Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter of this fic!
Now, I just want to warn everyone since we're going to a fictionalized version of Arabia, some characters may be portrayed in a way that might rub some readers the wrong way. Now, I am not going out of my way to make such characters look like vicious stereotypes, but you will see a lot of the more negative aspects of their culture here. Let's face it: in terms of human rights, overall, the ME FAILS. MISERABLY. I know there are plenty of decent people who fall into any of those groups over there, but I don't ignore the reality of what is going on in that side of the world (or other places for that matter). The purpose of showing these elements is to give Zero a complex situation he has to deal with. And there is going to be an OC from Area 18 that I hope you will fall in love with. So, this arc will not be a simple "Free the Oppressed!" or "Kill the Savages!". It will be more political, first and foremost, and I hope in the end this arc will be very balanced.
With that said, I hope all of you enjoy!
The Shitora had swam peacefully into the night, the Black Knights returning to their routine duties. Though the sub suffered significant exterior damage, it was still fully functional in terms of movement and the most essential navigation tools were still intact. Kaguya was waited on, within reasons. Despite her upbringing, she was a very practical person and did not ask for much, and was always polite with those around her. Rakshata almost immediately got back to work on the knightmares, repairing what damage she could. Many worried about her sanity judging by how she showed no signs of going to bed. Lelouch, meanwhile, just relaxed as best he could throughout the night, even going to bed early. But nothing could prepare him for what came in the morning.
Kallen, having access, entered the room. Quiet as a cat, she walked down into Lelouch's bedroom. He was sound asleep against the pillow, disappointing her but not surprising her. "He must have really been hoping for a 7 pm lesson." A devious smile formed on Kallen's lips. "I shouldn't…but it's just too fun!"
Without hesitation, she threw the covers off. Lelouch immediately sprung awake. "Kallen!?" Realizing he was still in his boxers, he quickly grabbed a pillow and covered himself. "Jeez! What do you think you're doing!?"
"Oh please." Kallen sighed, rolling her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about; boxers do nothing for me. I don't know why men even treat them as underwear." She then threw a heap of white clothes into Lelouch's lap. "Here. Get dressed."
Lelouch unfolded the clothes, and saw a white belt fall into his lap. Looking at it, he said "Is this…a gi?"
"Get ready for your first martial arts lesson, Zero-sama." She said as she walked out. "I brought a matt for us to train on too, so we don't have to take you into the training hall. That would have been awkward. Now hurry up! I want to get something substantial accomplished before breakfast!"
Kallen was ready to go with the lesson. She currently discarded her headband, her hair down slightly but still spikey. She wore a white gi with a black belt; officially, she never obtained this rank in any formal school, most of them being disbanded upon the colonization of Japan. Still, her experience was more than enough to make her on par with an official black belt; maybe even more..
Lelouch was across from her, wearing a similar gi but with a white belt. And somehow, Kallen filled out her uniform more than he did. "My god, someone give this kid a cheeseburger!" she thought upon looking at him. Lelouch was always handsome, but he clearly did not take part in any physical activity, as Kalen was able to see all the empty spaces in his uniform. Even if he did once act as the strategist of the Black Knights, Kallen was still amazed he was able to survive for this long. Deciding she thought on this long enough, Kallen decided to start. "Let's begin." Kallen, bowed.
"Uh, aren't you supposed to teach me?" Lelouch asked nervously.
"We both bow." Kallen replied annoyed. Lelouch did so.
First, they began with the warm ups, and already they ran into hurdles. When asked to touch his toes, Lelouch couldn't get past his knees. The splits were more like a very narrow V for him. And the push-ups were abandoned completely when Kallen realized he couldn't even complete his first one. "Well, I can't say I'm happy with the start." Kallen sighed. "Let's go about the techniques. We'll start with punching."
She showed him the standard shurite punch. "Now you give it a try." Lelouch did so; he at least had the basic idea, twisting his fist and pulling his other back into [a very poor] set. "Try again. Hit me." She said, holding up her palm. Lelouch did so; he winced when he felt how hard her palm was, despite their appearance following the rest of her feminine features. Kallen gave him an annoyed look. "I didn't feel a thing. Hell, I could hit harder than that at FOUR!"
"Sorry!" Lelouch squeaked.
He did so a couple more times, and already began hunching over, panting. "Warriors don't show weakness!" Kallen shouted as she forced him to stand up straight again. "We'll now do our basic kicks."
She demonstrated a snap kick, and Lelouch followed. This was even worse than his punches to her disgust; he couldn't even get the foot to groin level, forgot the return crane and somehow this seemed to tax him more than the punches. Kallen couldn't take anymore, and just wanted to move on to the next thing. "Let's go with the basic blocks." She demonstrated the inward block, and Lelouch followed poorly. "Too slow." She told him.
"If I hit harder, it'll hurt!"
"It will hurt both you and your opponent; hopefully it will hurt the later more. Like so!"
Kallen suddenly punched him; it was MUCH slower than her usual punches, but for Lelouch it was too quick, as it suddenly landed on his nose. "OW! WHAT THE HELL-!?" Though it wasn't bleeding, Lelouch clutched it and hopped around.
"You couldn't even see that coming!?" Kallen asked in disbelief.
The training continued for another hour. Eventually, Kallen supported him as she walked him back to the bed. It was in her eyes, very much a beginner's lesson but the way Lelouch was breathing, it may as well have been an expert's class "Okay." Kallen sighed. "Come one. I've got you."
Kallen guided him over to a table where CC had placed his breakfast for him. As Kallen eased him into the chair, CC asked "I take it didn't go very well?"
Kallen sighed. "Well to his credit he got the 'don't show weakness' part down at the very end."
Of course, Lelouch was not displaying that, instead leaning back desperately trying to take in some air. "That…was…hell…" He pulled up his plate and began to eat. "So…we're done, right?"
"Of course not." Kallen face-palmed herself.
"But I'm no good at it. Strategy is my fortei…"
"Yes. But it can't protect you from everything. And you won't always have me."
"Need I remind you I am a good fighter as well?" CC asked, raising her hand
"You also won't always have CC." Kallen amended her earlier statement. "We're done for today. But I need some time to think about this." Kallen walked out, leaving the two to their meals.
"Thank god." Lelouch sighed as he placed some egg into his mouth.
"Now it's my turn." CC suddenly said.
Lelouch stopped eating. "What?"
"Kallen taught you a few things. Now it's my turn."
Lelouch choked. "Uh…I don't think you can teach me anything that Kallen hasn't tried…"
"Just the opposite in fact." CC moved her seat away. "Kallen knows the Japanese martial arts. And I know many of the European martial arts. I may have been immortal…but eventually I got tired of being burned at the stake. Finish your breakfast; in 15 minutes, your next lesson begins."
Kallen sighed as she placed her plate down at a table, joining Ohgi, Tamaki, Todoh and his swords. "You seem down." Todoh noted.
"I started training Zero in martial arts." Kallen replied as she helped herself to some cereal.
"Really!?" Tamaki asked excitedly. "How'd it go!?"
"Terrible." Kallen replied. "I knew he wasn't athletic, but I never saw anything as pathetic as this morning." she sighed as she chewed on her egg.
"Doesn't surprise me really." Todoh said as began to eat as well. "He gave off that kind of demeanor. Let's just be thankful we never relied on Zero's fighting skills to begin with." Kallen said nothing, knowing he meant no disrespect. "You know, Suzaku started out very similar, even for his age." he suddenly said.
Kallen finally turned to look at him. "You're kidding." Suzaku was as good as her; maybe even better (which she would never admit). She couldn't imagine him as a fragile person.
