Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

R-eset

Part 6: Recurrence to Zero

Stage 36: Knight of Zero (Part III)

In spite of the overwhelming odds, Suzaku considered every last one of them to be an annoyance. The Geass that had been imprinted on his mind had thrown him into what could only be described as an adrenaline high that pushed him straight over the edge. It was as if something inside of him snapped, or more accurately, that someone had let him off of his leash.

Either way, the Knight of Zero was now on the attack, and was hellbent on tearing apart Sakazuki's aspirations in the most efficient and humiliating manner possible.

He already lost a Land Spinner due to the stray electromagnetic shrapnel from the cannons. But he was not going to let that stop him. Like a man possessed, he continued to fight on. The Lancelot obeyed each movement, feet pounding against the earth as it charged forward. Since his Land Spinner was inoperable, his evasive abilities had lessened to a degree and relied on the Blaze Luminous to defend him. He had a short opportunity to take out the Sutherlands before the cannons recharged. He had to be quick, and efficient. Another Sutherland tried to rush his weak side with a stun Tonfa. But Suzaku quickly intercepted it with a Blaze Luminuous shield and parried the blow. The moment the enemy was stunned, he spun around and bisected the Knightmare clean through. He continued his advance as the fallen frame exploded.

Two Sutherlands plus a Burai attempted a full-on barrage. Suzaku continued to push forward and pulled the Lancelot upward, bouncing up to the side of a wall and running as fast as he could before the machine fell back to earth. He jumped again and pounced, landing atop the Burai feet-first and pinning it to the ground before swiveling behind him and cutting down the Sutherlands. He then proceeded to stab his MVS into the cockpit of the down Burai before his warning system went off.

The Blaze Luminous engaged and defended him from another hailstorm of bullets.

'There are ten Sutherlands, plus fifteen Burais. There are three Cannons. I need to take out the Burais and cut down the number of Sutherlands before I can go after the ones using the cannons, but I'll also have to avoid being hit when they're fully charged.' It was a tall order, even by himself. He could try and get backup, but Sawasaki's usage of experimental technology made him concerned. If he could mask units from radar, then would that mean he also had a way to block out communications? 'Even if I do get through to them, I'd still have to survive and avoid them. In which case...'

The battlefield itself could be used as a weapon. All it took was knowing your surroundings. It was something Lelouch demonstrated when he first began his counterattack against Britannia with Clovis, using the ghetto itself to his advantage and wiping out a large majority of his opponents and punch a hole in their fighting power by burying countless soldiers in rubble by blowing out the floor underneath them.

Suzaku was no strategist, but even he could use his brain. He didn't just rely on Xingke and Todoh in the original world. While he wasn't as intelligent as Lelouch, he was still pretty sharp. He quickly scanned the area around him, trying to find factors that he can take advantage of.

'Sawasaki is somewhere on this base. Since he managed to take it over in all the confusion thanks to the hurricane, some of the buildings and warehouses here should still have supplies.' His eyes narrowed. 'Including explosives. Maybe...'

If he pulled this off, and somehow made it out of this alive, he was definitely going to start having to see a therapist. Even if he moved out of his suicidal tendencies, this plan was just begging for Murphy's Law.'

"How are things proceeding?"

"Unable to verify that, Your Highness. Communications and observational systems are still unable to operate properly within the hurricane." one of Cornelia's officers reported. "However, we are able to determine that Lord Einberg, Lady Alstreim and Major Kururugi have engaged Sawasaki's forces."

Darlton scowled. "That bastard sure picked a hell of a time to stage an attack."

"Unfortunately, he's relying on luck it seems." Guilford chimed in coolly. "Even if he did manage to take over the base and has gathered support, his attempts to reclaim Area 11 will end in failure, considering two Knights of the Round are here. That, and Kururugi's skills speak for themselves."

Cornelia nodded in agreement. "Indeed, though this does strike me as a bit odd."

"Your Highness?"

"If Sawasaki is smart enough to take over Fukushima Base in the middle of a hurricane, where communications are at their weakest, why stage this attempt at all? He must have known two Knights of the Round, especially those with incredible skill, were present. It's as if he's asking for us to defeat him." Her eyebrows knitted together, deep in thought. "His actions are contradictory. Either he's in over his head, or..."

