Hello everyone! I will be the first to admit: the current rate of updates is unacceptable! I am working towards updating faster (at the expense of shorter chapters). Will it work? Well, only time will tell. Anyway, here's the next chapter! Hope it's a good one for you!
Zero was handcuffed and led downstairs into the van awaiting them, his three female comrades awaiting him inside. As the door was sealed behind them, Kallen grunted. "Of all the ways I anticipated to be captured, I didn't expect to be taken to prison in this kinky get-up."
"It seems foolish of them to keep us alive." Fadah said.
"Personal experience talking?" CC asked.
"Well, I suppose they find value in terrorists like you…"
"Indeed." Zero answered. "Had we been any other random Black Knights, we would have been executed on the spot. However, capturing me and our ace pilot can force the other Black Knights to surrender, or at the very least, destroy their morale until they're defeated. Afterwards, the empire is most certainly going to kill us."
"Ah. I see. Until then, we're hostages." Fadah surmised.
"Precisely." Zero replied. "Daniel is taking a larger portion than normal just to guard us. And, in case things still don't go their way back at base, he will see if he can get the others to surrender."
"Todoh should be able to hold his own." Kallen said. "It's Ohgi I'm worried about, even if he's inside the Guren."
"And the Sand Hawks are never going to surrender. "Fadah said. "They only have everything to gain if they keep fighting."
"They're Knights of the Round for a reason." CC warned them. "They are among the most skilled pilots in the army, and it's likely they have certain personalities that the emperor found appealing. I don't know what these two are like. They may be honorable; they may be some of the worst human beings on the planet. But no doubt that combination of skill and character will work against us."
"So, how should we approach this?" Fadah asked.
"Be prepared for the worst." CC answered.
There was no need for dialogue. Monica made her intentions clear; the only course of action was to fight! "Everyone! Cover me!" Todoh shouted as he flew into the air. "Ohgi! I need you to fly that thing to Kallen!"
"Okay!" Truthfully, though, Ohgi wasn't sure he could do that. Driving the Guren was simple enough; same as any other knightmare, except for the motorcycle-like seat. FLYING it, though…Ohgi only had some experience in the Burais and on an occasion Kallen's old Glasgow, but they were earthbound, and he wasn't even that good with them. But right now, taking flight was the only chance they had.
Todoh flew up and brought his blade down on the Lamorak. Monica blocked with her broadsword. "Kyoshiro Todoh of the Four Holy Swords, I presume." She smirked. "I heard a lot about you. Not as much as Kallen Stadfield or Zero, but quite a bit."
"Flattery will get you nowhere with me." Todoh grunted. His shoulder guns fired, but Monica blocked with her shield. The Lamorak's talon shot forward, grabbing hold of the Zangetsu's leg. "What!?"
Monica pulled the leg back, sending the Zangetsu into a tail spin. "Todoh!" Chiba rushed in with her Kitsuokami, catching the Zangetsu. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Todoh barked. "I need you to engage the others. Protect Ohgi, at all costs!"
The other Kitsuokamis flew up to engage the Sutherlands; they knew Todoh was the only candidate to face off against Monica. "You think you can take me on your own?" Monica smirked as she fired the Lamorak's slash harkens. Todoh deflected them with his sword, flying back up to her. "I don't know whether to feel flattered or insulted!" Their blades clashed hard enough to create sparks.
Ohgi could see what Todoh was trying to do. "Everyone!" he called to the Hawks around his feet. "Get away from here!" Though the guerillas continued to fire their rocket launchers, they heeded his advice to retreat back into the cave. Seeing they were out of his sight, Ohgi was then able to focus on the controls. "Okay. I know this is to make the wheels move forward…" Ohgi only remembered Rakshata telling him how to drive the Guren. But they didn't anticipate the need for him to fly it! "Screw it!" Ohgi just hit all the buttons he didn't push before. And one opened up the back-missile cockpit, launching the projectile. "Shit!"
The missile hit a Sutherland engaged with one of the Kitsuokamis. Surprised, the knightmare saluted. "Thanks for the save, Ohgi!" Tamaki flew off to help Chiba. Ohgi quickly fiddled around with other buttons, activating various devices and weapons.
Though engaged with Todoh, Monica noticed the Guren acting up on her side camera. "Odd. Stadfield was said to have been an exceptional pilot." As her computer put up the red knightmare's specs, she was even more puzzled. "It's an excellent machine! So why isn't it fighting!?" Her eyes widened in realization. "UNLESS-!"
"Thank you for taking your eye off the ball!" Todoh yelled as he fired his sniper rifle. Monica, getting back into the game, reacted and flipped away; the laser singed the paint on the Lamorak's leg, but nothing serious. She fired the machine guns on her knightmare's wrist, forcing Todoh to put up his luminous shield; though most of the bullets ricocheted off, one passed through and grazed the Zangetsu's arm.
"Everyone, shake off your opponents and target the Guren! The pilot is a complete amateur; make sure it doesn't reach its rightful owner!" the knight ordered her soldiers. One of the Sutherlands broke off from Asahina, and charged for it.
"Everyone! Protect Ohgi!" Todoh shouted.
"Ohgi!" Chiba shouted as she grabbed the leg of a Sutherland. "GET OUT OF HERE!" The Sutherland tried kicking her off, but she held fast.
"Come on, come on you stupid piece of junk-!" He slammed the control panel, and suddenly its luminous wings sprouted. "Finally!" Ohgi pushed the lever back, as the Guren took off into the air. "CRAP!" Ohgi felt a strong sensation of motion sickness coming on, probably from never flying before, plus the G-forces that came with it.
"Ohgi!" Todoh shouted. Quickly, he tackled the Lamorak as it aimed to fire on the Guren. Monica brought down the sword on the Zangetsu, but she couldn't get enough leverage to completely sever the Zangetsu's arm, only destroying the right machine gun turret. "YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!"
"Like…you could tell in this!?" Ohgi moved the joystick, and the Guren spiraled ninety degrees in the other direction.
"That's East!" Chiba shouted as she activated her hidden blade, severing the Sutherland's leg. "Kallen's west!"
"Oh, for the love of-!" The Guren spiraled out of control again, this time going the correct direction.
"Don't let it reach Daniel!" Monica shouted. Three broke off to pursue it, while one more stuck with Monica.
"Shoot it down! At all costs!" Daniel yelled into his phone as soon as he got the news. By his estimate, the Guren would arrive within two minutes. He would probably have to break off from leading the convoy to get to his own knightmare
"Afraid?" Ramal smirked, seated in the passenger seat next to him.
"Anyone who's not afraid of an 8th generation knightmare is a fool, even if the pilot is too." Daniel answered as he hung up his phone. "I will fight any enemy personally if required, but I will not carelessly give them a chance to gain the upper hand. I must get my own knightmare; I'll tell my sergeant to look after you…"
"I must go." Ramal interrupted. "I need to see damage both the knights and the hawks are inflicting."
"I cannot protect you at this time!" Daniel hissed.
"No need to protect me." Ramal smiled. "In fact, should you win this battle…you will see I'm quite the survivor."
After a brief command, Daniel turned his van away as he made a bee-line for the desert base.
Abbass and the others ran back down the corridor, hoping the Britannians were unable to follow them. "It seems Zero can't foresee everything." His lieutenant said in disappointment.
"No one can." Abbass answered. "But we can prepare for just about anything. Do you have the craft ready?"
"Yes."
"Go get it." Abbass said. "I've waited for nearly a whole year to unveil that monster; with the Brtiannians in the heat of battle, now is the perfect time to unleash it. Not only can we help the Black Knights with the Britannians…" "And eliminate competition…" "…we can actually win!"
"Yes sir!" His lieutenant saluted as he gathered his men to bring their top secret project to fruition.
"So, any bright ideas?" Kallen asked as they sat helpless in the jail-van.
After a moment, Zero replied. "There may be one thing." Zero said.
"One?" CC asked.
Zero paused again before explaining. "It's not a sure thing."
Fadah sighed. "I thought you were one for planning things."
"I plan and control everything I possibly can. This…was only meant to be a last resort." Zero said. "One I considered as a possibility, but at the time I couldn't depend on it. I just planted a seed, so to speak"
"It looks as though we could use that last resort." Fadah replied snarkly.
"Just what is this last resort of yours?" Kallen asked.
Suddenly, the truck came to a screeching halt. "Something's happening!" CC realized.
Underneath the mask, Lelouch smiled in relief. "I'd say the last resort has happened."
The ride seemed to be going well enough for the Brittannians with two armed guards on motorcycles flanking them (the streets were too narrow for other cars) and an airborne troop of Sutherlands escorting them. Suddenly, a van rushed in front of them, forcing the driver to slam on the brakes. "What's this!?" one of the escorts shouted.
"Get it out of here!" his partner yelled into his walkie talkie.
Suddenly, the windows opened, and the van was riddled with gunfire, the other guards dead on the spot. The glass was bulletproof, but against machine gunfire that only meant so much, as the occupants ducked for cover. Several men masked with balaclavas stepped out, weapons drawn and ready to fire again.
One, who was unarmed, ran past them and towards the back of the van. Quickly, he placed a clay explosive against the door. The explosion was small, but enough to blow the doors open. Zero and the women looked in surprise as the man removed his mask to reveal Maynum.
"Maynum!" Fadah gasped in surprise.
"Hurry, we need to leave!" Maynum waved.
"I suggest we follow him!" Zero said. Though still handcuffed, they followed his lead, but Zero observed the knightmares descend on them. "Maynum…."
"I anticipated this!" Maynum pressed a button on a remote. Just as the Sutherlands touched down, the buildings surrounding them exploded, knocking them all over.
"What!?" Daniel yelled as one of the survivors urgently informed him over the radio.
"It seems you are needed elsewhere." Ramal casually noted.
"No, I cannot abandon course now." Daniel said. "Whoever those men were, they knew what they were doing. Even if backtracking was a viable option, we will never find them. But I think I know where they're headed."
"You went too far, Maynum!" Zero yelled as he and the other followed their rescuers down the street. "How many people did you kill to make our escape possible!?"
"Who do you think you're talking too!?" Maynum yelled back. He began to slow his run. "We got all the residents out. Some through gunpoint, but they are safe. I felt bad about destroying their homes, but as long as they're alive, they can rebuild; I want to make a future where it will be better for them than before; sometimes that requires small sacrifices." Zero was silent for a moment. "I am not Abbass. I will never be Abbass, nor any of the other people who oppose us."
Lelouch smiled underneath the mask. "My apologies. It seems I made the correct choice in confiding with you."
"Ah-hem!" Fadah interrupted.
"Well, me and Fadah." Zero corrected himself.
"Come on." Maynum waved. "We made a safe house; we can hide there, at least for a little while."
Zero then noticed that Maynum was slowing down. "Maynum?" Zero sprinted up to him and supported him.
"Sorry." Maynum wheezed. "I'm not an athlete…"
"Neither am I." Zero assured him. "Come on. Show us the way; you can rest when we get there."
Meanwhile, Kallen observed. It seemed Lelouch and Maynum had a lot in common…but it seemed Lelouch was gaining more strength. She smiled slightly as she thought back to the seemingly pointless training sessions they had. "It seems it's paying off…"
Suddenly, a Sutherland landed in front of them. "NO!" The Sutherland aimed its gun; it seemed it was not interested in taking prisoners.
The soldier sneered as he prepared to pull the trigger. Then, his monitors beeped. "What the-?"
Zero looked behind him as he saw the Guren come careening towards them. "DUCK!" Zero shouted as he and the others fell to their knees. The Guren crashed into the Sutherland, knocking it into a building behind it and getting buried in the resulting debris. The impact was enough to cause the Sutherland's head to fly off. Miraculously, it seemed the Guren was still functional.
Slowly, the others got up. "Ohgi?" Kallen asked.
At first, nothing. Then…"Ugh…Kallen? Zero-sama?"
"It's a relief to know you are alright, Ohgi." Zero said. "If you're here, even though you saved our skins, I can only assume its bad news."
