AN: Happy New Years

Chapter 119: Irregulars

A few hours earlier.

"F-freedom?" Dalque asked in disbelief, "For real!?"

"You hear that correct." Colonel Madd responded, "If you manage to fend off the Black Knights, successfully defending the Geass Order, then we'll set you free."

"We… we can go wherever we want?" Lucretia muttered, "That… that doesn't even seem real…"

"Well, it is. Once the battle's over, the Geass Order will no longer serve any purpose." General Bartley added with a confident expression, "Thus, the need for you four expires."

"And you'll let us just walk away? No strings attached?" Sancia tried to clarify, clearly skeptical of their words.

"All we ask of you, is to fight your hardest." Madd added with a smirk, "Understand?"

"Yes sir!" Dalque stood up eagerly, "We'll crush the Black Knights, right?"

Alice looked down at first, remembering her time spent at Ashford, alongside Nunnally and the rest of the student council, which sparked her to ask, "If we do this… we'll be able to go back to Japan, correct?"

"Japan?" Bartley's eyes narrowed, "You mean, Area 11 correct?" he shook his head, remembering that they needed their cooperation, "Yes, you'll be able to return there."

"Maybe we can go to Ashford together?" the blonde suggested to her friends, "I'm sure we can work something out with Milly and the rest…"

"You really think your friends would let us attend?" Lucretia asked meekly, "I mean… isn't there supposed to be a lot of paperwork that comes with that?"

"I'm sure you'll get it figured." Bartley said, waving his hand nonchalantly, "Now, get to your Knightmare's, and await further orders. The Black Knights should be here soon."

Present.

Alice took in a deep breath, recognizing the Lancelot – despite its black color – and Cornelia's Gloucester – due to its horns –, "What are these two doing here? I thought Cornelia was busy in Area 11? And Suzaku… well… I don't really know about him, except from what Nunnally told me." she used her Geass to dodge an incoming strike from the Knight, reappearing atop a building, "So for both of these to be attacking the Geass Order… what happened?"

"Alice! Keep your head in the game!" Dalque shouted as she struck Cornelia's lance, shattering it with one punch.

"No damage!?" the Princess uttered in shock as the fist soared overhead, "Then I'll have to change my strategy!"

Using her float system, Cornelia navigated between the buildings in the blink of an eye, appearing behind the hulking Knightmare, where she would deliver a devastating kick to the back of its head, catching the dark-skinned girl off-guard, sending her stumbling forward, "Not bad…" Dalque muttered as she suddenly whipped around with unbelievable speed, throwing out a wild punch that would've easily taken Cornelia out in one hit, if she hadn't dodged at the last moment. However, her attack's inertia sent it flying through a building, toppling it by destroying the center, causing debris to cascade from all sides, brutally crushing a group of scientist below.

Meanwhile, Suzaku swung his MVS downward, attempting to catch Alice on her attack path, only for a bullet from Sancia to knock the weapon from his grasp, followed by a swift kick from his main opponent, "Damn… it's a two-on-one…" he thought while kicking off a building to narrowly dodge another bullet.

Alice appeared behind him, cocking her fist back to knock the Knight back into the open, where she could sync with Sancia. However, just as she launched her attack, Suzaku turned around, catching her fist in the process, before driving his knee into her chest. Upon stumbling back, Alice disappeared once more, attacking from above this time, just for the Knight to use his Blaze Luminous to stop her, "He's keeping up?" the girl dropped to the ground, aiming to take out his legs with a sweeping kick, only for her attack to be leapt over, and countered with a flying kick, which sent her tumbling back.

"The only thing good about you is your speed!" Suzaku proclaimed while shifting to the attack; grabbing her arm to prevent escape, and tossing her into a building, crushing the occupants as it collapsed atop her.

Though, it wasn't over for Alice, as she zipped out once more, attacking from the right, straight into another fist as the Knight predicted where she would appear. She would repeat the motion once again, this time ending up behind the Lancelot, receiving a surprise high kick to her chest as she was predicted once again. In the same move, Suzaku slapped away another bullet from Sancia with his Blaze Luminous. However, the blonde took advantage of this and rushed in for another punch, aiming straight for the Lancelot's head.

