Code Geass: Knight of Liberation Chapter 7, a code geass fanfic

Disclaimer: Code Geass is written and owned by Ichirō Ōkouchi and Gorō Taniguchi, and produced by Bandai Namco's Sunrise studio. I own no characters, locations, or elements from the Original Series, Manga (Yes, there IS a manga), or Movie Trilogy/Resurrection Timeline. I own only my OCs and their respective Knightmares.

With that said, Please Enjoy The Show!

Normal Speech: "Hello"
Radio/Comms: "Hello"
Thoughts: Hello
Geass: "{Hello}"
Knightmare/Loudspeakers: "Hello"

Chapter 7: Among The Wolves Part 1

A dark red ceiling.

Whenever Lowriel woke up, he would always see a dark red ceiling, with him lying in the same place as before, on the same cold slab.

Not a day passed without him waking up like this. It was a constant reminder of his inadequacies and his helplessness. And for all the time he laid here, there was nothing he could do; just stare, climb out, and test his Knightmare. And sleep again.

Wake up. Test. Sleep.

An endless, meaningless cycle that spoiled little brat Clovis subjected him to for weeks. Months. Years.

Wake. Test. Sleep.

For the last two weeks, however, it was different.

For the last two weeks, Lowriel woke up to a new, unfamiliar ceiling.

Today, he woke up with freshly wrapped bandages on top of the spare clothing, courtesy of Miyahara. The pain he felt when they were removed was torturous, his bare wounds exposed to the air. But it was needed after so long outside of containment. "Better clean than comfortable, young man." Miyahara had said. And he couldn't help agreeing now.

He liked Miyahara; old as he was, the man was patient and level-headed despite the hate and anger Naoto's people had for him. And he was far from biased in comparison to the rest.

In a way, he could align those in Naoto's inner circle with similar aspects. There was loyalty to the cause, obviously, but he could pick out more prominent pieces to each of them:

The two scouring for information in the old cargo truck, Inoue and Yoshida, were neither blunt nor direct. Lowriel hardly interacted with them, but he saw and heard their efforts in small talk. They did well to deliver with what they had on hand.

Tamaki was… a person. He didn't like anything to do with Britannia or Lowriel. But he knew his way around machinery far better than others, and his ability to make a point was unique, loud as he was.

Lowriel was unsure how to feel towards Ohgi. The man was a close friend of Naoto but clearly not meant for combat. He had moments where he seemed to blend in or stand too far out of place. But looks were always deceiving. I know that better now, Lowriel thought coldly.

Nagata was the one he'd assume to be their fallback leader before Ohgi. He was sharp and direct, and though he had a clear hate for Britannians, he didn't let the bloodlust or fury blind him. He made it clear to Lowriel how little he trusted him, but not to the point of simple biased hate.

He was cautious. And he had no problem making his mind clear. Lowriel could respect it greatly; it took a lot more effort than most realized to speak against a leader, especially one so close to the chest.

As for Kallen and Naoto?

There were many aspects to either of them, even from his little interaction with Kallen. She had a burning fire like her brother, and she wanted to prove she was like the others in their fight. She wasn't a sheep blinding following orders either. But she had a bias in some regard, even if not as vicious as the older Japanese she found safety in.

Short-tempered, yet genuine. Passionate.

But she was young. Younger than anyone else on the base. And Lowriel knew Naoto consistently avoided letting her join because of that.

Put together simply, they could take to each other like a house to fire. Or like hammers and tongs.

It reminded him greatly of his sibling.

Before that man ruined all of it.

I do wonder if that animal is still among the living, He pondered, blinking his dry eyes. It hurt his eyes if he didn't blink for too long, and his vision was blurry when he opened them. The bandages covering his eyes had been irritating and a hassle to deal with, so he was grateful they'd been mostly removed. Very slowly, the man tried pulling himself up, wincing as his body ached and burned. Everything hurt, and this dull, throbbing pain wasn't helping. He didn't like the feeling, but it reminded him he was alive and that was enough.

"Remember, pain is our most natural state. If we feel no pain, it means everything is right or something is wrong. Your body is constantly fighting to heal itself in some way, and you'd be wise to listen when you have to."

With a pained grunt, Lowriel pulled himself into a sitting-up position, gasping as his tired limbs relaxed again. He let his mind wander, brushing those more distant thoughts away. To hell with him. He made his grave. May the worms have at him. I need to focus on here, first and foremost. He told himself. Add to that Merlin's operability and repairs…

Heh. Repair. An underestimation to be sure, probably nonexistent now. The talk between him and Naoto had been long and extensive, and it boiled down to if Lowriel would help. He said yes, of course. To him, it didn't matter how much the Resistances threw their hated glares at him.

