I was drained last Saturday when I started writing this after so much BS that happened during that week, from studying, getting 3 assignments done, dealing with 2 separate power outages, and staying up till 3 AM to finish the commission story, Golden Ending's last upload. I only got like 5 hours of sleep and still feel like crap, so with-it being Saturday, I just told my roommate to leave me be as I went back to bed for like 3 hours before I could even touch this.

But while I planned to post it on Sunday, a few of you reached out and suggested I take the day off, which I did, and I feel so much better. I can typically handle my workload, but with so much BS thrown my way, I was just overwhelmed.

Like I said in the last chapter, this was, like, completely unplanned, so I had made shit up as I went, as I also pulled some inspiration from other ideas and games that I've played. I won't say more here, but I will say there will be some major changes going forward, thanks to who's involved in this.

Chapter 19: Watery Raid

Choshi, once a vibrant coastal city on the northeastern tip of Chiba Prefecture, had been known for its rich maritime heritage, historic lighthouse, and bustling fish market. Before the invasion, summer tourists came from as far as Hokkaido and Kyushu, drawn by its scenic beauty.

In some ways, it still held that charm—the sight of the city under the afternoon sun was postcard-worthy. But this was not the city of its past.

Like many large settlements, Choshi had been bombed and shelled during the invasion. Some believed the Britannians were slaughtering indiscriminately, but there was another purpose—demolition.

When the fighting ended, the city was rebuilt, not like the fortress-like Tokyo Settlement but in a style that reflected Britannian tastes. It stood atop the ruins, a monument to conquest.

Now, the tourists were mostly Britannians, while the few remaining Elevens toiled in degrading jobs for wages so pitiful that outright slavery would have been a more honest form of oppression. The city, a stolen relic running on the suffering of its rightful people, fueled the ever-growing tension within the Kozuki resistance.

Near the entrance of an old rail tunnel, they waited. The four Sutherlands they had brought idle.

"What the hell is Zero thinking? We should take the fight to Cornelia, not standing around doing nothing!" Tamaki was the first to speak.

"It's strange for him," Inoue admitted, frowning. "I figured he'd avoid fighting here, but this feels…"

"I know what you mean," Yoshida agreed. "We're in hiding while everyone else is hunted like animals. Does he think Cornelia will just get bored and leave?" He tapped the side of his Sutherland, unused since Shinjuku. Did Zero expect them to hit a canning plant?

Ohgi had heard it all before on the ride here and wished he didn't have to again. "Guys, don't think like that. It sucks playing it safe, but we can't fight Cornelia like we did Clovis. That asshole was barely a statesman, let alone a general."

"What? This is our chance! Cornelia has no clue about these puppies—even I could land a few good hits!" Tamaki's voice rang out, though everyone doubted he'd stand a chance against Cornelia's forces.

Still, if Zero had truly committed to saving Saitama's people, they might have achieved a similar breakthrough.

"It's not like we're sitting idle," Minami reminded the group, recalling how Ohgi's announcement about pursuing Clovis' dirty little secret hadn't been in vain.

"We know," Yoshida added. "That's exactly why we agreed to follow." No sooner had he spoken than Inoue's ears picked up something. "Hold on—I hear something," she whispered, gesturing down the tunnel they had emerged from. In an instant, those with firearms raised their weapons toward the darkness. In contrast, the others in the Sutherlands readied themselves for a confrontation.

They waited, the sound of approaching landspinners growing louder. It wasn't the single engine of a lone vehicle but several that set their nerves on edge. Knightmares had first detected it with their factsphere sensors, though what emerged was unlike any unit they'd seen before.

As the object drew near, all eyes widened in astonishment. Knightmares were typically humanoid, even the E.U. and Chinese Federation's main units. However, this moved on six spindly legs, each mounting a landspinner. It looked more like a mechanized spider, cobbled together from salvaged Sutherlands, its frame reinforced with welded extra armor from top to bottom. Unlike their standard weapons, crowning the contraption was a massive tank turret complete with a giant cannon.

"What the hell is that?" Inoue gasped, pausing her fire as the mysterious vehicle mirrored their actions. A familiar face. Kallen rode atop it, signaling for them to lower their weapons.

"It looks like a Frankenstein mecha," Minami remarked, and the group complied, stepping aside so the odd vehicle could join them. They noticed a small trailer, its contents hidden under a tarp, being towed behind.

The mechanized spider then halted and crouched. Its top compartment slid open to reveal a cockpit with two pilots. One was a strange woman—black, shoulder-length hair and cool green eyes—who regarded them with disinterest. The other was unmistakable. Cloaked in a cape, he stepped out. "Greetings, comrades. Fortunately, you arrived sooner than expected—it gives us extra time," Zero announced, approaching Ohgi with a smile that did little to hide the chill his voice induced.

The man ignored his unease and asked, "Zero, what is that?"

Zero chuckled and turned his head toward the unit as Kallen leaped down, explaining that she'd hitched a ride out of the settlement with them.

"That?" Zero asked. "It's something of a personal project. Its designation is Combat Prototype Model-01, CPM-01, but you can call it Nemesis." Zero introduced his creation quietly, keeping to himself that he'd spent the last two years hammering out errors before arriving at what now stood before them. It wasn't a beauty, but he ensured she was built to fight.

"Crap, I bet that giant cannon will make short work of anything," Sugiyama remarked, eyeing the barrel that resembled a telephone pole.