But that would prove to be a fatal mistake, as the Black Knightmare calmly moved its head back, dodging the attack by mere inches, scrapping some of its paint in the process to reveal the original, beautiful white coat. Then, the Gx felt its arm get tightly grabbed, removing the possibility of escape, while Suzaku followed delivered devastating punch after punch, caving in the chest cavity as Alice screamed in pain, feeling herself getting pushed back with each strike, until they were completely out of Sancia's sight. "Crap, we need to reposition!" the Irregular's commander ordered, taking her rifle to the next set of buildings.

In the meantime, Suzaku swung the blonde around, slamming her into an exposed rebar, piercing through a crucial joint, keeping her in place as he drew his MVS, holding it overhead in preparation to execute her

By the time Sancia and Lucretia made it to their new position, all they could witness were the remnants of the brawl, as Alice's Gx remained stuck against the wall with its cockpit split open. Below, half of the pilot remained sprawled against the bare cave floor, her fingers twitching as she began recovering from the finishing move, "Alice! Where'd he go!?" Lucretia asked, only to receive the answer in the next second, with a black slash harken piercing through her chest from behind, followed by a brutal MVS slash that split her in half.

"Damn it!" Sancia shouted as she took a nervous step back, pulling her rifle forward only to have it cut in half, followed by a slash harken that ripped off her arm.

"Like I said…" Suzaku flipped his MVS into a reverse grip, plunging it through the commander's chest, lifting her off the ground slightly, "Incredibly Bland."

Sancia gasped for air as she felt the blade pierce her body, sending blood splattering in all directions, coating her cockpit in a fine red mist, "Ah-ah… D-Dalque…" she turned her head to face the hulking Knightmare, which was on its way with a haphazard charge, "K-keep them busy for… plan B…"

"Sancia!" the dark-skinned girl called, reaching her hand out just when the Lancelot spun like a top, slicing the commander's cockpit into multiple pieces, "Everyone was defeated so easily…"

"You're next!" Cornelia proclaimed while sending a kick forward, only to have it obliterated in one punch, just like her lance.

"Out of my way, weakling!"

"Who's weak?" Suzaku's haunting voice called from behind the hulking Knightmare, his MVS poised for a deadly strike.

"C-crap!" in a last ditch effort, Dalque slammed her foot as hard as she could, breaking up the floor below, throwing everyone off-balance, as well as toppling some buildings, which nearly took out Cornelia, if she hadn't had her float unit.

Though, the same couldn't be said for the Lancelot, due to the remaining Gx letting off one last punch, which he narrowly blocked with his blaze luminous, sending him flying into a wall. "Damn it…" the Japanese boy groaned in pain while clutching his side, "Must've broken something…" he then checked his systems, still blaring red from the attack, "I've never seen such damage done to the Blaze Luminous. At least not with brute force…" he rubbed his temple, watching as Dalque crashed into a building, dodging falling stalagmites, "If I get hit like that again… she'll completely shatter my shield, no doubt about it."

"Suzaku!" Cornelia flew to his side, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" the boy groaned, "Let's just focus on the big one."

The Princess drew an MVS, spinning it once while staring down the Gx, "How about we use the VARIS? I'll draw its attention, then you shoot them in the back."

"Never thought you'd suggest yourself as bait." Suzaku jest while grabbing his rifle.

"This is more than just my pride, Suzaku." Cornelia responded, "You and I are warriors, fighting toward the same goal. You trust me with your life, and vice versa."

"How noble." the Knight drew his VARIS, turning it to maximum output, before taking a crouching position, "Then let's do this, and try not to get shot."

"I don't intend to." the Princess smirked while charging the hulking Knightmare, leading with a downward slash.

Dalque's fist cut through the air as she sent out an uppercut to meet her opponent's attack, only for the Gloucester to easily dodge it, by quickly maneuvering to the left, using flight to its advantage. Cornelia let out a heavy breath while thrusting her sword forth, chipping the Gx's shoulder in the process, earning a wild response from the pilot, as she swung her arm back, attempting to demolish the Gloucester in one shot.