Todoh took no surprise in her skepticism. "I'm sure it's hard to believe now, but Suzaku had no talent for the martial arts when he first started. At first I thought I would just stick around because Genbu paid me to…but then I realized that giving up on him would be the same as giving up in the midst of battle. So, I treated it as facing a battle with overwhelming odds. We always face staggering odds, whether it's beating an opponent or teaching another. Seeing your worst fear come to life is disappointing; believe me, I've had my share of failures in the army. But what's worse is giving up and wondering what might have been."
Kallen just sat there in awe of what he said. "I thought you weren't as supportive of Zero in the way I was." She noted.
"I'm not." Todoh replied. "But you're a great warrior, and a competent young woman. If you feel this is for the best, I trust you. Besides…if what you say about Zero is true, we better get his ass into shape before he gets himself in trouble."
Kallen nodded and scarfed down the rest of her breakfast. Quickly, she rushed to put the tray away. "You just want Zero to become closer to her, so that he's less likely to abandon on us again." Chiba noted.
"Well, there was that too." Todoh reluctantly agreed.
Kallen opened the door to Zero's quarters…and was met with a flying Lelouch landing at her feet. "Ahh!" Kallen quickly closed the door, and ran to Lelouch. "Please don't tell me your own breakfast kicked your ass!"
"It may as well have been."
Kallen looked up to see CC dressed in a tank top and gym shorts, tape wrapped around her wrist. "Uh…"
"If Lelouch is to learn martial arts, he should learn those of similar nature to Britannia as well as Japan's." she said. "Britannia borrowed many martial arts from Europe, and it would probably be best that he knows of those as well."
Kallen sighed, looking down on Lelouch's prone form. "Well, I guess if I had it with Lelouch, I can leave him in your care." Kallen went back outside. "I'm going to have a shower; carry on."
"Wait, Kallen! Don't leave..." The doors were slammed shut as he reached out to her.
Area 18 was a vast desert, though some sites sported beautiful forests and oasis. It was also rich with Sakuradite, which was the primary reason why Britannia conquered it. Cornelia was able to overwhelm the native forces and their primitive knightmares. The populace believed her alias, The Witch of Britannia, was well-earned that day.
Still, it was one thing to subdue the official governments. It was another to control the highly religious populace. Several fundamentalist groups had risen and rebelled, most notably the group which dubbed itself The Sand Hawks of Allah. Though they made a few victories, overall they had little effect on their occupiers, with their limited resources, and the Britannians indiscriminate retaliations made them pay a high price with each attack. Still, the clerisy was most helpful; the region was already an oppressive one that was welcomed by many of the inhabitants, even though now the real oppression was just mainly under a different name. The culture very much remained the same, unlike most other areas that were conquered and assimilated into the empire. There were very little Britannians settled in the region, as the extreme heat and fundamentalist rules made it unattractive to most Britannian businessmen and citizens. It mattered not to the empire; as long as they had the resources, the natives could keep their beliefs.
The two knights arriving by private plane had to remind themselves of that. Daniel Hortz, the current Knight of Five, watched the great sand ocean from above, anxious about what the future in this region held. He was a tall and broad man, almost as large as Bismarck, the Knight of One. His flowing silver hair always left a nice impression on the women of his homeland, but he was a shrewd warrior first and foremost. Their airship touched down on the airfield, and their representative speakers were there to greet them. "This will not go well." Daniel said, not taking his eyes off the window.
"You just assume it will go bad." Monica Kruzsweski, the Knight of Twelve, said. She was a young woman, perhaps 17, with blonde hair. She was still quite naïve, but none questioned how she got her position.
"Are you going to wear the burka they provided for you?"
"Of course not!" Monica blanched. "I can't see in that thing, and it's roasting out there!"
Daniel sighed. "…it's going to go badly. Very badly."
"Maybe for them." Both stood as they felt the plane land.
Outside, the Britannian soldiers lined up along the carpet, armed to the teeth. Then, the 18 clerics approached them. They were very much the stereotype of the region, dark-skinned with turbans and long beards. All wore sunglasses under the intense sun Though officially Britannia called the shots, the clerisy took responsibility for most of what happened in the region, which outside of the ownership of the Sakuradite, was pretty much everything. One of the men stepped forward. "Sir Daniel Hortz, Knight of Six. I, Abdul Hussein and the rest of the clerisy, welcome you."
"Thank you for the courtesy." Daniel replied. "I only wished you would extend the courtesy to my comrade."
Stunned by the accusation, the others looked to their leader. "With all due respect…" Abdul began...
"Spare me the lecture." Monica interrupted, raising her hand. "I know why you refuse to acknowledge me. For what it's worth, I respect your opinions…no matter how wrong. However, WE are both your superiors, like it or not, and you will treat me as such accordingly. Protest all you want; none of it will reach his majesty's ears. You complain to his children…well, most admired and loved her highness Cornelia. Think about where that will lead." She smiled mischievously.
The men, not used to being talked down to by a woman, huddled together, some waving their hands aggressively and most unable to keep their voices under a whisper. Eventually, they relented and turn to face them. "Our sincerest apologies. Anyway, we must discuss business. Would you please accompany us to the palace?" They parted to show two limousines pull up to them.
"There is no need for two limos." Daniel stated. "If you have a problem, perhaps you would like me to drive?" The men grunted, and reluctantly opened the door for both of them. Both took note on how one shouted into his walkie talkie. Monica didn't understand the message, but Daniel did. ("Call it off! They didn't take the bait!")
As the two entered, Daniel said "I must apologize, Monica. This will be quite a trial for you, despite sharing a position on equal grounds with me."
"There is nothing to be sorry about." Monica smiled as she made herself comfortable. "In fact, I look very much forward to crushing their foolish pride."
"Just make sure you're prepared for the repercussions if you do." Daniel warned her as he looked out the window.
"Are you alright, Zero-sama?" Ohgi asked.
"Is there any indication otherwise, Ohgi?" Zero responded.
"Well, your legs are kind of shaking." Tamaki volunteered.
"Nervous twitch." Zero hastily responded. The past couple of days, Kallen and CC had been drilling him relentlessly in martial arts. They weren't just starting from scratch, they were starting from less than nothing! Lelouch had terrible athleticism, and it felt more like they were trying to teach a baby to walk before it's time! This was not lost on Todoh, who for a split second smiled at the thought of Zero suffering the training of martial arts. Still, he managed to maintain his composure. "Anyway, as you are aware, I have moved our ship towards Area 18. While I had always planned to visit them eventually, it is now happening sooner than I had anticipated or wanted. This was mainly to throw off our pursuers from earlier. However, now that we're heading over there, we must make the most of it. Which means we must start the rebuilding of our army's strength upon arrival."
Before he could go on, Kaguya entered with her pet in her arms. "Excuse me, Zero-sama. But as the symbol and chief financer of the Black Knights, I do believe I am entitled to these meetings."
"My apologies, Kaguya-sama. Please…" He gestured to the empty seat next to Tamaki. "…have a seat." Kaguya helped herself, her pet devil snuggling into her lap. Tamaki, not forgetting the experience with the feral animal turned pet, scooted a couple of inches away. The devil also growled in response.
"Anyway, Area 18 is an area rich in Sakuradite, which is the primary reason why the Britannians have conquered it."
"Of course." Kallen sighed.
"And you intend to ally with the natives." Todoh began. "While I would normally agree to such a course, it would be rather difficult to accomplish there."
"I'm glad you brought that up." Zero said as he switched to the slides, showing photos of the local population, which on pictures alone was nothing except an observation on cultural differences. "Indeed, the natives of what is now Area 18 are highly religious and untrustworthy of outsiders. Though Japan itself was not so different at one point in its history, I should add. Anyway, it's because of their culture that Britannia has not approached colonization like they did with other areas."
"What does that mean?" Tamaki asked.
