doctor, but I've gotten into a fair share of scraps to know how to treat injuries."
Lelouch complied as the old lady felt around his body. Lelouch winced in many places, but he put up with it. She could have given him AIDS for all he cared at this point, so he made no motion to make her stop. "Good. Nothing's broken. You're bruised up pretty badly, though. I'd recommend you take it easy for a while."
Suddenly, a whistle went off. "Hold on a minute." She left Lelouch momentarily, and returned with two rice bowls. "It's not much, but in these parts, rice is more valuable than gold. Here, have some." Lelouch took the bowl, and realized he was famished. He woofed the whole thing down in seconds. "I guess being homeless will do that to you, eh?" Lelouch looked away from her. "Hey, don't look so down. You can stay here, as long as you like."
Lelouch muttered "But I'm a Britannian…"
"It don't matter. It looks like something terrible happened to ya, and almost no one your age deserves to be living out on the street. Besides, you're not the type of Britannian I'd be worried about. I'd run into enough of the real trouble makers to know. Rest, I'll make us some tea if you're up for it. As for what happened, you don't have to tell me. I'm just trying to help a lost soul."
Lelouch mumbled "Thank you." Even though he felt like being saved was more like a curse. As she left to attend to her tea, Lelouch continued to ponder his predicament. He still felt on the verge of suicide…but, if he was patient, maybe the company of another could provide him with some answers…
Kallen sat on the roof of the tallest building in the ghetto, trying to enjoy the view. Sadly, the ruined landscape and the Britannian settlements on the other side of the railroad ruined it for her. Still, she didn't feel like returning to base just yet. With Zero out of the picture, there was really no point. Without him, the Black Knights were finished. The only one who could possibly lead was Todoh, and he was captured a year ago. She was a warrior, but not a leader. Not the one they needed.
"No." she told herself. No matter how hopeless the situation, she refused to let herself go down that road. "We can still fight. We were fighting long before Zero appeared." That was what she kept telling herself. But no matter how she spun it, she couldn't escape the fact that the only reason the Japanese even came to close to driving out Britannia was because of Zero. "Damn it…why do I feel like we need him so much?" However, the feelings inside her told her that she longed for Zero for herself, not for the Black Knights. "Why…why do I feel that I need him?" Kallen hugged her knees closer. "Lelouch…"
Suddenly, her phone went off. Kallen's first instinct was to ignore it; she did not want company, nor did she want to be disturbed. But, her responsibilities always took precedence, convenient or not. She picked it up, and muttered "This better be good."
"Kallen?" the voice on the other line asked. "It's me, Sota."
It struck Kallen as odd that of all people to call her, it was Sota. They were merely acquainted, and hardly ever spoke. In fact, she didn't even like him."I'm not in the mood for a chat, Sota. What you have to say be better damn important." Kallen replied cheekily.
"There's something you need to see; it's…it's hard to say over the phone. Just come, quickly!"
With that, he hung up. Kallen only stared at her cell in shock. "What could it be? Zero?" Kallen knew something important was happening at HQ, and she needed to be there. She picked up her bottle and proceeded down the steps.
Both Black Knight and Britannian soldiers waited anxiously to ambush Kallen. However, the minutes soon turned into an hour, and that hour was well on its way to becoming 2 hours since Sota called her. Guilford furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth in frustration. "She's not coming." Guilford seethed. He suddenly turned around and kicked Sota across the face. "You worthless eleven!"
"If I told her we were in trouble…" Sota began to desperately explain…
But that only earned him a foot on his knee. "Yes, I know. But you could have been a little bit more urgent and less suspicious!" Guilford adjusted his uniform, and turned away to address his troops. "Throw them in Whitegate! We might still be able to use them to lure Zero and the Red Lotus!"
"What about him?" one of the soldiers asked, pointing to Sota.
Guilford looked at him, and pulled out his pistol. "I'll dispose of this trash myself."
He jammed the gun right into the back of Sota's head. "No! No! Please, give me another chance…!" the traitor begged what he thought was his partner.
"Failure is not tolerated in the empire. More so for those who are not true Britannians." Guilford replied. "You should have thought of that before you changed allegiances."