However, the Princess saw the attack coming, and in response flipped her frame upside down, causing the hulking Knightmare's arm to sail past her head, tearing off a horn in the process. Then, the Witch of Britannian smirked as she saw Suzaku fire a VARIS bolt, hitting Dalque square in the back, causing her frame to stumble forward slightly, "Damn it!" the girl screamed while assessing the damage, "I'm still good to go… but that fucking hurt…"

"Seriously? No damage?" the Knight muttered while connecting his VARIS to create his main destructive weapon, "I really didn't wanna use this, since we're in a cave. But if that stomping didn't cause everything to come down, then I doubt a shot from the hadron blaster would."

Meanwhile, Cornelia brought her sword upward, damaging the Gx's head slightly, with an indent. Then, she spun around the hulking frame, dodging an uppercut, countering by slicing a finger off, "Dalque." Madd's voice came over her radio, "I've granted the others access to their special Knightmare variants. They'll arrive shortly to assist."

"Th-that's great…" the dark-skinned girl mumbled as she dodged a slash, misplacing her foot, which caused the entire building to crumble beneath her weight.

"That being said, you've outlived your usefulness."

"Wh-what?"

"This is your last mission, Dalque." the colonel said heartlessly as metallic prongs pierced the girl's neck, before injecting C.C cells, enhancing her Geass and causing great pain, "As your last task, I command you to kill Suzaku Kururugi."

"S-screw you-ugh-AHH!" Dalque clenched her head, Geass mark now glowing brightly, while her veins began popping all over her arm. As this was happening, she noticed Cornelia flying in from above, her sword poised for a strike, "E-enough!" the girl screeched, throwing a wild punch at the Gloucester. However, due to her Geass power being increased, the sheer motion of her fist created a wind gust that violently ripped the Princess' arm off.

"I-impossible!" Cornelia shouted in disbelief as the alarms of her frame began blaring, signaling critical damage throughout. "But I'm not done yet!" she then flew in, driving her MVS through the shoulder of the Gx, before mounting the hulking frame by the shoulders, wrapping one leg around its neck, "I, Cornelia Li Britannia, have never known surrender!" she forced her opponent to face the Lancelot, which was now glowing red with the charge of its hadron blaster, "Not today, or ever!"

Suzaku calmly pulled the trigger of his weapon, firing off a powerful beam that destroyed the surrounding buildings, paving a way toward Dalque, who was kicked forward by the Princess, forcing the Gx to succumb to its fate as she got away. "N-no! I refuse!" the girl proclaimed, extending her hands to meet the beam, stopping it briefly, "I won't die… I can't… not until… we have our… freedom…"

Despite her best efforts, the crimson blast eventually consumed her fingers, completely encompassing her arms shortly after, slamming her into the cavern wall, causing her eyes to turn white as the pain became overbearing.

"Dalque!" Sancia called the girl's name, firing her new rail gun at the Lancelot, which took a step back, avoiding major damage at the cost of its hadron blaster, which freed the hulking frame from its beam, "Lucretia, get her out of there!"

"On it!"

Meanwhile, Alice rushed toward Suzaku just as he grabbed an MVS from a fallen Gloucester, using it to clash with the blonde's new twin blades, "Another one?" he asked, pushing her away with a high kick, "No… this one's clearly different. Armor… swords… this pilot's clearly better than the last."

Alice then disappeared, quickly speeding behind the Lancelot, where it anticipated her, bringing down its MVS. However, thanks to the new armor installed on her shoulder, the blade only managed to leave a scratch, which hardly prevented the girl from attacking; a swift kick to her opponent's ankle was the best advantage she could find, which would allow her to take the initiative. Though, upon noticing this, Suzaku lifted his foot slightly, before slamming it onto her leg, stopping the attack effortlessly, "No… just as worthless as the last." he mumbled, driving his knee into her face.