"It means that Britannia simply occupies the region. But most do not wish to actually live in it. The climate is rather challenging to foreigners, and the attitude of the natives have proven nearly impossible to deal with without putting their citizens at risk. Whereas most other numbers upon conquest have submitted and will attempt to assimilate into Honorary Britannians, it has proven almost impossible with this group of people."
"Hn. Maybe we should have followed their example back in the day." Tamaki said approvingly.
"Only if you wished for Japan to be turned into a barren desert." CC added. "Harsh climates tend to birth hostile people."
"Or abstain from many forms of art." Todoh added. "…though granted, we may have still had calligraphy, but when it comes to strict visuals."
"Or lack any form of free speech." Chiba also added. "We had that back then, and it was originally one of the reasons we were fighting."
"What? They didn't have all that before?" Tamaki asked in shock.
"You really need to become more aware of the world and how different people think." Ohgi sighed.
Kallen eagerly joined in on the discussion. "Oh. I think I should also add: women's rights down there are virtually non-existent. All women have to be covered head-to-toe, sometimes not even their faces are visible. And in many areas they're not allowed to go anywhere without a male escort."
Tamaki just stared at her. "…you serious?"
Kallen fooled around with her cell-phone. "Here. This is a picture from their so-called 'local swimsuit' magazine." Showing the image to Tamaki, his jaw dropped. And not in the way he would have expected.
The woman in question was sitting in the water, and though her face was visible, she was covered in a burka and boots. Tamaki, still stunned at what he saw, looked at Zero. "Why are we helping them again?"
"Politics is never about good vs. evil. At least, not in the purest sense." Zero answered. "As you have observed, the region has been allowed to keep what is called 'Sharia Law', which is a strict interpretation of their holy book. Human rights are limited, except for the elite, though they pretend to abstain from such things and silence anyone who exposes them."
He then showed another slide with a native bearded man kissing Schneizel on the cheek and holding his hand. "What? Schneizel's into men?" Tamaki asked as the others around him face-palmed themselves.
"Cultural thing for the region." Zero said. "And quite frankly, one not worth making a fuss over. The point of this slide, is that the royal family has struck a bargain with the clerisy. The Clerisy were allowed to stay on top and allowed special privileges, and therefore continue to enforce their laws, while the Britannians were able to harvest the Sakuradite and build bases for themselves."
"In other words, while the status quo remains for the elite, both they and the Britannians drain the land dry, and leave the rest of the people with nothing." Kaguya said.
"Precisely." Zero said.
"And we're going to topple them, somehow." Ohgi said.
"You would think under ideal conditions it would be an easy task, but for these people it will not be so simple." Todoh said. "While by our standards no one in their right minds would allow even their own people to get away with such abusive power, they have been raised and convinced that it is right. Those that do dissent are thrown in jail at best. If we so much as harm their superiors, we will immediately be branded as enemies and they will refuse to be our allies. Even if we got Britannia out of there."
Ohgi leaned back and massaged his head. "So, in other words, it will be a waste of our time."
"There's more to it." Zero said. He then moved to a slide featuring many masked men brandishing firearms. "This group is known as the Sand Hawks of Allah. A local group of Freedom Fighters in the region."
"They're just as bad as the clerisy, aren't they?" Tamaki moaned.
"First sensible bit of intuition you've demonstrated." Lelouch thought. "Correct. They are just as religious as the clerisy. The only difference is they refuse to be corrupted by infidels…as they put it. And they are just as cruel, though some would argue that they have their own hypocrisies, and if they toppled the government…who's to say they won't become the same as the clerisy?"
He then showed a slide of a Britannian businessman. "This is Simon Allen. He was the CEO of a substantial cooperation in the homeland, specializing in energy production, and therefore, Sakuradite. He was captured by the Sand Hawks…and then this happened." He played a video, with Simon bound and on his knees, a masked man carrying a machine gun next to him. Another read a script; none knew what he was saying. Finally, the reader ran his finger across his neck. Another stepped behind him, carrying a scimitar. Simon begged for his life, but to no avail. Even Todoh winced when they witnessed his execution. "While it is in some ways antithetical to our cause to sympathize with the Britannians, all he did was run a company, and had never actively sought to harm other numbers."
"So, they hate foreigners." Ohgi said. "Yeah, it sounds like the Bakamatsu in many ways, I'll give you that."
Zero took his seat at the end of the table. "Let it not be misunderstood; we are attacking Britannia in Area 18 to cut off access to Sakuradite and we are doing that by finding allies of convenience, nothing more. It's a rather cold way to look at the world, but until we improve things, that is the hard truth."
"So…" Chiba began. "…how are we going to go about that?"
"We can start with me." Kaguya suddenly said. "While the neither the clerisy nor the hawks are particularly accepting of women, they will recognize my value. I am sure I can help sway them to Zero's side."
"What about contacting them in the first place?" Kallen asked.
"I believe I can find a way to get to one of their contacts." Zero himself volunteered.
"Another miracle?" Todoh asked skeptically.
"For this, I would like to call it a minor convenience." Zero said. "We'll be there in a few days. We will sort out the details then. Until then, dismissed."
Midnight. On a base on Area 18, it was guard duty as usual for the soldiers. They had their fair share of attacks; none pleasant, and all were happy to go back home when this was done; hell, they'd take many of the other areas over this hellhole. They failed to notice a covered woman sneaking up behind them, her clothes blending in with the darkness perfectly; she quickly ran up to them and tapped their necks. Small daggers were embedded in the back of their heads, and they slumped over without so much as a scream.
Despite her seemingly cumbersome burka, she proved to be agile and fast, avoiding all the lights and guards. Finally, she found the armory guarded by two other soldiers. Taking a blowgun, she placed a dart inside. She then exhaled hard, hitting one guard in the neck. He staggered, drawing attention from his friend. Quickly, she nailed him too. Both guards quickly fell dead; the toxin was based off of cobra venom, and concentrated for an extremely low lethal dose.
While she had the chance, she ran to the lock, and attached a code cracker to it, using every possible combination until it got the right one. The door's lock clicked open, and she helped herself in. Inside were several rounds of ammunition and modern weaponry lying about. Nothing could be done about the knightmares; the Sand Hawks sure could use them, and she would have liked to pilot one. But they would have to make do with these for now. She quickly checked her watch as it continued to countdown: sixty seconds to go, as scheduled…
A convoy of vans, painted midnight blue to blend in with the night, headed towards the base. The lead van contained two people, the passenger checking his watch. "Ten seconds."
"What if she gets caught in one of the blasts?" the driver asked.
"She knew the risks." The passenger replied as he extended an antennae on a remote control. "If something happens to her, it will be her fault. It was a job better suited for men anyway." He pressed the switch…
The base came alive with explosions, throwing the routine of the soldiers into complete disarray. "What the-!?" one screamed. He too was caught in a blast before anymore could be done.
The woman, meanwhile, observed the chaos from a safe corner. One would expect her to feel elated at what the Britannians were going through. But she felt nothing. Once the blasts ceased, with only the fire remaining, she quickly loaded a machine gun and stuffed her clothes with as much ammo as she could carry. The lead van then drove through the flames towards her, the others close behind. "Load 'em up!" she told them, tossing an RPG at the passenger who only buckled under its weight. "Their knightmares will be upon us any second!" Others came in, raiding the armory and stuffing them with weapons. Suddenly, the Sutherlands shown their lights upon them. "Move!" the woman screamed as she scrambled into the middle of the lead van.
The driver did so, then whispering to his commander "So far, this woman is twice the man you claim you are.", making his disappointment clear. They sped off as the knightmares fired.
Most didn't hit their mark, due to their guns not being designed for such small targets. But it didn't matter much to the soldiers; they immediately revved their wheels and pursued them. They would catch up to them in no time. In the lead van, the commander asked his driver "You prepared the fallback?"
