Warning: I do not own the rights to Code Geass, Transformers and Doom, these rights belong to Sunrise Studio, Hasbro and id Software.
Chapter 2: Awakening
As soon as the truck got out from under the wreckage, it immediately sped along the highway towards the border between the Settlement and the ghetto. Lelouch was locked in the trailer, trying with all his might to find a way out of here, but alas, nothing worked.
"You'd think they installed a ladder here." - he muttered sarcastically to himself.
However, this was not the time to indulge in sarcasm or irony, since the situation was now moving into the "catastrophically dangerous" phase, since three Britannian army helicopters were chasing the rebels. Having received instructions from General Bartley on preserving the cargo intact, the pilots immediately began to demand that the terrorists surrender:
- Elevens, surrender and you will have a chance to defend yourselves in court! Or we will have to open fire to kill!
But the truck didn't stop, causing a hail of bullets to fly from the turrets, leaving bright tracers behind them. None of them hit the car. However, as it turned out, these were warning shots:
- Last warning, surrender!
In a way, the threat worked, causing the truck driver to panic:
- Damn, what should we do? This is the army, and they don't joke!
- You forgot, this is exactly why I'm here! - the girl said, removing her disguise, thereby demonstrating Japanese features, blue eyes and disheveled red hair.
She entered the trailer through the back door, to the surprise of Lelouch, who immediately hid in the shadows so as not to be seen by the girl.
- Listen, Nagita, maybe we should drive through the fence through the subway tunnel that Azuma suggested? - she asked the so-called Nagita.
- Why not? A great idea! - he agreed. Lelouch, in the shadows, was carefully examining the terrorist, seeing something familiar in her.
"I know her! She's... - he didn't have time to finish his thought, when he immediately saw something. - Holy shit, where did they get that thing?!"
With a loud roar, the Groundbridge opened on the parallel overpass so that no one even noticed. Three Autobots flew out of it in transport mode, simultaneously seeing military helicopters flying over their heads.
"Looks like we're just in time, right?" Cliffjumper asked jokingly.
"Then let's hurry, before... - Arcee wanted to say, but Bumblebee intervened:
"[Don't rush! First, we need to figure out the situation! One way or another, we'll still end up in battle with Britannia, but it's best not to start a fight prematurely!]
"Bee, you're right, Arcee. Running ahead of the monorail is too risky for our situation. It's better to keep our distance, but if the situation gets worse, we'll definitely give the British a real hard time!
- Okay! - the fembot agreed.
Meanwhile, the chase continued. The pilots, who hadn't understood the meaning of the truck's escape before, but now seeing where the car was rushing, realized that the terrorists were taking it outside the Settlement.
- Base, this is Alpha-3, the target is moving towards the ghetto, over? - one of them announced.
- Corner them, don't let them get to the exit from the Settlement, immediately! - the voice of the enraged General Bartley was heard.
- Yes sir!
The pilot grabbed the weapon control lever again, but then the rotors suddenly exploded, causing the helicopter to lose control, rapidly losing altitude and eventually crashing with a roar and the glow of a fire. The other crews did not have time to understand what had happened, even the Autobots were shocked by how quickly the helicopter was disabled.
- What was that? - Cliffjumper did not have time to notice what had happened.
The pilots were the first to come to their senses, realizing what had destroyed their colleague. But no one could believe that it was that same projectile.
- Was that Slash-Harken?! - one of the pilots exclaimed.
But they immediately received confirmation of their fears when a humanoid mech, painted red, climbed out of the trailer. The British immediately recognized that it was a Glasgow-class Nightmare - the very first and second most common mech in service with Britain.
- Nightmare?! Where did the terrorists get it from?! - one of the pilots said in shock, so loudly that even other units heard it over the radio.
However, the mech did not stop there. He activated his "rollers", thus standing on wheels. It was piloted by a girl named Callen. Having jumped off the truck rushing at high speed, the nightmare began to fight with annoying pursuers, who did not suspect that a very dangerous enemy was sitting inside this car.
- [Wow, things took an unexpected turn!] - Bumblebee squeaked in amazement, seeing how the red mech deftly turned in the air and dodged a rain of steel and fire.
- Do we really need to interfere? As for me, the Japanese are holding the defense well? I myself did not expect that they would be able to fool the British, stealing the nightmare from them! - asked Cliff, simultaneously joking and surprised by the appearance of the mech.
- This is no time for jokes, Cliff! If the Japanese were able to find their own Nightmare, then Britannia will use its own to destroy them! And with such a model, they will hardly be able to hold out until they enter Shinjuku! - Arcee responded decisively, accelerating the movement of her alt-form, on which a hologram of a girl was flaunting.
- Calm down, Arcee, calm down! I was just surprised at how deftly this Nightmare maneuvers from bullets. - the red Autobot admitted, internally comparing the movements and behavior of the Nightmare with his partner.
Meanwhile, when the helicopters fired all their ammunition, Kallen decided to counterattack, mentally saying:
"You guys know what this thing is capable of! So blame your defeat only on your own arrogance!" And to prove her point, she fired the same harpoon, which blew the cockpit to smithereens, dooming the flying machine to destruction, which was torn apart by the explosion of the fuel tanks.
The third helicopter, in desperation, launched its combat missiles. But they were also unable to stop the mechanical executioner, who staged a real acrobatic show, dodging each missile with a vault with a somersault in the air. The landing was perfect, which allowed Kallen to destroy the stunned pilot with a salvo of Slash-Harken.
Seeing this, Cliff whistled in amazement, not revealing his true form along with Arcee and Bumblebee.
- Wow, this is aerobatics! - he exclaimed.
However, their stunned state was replaced by shock, when a large shadow with a terrifying roar of rotorcraft engines rushed over their heads. Looking up through the side mirrors, they saw a huge transport plane that was not carrying infantry soldiers.
- O-oh! - Arcee exclaimed, realizing that things were bad.
The elite of the British army - the Sutherland-class Nightmares - entered the game. But only one purple mech came out of the transport onto the ramp, whose pilot was a turquoise-haired man with orange eyes, ordering the others:
- No one interferes, I'm taking this guy on myself!