Didn't matter how long it'd take or what Britannia threw at him.

Didn't even matter if the MERLIN would operate for him.

His loyalty to Britannia had been cast off years ago, and he'd hoped his message had been clear when he defended them in their first encounter.

He would remain loyal to the Resistance. Or at least to Kozuki Naoto.

That was all there was to it.

Naoto Resistance Cell, Shinjuku Ghetto

After another long week of hard labor and sleepless nights, Naoto's maintenance teams had finally completed 10% of the MERLIN's necessary repairs. It was incredible work given what they were doing, so when the newer parts shipped in from Kyoto came through, they rushed to replace their rustic counterparts. Gears and wiring had been restored cleanly, the Landspinners were cleaned of gunk and given new tire sets, and the arm joints cleaned as much as possible.

It was still an ancient piece no-less, but they at least had the assurance the MERLIN wouldn't be coming apart on them. Most of all, anything too loose from the exposed framework was either bolted back into place or held down by zip ties. Not that it meant much; while the armor was a complete wreck to work around earlier, removing it revealed a sort of second layer of metal, like an exoskeleton. It was made from Tungsten and had hardly rusted, so the lower arms and legs would remain (hopefully) firm.

Most were amazed at what they'd accomplished despite their previous disagreements.

Nagata was a mixed bag of shocked, impressed, and concerned. He was very confident in the teams' success, even Tamaki all things considered. But still, this was new for all of them. Restoring a Knightmare Frame even in part was nothing like restoring some old Ioyoda truck from the 2000s, even with the materials provided by Kyoto. But most of all what worried him was just how thoroughly built this machine was.

Nobody had ever seen a Knightmare built in such a distinct way. Not since the first reports during the War when the JGSDF first saw the Glasglow, which the Resistance knew inside-out nowadays. To them, up till now, "new" was the Sutherland which had only been active for a little over 2 years. And the MERLIN blew it out of the water for them, even more with how its pilot managed to pilot the thing.

Whoever had built it had something for it in mind, if what they learned about it being used for "Urban Development" when they first captured it was evidence enough. And from what Naoto shared alongside Inoue and Yoshida's investigation, it was meant to be a weapon of war. Or worse.

"You got your thinking face on, Naga." Naoto's voice cut into his thoughts, turning to see their leader entering the garage with a smirk. "That or you're thinking too hard again."

"Just compensating for your lack of thinking, that's all," Nagata countered, throwing it right back at him. He eyed his friend, noting the dark rings under his eyes and tired look. Naoto certainly wasn't an exception to the stress and labor the Cell endured, try as might to save face. But he could see something was bothering him. "What's wrong? Something happen?"

"I'll tell you in a bit. Along with everyone when we've gathered." That wasn't a good sign. "Tell me how we're looking here," Naoto nodded to the Knightmare.

"Our demands were met! The Knightmare is pretty much set. Kyoto was even kind enough to send us a spare rifle with our parts; something about 'the goodness of one man to many.'" He doesn't hide the scowl that grows on his face at the would-be proverb that the supply courier gave them. "Tch! Probably just some old piece the Liberation Front refused to take…"

"Then let's hope it suits us even better." Naoto remarks as people begin entering the garage, slowly but surely. Among them were familiar faces from the maintenance crews and their inner circle of friends. "Are Inoue and Yoshida coming?" He asked when Ohgi came alongside their people.

"Yep. Minami will be here in a bit too!"

For Nagata, it's already clear what this gathering is, more so when Naoto and he move around the crowd.

Gatherings like this meant a need for volunteers, which meant an upcoming raid or an attack. For a moment he feels a surge of emotion, maybe relief or justice because they're getting back into gear. No more working on machinery or questioning who might be leaving next. Finally, they were getting back on point! There's also surprise, however.

At just how grim-faced Naoto was when they climbed up the mezzanine; it's not too different from when they 'found' Lowriel, but there's something… off about him. Even more off-putting was the presence of Lowriel and Kallen, who Naoto swore to heaven and hell would never be part of their 'line of work.'

For them to be here, it must've been big.

