AN: Hey guys, so I've been meaning to get back into writing for this story, but you know how it is. Though, since I have a lot of free time, I can finally update this story properly. So now, without further ado, Showtime!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or Code Geass.

Stage 15: The Wild Ghost

Within the forests of the EU, Britannian Knightmares were patrolling the area with a G-1 mobile base right behind them.

"How much further is the meeting point?" The commander asked.

"We should be able to reach the meeting point in just a few clicks." One of the operators said.

"Hey, have you heard about the Ghost of Hannibal?" A Sutherland pilot asked his fellow soldier, getting a groan of annoyance from the latter.

"You really shouldn't believe in that kind of stuff, you know. Just some sort of crap the more experienced officers made up to scare the lower grunts like us." The man replied.

"I guess you're right. Still, makes you think, huh? If it really does exist, think we can take it down?"

"Calm down, we have a full Knightmare squad and a G-1 base for support. I think we can take care of one myth."

After a few moments, their superior officer who was piloting a Gloucester approached the two Sutherlands.

"A few of the scouts I've sent ahead have not reported back yet. I need you two to investigate their last known position and report back your findings."

"Yes, sir." Both grunts replied as they got a lock on one of the lost Sutherlands' beacon.

The two machines then started to move out, eventually making their way to the last known position. What they found, devastated them. There were machine parts and blood everywhere with pieces of flesh scattered around.

"Holy shit…" One Sutherland pilot said while the other looked around, checking for survivors.

"You still think that this Ghost doesn't exist?" He mocked to lighten the mood, while his friend got on the comms.

"Command, we've found the missing scouting party. Or rather, what's left of them-." Just then they heard something move, tensing the two Knightmare pilots.

"Whoever you are, come out! You dealing with the might of the Holy Empire of Britannia! Surrender and we may be kind enough to take you prisoner!"

Just then a dark figure emerged from the trees and landed on top of one of the cockpits. It clawed its way inside, landing in front of the pilot. The pilot looked spooked as he took look at the creature, resembling a white armor-plated werewolf with red glowing eyes, only with the head resembling more of T-Rex's with a horn sticking out the forehead. It roared as the man screamed in response as he started being clawed to death.

While frantically trying to get him off, he was unknowingly causing his Sutherland to move and shoot around.

"C-Calm down-!" The other pilot got out before his Sutherland suffered friendly fire, ejecting as a response.

The pod landed a few feet away as the pilot got out, to see the bloodied monster emerge from the other Knightmare. The pilot then started to run away for his life while the monster started his pursuit.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The pilot cursed as he took out his handgun in one hand and a communicator in the other. "C-Command, I am in need of dire aid! We were attacked by-!"

Before he can finish, a clawed fist emerges from his chest, killing him instantly. He fell down dead as the red glowing eyes died down. The monster looked at the communicator with curiosity.

"W-What is it!? Is it the EU!?" A voice came out before the monster managed to find the G-1 base and the rest of the Britannian forces.

The monster growled as his eyes lit up red.

(With Lelouch, CC, and Orpheus)

"Are you sure you want to be here?" Orpheus asked a hooded Lelouch. He, Orpheus, and CC were currently standing topside of a moving cargo ship bound for the EU.

Reason being is that Peace Mark contacts within the EU have reported sightings of a monster attacking Britannian forces within the forests of Narva. Convinced that this monster was a Dopant with a T2 Memory, Lelouch decided to investigate the matter with CC, leaving Ohgi and Rai in charge of the Black Knights and Kamen Riders respectively.

"Yeah, I'm sure. This is too important to leave alone and I…would appreciate having something else to do." Lelouch admitted.

Truth be told though, Lelouch also pursued his matter to clear his head regarding the whole Suzaku ordeal. Finding out Suzaku has been an enemy from the start was not easy for the young man, especially since he almost killed and scarred him. And knowing his stubbornness, any hopes in recruiting Suzaku to his cause have ultimately been crushed. The only solace he can take is that Suzaku has been chosen to become Euphemia's knight, one of the few half-siblings that he actually likes.

"If that's the case, how do you want to approach the situation?" CC asked, snapping Lelouch out of his thoughts.

"Let's see….CC, do you know how to get to Narva?" Lelouch asked as CC just looked out onto the sea.

"I've been all over the world for years. Of course, I do. But that isn't the problem." CC replied.