Just then, explosions rocked the building. "Are we under attack!" one of the soldiers yelled.
"No!" Guilford shouted as he braced himself on the floor. "They're coming from inside!"
Just then, the Guren erupted from the floor. Everyone cleared the way as it busted its way out of the building. "She came! She really came!" Sota cried.
"I told you all to patrol the outside of the building!" Guilford yelled at his troops.
"We did! There is no way she could have gotten inside!" his captain protested.
Guilford looked outside where the Guren had escaped. How could she get inside without being seen? He thought about all the possibilities. They checked the schematics; there really was no way she could get inside without them knowing. "That leaves only one explanation…"
"Good thing Zero and Rakshata installed a remote receiver inside." Kallen noted to herself as the Guren approached her. The machine kneeled down and opened up its cockpit, as if it were a horse waiting for its master to mount it.
The Sutherlands weren't expecting a knightmare to just burst outside from the building, and didn't get a chance to shoot at it then. That was going to change in a few seconds, though; Kallen had to board it now! "We may not have Zero…" Kallen said as she jumped into the cockpit. As she positioned herself, she turned the key and activated the ignition. "…but you all will regret trying to take on me and my Guren on!"
The wheels rolled, and the Guren charged straight ahead for the Sutherlands. "Surrender at once!" Guilford commanded over the radio.
"Sorry; you should know me better than that!" The Guren threw its knife like a boomerang, cutting down the very front. Another tried to shoot at her, but she dodged and fired her slash harkens, literally disarming the attacking Sutherland. "Pathetic! Does Britannia think me so weak without Zero?" the Red Queen sneered.
"Not quite."
Kallen turned to see Guilford, now piloting his Gloucester. The Knightmare twirled its lance with extraordinary skill, and pointed it at Kallen. "Still can't get over the loss of your princess, huh?" Kallen taunted him. "I'd like to think I've done you a favor; judging by her demeanor, I'd say I've saved you from misery. You men complain about what tyrants women are all the time, but her… I'd shudder to know!"
"I see Zero has taught you well about exploiting your enemy's emotions." Guilford replied, calm but furious. "Very well then. If it's my wrath you want, then you shall have it!"
The Gloucester charged with its lance. Kallen dodged it by a hair and locked the weapon with her arm. Before she could attack, Guilford pulled out his sub-machine gun and fired. Kallen leapt back, and fired her slash harkens. While the Knightmare frame managed to dodge, the harken knocked the pistol out of his knightmare's hand. "Shit!" Guilford wheeled away, avoiding Kallen's missiles, and leapt to retrieve his lance.
"Impressive." Kallen noted. While not on the same level as Suzaku, he was certainly holding his own. "I suppose you're the Knight of Cornelia for a reason."
"If that impresses you, wait until you get a load of this!" The Gloucester's back opened up, revealing not the cockpit, but a barrage of missiles. Kallen would have countered with the Guren's own missiles, but she used them all up earlier. Instead, she fired her radiant wave surger, detonating the missiles before they could reach her. She then charged through the light, pulling out the machine's knife. Guilford charged as well, intending to impale the Guren through the chest. Their bladed weapons collided and slid off one another. Guilford managed to scratch the Guren's side. However, Kallen's knife made a much deeper gash on the Gloucester's left leg.
As Guilford evaluated the damage, he slammed his fist in frustration. The Gloucester's leg's output was reduced to 25%. It may as well have been a dead weight. "As much as I hate to admit it, you are a worthy opponent." he told Kallen over the radio.
The Guren made a motion as if to inspect its own wound. "You too. Which means I have no reason to hold back."
Guilford widened his eyes at that statement. "What!"
"I don't like to expend too much energy unless I have to!" Kallen shouted as a quick explanation. The Guren charged for Guilford once more.
"Her speed hasn't changed, and I've studied her! She has to be bluffing!" While Guilford couldn't move that well, his defense was solid. If Kallen was planning to wipe him out with a charge, then a good counter attack would be all it would take for him to win the fight. The Guren fired its slash harkens; Guilford managed to dodge them with ease, despite his handicap. However, instead of retracting, the harkens latched on to the ground, and the Guren used the tension to leapt into the air. "What!" The Guren rammed into the Gloucester in a move resembling a knee-elbow combo as seen in Bokator. The camera inside the Gloucester was damaged, causing the screen to flicker, some parts turning into static. "Damn you! I've studied you, your knightmare…how!"
