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Chapter 10: A Dog Named Zero
🕑 Added 2025-01-17 16:51:19 +0000 UTCWith the Purebloods moving forward, Lelouch counters by convincing Kallen and the rest to join him in Zero's debut to save his friend's life
It was perhaps a failing of many that when they moved up in the world as rapidly as the Purists of Area 11 have, they would fall to arrogance and vice. One common thread would be moving into a better office, but Jeremiah was wise to such and remained in the same office he had always had.
His noble birth and position meant that moving to the vacant Viceroy's office wasn't too much of an upgrade. And he could run things well enough from where he sat in what he could use as a power move. He showcased his confidence in having the smaller office yet all the power.
When it came to his guest, it was hard to tell what he was thinking or if he cared about it. Only that he was wise enough to play his part. "You handled His Highness' memorial program well, though it was a tad too weepy for my taste," Jeremiah told Diethard, who had been summoned to report on the memorial program they've been playing every two hours.
“Well, sir, the masses tend to like tearjerkers." Diethard, the media man, kept his face passive and acquiescent yet contradictory. Something in his gaze seemed to challenge Jeremiah.
"Spoken like a true TV man still, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the care you've shown. You performed well, considering how little time you had. You could even assume that you expected his highness to be taken from us." Jeremiah mused though Diethard could hear the threat in his words.
Diethard bowed to the Margrave. He had seen how quickly Jeremiah and his Purists had taken power, with those who didn't immediately bend the knee and get in line demoted at best or fired and quietly arrested. He understood that while he did his job, he was known around the workplace as something of a rebel and contrarian, two things that men like Jeremiah didn't like to keep around.
"It's quite common for people of high importance to prepare such things in advance in case the worst happens." Diethard kept his response short and to the facts.
“Does that include me as well?” Jeremiah rested his head on his fist, amused by the response.
"Recent events have bumped you up that list, Your Excellency," Diethard replied as he got back up.
“So, I wasn’t considered important enough till now? How forthright of you.” Jeremiah smiled, knowing that he held all the cards. Cards he was careful with as it while some might have taken offense to Diethard's answer. If he cared about such things, he would still keep his cool, as only a child would throw a tantrum about them.
"I'm afraid so, sir," Diethard replied, his face giving nothing away.
"Have you ever considered enlisting? With your approach, the empire could always use soldiers," Jeremiah asked him, but Diethard shook his head.
“With all due respect, I doubt it would be a wise choice if I did join up.”
"You prefer the civil sector, then? Well, we all have our strengths." Jeremiah dropped the issue. No point making enemies now. "I do have another favor to ask of you." He brought up as if Diethard would be foolish enough to refuse.
As Kewell stood at his right and watched him out of the corner of his eye, he explained things. "Suzaku Kururugi will be transferred to his court marshal tomorrow night."
“We should line the road with patriotic Britannians.” Diethard finished the thought.
“You catch on quickly. We sure the rabble can see his face.” Jeremiah turned to Viletta, who stood at his left.
"Lord Jeremiah. There sure to be those among the Elevens who see Private Kururugi as a hero. They might very well make an attempt to free him before his execution." She said they had taken some precautions and painted a target on Kururugi's back for rescue since they announced his arrest.
"They'll find it hard to get close enough without being detected and handled without anyone seeing them. However, should they get even that close, I'll be personally abroad my Sunderland. If they dare, they'll be executed on the spot." Jeremiah assured her.
They continued to talk about the finer details of things, such as how many people to bring, where their troops would be stationed, and ways for the media that Diethard would supervise to film and broadcast things before they concluded it.
Diethard was the first to leave, needing to report back to his superiors about Jeremiah's plans, while Kewell went next to oversee the maintenance of their new Sunderlands. This made the proud man angry, as they had lost over two dozen units in Shinjuku and 14 pilots who were either dead or so severely wounded that they needed extended recovery time or were discharged with full honors.
With just the two of them, Viletta turned and leaned on Jeremiah's desk. "Well, Jeremiah. I must admit, I would have assumed you would have wanted a better chair."
Jeremiah chuckled at her rather brazen question. "How ill-mannered; where's that good breeding of yours."
At his jest, her face dropped. "My lineage isn't as respected or long-standing as yours, Margrave Jeremiah." Yes, he was aware. She was the daughter of a commoner whose noble employer had taken a shining to. Of course, once she had given birth to Viletta, she had her disinherited, the woman not even knowing who her mother was as her father kept that from her till his dying day.
“Don’t say that. With the dawn of the Pureblood’s supremacy, we’ll see you granted the title of Baroness soon enough.” He told her, with Viletta turning to him, shocked that he would make such a declaration.
“Baroness?” she asked, as while it was the lowest rank of nobility, it was still a rank of nobility. As such, it wasn't just handed out. Even with their newfound power in Area 11, Jeremiah couldn't just hand her the title…right?
Jeremiah could bet he knew what she was thinking. "Knight of Honour is a single generational title with little power or influence. That is far too little for you. Instead, you'll be a true noble-woman who can gain lands and prestige that, along with your name, can be passed down to your descendants."
One of the benefits of nobility that their foolish European adversaries failed to grasp was that a title could open many doors, some that many couldn't. Even if one were just a Baron, they could use the title alone to network, and if they played their cards right, their children would marry into families of greater status.