"Y-yeah." Ohgi answered. "The BritanAUUGGHH!" A sickening sound emanated from his microphone. "Sorry." He said sheepishly. "I threw up all over your seat. Think the controls are still good."
Kallen sighed. "It's alright, Ohgi. I'm just glad you're safe."
"The Britannians saw us coming; they were waiting for us. Todoh ordered me to fly over to you; I wouldn't have been able to fight in the Guren. You're the only one who can help them…" Suddenly, they heard Ohgi paused.
"What?" Kallen asked. She failed to notice the men around her turn away, some guiltily glancing at her.
"Uh, Kallen?" Fadah asked. "This is yours, right?" Kallen looked to see Fadah hold up a yellow silk skirt, just like the one she wore. In panic, Kallen looked down. From there she screamed and crouched down. "Been there." Fadah sighed, remembering back when she had to strip down to throw the Britannians off. "The wind from the Guren must have torn it off."
"HOW IS YOURS STILL ON!?" Kallen yelled in disbelief.
"Jewelry doesn't fly off as easily." Fadah sighed. "If you'd like, we can trade…"
"Kallen." Zero called. He clumsily tossed a pair of shorts behind him; seemed they had passed a market selling clothes on the street. "We don't have the luxury for being embarrassed. I need you to get into the Guren and fly back to the base; the others will need your help."
"And then we retreat?" Fadah asked as Kallen quickly and gratefully pulled up the shorts.
"No. If we back down now, we'll never have another chance. But, with this stroke of luck, I see another way. Maynum!" He turned back to the boy. "I appreciate the offer to stay at your safe house, but I cannot retreat. I need your help to finish the mission! Do you have any more modes of transportation we can use?"
"I've got a motorcycle." Maynum said. "I'll only be able to take you or one of your comrades though."
"That will do." Zero nodded. "Fadah, I know it's going to be tight, but I need you to squeeze in with Kallen. Help out the Black Knights anyway you can while you are there. No doubt Horst will be there as well, so beware." He then turned to Maynum's men. "The rest of you, please take Ohgi and CC to your safe house. I will come back for them when the time is right."
The three women nodded. Maynum directed Zero to the left, while Kallen helped Ohgi out of the Guren, handing him over to the others. "Though it's safer inside, it might be more convenient for you to ride in the hands, if you can stand the force; I can drop you off easier that way." Kallen told Fadah.
"Just don't twist and turn."
"No promises, so brace yourself." Kallen jumped in, and wiped something off her seat. "EW! What did you eat, Ohgi!?"
"Just get going!" Fadah yelled as she crouched in the Guren's hands.
Kallen nodded as she shut the door. The Guren's flight system activated, wings of light expanding, and this time in a much steadier flight, took off.
Todoh threw down his heated katana against Monica's shield. "Most impressive!" Monica complemented him. "I may actually lose this!"
"Then let's end this quickly!" The Zangetsu's turrets fired, and Lamorak flew back, firing its slash harkens. Todoh swiftly maneuvered out of the way. "I suppose it's time I resorted to firearms!" He activated the mounted sniper rifle, and took quick aim at the purple knightmare. The laser fired.
Surprised, Monica twisted to the side. The laser missed a direct hit, but it destroyed her right slash harken. "Could have been worse." She panted. Pointing her shield towards the Zangetsu, she showed a surprise of her own. The green diamond in the center shone, and fired a laser of its own.
"What!?" Todoh quickly activated his blaze luminous shields on the Zangetsu's arms, but the force was strong enough to force him into the sand dunes. "Shit!" Todoh grunted from the impact.
Monica smiled, excited from the battle. "Monica!" Daniel suddenly called through the comm.
"I'm kind of busy, Danny…" she said.
"The Guren has its own pilot back! She's headed your way, and you have a minute! Two tops!"
"Well, that's certainly not good." Monica huffed. As exciting as it was too take on the famous red knightmare, to take it on and the other would be suicide.
"I'm on my way right now! Do whatever you have to survive!"
"I think the best course of action is to eliminate the remaining enemies!" Monica's axe began to vibrate as she flew down towards Todoh. "I had fun, but I need to end this now!" She swung, but Todoh managed to block with his katana. For a moment he held, but the knightmare began sinking into the sand. "Stop fighting and give in!" Monica grunted. Her monitor beeped as she was warned of an incoming knightmare. "Already!?"
Not quite, as one of the Kitsukamis rammed into her, sending the Lamorak tumbling across the sands. "Todoh!" Chiba called, holding out her oversized hand.
Todoh quickly took it. "Thank you, Chiba." Todoh said.
"We'll be getting help very soon." Chiba told him as she helped the Zangetsu to stand again. "Kallen's on her way."
Todoh had to smile. "Great!" The Zangetsu stood straight and brandished its sword. "If she got away, then Zero is still in the game! We're not through yet!"
The Lamorak also stood, shaking off the sand and brandishing its axe.
"Drop me off here!" Fadah ordered the Guren as they began to approach the base. The Guren swooped down, and Fadah rolled across the sand as it loosened its grip. "Ow!" Even with her skills, rolling across the sand at that speed made the grains feel as hard as concrete. She then eyed the base. "Let's get to work…"
Monica and Todoh clashed their blades hard enough to create a small sandstorm in their immediate area. Although their radars and other sensors told them their opponent's location, it was hard for both of them with their sight obscured. Radar didn't tell you your opponent's battle stance or what weapon was drawn. Todoh felt his katana knocked slightly to the side; he quickly got the Zangetsu to kneel and fired his machine turrets. One bullet managed to blow the shoulder armor of the Lamorak, and the modern samurai slashed his katana across its leg. It missed the vital circuits and gears by a hair. "If that was my real leg, I'd really be in trouble!" Monica thought. However, this gave her a good idea of Todoh's position. She brought her axe down, and the Zangetsu was knocked away from the cloud and fell over on its back.
A nasty gash was now across its torso, but Todoh himself wasn't exposed, and the knightmare was still functional. Todoh quickly brought up his sword, only to see it was snapped in half. "NO!" The Lamorak jumped out of the cloud, preparing to obliterate the knightmare.
Suddenly, a missile nailed the purple knightmare in the side and was knocked face first into the sand. Both Monica and Todoh looked up to see the red knightmare eclipse the sun.
It was both a beautiful and fearsome sight to behold. While it looked very much like the original Guren, its glide system was made to resemble dragon wings, and its Radiant Wave Surger had extra joints to resemble long, clawed fingers. Its gold stripes also shone brightly, accentuating its color, even in the shadow of the sun. "Are you alright, Todoh?" Kallen asked.
"I can still fight." The older Japanese replied as the Zangetsu once more stood straight. "How does it feel to be back in the Guren?"
"Feels great." Kallen smiled. "I didn't realize how much I missed this machine."
"Good to know." Todoh smiled back. Looking at the broken heat katana, he tossed it away. "I'm down a sword, so I think I'm out of this duel. Would you do me the honor of fighting in my place? I'll take on the Sutherlands so you can have a fair fight; I've a feeling more will be coming."
"With pleasure!" Kallen replied as she pushed the clutch forward and flew down towards the Lamorak.
"Tch." Monica thrust back as the Guren brought its clawed hand down where she once was. Kallen quickly recovered and flew up to meet with Monica. "This could be bad…." The blonde smirked. "…and yet, so exciting!"
Abbass and his men returned to their hideout; now that it was empty, he could get a secret weapon he and his squad were making, the Black Knights none the wiser. "Get the Eankbut ready!" he ordered them.
"We're going to help the Black Knights?" one asked.
"Of course not, you fool!" Abbass shouted. "We're going to use it to take out that base ourselves, and if the Black Knights have to die with them, so be it! Now get it running!"
The men opened the secret wall, disguised as the interior of the cave as they revealed a craft that not even Zero knew about. The technicians got to work inside; however, one of them noticed an incoming call. "What the-!?" He opened up the link, and a familiar voice spoke.
"It's about time! I don't suppose Abbas would be with you, would he?"
Hearing Zero's voice, Abbass ran over to speak. "How did you get access to this line? More importantly, how did you find out about the Eankbut!?"
"Let's just say I can be very persuasive." Zero said over the phone as he rode behind Maynum. "But none of that's important. As I'm sure you're well aware, the ambush failed, and we have one round on the field; I'm sure Sir Horst will fly into the mix any moment now. But we can still salvage something from this. Kallen is fighting now; with her, our victory on the battlefield is almost assured. But we must not rely on her solely; all of us need to do everything we can to grasp victory. Proceed as planned with your aircraft, but target ONLY the Britannians. Am I clear?"
There was a moment of hesitation on the other side. "I read you." Abbass finally answered.
"Good. I'll be joining you shortly. Zero out." Zero hung up the receiver.
"How are we going to get there?" Maynum asked him. "This motorcycle can't go across the desert!"
"Do you know any place where we can obtain an aircraft of some sort?" Zero asked.
"We don't have any!"
"I didn't ask for any YOU owned, just any nearby." Zero clarified.
Maynum thought for a minute. "Well, there is a helicopter port on the other side of town. But it's heavily guarded-!"
"Nothing I can't handle." Zero responded. "Just follow my lead, and I promise you we'll make it out alive!"
Monica shot her shield laser, aiming for a direct hit at the Guren. However, a blaze luminous shield surrounded the body of the knightmare upon impact. Though it was knocked back, no substantial damage was apparent, as the Guren rushed towards her. "Crap!" The red knightmare collided with the purple, kneeing it in its center. The Lamorak countered with a left hook, managing to knock the Guren's head, but its second punch was blocked completely. The Guren's knife shot out from its holster into the free hand. Monica immediately attacked with her remaining slash harken, scratching her enemy's eye and gaining some distance between them. Checking her monitor, she saw the Guren managed to scratch her on the side. "Tch."
"You're not bad." Kallen panted, smiling at the thrill of what was so far a fair battle. Even in the air-conditioned cockpit, the atmosphere was making her sweat. "Not good enough!" she shouted.
The Guren's Radiant Wave Surger hand suddenly flew off the arm towards the Lamorak. "Are you kidding me!?" Monica flew straight up, but the hand's thrusters reversed and turned to follow her. "Oh, of course it would have automatic tracking too!" Monica banked some hard maneuvers, but Kallen headed her off, cornering her. The Guren aimed for a high kick, but Monica countered with a wide arc with her axe, forcing Kallen to back off. The Lamorak then rolled away, the Guren's flying hand grazing its back. As the hand settled back into its wrist, Kallen got ready to attack again.
Daniel's truck rushed towards the base. Looking to the side, he saw the Lamorak in battle with the Guren. "It seems she's fairing quite well." Ramal noted.
"Faring well is not good enough!" Daniel said as he dialed on his phone mount. "Miss Einstein! Is the Gerient ready!? I'm going to fight!"
"We saw the commotion outside and got to work, sir!" Nina replied. "It's almost ready!"
"Excellent!" Daniel hung up. "Can I count on you to make sure everything inside the mine is safe!?" he asked the clergyman next to him.
"You can leave it to me!" Ramal replied.
The Guren and Lamorak continued to fight, neither able to get a clean hit on the other. Monica's axe came down, but Kallen caught it and slashed at her with her knife. She took off the remaining slash harken, but before she could land a second blow, the Lamorak's talons grabbed hold of her leg. She spun the red-head around, releasing her towards the earth. Not taking any chances, Monica fired her shield laser again. It landed a direct hit, but the Guren's force field came up to prevent direct damage to the knightmare.
"Ugh!" Kallen grunted as the Guren hit the sand. The shields were down to 60 %; still in good condition, but Kallen had to be careful now. She put that in the back of her mind as she fired missiles at the Lamorak.
The Knightmare moved to the right, dodging most of them and blocked another with her shield. However, she missed one that spun around and hit her in the back, sending her spiraling. "AH!"
As the Guren flew back up to meet her, Todoh and Chiba took a glance up as they engaged the Sutherlands. "She's doing well!" Chiba commented as she blocked a blade to her KitsuOkami's core. Grabbing its head with her large hand, she activated the hidden blade, decapitating it.