Guilford now found himself on the defensive, blocking all of Kallen's strikes but never finding room to counterattack; it was only a matter of time before she broke through. "Simple." Kallen replied, smiling like a tiger about to bite into a buffalo. "I've trained. I've improved." Kallen grabbed hold of the lance and used the radiant wave surger to destroy it. "Your mistake was preparing for a confrontation with me…when I was as the person I was a year ago." Guilford's slash harkens managed to scratch the Guren's shoulders, but Kallen didn't bother worrying about them. "Had you trained to be as good as Suzaku…you may have had a chance."
Guilford tried to punch her, but he knew it was in vain. Kallen caught the fist, and applied the energy for the radiant wave surger. Though Guilford detached the arm and saved the rest of his knightmare, the last practical means of offense was lost as the arm boiled and exploded. Molten metal splashed the face-plate of the Gloucester, as if Guilford was being bathed in his own blood.
Kallen picked up the Gloucester by the shoulder. "I could do anything to you now." While Kallen's tone was dangerous, it held no malice. It was even…hesitant. "But I'll give you a chance to surrender if you order your troops to withdraw immediately and release my comrades. We'll do this another day."
Guilford immediately replied. "I refuse. Death on the battlefield is one thing; surrendering is an absolute disgrace." A moment of silence followed between them. "Princess Cornelia herself would much rather take a bullet to the head than be humiliated like this. I was chosen as her knight because she told me I was the one most likely to follow her example."
"Very well." Kallen said. "I respect your bravery. I'm sorry I have to follow through with this."
The Guren picked the Gloucester up, and cocked its radiant wave surger. "However, you haven't beaten me yet!" Guilford suddenly shouted as he flipped a switch on his console. The Gloucester's remaining arm shot forward like a rocket and latched onto the Guren's chest, piercing it. Kallen shielded herself from the weapon, almost certain it would be in vain. However, nothing came.
She opened her eyes, and looked in wonder. It seemed some kind of cylinder had bore itself through the chest and into her cockpit. However, it stopped short of her. "Did he miscalculate?" Kallen wondered. Suddenly, a green gas filled the cockpit. "Shit!" Kallen realized that he never intended to beat her in direct combat; just have her lower her guard to be captured. "Gotta…(hack)…fight…" However strong Kallen may have been, she was only human. She could not fight her own physiology nor the gas's effects on her body…
Guilford climbed out of his knightmare and wiped his forehead. "Sir, are you alright?" one of the soldiers asked as he was helped to his feet and onto solid ground.
"I'm quite alright; my pride's a bit wounded at having to resort to dirty tricks." He then pointed to the Guren. "Get her out!"
"Yes, my lord!" the soldiers cried in unison.
Quickly, Kallen's unconscious body was extracted from the cockpit. While she was carried, the soldiers began gossiping among themselves. "It's hard to believe that this little girl gave us so much trouble for the past year."
"Yeah, if I was told without experience that she was Zero's ace, I would have laughed my ass off."
As the soldiers carried her, they eyed her with interest. "Gotta say, she's not bad looking." one said.
"No kidding; check out the knockers on this one! Aren't elevens normally flat-chested?"
"Well…" A soldier's hand snaked underneath her blouse. "…I'm sure she won't mind if we give her a physical…"
The soldier's hand was yanked away by Guilford, who then flipped the soldier on his back. The soldier crawled away out of fear; Guilford rarely got physical with his subordinates, but when he did, he was always dead serious. "You will do no such thing in my presence! Had Princess Cornelia been here, she would have your head!" He then looked at the unconscious Kallen. "Besides…I do have a begrudging respect for this ace's skills. It's the least I could do to allow her to die with her honor…" Guilford heard the Samurai had a similar code. He didn't look much into it; Britannians who looked into the culture of other races were often mocked, something a man of his status could not risk. Guilford then ordered "Throw them in the jailhouse. Their execution will begin in one week. If Zero still lives, we need to make preparations."