The driver balked. "But sir! You said it was a last resort!"
"They wouldn't have volunteered otherwise had I told them the opposite." He replied nonchalantly as he pressed a switch on a remote detonator. As the knigtmares caught up with them, the cars immediately in front of them went up in a blaze of magnesium, strong enough to knock them over while the other vans were propelled forward. The light blinded the pilots, and their machines went toppling over while the others made their getaway. While their units were still operational, their integrity was compromised. The rebels had escaped…but at the cost of a deliberate sacrifice of a dozen of their own. The woman from before, again, looked on in disappointment, but not surprised at the actions of these rebels.
"Is that right?" David said over the phone, being briefed on the terrorist attack. "Investigate to the best of your ability, and I will personally oversee the security training from now on. Especially that of our personal warehouses." Without another word, he hung up.
"Those Sand Hawks they keep talking about?" Monica asked, clad only in pajamas appropriate for one her age.
"So it seems. They were quite efficient. And without honor." He said, turning back to her. "Watch your back. On both ends."
The Sand Hawks entered their base, hidden in the mountains. The rebels stationed there for the mission cheered as they came back with the weapons they needed. They also took notice that a substantial number of their comrades were missing as well.
Their leader, Abbas Sultan, got out of the lead jeep and addressed his soldiers. "My brothers! We have returned, victorious in our mission!" The soldiers cheered. "Unfortunately, it came at a price. But do not worry; those who have fallen are now with Allah, rewarded with the virgins promised for their martyrdom. We will convene to celebrate their ascension later; for now, we must store our prize and secure our defenses!"
The soldiers got to work, following their leader. "Ahem." Abbas turned to see the covered woman holding out her hand. "I know the lecture you're going to give me. But the agreement was payment."
Abbas growled. "I have more important matters to attend to. You will receive your payment in the morning."
"Fine. Then you can find yourself a new infiltrator."
Abbas tried to ignore her altogether, but even he had to admit, she had done more than any of his other soldiers with similar skills. He groaned and reluctantly reached into his pocket, handing wads of riyals. She waved her hand, indicating that she was satisfied with her payment. "Now get out of here." He ordered her.
The woman nodded, mounting her motorcycle at the far end of the wall. "Open up!" she waved to the guards. Though they did so with displeasure, they opened their secret bunker doors. She revved the motorcycle, and took off.
Riding across the desert was no problem; it was when she approached the city where she would really have to be careful. Here, women were forbidden to drive. She found a rocky outcrop a good distance away from the city, and parked the motorcycle there. Covering it with palm leafs, she prepared for the long walk home. Thank goodness she was much tougher than most of the women, and than most of the men wanted her to be, though she was also careful to conceal it.
She finally made it to her slum. She was lucky to have found a place with locks at least to protect the items essential to her work. She went inside, closing the door. Finally, she took off her head piece, revealing a beauty with black hair styled in a bob, equally luscious lips, and exotic green eyes, topped off with her tan skin common for the region. But with what she experienced growing up, she had no plans to commit her body with anyone. She quickly walked over to the stove, preparing a soup. She sighed with irritation. She loved the work she did, making lives miserable for the Britannians that killed her family. But she hated for whom she did it FOR. Sitting on her bed, she pondered: What alternative was there?
"Finally." Kallen sighed, dressed in her gi again. "You're at the level a man of your age should be."
Lelouch had finally managed to complete a kata this morning. He was drenched in sweat, and still couldn't mask his pain. But at least this was expected of a beginner. "Thanks." Lelouch said sarcastically, knowing the red-head was not satisfied.
Kallen tossed him a towel, but he missed completely and it landed right in his face. "Don't relax just yet; CC still needs to brush up on your…Savate?" Kallen warned him while forgetting what CC's favored martial art was.
Lelouch growled as he wiped his face down. "I was hoping you two would be at each other's throats for teaching me different styles; would give me a chance to catch a breather."
"So, what's the plan once we get to Area 18?"
"Find the Sand Hawks. They're our best bet to get started there." Lelouch said.
"Do you even know where to begin?" Kallen prodded him.
"No. We'll just have to gamble."
"Geass." Kallen realized, crossing her arms.
"You don't approve?" Lelouch asked, sipping some water as he eased himself into a sitting position against the wall.
"This is war." Kallen replied reluctantly. "We need to use every tool we have available. So what I think of a certain tool…especially one beneficial to us…is irrelevant."
Lelouch nodded. "You know…this power…is terrifying."
"You can get people to do anything you want." Kallen said.
"Exactly. It's close to absolute power. And absolute power…"
"Corrupts absolutely." Kallen finished for him. "Yes, I've heard the saying. But why does it terrify you?"
"Because I fear the day when I lose myself completely, and become a monster." Lelouch said. "As long as I'm human, I can take comfort in what little good I do and retain some honor. But if this power becomes too much…"
Kallen was stunned by this; after everything that happened, Lelouch was purer than she thought. She tried to say something to comfort him. But then the intercom rung before she had the chance. "Zero-sama." Ohgi called from the bridge. "We've found a place to anchor. We're going in."
"Excellent." Lelouch wheezed into the intercom. "We'll convene within 30 minutes." As Lelouch gathered his Zero costume, he told Kallen "Tell CC we'll have to cancel her portion of the lesson for today. I'm going to check in on an experiment of mine."
Kallen blinked. "Excuse me?"
Tamaki breathed deep as he completed his 50th bench press of 68 kgs. He was not known for being the most athletic or disciplined of the soldiers, so naturally everyone else came in to observe, impressed with what he was able to accomplish. "Wow!" one of the female technicians' squeaked. "You're awesome, Tamaki-san!"
"Ow…" Tamaki slowly sat up as he rubbed his arms. Then, he looked around, looking quite confused. "What I am doing in the gym? And why do my arms feel like they were pulled apart by trucks?" he growled.
"It was impressive doing that many presses." Chiba said, approaching him. "But you clearly didn't work up to it properly."
"I did what again?" he asked, wincing in pain as a slight movement felt more like a dislocation.
"Never thought I'd see humility from you." Todoh commented as he and Chiba supported his shoulders. "Come on; let's get you to the infirmary, just in case."
"Yeah…thanks." He groaned as the strain finally hit him full force.
As they helped their comrade up, Zero looked on behind the crowd. "Excellent."
Once he was out of earshot of the group, Kallen walked up to him. "You geassed Tamaki to do that." It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"Why?" Kallen did her best to quell her anger. She had accepted Lelouch's Geass, recognized its usefulness, but to use it on one of his own soldiers-!
"For this." Zero suddenly spoke to her in an Arabic accent. "I'm going under cover in Area 18." Zero said, this time in his normal voice. "But I can't talk like the locals, no matter how hard I try on my own. I've modified my voice changer to something more radical to make it easier."
"And to see if your commands would still work under a completely different voice." The red-head realized.
"Yes." He said. "CC filled me in on the known limits of Geass. I just had to verify another; it seems as though as long as they hear the voice from the source of which they see the Geass, they will follow the command."
As they walked into his room, they saw CC spreading out clothes fit for the locals on the floor. "We're going to need face paint for you; your complexion is a little bit too pale to be believable there." She motioned towards some make up. "Thanks to Sharia law, that may not be much of a problem for me." She said as she held up a burka. "Oppression has never been so convenient."
"Am I coming?" Kallen asked.
Removing his mask, Lelouch hesitated to answer. "I think its best you stay behind, Kallen." Lelouch said, knowing it did not come out very well.
"What!?" Kallen yelled. "Are you saying I'm not good enough for your undercover mission!?"
Lelouch sighed. "Kallen…depending on where we're going…you could very well lose your temper if you see the wrong thing."