He jumped off the plane, getting in the way of Kallen and her red Glasgow. She tried to attack him with Slash-Harken, but Sutherland repelled the attack with his harpoon. The Briton decided to mock the Glasgow pilot's pathetic attempt to damage the new generation Nightmares:
- I guess you found this old thing somewhere in the dump, right? - With a few movements of the levers, he made the mech pull out an energy machine gun from his "holster". - Glasgow is nothing compared to Sutherland.
Kallen tried to force the arrogant Briton into close combat, but one shot from the machine gun and the red mech's left arm-manipulator flew off him, as if it had been shot down by a shot from a powerful sniper rifle. The shock wave threw him a decent distance away, but due to serious damage, the nightmare convulsively tried to get to his feet. The Autobots who saw this gasped in horror, but could not move from the spot, since they did not want to give themselves away prematurely. The Briton himself, having lowered the panels with wheels on Sutherland's legs, slowly approached the one-armed Glasgow, continuing his arrogant tirade:
- However, this was to be expected from the dirty eleven, because of whom Prince Clovis shed tears for our dead relatives. You, like stupid dogs, need to be trained all the time so that they finally understand. This land belongs to Britannia.
The words about the "dirty eleven" and comparing them to dogs became the last straw for the patient Arcee, who exclaimed in rage:
- Well, that's it! Now this bastard will get it from me!
With the roar of the engine and the squeal of tires on the asphalt, she rushed to the interchange of the overpasses, which led directly to the road where the confrontation was taking place. Bumblebee and Cliff rushed after her, the latter of whom enthusiastically shouted:
- Yee-e-ha-a!
Kallen, seeing Sutherland approaching, could only bare her teeth from the approaching anger. She was unable to counter him with anything, because the Briton was right about one thing - Glasgow was an outdated model compared to Sutherland and could not counter the new generation nightmare. She barely wanted to say anything to the enemy, as she was immediately distracted by a voice from the radio:
- Kallen, we should split up! It will be harder for them to catch us alone than together! Get out of there, we'll meet at the rally point with the others! - it was Nagita, who had managed to take the truck away from sin.
- But... - she tried to object, but the sensors caught the movement of an unidentified object, rushing straight towards them at great speed. The Briton also noticed this, saying:
- What the...
But when the factsphere tried to scan the object, it flew into the purple mech's legs, causing him to fall right on the move. Kallen couldn't believe her eyes. An ordinary muscle car had knocked the Nightmare off its feet. But this was no ordinary car, but the Autobot scout Bumblebee. It spun right in front of the red mech. The Briton, groaning in pain, tried to lift the giant machine to its feet, also not understanding what had just happened.
- What was that? - he exclaimed.
But there was no time to think, as the yellow car drove past Glasgow and sped away. Nagita, who had already managed to get quite alarmed due to the absence of the Japanese woman on the air, contacted Kallen:
- Kallen, answer! What happened?
- Um... Nagita, I just saw a car knock a Nightmare down. - she answered.
- WHAT?
But the truck driver was distracted, shocked to see Sutherland in front of him, aiming his machine gun right at him.
- OH SHIT!
A huge and fast-moving burst of bullets followed. The Japanese man sharply turned the steering wheel, causing the truck to spin to the side. But fortunately, in that direction there was exactly that very tunnel from where one could get to the ghetto. Seeing the stolen truck enter the tunnel, the girl, who is the pilot of Sutherland, arrogantly said:
- Coward-eleven!
She was about to chase the rebel, when suddenly a blue motorcycle flew over her head, attracting her attention. But at that very moment, the red Autobot drove up from behind at great speed, ramming the legs of the finder with a turn, thereby knocking him down. The four-meter mech fell face down on the ground, from which even the girl herself received a blow to the top of her head due to inertia. This was enough for Arcee and Cliff to stand at the entrance to the tunnel, not allowing anyone to enter it.
The two Britannian pilots weren't expecting this turn of events, and neither was Kallen, who was still watching in shock as the yellow and black muscle car stood in front of her with its back end and used its turn signal to order her to retreat, although she doubted that the muscle car was capable of competing with the knightmare. The girl didn't like this idea, but considering the serious damage to Glasgow and Sutherland's superior abilities, she still submitted to the will of the supposed "driver" of the car.
- Whoever you are, thank you, friend! - she thanked him, rushing to the lower floors to hide.
At the same moment, the turquoise-haired knightmare fully rose to his feet. Seeing the same yellow upstart in front of him, he angrily narrowed his eyes:
- You ... - he addressed the "driver". - ... well, I must admit, you were very good for an overly impudent eleven. You think you can stand up to Sutherland with just your car? But the only thing that awaits you is death at my hand, as punishment for your insolence and arrogance!
He thrust his machine gun forward, firing a whole line at the yellow car. Bumblebee, picking up speed, immediately rushed forward, dodging bullets like a real nightmare. And when a decent distance between the mech and the Autobot was reduced, the latter took out energy blasters from his body. A couple of plasma shots and Sutherland lost his bearings and balance, causing him to fall to one knee. Once again, the discouraged guy received a serious blow, but looking at the screen, he was even more shocked by how the yellow and black car, like a rocket, crashed into the main body of the purple mech, forcing it to fly a huge distance, simultaneously turning over due to inertia. The Briton certainly earned a few bruises and bumps during all that tumbling.
- [You'll know what to call me, idiot!] - Bumblebee squeaked triumphantly, driving away in the direction of the truck.
The pilot, who had come to his senses, simply couldn't believe that he had been defeated by some car, and the eleventh one at that. Rage and proud disbelief were reflected on his face as the muscle car headed towards its friends.
Meanwhile, the dark-skinned woman with silver hair and yellow eyes had managed to come to her senses, noticing that the tunnel was blocked by two vehicles: a red 1970 Dodge Challenger and a blue Kawasaki Ninja 250R motorcycle.
- Well, come on, come on! - Cliff teased the pilot.
- Get out of the way! You're interfering with the military's actions! - the girl demanded in a commanding tone, closely watching the image of a woman on a bike, which was a camouflage hologram of Arcee.
- Then why don't you kill us? - asked the Autobot, growling his engine several times.
The Britannian woman regarded this as impudence and a challenge to a fight, from which she smiled arrogantly.
- Have it your way! - she said, pointing her weapon in their direction.