"Yes, my lord!" the soldiers hastily, and disappointingly, replied.
As the troops moved the Black Knights at gunpoint (and carried Kallen), Guilford walked into the former Black Knight compound. He looked down on Sota who was now bleeding profusely on the floor. "So…" he smiled nervously. "You got what you wanted; right? You should let me go; it was because of me that you found them! I won't even ask for my fee like before!" he laughed nervously. "So, a win-win situation for us both of us, right?"
"You are a different matter." Guilford replied venomously. "You remember what I said earlier? What guarantee do I have that you won't betray me when you have the chance?" Guilford picked him up and pushed him into a Britannian soldier, earning a yelp from Sota due to his leg. "Still, I got what I wanted. So, I'll reward you…" Sota's eyes widened in hope. "…by delaying your execution. You can die with your former comrades. In fact, I'll give them the honor of watching you die first."
The Britannian soldiers dragged him away despite his pleas. Guilford hoped that his subordinates would beat him until that leg was useless; he hated men who sell out their own kind for money or power. At least Kuurugi respected the Emperor and became an honorary britannian for the common good. Sota was merely a means to an end, and nothing more.
Certain that he was alone, he pulled out his pocket watch, and opened it. "My Princess…soon, I will dispense the justice that you were denied." The picture of Cornelia showed no sign of happiness or contentment; just a battle-hardened warrior. But that was why he fell in love with her in the first place. "But not yet." He closed the watch, and grasped it tightly. "I must be sure that Zero will also pay for what he's done…if he's really still out there."
3 days had passed since Lelouch was beaten by that gang of thugs. While he was still sore in some places, with some actual food in his stomach he was recovering quite quickly. As Lelouch looked at his reflection in the window, he noticed how much he had changed; his hair had grown significantly, down past his shoulders and needed a very good wash. A thin but dark beard also covered his chin. If he wanted to go back out in the streets, it was probably best he kept this appearance up. However, he wasn't sure if he even wanted to leave the dingy apartment; he was safe from the outside world, and he was being fed. It wasn't gourmet, but it was certainly a lot better than what he could find in the dumpster. And, even if he could never tell her the whole truth, at least he finally had what seemed to be a friend to confide with.
Lelouch was brought out of his thoughts by the door creaking open. "You decent, Brit?" he heard the old Japanese woman shout from the door.
Brit was the name the old lady had given him, as he was reluctant to speak before and till this day still did not tell her his name (after all, she could cash in on a reward). She certainly did have an odd sense of humor. "It's alright, miss. Thank you."
Lelouch walked in as she placed her groceries on the counter-top. "Well, another bad day of shopping…which is okay, considering the amount I have left on my savings." She plopped the canned goods on the table without missing a beat. "So, how ya feelin'?"
"Better. Thanks to you." Lelouch managed to give her a small smile; something he hadn't been doing very much of lately.
"Well, I'll make dinner soon enough. Why don't you make yourself comfortable?"
Lelouch did so, and took a seat. Not content to watch her cook, he looked around the room. He then noticed a picture frame. It seemed to be the ideal nuclear family of Japanese; he guessed it was taken some time ago, given the fact that it was black and white. There was a man and a woman, and when looking at the little girl, he concluded they were husband, wife and daughter. The two adults were wearing what seemed to be karate gis, while the little girl was dressed up for school. The husband was tall and thin, with soft brown hair. The woman had black, spiky hair. In fact, she seemed to have greatly resembled Kallen. Lelouch passed it off as coincidence. The little girl had light brown hair, and despite the background of her parents, did not have the look of a fighter. He had seen enough people in the boxing and fencing clubs to know the look of a fighter when he saw one.
"My family." The old lady said, knowing what he was looking at without turning around.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"
"It's alright; in fact, I find it refreshing that you're curious about me. You've been staring off into space for too long to my liking." She looked back at him and smiled warmly. "You know we old folks crave company; why else do you see so many with cats?"
Lelouch could only gave her an embarrassed smile. "Sorry."