"Alright everyone, LISTEN UP!" Naoto called as the last few came in, the crowd falling into silence. "I wanna thank you a lot for putting in the time and effort to work on the MERLIN. It's been a challenge I'm sure, but it's finally paid off for us!" The cheers and claps are instantaneous and loud in agreement. It had been a huge task, no doubt, but the result was incredible. "Now it's time to put your efforts to the test." He furthered, his smile turning into a more serious face that drew everyone's attention.

"I'm sure at least a few of you have noticed the lack of my sorry mug wandering around. Recently our informant got back to use, and he's stumbled onto some new information regarding everyone's favorite Britannian Prince." Lowriel attentively listened, honing out the gazes shot in his direction as Naoto continued. "Unlike the MERLIN, this information has also been picked up by Kyoto. They've confirmed it's real, and more importantly, a very serious threat to us."

"Is it another Knightmare?" Someone called from the far.

"Are the Britannians going to come on us completely?" Someone else asked nervously.

And rather than reassure them, Naoto's eyes grew dark with fury. "Poisonous gas." He answered, silencing the room in full. He sharply added, "More importantly, a canister of poison gas big enough to flood a good chunk of Shinjuku if placed right. And it arrived just last week on Japan's soil."

The silence was almost deafening, along with a clear fury matching people's faces. Even by Britannia's standards of morals, biological weapons were barred from usage. For older members especially, the use of bio-weaponry was something foreign in this day and age, and not a thing to be trifled with so easily. So to hear they'd be used here in Japan…

Lowriel didn't blame them, feeling his hands clench. So you've finally begun reaching beyond your limits as Prince, He thought coldly. And worse he could imagine that blonde runt putting something so sinister in a place like this, and it only made the anger beneath his bandages grow.

"We've learned the chemical weapon is being transferred to a military outpost. And since we're the only group outside of Yamato in close enough range to Tokyo, the Kyoto Houses has asked us to head out and destroy it." Naoto told them.

Nagata grimaced. "So you need volunteers."

"More than that-" Naoto clarified as he looked around. "I know we've worked hard on our past raids, even more with our successful missions and taking the MERLIN." His eyes narrowed. "But this mission will demand we go further into the Settlement; deep into Britannian territory. This mission…" He struggled for a moment, almost finding the right words. "It won't be like Yokosuba. We'll be fighting on their home turf, and more importantly, we may not have the luxury of escaping at all."

"That said, we won't be going entirely alone. The Yamato Alliance has offered us ammunition and supplies, along with men who will head into the Settlement along with us. We'll also be taking both the Knightmares along with us." The grim understanding of their situation had set in fully for most, all listening soberly as he let out a heavy sigh. "Look, I cannot put enough emphasis on the possibility of us not returning. For us, this mission is a great responsibility and of utmost importance for our people."

"I know many of us have families here. Everyone who goes out with us knows the score; I won't hold it against anyone who stays behind." Naoto said firmly. "But Japan is counting on us. The people who may suffer to Clovis need us. So anyone willing to follow me into the gates of Britannia's metal cage, step forward!"

There was plenty of hesitation before hands shot up and voices shouted to volunteer themselves. While Naoto lacked the charisma for a rousing do-or-die speech, he certainly didn't beat around the bush with it either.

"Certainly… Has a… way. With words…" He coughed quietly.

"It's better than bullshitting them all." Kallen snarked beside him. "All the same, people were bound to go after hearing about this."

"That. Goes without… saying."

"Alright! Alright! We'll start tallying up the numbers - for now, everyone starts checking over equipment, weapons, the Knightmares, all of it." Naoto ordered over the chaos. "We leave in 2 days, so do what you have to and talk to who you need to. MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUR RADIOS! We're going deep into enemy territory, we're gonna need communication."

Glancing over, Lowriel eyed Kallen who'd been mostly quiet till this point, humming. "Will you… be going too?"

"Tch. You're lucky enough Naoto lets me talk to you, much less go out with them." She said with an empty huff, her earlier mood replaced by something akin to realization or hope. "But if they're taking the Glasgow too, then-"

"It means we're getting all hands on deck for this." Naoto finished as he approached the two, still firm-faced. "As much as I would love to say otherwise, we'll be facing a greater number of soldiers in the area. That means we'll be up against Knightmares too."

"So you mean-!"