Zero replied, "It's from a Chinese Main Battle Tank and fires the same rounds. So yes, Sugiyama, with this, I could obliterate anything smaller than a G-1." His words drew a mix of awed murmurs and a hint of resentment as they silently questioned why he hadn't unleashed such power in Saitama.

Zero pivoted on his heel and led Ohgi and several others to the lone trailer the Nemesis had been hauling. With a flourish, he reached for the tarp. "Sadly, that cannon isn't our ticket today; it was just the means to transport something else." As he pulled the tarp away, the contents were revealed.

Inside lay the usual suspects—fancier weapons than they'd seen before, equipment that anyone could pick up and use with ease, and a box brimming with explosives. But what caught them off guard was the centerpiece of the trailer: a contraption inspired by a shark. Not as large as its oceanic namesake, it was built around a motorcycle chassis—an eccentric design yet one that hinted at hidden capabilities.

"Zero, why would we need this?" Ohgi asked, scrutinizing the extra components that weren't merely decorative.

"Remember when I said to get ready to get wet?" Zero replied, his tone taking on a grave note that made Ohgi straighten up. "I wasn't talking about attacking something on the shoreline."

Then, turning to face the rest of the team, he continued, "Before we move on, I owe you all some transparency. I told you—and the world—that Clovis's secret was called Project Eden. That was a lie. Its true name is Code-R."

"Why the hell did you lie about it?" Tamaki exploded.

"Was it meant to confuse them?" Inoue interjected a question that Zero met with a nod. The subtle acknowledgment confirmed at least one suspicion, leaving them with more to ponder as they prepared for what lay ahead.

"Correct, Inoue. I intended to reveal the truth sooner, but I had to keep them from panicking and disappearing before we could strike. The false name has worked—our targets and even the viceroy remain none the wiser." Zero explained. Though he lacked insiders in the government, he understood his sister's shortcomings in civilian governance. Any promising leads she might have uncovered would have been public by now, even if only as an open secret.

What he did know was that she had been tearing through every available source in her frantic search for an Eden that simply didn't exist. And if, along the way, she managed to further undermine her position by antagonizing powerful, corrupt, and often inept figures… well, that was a bonus he was more than willing to accept.

"So we're finally going to make them bleed, these Code-R bastards?" Minami asked. They had all been busy until now, but the chance to see for themselves why Clovis dreaded its exposure was too tempting to pass up.

"Naturally," Zero nodded, showing little remorse or compassion for the monsters they were about to hunt.

Zero then spread out several maps on a rickety table. The rebels noted that he had meticulously marked several strategic spots and even jotted down details about weather conditions and coast guard patrols—information that seemed almost impossible to obtain. Without waiting for questions, he tapped a dot off the coast. "Our target is this oil rig, its real purpose hidden behind shell companies and fake names. It's technically not operational, yet it was allowed to remain because it supposedly disturbs nothing."

Kallen frowned. "I doubt Cornelia even knows about it. Japan abandoned most oil mining in the '70s, didn't it? With Sakuradite on the rise, they imported anything petroleum-related they couldn't produce locally."

"Undoubtedly," Zero replied. "Out of sight, out of mind—and we will turn that to our advantage. The rig is 44 kilometers east of Choshi Lighthouse, with water depths between 100 and 150 meters."

Some grew uneasy at the thought of such depths and the remoteness of the location. Ohgi broke the silence, "So… doesn't that mean we'll need swimwear? I packed for a dip, but not for deep water."

Zero looked up as the others exchanged sheepish glances. C.C. shot him a look that spoke volumes about his earlier lack of clarity.

"Good thing I prepared, Q-2. if you will?" Zero said. With a reluctant smile, she went to the back. She produced several surfer-style wetsuits, one already set aside for Kallen. At the same time, the rest would have to manage with what was available.

"They aren't the most comfortable; they should fit most of you," Zero added, noting that only his suit was custom-made to his precise measurements. In contrast, the others were purchased on a whim, just in case.

They grumbled about it—Inoue most of all, noting that he hadn't provided any extras besides the two suits set aside for C.C. and Kallen, designed for women. He dismissed their complaints, promising to procure better gear next time if the mission succeeded.

"The plan is straightforward," Zero announced. "We'll rent a boat for the first 30 kilometers. From there, the infiltration team will dive using the Bull I've brought, covering the final 14 kilometers submerged to remain undetected. We'll then emerge at the lower levels of the target." He unfurled detailed plans for the oil rig—a target with openly accessible information that revealed facilities at the waterline for small boat access.

Pointing toward the Sutherlands, he continued by showing some images, this time of the cordoned-off marina section where patrol boats and a lone frigate could be seen. "The ground team will await my signal to attack a nearby navy garrison base. It's a small target, but its engagement will distract any potential interference. Meanwhile, the boast team will remain out of visual range. When we signal, you'll speed over to extract us and any recovered intelligence."

Ohgi nodded, grasping the essentials of the plan. Ideally, the ground team was just meant to serve as a diversion, keeping Cornelia's forces preoccupied elsewhere. However, Zero corrected him, stating that they would press on regardless—they might be needed to secure the landing area and cover the escape, especially since Zero couldn't get his hands on a Portman. Stealth was crucial because the rig could be guarded by such knightmares, making a covert insertion the safest option.