The old lady got the spam and rice out on the table. Then, she began to explain her past. "Yeah, me and my husband were both proud martial artists. It was a bit hard for me, though; back in those days a woman practicing fighting was looked down upon. I kind of made it worse for myself when I went to dojos beating up the masters who thought so…" The old lady laughed, creeping out Lelouch. "But Okasa was different. He liked a strong woman. Soon, we became a family." She took a sip of her tea as she finally took a seat. "Things were fine between me and Okasa. Shiori though…that's a different story." She went on to explain "She showed no interests in the martial arts, nor did she seem to have much potential in them. It's hard when you're a parent and yet your child shows no interest in what you want her to learn or become a successor to something you possess. But, we eventually came to terms over those differences. However…things took a turn for the worse for her over time."
Lelouch silently beckoned her to go on. "She married a Britannian businessman after college. Keep in mind, this was before the invasion. We personally had nothing against the suitor…not yet, anyway…but we were concerned on how she would be viewed both by our people and his. Eventually, she bore him two children, a boy and a girl." She began to chuckle. "Those two. So full of spunk. So intelligent and loving. Especially Kallen. I began to teach her everything I knew…"
Lelouch nearly choked on his tea upon hearing the red-head's name. The old lady looked at him with concern. "Are you alright?"
"I…I'm fine." Lelouch coughed in an attempt to fake his surprise. "Some tea just went down the wrong tube. That's all." He beated his thorax to give the impression of choking.
The old lady eyed Lelouch with suspicion; the timing for that cough was impeccable. "Could he know Kallen?" she wondered. The likelihood was very small, so she dismissed it.
She continued her story. "Anyway, Fredrick…Shiori's husband…divorced her. It was not any over martial dispute; his relations were affecting his business, and he traded her for some noblewoman like she was a piece of trash!" She slammed her fist on the table, emphasizing that point. "I'm sorry. It…"
"I know." Lelouch assured her. "You were upset over what happened to your daughter. Any mother would be. I would be angry if something like that happened to any children I had."
The grandmother sighed. "I was supposed to be there for her afterwards, like any good mother. But I wasn't. Despite the divorce, she went to work for him as a live in maid. All because he wanted his children to have a proper 'Britannian Education', and made them live with him and their…his whore. Shiori claimed she stayed to be close to her children. But I knew the real reason was because she hoped Fredrick would take her back. After that, I just couldn't support her in anyway; even if her children were able to have their needs met, they would be taught to despise and hide their heritage, to oppress others, and I refused to help Shiori if she wouldn't help herself and her children." She finally ended her tirade. "And now, she's in prison for refrain use. I could've done something this whole time…"
From there, the old lady was silent. Then, she started to cry. Lelouch knew it was rude manners to ask her to continue, but he had to know. "What happened to them? The rest of your family, I mean." Lelouch hoped she felt that he wasn't prying too much.
The old lady sighed. "Well, my husband fought in the Japanese military, and became one of the casualties. In a way, I'm glad he didn't live to see our defeat. Fredrick never did return Shiori's love. His relationship with his children were on rocky ground as well, which caused him to spend most of his time on the job in the Britannian homeland. The two kids were supposed to have been introduced into Britannian society and culture. But for Naoto…the son…he joined an insurgency and was killed. And Kallen…I heard my only granddaughter became a Black Knight."
Lelouch at first said nothing. Then, he placed his hand on hers. "You must be very worried." Lelouch said. He didn't know why he did; it just came to him.
"Yes, yes I am…but also so very proud." She smiled painfully
"How could she not be, with the way her people have been treated?" Lelouch than took a sip of his tea, and took note of his reflection. His face has changed much from what he remembered. The look in his exposed eye seemed to have shown an old soul. In addition to his new physical features, he looked at the bandage that covered his eye; the eye that in his mind belonged to a demon.
"The Power of the King." CC's words radiated in his mind. Ever since he got the eye, he wanted nothing to do with it nor the Black Knights. But now, that feeling was fading. He felt a sense of…responsibility.
"Absurd. The Knights took away my life; Kallen may have as well put me out of my misery back at that construction site. I have nothing now. No one, and nothing to live for."