“Yes, sir." Viletta might have saluted, but her smile told him all he needed to know about how she thought about his proposal.
"You and Kewell will be aiding me in guarding the procession. I'd like you to look things over and ensure that all goes according to plan," Jeremiah asked her.
"I've already secured the route and arranged with the traffic authority to have it cleared two hours before we begin, giving time for security to sweep the area and take their positions," Viletta replied, which made the man grunt, pleased as he relaxed into his seat.
"And that, my dear, is why you deserve a proper noble title." Viletta blushed a little at his praise, but he meant every word of it. Nobles were meant to be the best, great leaders, builders, warriors, etc.; a big reason for that was the capacity to be forward-thinking and proactive.
Those were traits they were in dire need of right now as he slumped, as while he could up appearances, he grieved. "We must ensure this goes smoothly, as I can't afford any more disgrace. I've already failed twice to save members of the royal family from mysterious assassins."
“Twice, sir?” Viletta asked.
“It was…before we met, years ago.” He replied as he tends to forget that for close as they were, they were things they didn't tell one another. And this was perhaps his most significant source of shame.
"In disgrace, I was transferred here to Area 11, already took the lives of two of his Majesty's children, and now…now was the second time I failed my royal charge, the second time I had to suffer the fate of finding their bodies riddled with bullets, their blood already cold and their assassin gone with the wind!" Jeremiah started to cry, banging his fist on the table as he had been the one who found Clovis and the rest of his command staff slaughtered like animals. He had tried to perform emergency medical, but Clovis died in his arms, babbling as, indeed, the blood loss left him delirious.
Viletta placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. She, too, recalled the grisly sight and how…distraught her friend and superior had been. Frankly, it was a miracle that Kewell and several others could restrain him when they found Bartley, away from their charge, unharmed. At the same time, Clovis was carried out in a body bag.
He would have surely ordered the arrests, if not execution, of the soldiers manning the entrance as well…if they hadn't all taken their own lives.
"Jeremiah, please don't despair. You can't be held at fault for what happened with Clovis. We were both still deployed at the time, and you were the first to believe things were suspect." She reminded him that while others were content to just carry on, Jeremiah, perhaps because of his higher birth than the rest, had been the sole person to question things and left to speak with His Highness himself.
“And yet I was still too late, and there are still too many questions about this.” Jeremiah cursed as they looked through everything but found nothing. All they knew at this point was that it was plausible that it was a single gunman that killed the command staff, which must have happened before anyone could react as not a single one died with their weapon fired; hell, most hadn't even drawn them.
They looked into the bullets used, and the initial lab tests led nowhere, as the bullets that killed the command staff? Standard Britannian army rifle rounds. The rounds that killed Clovis were also painfully standard rounds used for a pistol, rounds that could be bought anywhere. No video, audio, witnesses, fingerprints, footprints, or a smidge of DNA. Clovis might as well have been killed by a ghost!
But one thing that they did know for sure, and that made his blood boil with fury, was the intent behind the shots, as Clovis was shot 3 times, once in the large intestine, another to the left kidney, and the 3rd to the liver, center mass. All fatal, but not immediate, and considering the skill of which everyone was despatched, one could only conclude that their ghost killer wanted Prince Clovis to die slowly.
"The investigation is ongoing, Jeremiah. We might not be able to announce it, but when we do find the true culprit, we can hand them over to the Homeland.” Viletta reminded him, which got him somewhat composed. Yes, the murder of a royal was a crime of the highest order. When, not if they find the assassins, they'll face a fate worse than death in the Homeland.
“Yes…yes, of course. You’re right. If my little sister saw me like this…” He took a breath, strength, and composure returning to him. "I am a Margrave of house Gottwald, its eldest son and heir. Once I've avenged Prince Clovis, this stain on my name and the empire will be cleaned." He declared, Viletta happy that he had bounced back.
Only for Jeremiah to relax, not from shame or guilt but because he saw the time of the opulent grandfather clock he had in the corner. "But, that is for the future. Right now, I believe you should try getting home for the evening. It might just be your last relaxing evening, as we'll be busy afterward."
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Despite her misgivings, Kallen followed her instructions and, after quietly signaling the rest, boarded the train and waited. But they've been riding it for around 10 minutes now, and nothing has happened. She was about to try calling the voice and demanding that he stop wasting their time and explain where they were going when her phone rang.
'Asshole probably likes making us second guess.' She concluded, as he heard from her father, that executives and other business people loved this sort of tactic, as it was a common way to display which side had the more substantial hand than the other. But, while she did want to punch their faceless leader in the face, she answered the call all the same.
“Hello?”
“Face forward and look to your right. What do you see?" Zero asked her, and Kallen wondered what game he was playing but went along with it as she turned her head to the gleaming city, one filled with skyscrapers, bustling streets, businesses, and all the amenities and infrastructure one could ever want.
It disgusted her.
"The Britannian city. It's built on our stolen land and soaked in our blood, " she said, keeping her voice low.
“And on your left?” Kallen looked at something she knew all too well.
"I see our city, a ruined landscape with little life to it, drained of everything that once made it beautiful by Britannia." She told him that Tokyo had once been a massive city, so large that it absorbed smaller cities into it. Britannia had picked the best lands and built over them, leveling everything as they did, while the rest of the once great capital was left to rot.