"What do you expect to find?" Yoshida finally asked, pressing the million-yen question.

"Based on the intelligence I gathered, they're developing biological irregular military assets," Zero replied. The term sent shivers through the group, as even those unfamiliar with it had heard of bio-weapons in games and films.

"In other words, could this be a plant manufacturing some variant of super-smallpox?" Inoue queried, eyeing their diving suits, which hardly looked capable of protecting them from such hazards.

"It's possible," Zero admitted, "though the intelligence is vague and cloaked in code words that I can't fully decipher." He suspected it involved the creation of drugs or treatments derived from C.C.'s healing factor.

He concluded, "Either way, we'll stop it—confiscating what we can, destroying the rest, and capturing anyone for questioning."

With the plan set, Zero assigned leadership roles. Ohgi sighed in relief when Zero chose the most level-headed members—placing the school teacher with the knightmares and Minami on the boat. He worried for Kallen, arguably best suited for the knightmares, but her excitement to strike Britannia where it hurt outweighed caution.

Once assignments were complete, the scuba team suited up. Questions arose about how they would remain submerged long enough to avoid detection. While Zero's Bull submersible served as their transport, they still needed to breathe. To address this, Zero revealed that the vehicle was equipped with a miniaturized electrolytic oxygen generator which hooked directly into their masks.

Ohgi had grown accustomed to Zero's surprises, even as Tamaki's mood swung wildly again. At the same time, he practically drooled over the bike. Zero then departed to secure the rented boat—a task made effortless by his use of geass, ensuring the boat's owner would forget the missing vessel after twelve hours, plus he deactivated its tracker.

Upon his return, everything was in place. They confirmed that their radios worked, distributed equipment, explosives, and weapons, exchanged brief farewells, and split up. Ohgi led the knightmares to a concealed position near their target and the planned rendezvous point.

Now out on the water, Zero left Yoshida at the helm while he joined the rest, the Bull being towed behind the small electric motorboat. "How long until we reach our destination?" Tamaki asked, fidgeting with his dive suit that was awkwardly tight in some areas and loose in others.

Remaining as calm as ever, Zero sat with his legs crossed, his cape hiding any hand movements. "At our current speed, we'll reach the cut-off point in just over an hour and the full distance in slightly under two. But we'll wait." He replied as the boat glided over gentle ocean waves, steadily distancing them from land. At the same time, the afternoon sun slid toward the horizon.

"Why wait?" Inoue asked, wondering why they wouldn't simply get in and out as quickly as possible.

A light ocean breeze brushed their skin, and at that moment, all but C.C. shivered at a subtle pulse from Zero—a silent warning that they were venturing into dangerous waters with him. "We wait now because the Viceroy's attention is fixed on Saitama, expecting me there," he explained. "We're leaving them to burn so that we can take one decisive step toward our dream. This is our one shot."

Zero turned his head toward them, and for a split second, a few thought it safer to jump ship than face the wrath hidden behind his mask. "We can't afford any slip-ups," he declared. "We'll wait 30 minutes after the deadline before diving and making for the rig. Understood?"

Inoue nodded quickly. "Sure." Similar murmurs followed as tension settled over the group. Kallen remained silent, her gaze fixed on Zero. Initially furious that they weren't heading for Saitama—believing Zero indifferent to her people—she now saw more of him. It was clear he longed to rush to Saitama as much as they did, yet he knew it would be a lost cause before it began.

So, she chose to keep her thoughts to herself. For now, she whispered a quiet prayer for those they couldn't save and vowed to avenge them once this mission was done.

The afternoon bled into the evening as the people of Saitama remained on edge. Cornelia's troops held silent and unmoving positions while the looming deadline weighed heavily. When the clock struck 8 PM, soldiers advanced into the ghetto. Relying on gathered intelligence, they swiftly converged on the usual meeting place of the community leaders. As expected, the group of Elevens was present. Without warning, one soldier raised his weapon and fired, sending a spray of bullets into one of the men, who crumpled dead on the spot.

The sight shocked the remaining leaders. A brave soul in a dirty white shirt and glasses cried in broken Britannian, "Oh my God, why did you do that? They're children here! We haven't done anything!" He pointed toward a building where children cowered, some already weeping for their missing parents. But the soldiers, unmoved by pleas, had orders to follow.

"That is exactly why!" the commander roared. "The people of this ghetto shelter terrorists and refuse to report their activities. That's collaboration with terrorists under imperial law!" No chance was given for arguments or pleas. With cold efficiency, he ordered his men to eliminate them. Only when the last leader fell, leaving a pool of Eleven blood, did he report the grim tally.

On the G-1, Dalton received the report and turned to the viceroy, who sat impassively on her throne with her loyal knight, Guilford, at her side. "We've handled the issue with the community leaders."

The viceroy nodded. "Then set our plan in motion," she commanded. Dalton bowed and relayed the order: "Yes, Your Highness. Attention all forces! Commence Operation: Eradicate all terrorists and sympathizers in the Saitama ghetto!" Immediately, armored units rolled in to shield the advancing infantry. Overhead, attack craft pivoted to mark targets while knightmares surged from the G-1 as the spearhead of the assault.

This was not a battle, nor even an engagement. Cornelia had deployed overwhelming numbers of veteran soldiers who were skilled and disciplined, for whom this was merely another assignment. To them, every inhabitant was a terrorist or collaborator—a justification for this brutal strike against perceived treason.