The desert was even worse than Lelouch imagined. He didn't know how any of the locals could stand it here! Worse, in acting undercover, he couldn't so much as bring a bottle of water with him; it would be too suspicious. "How are you holding up?" Lelouch whispered to CC.
"I've been across this region before." She whispered back. "I know what to expect." A moment later, Lelouch could hear her growl. "I will admit though…due to the heat alone, I HATED my time here."
They finally reached the bazar. It had many carts with crafts, food and other commerce they allowed. Around every corner, a Britannian soldier carrying a loaded weapon stood guard. "You'll have to be subtle." CC warned him.
"AHHH!" Both turned around to see one of the locals suddenly beat a woman with his club. The guards, though expressing some form of irritation, only stood by and watched.
"I'm guessing that they leave the social affairs to the locals." Lelouch observed.
"Pretty much." CC agreed. "While the Britannians enforce the written laws by the empire, they allow the more extreme natives to police their people as they see fit. It has always been law for women to be 'properly covered' here, from what I have heard it has gotten more extreme." Looking closer, she saw what offended the man so much. "Ah. It seems she may have exposed a finger."
"That much of a fuss over that?" Lelouch asked. Now even he began having doubts about "liberating" their people; it seemed the Britannian occupation might actually do them a favor in the long run! "We better get on with it…after taking care of this distraction."
"What?"
"Don't you dare insult your family like that again, do you hear me!?" The woman only meekly bowed as she limped away. The man was about to be on his way, Lelouch walked up to him. "Excuse me." He asked, his chip both translating to Arabic and giving him the correct accent. "I need to ask you a favor."
His geass activated, and the man's iris' showed the red hue of those affected. "Yes, my brother. How may I help you?"
Lelouch whispered into his ear. "Go buy a belly-dancing outfit before you go home. Once you get there, put it on and dance in the street."
"Absolutely." The man smiled, as he left. Lelouch heard what the penalty for him would be; part of him thought it was harsh. But the other part had a feeling he had been doing things much worse for years. He then rejoined CC. "Let's go. Someplace where the people can speak of the rebels without fear."
Soon, they found the make-shift headquarters of the local enforcers. "You think this will do?" Lelouch whispered to CC.
"The men here take it upon themselves to enforce their religion to the extreme. The Britannians could shut it down, but they believe it's not worth the trouble."
"The political ramifications would be too costly." Lelouch understood.
"The Britannians may be a bit more permissive than in other areas in terms of culture. But they still don't like the idea of them being here."
Lelouch nodded. "Understood." Eyeing other women on the bench outside…probably their wives… under the watch of a guard, he motioned for her to wait over there. He walked inside. It was mostly men praying, smoking hookah…and then he noticed some men, whispering loudly over hummus. Lelouch quickly purchased some for himself, and walked over. "Excuse me, gentlemen." He said. "Would you mind if I join you?"
One motioned him away. "Apologies, my friend. But this is a private meeting."
Now this was worth asking about. Lelouch quickly turned away to remove his contact. "I mean no disrespect. I only mean to ask you all a few questions, please." They came under the control of his Geass, and moved over to allow him a seat. He helped himself in. "Thank you."
Making sure no one else was listening, he asked "Would any of you by any chance be familiar with an organization called the Sand Hawks of Allah?"
"I work as an informant for them." The one across from him spoke up, though softly.
Lelouch focused his attention on him. "Excellent. By any chance, would you be able to tell me how to contact them?"
Abbas went over a map with his lieutenants, planning their next move. They made some good gains, but by now Britannia surely had adapted. They paid great costs too; they couldn't afford to keep going with suicide bombers (voluntary or not) at this rate. If only God would do actual miracles once in a while…Suddenly, his phone rang. Unable to recognize the number, he rose from his seat. "Get the tracers ready!" They hooked up his phone, and they put it on speaker. "Who is this?" he spoke into it, staying as calm as he could.
"Is this Abbass Sultan?" a foreign voice said on the other line.
Abbass cringed. "Who are you!? How did you get this number!?"
"That is not important." He said. "As for my identity, surely you have heard of Zero, leader of the Black Knights and Scourge of Britannia."
Everyone in the room was stunned silent. Zero, in contact with them!? Quickly, Abbas continued the conversation. "Well, if that's the case, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that you got this number; I imagine you won't tell me how either. So, what does the so-called great Zero want with us?"
"Quite simple. I propose an alliance. We will discuss the terms in person. You pick the place."
Abbass had to think about this for a moment. Even if he was an enemy of Britannia, Zero represented many things he rallied his troops against! Then again, he could not deny his impossible victories. While it would not be wise to trust him fully, it would be most unwise to let this opportunity go to waste… "Very well. We will meet by the Roc Rock Formations. Come alone."
"No deal." Zero replied. "Since you are not interested, we will pretend this never happened…"
"Wait!" Abbass yelled. "Alright. You may bring two soldiers with you."
"Plus one." Zero replied. "And I would appreciate it if you did not kill them on the spot."
"Now, why would I do that?"
"Take a guess. Remember, the genders are not up for negotiation."
Abbass growled. This man-! Quickly, he composed himself. "Fine."
"See you tomorrow." With that, Zero hung up.
Abbass slammed the phone down. "Insolent wretch!" Looking at his lieutenants, he asked "Did you get the number?"
"No; I'm sorry." The technician replied. "He must have been using an anti-tracing device."
Abbas breathed deeply, deciding finding him was a lost cause for now. "Get everything ready. Make sure the deck is stacked in our favor." His subordinates went to work immediately. "Now how am I going to explain this to everyone without looking weak…"
Lelouch quickly hung up the phone. He could tell that best case scenario, he and this man would never be friends. "CC; go find out where Roc rock formation is in Area 18."
"Roc rock?" CC asked as she let go of her plushie.
"Mythological bird of the region." Lelouch clarified. "ROC."
"I know what it is." CC retorted as she got a laptop going. "It just sounds so bad in English." Lelouch simply shrugged his shoulders.
Kallen leaned against the wall, listening in on the whole thing. "I'm guessing we're the two you're taking with you."
"I am." Lelouch answered affirmatively. "We'll traverse the area in dress appropriate for the region. After that, they will see you all as you are."
"Well…" Kallen placed her hands on her hips. "…while I have no doubt I can take on all of them, I'd rather not put myself in danger if I can help it."
"Showing both of you as you are around us will be a statement." Lelouch said firmly as he brought his fingers together. "If we meet under their rules, we will send the message that they're in charge. This alliance will be tenuous at the very best; I cannot afford to give Abbass even one ounce of an edge, even if it's only psychological."
Kallen thought about it for a minute. "I see." Kallen briefly smiled at the thought of angering such fundamentalists. "It certainly sounds like fun." She said. "You also mentioned a third person. Who-?" Lelouch said nothing, but Kallen could see the answer in his eyes. "What!? No!"
"We need her involved." Lelouch said.
"She can't protect herself!"
"We will." Lelouch affirmed. "My word alone will not be good enough. I may be playing general to an army of rebels, but we need an actual politician on our side."
"At 15?" Kallen asked incredulously.
"I have seen even younger lead people and soldiers." CC said as she printed out the map. Walking over, she added "Granted, it's a mixed bag overall, but some children actually do have a good head on their shoulders. When you take out Kaguya's fixation on Zero, she is actually quite competent."
As Lelouch took the map and inspected it, he smiled. "Get some rest. It's going to be tense tomorrow."
The infiltrator decided to sleep in today; she wasn't told of being needed for any more help in the foreseeable future, and she had enough money to keep her afloat for now. Then, her cell phone rang. "So much for sleeping in." She groaned as she rose out of her bed, and reached for her phone. "Hello?" she growled.
"Fahdah." A young man's voice whispered from the other line.