"She is." Todoh agreed as he shot another with his sniper rifle. "But we better hurry. I suspect she won't have a fair duel for-"His radar began to beep, signaling a large and fast object across the sky. "Shit!" "Kallen!" Todoh yelled. "You have an incoming!"
"What!?" Instinctively, Kallen put the Guren into a barrel roll as a broadsword came down on her. She managed to get away, but took machine gun fire from the side. "No!" Checking her suit's vitals, she saw her shields were down to 40 %.
"Sorry I'm late." Daniel said from his knightmare as the Geriant and Lamorak flew close together. "It seems you've fared well."
"I'd say so." Monica agreed. "She's good."
"Well, I'm sorry to ruin your fun, but our duty overrides our desire for dueling. I'm afraid I have to help you finish her, as unfair as it may be for her."
"As you command."
The two knightmares flew forward towards the Guren. "Come at me then!" Kallen also thrust forward; there was no good tactic for taking on two high-class knightmares at once, but as Kallen learned in martial arts, aggression was the best tactic when you were pushed into a corner. She clawed at them, but they separated. Kallen threw her knife like a boomerang towards Monica, but the Gerient's slash harken intercepted it. Kallen flew back to avoid the broadsword, but the knightmare's hull sported a nasty scratch; not even the shields could fully protect it from the attack. Before she could counter Monica suddenly flew under her and grabbed the Guren's legs with her talons. "What the-!?" Kallen felt the Guren being pulled forward towards the Geriant. The black knightmare cocked back its arm, and punched the Guren's head. "AHHH!" Kallen screamed as she felt the force vibrate her body and the alarms went off in her cockpit. The head was still on, but if the Guren was a person, it would have a serious case of whiplash; the cameras had too much static, and many of the targeting functions were compromised. When she saw the Lamorak come at it with an axe again, Kallen made a mad dash for her life.
Todoh took aim with his rifle, but a Sutherland fired at him, throwing him off. "No!" The blast blew away a sand dune, and Todoh found himself on the ground as another tackled him to the ground. As the Sutherland prepared to stab him with a large knife, Todoh took the hilt of his broken Katana and severed its neck cords. His attacker now blinded, he easily kicked him off. Todoh was about to take aim again, but another Sutherland suddenly cut him off again with a slash harken. "Damn it!" Todoh hissed as he retreated on instinct. "They're getting more aggressive!"
"It seems they don't want us to help Kallen!" Asahina said as he shot at another. "They're going to keep us grounded while they double-team her!"
Todoh growled; he was still in the fight, but helpless to help his comrade…
Maynum wondered how Zero could command such a force when he came to this land/colony. Now he was wondering how he convinced not only the Britannian security to let them through, but also the pilot of the jet copter to take them to the base on a suicide mission, whether he knew it was suicide or not. "We're close!" Maynum said. "I can see them fighting!"
"Yes." Lelouch said, observing the knightmares speeding across the horizon. "I see them." Rakshata recently gave him an upgraded helmet with built in sensors, giving him visuals and stats all around his environment as a window opened up showing a close-up view of the battle. Kallen was holding her own, but she was completely on the defensive. "She's going to need help."
"This copter is not equipped with weapons!" Maynum yelled. "And even if it was, I doubt it would be effective against knightmares that advanced!"
"True." Zero agreed, pressing his fingers against the left side of his helmet. "Attention Black Knights." Lelouch called into his helmet, using a new communicator that was installed. "This is Zero. I am approaching the base as we speak; is there anyone who can help Kallen?" None answered. "I repeat, is there anyone who can help Kallen?" he repeated.
"I might be able to." Fadah answered.
"Fadah!" Zero answered. "You weren't equipped with a radio! How did you get this frequency?"
"I'm inside the knightmare warehouse! I simply found a walkie talkie and tuned it to you! Anyway, I think I might be able to help Kallen!"
"Get to it, then!" Zero hung up, leaning towards the pilot. "I need you to distract the black and purple knightmares however you can!" he ordered him.
"Yes sir!" he replied.
"How do you get him to do this so easily!?" Mamun shouted in fright.
"Perhaps one day, I will tell you." Zero replied. "Trust me, we'll live through this." He said, patting his shoulder.
"Well, if you're wrong I certainly won't be able to complain." Maynum sighed.
Nina breathed hard, seeing the battle outside on the security monitors. "It's just like the Black Rebellion…" She typed furiously on her computer. "We have two 8th generation knightmares, and no one to pilot them!"
Suddenly, she felt a bloodied knife to her throat. "You!" Fadah shouted behind her. "Take me to the knightmares!"
Nina may have been working for the crown, but she was no soldier. Slowly, she raised her hands and stood. As they walked down the hall, Nina said "You're just like the Elevens…"
"I doubt that." Fadah said. "We have lots in common, more than either would think, but not the exact same. And what you may thinking of both of us I'd imagine couldn't be further from the truth." Finally, they reached the hangars, sealed by large steel doors. "If there are soldiers behind those doors, I will make sure they can't save you." Fadah warned her, pressing the knife closer to her skin.
Nina cringed as she typed the password. "These knightmares…they're prototypes! They haven't been tested yet!"
"Well, I suppose someone had to be the lucky idiot." Fadah sighed.
"Do you even know how to fly them!?"
"I'm a fast learner." Fadah replied as she observed the knightmares, to which she whistled to. "Nice!" She looked between them. "I'll have to pick one…"
"You'll pay…" Nina whispered.
"What was that!?" Fadah yelled, bringing the blade closer to Nina's throat again.
"The elevens, the other numbers…Euphemia tried to help you."
"As I recall, she lured the Japanese into a stadium and slaughtered them all."
"SHE TRIED TO HELP THEM!" Nina yelled, crying. "She was kind! The kindest person I knew! She only wanted everyone to be equals! And Zero somehow made her do it!"
"This isn't exactly stopping me from killing you." Fadah replied calmly.
"I've created the prototype…" Nina sniffed, then started laughing. "…Prince Schneizel has the plans…soon, you'll all be dead." She then began to cackle madly.
"Great. Mad Scientist type." Fadah thought. Finally, she hit the back of her head, knocking her out. "Don't feel like killing them when they're in a manic state." She sighed. She turned back to the knightmares. Knowing she didn't have time to decide the best fit, she simply chose the one most to her liking. "My favorite color…"
Kallen maneuvered in the air as best she could, being on the complete defensive against the two rounds. Monica closed the gap, bringing down her axe, but Kallen managed to catch it. The two struggled in a stalemate, but then Daniel flew up to her and swung his sword, forcing the Guren to release its grip. The Guren sported another gash in its hull. Monica attacked again, adding another scratch to the body. "Shit!" Kallen gasped. The shields were down to thirty percent; it would protect her against low-caliber gunfire, but nothing more. Daniel then flew behind her, raising his sword as Monica charged forward. "I'm trapped…"
Suddenly, a stray laser shot at the Geraint. It managed to block it with his beam shield, but in doing so was forced to move back, allowing Kallen to escape. "Reinforcements!?" Monica brought up a window on her screen, zooming in on the incoming knightmare. "A new model?"
"No…" Daniel said as his eyes widened. "I've seen it before. It's one of the prototypes Miss Einstein made!"
Finally, the new knightmare flew up to Kallen, hovering in place. It was colored turquoise with red linings, shining bright in the sun. Its head was similar to the Guren's, but had small projections like bull horns pointing forward. Instead of the standard shoulder plates, they were bare, sporting spikes pointed backwards, and what seemed to be an armored kilt around its hips, and a black core in its center. It also sported a long spear, and seemed to have a pistol holstered to its leg. "Looks like your knightmare has seen better days, Kallen." Fadah said from inside.
"Fadah!?" Kallen said. "Whatever. I'm just glad to get help where I can get it! Just what is that knightmare called?"
"Hmm…" Fadah typed away at the computer. "Apparently, it is called the Oberyn."
"I like it." Kallen nodded. "Can you fight in that?"
"Well, if you'd rather have a two on one battle again, you are more than welcome to go at it alone again."
"Never mind!" Kallen said. "Just don't get killed!"
"I'll take the black one then!" Fadah said as she flew forward to engage Daniel.
"Fine by me!" Kallen said as she zoomed towards Monica.
"Crap!" Monica cringed.
"Stay strong, Monica!" Daniel yelled as he blocked the spear from the Oberon with his sword. "I'll join you as soon as I finish this one!"
"Given the track record of these knightmares, somehow I doubt it will be that easy." Monica said as she dodged a slash from the Guren.
"One of yours?" Maynum asked, oblivious to the fact that Fadah was piloting the strange knightmare.
"It is now." Zero answered. "Let's fall back now; Kallen is in good hands."
"Thank you!" Maynum sighed in relief.
However, gunfire erupted from the side; fortunately, the pilot was good enough to avoid it. "Sutherlands!" Lelouch shouted as the screens showed an entire platoon beginning to surround the area. "They must have been called in from the reserve on the other side!"
"How bad is it!?" Maynum asked, unable to count the numbers without a device like Zero's helmet.
"Relax; it's just more fodder for the high-class knightmares to deal with. We just have to be more cautious from here on out." Zero said. "We have the Guren, Todoh's men, and that new knightmare on our side." Lelouch smiled underneath the mask. "And I think we're about to get even more help any minute now…"
From the east corner of the desert, another platoon of Sutherlands flew to engage the Black Knights. "Okay, men! With us around, we should be able to tip the scales in our favor!"
"Yes sir!" the other soldiers called back.
Suddenly, the sand beneath them began to bubble up. "Huh?" One Sutherland looked down. "What's that?" Suddenly, the sand erupted like lava from a volcano. The soldiers above faltered, as a sand storm seemed to blow vertically from the ground instead of across the horizon.
"What the hell is this!?" the team leader yelled. One soldier smacked his knightmare's radar; their sensors did not function well in a sand storm. Suddenly, a missile took out one Sutherland as the soldier screamed.
"Ford!"
However, one by one they all fell from unknown enemy fire.
"All systems are go?" Abbass said as he sat comfortably in a captain's chair.
"Yes sir." One of the technicians answered.
"Excellent. You are a credit to our people." Abbass smiled.
"Well, Miss Rakshata's consulting helped. A lot." The technician shrugged sheepishly. They didn't disclose the nature of their project, but they were allowed to ask questions that would help out with logistics of the carrier.
Abbass growled at the thought; both a foreigner and a woman…. "Just shut up and fly."
"What is that!?" Maynum shouted.
"That was something I was waiting on for the operation." Zero answered. "Just wasn't sure I could absolutely count on it being finished by this time, that's why I never mentioned it to anyone."
They looked upon a craft that shined silver with streaks of red. It almost appeared saucer-like, a protrusion containing the cockpit apparent. However, it also had six projections from its sides, much like spider legs. The "legs" seemed to be sucking up the sand and blowing it up, creating a sandstorm around it. "I believe Abbass called it the Eankbut." Zero said. "Arabic for Spider, right?"
"He was building that!?" Maynum yelled. "Not even I knew about it!"
"He planned it for a while." Zero confirmed. "But he didn't have the resources or knowledge to make it a reality. Thankfully, a certain Indian woman had been giving them a few ideas…"
"Whatever!" Maynum shouted. "Can we get out of here!?"
Zero remembered they were about to steer into a knightmare dogfight. "Good idea." He turned back to the pilot. "Cancel that last order! Get us out of here!"
"Aye, sir!"
"And take me to the aircraft over there!" The copter changed course and headed straight towards it. Zero then took the radio. "Abbass!" he called. "Do you read me!?"
"We read you clear!" he answered.
"I'm coming to you via chopper!" Zero continued. "Prepare to receive!"
"Understood!"
"Zero out." Zero hung up the radio.
"You're going inside?"
"THAT is where I'm going to lead." Zero said. "The knight of eight has proven to be a formidable opponent, both in combat and in strategy. Surely, he has prepared for surprise forces like these. I need a command center."
"Abbass won't have it." Maynum warned him. "He'll kill you."