The blonde rolled through the debris, recovering by hitting a backflip during her tumble, "Alice, Sancia, Lucretia." Madd's voice spoke to them through the radio, "As you know, this is the most important mission of your lives – possibly your last. Which is why, it's imperative for you to kill Suzaku Kururugi. We cannot afford to let him live; so, we're activating your Geass control drugs." as he said that, metal prongs stuck into the girls necks, beginning the injection, "We're pulling out all the stops for this. No objections."

"Wh-what about Dalque!?" Sancia asked as a pained expression washed over her face, "We… have to save her…"

"Dalque has been disposed of." the Colonel hauntingly answered her question, "Considering how much of that blast she took – combined with the drug – the damage she's sustained is more than likely fatal."

"F-fatal!?" Lucretia groaned while falling to her knees, just before Dalque's destroyed Gx, "N-no… way"

"Wait… you gave her the Geass drug!?" Sancia demanded an answer.

"We agreed that you'd fight as hard as you could, did we not?" Bartley chimed in ruthlessly, "Or are you planning on going back on your word?"

"We never agreed to Dalque dying!"

"Forget about her." the Colonel ordered ruthlessly, "We have no time for dead weight. She bought you three a chance to defeat Suzaku Kururugi – a Knight of the Round."

"Screw your chances!" Alice protested as the Lancelot slowly approached her, "We won't leave Dalque behind…"

"You don't have a choice." Madd's eyes narrowed, "Now, this is your final mission: Kill Suzaku Kururugi."

"No!" Lucretia shouted while holding her head in pain, "I… I can't leave Dalque behind…"

Sancia felt the drug flow through her veins, empowering her Geass, heightening her senses beyond its limits. With this, once the commander gazed upon the Lancelot, she saw endless possibilities. Possibilities of its next attack. Not just chances, but accurate guesses, ones that she couldn't normally achieve in her ordinary state, "Alice, overhead!"

At that moment, Alice crossed her blades to block the incoming MVS aimed to split her in half, then she kicked the boy away, where she would recover using her speed, "Did they get faster?" Suzaku mumbled upon witnessing the now near-instantaneous movement, "Is that really a product of Geass?"

From behind, the blonde appeared with her blades pointed at the Knights cockpit, attempting to end the fight with one thrust, only for him to abruptly turn around, spinning his blade, disrupting her attack, "Step back!" Sancia ordered, allowing Alice to narrowly dodge another downward slash, "Get behind him, then duck!"

The blonde did as told, which the boy reacted by twirling with his blade outstretched, aiming to hit her if she came near. Though, once he saw that she had preemptively ducked, he brought his blade back for a block, narrowly absorbing the impact of her twin blades being thrust forth, sending him flying back, "They definitely went up a few levels."

"Follow up with a kick!" Sancia informed her sister, who followed perfectly, by speeding in front of the Knight just as he landed, launching a devastating kick to his chest, making him groan in pain, "Leap forth, and bring both of your blades down for a slash!"

Once Suzaku stopped tumbling, he noticed the shadow of the Gx frame encompass his, causing him to instinctively block by holding his blade with two hands, "Not to mention, even more aggressive…" he then fired a slash harken, just for the girl to instantly drop, staying as close to the ground while sweeping his legs with a kick. The Lancelot committed to a handstand, bringing his foot down for a devastating overhead kick, only to find Alice already gone.

Though, when he tried to use his factsphere to find her, he noticed an incoming projectile from his right, forcing him to block with the blaze luminous; dispersing a great deal of power from the attack, before cracking from the pressure. His eyes zeroed-in on the culprit, a Gx Knightmare wielding a massive rail gun that used both of its arms to fire, "it's like a Raiko… but not as bulky…" he mumbled, taking note of only one cockpit present.

He then flew behind a building, escaping the snipers line of sight, and dodging a surprise attack from Alice in the process. The blonde followed him by swinging her blades wildly, forcing him to defend at a constant, secretly drawing her further and further from Sancia, until he was sure they were out-of-sight, then he went on the attack. First, with one final block, he pushed Alice's twin blades down, sticking them in the dirt where he would slam the handle of his MVS into her head, causing her to stumble slightly, where he would follow with a slash, which was dodged.