Another burst of machine gun fire followed, which did not bring any results, since Arcee nimbly dodged the bullets, while Cliff simply rode forward, since the machine gun fired bullets, and not energon, which could easily knock him off his feet. The Autobot could also shamelessly ride forward, but in order to maintain her camouflage, she had to dodge the bullets. When both bots approached Sutherland closely, Arcee jumped on her partner, flying up, thereby shocking the uncouth Britannian woman. And while the Knightmare pilot was distracted by Arcee, Cliff slammed into the mech's legs with a turn, knocking it down onto the asphalt. And the blue bot, who landed, together with her friend put on a drift show, circling around the defeated Knightmare, as if mocking him. But in fact, they were simply creating a smoke screen that would hide their location.
- What the? I can't see anything! - she exclaimed, trying to somehow navigate in the dusty space.
The Autobots took advantage of this, rushing at great speed into the subway tunnel, thereby leaving the Tokyo Settlement.
The woman was able to lift her nightmare, and another Sutherland, also injured, drove up to her.
- Lord Jeremiah! - she turned to her commander. - What just happened?
- Just a couple of daring elevens caught us by surprise. But I admit, their driving skills are what you need. However, this will no longer help them in the fight against us!
- You missed the cargo? - Bartley said angrily into the comlink.
- Lord Bartley, the terrorists had a nightmare and they were helped by a group of cars that caught our pilots by surprise! - one of the Britannian fighters answered.
- Idiots!
- Hello everyone! - came the voice of a fair-haired man with grey-blue eyes, covered with glasses. He was dressed in a lab coat with the initials of the "Camelot" division.
- What are you doing here, Asplund? - the general asked irritably.
- Well, you decided to take a look at the man who made a mistake, didn't you? - the scientist asked with a grin, causing the heavyset man to grin.
- Where are you from...?
- Enough! What did the special corps need in our operation? - asked Clovis, sitting on the throne.
- It's simple! We want to help Your Highness in this difficult matter. To return the valuable cargo, which is part of your secret project with General Bartley. And as you can see, the army is not coping with the task, right?
- Ah, I seem to remember, you are the same Lloyd Asplund who refused to cooperate with the United Aerospace Corporation. Professor Hayden highly valued your inventive abilities.
- I am flattered that you remember me, Your Highness! - the scientist bowed politely. - Everything you said is true. I will only say that it is more pleasant for me to be on Earth than in space or even on another planet.
- Really? Then I must praise you for your devotion to our Motherland.
- Oh, my gratitude knows no bounds, Your Highness.
- However, we do not need your help yet.
- But why? - Asplund asked excitedly.
- The situation has not yet reached a critical point, so I see no point in introducing your division into our operation. When necessary, then we will talk.
Lloyd would like Prince Clovis to change his mind about his decision, but going against a member of the imperial family is more expensive than it should be, so all that remains is to accept failure.
Already on the way out, his assistant, a young woman with indigo hair and blue eyes named Cecile Croomy, decided to ask something:
- Mr. Lloyd, what secret development was discussed between His Highness and Lord Bartley?
- Yes, just some kind of chemical weapon, like poison gas, as I understand it. - the scientist answered depressively, as if he was ready to burst into tears on the spot, but not because the chemical weapon fell into the wrong hands, but because the prince did not pay attention to his brilliant brainchild.
But Cecile was shocked that Britain created such a weapon, and terrorists somehow stole it and could use it against their citizens. But none of them knew the true purpose of this "weapon".
Lelouch tried many times to call at least someone, but alas, he heard the same thing:
- The subscriber you are calling is currently unavailable for call. Call later.
- Damn, still out of network coverage! And considering that I am surrounded by complete darkness, I can assume that we are driving inside an old subway tunnel, heading to the ghetto.
He had many ideas in his head to get out of the current situation, but they all collided with cruel reality. For example, if he jumped from the trailer, he would receive such injuries that he would not be able to get back. And considering that the truck was rushing at great speed away from the Settlement, this can generally be considered the height of all absurdity. However, fortune was still on Lamperouge's side, because he came across something resembling a walkie-talkie. And if this allows him to get out of the trap, then consider the day not wasted.
The Shinjuku Ghetto was once one of the prosperous special districts of Tokyo. It can be said to be a symbol of the power of the Japanese state, its high economic and cultural development. The population of the district was more than three hundred thousand people. But the British invasion destroyed everything to the ground. Only a shadow of its former greatness remained from the city, since now there was devastation, poverty, disease, despair and fear everywhere. The inhabitants of the ghetto had to fight for their lives day after day in order to feed themselves and their loved ones. The empire took everything from them, even the right to self-determination and self-name. The plight of the ghetto residents can be compared to the life of city rats trying to find at least some food in the trash. Moreover, the British also decided to offer the needy the right to become "granted". They say it's a sign of nobility, but it's just a hypocritical attempt by the most hardened scoundrels to lure fresh and cheap labor into their criminal schemes. Renunciation of one's roots is the main demand from employers. It is this kind of cruelty that drives many desperate Japanese to fight against the tyranny of such chauvinists.
However, the situation has now worsened as regular troops have been sent into the ghetto, their transports flying over people's heads like black crows foreshadowing death. Everyone has retreated in fear into various dark corners to hide from the demons in black and gray suits and hats.
- Attention, all units. Terrorists have taken refuge in the old subway systems. Your mission is to find the weapons they stole. Explore every inch of the abandoned subway tunnels that run beneath the residential area of the Shinjuku ghetto. When you find an important cargo, immediately notify the Imperial Guard. You humans now bear the honorary title of Britons, but you were born eleven, so the stench of these monkeys is familiar to you. If you want to earn the right to bear arms, show the results of your training! This is your chance to show your loyalty to Britannia! - General Bartley announced over the loudspeaker to all the soldiers of the "recycling" army.
And everyone obeyed the order, starting a real invasion of Shinjuku, which did not go unnoticed by the three Autobots, who managed to hide in the ruins of an abandoned skyscraper, where they could return to their original form and watch in horror as Britannia once again reveals its true face.
- Things smell fried! - said Cliffjumper, wincing at the sight of flying planes.
- [Why do I feel like we're in deep trouble?] - Bumblebee asked himself out loud.
- Because that's how it is. But I don't regret helping people at all.