"He won't. Not yet at least." Zero answered. "Either way, I need to be there."
Maymun sighed. "So, what now?"
"There's another thing I need you to do for me…" Zero suddenly said.
"YAHHH!" Kallen roared as she flew back at Monica. She threw her knife like a boomerang, but Monica easily deflected it.
However, that proved to be a minor distraction, as the Guren ran into her, knocking the wind out of her. "Oohh-!" Monica huffed. "Don't get so cocky just because it's one on one again!" As the Guren tried to grab her, the Lamorak grabbed her arm and swung to the side, swinging her axe backwards with it. Kallen let go to fly back, but the axe managed to scratch her again. "You're at a disadvantage." Monica warned her. "The damage you've taken from both Daniel and I has taken its toll."
Kallen only chuckled. "You're right." Kallen tightened her grip on the handle bars. "But you don't know me; I never let the odds stop me before, and I sure as hell won't let them stop me now!" Kallen thrust forward, and the Guren charged. As the Lamorak brought up its axe again, the Guren made a sharp right and fired its remaining slash harken.
It clipped the Lamorak's side, and suddenly Monica felt herself being pulled down. "Wha-!?" Monica screamed. The Guren kicked her away, and as the Lamorak spun in the air, the Guren tackled her. Quickly, Kallen began to push the Lamorak into the sand down below. "I WON'T LET YOU!" The Lamorak slammed its shield backwards, knocking the Guren's head. Monica attacked again, and Kallen was forced to release her grip, lest the Guren would lose its head.
As they glided across the sand, Monica fired her laser again. As the Guren tried to dodge, the laser blew off its knee. "Shit!" Kallen hissed. Now she couldn't land, or else she would never be able to get back up into the sky again.
"Lay down and surrender!" Monica shouted, pointing her axe. "You have fought valiantly, and you are a worthy opponent. But now the fight is over!"
"I must admit, I admire your skills and your honor!" Kallen answered. "But I have comrades to protect! I'm sorry, but I cannot surrender. We have too much at stake to accept mercy!"
Monica sighed. "I respect your loyalty as well. I'm sorry." The Lamorak picked up speed and raised its axe. "We could have been friends had things gone differently!" Monica shouted.
Kallen sneered as her thumb hovered over a button. "You haven't seen everything this new machine can do…"
The Oberyn pulled a stick from its holster, extending into a spear tipped by a laser. "Let's go!" Fadah twirled the spear as she charged at Daniel's Geriant.
Quickly, he blocked with his sword. "Normally, I would be surprised at how good you are for your first time in a knightmare…"
"Oh?" Fadah questioned. "Then I take it you researched my background shortly after that botched raid…"
"Indeed, Ms. Savanah." Daniel replied as he parried the spear away. "Your father was a famous soldier in the region, known for his expertise in combat. I wonder what compelled him to break from tradition?"
Daniel fired off his guns, and the Oberyn took off. "My father was ahead of his time to many." Fadah replied as she spun her knightmare and fired a homing missile from the core. As the Geriant sliced it, Fadah continued "He didn't see the big difference between the genders. As he once told me, 'life will not show you chivalry'. He knew just because I was girl did not excuse the fact that life could tear me down as hard as any man if I let it."
"So he trained you as a soldier. A wise man." Daniel replied as he fired a laser, scratching the Oberyn's shoulder. "I would have liked to have met him."
"Perhaps you could have…" Fadah charged the knightmare up, and tried to impale him. "…had he not been killed in battle during the takeover!" The Geriant twisted around and kicked the Oberyn, knocking it off balance.
"I'm sorry. Such is the tragedy of war." The Geriant twirled its sword as Daniel prepared for another round. "More often than not, those who should have died in battle somehow survive. And those who deserved to live…"
"Of course, it would have helped had the emperor not invaded in the first place!" Fadah interrupted. She attacked furiously, twirling the spear as Daniel was forced on the defensive. "Do you feel proud? Honorable, even? To serve a delusional maniac such as the emperor!?"
The spear managed to knick the shoulder of the Geriant, but Daniel used the opportunity to grab her long pole. "It is the law! Order is necessary, even if the ruler is a tyrant!" TheGeriant then elbowed the Oberyn, forcing Fadah to release the grip on her main weapon. "Besides, your people have no moral high ground over us on that matter! You obeyed dictators of your own, and restricted your freedoms further than Britannia had to its own people! I dread what havoc you would have wrought had your people had the power we do now!"
"We've had our faults." Fadah admitted. "But don't paint us all with the same brush. For every man here you claim to be a potential tyrant, there were three others who wanted freedom and equality for all!"
Fadah dove down to retrieve her spear in the sand, Daniel following after her…
Inside the Eankbut, a door swished open to reveal Zero, followed by Maynum. "Zero." Abbass growled. "I suppose you're not going to tell me how you found out about my secret weapon."
"Maybe someday." Zero said as he helped himself inside. Observing the controls, he nodded in approval. "If he only knew…"
"We will then wipe out the base now." Abbass stated.
"Not yet." Zero belayed him. "Wiping out the base would certainly put a wrench in the empire, but they will only return in greater numbers. We need to eliminate their reason for returning altogether."
Maynum blinked his eyes in realization. "The Sakuradite." He said. "You're planning on destroying the Sakuradite…"
"I won't allow it!" Abbass shouted. "That Sakuradite could jump start our economy-!"
"What economic benefit the Sakuradite can bring you would be no different from fossil fuels or uranium, the former this region is rich in." After a pause, he turned slightly to face Abbass. "What interests you about the Sakuradite is the military application. It is, after all, the main reason for Britannia's success in technological advancement of their military, and was said to be the primary reason for their invasion of other countries as well."
"You would destroy the only chance I have to protect my people!?" Abbass shouted back.
"After all your country has been through, you will need the best protection." Zero said. "But building a force powerful enough to fend off Britannia will take time. And as long as that Sakuradite mine exists, Britannia will keep coming to reclaim it. In fact, assuming everything here goes perfectly, the empire will surely launch an immediate counter-attack before you can even get the rough draft of a functional government going. At best, you will send your people into a long and lengthy war. At worst…" Zero said no more. "You are ambitious, Abbass. Too ambitious for your own good."
"It is my pride that has given me the strength to lead the Sand Hawks!" he yelled, clenching his fist.
"Charisma will only get you so far." Zero said. "What matters, is results." Zero brushed him aside as he came upon the communication board, pressing a button. "Todoh, come in! This is Zero! Do you read?"
"We read you, Zero!" Todoh replied as he shot a Sutherland charging at him with his machine guns.
"Listen, even if we win, Britannia will return! We can't let that happen, or else we will never get this land back!"
"So, what do you suggest?" Chiba said as she grabbed hold of another's leg, severing it with her hidden blade.
"The base is here to guard the Sakuradite mine." Zero replied. "We're going to destroy it. Without it, it won't be worth the empire's trouble to reclaim this area. Right now, Kallen and Fadah are engaged with the two rounds. I presently do not have a knightmare, and I am needed on the Eankbut. Right now, you and your Holy Swords are the only ones who can get there."
"Understood." Todoh replied as he shoved his broken sword into the neck of another Sutherland. "Holy Swords! Follow me!" The Zangetsu rolled down the sand, the two Kitsukamis following after him.
"Well, I suppose there's no arguing with you on this." Abbass sighed. "Let us cleanse our lands of the Britannians-"
"Hold on that." Zero said, waving his hand. "I have specific targets in mind that will benefit us in the long run. We need to take down the Britannians' lines of communication. You there!" he called. "I'm uploading the targets onto your mainframe!"
The technician blinked as he saw them come up. "How-?"
"Not important. Maynum! Do you know how this thing works?"
Maynum shoved up his glasses. "Not at the moment…but I can learn."
"Then learn." Zero ordered. Maynum nodded, and exited the room.
"Just what are you planning?" Abbass growled. "Ever since you came aboard, I believe you've forgotten who's in charge here-!"
"On the contrary, I believe you never KNEW who was in charge." Zero said. "You may have provided the man power, but I am the mind who makes the wheels turn. Everything you have ever done was nothing more than a mosquito bite to the empire and a stroke for your own ego!" As Zero emphasized himself, he declared "I, on the other hand, intend to hit the empire where it hurts the most!" Abbass tried to issue a retort, but suddenly, he saw all his men stand at attention. At that moment, he realized they now followed Zero. Abbass felt himself crumble as he fell back in his seat in shock. Having their full attention, Zero addressed them. "Lock on all coordinates and fire!" The shooters pulled the triggers…
Kallen and Monica took swipes at each other with their weapons and dodged each attack, both too damaged to take chances with another blow. Kallen blinked when her sensors began beeping. "Wha-?" Kallen backed away, as did Monica, when a pink laser shot past them…
At major parts of the city, lasers blasted at satellites and severs, the military helpless to act.
"It is done!" one of the technicians aboard the Eankbut announced.
"Excellent." Zero replied. He then opened up his lapel. "Ohgi, do you read?"
"I read you, Zero." Ohgi huffed, clearly not over his nausea from before.
"I need you to follow these instructions…"
"What was that!?" Daniel shouted as he saw the beams pass them completely.
"One of Zero's many schemes, I presume." Fadah said as she raised the Oberyn's spear up to the Geraint. Daniel blocked with his sword and kicked her back. He made a slash, but the enemy knightmare flipped over and shot a slash harken at him, scratching his shoulder.
The Geraint turned and the two locked their weapons again. "Think about it, woman!" Daniel shouted. "To Zero, you are all pawns! If you give him what he wants, what happens to you afterwards!?" The Geraint managed to push the Oberyn back.
"That's a good question." Fadah admitted. "But I already know life under your rule." The Oberyn parried it away, leaving the Geraint open for attack. Opening up its arms, the Oberyn revealed two gattling guns in its sides. Fadah fired, putting Daniel on the defensive. The Geraint flew in circles around her, but a bullet still clipped its leg. "I'll take my chances with Zero!" Fadah declared. "If he does intend to screw me over, I'll make sure he gets his first!"
"Then I have no choice but to respect your choice…" The Geraint's broadsword suddenly opened up. "…and fulfill my duty!" A green beam shot out of it.
The Oberyn banked right, but the laser still grazed it and took out one of its gattling guns. "Son of a-!" She charged forward, and the two clashed with their melee weapons again. Finally, the Geraint kicked her away with its remaining leg. "Uhn-!"
The Oberyn and Guren crashed into each other as the round knightmares cornered them in the sky. "So, what do you think of our chances of getting out of this?" Fadah asked.
"Not good." Kallen panted. "They're both as good as I am, and I started taking them both on at once. Plus, as good as you are, you're still a novice."
"I see." Fadah sighed. "Listen, I don't want to sign our death warrant prematurely, but I think this would be a good time to tell you sorry for dressing you up in that outfit."
Kallen blew away one of her bangs of hair. "It was for the good of the mission…" Kallen sighed.
"Well, yes…but it was kind of more for my own enjoyment."
Kallen wondered what she meant, when it hit her. "WHA-!?"
"Sorry. Just havn' fun." Fadah smirked. "If we get out of this-"
"Uh-huh! I don't swing that way!" Kallen screamed in embarrassment.
"…I was going to say I'll make it up to you…in any manner you find appropriate." Fadah scowled. "Trust me, I knew you were a lost cause the moment I laid eyes on you."
Meanwhile, the rounds cautiously circled their prey. "You see an opening?" Monica asked.
"Not yet. Don't be hasty." Daniel warned her, his thumb itching to press a button. "Stadfield is skilled, and this new woman is quite good too. Prey that is cornered and injured is more dangerous."
"So what now?"
"We wait." Daniel ordered her. "And when we see an opening, we go in for the kill."
A van pulled up to one of the destroyed cell towers as Britannian military and tech personnel worked feverishly to repair it. Without warning, they were suddenly gunned down. Once the firefight died down, Ohgi and CC stepped out along with several of Maynum's friends. "Hurry!" Ohgi ordered. "We don't have much time!"