"Or he's confidant that he can snag a win over you." All eyes fell on Lloyd as he casually strolled into the command room, his hands in his pockets. "It's also curious how he was able to procure Sutherlands. Regardless if he got his hands on them through the black market and if his financial backers happen to be those dusty crones in the Imperial Court of the Jade Palace, it's a bit odd how you can obtain Britannian technology in such pristine condition."

Euphemia looked at Lloyd in worry. "Do you believe Sawasaki has another possible backer, Earl Asplund?"

"Oh, I don't believe in anything, just making theories." Lloyd shrugged. "But it's certainly food for thought, innit?"

Cornelia paused to think. Now that the eccentric Earl mentioned it, he had a point. If Sawasaki did have a potential backer, it could explain his confidence in undertaking this operation.

"If he does have another backer, who could it be?" Darlton gave the thought some consideration. "The European Union?"

"Doubtful." Cornelia dismissed. "There have been tensions between the EU and the Federation for quite some time since my eldeest brother was announced to marry the Empress. For now, let's focus on trying to get a read on the situation. While I don't doubt their abilities, not having any eyes and ears able to tell you what's going on is worrisome."

"Target spotted in Sector C. Squads C and D are in pursuit."

Sawasaki hummed. "Trying to escape are you, Kururugi? Tighten the encirclement. Squads A, B, E, F and G, continue distracting the other two Knightmare Frames. If we can continue to isolate the Lancelot and preserve our Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannons, we will give Britannia a solid blow."

If he conserved ammunition for the shrapnel cannon, he can use the remaining rounds to cripple the remaining Knightmares. All of Brittania's troops, even the Knights of the Round, would be helpless! It wouldn't be an easy task, he knew. The Knights of the Round were the strongest Britannia had to offer. But Sawasaki was ambitious. If he could successfully destroy those two, then just maybe he could succeed.

All thanks to his esteemed benefactor.

If is wasn't for them, none of this operation would even be conceivable. It was only because of their support he had a surefire chance of striking back at Britannia and take back the Land of the Rising Sun. He had to admit, he was a bit suspicious when that kid in regal clothing showed up. He wad definitely Britannian, but Sawasaki was willing to hear him out when he told him he could give him the opportunity to take the initiative. He admitted to Sawasaki that he was using him for his own ends, but he promised that with the tools at his disposal, he could deal a substantial blow to Britannia. If all went well, he'd even put in a good word for him with a certain organization and give him better weapons to use at his disposal.

He heard of making deals with the devil, but to a man as ambitious as he was, he was willing to make a deal with that Britannian child. Chances were, he was just a speaker and middle man. Someone had to be operating behind the scenes, though as to what their aims were, he couldn't say. All he knew was that he was in no position to deny the offer. While Sawasaki wasn't exactly too keen on accepting the help of a Britannian, much less someone he never met or knew, he needed funds and weapons. Connections to help get him by until he could firmly stand on his own two feet.

It was a shame the situation regarding Kusakabe failed. He sent the man into the JLF to act as a mole and to keep an eye on the situation. He had hoped that when he returned to his homeland with pride and the means to push Britannia back, the Japanese Liberation Front and all others would rally under his banner and help him in his glorious quest to revive Japan. To his dismay, the Black Knights had been making a muck of things. Some upstart group who quickly rose to prominence. Even what remained of the Japan Liberation Front had been absorbed into its ranks alongside the Yamato Alliance, and presumably many others.

Whoever this Zero character was, he was a threat. A dangerous one at that, but there was no denying his talents. Sawasaki believed that, if he could somehow gain his cooperation, he was sure that Japan could be retaken, and perhaps risen to even greater heights.

Before he could accomplish that, though, he needed to take care of Suzaku Kururugi. He imagined Zero might be extremely happy and willing to give him a chance if he did so, considering that the traitor was a major thorn in his side. Sawasaki imagined that the masked man would be quite grateful if he managed to get rid of him.

"Status update."

"Kururugi is making his way towards the Warehouses near the shoreline." his aid reported with a smirk. "We have him cornered."

Sawasaki smiled. "Good. Let's bring an end to this."