- Look, Arcee, I know you're happy to finally give those Decepticon wannabes a beating, and I'm happy about that too. But look at this, I doubt the three of us can stop this whole bunch!
- [Cliff's right! Our forces aren't enough to stand up to the entire Britannian army! Maybe we should... call Optimus and the others?] - the scout suggested uncertainly.
Arcee first looked at the approaching Britannian army, and then looked down, seeing children hiding from the soldiers who were brazenly breaking into houses and shooting people right on the street for any word they said. This went beyond searching for cargo - this was a real and undisguised genocide of the ghetto population. The blue Autobot wanted to be there to make those bastards suffer, but Cliff and Bee were right. The three of them won't be able to counter in their disguised form. They are catastrophically few.
- You're right! We need to contact the Ark! - Arcee agreed.
Along with the Autobots, the rebels were also having problems. Callen's Glasgow had long since reached the gathering point with the rest of their group, but Nagita was still nowhere to be found. Noticing her commander in the crowd, she called out to him:
- Ohgi!
The guy with the characteristic black hair and dark gray eyes reacted immediately, approaching the red nightmare.
- Glad you're back, Cullen. Where's Nagita? - he asked.
- I thought he was already here. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we had to split up.
- I see, so he's most likely already on his way here.
- Possibly. - Kallen said hesitantly, but then she suddenly remembered the episode with the yellow car. - Listen, something like this happened to me, you won't believe it!
- What? Did something happen? - Kaname was worried.
- Yeah, on the way to the ghetto we ran into Sutherland, who blocked my path. But then some yellow and black muscle car jumped out and knocked Sutherland down in an instant.
Ohgi looked like he thought Kallen's words were complete nonsense.
- Are you... serious?
- Serious as can be! This driver was able to handle the nightmare all by himself, and he was the one who told me to retreat. Well, how did he say it, he just signaled me with his turn signal. I still have a hard time believing that he managed to knock the nightmare down.
- If you're telling me that, then this guy must be either really brave or just crazy... challenging Nightmare with just one car? I find it hard to believe, even if I heard it from you.
The girl smirked slightly, wanting to see the expression on the Briton's face after such a beating, because in fact, that "driver" simply humiliated him before her eyes.
- Look, if we run into this guy again, maybe we should persuade him to join us? We'll definitely need some kind of help.
Nagita was seriously injured by a bullet wound to the stomach. His strength was gradually leaving him. And all because of the Nightmare that got in his way and opened fire at the same moment when the Japanese turned the stolen truck towards the tunnel. Because of the wound he received, he was unable to steer normally, which is why the car ended up in a ditch, getting stuck tightly. Lelouch felt the truck stop, but then he noticed the side door of the trailer open, allowing him to finally step outside.
However, as Lamperouge had expected, the truck ended up in an abandoned subway located under the residential areas of the Shinjuku ghetto. However, being only a schoolboy, he did not notice that in addition to him and the wounded Japanese, there was another person in this place who, upon seeing the desired truck, notified the base:
- Base, this is 4-0-4, target detected!
- Copy, 4-0-4, wait for reinforcements.
However, instead of waiting, the soldier decided to immediately neutralize the suspected terrorist, who was standing there, perplexed by the situation he found himself in. Lelouch, seeing a Britannian soldier running towards him, tried to say something. But the fighter wasn't even going to listen to him, trying to knock him out with a hook. The schoolboy blocked the blow with his hands, but the recoil was so strong that he was simply thrown back against the wall of the truck. But the soldier didn't stop there, grabbing Lamperouge's hand and knocking him down to the ground.
- Enough of these senseless killings! - he exclaimed angrily.
- Let me go, I'm not a terrorist! - he tried to reason with the impulsive soldier, who in response pressed his head to the asphalt.
- Yeah, lie to whoever you want! You were going to use poison gas!
- I'm not here of my own free will, idiot! And if you claim that this is a chemical weapon, then it probably belongs to Britannia, which most likely intended to use it against the Elevens!
As soon as the fighter looked closely at the young man, he gasped in shock, letting go of him.
- It can't be!
- You claim that the Elevens are carrying out senseless murders, then why don't you destroy Britannia, because of which all these murders are happening?! - Lelouch grinned angrily.
These words instantly pricked the soldier to the quick, making him remember the same grin he saw in childhood. There was no mistake, in front of him stood the one he had not seen for these seven years.
- Lelouch?
The young man was taken aback by the fact that the soldier called him by name, not understanding how he could have learned about his name.
But then the soldier took off his helmet, showing tanned Japanese features: narrow green eyes, disheveled brown hair. - Do you remember, it's me, Suzaku?
- Su-za-ku? - the Briton said, stunned, not believing his eyes.
He was in front of him, Suzaku Kururugi - his first and only friend upon arriving in Japan. But why did Suzaku become a Britannian soldier, why did he side with those who destroyed his home. After all, they had seen together how Britain bombed cities, destroyed everything that was considered home for the Japanese.
- You... you became a Britannian soldier? - Lelouch asked, not yet having time to recover from the initial shock.
- Yes, and what about you? You... - Suzaku wanted to find out, but was rudely interrupted by his friend:
- Why?! Why did you...
However, he was also interrupted, because they heard the gears of the opening mechanism moving. They turned around, shocked that the sphere with the supposed poison gas began to open, emitting some bright light. Lelouch had to cover his eyes to avoid being blinded, but Suzaku knocked him to the ground, covering his face with a gas mask, knowing full well that he could also die. But there was no poisoning. Probably ten seconds passed when the two guys opened their eyes, not seeing a single trace of the poisonous substance. Only a shining, like a Christmas tree, human silhouette inside the half-opened sphere. It resembled a woman with long hair and a slender figure. But when the light finally dimmed, they saw in front of them a seemingly young beauty of about 16-17 years old with green wavy hair, yellow eyes and delicate features. She was dressed in a straitjacket, and some kind of gag glittered in her mouth. The eyes expressed shock and bewilderment, as did the faces of Lelouch and Suzaku.
- It's not poison gas! - the latter said in shock. - What is it?
Two guys approached the mysterious stranger who was trying to get up, helping her get off the truck and remove all the bonds holding her in this state.