Cornelia cared little for the Elevens who called this place home. Though she privately acknowledged the cruelty, she believed it might lure out that masked bastard and help her sleep at night. She sat back and allowed her commanders to execute her orders, confident that her opponents were far beneath her reach.

The killing continued unabated, destruction unfolding as bodies and property were ravaged by bullets, missiles, and explosions. It was a grim scene painfully familiar to the leaders of the Yamato Alliance, who had huddled in the relative safety of an old subway station.

"It's hopeless—we're completely surrounded!" someone shouted, panic thick in the air.

"Can't we break out along the Saikyu line?" another pleaded.

"Any chance of reinforcements from Akabane or Jugo?"

"Maybe a couple, but that's all."

"Dammit, then what do we do?" This was the desperate question their leader, Izumi Fumihiko, had been asking since the news had first reached them that fateful afternoon. They had spent hours shuttling as many people as possible from danger into sturdier buildings or underground shelters. Yet, many had stubbornly clung to hope—believing that if they stayed quiet, they might be left alone.

Now, he and his people were trapped, with scant provisions, numbers, or proper equipment—only torches and flashlights to fight in utter darkness. There was no time to ponder further; their people were being slaughtered above while they were forced to watch from beneath the ruined remnants of their home.

"Gather every weapon you can find," he ordered, his voice raw, "we'll make our stand at Midori-ku." Shock rippled through the room.

"There? But most of those buildings are leveled! We won't have nearly as much cover!" his second-in-command protested.

Izumi's control broke. He slammed his fist against the table, making it rattle. "We're already doomed—can't you see it? All of us, and the entire damned ghetto, are doomed, despite those Britannians pretending!"

He was ready to die, as was everyone present, but he could not force the rest of their people to share that fate. Now, they had only their lives left to offer as penance.

His words weighed heavily; shoulders slumped, and spirits sank. No one dared argue, nor did they challenge him. He spoke not as a distant commander but a fellow soldier, determined to drag as many souls as possible to hell with him. "The least we can do is make a massive stand—let them see our defiance so clearly that they leave whoever remains alone."

His second nodded silently. "It was nice knowing you, Izumi."

Izumi placed a reassuring hand on his companion's shoulder as the ceiling trembled again from a nearby explosion. "I'm sorry it's come to this."

His friend managed a wry smile. "If we're going to die, let's at least die fighting, right?"

"Right." Izumi nodded as his second-in-command and the others began gathering their stockpiled weapons—tonight, they'd use every last bit. No one disobeyed his orders; some wept quietly, yet no man or woman, middle-aged or barely out of high school, strayed from their duty.

As the area trembled again, Izumi closed his eyes, fighting back tears before his brave, doomed soldiers.

He addressed the silent room in a voice filled with venom and simmering rage, yet controlled enough not to scream. "Damn you, Cornelia…damn you to hell. I pray that you suffer even a fraction of the torment you've dealt out."

His mind briefly recalled the royal whose death had been celebrated by his people—a man whose wrath had struck down Clovis. Perhaps Zero could have saved them; perhaps not. Yet, one thing remained certain.

"Zero will see it done," Izumi declared, a tired smile tugging at his lips. Though he wouldn't live to witness the final reckoning, he believed that, as the earth was stained with Clovis' blood, Zero would ensure the witch and all her men faced fire and brimstone.

The sun had long vanished, leaving only the stars to guide them and a quiet sea stretching around their vessel. Yet, Lelouch found no peace amid the darkness. Inside, a relentless storm battered his heart—a torrent of guilt and regret for the countless souls lost while he sat here. He wasn't sure if the agony stemmed from the slaughter of hundreds or from his own conscience accusing him of abandoning them in their hour of need.

He might never fully understand the source of his anguish, so he chose to ignore it for now. Instead, he clutched his cross, its familiar weight a small comfort. He whispered silent prayers for the condemned souls, hoping they would find solace on the other side. When his quiet "Amen" faded into the night, he rose.

"Time," he called out, though he already knew the answer.

Yoshida checked his glow-in-the-dark watch and confirmed that, as Zero had ordered, it was just past 6:30. "We should cast off," he announced. One by one, the group rose, double-checking their gear and grateful for their night-vision goggles, with the stars providing a gentle natural light.

"Everyone, hook up to the Bull Shark," Zero commanded. "Remember, we won't be using lights—just night vision. Stay focused on the mission, not the depths. Tonight, they'll taste nothing but sinner's blood." His promise, not just an order, fired their determination as they performed final equipment checks, bid farewell to the retrieval boat, and prepared to plunge into the water as C.C. released the Bull.

Zero removed his cape without a word, revealing the wetsuit version of his costume. He stepped into the water, his mask's rebreather instantly switching to maritime mode to filter breathable oxygen. He swam toward the Bull, boarded it, and activated its battery while keeping the motor off. Noticing it held a full charge, Kallen was the first to secure herself to the craft, checking for steady oxygen flow as the rest followed suit.

Before departing, he glanced at Minami and the couple remaining on the boat. Then, as the others clung to their positions, he directed the Bull to dive beneath the waves, disappearing from view. "Be careful," he murmured, though his tone carried quiet resolve as he urged his team to avoid the chaos of Shinjuku.

Over the comms, Zero's voice came through clearly: "We're in the water, target in 38 minutes."