Though, he quickly scanned the area and flipped his sword into a reverse-grip, thrusting it backwards straight into Alice as she reappeared to retrieve her blades. This forced her to grab the MVS at the last moment, stopping it mere feet from her chest, "Gone back down in skill? Good for me." Suzaku freed his weapon with a spin, before kicking the girl away, where he would notice her throw a hand out to grab him, oddly staying the attack despite being clearly pushed back.

Regardless, the Knight effortlessly blocked her attempt with his right hand, transferring the grip of his sword completely to his left, which he would use to thrust forward. Alice gasped while disappearing again, moving to grab her weapons, hearing a call-out in the process, "Strafe right!"

Following the orders of her sister, the blonde did as told, narrowly moving out of the way of Suzaku's blade as he spun around for a downward slash, "They dodged that one? Why not the other one? They both had the same start-up…" his eyes quickly darted around, until landing upon the sniper from earlier.

Alice dashed in once more, forcing him to back straight into a building, which would disrupt his flow for a moment, leaving him vulnerable to an incoming slash, nearly taking off his head if not for a crucial block with his MVS. Using this moment, he grabbed the blonde's chest, dragging her into the building, where their scuffle would continue for a moment. Once inside, Suzaku began telegraphing the same attacks he used before, poking to see his opponent's reaction without the interference of the sniper.

The Knight thrust his blade forward, getting parried with ease, and countered by a thrust from the girl, that he swiftly ducked, bringing his blade up to deliver a slash to her side. However, the girl instantly disappeared at that moment, appearing behind him – her blades poised for an upward slash. Though, Suzaku was ready to match her strength with a downward slash of his own, colliding their blades with an epic clang, forcing both of them to drag their feet across the ground as dust collected on their frames.

The Knight stayed poised while staring down the girl; her blades held in a reverse-grip while walking from side-to-side, "Now, it's time to compare and contrast." the boy fired a slash harken forth, causing the blonde to parry, opening her to a sudden shoulder charge, which she dodged at the last moment.

Suzaku crashed through the building, exiting into a courtyard, where he was within the sights of the sniper once again, who fired another round from her rail gun. In a split-second decision, the Knight chose to fly to the other side, dodging the blast as it collided with the ground, taking note of his energy filler in the process, "Almost out… those hits to my luminous drained me faster than expected…"

He took note of the surrounding area again, catching sight of a relatively intact Gloucester that most likely still had its energy filler in one piece. The only problem? It was on the other side of the yard, where Alice emerged from the crumbling building, "Rush in with a quick slash from the left!" Sancia ordered.

The suddenness of the assault caught Suzaku off-guard, landing the blonde's first hit across his chest – a mild scrap, but damage nonetheless. The Knight clenched his controls tightly, before bringing the MVS upward, forcing the blonde to back away, rethinking her attack. At the very least, that was something Suzaku wasn't going to give her the pleasure of doing, as he rushed forth, thrusting his blade toward her chest, getting parried in the process – a mirror image of what happened in the building. Though this time, when the Knight ducked her counterstrike, Alice disappeared, escaping the second he brought his blade up.

"From his right; lead with a slash!" Sancia ordered, which her sister followed.

Suzaku's eyes quickly darted to the blonde as her Knightmare appeared on the right, forcing him to duck the incoming attack, skidding away with his landspinners in the process. However, the assault didn't let up, as the blonde continued to charge forth, thrusting a single blade toward his chest, forcing a last second parry, where she would take advantage of his position by bringing down her other blade, dealing damage to his arm as it came up to block.