- Suzaku, what the hell?! You said it was poison gas?! - Lelouch said, trying to remove the gag from the girl.
- That's what they told me at the briefing! I swear I didn't know anything about her!
However, their conversation was interrupted by rays of lantern light, which boded nothing good. Looking towards the source, they were horrified that the Imperial Guard had arrived here, pointing their weapons at them.
- Stinking monkey! - the guard commander spoke in a contemptuous tone. - The fact that you are a Britannian citizen does not exempt you from responsibility for disobeying orders!
- But sir, we were assured that the terrorists had poison gas! - said Suzaku, standing in front of the commander.
- You dare to question the orders of your command?!
"This is bad, it looks like Suzaku's superiors knew about the girl and were only hiding behind the poison gas. They will definitely try to eliminate all the witnesses who saw her right here and now," - Lelouch thought, trembling with fear and holding the girl tightly in his arms.
- However, given your outstanding military achievements, we can turn a blind eye to this. I will show leniency. - The guard commander handed Suzaku his pistol. - Private Kururugi, I order you to execute the terrorist!
Lelouch expected this, but was still discouraged by such unscrupulousness. However, Suzaku was adamant, standing up for his friend and the stranger:
- Wait, this man is not a terrorist! He is a civilian, drawn into all this against his will!
- You, little... dare to disobey the orders of a superior again, and the head of the Imperial Guard at that? - the Briton grinned irritably. - Follow it, it's an order! Didn't you swear allegiance to the Britannian Empire?
- Yes, but... but I can't! - Suzaku refused.
Lamperouge's eyes widened in horror, realizing what such a refusal would lead to.
- I won't do it! I won't kill a civilian! I can't follow your order, sir!
- Very well then.
The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room. Kururugi gasped from the pain that instantly appeared in his stomach, after which he fell to the ground dead. Lelouch watched in shock as his friend fell down, feeling a familiar sense of loss, which made him shout at the top of his voice:
- SUZAKU!
Then the guards began to move towards the Briton and the girl. Their commander grinned sadistically, feeling his absolute victory.
- Well, Britannian schoolboy, you picked a bad time to skip classes! - he said. - Soldiers, grab the girl! And this guy is gone!
- Yes, my lord! - the masked fighters answered in unison.
But then they heard the beeping of the clock mechanism, which was activated by Nagita, who looked for the last time at the photo of his family: his wife and little son, whom he lost during the invasion of Britannia. Lelouch and the mysterious girl immediately understood what it was, having time to jump to the ground.
- Death... to Britannia! Japan... banzai! - the Japanese man barely uttered with his last breath.
The timer reached zero and a powerful blast wave engulfed the upper part of the room. The released energy picked up the guardsmen, causing them to fall back. Lelouch and the mysterious stranger were not affected by the glow of fire and smoke, which they took advantage of, escaping while the guards were still recovering, finding only a burning truck and the absence of the main target.
Mobile base G1 of Prince Clovis.
- Escaped?! How could you allow this? And you still call yourselves the Imperial Guard! - the general was beside himself with rage.
- S-sorry, my lord, the terrorists mined the truck and... and took advantage of the ensuing confusion to escape! - the commander of the guard frantically answered.
- Idiots, if our goal is to get out into the masses, then you will answer with your own heads!
- Y-yes, my lord!
The broadcast ended, but the tension did not ease, as the general was still consumed by fiery anger and was about to hit someone over the head at any moment, but Clovis, who had kept a cool face throughout the entire conversation, although disappointment was visible in his eyes, immediately intervened.
- Bartley, we are moving on to the second phase of the operation! - he said, shocking the general.
- What? - Bartley said. - But... Your Highness...
- If our goal becomes known to all the people, then I will be deprived of the right to inherit! Tell the media that a massive planned reconstruction of the city is underway. - then he raised his tone, making it more authoritarian. - As the third prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, I order you to destroy the Shinjuku ghetto! Leave no one alive!
The ship "Ark"
The rest of Team Prime wandered through different corridors, shouting the names of their friends who somehow disappeared from the ship. They even had to split into groups to increase the search radius, but unfortunately it did not lead to anything. Returning to the bridge, where Ratchet and Fixit were waiting for them.
- Did you find them? - asked the medic.
- We checked the warehouse and the artifact storage - they are empty. - reported Ironhide.
- Nothing from our side either. As if they disappeared into thin air! - Bulkhead said annoyed.
- Maybe they decided to go out to breathe gas... smell... - the minicon hit himself on the head. - ... air?
- Fixit, we don't need air, we are not people. - reminded the green brute.
- Hmm... - Ratchet decided to turn on the signal scanner to determine their location through it. - The scanner shows the absence of Bumblebee, Cliffjumper and Arcee's beacons. They are not on the Ark.
The Autobots pondered the guess that immediately came to their minds, causing the veteran Autobot to roll his eyes:
- Oh, these youngsters!
- I don't think I need to guess to know where they could have gone! - Optimus said, maintaining a calm expression on his face.
- Britannia! - the bots answered in unison.
As soon as Ironhide wanted to say something, everyone was immediately attracted by a familiar female voice:
- Arcee is calling the Ark, can you hear me?
- Arcee, in the name of AllSparks, where are you?
- Are Cliffjumper and Bumblebee with you? - Optimus asked.
- We're here, boss! - Cliff answered.
- [Affirmative!] - Bee said.
- You three know better than to leave the Ark without permission...
- You can lecture us later, Doc! We need help now! NOW! - the red bot shouted, to the surprise of everyone else.
- What happened there? - Warpath asked excitedly.
- Those damn Decepticon wannabes have been massacring the population! That's what's going on! - Cliff explained angrily.
- WHAT? - came from Ironhide.
- Optimus, we have located the personal transport of Prince Clovis himself. On his orders, the Britannian army has begun clearing the ghetto! They are killing everyone left and right! - Arcee exclaimed, turning on the camera on her optics, demonstrating what was happening on the bridge screen.
The visible mass shootings, explosions and destruction of houses made the Autobots shudder in horror. This went beyond war crimes, this was a real and undisguised genocide, which even the massacres on Cybertron cannot compare to. Even the eternally calm Prime increased his optics, watching the Britannian soldiers exterminate the poor Japanese as if they were some kind of rats.