They rushed towards the destroyed dish, and opened it up, exposing the wires inside. CC got to work hooking up a box-like device that Rakshata made. "Reinforcements are sure to come." One of the soldiers said. "And there are other towers the military is surely working to repair. We don't have the manpower to hit them all."
"It's alright." CC assured him. "If what Rakshata said is correct, we will only need to hack into this one." Quickly, she flipped the switch on the console.
Ramal quickly exited the elevator as he found himself in the Sakuradite mines. He briefly observed the sakuradite crystals surrounding the caverns, the Britannian security going about their routine patrol. "Everyone!" he yelled. "Be on high alert!"
Of course, being Britannian, they did not take kindly to a number giving them orders. The captain stepped forward to remind him of his place. "We take orders from Sir Horst, you-"
Suddenly, without warning, Ramal backhanded him. "An attack from the west is imminent!" Ramal shouted. "Do you want to do your duty and protect the Sakuradite like your emperor commands!? Or, must I explain to your majesty that the Sakuradite was lost due to your reluctance to do what is common sense!?"
The soldiers looked to one another. Sooner rather than later, they decided to swallow their pride and got hustled into their knightmares. The Sutherlands jumped out of the pit, prepared to face the enemy. Soon, the Zangetsu and Kitsuokamis blazed over the nearest dunes. "Fire at will!" The Sargent yelled.
They fired, but Todoh and his crew were still in peak fighting form, dodging the bullets with expert maneuvers. "We're outnumbered!" Asahina shouted.
"That never stopped us before!" Todoh said. "Get in front of me!" The two Kitsuokamis rolled in front of him just as they were about to reach the squad. The Kitsuokamis collided with them with their blades as both prepared for close-quarters combat. At that moment, Todoh circled around them and leaped above the pit. Firing his slash harken, he snared the sargent of the squad and dragged him down into the pit with him. Quickly, Todoh flipped the knightmare over him and used it to cushion the landing into the pit.
The remaining security forces panicked and made a beeline for the emergency exits. "I better be careful not to fire at the sakuradite…lest I trigger an explosion!" Todoh thought as he observed the crystals around him. The other Sutherlands jumped in to attack them, aimed with blades and batons. This eased Chiba and Asahina's burdens, as now they were able to fight more reasonable numbers.
Todoh quickly took out the Zangetsu's broken blade, and blocked their attacks. He parried the blade of one, grabbed its wrist and slammed it into the cave's wall. Several pink crystals fell out of place as the caverns shook. Another tackled him and managed to whack the head with its baton, but the head remained strong as Todoh grabbed hold of its arm and threw it over his shoulder, slamming it into another Sutherland as they both fell to the lower levels where the miners were still working. Ramal appeared from behind a corner, carrying a rocket launcher powerful enough to fell most knightmares. Without saying a word, he fired the rocket, but somehow it missed its mark and impacted the cave wall behind Todoh. "Brave." Todoh commented, and fired his machine guns. The man was blown back and out of sight. "But stupid."
One of the Britannian soldiers slowly began to recover from his blackout. "Ohh…" As he removed his helmet, his screen lit up red. "What!?" The screen read "Self-Destruct" with a countdown from 5. "Nononono…!" the soldier muttered as he desperately tried to power the knightmare off. However, it had no effect as the clock reached zero…
Todoh turned just as the downed Sutherlands around him exploded. "What's happening!?" he yelled as the flames enclosed on him. Soon, they engulfed everything in the cavern.
"Chiba!" Asahina called as she grabbed the wrist of her knightmare. Asahina hauled ass as he fired his slash harkens to the surface above and drove up the cavern, dragging her.
"Todoh!" Chiba yelled.
"No!" Zero yelled as he witnessed the explosion.
"It seems the Sakuradite inside the mines exploded." Abbass noted.
Zero clenched his teeth. "In chess, sacrifices are inevitable. But in the end, chess is just a game…" Seeing the two Kitsukamis escape the hole, he called out to them. "Chiba, Asahina! Are you two alright?"
"We're fine, Zero-sama!" Asahina replied.
"But…Todoh!" Chiba choked.
"All we can do is finish the battle." Zero said. "Casualties, though tragic, are inevitable. To honor our fallen comrades, we must win this battle, and protect our remaining friends." Zero then turned his attention to the two knightmares in front of the screen, about to be skewered.
"We're ready to fire at them." One of the technicians informed him.
"They'll see it coming." Zero said. "I lost one soldier, I won't lose another." "Plus, this is Kallen we're talking about…" he thought silently. Somewhere in the corner, he saw the wind blow the sand below. And that gave him an idea. "Is this carrier loaded with homing missiles?"
"Yes!" one of the technicians answered. "Shall we fire at the rounds?"
"No." Zero replied. "Aim for the ground, forty-five degrees to the left of them. And keep the missiles low."
"You're wasting ammo!?" Abbass shouted. "Aim for the rounds! At least try!"
"The missiles will never hit the rounds." Zero said, holding his hand up. "We'll leave that job to our champions out there."
Kallen and Fadah remained in place as the Rounds circled them. As of yet, neither found an opening. "Daniel, this is getting tedious." Monica said.
"Quite right." Daniel agreed. "In fact, I'd imagine Zero is operating his shenanigans elsewhere as well. We need to end this quickly." Flipping open a switch on his board, he added "Luckily for me, I think I have just the thing to bring this battle to an end."
Hitting it, the Geraint shot several flares from its chest. Kallen reacted on instinct as she charged forward. "No-!" The flares exploded, blinding her.
"Kallen!" Fadah shouted, dropping her guard as well.
"It ends now!" Monica shouted as she charged forward, raising her axe.
Suddenly, their sensors went off. "Incoming!" Daniel warned his comrade as he retreated at an angle as the missiles flew towards them. However, they suddenly banked down and hit the sand below. The entire area above was immediately covered in airborne sand, the wind creating a sandstorm with it.
"They missed!?" Monica shouted.
"No!" Kallen answered. "It all went according to plan!"
Realizing what Zero was trying to do, Daniel brought his sword up, prepared to strike Kallen down when she attacked. However, the attack came not from the front, but from behind. The Guren rammed him hard and grabbed the Geraint, holding up its arms and placing its radiant wave surger on his cockpit. "Shit!" Daniel yelled. "I should have known!"
"Lelouch…well done!" Kallen thought as she pushed the switch. Intense radiation and heat exploded from the surger into the Geraint. The suit bubbled, and exploded, knocking the Guren back to Earth, finally grounding it. Nothing was left of Daniel.
"DANIEL!" Monica cried, seeing the explosion even in the dense sand. The Lamorak flew forward, intent to finish off the helpless Guren down below.
"You shouldn't take your eyes off your own opponent, girl!" Fadah slashed the Oberyn's spear across the Lamorak's legs, severing them.
"NO!" Monica's speed was compromised for but a second. That was all Fadah needed to ram the spear through its back, right below the cockpit, close enough for Monica to feel the small of her back being pulled. "AHHH!" The Oberyn withdrew its spear, letting the Lamorak fall to the earth.
As the sand finally cleared, the Oberyn hovered down past the smoldering wreckage to what was left of the Guren. "Kallen!" Fadah yelled. The cockpit opened up, and Fadah jumped forward, careful as she ran forward. "Are you alright!?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." Kallen panted from inside.
"Come on! Let's get you out of there!" Fadah waved.
"Normally, I'd love to." Kallen answered. "But, that last explosion destroyed what was left of my top." Kallen answered as she leaned back into her seat, her arm holding her large breasts as best it could.
"Well, given the circumstances, now's the best time to get out." Fadah answered, genuinely sympathetic. "That cockpit is going to feel like an oven in minutes, and right now there is no one here around to see you." Kallen still hesitated. "Plus, I'm not in the mood, so for now you have nothing to worry about from me."
Kallen, noticing a trickle of sweat slide down to the valley of her breasts, finally relented. "Okay." She nodded, opening the emergency hatch.
Chiba stared in horror at the smoking hole in front of her. "Todoh…" she choked.
"Chiba." Asahina said, driving his knightmare towards her own. "We have to move. We will have to mourn for him later; you know Todoh would have preferred it that way."
Chiba held back her tears as she reluctantly nodded. "Right…"
"Well, I appreciate the sentiments." A familiar voice said over their radios. Both Holy Swords' heads shot straight, unsure if they actually heard that. "Unfortunately for you two, you'll have to put my funeral off for a while even longer. Preferably when I pass 90." A knightmare hand finally grasped the sand out of the hole.
"Todoh!" Chiba screamed. The Zangetsu finally managed to pull itself out of the hole, although it was severely damaged. It sported holes and cuts all over, and its left arm was missing. "Todoh!" Chiba screamed again. "You're okay!"
"A little less than okay." Todoh huffed, taking note of the blood trickling down his lip and his uniform in tatters. "But I'm alive. Unfortunately for now, I'm also out of the fight. I'm sorry."
"You better be." Asahina muttered. "Don't you dare scare us like that again! Especially Chiba."
Chiba of course, was only smiling as tears of joy fell down her face. "It's alright…"
"How did you-?" Asahina asked.
"I took cover behind the knightmares I defeated." Todoh answered. "It wasn't fool proof protection, but it saved my life."
"Zero! Todoh's alive!"
"I'm happy to hear that." Zero said genuinely into his helmet. "Everything is in place, and you've done all you could. Get back to base!"
"Roger!" they answered.
Zero cut the line, as he stared ahead at the ruined base. "We won." He said. "We actually won…" he thought to himself.
Abbass sighed as he put out his cigar, glad this debacle was finally over. "Take us to the clerisy's palace. We will show them our power-"
"We already have." Zero replied. "We must deliver a message first."
"Don't worry; I shall deliver the message." Abbass suddenly unloaded his side arm, killing everyone inside the room except Zero. Zero reached back into his cape to pull out his own pistol, but Abbass quickly jammed him up and slapped it out of his hand. Abbass was no martial artist on the level of Kallen or Suzaku, but he had more than his fair share of brawls. Before the masked man could react, he punched Zero across his helmet. Though Lelouch inside was mostly okay, the hit still dazed him.
"It was all going so well." Abbass said as he kicked him in the gut. "I gathered those dissatisfied with the Clerisy and Britannia, and I would use them to slowly chip away at them."
"Then, they would declare you hero of the people and place you at the top."
Abbass sneered. "You think you have me figured out; though I will admit that much is true." Grabbing him by the collar, he pressed him against the window.
"I just wonder how a man like you can get so many suicide bombers." Zero commented. "You don't come of as the person who can inspire a person to literally sacrifice their own life for a cause.
Abbass chuckled. "Oh, Zero. I thought you of all people figured it out long ago. You can have as many suicide bombers as you'd like…so long as you don't tell them they're carrying a bomb you can trigger at any time."
"So, your ideology hasn't been fueled by religion at all." Zero seemed to deduce.
Abbass began to chuckle, then broke out into laughter. "You take me for one of those fools!?" He punched Zero across the helmet again, cracking the glass slightly. "You think I believe that ancient book, written by primitive barbarians!? I studied our heritage, not because I believed in it, but because the PEOPLE believe in it. And what they believe makes them so easy to manipulate. You just have to present yourself as 'God's' favored one, and everyone will do what you tell them…because they want to be like you."
This time, Zero chuckled. "You know, what you're trying to do…it's not so different from the Britannians and their emperor."
A sinister formed on Abbass's lips. "Perhaps. Of course, as you can see in both corners of the world…it works." He was so caught up in the conversation, he didn't notice Zero press a switch in his hand.
"Now, let's see just who is behind this stupid mask." Abbass gripped the helm, and pulled it off. What he saw surprised him, but he did not let his weapon down. "A Britannian!?" he shouted in disbelief. The shock turned to laughter. "I don't believe this! The great Zero, hero of the Japanese and leader of the Black Knights…is the very enemy they've been fighting!"
Despite his situation, Lelouch could not help but sneer at him. "I formed the Black Knights to fight the Britannian Empire…not wipe them out. To do so would stoop us down to their level."