“Good answer. Now, go to the front of the train with the rest. It's time we finally meet." This time, Kallen wasn't surprised when he ended the call, but at least now they were getting somewhere. The train was still moving, so unless he was lying, he couldn't pull a fast one and not be at the front, though the why still eluded her.
As she signaled her friends to follow her from a distance and made her way forward, she wondered why he chose a train of all places; it was a crowded place by nature, with mainly Britannian passengers; they couldn't even try and make an escape even if they wanted to the track went along a line that primarily went along the outskirts of the settlement, meaning that at best, they'll need to jump into the settlement from a moving train as if they tried to head into the ghetto, the fall alone would probably kill them.
Kallen was so invested in solving this riddle that she didn't realize that they hadn't spotted it yet. Every person they passed on their way to the front was silent, even when one of them had to gently push them aside. Ohgi thought it weird but didn't put much thought into it. None noticing that fact past the fourth car, every passenger's eyes had faint red rings around their iris.
When Kallen got to the front, she stopped as the place was empty except for a single figure standing at the very end. The others following behind also stopped when they saw them, with the figure's back to them, having not so much acknowledged their presence.
“Was it you…on the phone?” Kallen asked, yet the figure remained silent. "Well, was that you in Shinjuku? Was that ceasefire you're doing?" She pressed, yet they didn't reply, which got on all their nerves. Were they deaf?
"Hey, answer us; we're talking to you!" When Sugiyama stepped up, they had just entered a tunnel. Right as the darkness swallowed them, the figures finally turned and presented themselves to them, and the entire group was caught by surprise by what they saw.
The figure was dressed in black, though she and the rest couldn't see much else. They wore a high-collared black cape that covered their entire body, one trimmed with gold, but they couldn't make out much else in the darkness. However, one thing about them that stuck out was their mask, which covered their entire head with three little protrusions that made it look like a crown. In place of a face was a wide oval window, nearly as dark as the rest of the mask.
“Greetings, my fighters from Shinjuku. I hope that you enjoyed my tour.” Kallen wasn't the only one who shivered at that voice. It didn't sound human, but it didn't sound like a machine or animal either; it was a mix of all three, or maybe something that couldn’t be placed into any of those categories.
“Your tour?” Yoshida asked.
"Oh, come on, it's no way that this is the joker we're looking for." Sugiyama countered as this guy seemed to be all theatrics.
“And yet, I am the only one here. As for my little tour, I wanted you to fully grasp the two, the settlement,” Zero raised his hand, gesturing towards where the settlement stood. “And the ghetto.” And the other to where the ghetto stood.
"Yeah, believe me, we're painfully aware of that. It's why we resist them," Ohgi told him, as they had all lost so much in the war and seen many more lost in the years since.
“You’re wrong.” The bluntness of the response caught him flat-footed as Zero pressed.
“Do you honestly think that Britannia will fall to terrorism?” Zero didn't take a single step forward, and yet his words felt like they slammed into them, Ohgi especially, as that was a sentiment he hadn’t heard before.
“Fall?” Ohgi asked as that seemed impossible. Whether they liked it or not, Britannia was the strongest player in the world. If other superpowers couldn't hope to see them crushed, what hope did they have? Besides, their goal wasn't to put them to the torch as the Visigoths did to Rome.
Zero went on. “To such a beast, such actions might as well be little more than a toy dog trying to bite at their heels.”
“What was that? You calling us dogs?” Sugiyama yelled back, as they had to deal with enough demeaning insults and slurs from Britannians, they’ll be damned if some masked bastard thought he could get some shots off.
“It's institutions, dogma, culture; these are the three things you must strike at to see the beast die! As you hammer at its weaknesses, you shouldn't just nip at its heels but strike at its chest and throat, rip and tear through till your teeth and claws are stained red. That means more than a mere ‘resistance’ but war. A brutal, long, and bloody war fought for justice.” Zero-Lelouch declared to them, holding his hand out as if he held the beating heart of the empire before he clenched his fist, crushing it.
Though as passionate as his words were, they were a hard sell to people who had seen their nation try and fail to fight Britannia in the field. And not even its army’s remnants, the Japan Liberation Front, dared to repeat that.
"Oh please, that's all easy enough to say, isn't it? How can we trust your words when you won't show us your face?" Kallen accused, as all this just sounded like an idiot trying to feel important but too cowardly to stick their neck out like the rest of them did.
“She’s right, lose the mask?” Yoshida yelled in agreement.
Ohgi calmed them before they could try to move. They might outnumber Zero, but something about him made Ohgi wary. “So, will you show us your face or not?”
Zero had the confidence to chuckle in the face of their aggression. However, with that voice modifier, it sounded more like a beast amused with its prey.
Zero leaned his head to the side. “And what will that accomplish? Would revealing my face relieve you of your fears when a face can just as easily be another mask? One's face can be known, yet one can be as trustworthy as the snake that led Eve to the tree. Kallen here is a prime example of that.” He turned their direction from him to Kallen, who looked back, confused.
“Me?”
“Of course, your face is known to your friends here and your friends at Ashford, and yet, those same school friends of yours might be surprised to learn that Ms. Stadtfeld is a terrorist fighting for Elevens.”