Suzaku felt sweat drip from his eyebrow. He never would have imagined that moving about on foot without the use of land spinners would have been so difficult, but it was. He was starting to realize how invaluable the glorified heelie wheels were, but this was hardly the time to be ruminating on such a subject.

"I have only chance to pull this off." he muttered to himself, finger placed firmly on the trigger. "If I screw this up..."

"We've confirmed the IFF signal! He's in Warehouse Six!"

Sawasaki frowned slightly. "Why would he be in Warehouse Six?" he muttered before shaking his head. "No, nevermind. He's cornered himself. There's no way out."

The Burai at the head of the group slid into the warehouse, rifle primed. Shortly after he entered, the rest of the squad slipped inside. The rest stayed outside just in case Suzaku Kururgi managed to find a way out, where they would be waiting to ambush him. However, the pilot of the leading Burai frowned.

"What the hell? He's not here!" He looked at his IFF monitor, then back to the visual monitor displayed by his Factsphere. "But, how can that be? The signal is right in front of us!"

Suzaku smirked. "And...jackpot." He squeezed the trigger.

The Varis Rifle released a dark green bullet that tore through the air, easily piercing the walls of the warehouse before striking its intended target. In the next second, the whole warehouse and the surrounding area was consumed in a gigantic burning blaze, reducing everything within a two kilometer radius to burning scrap iron.

The brunette laughed. He really had to hand it to Sawasaki for not taking the time to remember what warehouses were storing the Sakuradite reserves. Still, to think he managed to pull it off...!

"It worked! Lloyd, you crazy bastard! It actually worked!"

(flashback)

"A decoy signal?"

Lloyd grinned. "Thaaat's right, my latest innovation. It's still in the testing phase, but I imagine that, given your track record, you'll be getting the chance to prove its effectiveness. As you know, stealth technology hasn't progressed to the point where the superior software systems of a Knightmare can make it terribly easy for us to see them, no matter how hard they try to hid. This beauty-" he rapped his knuckles against the metal rod next to him, barely half as big as the Lancelot. "-is designed to erase the Lancelot's IFF signal and take it on for itself. Think of it like a smokescreen."

"An in turn, it will project an identical signal as a decoy. It will be spotted on enemy radars while the original is effectively invisible." Cecile continued. "At least, in theory."

"Ah, but that theory was just proven today~!" Lloyd preened in glee.

Suzaku blinked. "Wait, what do you mean? You just got done saying it's still in the testing phase!"

"Yes. This was the final test. And it worked!" the Earl of Pudding exclaimed before he shoved a tablet in Suzaku's face. "See this? This is an IFF Radar aboard the Avalon. Notice how the Lancelot's signal is three or four meters where the unit should be?"

"However, we should mention that the decoy beacon has a limited range." Cecile told Suzaku. "If you're out of range, the decoy signal won't connect to the Lancelot. In order for you to utilize it properly, you'll have to be in close proximity near the decoy."

(present)

"Remind me to buy Lloyd as much pudding as he wants when I get my paycheck!" Suzaku continued to laugh until his stomach hurt. He calmed down and checked his radar, but he found no enemies. He was still a bit wary of more hidden enemies, but he felt it was safe to contact Gin and Anya now. "Hey, Gino. Anya. I managed to take out most of Sawasaki's forces over on my end. There are still some Electromagnetic Shrapnel Cannons that need decommissioned. Are you two free?"

[Suzaku, my man,] Gino laughed wickedly. [You just made my day.]

Sawasai stared at the monitor in disbelief. This had to me a mistake or a malfunction. No, he had to dreaming. This couldn't be possible.

"H-how...?" he asked weakly, shaking in fear. "A-all of our units, wiped out all at once...?!"

"Sir!" one of his men screamed. "O-our Cannons... They've been destroyed! The enemy is on their way here!"

"What?!"

If the man hadn't been worried before, he definitely was now. He didn't understand. He had the weapons. The resources. Even a literal force of nature on his side! How did it all fail?! As his mind suddenly began to break down from the stress of it all, one of the monitors became enveloped in static, surprising most of the people in the command center. A voice emanating from the static-laced screen addressed the panicking Sawatari. "It seems you've failed to uphold your end of the bargain, Mister Sawasaki. A shame. You had everything planned out so perfectly, and my organization was happy enough to lend you experimental technology, as well as three Electromagnic Shrapnel Cannons. Those do not come cheap."

