AN: I'm happy to see the reactions to Lelouch and Naoto teaming up, because it's something I've always thought about after Ohgi hyped the guy up. I mean, from the very beginning, it was apparently Naoto's plan to steal the poison gas from Britannia, and it would've supposedly worked if Tamaki hadn't messed something up. Then, there's the constant comparisons made by Ohgi throughout the series between Naoto and Zero, so that always gave me the impression that Naoto was pretty smart, maybe not Lelouch or Schneizel smart, but smarter than most.
Now, I'll be answering a question that was PM'd to me, that question being: What will the relationship between Naoto and Lulu be?
On the resistance side of things, I want Naoto to be like Ohgi; he's the guy that keeps the black knight's together at the beginning because everyone doesn't really trust Zero, however, the big difference is that Naoto will actually know Zero's identity from the start, and their personal lives will be heavily intertwined because of Kallen. For now, that's all I'll say, but I hope this answers the question.
Chapter 5: A Mechanical Requirement
Time: 9:00 PM
A lone towtruck drove through the dimly lit ghetto, the low hum of its engine was therapeutic for its passengers, helping them calm their nerves, however, one member was using something else to help calm themselves.
"Kallen, why did you bring a toy car?" Naoto asked as the red metal car slowly rolled across the dashboard
"Well… I thought that since nothing was happening today… I'd just bring something to entertain myself." his little sister replied
"She's still just a kid…" Ohgi thought with a smile.
"While it's true, this mission shouldn't be dangerous if we follow the plan, I'd still appreciate it if you kept your eyes peeled."
"Yes sir," Kallen mocked
Naoto then turned around, now facing the passengers who were seated by the truck's winch, "Naomi, Minami, are you okay?"
"It's kind of cold, but I'll manage," Minami replied as he clung onto a toolbox.
"I told you to bring a jacket, and yet you just don't listen," Ohgi chimed in
"Well, it wasn't cold at the time."
"Still, you should've brought one just in case," Naomi added while snuggling into her own jacket, as if taunting the bespectacled man.
Naoto turned back to Kallen and asked, "Kallen, you remember the plan, right?"
"For the last time, yes, I do."
"Could you repeat it to me?"
The fiery red head gave her brother a perturbed glare, before saying, "We're going to stop in an alleyway that's about a block away from the scrapyard; there, we'll let both Naomi and Minami off, and they'll make their way to the objective, cutting down the chain-link fence with bolt cutters. Once inside, they'll search for the Glasgow, and upon finding it, they'll first disable the IFF, while simultaneously doing maintenance checks, making sure the machine is operable. After that, they'll start it up, and drive the Knightmare out of the scrapyard; if they have enough in the energy-fillers, they'll drive the thing straight home, however, if not, then we'll have to tow it home."
"And what happens if the Yggdrasil drive is damaged?"
"Then we'll abandon the Glasgow immediately, and scrap the mission."
"What if the drive is intact, but the energy filler is empty?"
"In that instance, you'll sneak into the scrapyard, and sedate the guards, allowing for the tow truck to enter unbothered, then we'll tow the Glasgow back to base."
"Wrong. Not back to base," Naoto corrected, "We don't have enough room in the base to store this thing, that's why I had Tamaki find us a warehouse. That's where we're going to store the Glasgow."
Suddenly, the truck began to slow down, until it came to a full-stop, "This should be good," Ohgi said while putting the vehicle into park, "Naomi, Minami, it's time."
"Got it." the indigo haired girl replied
"Don't worry, we'll be back in 10." Minami followed up before rounding a corner, leaving the three resistance members alone.
Three minutes of uncomfortable silence passed by with Kallen's red car constantly driving across the dashboard, before coming to a stop, where she'd reach over and pick it up, only to do the same thing again. Naoto finally let out a breath, and decided to break the silence, "Kallen… who's the boy you were talking about before?"
"What boy?" she played dumb
"You know what I'm talking about. Who is he?"
"Nobody…" Kallen responded while looking off to the side
Ohgi shifted towards the driver's door slightly, feeling as though he didn't belong here, "I know that look! Do you really only want to be that guy's friend!"