Kallen roared back, both at the fact he would call them elevens and terrorists and because he thought she was friends with any of those assholes and vein bitches. “They’re not my friends! They’re just-”
Zero cut her off with the brutality of a claw to the throat. “What? A means to an end? Tools for your cover? Call it what you will. A lie is a lie. Which leads back to me. How would you know that my face can be trusted? The answer is simple: You can't.”
Kallen and the rest wished to push back against that, but they couldn't. When he laid it out like that, her actions felt dirty. Yes, her Ashford friends were more friends on paper, and she couldn't rely on them, but they didn't necessarily make them bad people. She sat in their classes like history; she knew the type of stuff they were spoon-fed their entire lives. Even the news about Shinjuku was changed to keep them ignorant.
In a way, there were things that she kept to herself, even from those she stood with. Some might have been small and private, like her little incident with that Lelouch guy, but others were like her views on people like the student council she was now a part of. She hadn't even told them she had joined them.
Zero could see that his words were finally gaining traction with them. “It’s not one’s face or name that you should trust, but their actions. The means they take to achieve them, and the results that are born from said actions.”
“It was through my leadership in Shinjuku that I heard this audience with you. If I present to you another miracle, would that be enough to secure your trust in this mask?” Zero asked them, and the group stopped to consider it. It was a major risk even coming here when they knew so little. Still, they did so because Zero had earned a little trust from them and hoped to do what they did again, to hand Britannia a real defeat.
Ohgi could admit that he was interested. If Shinjuku was one thing, could he do it again? "Depends on the miracle. I'm all that interested in seeing water turn to wine."
Zero chuckled at Ohgi's words: “Tomorrow night, Kururugi Suzaku, son of former prime Minister Kururugi Genbu, will be executed for the crime of regicide.” Yeah, that had been all over the news, and even the underground had been talking about it nonstop. Tamaki had wanted to take credit, but they shot it down.
"He was working for you then? I must admit, I didn't think you had Honoraries in the military in your back packet." Kallen guessed, as there was something in Zero's voice that sounded…annoyed. It was faint, and she was half expecting that she was just hearing things, but he sounded like it was an insult that Suzaku alone was charged for his crimes. Maybe his plant just didn't break under interrogation and rat him and whatever network he had out.
“Kururugi is not one of mine. In fact, he had nothing to do with Clovis’ death and is merely a scapegoat because they couldn’t find the true culprit, I was sure to cover my tracks perfectly.” Zero replied, his voice coming out as blunt but amused at the prospect that he had committed the murder and, by all metrics, got away with it.
“Wait, you killed Clovis? Are you for real?” Yoshida asked while Ohgi kept silent, wondering why Zero went silent near the end back at Shinjuku. It wasn't that he was unable to reply, but he was busy getting close enough to the prince.
“If I could force him to give up on his pointless and unjust mass slaughter of Shinjuku’s residents, would it not be possible that would also be in a position to kill him?” Zero's question shut Yoshida up, as he felt a little embarrassed that he hadn't considered that.
“I get it, so you’ll wait for them to put Kururugi on trial, and when he's already been put to death, you'll reveal the truth to discredit them." Ohgi guessed, as it would be a massive embarrassment for the Purebloods if the truth came out, especially if the trial they set up was the sham they all thought it was.
“I already told you, my enemy, as is your enemy, is Britannian society, its ideology and institutions. That means avoiding unnecessary causalities among the innocent.” Zero told him, while internally, Lelouch was disgusted at the very prospect of letting his friend take the bullet for him a second time. “My plan is to rescue Kururugi…in front of the world.”
In his words, the group thought that he was insane. “Rescue him? That’s insane! He’ll be surrounded by security.” Kallen yelled at him as yeah, she wasn’t hyped about a fellow Japanese, honorary or not, being killed for something they didn’t do, but what could they do? Die along with them?
“That’s right, and if you reveal you killed Clovis, they’ll just gun the both of you down!” Sugiyama yelled as well.
“It can be done because I shall see it down. That is the miracle that I shall create for you.” Zero silenced their outcries, not by yelling or growling, but just through the raw confidence in his words. They didn't sound arrogant, as arrogance was untested, unearned valor and achievements. What he had was true confidence born from trial and error, growth, and knowledge.
Still, Zero didn't try to convince them in the moment. They needed time to consider his gamble of a plan. “I won't force you to help me, but should you desire to be part of that miracle,” his hand shot out from his cape, tossing a knife at them, or rather at their feet. Around its handle, there was a piece of paper tied to it.
“Meet me there in 2 hours.” At his words, they left the tunnel. The light blinded them momentarily, and when Kallen managed to look again, Zero was gone as if he had never been there.
She didn’t notice the escape hatch above quietly closing.
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“He killed a prince of Britannia! Kururugi Suzaku should be treated as a hero!”
“But he’s an honourary Britannian!”
“You fool! Obviously, he was working his way into their ranks so that he could commit the deed! He shouldn't be left to die!”
It had been like this for a while now. What started as a civil debate among the JLF leadership had turned into a shouting match. However, one man, a hard-faced veteran, remained silent. He sat seiza as was expected of a man of his rank, his blade in its sheath before him, as their location was a place where violence was frowned upon. To his back hung a proud Japanese flag.