"Maymun?" She brought her legs over, sitting up. "What's going on?"
"Rumors." He said. "Abbass is meeting with someone. A foreigner."
She finally stood up, walking. "What kind of non-muslim, let alone foreigner would Abbass meet?"
"Someone important, obviously. And powerful."
Fahdah nodded. "Understood." Quickly, she hung up. It probably wasn't worth her time…but one could never be too sure as she quickly gathered her things.
Kallen carefully navigated the SUV across the city. She and CC wore male masks, with dark skins and thick beards. Lelouch was dressed in his Zero attire, but covered up in a cloak. "Zero-sama, are you alright?" Kaguya was seated in the very back, the windows tinted so no one could see her. She was also given a fan as well as a supply of water bottles to help her endure the hellish heat.
"Focus on keeping yourself cool, Kaguya-sama." Zero replied, masking his discomfort. "We know you don't do well in hot climates. We'll do our best to make this visit quick."
Eventually, they left the regular urban area, coming to a checkpoint. The police and guards immediately walked over. Their first instinct was to interrogate the driver. When they questioned Kallen, she simply nodded towards Zero. Moving over to him, the head officer asked "Are you the man in charge?"
"I am." Zero replied.
The cloak obviously made him suspicious. "Sir, I will have to ask you to step out of the car."
"No. In fact…" Zero turned, revealing his geass. "You do not need to ask any questions, and will not impede our drive, coming AND going."
His eyes glowed, and he backed away. "We do not need to ask them any other questions!" he yelled to his men. "Let them through!" Though perplexed, the soldiers obeyed their commanding officer. They lifted the post, and Kallen drove through without issue.
"Finally." She sighed, pulling off her mask. "I'm glad they didn't get too good a look at me. Not even these bindings do much."
"Well, we felt my height would have felt more off than your bust." CC said, pulling off her mask. Zero also discarded his cloak for now. "Feeling better?" CC asked.
"No." Zero replied. "This costume alone is hellish in this environment. Don't worry; I'll endure." Finally, they came upon a large formation. "This is the place." Zero confirmed.
As Kallen parked it, Zero stepped out. The two ladies also exited, their faces still unmasked. "Here's hoping they don't shoot us." CC said. Kallen just looked at her funny. "What? I may be immortal, but getting shot still sucks."
Kallen nodded as they unfolded a kago box and lifted it next to the door. "Get in." Kallen ordered Kaguya, who helped herself inside. "You think they'll come?" Kallen asked Zero.
"I don't have to think about it; look." Zero pointed to the horizon, where a dust cloud could be seen. Soon, they could make out vehicles equipped with some decent artillery. If they made a wrong move, all except CC were guaranteed annihilation.
The lead vehicle parked dangerously close to Zero; though the masked man remained in place, he was admittedly nervous they were trying to run him over for real. Soon, a man in a military uniform, sporting a short but thick beard stepped out. "Zero, I presume?"
"You presume correctly." Zero said. "I take it you are Abbass Sultan?"
"I am." He confirmed. He then eyed the two women. They couldn't quite put their finger on it, but it seemed to be a cross between disgust and lust. "I must thank you for warning me about this…blasphemy, ahead of time." He whispered to the dark man. He straightened up, addressing all. "This isn't an appropriate place to talk." Abbass said. "If you want to continue negotiations, we must take you to our base. But you can't know where we're going."
"Do what you have to." Zero said. Zero and his colleagues had black linen sacks placed over their heads, obstructing their vision. They were escorted into a van, while Kaguya's kago was placed in the trunk of another. The convoy drove off.
In the distance, Fadah looked through a telescope. "So, Maymun. Your Intel was spot on, as usual. I'll have to think of an extra-nice award for you." She put it away, and revved up her motorcycle, following them.
The sack was pulled off of Zero's helmet, and he could see again. Kallen and CC also had their sacks removed. All were seated at a large table, and observed a very large guerilla base around them, either underground or inside a mountain. Everywhere Zero looked, he could see soldiers training, vehicles, and maintenance on weapons. While the firearms were decent enough, he noticed no knightmares. "No wonder they have resorted to terrorism as opposed to all-out war." Decent radio and computers were scattered throughout, but Zero had a feeling many of the soldiers had lacked the discipline or knowledge to use every tool to its fullest.
"Welcome to our humble abode, Mr. Zero." Abbass approached them, and took his place at the other end of the table. "I'm sure you're not impressed." He snapped.
"It could be better." Zero agreed. "But for what it's worth, you're doing a good job with what you have."
Abbass nodded. "Of course you would use flattery. But I suggest we get started with this talk you wanted to have so badly."
"Yes. Of course."
"Before we do, I believe you have one other person you'd like to take part in these discussions." Zero then looked behind him to see the kago. Quickly, he excused himself and opened it. Holding out his hand, Kaguya stepped out. As Zero helped her to her seat, Abbass asked "And just who might you be?"
"You may address me as Kaguya Sumeragi, of the Six Houses of Kyoto." She said, staying as polite as possible while also trying to sound strong.
Abass's eyes lit up. "I heard of them. You are the sole heir of your family?"
"I am." She replied.
Abbass seemed to curse something under his breath; Zero had no doubt about what bothered him so. "You said you want an alliance." He said, addressing Zero again. "Then, let us talk terms, and we'll see."
A young man, Maynum watched the meeting in the back. Only 19, scrawny, and with glasses, his peers did not consider him soldier material and often did not include him on these things. He was kept around for his technical skills, but even then wasn't appreciated much.
"So, that's him?" a female whispered next to him. "Zero?"
The young man looked to her in surprise. "Fadah!" he hissed. Sighing, he nodded. "Apparently."
"He's brave to bring uncovered females. Especially female SOLDIERS."
"Hey." He whispered. "Abbass keeps you around."
"Only because he's surrounded by incompetents and he's desperate enough for my services. Once I'm of no use to him, there'll be a line of stones waiting to meet my face while the rest of my body is buried in the sand."
Maynum sighed. "Ain't that the truth?" He slightly touched her arm. "You know I think you are far more worthy than any other man here."
"I know. It's sweet of you."
He blushed at the compliment. "You look like you need a favor."
"I'll compensate you." She whispered back.
"Normally, I'd be a gentlemen and politely refuse your offer…even if I usually curse myself afterwards for being an idiot. Then again, I recently met the woman my father wants me to marry." He grimaced.
"That bad?"
"If anyone needs to wear a burka, it's HER." He sighed. "I don't think she's that into me either, so I suppose it'll be a mutual hell for us both."
Fadah nodded. "Understood. But first…do you have a bug?" He nodded, and placed it in her hand. "Now, to get some tea." She thought as she briskly walked away.
"I will admit. You and your resources are most desirable." Abbass continued.
"In all honesty, we're in need of YOUR resources." Zero responded.
Abbass tried not to smile. "I see. So it is you who really needs us."
"On the contrary. I'd say you'd still very much need me and my knights. I've heard about your exploits."
"It is no different than how you started." The commander replied confidently.
"Although it didn't end as intended, the fact is in less than a year I struck the colonized Japan with a terrorist attack that ruined their infrastructure, and brought the populace to their knees. You have not managed to come close to what I have accomplished. You raid a few military bases that easily replace their stolen goods and lost soldiers, and sacrifice many of your soldiers in doing so."
"We have acknowledged each fallen brother as a martyr!" Abbass snapped back.
"I'm sure you have. But even you have to admit each dead soldier would have been more useful to you alive."
"And you have not lost your soldiers!?"
"I've lost less than you under bigger threats." Zero hissed. "And I have made the viceroys of Area 11 fear me. The clerisy and the emperor thinks of you as nothing less than mosquitoes."
"HOW DARE YOU!?" Abbass yelled as he slammed his fist on the table.