- How did this... - Bulkhead said, looking at the screen in shock. - HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN? - he responded angrily.
- [We don't know. We only managed to shoot down a couple of Nightmares and that's it! No one has seen our true forms, only vehicles! But it doesn't matter now, we need help, urgently!] - the yellow scout squeaked.
- Optimus, I know you said that we shouldn't interfere in the affairs of the locals, because we could put humanity in the crossfire between us and the Decepticons! But now innocent people are dying! Whole families! Even their children! Isn't that enough to understand how terrible Britannia is by nature?! First, it took away their independence, the right to be called their own people, and now these bastards have decided to take away their right to life! I can't stand by and watch them get killed anymore! I will stop them, at any cost! - Arcee declared.
- Me too! - Cliffjumper supported.
- [I can't stand by either, Optimus! You yourself taught us that freedom is the right of all intelligent beings!] - Bee answered.
Prime himself knew deep down that they were right. He hated doing nothing and didn't want to watch Britannia destroy entire nations to satisfy their ambitions and thirst for power. But he was also afraid that this would attract the attention of Megatron, who he believed was somewhere on Earth. Hiding, waiting for the moment when the Autobots would reveal themselves. Of course, Britannia was terrible, but the Decepticons were on a completely different level. They considered themselves superior to all other living beings in the Universe and did not hesitate to use methods that made you want to puke and feel furious. The indecision to speak out against the Empire played into the hands of the latter. It was complete impunity, lack of resistance and the inability to find an alternative that led to this: hundreds of innocent people became victims of the aggression of demons in human form. And if this continues, then very soon Shinjuku will turn into a bloodbath, which Prime could not allow under any circumstances.
- Sorry, Arcee, you're right! - Optimus said, narrowing his optics in determination to do the impossible, which greatly surprised the other bots. - For too long, we allowed fear to cloud our minds. And for too long, we convinced ourselves that because of our interference, everything could lead to disaster, which is why we completely forgot what we were fighting for. - He clenched his hands into fists. - Freedom is the right of all intelligent beings in the Universe. Although we are catastrophically few, we will no longer allow Britannia to harm the innocent! Arcee, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, do everything possible, but stop the advance of Clovis' troops. Protect civilians, but do not reveal your disguise unless it is necessary! We will join you soon! The trio of young bots, hearing the leader's agreement, smiled happily.
- Got it, Optimus! - answered Arcee.
- [We will complete the task, sir!] - responded Bumblebee.
- These idiots will regret that they messed with us! - Cliff said with delight, hitting his fists against each other.
Then Prime turned to the medic:
- Ratchet, enter the coordinates of Shinjuku. - then to the other Autobots. - Ironhide, Bulkhead, you are with me!
- Hey, what about me? - the red-gray bot said in bewilderment.
- Warpath, your transformation form is too specific for this mission. If people see you, they will think that the Britons have come to bomb their homes, so it is better for you to stay here! Especially since you still haven't chosen your type of Earth transport!
- Oh, I'm going to miss all the fun! - Warpath rolled his eyes sadly.
- If you want to help, then help me restore the compartments that have leaks! - said the medic-bot, giving the tank tools, which made it groan pitifully.
Already in the compartment with the Groundbridge, Ratchet entered the coordinates of the Shinjuku ghetto, after which a portal shining in different colors opened.
- The Groundbridge is ready! - warned the medic. - But, Optimus, once you leave there, there will be no turning back. If Megatron really created this Empire in his own image, then there is a high probability that our war will break out again with even greater fury and cruelty!
- One way or another, it would have happened, my old friend. I only regret that I let him manipulate my fears for too long. - then he exclaimed. - Autobots, transform and roll out!
Ironhide and Bulkhead followed the instructions, transforming into vehicles. The former had a dark red GMC Topkick C4500 pickup truck, the latter a dark green Hummer-HX SUV. Optimus became a tractor, similar to a Freightliner Coronado truck, red and blue. Together, they rushed into the portal vortex, disappearing into it, as if dissolving in water.
"Good luck, guys," Ratchet said quietly after his friends.
Lelouch managed to get out with the green-haired girl, finding himself surrounded by Japanese hiding in a warehouse. The situation had gotten worse, now the British were destroying everyone who got in their way. The ghetto turned into a real training ground, where the eleventh were the targets. Machine gun fire could be heard from afar, running like insects. People were terribly scared. And with every shaking from the bomb explosions, they were ready to bury themselves in the ground.
- Who the hell are you?! - Lelouch exclaimed. - It was because of you that all this chaos began. Not only that, but Britain took away even my friend from me!
The girl could only look at him with an unreadable expression in her eyes. They were at the stairs under the floor. But being here could not last forever and therefore they had to get out of this hell as soon as possible, before it was too late. Having climbed it, Lamperouge began to look around until he heard the sounds of gunfire. Slightly bending down, he saw that they were soldiers of the Imperial Guard shooting civilians. And it seems they were looking for these two.
- Report! - exclaimed the commander of the guard.
- Only the elevens are here, sir.
- Are you sure? According to the data, the exit from the abandoned building leads here!
- Yes sir! The map matches the data we received.
Hearing the guards getting ready to move to another point, Lelouch began to slowly descend, when suddenly he heard the cry of a little girl, who was also noticed by the guards, pointing their weapons at her.
- Filthy brat. - the one who shot the child said with arrogant contempt.
This made the young man even more terrified than before. But his attention was drawn to a call from his own phone, which very cruelly put him in danger.
Ashford Academy
- What? - Shirley tore the phone away from her ear, seeing that the called party had ended the call. - What an idiot! I can't believe he hung up! - she said angrily.
She put her phone in the closet, putting on her swimsuit to prepare for a club swimming lesson.
The three young Autobots decided to split up to find as many people as possible who were being hunted by the Britannian troops. Bumblebee decided to check the sector at the entrance to the abandoned subway tunnels to find out what kind of explosion it was. But while driving past the warehouses, he heard people screaming in one of them. However, unfortunately, he did not manage to get there in time, since the Britons managed to shoot everyone who was there. He had never seen anything like this even on Cybertron. There was a war going on, the Cybertronians were split into two camps, and here everything is different. These bastards are destroying the Japanese just because they are not like them. They consider them an inferior race and therefore consider it their duty to cleanse the Earth of inferior races, according to their theory of social Darwinism. This is bullshit! No one in their right mind would use the law of the strong to do something like this. This is not social Darwinism, this is racism and chauvinism in its purest form. Bumblebee felt so much pain in his soul that he was ready to transform right then and there and show these half-Decepticons where the crayfish hibernate. But as Optimus said, he couldn't give himself away, otherwise the situation could get complicated. But then his auditory sensors picked up the ringing of the phone, after which he strained his optics to see what was going on there.