“Was that one act worth the shame of throwing his pride of being Japanese?”
“Prime Minister Kururugi was his father!”
“So what? The bastard gave up Japan! Our people don’t know that!” At that reminder, the man's face, which had been controlled, was pinched. Yes, they all knew about it, and ever since the JLF had formed, those in the know had been bitter and resentful that Japan had been betrayed by the man they had elected and believed would lead them.
His superior, an older man with grey hair, sat not too far from him. His advisors surrounded him as he contemplated the facts as they understood them. "The whole Shinjuku business was the work of Kozuki's group, right?"
“That's right, they're led by a man named Ohgi at present, and they managed to escape with several Sunderlands, a victory in itself.” One of his subordinates, a muscular man with a thick beard, replied as Kozuki's group reported their newly gained knightmares to Kyoto. While not much, Sunderlands were still considerably superior to the knightmares they fielded.
No doubt there was pressure on them to hand them over to Kyoto so that the JLF could get them or Kyoto could better study them to create machines of comparable specs.
His superior and leader of the JLF hummed in thought. As this wasn't just any execution, there was the convict's identity to consider as well. “Has the Kururugi clan said anything?” Genbu might have brought shame to his clan. However, a powerful family still managed to move most assets and wealth out of Japan before the occupation could come into force.
“No, they broke contact with him once he joined the military. If he was plotting this, he kept it to himself, " his subordinate told him, as the general nodded. He would have thought that they were merely keeping it secret, but that didn't seem likely. If the father brought such shame, they would happily reveal how the son had regained some of that lost honor.
“Tohdoh, your thoughts?” The general turned to the silent party of the debate.
"This is out of our reach. The Britannians no doubt expect a rescue attempt, and with it being so deep into the Tokyo settlement, we'll never make it in time." Tohdoh replied as he opened his eyes, seeing that his response wasn’t popular among them.
“That’s cowardly, you’re Tohdoh the Miracle Worker, right?” Tohdoh found it telling that the retort didn’t attack the merit of his words, only that he had been the one to say it.
“There is a difference between miracles and foolhardiness," Tohdoh replied, as they could hate it all they wished, but they couldn't afford such a risky operation. One that should surely cost them considerably for a reward that might not even materialize, as Suzaku could be gunned down just to keep him from escaping.
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“Congratulations! Those two you asked me about weren’t on the casualty registry, though it would have been easier if you gave me names.” Lloyd teased as he had managed to pull enough strings to get a meeting with Suzaku hours before he transferred to the courthouse, though even then, they had been forced to meet with Suzaku still restrained in his cell. Lloyd used a rickety stool to sit on.
Despite still having bruises from how the guards treated him, Suzaku didn't bother getting angry or concerned with Lloyd. The man was someone he could trust, at least enough to understand that he didn't give up names for a reason.
He also trusted that Lloyd had been discreet about it, as Lelouch's basic description was standard. Still, he wasn't sure how ordinary women with gold eyes and green hair were. “That’s good to hear.”
"Sad to say, that's the only good news I have for you. You might be getting a trial, but you and I know you'll be alone there." Llyod reminded him that Suzaku was getting dejected as he had banked and that the court case would be where he could deny and defend his actions. Where Lloyd, Cecile, and everyone could pock holes in the accusation.
“They even got the courts? Isn’t that where truth comes to light?” Llyod felt for the man, not so much in the emotional sense; those often confused him. Instead, he could understand the irritation that rouses when something that should work, like a project you've been working on for weeks, just doesn't pan out. However, in this case, Suzaku didn't have the option to try again and make improvements.
"I would say the Purebloods control everything of importance right now. Your fate was sealed the moment they cuffed you. As for truth? Well, she'll be shot along with you." The scientist told him as they recalled how the Purebloods all but dragged Suzaku away, evidence be damned.
Suzaku looked down, wondering if this was where it ended. He had escaped death thanks to his father, but it seemed that all it did was delay the inevitable. "At least I'll have company in the ground. If this is how the world worlds, I'll state my innocence without regret."
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Hours later, when night had fallen, the street lay clear as crowds of people watched from the sidelines. Those watching from home and abroad listened in as the on-the-scene reporter built up suspense before, at last, the convoy was spotted traveling down the road. Suzaku was restrained at the top of a portable stand. At his side were two armed guards. While riding around them were four Sunderlands.
Diethard was on sight, managing everything to ensure things went smoothly. Still, as his reporter continued to speak about the crime and accused, adding to the drama, the media man didn't believe a word of it. "This is all just a circus, and yet I'm as much a clown as the rest." He mused, not worried that his staff would say anything as they all understood his opinions, but that he would also follow orders.
The student council had gathered to watch the proceedings, with only Nunnally and Lelouch absent. As they watched the news, they could hear the crowd yelling and calling for Suzaku's head—not that they could blame them.
"This is insane. We know that Suzaku is innocent," Cecile spoke up, not for the first or even 10th time that day. She and the rest of the A.S.E.E.C.'s unit were back at base, working, as always, on the Lancelot. However, with their devicer about to be hung, they didn't know when they'll get the chance to see it in action.