"Understood," Ohgi replied, eyes scanning the marina for movement.

Minami added, "Nothing unusual on our end either."

"Understood. Remember, unless something comes up, keep radio silence. B2, you'll know when to approach." Zero replied, cutting the common link. Kallen looked about as they went, the group only having their thoughts to keep them company, but eventually Zero spoke up.

"Eyes front, we're here." Zero announced as she looked ahead over Sugiyama's shoulder, spotting the dark shape in front of them, one with some powerful lights up top, shining across the water, allowing anyone on watch to spot any would-be intruders. It was a mistake only to watch the water's surface as Zero, in the last stretch, pushed them to dive another 30m to make sure the lights didn't so much as spot their silhouette in the waters.

Passing through the lights and now finding themselves directly beneath the oil rig, he turned and pushed them to the surface. "All right, let's go. Remember, we go quiet as long as we can." Zero reminded them, the group nodding and giving thumbs up as they released their grips on one another and their rides and slowly made their way to the water's surface. Breaking the surface, Kallen took her first breath of fresh air in 40 minutes and spotted that the lower decks weren't barren as two guards stood watch.

They weren't facing the same direction, but it would be a pain to handle both of them, especially without one or both screaming. "Q-1, I'll take out one; you handle the other in 10…9," Zero called out as she saw he had moved and was now closest to one, so she quietly swam towards the other. As soon as Zero hit Zero, she sprang into action, pulling herself up and reaching for his shit; she caught hold of it and pulled the surprised man over the railing, Zero doing the same the other one.

Both in the water, he lost valuable oxygen as they struggled with Kallen plunging her knife into her target's neck and then chest, the man's struggling losing steam as he rapidly bled out. Zero went with the bloodless take-down by snapping the neck of his victim before pulling himself out of the water, Kallen doing the same as they helped the others onto the platform. Pulling Tamaki up, they all pulled their masks off and checked their weapons.

"Move up; we'll start planting demolition charges on the 2 levels above to destroy the place but not sink it." Zero instructed as they slowly made their way up the stairs, the winds battering them. Still, it also helped mask any disturbance they made, though they needed to move fast before someone noticed the missing guards; speaking of which, getting to the next level, they saw one standing by himself, having pulled out a cigarette he was sharing with what looked to be one of the researchers.

"There's another one." Zero, leading from the front, called out before looking back at Yoshida. "K4. Eliminate the guard; I'll handle the doctor."

"I'm on it." Zero moved ahead, sticking to the shadows as he got closer. He let his weapon hang and pulled out a long, wickedly sharp dagger as he approached the two, signaling for Yoshida to act. The rebel, having already aimed, pulled the trigger, and with 2 shot pops, the guard dropped dead from bullets to the head.

The scientist, being splattered in the blood and brain matter of the man who had been talking about his newborn son, nearly screamed as he fell back, but Zero was faster; with one arm, he restrained the man and forced his jaw up while putting the blade at his neck, looking back and seeing the masked face that had been all over the news, the scientist paled as he near screamed but the knife, so close to his jugular stopped him.

"Make a sound…" Zero need not say more as the man nodded the best he could as Zero signaled the others over. C.C. pulled out some zip ties and cloth and helped him to retrain and gag their new prisoner while Tamaki and Kallen dragged off the body. They couldn't do anything about the mess, but the area was dark enough that only a closer look would reveal it.

Before they dumped the body overboard, Kallen noticed someone on the man's person besides his gun. "Looks like one of their radios," Kallen stated, returning it to the rest.

"Take it; we'll use it to listen in," Zero replied, Kallen turned it on but did not hear anything, so she quickly shut it off and waited for their enemies to speak. Prisoner in toe, they forced the terrified man to follow them as they continued ascending, finding few guards, which they quietly eliminated. Breeching the oil rig properly, it was much more illuminated than the lower levels, but again, security was lax as most lights faced outward, so they stuck to the walls and continued unseen by gourds that walked overhead.

Turning a corner, they spotted something that would make any waterborne escape impossible.

"Aren't those…" Inoue asked, looking at the weird-looking knightmares that, luckily, remained unnamed before them; lined up neatly, she counted 10.

"Portmans looks like they weren't in the water. Let's make sure they never do." Zero was handed the bag of explosions, same with Kallen, who, along with Q-2, planted them in hidden spots close to or on the empty knightmares.

As they worked, Kallen noticed that Zero seemed a little too comfortable—perhaps the word was experienced at such work. "You're…really good at this."

"It's not my first time in the field, Q-1." He replied, which was vague as hell as yes; they knew it wasn't, he fought in Shinjuku, but that was mainly knightmare combat. This….this was something else.

Planting the last charge, they continued up into the bowels of the structure, Q-2 pulling out a map of the place and walking towards their prisoner. "I'm going to ask you some questions. Do anything but quietly answer them, and you'll die." She threatened him as blandly as one would order their routine morning coffee. The man scared out of his mind from seeing Zero there and the sight of several others being mercilessly murdered, rapidly shook his head.

Pulling the gag down, she pointed at spots on the map. "Where's the main generator room?"

"I-it's just up ahead, take the r-right and take the stairs. 3-3-3rd door on the left." He stuttered out, earning a few more minutes of life as they had already known that, but he couldn't have realized that, so at least he wasn't about to lie.