"Y-you...are you the one who sent that kid?" Sawasaki asked fearfully. "Pl-please, wait a moment, sir! I'm not finished yet! I can-"

"No, you are finished." the voice cut him off abruptly. "The Knight of Zero and his allies are already knocking on your door, coming to greet you with the gift of death. That said, I do appreciate your cooperation. Your assistance in this experiment has been, how shall we say, invaluable."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing you should be considered with. Farewell, Mister Sawasaki. Please do give Nobunaga Oda my regards when you see him in hell."

The screen went dead. At that exact moment, the building trembled. Sawasaki's heart sank.

His grim reapers had arrived.

"Ma'am, we just received word." Communications finally reconnected once the hurricane started to subside. "Sawasaki is captured and his men are eliminated."

Cornelia nodded. "Good. Send in the reclamation team. I want every inch of that base cleaned and every trace of those vermin cleaned up. Also, see if you can try and retrieve the remains of the Sutherlands. I want to know their model number and see where they were manufactured. We might be able to narrow down how that bastard managed to get his hands on them."

"Yes, ma'am!" Her soldiers immediately went to work to carry out her orders.

"Looks like everything went well." Lloyd commented. "Despite the storm, Knightmares, and Shrapnel Cannons, Sawasaki still lost. As expected of Lancelot...oh, and Kururugi too."

Cecile shot Lloyd a disapproving look. "Honestly, have a bit more care for him!"

"Oh, but I do. He's quite integral to the Lancelot, you know!"

Euphemia sighed and shook her head at the man's antics before she turned to Cornelia. She could see what looked like a troubled from on her sister's face. She wanted to ask why, but before she could, Guilford approached the throne. "Your Highness. We just received an update on the Kyushu Base. Lord Weinberg went over the data logs and found something...disturbing."

"Disturbing?"

"All communication logs have been erased, milady." Cornelia's eyebrow rose. "Not just the logs from when Sawasaki managed to take control of the base, but all of them."

"What?" Euphemia exclaimed. "Why would all communication logs be erased? Was Sawasaki trying to hide something?"

"Of that, we don't know. I've asked the Technical Squadron to see if they can recover the lost data, but it may have something to do with what Major Kururugi reported." Darlton explained, also looking equally as troubled. "It appears that the Sutherlands that Sawasaki procured were equipped with some kind of experimental equipment. They were somehow able to remain undetected and had no IFF signals until they engaged him while he attempted to dismantle the Shrapnel Cannons."

Lloyd's eyes widened. "You mean, they were using stealth tech? Oh, now THAT is interesting! Your Highness, if you'd be so kind enough to give me the honor, I-"

"Permission granted." Cornelia scowled. "Take them apart piece by piece. Tear them into scrap if you have to. Just find out how this is possible!"

Lloyd looked as if Christmas had come early and practically skipped out of the control room. Euphemia looked at her sister worriedly as the older li Britannia bit down on her lower lip. 'What is going on here? This never happened before. At least, not the first time around. Lelouch warned me that there would be unexpected changes, but for something like this to occur... If our theory about Sawasaki being funded is correct, then...'

Just who in the hell were they dealing with?

A bit on the short side, but that's for two reasons, one of which some of my readers may already know. If you don't please look at my profile page for details. The second is namely that the whole Sawasaki event felt useless in the long run. Sure, it helped Suzaku get his head in the right place (for a little while) what with Euphemia giving him a love declaration while he was out on the battlefield and all, but I was very unimpressed. That said, I did manage to repurpose the event into something that was worth something in the narrative.

Namely, the presence of tech that hasn't been developed to a useful point, and someone who knows that Suzaku Kururugi has memories of the Prime Timeline, or at least a variant of said timeline. And he happens to be closely affiliated with VV. This character is not an OC, and is a actual character in the world of Code Geass. As to who he is, well, you'll find out soon enough.

After some careful consideration, and some mulling over with a Code Geass enthusiast, I ultimately decided that the Special Zone Massacre Arc will be...altered. You'll understand in the chapters to come, once the "Renya of the Darkness" segment is done.

That's all for now. Friendly reminder that this story has a TV Tropes page, so please be sure to check it out and add to it.

See You.