"Yes, that's it, really!" she lied, but only slightly.
"Ah, I get it. She's afraid I won't approve of him because he's Britannian. Well, don't worry sis, because your big brother is a very understanding person," Naoto thought to himself.
"Kallen," he began, "I don't care if you date a Britannian, if he makes you happy, then that's all that matters to me."
"I told you it's not like that!"
Suddenly, a voice in the back of her mind said, "Not yet at least…"
"Do you want me to leave or something?" Ohgi asked, hoping to get out of the tense situation.
Upon hearing Kaname's question, both Kozuki responded, "NO!"
"Ohgi, I need you to help me out here," Naoto added
"And I need you to clear things up with my brother!" Kallen shouted
"Naomi, Minami, please, hurry up," Ohgi prayed while rubbing his temple.
Meanwhile, in the scrapyard…
"There it is," Naomi said, pointing at the brown Glasgow atop a pile of junk.
"Yeah. It's just like Naoto said, it's completely intact." Minami added while climbing onto the machine's back, before pressing a few buttons, causing the cockpit to open with a burst of air.
Naomi quickly entered the cockpit, and plugged in a USB drive that Naoto gave her earlier, there, the main interface lit up with a progress bar, "Jail breaking process has started," she said while typing away at the keyboard, clearing pop-ups as the bar continued to fill up, "Any luck on the IFF?"
"I think it's something you have to do," Minami responded while walking around the Glasgow, "I don't see where it could be hiding."
Conveniently, the next pop-up on Naomi's screen read out:
IFF Transponder Engaged: True or False?
Current Status: True.
After seeing this, the girl used the roller at the top of the Glasgow's right handle, and selected False. "I think… that did it?"
Despite his friend's success, Ohgi wasn't having as nice of a time, "And I just want to let you know, that I will support you with whoever you choose as your partner, Kallen," Naoto said, still arguing with his sister about…
"What are you arguing about?" Kaname asked, causing both Kozuki to look at him.
"We're not arguing, I'm just letting my sister know I will-"
Kallen suddenly cut through her brother's words and said, "There's no argument. Naoto just can't accept that I only want to be friends with a guy."
"Then what's the issue?" Ohgi asked while fiddling with the tow truck's keys
"The problem is that she's lying!" Naoto argued, "There's no way a girl wants to, 'just be friends' with some random guy."
"It sounds like, you're trying to justify asking out a certain girl you thought was into you back in college," Ohgi said, trying to change the subject.
"That's not what this is about! This is about Kallen!"
Before the conversation could continue, a Glasgow spun around the corner, with Minami hanging off the side, "Ohgi!" he shouted, almost ignorant about how this was a stealth operation, "The energy filler won't last to the warehouse, so we need to tow it!"
Ohgi stepped out of the truck, and used the controls to raise the winch as Naomi put the Knightmare on one knee, and shut it off, before stepping out, "Did you disable the IFF?"
"Yep," the girl responded while taking a seat on the truck's bed, "It was super simple too. I just had to enter a command on the interface, and boom, it was off."
Ohgi set the winch, and wondered if the truck would be able to handle the Glasgow's weight, but remembered that they wouldn't necessarily be dragging it, instead, it was more like they were taxiing it like a plane. Using the land spinners to do the hard work.
"What's the percentage looking like?" Naoto asked, referring to the energy fillers.
"About twenty minutes worth. As for the rest of it, this thing's practically brand new."
"Brand new?" Kallen questioned
"Yeah," Ohgi said while stepping into the driver's seat, and turning on the engine before driving the truck toward their warehouse, "Even the paint looks brand new."
"But that's not right…" the younger Kozuki thought, "My Glasgow's left slash harken was slightly damaged, and there were a couple of scratches on the main body."
After 30 minutes, they finally arrived at a large, run-down warehouse, where Tamaki, Nagata, Sugiyama, and Yoshida were waiting. After the truck entered, the group gathered around the Glasgow in awe, "Wow, it looks even cooler in person!" Tamaki exclaimed
"So… this is what Britannia used to take over Japan… well, now we have one too!" Nagata shouted, "And with it, we can't lose!"