"The problem is the active war going on between the EU and Britannia. Things may be tipping in Britannia's favor; but the EU is still fighting back in full force. Because of that, their battles are all over Europe, which includes Narva."

"So, our Dopant is living on the battlefield. A Dopant may not be as strong as a Rider, but they should be able to survive in a place like that. If the battle is still active, the only way we can access Narva is either posing as soldiers or trying to find other methods." Lelouch noted as while posing as soldiers does sound like an ideal method to getting to Narva, there are probably other ways to get in.

"Are you suggesting we split up on finding ways to get into Narva?" Orpheus asked, getting from Lelouch as a reply.

"I'll infiltrate the EU army then. CC, Orpheus, you two try to find other ways to get to Narva." Lelouch instructed.

"You don't want me to come with you?" CC asked.

Lelouch shook his head.

"It would be safer if only one of us enters the EU army to avoid unwanted attention." Lelouch explained. "I'll just try to join whatever unit is about to be sent off to Narva. Need a few hours to hack the network and then I'll just read the reports from there."

"If you're gonna join, you'll need this." Orpheus handed Lelouch a small booklet.

Lelouch opened it and found it was an EU ID with his photo on it. He also sees that it's under the name, "Julius Kingsley".

"A fake ID?"

"Yeah, courtesy of Peace Mark sources. I figured you may need one." Orpheus then looked at CC. "I also have one made for you-."

"If you and I are going to be operating in the underworld, there's no need to hold onto something like that. Besides, given my status, I'm sure no one especially you two know who I truly am." CC said before Lelouch looked at Orpheus.

"I don't suppose your EU contact can provide me with military credentials?"

Orpheus chuckled as he shook his head.

"Lelouch, you give my organization too much credit at times. We may be big, but we're not that big. Afraid you're going to have to work for that on your own."

"Very well." Lelouch stated. He built everything from the ground up, so this isn't much different.

Orpheus was then leaving the two alone.

"I'm going to get some shut-eye. We still have a few hours before we hit the EU." Orpheus then yawned as he went downstairs to his quarters.

CC then looked at Lelouch, seeing that the two were now alone. The green-haired girl turned to see her partner staring out onto the sea in deep thought.

"Right now…you're thinking about Kururugi, aren't you?"

"…" Lelouch did not respond, but his expression hardened a little which served as an answer.

"I don't see what the big deal is. Just use your Geass on him."

"Shut it." He replied, to which CC scoffs at.

"So stubborn. And why not? Is it because he's your friend or pride?"

"…All of it." Lelouch admitted. Suzaku was his best friend since childhood, he would even consider him as a brother. To take advantage of someone like that through his Geass was unacceptable, he can barely forgive himself already for wounding Suzaku on the battlefield.

"This conflict may end with only one of you left standing. For your sake, you'd better be prepared if or when that comes." CC warned as she too left the deck.

Lelouch took out his Eternal Memory and clenched it.

'I made a vow to crush Britannia and I will see it through to the end. I'm sorry, Suzaku…but not even you can steer me away from that course.'

(Later in Paris)

The ship managed to dock and all the crew members were finally getting off, including the three Kamen Riders.

"Nice to finally stand on solid ground after so long." Orpheus remarked before looking at Lelouch. "Is this your first time in Paris?"

Lelouch shook his head.

"It was when I was little, I remember my mother bringing my sister and I here for a business trip." Lelouch mused as he then lightly smiled, a bit lost in his memories. He then shook his nostalgic memories away, quickly remembering the reason for him being here. "Anyways, I'll be heading into the nearest military office. With my Geass, getting the information I need shouldn't take too long."

"Then I suppose that leave us two in trying to track down underground rumors." CC said before looking at Orpheus. "I don't suppose you know any places to start."

"Hmmm…." Orpheus seemed to be thinking about it as he adjusted his white fedora. "I suppose we can start with the Japanese."

"Japanese?"

"From my understanding, a vast number of Japanese escaped to the EU during Britannia's conquest of Japan. However, they're not much treated better compared to Area 11. Still hanging onto the Eleven moniker and being kept in ghettos. Nothing really changed." Orpheus said.

"Different country, same world." Lelouch summarized. "We could use that to our advantage. But for now, our priority is getting to Narva, defeating the Dopant, and obtaining the GaiaMemory."

"Right."

"If what you said about the Japanese here are true, then no doubt that some may have started underworld service. We can use that a lead." Lelouch thought out loud before he started leaving to the city. "Remember to keep your STAG phones on you, I'll be in touch as soon as I joined the military."