On instinct, the soldiers drew their guns. Zero and his lieutenants also drew their own hidden guns, for all the good it would do them. "Trust me, you don't want to go this route." Zero warned them. "My two soldiers alone will halve your forces before you can get a clean shot in."
"Gentlemen." Kaguya interrupted. "We obviously have large differences we must work to overcome. But I do believe the rewards to overcoming them will be great. Please…hear us out before you make judgement."
The soldiers hesitated. Abbass breathed deeply…and sat down, waving them off. As the soldiers withdrew their guns, Zero and the others holstered theirs. A woman in a burka came in, holding a tray with tea. Abbass rudely grabbed one, and motioned for her to serve the others. Except for Zero, who politely declined, the Black Knights gratefully accepted them, after that confrontation got their heart racing. Kallen momentarily jumped, thinking someone pinched her bottom. Not wanting to risk a further confrontation over sexual harassment, she reluctantly let it go.
"Perhaps I should explain my motivations." Zero said. "As you know, I want to crush Britannia. All over the world."
"And you expect us to join you?"
"In this part of the world…yes."
"I feel you do not understand our mission here, Zero."
"I understand perfectly. You wish to expel the foreigners here…mostly Britannians, and your people also do not wish to be ruled or influenced by people different from you."
Abbass nodded. "Very well. It seems your head is not completely in the clouds."
"Of course, your local mission is very much in tune with our global mission." Zero said as he brought his hands together.
"And you know what we are doing is trying to take over, right?" Abbass asked.
"You don't believe your people should choose?"
"What is there to debate? Power will return to those born here, who are not working for infidels. It's exactly what the people want." He said, smacking the table. "Unlike those pigs in the clerisy who claim to represent Allah, we have pledged to take care of the people and uphold our nation's honor!"
"So you say." Zero thought. "Well, I have no intention of changing your mind." Zero replied. "What you do here is the business of the people. All we are here for is to ruin the Sakuradite line for the Britannians. We'd welcome you to join us in the ongoing war, but I suppose that will have to be for another time once you've gotten all your other affairs in order."
"We've been trying to do the same." Abbass replied. "But they're too well-guarded. We have no knightmares, and our artillery is not enough to overwhelm them. On top of that, the clerisy can manipulate the populace against us."
"We plan to deal with them too." Zero said. "So, while our personal ideologies may be polar opposites, our goals in regards to this region are intertwined."
Abbass nodded. "So it seems. What do you require of us?"
"We need supplies to rebuild our knightmares."
"You have an engineer?"
"One of the best." Zero replied confidently.
Abbass thought about this. "It sounds you need a lot to get you going. Probably more than we have."
"For now, we're just focusing on our top knightmares." Kallen said. "No more than five."
Abbass began "I didn't ask-"
"Kozuki is my greatest soldier and one of my trusted confidants." Zero warned him. "If you don't like what you hear, I suggest you keep it to yourself."
He sat there for a moment, before taking another breath. "We have collected enough metal." Abbass sighed. "But we've had other plans for it. You'll understand, that I cannot simply give this to you without compensation."
"We anticipated as much." Kaguya said. "Which is why I am here. My father foresaw Britannia's invasion long ago. Unlike the other five houses, he saved the majority of his fortune in foreign accounts. And one of them is here."
Abbass quirked his brow. "When the Witch conquered these lands, all the banks went under Britannia's control. There is no real privacy here."
"It's not in a bank. It's with a trusted friend." Kaguya said confidently. "And I have instructions on where to find it."
Abbass rolled the metal stress balls in his hand. "We will give you all the scrap metal we have. For double the price on the black market."
"Deal." Zero nodded, as he stood. "We will contact you again when we are ready to trade."
Abbass nodded. "I look forward to working with you…if you get back to full strength." Zero felt a sack come over his eyes again.
Eventually, Zero and his cohorts were back in the Shitora, gathered around the council table. "I suppose I don't need to state my opinion on Sultan-san." Kallen said, leaning back as she hinted at her disgust of the man.
"He was actually a bit better than I had expected." Zero replied. "He's a corrupt man with delusions of grandeur; still an improvement over a hypocritical hollier-than-thou fanatic."
"Nonetheless, we have an important but dangerous ally." Kaguya added. "We better be on guard."
"Abbass himself may not be religious, but he will use it to rally his men against anything, including us." CC said. "Whatever scripture, if any such thing exists, that would prevent him from betraying us will be swept under the rug at his convenience and claimed as his right under God."
Zero nodded. "We will need an ally on the inside."
"You have anyone in mind to CONVINCE to be our agent?" CC asked.
"If it comes to that." Zero nodded.
"I think it's best to find someone who is compelled to join us to begin with." Kallen interrupted.
Zero stared at her for a moment. "Of course, that would be easier…" Zero then turned to Kaguya. "You know where to find this mutual friend?"
"I can figure it out…but it would help if I had a guide."
Before anymore could be said, the alarms went off. Zero quickly opened the door to see Black Knights run down the hall. "Zero!" Ohgi yelled. "We have an intruder!"
Zero stared at him. "How is that possible!? We're submerged!"
"We'll figure that out after we waste her!" Tamaki yelled.
Zero ran with the others. "Do you think it's an assassin?" Kallen yelled.
"From who!?" Zero yelled. "Britannia does not know we are here, and if Abbass planned to kill me, he may as well have done it hours ago!"
Soon, they saw a Knight kicked across the hall. Everyone drew their guns and turned to see Todoh engage the intruder with a katana. They could tell the offender was a woman judging by the rather magnificent curves, but she was covered head-to-toe in a wet suit. What was more surprising was that she was holding her own against Todoh with nothing but a dagger. Their blades clashed as neither could land a cut on the other. "We're ready to fire, Zero-sama!" Ohgi said. "But we're worried we'll hurt Todoh!"
"Indeed." Zero said as he observed the stalemate. Standing in front of his men, he yelled "Both of you! Stand down!" They turned to see the reinforcements that would inevitably aid Todoh. Slowly, they inched away from each other, and the Knights surrounded the woman, Zero confronting her directly. "Who are you? I sincerely hope what you have to say will save your life for the next five minutes."
The woman spy dropped her knife, and pulled back her mask, revealing her beautiful face. "My name is Fadah. I apologize for intruding, but I had to get your attention."
"Attention for what?"
"Abbass will kill you the first chance he gets."
Zero nodded. "Yes. We have already deduced as much. But that doesn't justify us not putting a bullet in your head right now."
"You'll need my help to navigate him. And to overthrow the clerisy."
Zero stared at her, and signaled his soldiers to lower their weapons. "How did you get in here?"
"First, I had to find you." She moved her eyes around, and settled on Kallen.
With surprising speed, she was at her side and reached down into her back pocket. "Hey-!"
Fadah pulled out a small cylindrical object from her pocket. "A friend of mine made these. They work great, even underwater."
Kallen then came to a realization. "…it was you who pinched me." Needless to say, all men turned their eyes on her.
Fadah only giggled. "As for how I got in…I used a safe-cracker to open up your airlock. That's how your alarms went off."
"It's true." One of the soldiers said. "That's how we found her. We've sealed it, and we're in no danger of sinking."
Zero nodded his appreciation. "You were the woman in the burka. The one serving tea." Fadah nodded. "Aren't you one of Abbass's…wives?"
"He's not married." Fadah replied. "And I am a free-lance mercenary."
"Well, at the moment we can't spare cash." Zero said. "And if you were listening in on our conversation, you'd know that. So, you must have another motive."
"If you overthrow the Britannians, this country will be left in the hands of two warring factions. Under the rule of either group, things will continue as usual."
"And you want both out of the way."
Fadah nodded. "And you'll need my help." Zero seemed to contemplate this.