"Are there any other Portmans or knightmares on sight?" C.C. asked as she wouldn't want any surprises when things got loud later.

"Y-yes, on the other side of the rig, the same amount." She glanced at Zero, as his plans did not mention guards armed with knight knightmares. So either his data was plain wrong, or his revealing that he knew something put them on high alert and beefed things up.

"And where is the research material and your experimental products?" She continued, as she'll make sure Lelouch adjusted his plans later to account for the unforeseen.

"Them?" The scientist's response was telling.

"Them?" Tamaki, the only one not to get it, asked.

"Answer the question." C.C. ignored the group moron.

"The lab is on the 5th floor!, the entire floor is the lab, the…the test subjects are kept on the 4th." The scientist explained as quick as he could before they could hurt him.

"You're conducting human experimentation already?" C.C. was hardly surprised by it, considering what they had done to her, but the rest? Well, they were furious as they could guess which readily available group of 'disposable' people they were using. Hell, even if they were using Britannian prisoners, it took a certain lack of humanity to ignore such evil. "Is your boss here as well?"

The man saw it as a chance to try and pull the blame into someone else, to plea that he was just a grunt following orders. "Y-yes! She should be in her office; it's on the 7th floor."

"Then we don't need you." Sadly, for him, that only sealed his fate.

"Wai-!" C.C. shot him point blank, his face frozen in horror as he fell back, a bullet hole in the dead center of his forehead.

"Scum." Inoue cursed the dead man.

"You heard the bastard, first things we need to do is finish planting the charges. We used up a lot for the first batch, so we'll split. Q-2 will lead the team towards the generator room, I'll take the other Portmans and use what explosions we can to make sure they can't follow us." Zero kept things on track, also they would need to dump the body before someone walked though here and saw it.

"Do we have enough bombs for that?" Sugiyama asked as they had brought a lot but not an unlimited supply.

"We'll get creative, now, let's move." Zero replied, splitting them into two groups, taking Yoshida and Kallen to handle the Portmans with one fourth of their remaining and C.C. would lead Sugiyama, Tamaki and Inoue will handle he power generators and just planting explosives in other important areas to make sure this place would be ruins before the sun rose.

"We've cleared out the last of the rebels." Cornelia frowned, hardly pleased with Dalton's report of the situation. The entire operation had been easy, far too easy for them to handle.

"Zero didn't show up." She summarised, her fist clenching on the armrest as her trap went untouched by that masked bastard.

"It would seem that way, Your Highness," Jeremiah replied, having remained with them throughout the operation to advise on whatever he saw that could be seen as the work of Zero.

"Just a run-of-the-mill terrorist, as we should have known." One of her generals scoffed.

"No, there's something we're missing," She silenced that behavior, her mind trying to spot what she missed, why this trap didn't work. "He wouldn't risk his credibility by refusing to appear. He's far too confident for that…"

Confidence…that was the cruz of it, her older brother Schneizel often spoke about it, but he also said that it didn't necessarily come in confronting an visible threat, but handling the quiet ones and trusting others would understand. So was that what happened? Did he take the chance to strike with her attention focused here? But where? And what?

"Have there been any reports?" She questioned, her staff looking confused by the order.

"Your Highness?" One repeated.

"Any reports?" She stressed, to which they shared glances and looked over their screens.

"None your highness." They reported, only for one to speak up as they got an alert. It wasn't a priority, and would have been ignored till they were finished here, but he had a feeling the viceroy would want to see it.

"Your Highness, we just got an alert!"

"Where?" She asked, and the staffer opened the message and read it before giving her the summary.

"An oil rig, a passing ship called in what they thought to be explosions on it, the coast guard's moving to investigate and handle the flames." They reported, Cornelia immediately suspecting that it was more then just some oil rig fire, especially since as far as she knew, Area 11 didn't have any offshore drilling operations.

"Make sure they're armed and ready." She ordered, as this would require a rescue, but also an armed response.

"At once!"

"An oil rig? Why would he attack that? An easy target?" Jeremiah asked.

"So far out? Someone had to have drawn his attention." Dalton added, frowning as he tried to figure out what that was for Zero to ignore the chance to attempt to assassinate Cornelia.

"Whatever it is, I want to know why," Cornelia affirmed, as this could play to their advantage out there; there wasn't anywhere the bastard could run to. She just needed to get the navy to search the area, and even the air force could lend a hand to make sure no matter what, her prey wouldn't escape.

"Your highness, a report just came in from our Choshi naval base, it's under attack!" Cornelia didn't frown; she didn't rage. Hearing that, she smirked as it seemed like her move to try and send in the navy had been checked.

"There's no doubt, that's Zero, all right. All that tells me is that whatever he's doing on that rig, he doesn't want to be disturbed." Cornelia stood to her full height and turned to leave, Guilford falling in step behind her. "Guilford, we're leaving. Dalton, I'll leave the clean up here to you and Jeremiah."

"Of course, your highness." Dalton and Jeremiah both bowed to her, the Margrave silent though he wished her good luck.

Professor Sigrid Tisdall was panicking. They had thought they were safe, that they could operate without anyone being the wiser, as Zero knew that they existed, but he was chasing some red herring in Project Eden. Same as the viceroy, and while they had little info in the government with Bartley gone, they had enough to know the viceroy was in the dark about them and didn't notice 20 Portmans going 'missing' when they were re-assigned to their oil rig laboratory.