"And that is why you'll lose!" Abbass smashed him against the window again, managing to cut his forehead. "As soon as I'm done with you, I'll send your knights to you in the grave, take their technology from them, and use it to rule this country to my liking!"
"And you think everyone else will be okay with that?"
"I'm not giving them a choice." Lelouch then began to chuckle. Truthfully, he was still quite afraid of what would happen next, but still, seeing a plan as elaborate as this succeed…it was thrilling and oddly hilarious! "What's so funny!?" Abbass yelled.
"In Britannia, there is a reality show called Candid Camera. The slogan, when you're on it, is to smile." He sneered.
Abbass gave him a questionable look. Then, looking to the side, he noticed one of the surveillance cameras to his side. At that moment, he understood. "WHAT!? YOU DON'T MEAN-!?"
Elsewhere, Ohgi and CC fiddled around with a console as the hooked it up to the rebels' dish. From here, they would be able to override the communications signals placed there by the Britannians "So, getting captured was part of the plan!?" Ohgi snapped.
"If only." CC replied as she adjusted the dials, still dressed in her harem outfit. "Still, Zero anticipated that he would have to rely on Abbass directly, should the initial plan fall through."
"And in doing so, Abbass would take that moment to betray him." Ohgi finished.
"Yes, that was our conclusion." CC said as she plugged the box in. "We'll be able to watch and listen to their every move. Best case scenario, Abbass is a genuine though coarse revolutionary. The alliance between him and Zero could prove invaluable in the long run."
"And if not, the people will know and side with Zero." Ohgi concluded.
"Precisely." CC agreed as she hooked up the console.
"Just one question." Ohgi said. "What happens if the later happens; what's to protect Zero?"
CC's eyes widened in realization as she held in a gasp, her cheeks slightly flushing. "…we didn't think that far ahead."
Ohgi groaned and palmed his face. "We're live!" one of the technicians informed CC.
"…play it!" she ordered.
The videos started, showing them footage of Abbass gunning down his own men and apprehending Zero. "Aw, shit…" Ohgi cursed. However, he couldn't help but smile as Abbass prattled on, practically confessing to the entire area. He got worried when Abbass pulled off Zero's helmet…but thankfully, Zero's true face was pixelated. If Abbass figured out who he was, the console bleeped out that particular line of dialogue.
Thousands of people who were tuned into their TVs saw the altercation between the two terrorists. While many were skeptical about Abbass's motives, to confirm their worst fears was still heartbreaking…
"NO!" Abbass shot at the camera, blowing it apart.
"Too late." Lelouch smirked. "The entire region heard you. Soon, so will the whole world, I imagine."
Abbass gritted his teeth as he pressed him against the glass and pointed his gun at him. "Well, if I'm going down to meet Iblis, you will be going there first!" He pulled the trigger…and all that happened was an empty clip. "What!?"
Lelouch, coming out of the shock, suddenly did something completely out of character for him, and punched Abbass across the face. "Ngh!" Lelouch grunted as he waved his hand; it felt like the punch hurt him more than Abbass. Looking down at the stunned man, he could see it was effective. Lelouch couldn't help but smile. "Perhaps Kallen's training HAS helped after all."
Regaining his composure, Lelouch walked towards Abbass. The man tried to reach for his gun, but Lelouch calmly kicked it away, and kneeled down on his body. "You…" Abbass groaned. "…you have a mean right hook." He finally sighed.
"Trust me, I'm a little bit shocked myself." Lelouch smirked. "You shouldn't have emptied your clip like that."
Abbass just stared at him with hatred. "You think they'll follow you? You may have toppled me off my proverbial throne, but the people here will never allow you to have it."
Lelouch nodded. "Tsk tsk. I never intended to take control of this region. I play a different political gain. Not one where I intend to stay on top, but one where I can leave and have the world better than I found it."
"There's nothing I hate more than some elitist idealist."
"Don't get me wrong; I've learned the hard way I still have to play dirty. Which reminds me, there is one objective we haven't completed. We DID intend to dispose of the clerisy. But if me or the Black Knights do it, we will be seen as foreigners making another grab for power. I can't make allies out of that."
"It seems you have quite a conundrum there." Abbass sneered.
"Yes. But we have a solution." Lelouch sneered. He then removed his contact, and allowed Abbass to gaze upon his Geass.
"What…what is that?"
"We have need of one last suicide bomber. Thank you for volunteering…"
After the big battle overhead, many amongst the SandHawks were expecting the Britannians to trace them back into their tunnel. However, instead they were met by the Black Knights. Though their knightmares were in tatters, they were still operational. Though they were relieved, there was still some concern. "Where is Abbass!?" one yelled.
"I don't know." Todoh replied as Chiba and Asahina helped him back on his feet. "He went out in that fortress you hid from us."
"How do we know you haven't stabbed us in the back!?" one yelled. "For all we know, Zero pulled his tricks and murdered our comrades aboard the Eankbut!"
Tamaki spat to the side as he growled at them. "Sounds more like something the likes of you would do." Both pointed their firearms at one another.
"Hold it!" The Guren, barely operational, came crashing through, the impact causing its other arm to fall off. Fadah and Kallen, clad in cloaks, jumped out. "I may not be Zero, but as his personal guard I can assure you Zero has done nothing to betray you! Abbass is the one who has been manipulating you all from the beginning!" The room erupted into argument, the kettle seeming to boil over.
Suddenly, someone came up to Kallen and pointed his gun at her temple. "It only makes sense Zero would betray us, while sending his whore of a guard to trick us…"
Kallen then grabbed hold of his wrist and flipped him over on his back. "I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR YOUR MEDIEVAL BULLSHIT!" Kallen looked at everyone, and breathed. "No one blames you for hating foreigners after what you've been through. Trust me, as Japanese, we've been through that same boat. What Zero has been trying to show you is that you have been your own worst enemies! You make a caste system, limiting your potential and seeing the rest of the world out of fear of being offended. Your adherence to your beliefs has caused you to fall behind technologically! You oppressed yourselves before the Britannians did, and they have been using the clerisy to carry out that oppression."
Todoh expected someone to retaliate…but instead, their attitudes seemed to simmer down. As they lowered their weapons, one stepped forward. "Abbass was promising us a return to holiness…but in truth, most of us don't want that. We wanted freedom, we wanted to be modern…and we felt his way was the only path to grasp even a possibility of that."
"And you just followed him blindly?" Todoh asked.
"Look at us: what options do we have?"
"And you trust Zero?" another suddenly asked.
The Black Knights were about to fire back, but Todoh held his hand up, silencing them. "I must confess: I don't trust him completely. I don't think even in the beginning I really did." Todoh took a deep breath as he gripped his katana. "But I can't argue with his results. When he says he will accomplish something, he will. He has done everything in his power to make sure none of us would be sacrificed in the coming battles. Our alliance may be on shaky ground, but our desire for a free Japan unites us." Todoh looked away as he remembered the Black Rebellion…and what came after. "Besides, Zero could have easily found a bunch of other men to reform the Black Knights and left us to be executed. But he didn't; he risked his own life to save us. Though I do still have a sore spot for what happened the previous year, I feel he has earned a second chance with us for that." Todoh looked to them. "If we can manage to work together, I feel we can each have our desires, and come to an understanding."
Suddenly, Kallen's cell rang. Recognizing the number, she answered. "C2?"
"Are you all safe with the SandHawks?"
"Yes, for the time-being at least."
"Turn on the TV."
"What channel?"
"Doesn't matter."
Kallen did as she was told as everyone was gathered around a small screen that not even in the ghettos of Area 11 would have found as acceptable living. They heard Abbass spill the beans on his true intentions. While it was clear the SandHawks were disappointed in what they heard, it seemed they were not entirely surprised as they hung their heads low.
Todoh nodded in approval. "Well, I take it if we can deliver, we can count on you as allies in the war to come?" Todoh asked. "We may have some differences that may be irreconcilable, but we all want the same thing, for the empire to loosen its grip on the world, if not fall off its face entirely. As long as we have our individual freedoms, we can learn to understand one another."
The others spoke among themselves, as one stepped forward. "We will wait for your commander's return. Only then, will we speak." Satisfied with the answer, Todoh gave a slight bow and went to rest beside his knightmare.
"Well, it seems you Black Knights live up to your reputation of miracles." Fadah said, satisfied with what she saw.
"Miracles are more Zero's specialty." Kallen answered. "We're just the muscle."
"A brain is useless without muscles to carry its will; so don't be so hard on yourself." Fadah answered as she patted her on the back.
Kallen smiled slightly. "I'm just glad Zero's face was pixelated the entire time…"
Zero and Maynum watched as a small jet flew out of the Eankbut and into the horizon. "You have the designs for a new one, just in case?" Zero asked.
"Yes." Maynum answered. "It will take time, but I believe we have more than enough resources to upgrade it in the future."
"And you were sure to edit out the parts of the video that might be…troublesome?"
"It's a good thing you told me of your identity beforehand." Maynum sighed. "I don't like it, but you're different from the other Britannians. I'll give you that much. For now, though, no one else knows of your true ethnicity and I made sure to censor your face, and I censored Abass' reaction."
"The best way to win people over is to help them see the enemy within." Zero responded.
Maynum nodded. "So long as Abbass gets what's coming to him."
"We have…10 minutes." Zero said, looking at his watch. "Quickly, come with me. We need to regroup…and get you changed."
"What do you mean you have failed to capture Zero!?" one of the clergymen yelled at the Brittanian soldiers ordered to stay behind to guard them. "You have been assigned to protect us, and yet- "
Suddenly, the guard butted his rifle against the man's face. Immediately, the others cowered before them. "Watch your place, Zealot." The head guard said. "You are the puppets, and we are the real masters here! The only reason you exist as you are is because the emperor has deemed you a necessity." He clicked on his gun, his comrades sneering. "In fact, I'd rather shoot you here and now, and get the go ahead from His Majesty to wipe your kind out from the resulting rebellion." The Clerisy remained silent. "But, orders are orders." He said as he lowered his rifle. "I'd rather not deal with the politics of the royal family."
Suddenly, one of the guards said "Hey, do you hear that?" They listened to a whistling sound.
"Yeah, I heard it too."
One of the guards ran to the balcony to look for the disturbance. It didn't take him long to find the problem; a plane was headed their way. Fast! "Everyone, get out!" he warned everyone.
Inside the plane, Abbass steered the plane, a tinge of red in his eyes. "Take the jet in the hangar, and activate the scud bomb." The voice of Zero echoed in his head. "Crash into the palace. This shall be your penance."
The plane hit the palace, and the whole castle went up in flames before anyone could escape or find shelter. An explosion of that size was not lost on the public.
As the citizens of Area 18 were in a panic over what was happening, their TVs suddenly tuned into one channel. Knowing that they would receive at least some answers, they paid close attention. Finally, the infamous mask of Zero appeared in front of them with a map focusing on the Arabian Peninsula behind him. "Attention, Area 18! I am Zero of the Black Knights, and I claim responsibility for the events of today!" Zero paused as he let the people take the information in. "The Britannians have been crippled in this area of the world, enforcements too late to repair any real damage. The Sakuradite is destroyed, and now the empire as one less source of power to feed on. The leader of the Sand Hawks, Abbass Sultan, has proven himself as corrupt as those he had fought against, and will now join the Clerisy in the afterlife as penance for his deceit. Conflicts like this are nothing new to you. You have endured this violence for years under Britannia. I imagine you are thinking that now I am in control, and that I intend to rule you all under my fist…" he emphasized as he raised his hand and squeezed. That certainly was what many of them expected. "However, you are wrong. The Black Knights are liberators, not conquerors. We could never hope to reclaim our own homeland if we deny that same right to people around the world, no matter their history or beliefs. Who leads you now, how you choose to leave your lives, is ultimately in your hands." That actually did alleviate the fears of many of his viewers. "However, I must warn you. As long as you seek to force unto others how to live, if you limit your options going forward, you will NEVER be safe. You will never be on equal standing with the rest of the world. Your struggle to separate religion and state, and your complacency in allowing that state absolute power, was what allowed Britannia to conquer you. Even so, I cannot force on you what I believe is the solution. To do so would be contradictory to what I hope you can become." Zero raised his arms. "I offer you a path forward, but it is YOU that must choose to move forward. Though the primary Sakuradite mine is destroyed, there are others still, enough for you to rebuild. Though I must lead my people in our own battle, I will not leave you out to the wolves. Instead, I have found someone among you, who shares my vision to not only strengthen you, but to ensure your own growth as people, and yet someone who understands you better than I ever could. As the world begins from Zero, I now present to you…Wahid!"