“You heard the judge; our testimony was rendered inadmissible.” Cecile had insisted, so they went mere hours ago to try and get into the courtroom, only for the judge to reject them without looking at their evidence in Suzaku's favor. It had only been because of Lloyd that they left and weren't thrown out.
"Yes, but-"
“Is that empathy or humanitarian?” he asked her, and Cecile turned her anger at the situation toward him.
“Is this really the time for a game of semantics?” She yelled, but the man shrugged.
“There’s not much we can do. We knew where this was going for a while now. All we can do is cut our losses and move on.” Cecile hated how little he seemed to care, but she hated that he was right even more. They had exhausted all possible routes, and outside breaking him out, there was nothing more to be done.
“Voices of scorn, growing ever louder. A testament to the people's love for their prince, raining their judgment down on a terrorist.” Nunnally gripped her radio, Sayoko and the rest of their pets at her side, as she could hardly bear to listen to this.
“Suzaku!” She teared up. She knew Suzaku was innocent—she just knew it! But that didn't matter. What was true didn't always matter in Britannia, and now…now all she could do was be with Suzaku in spirit until the end.
Sayoko stepped forward and hugged the girl, giving her whatever comfort she could. She wondered where Master Lelouch and Ms. C.C. were as they left that afternoon and called to say they were held up with the parade.
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Standing in shadows, Lelouch closed his eyes, letting the storm in his head rage on. The darkness, the madness—these were familiar things. In a way, they were comforting things. They helped keep him grounded as he, too, listened to the broadcast. He could only imagine Suzaku's fate if he chose not to act if he failed.
'But I won't.' Lelouch vowed to himself, carving that certainly onto his heart as he finished his preparations. He tightened his gloves and checked his concealed firearms-useless as they would be, they brought a sense of comfort to him. Lastly, there was his cape and helmet…
“Margrave Jeremiah, integral in settling this case, will be presiding over this trial as acting consul." As the news drifted, Jeremiah and the rest of the Purebloods rode with their cockpits open so the people could see him. The man resisted the urge to wave at the masses as this was meant to be a grave situation.
Lelouch felt the cape's fabric was some of the best on the market. It was lightweight, water resistant, and made from materials that offered protection against small arms. It was a perfect extra layer to his clothing, which was made from a similar material, just in thicker layers, which added bulk to his frame.
“There’s no way they pull this off on their own.” Tamaki disregarded, as Kallen and Ohgi, despite the red flags of the situation had agreed to go. Leaving the rest of their group to watch, like the rest of the world.
Lastly, Lelouch grasped his helmet, made to his exact specifications, his geass ensuring that Mr. Walter, who acted as the middle man for its construction, would never remember the deal or mask.
Waiting for the signal, Ohgi lay in wait, but he was nervous. Yes, he agreed, but this was a long shot. 'He promised us. He said that he'll make the impossible possible, performing a miracle.' Ohgi hoped that his faith wasn't misplaced, as he could get away if things went sideways, but Kallen…
Lelouch didn't know his thoughts and didn't realize Kallen's either, but he could make a good guess for them and not fault them for those concerns. In fact, he would praise them, as they chose him, but they still worried. 'In time, I shall earn their unshakable faith, but for that to happen, I need to prove myself worthy of it. To them, to the world…and to all of you.' Lelouch closed his eyes, if only for a moment, as he heard it, the screams, cries, and damnations from all kinds of voices jumbled together till little more than a storm of hatred.
Through this, he would take the first tangible step toward his goals. "I've reached the Rubicon," He stroked his thumb over the smooth surface of his mask before he smiled as he turned it around and bent his head forward. "I'm going to enjoy crossing it."
Sliding it into place, the collapsible latches at the back fell in place, while the muzzle-like inner gas mark slipped into place perfectly, covering his mouth and nose. His voice turned from that of a boy into a monster.
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“Acting consul Jeremiah.” Jeremiah reached for his communicator.
“What is it?”
“Vehicle approaching from third. We let it through as you instructed, but—" The soldier reported in, with Jeremiah being mildly surprised that someone actually had the gall to attempt a rescue. Third was directly ahead, and there was only one way to reach them, but that just seemed insane.
“Do you think they’re terrorists?” He asked, looking front but not seeing them yet.
“Well, sir, it's Prince Clovis' car." At that, the man frowned more. Prince Clovis' car? How could it have been stolen? Shouldn't it still be at the Viceroy's palace? Was this the same group or assassin that snuck in and out of the G1?
“What? It seems we have a comedian in our midst.” Jeremiah smiled as if that were the case. They had allowed arrogance to cloud their judgment in leaving the shadows. Now, they would face the wrath of Jeremiah Gottwald! "Don't worry about it. Just let them through to us. All forces halt here!"
At his order, the procession stopped, much to the confusion of the viewing and listening audience. Some thought that it was a sign with the Shinjuku group, as Zero claimed that Jeremiah wouldn't be able to resist the chance to grab more attention, even if Tamaki vocally refuted that.
“This is not a scheduled stop. Could there have been some sort of accident?” the newscaster asked as Suzaku looked about, confused about what was happening until he saw something approaching. When he could make out more details, he would have wiped his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
“This is site 5; there's a vehicle approaching them. Wait? No, that be…but,” the newsmen were just as confused as he was. It’s Prince Clovis’ personal transport.” In front of the entire world, the large white and gold limo that Clovis was known to travel around in came rolling down the street without a care in the world.