High off their victory, the resistance cell cheered, all except Kallen and Naoto, "This thing's too perfect," the older Kozuki thought, "Why would they dump it in a scrapyard?"
"Seriously, there's no way Britannia would just abandon a Glasgow like this. I know that at this time, they're starting to roll out the Sutherland's in full force, but…" the sudden ringing of her brother's phone broke Kallen out of her thoughts.
"Hello?"
"I don't know what you did," Lelouch said through the phone, "But the military has just mobilized a task force. They've got three Sutherland's and an entire company just outside the Ghetto!"
Naoto's heart dropped, "Naomi! I thought you said you disabled the IFF!?"
"I did," the girl replied with a smile, "Why? What's wrong?"
"They must've tracked it using something else! The soldiers are beginning to converge on your position! Abandon the Glasgow, this mission's a bust!"
After hearing those words, the resistance leader hung up the phone, and shouted, "Everyone! We need to evacuate now! The Britannian military has been mobilized, leave everything you can't carry! And destroy any evidence of us being here!"
However, before anyone could even make a sound, a Sutherland with red shoulder pads crashed through the warehouse's roof, "This is Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald, and I'm putting you filthy Eleven's under arrest for tampering with government property!" the intercom of the purple machine blared as it waved its stun tonfa's around.
"Damn it! Your informant set us up, Naoto!" Tamaki accused while ducking for cover.
The entire cell scattered, some ran out of the warehouse, and into a sewer drain outside, making their escape to the Ghetto, while others like Ohgi, Tamaki, Naoto, and Kallen stayed behind. Jeremiah watched as the terrorists ran around like chickens with their heads cut off, "Ah, the thrill of the hunt. There's nothing else that I enjoy more!" he thought while Naoto climbed into the Glasgow behind him.
"I need to get to the Glasgow, now!" Kallen thought while running toward the machine, however, once she got close, she noticed her brother already entering the cockpit, "No way!"
"Naoto, don't do it! The energy fillers too low, remember!?" Ohgi shouted as the Knightmare powered up, grabbing the Margraves attention.
"So, you low-born scum think you can challenge me with second-hand technology?" he taunted through the intercom, "Very well, give me your best!"
Naoto pushed the controls forward, sending the Glasgow's shoulder into the Sutherland, causing it to crash through the warehouse's main shutter, and straight into an arena created by the Britannian military outside.
"Lord Jeremiah!" the voice of Villeta Nu called from within another Sutherland.
"Leave this Eleven to me!" Jeremiah responded, "He's my prey!"
As both Knightmare's stood up, Naoto reached for his main phone, and called Ohgi, "Naoto, get out of there! You can't beat them!" his friend shouted while footsteps echoed in the background; they were clearly in the sewers.
"Ohgi, please… listen to me," Naoto pleaded as he pulled the Glasgow back, barely dodging one of Jeremiah's stun tonfa's, "If I die here…"
"Don't say that!" Tamaki shouted, grabbing the phone in the process, "You just have to make it out of there! You'll be okay!"
Naoto then sent a punch toward the Sutherland's, however, at the last second it ducked, and countered by using its other stun tonfa to dismember the Glasgow's left arm. "Damn it! The difference in performance! It's just too much!" Kallen thought while watching the duel from a bush.
Jeremiah cackled as he struck the Glasgow's head with his stun tonfa, taking it clean off, "An Eleven like you… is no match for a Britannian pure-blood!" he shouted before dismembering the Glasgow's other arm as Naoto helpless lifted it for some form of protection.
However, this was the exact moment the Kozuki was waiting for, as he fired both slash harkens at the arms of his opposition, but the Margrave wasn't going to just sit there, as he banked right, allowing only for the slash harkens to hit his right arm, cutting it clean off, "Got him!"
Jeremiah's Sutherland shook as his arm exploded upon crashing into the concrete below, "Lucky shot…" he muttered while firing his own slash harkens in return, one of them sailed past Naoto as he strafed to the left, however, the second harken struck the center of his mech, causing multiple red pop-ups to appear on his screen.