Zero stepped away from the camera as another man stepped in his place. He was dressed identical to Zero, but his color scheme was red. "My people!" he declared in a clearly Arabic accent. "I understand your fear, for I have always been one of you! I understand your anger as well! For generations, in response to this fear of the unknown, we have shut ourselves away from the rest of the world, thinking by turning to tradition to alone it would make us strong. However, in being so stringent to tradition, we have become weak and ignorant, and it was that vulnerability that ultimately lead to our conquest by an empire that tramples over all they conquer. Our cruelty amongst ourselves was ultimately our downfall. Our lack of freedom of expression suppresses ideas. Our exclusion of the opposite sex and those of other faiths has limited the resources we had to build ourselves up. Doing the opposite of what we have been doing…is the solution. As Zero said, this solution cannot be forced upon you. You must choose this for yourselves. And I will be there to show you the way. Together, with Zero, we can fight the empire, ensuring freedom for all as well as ourselves. And I will expose the injustices we have inflicted upon ourselves. I will be there to defend us from foreigners. And if you need me, I will be there for you too." Wahid paused. "Our fate, is ultimately in your hands. We must choose a new leader, together. One who will serve and protect ALL of us. Tread carefully, my people. For Wahid and the Red Faris' shall be watching over you!" The map was pulled down behind him, revealing several men in red uniforms, lined up in military precision. Finally, the signal was cut off, leaving the spectators wondering what would happen next.
"And…" Diethard announced. "Cut!"
The cameras shut off, and other hands available grabbed the background, walking away with it. Both Zero and Wahid then walked into a private room. "Well done, Maynum." Zero said. "Or, perhaps I should get used to calling you 'Wahid'".
"Thanks." "Wahid" reached behind his mask and released the seals, showing the face of Maynum. "It's strange, though. I don't know where that speech came from. I didn't even have to think about what I was saying. The words…just…came to me."
Under his mask, Zero smirked. "I suppose you're just a natural leader." If only he knew…
"You want me to become the representative of the Black Knights!?" Maynum shouted in disbelief as Zero handed him a costume identical to his own, but red.
"Not the Black Knights. ALLIES of the Black Knights, and you will be their leader." Zero replied. Grasping him by the shoulder, Zero said "Maymun. With the limited resources available to me, I have scoured for true allies who also represent the people here. That man…is you."
"But, Fadah-!"
"Fadah is an incredible woman, and a great warrior." Zero answered. "However, she does not have the qualities of a leader nor the finesse required for politics. But you do. You are intelligent and sympathetic. Most importantly, you have the desire to change your nation for the better, yet you would never force that outcome upon your people. Only ensure they can get there." Maynum needed a moment to take that in. "Believe me, Japan wasn't perfect either. Much like you, imperfections that were not dealt with prior to the invasion contributed to our downfall. And just like Japan, the Arabic nation needs someone to both revive and evolve it." Maynum seemed to slowly accept the words Zero told him. "Now we must hurry. You'll be on in five."
"What!?" Maynum panicked.
"B-but, I'm not ready!"
"Allow me to help." Zero's left slot opened, revealing his Geass.
Before Maynum could question him, his eyes glowed the faint red. "You will wear the guise of Wahid, and address the people from your heart. Do not insult them, but do not coddle them either. You will express to them the best you can for both a free and modernized Arabic nation. And as long as you wear the mask, you will never again be afraid to address anyone."
"Understood." Maynum answered.
"Zero!" Diethard called from the other room. "We have less than a minute!"
"I'll be there in a moment!" Zero turned back to Maynum. "Come, Maymun. It will be much easier when you put the mask on."
"O-okay…" Maynum nervously said as he fastened it on.
"So…now what?" Maynum asked, returning Zero to the present.
"In all honesty…I don't know." Zero answered honestly. "It's up to you now. With all that's happened, and no doubt because of my actions, Britannia will focus all their attention on me. With their puppets gone, as well as the largest and easiest source of Sakuradite, it will be too hard to take their former colony back and pursue me at the same time. Given my reputation, I believe it's safe to say Britannia will leave you alone. For now at least."
"Then, what will you need me…"
"All of you. All the Red Faris'." Zero corrected him.
"We don't have a-"
"You have some. That's how the Black Knights started. That's how YOU ALL, will start."
"…what will you need u, for?"
"The battle does not end here." Zero answered. "I will continue my mission to drive Britannia away from lands that don't belong to them, and to make allies everywhere I go." Zero held up his fist. "There will be arduous battles along the way. And it may eventually lead to World War. When that time comes, we will need each other. Should we fail, none will survive."
Maynum took a while to soak it in. "That's…that's heavy…"
"It is. But it's been a long time coming." Zero spread his cape. "If not me, some other revolutionary would be created somewhere to fan the flames of revolution. And one way or another, we will all be dragged into it."
Maynum nodded. "Very well." Maynum extended his hand. "I'll help you. I think you're crazy to be doing this, but I can't deny your results."
"It was all thanks to you." Zero answered. "If not for you coming to our rescue and for your tools, this operation would have fallen apart."
Maynum faintly smiled. "So, now…"
"Now, I must take my leave from this place. For now." Zero answered. "And you must build up your own army. Find men. Not just those who are discontent, like Abbass did. You must find idealists, fighters, and other individuals who will give you the versatility you need." Zero then thought for a moment. "Think of it this way. Building an army is much like setting up a chessboard, where you are the King. You need the basics of course; those will be your 'pawns'. But you also need special individuals who will give you more than the basics. Those will be the other pieces; it's up to you to decide where they will fit. However, only you can choose who those people will be."
Maynum thought for it for a bit. "It makes sense." He agreed, nodding. "Very well. I will build the Red Faris', as you have ordered. We will guide the people here to their full potential…but I will not put them in servitude to you." Zero rolled his head back and laughed. "What's so funny?"
"This is exactly why I have chosen you!" Zero replied. "You may think otherwise, but deep inside you is a true leader. You will work with others, but never under them!" Zero held out his hand. "You have my word. I do not want their servitude. All I want…and need…is their comradery. I hope what I offer is agreeable."
Maynum smiled, and shook his hand. "Yes…I think we can work something out." He smiled back.
Later that night, both Britannians and Black Knights had abandoned the battlefield in the desert, the sands littered with the debris of various knightmares. However, there was one lone soul out there, desperately "Mistress! Mistress Monica!" Zahra cried as she dug through the wreckage in the sand. Suddenly, she heard a cough. "Mistress!" Zahra dug further until Kruszewski was revealed. She was bloodied, but alive. "Mistress!" She cried as she hugged her. "Don't worry! We'll fix everything!" Using every last ounce of strength she had, she carried the knight as she sought out medical help.
After a few days of making sure the region would stabilize, the Black Knights prepared to take their leave. Of course, they could not leave without making sure their successors had the necessary tools to accomplish their mission. "Right now, the Eankbut is based mostly on land, but with these modifications, you can expand your reach." Rakshata said to Wahid, handing him a Flash Drive. "It's complicated-"
"Complicated is what I do." Wahid replied confidently. "We'll have knightmares up and running in no time."
"Then, you have all you will need." Zero said as he extended his hand to Wahid. "Good luck, my friend."
"It is you who will need good luck." Wahid said back. "I am merely protecting my country. What you are doing…is nigh impossible. Luckily for you, miracles are your specialty."
"As they will be yours." Zero replied as he walked off.
Underneath the mask, Wahid looked on in awe. "Such confidence…"
"It suits you."
Wahid turned his head to see Fadah to his side, dressed up in a denim jacket and white t-shirt with jeans. "You think so?"
"Well, I could take it back if you feel unworthy-"she teased him.
"Never mind." Wahid raised his hand. "Thank you." Wahid breathed for what he was going to say next. It wasn't going to be easy. "…I'll miss you."
"I know." Fadah said. Sighing, and fingering the hem of his cape, she said "You know, sometimes I wish I could love you the way you want me to…"
"You were always a free spirit." Wahid replied. "I knew what I was getting into between us; and I would never to force you to be mine alone, if that wasn't what you wanted."
Fadah nodded. Looking towards Zero's path, she heaved a duffle bag on her shoulder. "Well, I better get going."
"You sure you don't want to stay?" Wahid said. "I will make the country into one that will truly accept you for who you are."
"I will happily return to see it." Fadah smiled. "But, I've fought long enough here. I think I need a vacation."
"You'll still be fighting…"
"…I'll bend the definition however I see fit to get out of here for a while."
Wahid nodded. "Farewell." He hugged her by the hips as she leaned in to kiss his helmet.
As they separated, Fadah waved "If you find a cute wife who doesn't distinguish, I might consider being number two." She winked.
Wahid sighed as he scrunched his hands against his helmet. "I don't think I could handle two of you…"
Kallen looked around the caverns, and finally found what she was looking for, though she wasn't expecting to find them this way. The other Black Knights were gathered around a carpet, smoking Hookah with many of the former Sand Hawks. Tamaki was joking around with some, Ohgi was deep in conversation with the others. Todoh even clanked a glass of wine with another seasoned warrior, taking a sip. Kallen had to smile. "I guess when it comes to our core, none of us are very different from one another."
"Ohgi?" she asked as she pushed forward.
"Yeah, Kallen?" Ohgi asked, looking at his watch. "Is it time already?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "I don't mean to break up the fun, but we've got to get back to mission."
"Aw, come on!" Tamaki groaned. "Just a little bit more!?" he asked, handing her the pipe.
Kallen politely turned it away. "Sorry, no can do." Looking to the rest of the crowd, she bowed and said "I'm sorry! We really have to go."
While there were some moans, they gently began to clap and said their farewells to the others. Surprisingly, many came up to Kallen to shake her hand. "What's all this?" Kallen asked, confused.
"Apparently, many of them became big fans of you after the battle."
"What?"
"Yeah." Tamaki said. "They thought you were a total bad-ass out there with the Guren."
"Really?" Kallen replied, genuinely surprised.
"Well, you looking the way you do on top of that probably helped." Tamaki answered sheepishly "But it was mostly you being a bad-ass!"
The others raised their fists in adulation. One then raised a camera up. "Hey! Let's take a picture together!" He waved back to everyone behind him.
Kallen nearly froze in surprise, but Ohgi put a hand on her. "Go ahead." He said. "I already talked with them; they're nice people."
Kallen slowly began to smile and walked towards them. "Okay!" They gathered around her sides, making sure their heads were seen with Kallen at front and center.
"Smile!" Ohgi said as he focused the camera. Kallen had to put up with many "admirers" growing up, though the only thing those boys admired was on her chest (and possibly below her back). It actually felt nice to have people who admired your skills and character.
The Shitora took off into the bay, prepared to embark onto new horizons. "Where to now, Zero?" Todoh asked as he and the masked man overlooked the bridge.
"India; we were initially supposed to head there in the first place. We may have sufficient parts, but we could use more. Plus, we still need allies."
"India is neutral in the conflict." Chiba reminded him.
"They are. But I've a feeling they won't be for long, whether with or without our involvement." The revolutionary answered. "They need to know they have someone they can count on to help them when the time comes." Zero observed the crew at work. "All grids clear?"
"Everything's clear, Zero-sama." Ohgi answered as he looked away from the radar screen.
"Excellent. I will be preparing for the journey in my quarters. Everyone else, try to relax if you can, but stay alert."
As he turned heel to leave, Todoh suddenly raised his sheathed katana in front of him. After a moment's pause, Zero asked "Is there a problem, Kyoshiro-san?"