The cut ran deep, earning a groan from the pilot as he retreated with the quickness of a lynx, "As I thought, the most potential you have is your speed… just like the first." Suzaku mumbled, sheathing his blade, earning a surprised reaction from Sancia and Alice, "However, you have help…" his eyes wandered to the sniper, keeping a close eye on him, reloading her rifle in the process, "This whole fight, I've been hitting them with the same attacks repeatedly, never receiving a punishing counter, until their presence. For that reason… a Geass must be present, one similar to Bismarck's." he lowered his frame to the ground, staring down Alice, "There can't be another user linking a connection between those two – otherwise the fast one would've performed way better in the building. So it's safe to say, the sniper can only react to what they see." he smirked, finally seeing the path to a seemingly impossible victory, "If that's the case, I'll create a false perception."

Suddenly, the Lancelot charged in, its arms outstretched as if going for a massive hug, "So he's accepted defeat?" Sancia mumbled, "Alice, charge in and crush his cockpit! Don't give him a second to breathe!"

The blonde used her Geass to appear mere feet before the Lancelot, thrusting a twin blade to stab its leg, only for the black Knightmare to leap into the air, sailing over her in a graceful twist spin. Though, she easily saw where he was going to land, preparing another strike the second his head was in range. But Suzaku was far from done – as soon as his foot touched the ground, he leapt into another twist spin, dodging the upward slash effortlessly as his arms stayed close to his body.

"His float unit must be out of power." Sancia smirked, "Alice, lead with a downward slash. When he flips again, bring both of your blades upward to meet him!"

"Understood." the blonde responded, feeling the antidote being injected into her neck, slowly taking away her high.

Just as her sister said, Suzaku went for another twist spin to dodge the attack, falling right into their trap perfectly. Or so they thought. Once he saw Alice flip her blades, he corrected midair, fanning out his arms and legs before firing all of his slash harkens, each hitting the exposed parts of the Gx's limbs, severing them upon contact. Sancia's eyes widened with disbelief as the Knight used his float system to attempt a lethal kick that would've crushed her sister's cockpit, if Lucretia hadn't intervened with her chain sickle, wrapping it around his leg, and slamming him to the ground, next to the downed Gloucester from earlier.

"Lucretia? What are you doing here!?" Sancia exclaimed, feeling the antidote getting administered automatically.

"Dalque… I got her out in time…" the soft-spoken girl responded, staring down the Lancelot as it got up, retrieving an energy filler in the process. "But… the Black Knights are closing in. I saw it with my Geass."

"S-seriously?" the black-haired girl looked over her shoulder, watching as Cornelia finished off the remaining Pluton Knightmare's in the courtyard, before flying to the Knightmare bay, in search of survivors. "We won't stand a chance against them like this…"

Upon freeing himself of the chain, Suzaku shot up, drawing his sword for another fight. That's when Alice's weak voice chimed in, "Wait… C.C… she's a part of the Black Knights. If they're here for the Geass Order… maybe there's a way I can reason with them."

"You can't be certain of that. It's too risky."

"No… I met her back at Ashford… during the battle." the blonde uttered as Suzaku clashed with Lucretia, who he easily overpowered, "We have something in common… so I think it'll work."

Sancia clenched her controls tightly while aiming at Suzaku, "Sounds like we don't have any other choice…" she charged the rail gun to maximum output, "We'll do things your way, Alice. I'll place all the faith I have in you."

"Th-thank you…" Alice let out a defeated sigh as her eyes closed, stealing away her remaining consciousness.

Cornelia crashed her frame through a walkway, killing two scientists as they tried running away. As the Gloucester skidded to a stop, the Princess hopped out, rolling across the ground before shooting another scientist in the back as he tried to reach for a gun. Then, she dashed to a metal table, which she flipped to use as cover to avoid incoming fire from two more. With her pistol's extended barrel, she slid a rifle to her side, checking the ammo before turning her cover upright, utilizing it like a shield while killing her assailants with two quick bursts.

The Princess threw the table down, gazing up the fiery wreckage of her frame as it burned a few scientist alive, which had been trapped beneath it during the skid. She chose to execute these poor souls with a bullet to their heads. Then, her eyes wandered upstairs, where she saw a door hastily close, "That must be their command center." she grabbed a set of grenades from a nearby table, using one to blast open the metal door.