It had started small, guards not reporting it or not being at their post, which concerned her. They weren't the crème of the crop, but they weren't incompetent and wouldn't just refuse to follow protocol and radio in. Her head of security had sent people down to check, and not even 5 minutes later, the explosions started, knocking out their power and leaving only the dreadfully intimidating red emergency lights and the glowing flames to illuminate.

As soon as she heard a surprised report that Zero had been sighted, followed by the death gargles of the poor fool, she knew that they had been made and ordered that the place be scuttled, and the irregulars be removed from their holding cells and prepped for transport. They had a submarine that could accomplish that.

Which now lead to her now, throwing anything she could carry like her laptop, phone, hard drives and other important things into her briefcase and the rest went into the customised shredder. She needed to destroy whatever she couldn't take and get to the helipad. Tokyo and other cities was a no go but they could land somewhere deserted and make their way to-!

The door to her office busted open, and the terror of the hour walked in. "Hello, professor."

"You!" She reached for her gun, only for Zero to shoot first, the 50-something screaming as she was thrown back, a bullet having carved its way into her shoulder.

"The next one will go in the other shoulder, so for your sake, cooperate." Zero stated, his eye slot opening to allow him to geass the woman into compliance.

It was child play after that as her terror faded, leaving her an emotionless drone. "Okay fine."

"You'll follow all instructions for the next 12 hours and behave yourself." Zero ordered.

"Understood." She nodded.

"Good, now follow me." He turned and walked out of the office, the wounded woman following along without a word as he went to link up with the others.

As he walked, the dark halls were lit up only by the red light as flames continued to eat away at the structure, while the halls they traveled down were littered with bodies and blood. She hadn't heard him fight them, as he had used his geass to freeze them all, and then, as he marched past, he drove his knife into their chests and left them to bleed out.

Of course, he didn't need to kill all of them, especially when his geass rendered them unable to fight back, but he wanted to. His patience with these people had been wearing thin since he and the rest had found where they kept their 'test subjects'; the horrors they had seen inflicted on those people, all little more than walking corpses, had sickened their stomachs.

It was like these monsters had been toying with them, cutting, removing, and performing whatever experiments they wished to test how well their drugs and methods to replicate C.C.'s healing could go. As they feared, they were mainly Japanese subjects, but they were Britannians and others as well. Not even Tamaki, who was the most vocal about hating Britannians, could look at what those people had been reduced to and not lose his lunch.

It was one of the few times C.C. also conveyed emotion, as she didn't know them; she couldn't have helped them, but she looked saddened by it all and wordlessly stepped aside when he went about killing them. The others protested, even nearly shot him, but he made it clear they couldn't save any of them. Even if they could, they lacked the means and expertise to give them the medical help they needed.

The best they could do was give them as peaceful a death as they could.

They didn't help him do it, nor did he order it. So, instead, they turned their horror into battle rage and threw it into the faces of their enemies. They made it clear to scientists that to resist was to die, and after they killed several, the rest immediately surrendered and pleaded for their lives, which enraged them all the more, but no triggers were pulled as they cleared out the rest of the place, apparently their explosions had cleared out a few more guards, leaving the rest panicked, scattered and easily hunted down.

Meeting up with the rest, he found them watching over their prisoners, made up of only the researchers, interns, and assistants. Their security had all been killed as they would serve no purpose. "That her?" Yoshida turned when Zero entered the open area of the rig.

Zero answered with a question to his captive. "What is your name?"

"Sigrid Tisdall." She replied.

That done, Zero turned to Sugiyama and Tamami before finishing with Inoue. "K1, K2, get back to her office and collect everything she hadn't managed to destroy. K3, about the labs."

As the two went to get that done, Inoue had to explain something to Zero. "We cleared them out and grabbed what we could but…there's something else."

"What?"

"It's better you see it." She stated, to which the masked man raised a hand, looking at his wrist where he wore a watch.

"Make it fast, even with B1's distraction, it won't be long before the Britannians show up." He finished as he allowed her to lead him away, trusting that C.C. would keep a level head with their prisoners. Walking through the place, they got to what looked to be a shipping container, but upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be a portable prison cell. Complete with internal cameras.

"What is this?" Zero asked upon seeing what lay inside were 4 teenage girls, all wearing little more than hospital gowns. Around their necks were collars, which seemed to transmit their vitals, and he didn't need a medical degree to tell that they were incredibly stressed.

Inoue pulled a disgusted face, almost wishing it was bioweapons as those girls…"These are the biological irregular military assets that the intel mentioned." She handed him a file that she had gotten off one of their captives, allowing him to skin through it and see their names, though it was distressing that their names came after their designation as if they were tools instead of people. The dark-haired one, Sancia; the pale-haired girl, Lucretia; the youngest of them and the blonde, Alice; and lastly, the dark-skinned one, Dalque.

The fact that the files were so devoid of human personal details only made his grip on it tighten.

"Child soldiers…" Zero mused, though she could hear the thick layer of anger in his words, and figured if they had someone they could kill with them, Zero would have done it by now. So, he merely bottled it up. "It seems our enemies will stoop to any level."

"Why haven't you given them anything?" Zero asked her, as they could have stripped someone off a body if need be, but instead, they left them in this cell?

Inoue looked a little ashamed there, but she quickly defended herself. "We tried but they stop us."