"Do you need some assistance? Jeremiah?" the voice of Kewell Soresi boomed from within another Sutherland as it stepped into the arena.
"Lord Kewell!? Stay out of this!" the Margrave responded
"Why should I?" Kewell asked as he raised his Knightmare's assault rifle, "Are you telling me we're honoring duels with Elevens now?"
Before Jeremiah could respond, his subordinate was already opening fire on Naoto's Glasgow, and despite his desperate dodging, the bullets still made contact with his cockpit, kicking up a cloud of smoke, "Naoto!" Kallen shouted with tears in her eyes.
The older Kozuki's Knightmare swayed back and forth, like it was going to topple at any moment, "Lord Kewell!" Jeremiah reprimanded, "There will be consequences for this!"
Suddenly, the Glasgow's ejection seat activated, sending the cockpit out of the arena, and into a pile of shipping containers, "Everyone, capture the pilot alive!" Villeta's voice boomed.
"What about the other rebels!?" asked a soldier
"They're already long gone into the sewer system, there's no way we'll be able to capture them like this!" responded miss Nu as she quickly drove to the cockpit, however, upon arriving, she noticed the seat was already open, then she noticed a manhole covering pushed to the side nearby, "Damn it. Find the Eleven, and bring him to me!"
The faint footsteps of Naoto Kozuki rang throughout of the sewer system as he ran for his life; his heavy breaths filling his lungs with oxygen and methane. If he wanted to live this, he had to find a way out of the sewers, and onto a surface street; preferably in the Ghetto.
"I think if hear him!" the voice of a soldier rang throughout the dark and narrow corridors.
After hearing this, Naoto decided to pick up his pace, consuming even more oxygen, and methane, then, he tripped. The resistance leader began to throw up profusely, blinking in and out of consciousness as the world span around him, "Damn it… am I really going to die here?" he thought just as his phone began to ring.
After answering it, the voice of Ohgi blared, "Naoto! Where are you!?"
This caught the attention of three nearby soldiers, who rounded the corner, finding a crawling Naoto as he desperately tried to get away, "Ohgi… please… keep Kallen safe…" he muttered as the soldiers kicked his phone away.
"This is X-ray 2. We've got the terrorist." one of the soldiers radioed in while pointing his gun at the defeated resistance leader.
"Copy that, X-ray. You're now to bring him to Lady Villeta at once." replied a voice from the radio.
"Not like this…" Naoto thought… "I won't be captured alive…" he reached into his jacket and pulled out a knife, "I'm sorry… Kallen… but it looks like your big brother's leaving you alone after all…"
However, before he could attack one of the soldiers, Kallen ran out from a corner, and grabbed a pistol from one of their holsters, using it to shoot the one that was holding Naoto down in the head. Then, she executed the soldier she grabbed the gun from, by shooting him in the neck, finally, the last soldier turned and they both fired one bullet. Kallen's bullet hit the soldier in the chest, while the soldier's hit her in the heart.
Both fell to the ground with a yelp, and after seeing his sister get shot, Naoto's heart dropped, leaving only unbridled rage behind. With that, he lunged onto the last soldier, and stabbed his knife into him repeatedly; blood splattered onto Naoto, the wall, and the ground as the soldier screamed in pain.
Finally, with one last shout, the soldier fell limp, leaving the older Kozuki empty as he rushed to Kallen's side, holding her in his arms, "Kallen…" he pleaded through tears… "Please… don't go… wake up… please…" but there was no response, "No… no…" he then stared at the ceiling and shouted, "God! Please! If you need a life, then take mine! My sister, she can't die! She doesn't deserve it! I dragged her into this, it should be me who dies! Not her!"
As if someone above heard his pleas, the fiery red head opened her eyes with a gasp, "Damn!" she shouted, "that hurt!"
"What… what is this?" her brother wondered while pulling back her jacket, revealing the little red metal car with a bullet lodged into it, "I'm so glad they don't cheap out on those…" he said with a smile.