"We certainly could use the manpower. But you'll have to prove yourself."
"Hm." She smiled slyly. "I'm ready and willing."
Kaguya looked at the notes. "Hn…it's hard to read in these clothes!"
"Shh-!" Fadah shushed her. "If you must speak, do so in our tongue!"
Kaguya and Fadah, dressed in burkas accompanied by Zero, wandered the Bazar, Kaguya apparently having a message on where to find her father's money. This was high-risk though; anything could go wrong. "You sure this is the best place to look?" Zero whispered, in his disguise from before. "If we ask the wrong person, we could rouse suspicion!"
"I'm not here to ask anyone!" Kaguya insisted. "My father's accountant was also his friend! He left me specific instructions!"
Zero sighed. "I hope you do recognize HIM. Because there's no way he will recognize you in that get up unless you start screaming in Japanese!"
Kaguya then pointed towards a local restaurant serving kababs. "They ate together here. The address is here." She said, flapping the paper.
"Much has changed between when your father came here and when Britannia took over." Fadah warned her. "It might be a completely different business, and we have no way of knowing how this person's habits have changed…assuming he is still here."
"Only one way to find out." Kaguya insisted.
Zero sighed. "I am kind of hungry anyway."
They took their seats, while Zero ordered for them. "Geass time." Lelouch removed his contact, as he stared at another customer. "Excuse me…I'm looking for someone. Could you answer a few questions for me?" he asked the man.
"Certainly! How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for a man named Kadin Malouf. He was a banker; used to frequent this area back when these lands were free."
The man was silent for a moment. "I am sorry; I am afraid I do not know this man. However, since the Britannian Infidels have taken over, many once prestigious business men have lost their jobs and have been forced to take working-class jobs. I hope this was helpful."
Lelouch sighed. "Thank you." He turned to the two women…and noticed Kaguya was swaying. "Are…are you alright?" Kaguya couldn't answer, as she fell back onto the ground. "Oh no! Heatstroke!" Though they had specially insulated Kaguya's burka, it apparently was not enough. Fadah did nothing; with all the ridiculous laws in place, she couldn't help Kaguya without risking her own life. "Somebody!" he shouted as he held her. "Please help!"
As someone ran to get help, what seemed to be the manager ran over to them. "What happened?" he asked Lelouch.
"My daughter must have been sicker than I thought!" Lelouch shouted, quickly coming up with a cover story to their relation. "Please, do you have any water?"
The man nodded. "There's an office in the back. Help me carry her!" Thankfully, that seemed to be the one physical activity Lelouch COULD do with help as the lifted her by the legs and shoulders.
As they went inside, they lay her down gently. Lelouch heard the door lock…and turned to see the manager pull a gun on him. "Remove her mask."
Lelouch paused for a moment. "Why? You apparently plan to kill us all anyway."
"You'll have to take that chance in order to live." Fadah nodded to him, and Lelouch backed away. Lelouch could see that Fadah had a knife hidden behind her back, just in case things went further south. The cook knelt down, and removed Kaguya's face mask. His eyes widened at what he saw. "Yaghib Kaguya!" he gasped.
"You know her?" Lelouch cautiously asked.
"I knew her father." He holstered his gun, and ran to the cooler to pull out a bottle. "He showed me photos of her before; the last one was when she was 8 years old. She hasn't changed that much." Fadah relaxed as Lelouch held her head up, the man pouring water into her mouth. "You may call me Kadin."
"Uh…" Kaguya moaned, as her eyes blinked. "What…what happened?" she asked, regaining consciousness.
"It seems you're okay." He then turned to Lelouch. "I take it you are not here for a tour." He then handed Lelouch a card. "When she recovers, meet me at this address. I'll be home every night at 11. I'll let everyone else know she's fine; I suggest you make like you're going home."
Quickly, they helped Kaguya to her feet and dressed her. "Please endure it, Kaguya-sama." Lelouch said. "We'll bring you back as soon as possible."
As they helped her out, Fadah asked "How can we be sure we can trust you?"
Without another word, he tossed her his gun. She opened the chamber, seeing that it was unloaded. "I found a gun; I was able to clean it well enough to make it look like it was in good condition. But bullets are hard to come by, and too many restrictions." He smiled.
Lelouch nodded, satisfied with what he saw as he escorted them off the premise.
Two days later, Fadah and Kallen peaked around the corner. The Britannians had enforced a strict curfew in the city after sundown; anybody caught at night was sent to a detention center, if they were lucky enough to encounter generous soldiers. Fadah looked behind her to see Zero in his full attire with Kaguya and Kallen; only Fadah bothered with her burka, though at this hour it wouldn't do her any good. "We have 10 seconds; maybe less." She said, eyeing the guards as they walked out of sight. "Let's go!" Despite her cumbersome clothes, she moved swiftly without making a sound.
"How does she do that?" Kallen wondered as she brought Zero and Kaguya with her; they were not confident Zero would be able to keep up. Just as the patrolmen turned, they disappeared behind the corner. "You like cutting it close, don't you!?" Kallen hissed to Fadah.
"On the contrary, I like it nice and easy. It's just that this place doesn't allow nice and easy." She replied.
Finally, they saw the address. "There." Kaguya whispered. When they approached the correct apartment, Kaguya knocked on it, and the viewer slid open. Kaguya took off her headpiece, and the door unlocked.
"Are you crazy!?" the man hissed. "If you knocked on the wrong door, you could have been beaten! Or worse!"
"But we didn't." Zero said as he stepped forward.
"Y-you…"
"We will discuss this inside. NOW." He ordered him.
The banker turned café manager let them in, and closed the door. "I see. So, THIS is why you've come to see me." He said, looking at Kaguya disapprovingly. "You've aligned yourself with dangerous people, Kaguya."
"Dangerous people are what win wars. And the whole world is at war; even the nations that are planning to stay out of it." She said, her normally childish demeanor all but disappearing.
"Hm." Zero thought. "Kaguya is actually quite eloquent. Beyond finances, she may be useful after all."
"I admit I do not know you personally, Kaguya." Kadin admitted. "But your father was a real friend. And I could see that he loved you dearly. He saved this money so that the family could live in peace elsewhere should the worst happen. I admit some cultural thing may be going over my head telling you this…but I can't imagine he would want you involved with these…terrorists."
Kaguya looked to Zero, who only shrugged his shoulders. "He's right. We ARE terrorists."
Kaguya, seeing she was on her own, just gave him a disapproving look. She turned back to Kadin, and took a deep breath. "You're right, Kadin. My father would not approve of the path I have chosen." Opening her eyes, she stared directly at him. "But father is no longer here. The dead cannot protect me. Even if I return into hiding, I will be found out eventually. Prison would be a mercy. From the rumors I've heard with what the military does with young Japanese girls like me…I suspect something worse in store for me when that day comes…"
Kadin looked at her, then to the others. "Just what do you need the money for?"
"To fight injustice." Zero declared. "I'd very much prefer it if all men who feel the same would do so for free, but that day has not come as of yet. We need the money to buy strength."
"And then?" Kadin asked. "What comes next?"
"Well…" Zero shrugged. "…that will be up to you and your people. Though I fight for all, I cannot force my ideals on every nation. But I will gladly stop Britannia from doing just that."
Kadin took a deep breath, and stood suddenly. He walked towards the wall, digging into a crevice. Setting the stone aside, he revealed a safe. As they let him undo the combination, he walked back towards them, carrying his prize…
Abbas went over plans with his confidants, operating under the assumption that the Black Knights would be unable to come through and continue on with their goals. Then, his phone rang. Picking it up, he hesitantly said "Hello?"
"We have the money, Abbas." Zero said on the other end. "We are ready to make the deal."
That will be all for now. The plan to take down the clerisy will be underway shortly.