Lelouch was dragged outside along with the green-haired girl. They decided to make fun of the first one, to somehow pass the time. But they weren't going to break the order, because they were told to find the girl and immediately bring her to the G1 base. So after a couple of minutes of beating, they put Lamperouge against the back wall.
- What a suitable place for a terrorist to meet his end! - said the commander of the guard, looking at the schoolboy with a sadistic smile.
- You're a scumbag. - Lelouch growled in disgust and hatred for these demons. - Nevertheless, for a student you have succeeded. It could not have been otherwise, since you are British. Unfortunately, my smart young friend, you have no future, just like those dirty eleventh monkeys!
The guards had already managed to point their weapons at Lelouch, when a green-haired stranger immediately broke free, screaming:
- HE MUST LIVE!
A shot and a bullet hit her forehead, decorated with some strange symbol, similar to a bird. Lamperouge, who saw this, was dumbfounded. The stranger, with whom he spent several minutes, protected him. Suddenly, a yellow and black car burst into the room, covering the schoolboy with its body. All the bullets bounced off in different directions when the guard commander, with an enraged grin, began to order:
- What the hell?! You, get out of the car! Otherwise, we will open fire to kill!
But the squabbles between the British soldier and the one who covered the young man did not bother Lelouch, since his eyes were glued to the face of the girl who died before his eyes. There had been a lot of deaths in his life: first his mother, then Suzaku, and now this girl. The guy was consumed by a variety of negative feelings: shock, disbelief, fear, horror, despair, anger and rage. In an instant, his whole life flashed before him.
- Why... why does this always happen? First my mother, then Suzaku, and now this girl, whom I did not even know! And now I will die, without even having time to change anything in my life. - then, through his tears, he saw the image of a petite girl in a wheelchair who couldn't open her eyes because she was blind. - Nunnally, forgive me!
But at that very moment, someone's hand touched his cheek. Opening his eyes, he was stunned to see the dead girl looking at him. He couldn't believe what he saw, the green-haired woman was alive, although there was a hole in her head from which blood was flowing. She lightly reached out to him, catching him off guard with her kiss. In an instant, his mind felt something strange and fleeting, as if everything inside was spinning and acquiring different colors.
- You don't want it to end here, do you? - the voice of that girl was heard.
- What... What is this? - Lelouch asked in shock, watching as the blue space rushed in front of him at great speed. - It seems you have an incentive that you hold on to and fight for. If I give you power, will you want to fulfill your wish? - the girl showed her transparent body, flickering in the white space like a shadow. - I propose a contract. - A two-way space played out between them, as if the borders of two worlds were touching each other: one was the Earth that he knew, the other was completely covered in metal. - In exchange for this power, you must agree to fulfill my only wish. Accept this contract, and you will accept its terms. Living in the world of people, you will live differently from anyone else. Another land, another time, another life.
A huge number of images flashed before the perplexed Lelouch. They were different, alien to each other, but they had one similarity - the same symbol on the girl's forehead, which these people had on their bodies, and eyes inside. He even came across such images, as if two huge titans were standing in front of him, radiating some strange aura. But then the picture changed and some terrible and ugly creatures appeared in front of the young man, from which emanated bloodthirstiness and thirst for murder. And against their background there was a nightmarish tower, reminiscent of the Babylonian from myths, from which an energy beam flowed upward. He did not understand what was happening, but a familiar female voice brought him out of his prostration:
- The power of the king condemns you to a life of loneliness. Are you ready for this?
Lelouch peered into the images, in one of which he recognized the one towards whom he felt fierce hatred for betrayal. And then the hatred flared up with greater force when from the lips of this image he heard the hoarse baritone he despised:
- The approach of Ragnarok? So the myths are not lying? Hatred tore apart all hesitation, forcing Lelouch to finally say it:
- Yes! I accept the terms of the contract!
- So be it! - the girl answered, when the boy felt something flowing into his head and eye.
Bumblebee found himself in a difficult situation. He rammed the wall on impulse to cover the boy, for whom the green-haired girl stood up. Whether he felt a burning rage at the sight of the mercilessness in the eyes of these scumbags can only be called an exaggeration. But rationality did not allow him to go further, which is why he found himself in this situation. What should he do now? He could not transform and he could not let that boy inside either, because one way or another, he would be exposed. He was not able to turn the blasters, because they did not have built-in steering functions.
But before he could do anything, Bee felt the hand of that very boy on his hood. He, covering his left eye with his other hand, stood up from his hiding place, speaking in a very confident, but at the same time frightening tone:
- Tell me, commander of the guard, how should a Briton who hates his country live?
- [What? What is he doing?!] - the Autobot said to himself in shock, maintaining the transport mode.
- What are you, boy, a radical or something? - the commander of the guard asked a counter question, pointing his pistol at the boy.
However, he, like the other guards, could not shoot because of the eerie aura that appeared around the schoolboy, as if the devil had possessed him.
- What? You can't shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy, but you can't kill him. - His tone began to sound more and more like some kind of madness. - Or did you finally understand that only those who are ready to be shot themselves can shoot? - He revealed his authoritarian-devilish grin and removed his hand from his eye, revealing a maroon pupil with a shining red bird emblem.
- [What's going on here?!] - Bumblebee was becoming more and more perplexed, watching what was happening.
And then something unprecedented happened. The guards, confused, heard this:
- Lelouch Vi Britannia commands, all of you... DIE!
A red mark flew out of his left eye into the eyes of the soldiers present. An unknown energy penetrated their minds, rebuilding and changing the patterns of will until red rings formed in their eyes, foreshadowing submission to the will of the former Prince of Britannia.
The guard commander, who stood in a stupor, smiled maniacally and laughed at the top of his lungs, saying:
- With pleasure, Your Imperial Highness! - He put his pistol to his temple.