"I never want to feel that again!" Kallen shouted as she stood up, "C'mon, we've gotta go… the Britannian military will be here as soon as they figure out these soldiers aren't responding."
With Naoto leaning on her shoulder, Kallen ran down the corridor until they felt they had gone far enough, and used a nearby ladder to get out of the sewers. Luckily for them, the Britannian military seemed to still be under the assumption they had captured Naoto, as there wasn't a single soldier in sight. "I know this street…" the resistance leader said through struggling breaths, "My apartments just down that way, let's go…"
Naoto's apartment wasn't as luxurious as the Stadtfeld manor, but it was still homey, with pictures of Ms. Kozuki, Kallen, and Ohgi scattered around. In the center, there stood a box TV, a small round table with a few opened beers on it, and two cloth recliners. The kitchen was a mess to say at the very least, with pots and pans piled high, soaking in dirty water for whatever good that did. All-in-all, the place wasn't bad, but it could've been better.
Kallen ran to the windows and closed the tattered curtains as best she could, but light still seeped in through the holes, "I didn't know you lived like this…" she commented while sitting in a recliner.
"Yeah… well… being a 'terrorist', doesn't pay for much. Most of the funds I receive go to the cell, but…" Naoto pulled on the lever connected to his chair, causing it to recline back, "sometimes I like to splurge on myself, like these chairs."
Kallen sighed while placing a pistol which she took from one of the guards, then everything suddenly dawned on her brother, "WAIT! How did you do all that!?" he exclaimed
"Do what?"
"You… you killed them!"
"You did too."
"But that's because…" before he could finish his sentence, the older Kozuki trailed off, staring at his bloody hands, "that's because I've done it before… it wasn't easy… but I had to do it…" he then looked at Kallen, "But you… you did it so easily!"
Kallen rubbed her chest where the bullet struck her, and said, "It's not that big of a deal, I was just trying to protect you."
Before the conversation could continue further, the faint ringing of Naoto's yellow phone interrupted him. The Kozuki's stared at each other intensely, right until Kallen asked, "Gonna answer it?"
Hesitantly, Naoto reached into his pocket, and answered the phone, "Naoto?" a voice called, "Are you alright?"
"I just had a near-death experience, but other than that, I'm good."
"Great. I was afraid I was going to have to terminate the phone."
"TERMINATE!?" Naoto shouted, "Is there a bomb in this thing!?"
"Calm down. It's only big enough to destroy the phone."
"It's oNly bIg enOuGh to desTroY tHe pHoNe," Naoto mocked, before shouting, "Were you planning on me dying!?"
"It wouldn't have been ideal, but it was certainly a possibility, so I had to take precautions," Lelouch responded, "Is there anyone with you?"
"Yes. Just my sister."
"You have a sister?"
"I guess we all have our own secrets, huh?" the resistance leader responded smugly
"I'll have you know, I have zero interest in your personal life, just as you have zero interest in mine." the Prince responded coldly, "For now, I'd advise your group to lie low for the next month… no… two months. Until then, expect no contact from me. Goodbye."
The phone beeped and within seconds, Kallen asked, "Was that your informant?"
"Yes," Naoto responded, while throwing the phone onto the table
"What's their name?"
The resistance leader thought about it for a second, then said, "Promise me you won't tell anyone."
Kallen leaned forward, her blue eyes dilated, as she thought, "Please don't be who I think it is…"
Upon seeing her interest, Naoto sighed, "His name is… Lelouch."
AN: And with that, Naoto drops the bomb shell on Kallen. I don't think it's too far of a stretch for Naoto to tell Kallen such a secret, I mean, he trusts her, and after her display at the meeting, it showed him that she was mature enough to handle such information.
Now, as for Jeremiah and Kewell's relationship; I always interpreted Kewell as someone who was jealous of Jeremiah, and would take the first opportunity to make him look bad. As for Jeremiah challenging Naoto to a duel, he did the same thing to Kallen in R1, adding to the fact he cares about loyalty and honor more than anything, I'd say he'd give anyone a fair 1-on-1 if they wanted.
Again, feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to answer them next chapter.