“And it’s heading straight for the convoy!” Ohgi looked at his screen in disbelief.
“He said they'll take the direct approach, but this is insane!” He yelled out; if he had known that this was Zero's insane scheme, he would have swapped places in Kallen, as the redhead had dressed as the chauffeur, her uniform and cap hiding her face, but she was still incredibly nervous.
‘Hope they can’t tell it’s fake.’ She thought to himself that the vehicle looked like the real deal from the outside and, most importantly, from a distance. If one got close, they would be able to tell that it was a cheap fake. Kallen recalled meeting Zero with Ohgi; the man didn't even seem surprised that they just showed up at their 3rd meeting point, which happened to have been a junkyard. Ohgi wished for more time, but Zero had been confident that the 3 of them could handle this, giving them less than 24 hours to finish the bodywork.
Kallen had nearly backed out then and there, as just 2 people retrofitting junk seemed too great a task, made all the more difficult when he explained parts of his plans and yet. 'That voice of his...it was as confident in our success as the sun rising tomorrow.' Kallen couldn't deny the raw charisma and conviction even with that voice scrambler. So, she put her faith in him and would follow him.
Kallen, as instructed, drove just close enough to the procession that she could make out Jeremiah's, the man angry with their little stunt. "You dare desecrate his highness’ transport?! Come out of there!" Neither she nor Zero got out; instead, she took his order as a queue to start the show.
Pressing a button, the Britannian flag above her caught fire and burned away in seconds, revealing Zero seated on a simple chair.
“I am…Zero." He declared for all the world to see, with people wondering what he was doing and who he was. As the news asked questions about his sanity for having the brazen audacity to approach a military convoy, the people took his appearance. This masked man sat on a chair before what could easily be his death, treating it like little more than an evening out. The Kozuki resistance was far less impressed as Tamaki asked what he was thinking.
Diethard wondered to the man's name. "Zero, as in nothing?" He asked, as there had to be a reason behind the name, but what was it. More than that, what sort of person could have the arrogance to pull this off. Was it an escape attempt? If so, it wasn't a very good one.
Tohdoh agreed with that sentiment as the news continued droning on. The rest of the room within the JLF base was glued to the TV while the samurai held back, listening in. Suzaku, too, wondered more about the identity of the masked man. 'Is he an Eleven?' he thought, but he kept his piece.
Lelouch felt a minor sense of relief seeing his friend roughed up but alive. 'Now, it's my turn to save you, ' he thought to himself as he calmly stood to his full height.
"I've seen enough, Zero. This little show of yours is over!" Jeremiah declared, shooting his gun into the air, the signal for the VTOLS flying overhead to drop their knightmares, bringing the total number to 8, the new 4 surrounding Kallan and Zero, their weapons aimed at them and the vehicle.
He stands to his full height and announces himself. As the people watch on, much more engaged with things, Lelouch looks at his friend and thinks about how this time, he's protecting him. Jeremiah is unimpressed with it, and with a signal, four additional Sunderlands drop onto the road. Kallen's apprehension only grew worse, but she held strong as Zero stood unphased, not even flinching as his cape waves in the breeze kicked up.
Jeremiah, believing he held all the cards, made his demand. “First things first, why don’t you lose that mask!” Zero seemed to be following his order, reaching for his face, but as his fingers grazed his mask, his hand shot up and he snapped his fingers.
The sound echoed through the street and the broadcast. Kallen heard the signal loud and clear as she pulled one of the levels at her side, causing the back of the transport to fall away, revealing its actual cargo to the world, that being the perfect replica of the poison gas vessel she and the rest had worked so hard to get. It was such a good recreation that she and Ohgi had thought Zero insane when he presented it and knocked its side before he told them that it was harmless.
Of course, they were the only ones who knew that, and Jeremiah was left puzzled by it before he realized with dread what it was right as Viletta came out to speak. "Margrave Jeremiah, be careful that'-!" The woman silenced herself, a nervous eye over the crowds.
Jeremiah cursed, as he knew what she was concerned about and didn't need her or this bastard, Zero, to say it. If either revealed the truth of the contents, it risked a stampede, but Zero could just as easily trigger it, killing him and his ally and taking out hundreds of Britannians.
'Just as I thought, you weren't told the truth behind this vessel.' Lelouch thought to himself, as Clovis' testimony and records had proven accurate. Bartley kept his silence about the entire thing.
Neither noticed that Suzaku tried to speak, telling Jeremiah that the vessel couldn't contain poison gas. Still, his shock collar triggered, keeping him silent as the news continued speculating about the device, how Zero got it, and what he intended to do with it.
Jeremiah knew full well what Zero planned for it. Without a single world, he had taken every Britannian hostage and done so without any of them knowing it. He had to act fast, aiming his gun at Zero, but the masked man spoke up.
“You won’t pull the trigger. Not when you know full well what’s behind me.” Zero declared, his words coming muffled over the feed, much to Diethard's annoyance.
“Unit 6, bring up the 6 and get closer to him already!” Diethard ordered.
“Sir, it's too hairy out here." The cameraman outside replied, to which Diethard ticked his teeth.
"Amateurs!" He grabbed one of the spare cameras and raced out of the news vehicle. If he rushed, he could cover this properly.