"You've hardly eaten a thing." The old lady said as she stood up with her empty rice bowl. "Feeling ill again?"
Lelouch hastily stood up. "No, no. I was just…deep in thought. Here, let me take that for you."
As Lelouch deposited the old lady's dish into the sink, he began to think about the other side of his internal argument. "But, like it or not, I have this power. Even though I've benefitted from the caste system, the fact is what Britannia is doing to the world is wrong beyond measure. Their system sickens me to the core, and simply speaking out would throw me in jail at best."
He then thought about Shirley. "They sacrificed her. They're willing to throw away their own people. Us, but not their damned nobility."
He then thought about Kallen. "She must have been hurt pretty bad as well, even if she showed it to no one; having to choose between her two heritages, having her family disowned in order to save face in the empire…I should have at least tried to sympathize with her." He then looked back at the old lady. He sighed. He could only imagine how helpless she felt.
As Lelocuh went back to eating his meal, the old woman turned on the radio. "In other news, the last of the Black Knights have all been apprehended. Area 11's now substitute vice-roy, Lord Guilford, best known as her highness Princess Cornelia's knight, led the operation based on a tip."
Lelouch at first sighed in pity; despite his anger towards the organization, to get captured by the empire…he didn't want to think of the possibilities. As the report droned on, something occurred to him. "Kallen!" She would be with them if they had everyone! Except…
He then looked at the woman who accidently revealed herself as Kallen's grandmother. She was rightfully frightened, although she did not show it. He could tell by the way she clenched her trembling fists. Lelouch walked away, and into the bathroom. He was unsure of what to do; if he waited things out, he could possibly go back to the life he had, even if it was only a slim chance. "No, not to what I had. Something broken and incomplete is the only thing I can look forward to returning to." If not go back, then what? He had the power to make a difference for the first time in his life; another opportunity to show the empire the error of its ways might never come again. If he did so, however, there would be no turning back. "If I am to make a decision…" Lelouch began to remove the bandage over his eye. "…I must confront the very thing that started it all!"
With that, he opened his left eye. He stared into the sigil glowing from it, and felt a feeling he couldn't describe. There was a sense of dread at the thought of unleashing this power. However, for no apparent reason at all, he felt a sense of resolve to use the power, even if it meant becoming a devil. There was also a feeling of familiarity with it; not like a friend, but like a…dog. Not a pet, but like an attack dog One that could serve him well, if used properly. He felt some caution thinking about it; it felt like it had gone out of control at least once. Then, he remembered CC and Kallen's words. He remembered how Viletta and Rolo tried to kill him, seemingly unprovoked. And Shirley's death… "Shirley, it may have been my fault that you're no longer here…" His eyes then hardened. "…but that doesn't change the fact that I was betrayed by others deemed close to me, that I was kept in the dark. And they were willing to sacrifice you…simply to get to me." His fist cringed at the memory of Shirley's death. Then, his memory went back further. Well before he discovered this power. How he witnessed the Japanese persecuted. How Britannia, when it conquered land after land, deprived the natives of their rights and status of human beings. And how he could do nothing to stop it. "I may not like it…" Lelouch took one last look at the Geass. "…but that doesn't change the fact that I have this! If I am to be cursed…then I will put it to good use, and change this wretched world!"
Quickly, he re-fastened the bandages over his eye. He then walked out to see Mrs. Kouzuki listening to the radio. She was doing her best to hold it in, but she was clearly on the verge of tears. "It's your granddaughter, isn't it?" Lelouch asked, even though he knew the answer. "She's been captured. And you're worried about her."
She nodded. "Not just that; all hope for our country…my country…is lost. And fate will take yet another member of my family."
Before she could break down in tears, Lelouch walked over and embraced her shoulders. "Maybe not." The old woman looked at him in disbelief. Nothing needed to be said; she knew what he was implying. What she was wondering more about was the how. Lelouch backed away, and bowed. "Thank you for taking care of me, despite my race. Your people…they never deserved any of this. Nor does anyone else Britannia subjugates. But rest assured, your actions, however small they may have been, will have created a large wave." With that, he walked out the door, and left.