Todoh seemed to hesitate for a moment, before withdrawing his weapon. "You did a good job…Zero-sama. That is all." He sighed sheepishly.
Zero nodded. "Remember, we agreed that you did not have to follow me blindly. Do not hesitate to disagree if you feel the necessity."
As Zero continued his walk, Todoh thought "That's just it…I'm not sure if I can help BUT to trust you now…"
"Just what I would expect from the real Zero." CC said as Lelouch relaxed in his lounge.
"You wound me, CC." he said, releasing his helmet.
"I didn't mean it as an offense; it's just the truth." CC said. "You're playing the part, very well I might add. But you're still not the same masked man I made the contract with."
"Amnesia…is a powerful thing." Lelouch sighed as he looked at his reflection in the helmet. "I'm afraid I'm all you've got."
CC nodded. "In a way…I know what you're going through."
"Do you now?" he asked, unsure if she meant it.
"I've been around for a long time." CC said. "People change with time. But in many ways, time for me is meaningless. So, I've changed. I've changed again. And again. And yet again…after a while, it's hard to remember the people you once were, and I'm not sure about the kind of person I am now."
"You mean you can't even tell me what you did or were a mere century ago?"
"I remember. But the emotion I once felt with them…they're gone now. Remembering the past is like remembering a book you read a long time ago. You remember the big picture, but forget the smaller details. And you cannot feel the same emotions you did before."
Lelouch sighed. "I'm sorry."
"All that matters now is to finish our mission." CC said.
Lelouch looked up at her. "Speaking of which, you had a wish you wanted me to fulfill. What was it?"
Before anymore could be said, Kallen walked into the room. CC said "Another time then."
As she exited, Kallen helped herself in. "Everything okay?"
"More or less." Lelouch answered. "CC's a hard shell to crack."
Kallen brought him back into the real world as she took a seat on the circular sofa. "How's your hand?"
"A lot better. Thanks for asking." Lelouch said as he cracked his knuckles. He had to hide his pain when getting Maymun and his men ready to fill in for them. "When you put me through the paces, I thought it was torture, and I believed it would ultimately be useless to me." Lelouch smiled slightly. "But truth be told, looking back, I can't imagine how I would have gotten out of that situation. If I had used Geass, I would have saved my life but I could have risked putting the plan in jeopardy in doing so."
Kallen genuinely smiled. "I'm glad." She sighed. "I don't suppose you will continue… "
"What are you talking about?" Lelouch asked. "I'm ready, first thing in the morning!" he said enthusiastically.
Kallen smiled. "It seems he's starting to get it…" She nodded. "It's incredible, you know? Where you came from, and where you are now."
Lelouch chuckled a bit. "Sometimes I still pinch myself to confirm this is not some feverish dream."
Kallen then frowned. "Do you regret it? Do you…do you hate me for putting you here?"
"It would have been difficult either way." Lelouch replied. "The only thing I regret…is that Shirley had to die in order for me to be here." Both looked down at the floor.
Kallen then raised her head again. "Even so…you've done great." Kallen reminded him. "You gave us a real victory, and allies for the future."
"I only did something unexpected that would still take us where we needed to go."
"That is something that the Zero I knew would have done." Kallen reiterated. "Still, however much we may praise Zero and look back on the 'good old days'…he wasn't perfect."
"Oh?"
"Zero never really connected to us. It was probably to keep his mysterious persona, but still, looking back, I feel that it did more harm than good. Though he promised us miracles and gave us hope, it felt like we were only means to an end. I'm not saying he would sacrifice us on a whim, just that if we fell, we were replicable."
"The Black Knights still don't really know who I am."
"No." Kallen agreed. "But I do. That's a start, at least."
Lelouch nodded. Seeing the helmet in his lap, he carefully placed it on the desk. "Even so, we must maintain Zero's illusion. Not only will it give the Black Knights a leader to follow, but an enigma our enemies will fear. A terrorist with a face can be analyzed, figured out. But a masked man…that is much harder to predict."
Kallen nodded. A blush then started to form on her face. "By the way. When we did that mission to distract the clerisy…thanks for not…you know…gawking at me."
"Think nothing of it." Lelouch waved her off. "We were on a mission. I didn't have the luxury of checking out anyone. And if I did dare, I'd say you would have beaten me senseless…"
"Slapped you, maybe." Kallen huffed. "Not beat you…"
"For one as fragile as me, the same." Lelouch corrected her. "Above all else though, Kallen, I respect you. I don't wish to ruin our friendship over something so trivial."
Kallen smiled as she nodded. It made her feel good Lelouch thought of the two of them as friends. Yet, for some reason, she was also disappointed as well. Still, she answered "Thanks." Kallen stretched. "After all that's happened, I think I need to rest a bit. Just getting the Red Faris' ready alone was an exhausting ordeal."
"Go, Kallen." Lelouch said, finally unfastening his cape. "Rest. Even if we're not planning to battle yet, I've a feeling something will go wrong. We should enjoy as much of this downtime as possible."
Kallen nodded, and began to walk out. "Truth be told, Kallen…you did look good in that outfit." Lelouch suddenly said.
Kallen stopped as she blushed uncontrollably. "Uh…thanks?" Lelouch chuckled. "You looked good in drag yourself." Kallen shot back as she walked away and out into the hall, leaving the Britannian stunned at the unexpected burn.
As Kallen walked down the hall, she couldn't get what Lelouch said out of her head. "Truth be told, Kallen…you did look good in that outfit." She couldn't explain it, but that compliment made her heart race. What's more, she could tell Lelouch was sincere in that comment. Then, she had a thought. Quickly, she made her way towards the bunkers for Fadah.
As she found the door, she gently called "Fadah? Are you in here?"
She turned when she heard a slight chuckle. "Well, come in."
Kallen saw Fadah on her bed…and right under her were one of the technician girls, giving her a horrified look. "S-sorry!" Kallen turned around.
"Well, you ruined the moment for my partner anyway, so you might as well tell me what's on your mind." Fadah called back. She turned back to kiss her partner's forehead. "Sorry, cutie. We'll continue later." The technician hastily wrapped the sheet around her person as she hurried to her clothes. Unperturbed, Fadah addressed Kallen. "Since you came looking for me, I assume it's a question that's…say, frisky?"
"You could say that." Kallen said. "I suppose it's pointless to ask if you've ever posed for someone?"
"Wow. Isn't THIS a change?" Fadah chuckled. "What prompted you, may I ask? A compliment?"
Kallen nodded. "Yeah…actually, that's it EXACTLY."
"Ah."
"By any chance do you have a spare belly dancing outfit?"
Lelouch worked on his laptop as he planned strategies for future conflicts. In the middle of this, his phone then lit up. Thinking nothing of it at first, he saw it was a message with an image attached. And it was from Kallen. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that. There was a text he had to read before it allowed him to open the attachment. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. SHARE WITH NO ONE. OR ELSE. Now that was unusual.
Lelouch opened the image…and his eyes widened in surprise. Kallen was posed, lying on her side in a belly dancing outfit similar to what she wore during the mission. She added a sheer veil over her face to add to the allure, also emphasizing her cleavage and her hips. Below the image was another message. CONSIDER THIS YOUR REWARD FOR NOT GAWKING EARLIER. Lelouch felt his face redden. "I'm going to need a cold shower…" He got up to do so, then froze for a moment. No one was around, CC was doing her own thing…maybe some hot water would be just fine for now.
Down below in the Sakuradite caverns, used Sakuradite littered the area and most man-made structures were destroyed. However, something remained intact. A single pillar with what seemed to be several hieroglyphics. One symbol that particularly stood out was a sigil that resembled a bird. Just like a Geass in a person's eye.
In the midst of this, there stood what seemed to be a small boy with long, blond hair. "Thank you for the protection." VV said. "It would have been inconvenient to protect this had I been seen."
"I should be thanking you." A man said as he stepped out of the shadows. "If it weren't for you, the elevator may have been lost." Ramal stepped out of the shadows. Though his clothes were torn to rags, he didn't appear to have a scratch on him. "Plus, we still needed SOME soldiers within the empire to remain." Several soldiers emerged from the shadows. Though they were confused, they still awaited the orders of them both.
"I anticipated Zero would make his way here eventually." VV replied. "So, of course we had to take precautions. Though it would have been preferable to eliminate him, I had a feeling with his knack for miracles, that would be impractical to aim for."
"Still, he did us a favor." Ramal said. "He was able to take out the clerisy without escalating the conflict further, and with both them and the empire officially out of the way, we should be able to focus on our own objective." His bare forehead revealed the mark of Geass. "Plus, it was a personal pleasure to see those fools burn for their ignorance. You cannot believe how sick it made me to pretend to be one of them." He sighed. "Still, I must admit. I had seen worst centuries ago…"
"With the Sakuradite inside this cavern destroyed, we should be able to begin the ritual without any interference." VV said. Looking up to the night sky above, VV thought "Brother, Ragnarok will come soon. But before we can realize it…your son must die."
"… though a few soldiers have escaped with their lives, exactly WHAT happened in Area 18 is still unclear." The reporter on the TV read. "Rumors, however, claim that the infamous terrorist Zero and the Black Knights were involved…"
Suzaku put the TV on mute. "It's him." No doubt he was long gone by now, so now it was a matter of intercepting him. He had to plan his next move carefully. Though Suzaku was never a master strategist, he had some understanding of things like logistics and politics. As he made a baseline plan, he put himself in Zero's place. "I had just brought chaos to Area 18. Though I probably made some gains, I surely have taken some loses as well. Plus, I know Britannia will be on my tail at any time. I need to prepare myself, come back stronger than ever. Where would I go?"
Seeing that he would need to talk this out with someone, Suzaku then made a call. "Hello, Dorothea? Am I calling at a bad time?" he said as he opened up his laptop.
"I just stepped out of the shower, but I suppose there's no point in hanging up now." She said. "It's about what happened in Area 18, isn't it?"
"We need to figure out his next move." Suzaku answered affirmatively.
"Hm. That would be handy." She agreed. "Well, he could go inland…"
"Too risky." Suzaku shot it down. "We have too many bases posted out throughout the continents. They would be spotted for sure. Plus, there is no guarantee that our enemies will ally with him just because he is against us."
"True." Dorothea agreed. "He won't head to East Africa; we've got that one locked down. Even if he somehow came out of Area 18 unscathed, he wouldn't have the manpower to take the coast on, and even if he were able to sneak past them, there's nothing there for him."
"True." Suzaku agreed. "Though many of the colonies could serve as hot spots for a rising rebellion, he's simply not ready to take on such a task."
"So, he must be going someplace to recharge, so to speak." Dorothea concluded. "The question is, where would he go?"
As Suzaku looked through a list of known members of the Black Knights, one caught his eye. An Indian woman, Rakshata. She worked extensively with (or perhaps, against) Llyod and had an impressive background in engineering. Bringing up a window, he quickly made several cross-references with known family and associates. Finding something, his next destination was clear. "I think I've figured it out." Suzaku said. "Dorothea, I'm going to prepare a squad tomorrow morning. I'm leaving for India."
"I'll go with you- "
"Dorothea, I need you to protect Area 11 in my absence." Suzaku said. "And to look after Nunnally. Please tell her I'm sorry."
Dorothea stood silent on the other line for a moment. "Okay, but I'd think she'd rather have you stay…"
"She'll understand." Suzaku assured her. "I will call Weinberg and Alstreim to rendezvous with me on the way over there. I won't be alone, I promise you."
"Very well, Sir Kururugi. Please be careful."
"Don't worry." Suzaku answered. "Good night."
"Good night."
Suzaku hung up as he went to stare outside the open window. As luck would have it, his apartment was facing west. "Well, Lelouch…you may not be the person I once knew…but I will find you…and end you."
Again, I apologize for the unacceptable delay. I hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless, and if not, please review to let me know what I can do better.
If you didn't catch on by now, Fadah is indeed based on Prince Oberyn from Game of Thrones, as her knightmare is a big clue to that. Since this fic is rated T, no, there will not be any [graphic descriptions of] orgies involving her. Sorry.