- All hail Lelouch! - the soldiers shouted the motto of the Britannian Empire with a reservation about Lelouch, aiming at each other.
- Fire! - the guard commander ordered, simultaneously shooting himself in the head.
Subsequently, the soldiers began to fall one after another, until the last one fell to the ground dead from his wounds. Bumblebee and Lelouch were shocked by the results of the latter's actions. The soldiers did it without hesitation, no resistance, no doubts. They just obeyed and did it!
But then the surprise gave way to the realization of their own capabilities.
"My whole life has been steeped in lies!" the guy thought to himself. - Since the day I came here, I have lived only in lies. My name was a lie, my identity was a lie. Nothing but lies! I am sick to death of a world that cannot be changed, which has fallen into the abyss of chaos and madness. But even in this lie and madness, I refused to fall into despair. But this incredible power... it is real and it is mine.
A devilish grin was imprinted on Lelouch's face, who looked at how with the help of this power he was able to suppress the will of those who were ready to shoot him. However, Bumblebee, although he maintained his disguise, he simply could not believe his eyes. Some force subjugated these guards to the will of a guy who called himself Lelouch Vi Britannia.
"Lelouch... Vi Britannia...? Prince... who... hates his country…? He just… ordered a squad of soldiers to die and… they did it? - the yellow scout sighed mentally. - "Oh, Primus, what have I just gotten myself into?"
UAC Research Station "Mars-City".
Hayden felt like he was enveloped in a brief pulse of familiar energy, but it made the professor sitting in his office frown, because he had an idea what it was. The distance between Mars and Earth was considerable, but it was not the first time for the former seraph to feel the manifestation of the suppressed effect of Argent energy.
The office itself was spacious, with windows and maintenance. There was enough room for other people. And one person was sitting in this office, helping the professor with the affairs of a huge corporation. Seeing him get up from his seat, she became worried:
- Professor Hayden, has something happened?
- Pierce, close the door! - he said in a commanding tone.
- Ah, I get it! - Olivia Pierce snapped, immediately rushing to the front door, locking it with a combination lock.
- VEGA, open 3D map of the Earth. - Hayden addressed the artificial intelligence.
- Got it. - an electronic voice was heard. - Projecting a holographic image of the map of the Earth.
A transparent three-dimensional image of the globe with clear boundaries between the oceans and land appeared on the touch table.
- Open the search panel. - VEGA launched a tab with a list on the screen. - Description of the subject: male, black hair, purple eyes, height: 178 centimeters.
- Received, entering data. Search. - after a few seconds, the AI gave the result. - Match found: Lelouch Lamperouge - Briton, 17 years old, student of Ashford Academy.
- Um, Professor, are you sure you're not mistaken? - Pierce asked, although she knew in her heart that Samuel Hayden was never wrong.
- There can't be a mistake, Pierce. VEGA compare the subject's data with the data from the British Imperial Family registry!
- WHAT? - the secretary said, dumbfounded.
- Got it, I'm running a search.
Literally five seconds later, the computer returned a disappointing conclusion:
- Match found: Lelouch Vi Britannia - Briton, 10 years old, 11th prince and 17th heir to the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire.
- No... Impossible. - the girl was shocked. - We were assured that the prince died at the very beginning of the invasion of Japan.
- As you can see, no. Apparently, they themselves believed that the prince would die in this war. But they underestimated the dashing boy.
- What should we do, Professor? All your visions are coming true.
- Nothing yet, Pierce. We must focus on finding our target.
- But...
- There is no serious threat to humanity yet. But that doesn't mean there won't be one. And don't forget, Britannia is still breathing down our necks demanding that we provide them with our technology. And we can't allow that. You know perfectly well what this could lead to.
- I... Yes, Professor! - Olivia gave in.
- Don't despair. Earth already has defenders who are no less powerful than Britannia.
- Do you mean the Autobots? - Pierce asked, slightly shortening the distance between herself and the professor.
- Exactly, they are fighting for the freedom of all intelligent beings in the Universe.
- Didn't they die when they landed in the Pacific Ocean?
- The same can be asked about their enemies.
The girl was stunned by these words.
- You think that the current doctrine of the Empire is the work of the Decepticons?
- It can't be ruled out. One way or another, but the only thing we can do is speed up the process of Operation Return.
- Understood, should I contact Aldridge?
- No, I will. And you should transmit a message to the Phobos station so that they can bring the weapon to combat readiness.
- Yes, Professor.
- And one more thing.
- Yes? - Olivia asked in surprise.
- Maybe you should let go of my hand already? - Hayden pointed to how Pierce's hand clung to the professor's limb. Noticing this, the girl blushed and panicked, abruptly detaching herself.
- S-S-Sorry, Professor Hayden! I didn't mean to!
- No, I understand. Fear is very contagious, it makes us unconsciously grab onto those who can save our lives.
- Sorry, Professor, I just... seeing all this somehow... unconsciously...
- Listen, Olivia. - the former seraph put his hand on the girl's shoulder. - The prophecy has not yet come. And we must hope that we can find someone who will protect us from destruction. And now we need to focus on what we are able to do at the moment. The Earth is not in our jurisdiction now, but all this will change when our people find the sought-after object and bring it here, to Mars-City.
- I... understand, Professor. - the secretary calmed down. - Sorry for panicking.
- That's good. Let's get back to work, okay?
- Yes, sir! - Pierce answered confidently.
And while she was returning to her place, Samur looked at the face of the seventeen-year-old boy, feeling in him the manifestation of the nature that was once at the head of all Hell. In his visions, this guy appeared as a contradictory and ambiguous figure. The former prince was the only one the seraph could not read, which made him skeptical of the man's significance.
"Hm, I hope that in the future I will not have to see you as an enemy, Lelouch Vi Britannia." Samuel muttered to himself.
Note: Lelouch turns out to be the lost prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. The secret object turned out to be a mysterious green-haired girl who is able to resurrect after death. She gave him the power with which he can control the will of people. And the only witness to the use of this power was none other than the autobot Bumblebee, who, along with the others, decides to enter into a confrontation with despotic and chauvinistic Britain. What kind of power is this? And how does it relate to the visions of Samuel Hayden, who is Seraphim Samur?