Inside, Bartley instinctively ducked as Cornelia rushed in, gunning down the remaining occupants without mercy, painting the walls red with their blood. Madd slumped against a wall, feeling the force from the bullets causing him immense pain, "Where is he!?" the Princess demanded while sliding across the command table, which was filled with stacks of papers that were being prepared to burn, "Where is the canceller!?" she grabbed Bartley by the collar, slamming him face-first into the floor, before putting a gun to his head, "Answer me!"

"P-please… have mercy… Princess Cornelia…" the General pleaded, momentarily getting over his shock.

"Tell me what I want to know!" she broke him arm using her foot, eyes filled with rage, "Where is the Geass Canceller!?"

"H-he's not here!" Bartley cried in pain, "W-we lost contact with him some time ago… gah!" he let out another cry as Cornelia broke his other arm.

"Liar!"

"I-it's true! He joined the Black Knights after the battle at the Vermilion palace!"

"The Black Knights… he joined them? Why?"

"W-we don't know… it's still a mystery… even to us…"

Realizing he had no reason to lie, Cornelia let out a sigh while backing off, "The research you've gathered here… is plagued with evil." she took a grenade, pulling the pin but not letting the spoon fly, "Be grateful that I'm granting such a merciful death."

"Th-that's it?" Madd struggled to say, "W-we don't even get a second chance?"

"All of you have lived long enough. It's time to repent for what you've done." the Princess tossed a few grenades around the room, before escaping the blast by dashing out the door, finishing off both the Colonel and the General for good, alongside piles of their research, "Oigaros." she called over her radio, "I've eliminated the scientists, but I'm in need of extraction."

"We have a bigger problem." the Zevon answered, watching as the Siegfried, followed by the Kagero, Guren, and Gekkas approached in the distance, "The Black Knights, they're here."

Cornelia's eyes widened, followed by a smirk, "How convenient. Now I'll get my answers."

"Princess, I advise an escape plan immediately. There's no way Suzaku will be able to beat them all, especially in the condition he's in."

"There's no point." the woman took a fire extinguisher, blasting her Gloucester to douse the flames, "Even if we try flying, they'll catch us eventually. Our best bet is to stand our ground." she checked the systems, smiling as the Yggdrasil drive sprung to life, "I'll need to get some new parts. You'll join us, won't you, Oigaros?"

"I… I'll do my best." the man lied, spotting his nephew's familiar Knightmare amongst the escort, "But no promises."

"That's all I needed to hear."

"Hold him still!" Sancia shouted while charging up her rail gun, which Lucretia happily obliged by wrapping Suzaku in chains. Though, this proved ineffective, as he simply gripped the binds tightly, using them to throw her into a nearby wall. "C-crap… I have to shoot." the black-haired uncharacteristically panicked, pulling the trigger upon feeling a sense of urgency.

However, this proved costly as the Knight instantly reacted to the sound of the shot, using his float system to dodge the attack, and fly past her with great speed; his weapon drawn, poised for a finishing blow. Sancia turned to block using her gun, only to find Suzaku appear behind her once again, shutting away any hope of victory permanently, "Your Geass is clearly inferior…" he commented, delivering a devastating slash that cut the Gx's cockpit open, slicing the pilot in half.

Even so, he turned his attention to Lucretia, who was still functional; something he was about to change. After tackling her into the sky, flying out of the cave into the desert, where he would drag her across the ground, dirtying his frame with specs of sand. Upon coming to a stop, he ripped the chain sickle from her grasp, and wrapped it around his own arm, raising it high in the air for a lethal blow, only to notice the shadow of several Knightmare approaching from above, drawing his attention, "The Black Knights?" he scanned the group, finding the Kagero at the center of the pack, "Lelouch."

AN: Since the drug enhances their abilities, I thought it would be fair for Sancia's (which can predict unit movement) to have an effect similar to the Zero system (since both work on probability and all). As for Lucretia, since her Geass can generate an accurate map of her surroundings, I thought it would make sense for an enhanced version to visualize soldiers/Knightmares too; basically the full terrain, including the stuff on/in it.