CC and Orpheus nodded in acknowledgement as Lelouch was soon out of view.

(Later with Lelouch)

With the help of Geassed guards, Lelouch managed to infiltrate a recruiting center and has been hacking a nearby terminal for a list of units deploying onto the field of Narva. From what he could find, there's a high-risk operation in holding off Britannian forces while the main army vacates from the area.

Lelouch was trying to find more info on the unit assigned to this mission before his STAG phone rung. He answered as he was still typing for the info that he needed.

"Hello?"

"Lelouch?"

Lelouch's eyes slightly widened as he recognized Suzaku's voice coming from the other end.

"Suzaku…what's up?" Lelouch asked, trying to hold back any guilt within his voice.

"I wanted to come by your place, but Nunnally is telling me that you were out of town for a bit."

"Yeah, I've been invited an underground chess tournament outside of the main city. It's an overnight event so I won't be back for a couple of days. Don't tell Nunnally. She thinks I'm dealing with some field trip."

"You really gotta stop these things. You're gonna end up making Nunnally worry about you."

Lelouch chuckled as he started printing the reports he needed.

"You're one to talk. Congrats on getting picked as Euphemia's knight." Lelouch said. "Sorry that it had to be delayed because of your…injuries."

"It's no problem. I actually wanted to surprise you in saying that the hospital let me out early."

"That's great. Your wounds are healed up?"

"The burnt scars are still on my face, but the docs said that they should be gone within a few months."

Lelouch sighed in relief as he was content in not causing any permanent damage.

"Sorry, it looks like I'm about to be called up. I'll see you in a few days." Lelouch said before hanging up and looking at the reports. They've detailed phase 2 of the operation in holding back Britannian forces with the W-0 unit being listed as the one in charge. The next report held all the information on the W-O unit, mainly who was in charge and where they could be found.

The last report held Lelouch's picture being listed as Lt. Julius Kingsley currently being reassigned to W-0 as an assault specialist.

Lelouch smirked to himself as he left the premises of the recruiting center.

(With CC and Orpheus)

"Different country, same world." CC repeated Lelouch's words as she and Orpheus were driving a truck through the ghettos.

The place was entirely run down with the Japanese residents wearing worn down clothing. They were either trying to make the best of their situations or glaring at the two outsiders.

"Finding shady business around here shouldn't be too hard." Orpheus remarked before looking at CC. "We just need to know where to look."

"And I suppose you have an idea?" CC asked.

"Unfortunately, Peace Mark doesn't really a whole lot of contacts in EU outside of the government there. Luckily for us, since Peace Mark encourages anti-Britannian movement, we do supply resistance cells"

"And you believe we would find resistance cells here?"

"Yeah, like I said; while we do support Anti-Britannian movement, these cells can also extend their hatred to the EU itself."

"And does Peace Mark support that?"

"We only supply. What the cells do with them is their business, that's all. Anyways, I've managed to settled a deal with one of these cells before we docked. That's why we're in this type of vehicle. Got to keep an eye on the cargo here."

"And you think this resistance cell can get us to Narva?" CC asked.

"We'll find out at the deal later." Orpheus replied. "It's supposed to take place in a day from now within the abandoned underground tramways."

CC nodded as a reply while Orpheus glanced at the immortal before focusing back on driving.

"I've gotta admit; I'm surprised you didn't go with Lelouch considering he is your contractee."

"I am not his mother. While I do care for his wellbeing for my own needs, he is smart enough to look after himself. He has proven that when he dealt with…a personal problem that I had." CC said, trying hard not to remember Mao.

Orpheus chuckled.

"First time I ever heard of a Contractor talk about their own problems." Orpheus remarked as CC resumed staring out the window.

"Shouldn't you focus on driving on the road?" CC bluntly stated as Orpheus did so. The green-haired immortal was enjoying the quiet before her STAG phone rang. She quickly answered it. "Lelouch?"

"Yeah, it's me. Are things proceeding well for you and Orpheus?"

"Just about. Orpheus managed to arrange deal between Peace Mark and one of the underground groups. Even if they don't provide us a route to Narva, they should be able to know someone who can."

"Good. I'm currently creating my EU military profile. I've already enrolled myself into the army especially the division that's going to be deployed into Narva." Lelouch reported. "I'll be able to deploy to the division tomorrow and hopefully the battle soon after."