"Yes…! Yes, Kallen. It means that we're gonna need your piloting skills out there." He said, quickly cutting off the surge of excitement in her eyes. "However! We won't be leaving for another 2 days," He leveled a very cold, serious expression to her. "And I need to know you're up for something like this Kallen. I'm all for piloting the Glaslgow on my own if need be-"

"Are you kidding!? After you went radio silent for a whole day, you're lucky I let you go out there too!" Kallen cut him off, giving him her glare. "Besides, I haven't been training these past months for nothing. If can help stop those bastards, especially with something this big, I will."

"I'm serious Kallen. This isn't like fighting in Shinjuku; these guys WILL tear you apart if you aren't pulling your A-game out there."

"I better start worrying about you then?"

"Me? As if! I don't plan on going down out there. I've still gotta keep my eye on you and Mom…"

"Oh! Glad to see you remembered her."

Lowriel watched the exchange in silence, unsure to even interrupt. This feels… too familiar to me. He thought before finally deciding to act. His body protested at it, but the pain was more bearable now. And it was far from the escalating bickering turned sibling stare-down. He tapped Naoto on the shoulder, earning a small jump from the pair. "Save... it for later. Need. To still... prepare... no?" He reasoned.

It worked, mostly. Naoto let out a sigh, rubbing his head. "Yeah, you're not wrong." He grumbled, looking back to his sister. "Look I'm not trying to give you crap. You've made it clear how much you wanna help." He came over, suddenly feeling way older than he should have, and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I just need you to know what we're doing."

In turn, Kallen seemed to take his words to heart and her excitement and adrenaline simmered down. "I know, Nao. I just…" She relented, nodding. "Okay. Your right. Tell me what I need."

Naoto's expression is bright and he looked to Lowriel. "I trust I'll have your support?"

"Of course... My loyalty lies... with you, Naoto." He vowed, watching the siblings head off to prepare. Now alone, the bandage-wrapped man turned to his Knightmare, feeling the old wounds in his palms.

Given the circumstances, I'll need to perform similarly at my best. He agreed, recalling his previous combat prowess. The MERLIN worked smoothly in the face of those new KmFs, even in its dire state. And though it wasn't at optimal capability, he was certain it'd run the same again. The same could not be said for himself. I won't have the luxury of adrenaline like last time... For a moment his eyes flickered lower, to the metallic piece around his neck before he turned his eyes away. No. No guarantee that will help me. I'll have to be ready, regardless of what may happen.

If my body can't move like I need it to, the MERLIN will make up for that.

Later

So two days passed, and in that time it became clear who would be staying and who'd be going. The cell would have 15-20 men going into the Settlement, including Naoto, Kallen, his inner circle, and Lowriel. And while that didn't seem like much, it was an incredibly high number considering how they typically operated. Not to mention the extra 10 Yamato was providing, so even if they couldn't bring the full force of the Cell, they'd certainly be causing some damage.

Everyone on base was tense with anticipation. Everyone was nervous and anxious. Their morale had risen considerably in the passing days, a bit more given how decent the MERLIN and the Glasglow were armed. And as nightfall came, friends and families met up. Some had meals with them, others enjoyed the lively ambiance of the area, and others made peace with themselves.

A call before the storm… Lowriel thought, having quietly kept to himself throughout that time. There were plenty of cautious stares, but the atmosphere felt far less blistering.

"Merlin looks… good." He complimented, sitting beside Nagata as the MERLIN stood tall. What armor plating it had was semi-cleaned of rust, and the limbs triple-checked over to ensure nothing was amiss. "Your men… did good. Very… good."

"Figured if you die in that death trap, it outta look decent." The rebel grunted.

"I am… grateful. For the… work… you put in… Nagata. You have my thanks."

You can thank me by putting that Knightmare to use. I don't wanna see all our spent supplies wasted out there." Nagata snapped.

Lowriel simply nodded. "You will… I swear. It."

"Just do as you did at the Port, and hopefully we'll get out of this right as rain," Nagata gestured over to the KmF-sized weapon beside it. "On that note, Kyoto issued us a Standard Assault Rifle; they don't know anything about the MERLIN, so they just assume it's another common unit like the Glasgow. It's loaded for 20 rounds." He explained as Lowriel rolled over to inspect it. "No attachments or scopes, but the accuracy isn't terrible, according to Kyoto."

"Any spares…?"

"An extra pair; you and Kallen get one each."

Lowriel hummed, his eyes narrowing. "Hmmm... I can work. With that." He nodded before turning his gaze from the rifle. "Anything else?"