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With Jeremiah, he reluctantly lowered his weapon. He was confident that he could aim well enough, but even just the change in wind could see his bullets fly off course, and should one strike that vessel…"Fine, what are your demands?"
“An exchange, my cargo for your prisoner.” Zero replied, to which Jeremiah glared at him.
“Like hell! He’s charged with high treason for murdering a prince of the realm! You’re a fool if you think I’ll hand him over!” He looked back towards his prisoner, being sure to yell his response to remind the people.
In response to his assertion, Zero began to do something off as the masked man started to let out a low chuckle, which resonated throughout the speakers and to the greater audience; those who watched in person and those who watched or listened at home couldn't help by shiver at that chuckle. A sense of amusement that couldn't possibly come from a human but something that belonged in hell.
"Bastard, that's so funny?" Jeremiah yelled at him, clenching his fist to cease its shaking. He refused to be intimidated by some masked charlatan.
“My apologies, dear Margrave. I meant no disrespect." The fact that Zero took a moment to finally stop laughing diminished the validity of his apology. Jeremiah was itching to just give the order after that slight. The masked man was surrounded on all sides, and even just one Sunderland could turn him into a messy red paste.
“Tell me, Margrave Jeremiah Gottwald. Leader of the Area 11 Pureblood fraction,” Zero's mood shifted; whatever joy he got from a joke only he knew vanished, his words spoken like a judge about to hand down a death sentence. “Do you truly believe that Kururugi is the guilty man? Do you believe that he killed Prince Clovis?”
Jeremiah narrowed his gaze there. He knew what this bastard was trying to do but wouldn't fall for it as he pointed towards the accused. "I believe what the evidence states, and that evidence is overwhelming damning! More than that, he would have a real motive to commit such a heinous act against the benevolent Prince Clovis!” Internally, Jeremiah smiled as he avoided the obvious trap by implying he was here because of personal belief. Instead, he was here because of justice.
Zero smiled beneath his mask. Jeremiah thought himself clever, but he set himself up for the real trap as Zero began to recite: "3 pistol caliber rounds, 9×19mm Parabellum to be exact, fired directly into the torso of the victim. One bullet hitting the upper right area of the large intensive, another to the left kidney, passing through its right side, and finally, one directly through the center of the liver.”
The viewing audience couldn't make heads or tails about this. Why was he talking about bullets and injuries? Diethard was the first to realize it, but that…no, it was impossible. On the other hand, Jeremiah and the rest of the Purebloods started to sweat as they heard that, with the dark-skinned woman barely comprehending what she was hearing.
"What-how does he know? The report was sealed. No one else could have gotten access to it! The only…" Her eyes widened as she came to suspect one other possibility. "No."
Lelouch could only make out Jeremiah, but he could predict that Margrave's face matched the rest—the fear, the shock, the disbelief. Oh, if only he had the time, he would bask in it. Chuckling once more, his mood shifting once more, Zero pressed.
“To anyone else, what I just said would be gibberish, but Margrave Jeremiah, we both know it was anything but. After all, that perfectly describes the wounds that ended Prince Clovis' life.” Zero revealed, stunning the public. In the council room, the members moved forward, Rivalz having nearly fallen over. With Nunnally, she held onto the radio tighter, terrified by this voice that sounded so…so burned and bitter, but if he knew such then…then could that mean Suzaku would live?
Now, Tohdoh focused more on the screen as, like Nunnally, he realized that there was only one way this masked man could know that.
As the crowd around them tried to digest that reveal, Zero kept up the pressure, raising his hands up, presenting his chest to Jeremiah, daring him to shoot him, to stop him. “How? You might be asking. How could I know such? The details of Prince Clovis's death were never made public. More than that, such details I just recited were known only to a select trusted few. There are 3 possibilities as to how I could find myself in procession of such knowledge.” Zero held up his hand, 3 fingers raised.
“The first, and perhaps the one you wish for the most, is that I simply bribed someone who then passed along the information.” Zero lowered the first finger. “The second is that someone was running their mouth somewhere where the walls had ears; that was how I learned of it. Both are not impossible, but Margrave, you understand it's not one of those two.”
‘Is he?’ Nunnally asked herself, putting the pieces together on what that third option would be.
‘But why would he?’ Milly questioned as if she was right; he was just presenting himself to die.
‘He doesn’t have the balls.’ Tamaki crossed his arms.
‘He’s insane.’ Villetta thought as she couldn’t do anything but watch, Diehtard getting there right in time to focus his camera on Zero, who noticed him and turned to him, turned to face the entire world.
“The third option…is that the one who killed Prince Clovis…was me.”
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And just like that, this would be the last chapter I write for this in 2024, though it won't be posted till we're already in 2025, thanks to all that free time I have. Good for me, too, as I now need to work on that second chapter of that Code Geass x Bakugan story and finish up plans for Emerald Furnace, More than You Think, and A World of Quirks…I'm going to be busy, but the good kind of busy.
With this chapter in particular, I tried to get through the last of the set-up for Zero's debut since, as you saw in the last one, I've been making some serious changes to things and showcasing Lelouch's talent for disguise, which, when paired with a good partner and geass, can get him into a lot of spaces he typically wouldn't be able to.