"They stopped you." She could hear the disbelief in his tone.

"It's crazy, I know, but one is crazy fast and nearly killed me; the other nearly smashed her way through the door." She yelled, pointing to the dent in the cell door, only that notedly came from the inside. She was just lucky that when they had opened it to let them free, none of them had been killed.

She expected Zero to refute that, as it the door looked to be solid steel but the man caught her surprise when he made his choice. "Let me handle this."

"Sir? Is that wise?" She asked him as Zero handed her his rifle.

"Would you recommend that we put them down?" He counted, which left her feeling sick to her stomach. Zero could see that she got this intent and instructed her to open it and, for her safety, seal it after he got inside. "They're not our enemies; let's not treat them as such if we have a choice."

She looked hesitant, but followed his orders, the four unknowns remained at the back of the cell, waiting for death but instead, a scary looking masked man entered before the door and their only means out of the box they had been corralled into closed once more.

The space was like their typical cells, white, lifeless, and sterile. Hidden cameras and sensors scattered around the structure, and they learned the hard way what happened when they tried to mess with those sensors…

"Do you know who I am?" Zero asked them, keeping his distance to try and appeal friendly…as friendly as he could he assumed, as he still had some blood splatter across his body.

"No…" The dark haired one, Sancia spoke up. Lelouch recognising the look in her eyes. She was terrified, a cornered animal but also putting herself between him and the rest. It was a look he had seen in the mirror and added some respect to the concern and empathy he was feeling.

"You can call me Zero. You're safe now." He told them.

"Liar." Lucretia's meek retort was quick, absolute, and yet filled with a resigned capitulation that only pulled on his heartstrings. What sort of hell had they been through for her to just assume-no, believe he would be another monster to them?

"I've lied about a great many things and will continue to deceive, but on this, I speak the truth. We attacked this place to put a stop to their operations and have killed or captured your captors and torturers." He kept it honest.

Again, Sancia spoke up, shifting so that he couldn't see Lucretia as well after that, a telling response. "Why should we trust you? You won't even show us your face, just like…"

Zero hummed, though the sound came out robotic and animalistic as he had intended when he designed the mask. However, it only made the girls all the wearier of him as Alice was seen more like a scared rabbit. "I see, then here's a showing of faith." He signaled for Inoue and anyone who was watching this to shut off the feed, Inoue pushed back on it, citing concerns for his well-being, but he waved it off. It's not like they could get inside fast enough to save him should the girls prove violent.

That done, he wasn't hesitant as he removed his helmet with a hiss of hair, Lelouch breathing the air without his rebreather for the first time in hours. With his mask gone, the girls could see that he wasn't like the rest. They had all been older, much older, and with little expressions in their eyes, and those who did have a sort of twisted glee. But with him, there was something they had only seen in each other.

Concern.

"You're Britannian." Dalque pocked her head out from behind Sancia, surprised to see his face's features.

"I am, but I'm not in service to the empire or crown," Lelouch replied, frowning at the implication he would ever bend the knee to his father or the twisted world order he constructed and spread like a cancer. "But now isn't the right time to talk. Britannia will show up here soon, so it would be prudent…" Lelouch pursed his lips, seeing how on edge they remained.

Now wasn't the time to approach this like Zero the symbol, but as Lelouch the person. Lelouch the man who understood the feeling of being used, abused and left to die. "No, that's not the right way to put it. We didn't know you were here, but now that we do, we can't just leave you when you need help. Please, come with use."

"Do you want us as weapons?" Alice asked, to which he shook his head.

"No. Once we get you out of here and sorted, we'll do our best to aid you in your paths. If you wish to vanish and live your lives, then on my honour, on this cross," He held up his silver cross. "I shall do my best to get you're a second chance of life."

"You mean that?" Sancia asked, Lelouch spotting something in those eyes, past the fear, suspicion, and desperation.

He pressed the cross to his chest, right over his heart. "I do." His honesty must have gotten through as he only had time to spot Alice's eye shift before she rammed into him, sending him into his back as she wrapped her arms around him; the girl, who seemed no bigger than his precious sister, started to shiver as she cried into his chest.

"Thank you….thank you…" Sancia was no better. She fell to her knees, holding the others close as they shed tears of relief.

Lelouch couldn't do much more than hold the crying Alice close as he would his sister after she had a nightmare. "Come, it's time we get going from this awful place."

This….was a journey to write, but a fun one, as while it's stupidly late, I had fun writing it and thoroughly enjoyed my break after all the BS that happened. I was in such a good mood that even though my geyser broke the night before I posted this and was leaking water all over the damn place, I was able to keep on working on this even as the handyman handled the issue, though I had to stop now and then to speak with him as he kept me up to date on the issue.

Also, the head researcher's name was inspired by Sigmund Rascher and Frederick Tisdall, two men who left their mark on history, and not in a good or even humane way.

Oil Rig Mission

Zero – (Leader of Rig Team)

C.C. – Q2(Rig Team)

Ohgi – B1(Leader of Knightmare Team)

Kallen – Q1(Rig Team)

Sugiyama – K1(Rig Team)

Tamaki – K2(Rig Team)

Minami – B2(Leader of Knightmare Team)

Inoue – K3(Rig Team)

Yoshida – K4(Rig team)

The next chapter will be out April 12th

Special thanks to my Patrons(s):

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