"Other than that, just some extra gear we had," Nagata said, tossing a worn-out jacket at him, along with a hand-held radio. It's tuned to our frequencies, so don't worry about anyone piggybacking off our feeds." Before he could accept it, Nagata tugged one of the sleeves back so Lowriel met his gaze. "For the record, when you wear this, you represent us. I've known Naoto for years, and I know he wouldn't stick his neck out for something if he didn't believe it'd help us. Especially a Britannian."

"I don't care who you are or used to be - you're in this now, whether I like it or not. So don't go trying to be a hero, and don't make me regret this."

Lowriel met his gaze for a moment before taking the jacket. "Understood… I will. Not.. diss-appoint." He promised.

Nagata gave him a long look, his expression hard and cold before grunting, accepting his word as he left, and leaving Lowriel to his devices. In turn, the Britannian looked down at the offering. It was old, but the material was strong. He could feel the wear and tear of it like it was well-used. An odd comfort, but one he'd accept nonetheless.

Thank you, for trusting me with this, Lowriel thanked silently as he pulled it slowly over his arms, standing with a sharp inhale. The inside was soft and warm, which was comforting to his worn-out body. From there, he moved for the ladder by the MERIN, climbing up slowly. Even with his new wraps, he could feel his legs straining from his weight. At least I'm not choking anymore on my breaths anymore.

He grunted, feeling the pain in his ribs as he sat atop the torso. Before he could undo the hatch lever, a voice called out to him. "Oi! Lowriel!"

The Brit stopped and glanced down, seeing Naoto coming up to the station. Is something wrong? He wondered, watching curiously as he climbed up the ladder to see him. "What... is it, Naoto?"

"Just checking in with you."

"That all...?"

"No," Naoto admitted, giving a faint smile. "I'm glad to see the jacket fits! But..."

"Something… is bothering. You."

"What? I mean, no shit. This is a dangerous mission, even if we're working with the Alliance." Naoto scoffed.

"That... isn't it."

Naoto paused, going quiet. "Your much… more… tense. Compared to our… previous talks... Is something... wrong?" Lowriel asked.

The man fell silent. He was far quieter now, looking like he did when he announced this raid before finding the right words. "Can I ask you something?" He finally spoke. "You said before that you were loyal to me right? That if I wanted to 'defeat Britannia', you'd support us, right?"

"Yes. I would."

Naoto went quiet again, almost hesitant. Lowriel could see the storm in his eyes though, like he was contemplating. "Look, I'm not gonna bullshit you - this raid, it's gonna be big. We're attacking a Britannian base, not semi-aware military power. If… When things go south, they're gonna throw everything they have at us." He said with a determined, serious face. "There's no telling what might happen out there. So if anything happens to me… promise me you'll look after my sister."

"Promise me that whatever vow you made when we met, it goes to her. That you won't abandon Kallen. Even if she doesn't like it, even if she hates you, just protect her. Please." Lowriel met his gaze for a brief moment, and it was the most vulnerable and open he'd ever seen him. For a moment he wanted to tell him to stop being so dramatic. That Naoto would make it through this.

And yet.

"Lowriel, promise me that when I'm gone, you'll look after your sister. That when I join your father you'll keep each other safe."

The words echoed through his mind, and Lowriel couldn't find the words to say. Instead, he found his hand gripping his pendant, feeling a familiar coldness fill his chest. And slowly, a soft breath escaped his lips. "I swear... It." Lowriel vowed, his voice holding a solemn tone. "Without. Question… But. I won't... let. You die. Either, Naoto."

Naoto stared at him for a moment, before he gave a weak chuckle. "I appreciate the thought."

"I... mean it. No one should... be sep-arated... from their fam-ily. No one." He said, his voice almost firm. Naoto didn't answer him. The silence between them was tense, and he knew Naoto was staring at him, be he ignored it in favor of climbing inside his metal shell.

"My vow… will be kept… Kozuki Naoto."

A/N: Okay, so I know I said I'd have chapter 8 done by New Year. But I fooled you. You were tricked; you were DECEIVED! Actually, I got a bit of writers-block and did a lot of back and forth on how I wanted the chapters to play out. Originally I planned to have this chapter WAY longer, but I decided to split it into 3-parts. I didn't want it to feel too overwhelming, especially with how I'll be playing out some of the characters in the next chapters, and I didn't wanna try balancing between this half and a whole fighting scene with extra right after.

Luckily I've already started on chapter 8, and hopefully, I'll be right into 9 once that's completed!

Please let me know what you think in the Reviews!

With that said, This is the KnightOfZ3R0 signing off!