The old woman just stared in awe. "Who are you? Really?" she thought.
Lelouch walked out into the street. Where once his face only showed despair, it was now replaced by determination. Lelouch walked down the alley, this time full of purpose. "Even with this power, I'm going to need some help…"
Lelouch stopped walking and stood in place. While he was in hiding, he consistently noticed something. He never acted on it, but that was going to change now. It was time to stop pretending to be indifferent. "You can come out of hiding now; I've known that you've been following me for quite some time."
Then, CC emerged from the rooftop of an adjacent building, and landed in front of him. "So, you knew I was keeping an eye on you?" Her question had a tone of mere curiosity instead of wonder or surprise.
"I just had a hunch you would not let me go so easily. Besides, it's hard to miss a woman with green hair. Who else put a blanket over my body when I went to sleep?"
CC had a feeling he was sleeping with one eye open all this time she went to check on him. She then walked up as if to inspect him. "You're different from before."
"I needed time to think about things…and gain another perspective." Lelouch replied.
"Then, do you intend to fight against Britannia?"
"Yes." He replied without hesitation.
"Why?" she asked again, as emotionless as ever.
"I sympathize with all the numbers. Now that I have this power, I feel that I have a responsibility to use it for good."
CC just seemed to stare at him, then turned on her heel. She didn't show it externally, but he could see she was quite displeased. "Poetic. Now, why is it you really want to destroy Britannia? Though you had honor, you never had such benign intentions before. I'll be skeptical if that changes now, amnesia or not."
Lelouch just looked at her in shock. The few minutes they spent talking to one another the day his power was revealed and now could never have allowed her to understand him so well. "You really did know me, didn't you?"
"I knew Zero." CC swiftly replied. "He's gone, but for now you're going to have to do. Though you do not know it, you and I have a contract." CC turned to face him, her face looking slightly more serious than before. "And if you want me as your partner, you're going to have to be honest with me. Now, why is it you really want to take up the mask of Zero?"
Lelouch just sighed. It looked like he didn't need to worry about telling her the truth of his dark desires. "What I really want…is revenge." CC nodded her head, beckoning him to go on. "Even if your organization was the catalyst, that doesn't change the fact that the empire was planning to get rid of me eventually. I've been forced to live a lie, and I now realize I have no real past. I don't even know who I am anymore! Some of those closest to me have been lying. And another is dead because of them." Lelouch clenched his fist and teeth in anger. "I want nothing more than to make them pay for destroying my world! I'll make them regret the day they ever turned on me. And I'll do it…" Lelouch tore the bandages of his face. "…with this!" His Geass glowed, and with his face contorted in rage, it was most certainly a terrifying sight for most to behold.
CC nodded. That seemed to be a satisfactory answer for her. "Very well." She held out her hand. "You have my aid; after all, there wouldn't be much point to the contract if I didn't uphold my end of the bargain."
"You keep speaking of this 'contract.' What is it I promised you exactly?" Lelouch asked skeptically.
"To grant my one true wish."
"And what is it you wish for?"
"That is not important right now." CC answered. "Either way, it's none of my business how you use your Geass. But until you're ready to fulfill your end of the bargain, you mustn't die."
"And whether I choose to go back or not, you will keep me alive." Lelouch stated.
"Precisely."
Lelouch just stared silently at her for a moment. "I am about to do something incredibly stupid; but I think I can make it work."
"And you need me there to save your hide."
"That, but more importantly, you're going to help me accomplish my plans." Lelouch then asked "Do you think you can bring me Zero's clothes?"
"I'd love to, but our hideout was compromised. I can get the materials to make another one…but if you're doing what I think you're planning, it can't be done in time."
Lelouch sighed. "Oh well; we'll just have to improvise. Get me whatever clothes you can to disguise me."
CC only smiled. "NOW you're beginning to act like Zero. Wait in the alley over there; I'll be back soon."
Lelouch only looked down as she left. "We shall see." He wasn't nearly as confident as he sounded. But, all things considered, he had nothing to lose…
What will Lelouch do? Well, if I told you there would be no point in reading this fic, now will there?