"Already ahead of us, I see. Still want us to proceed as planned?"

"For now, unless you have a more immediate route to Narva."

"Don't sound so picky. If Orpheus and I can find a route, we'll find it. You should start getting your little EU assemble ready for when you get deployed." CC then heard a groan as a reply before she hung up. "He can be so picky at times."

Orpheus only chuckled at the remark.

(The next day)

Lelouch, in an EU uniform, was being driven to the Castle Weisswolf, which was supposed to be the headquarters of the W-0 division. It was stationed on the border of France and Germany.

Lelouch has said nothing since getting into the jeep while the EU soldier in the front seat looked back at young man.

"You sure you're supposed to be assigned to this place? From what I heard, there are a lot of nasty Elevens here."

"Oh that? Well, I'm willing to work with that if it means striking at Britannia." Lelouch answered and the soldier seemed to accept that as a response.

They soon stopped the vehicle in front of the castle and Lelouch was escorted out before seeing a young woman approach from the main door. The girl had pale skin, light purple eyes, and light blonde hair reaching to her back with some of it tied up in two egg shaped buns with gold-colored braces. She was also wearing the EU uniform.

Lelouch approached her and saluted.

"Sorry for my sudden arrival, ma'm. Sergeant Julius Kingsley. Reporting for duty." Lelouch greeted as the female saluted him back.

"It's no trouble at all. Major Leila Malcal. I am second-in-command of the W-0 Unit." Leila greeted as she did seem a bit confused. "I must admit, I was surprised that a non-Japanese would join this unit. There must've been some kind of mix-up."

Lelouch seemed a little surprised that Leila was referring to Japanese to their traditional name as opposed to calling them Elevens, but he didn't show it.

"Well either way, I'm happy to be part of the service."

Leila seemed surprised by the guy's optimism before getting a call on her comms.

"Hello?"

"…"

"He's here. I just met him."

"…"

Leila seemed more surprised by what she's hearing.

"Now!? At least, give him some time to settle in-."

The blonde girl seemed exhausted by the response that she's hearing and relented.

"Fine, I'll lead him to the locker rooms."

"What was that about?"

"The commander of the unit wants to deploy the remaining detachment of our infantry to Narva immediately. This includes you."

"Oh, I see. It is really sudden." Lelouch genuinely remarked as he wondered if the battlefield is that bad.

"Follow me, I'll explain the operation as we go." Leila said as she and Lelouch entered the castle. "The EU army's 132nd Regiment carried out an operation to retake St. Petersburg. However, the Britannian army caught wind of the plan and blocked their route. They were surrounded in Narva, a city southwest of St. Petersburg. This unit has been assigned to launch a strike operation against the enemy blockade to rescue the 132nd Regiment."

The two soon entered the locker room and Leila started inspecting the lockers before opening one, revealing a black and red pilot suit inside.

"Get changed." Leila said as she looked away as Lelouch silently complied, making sure to stash his Memories and Driver without drawing attention.

In a matter of moments, he changed into the pilot suit and Leila was able to look back at him.

"We've sent the first detachment a few nights ago to scout and begin a first wave of assault. They were wiped out. Reportedly, no survivors."

"So, you're sending the rest of the force to resume and finish the assault until the 132nd Regiment escapes." Lelouch said as he gritted his teeth. It makes sense now why a non-Japanese joining this unit would be a surprise. A single unit being in charge of a mission like this; it was a suicide mission. Remembering what Orpheus said about the Japanese treatment here, Lelouch soon realized that the W-0 unit is mainly just cannon fodder for the EU Army. The EU is really no better than Britannia when it comes to that regard.

"That is correct and as you can imagine from the pilot suit that you are wearing, we will be sending you and your comrades in custom Knightmare Frames. Follow me." Leila led Lelouch out of the locker room while the latter seemed mildly curious.

"Custom?"

"Yes, a member of the W-0, designed and developed a custom Knightmare Frame. It isn't in use for the main army due to it being too costly to mass produce on the wider scale." Leila explained as she and Lelouch would soon themselves within the main hanger. They see everyone getting ready and being loaded up into a huge dropship.

Leila guided Lelouch to the Knightmare part of the hangar before the former stopped, having found the last machine not in use.

"This will be yours."

Lelouch looked at it and it was definitely much different from any typical Knightmare that the nations use. It was white with red lining all over, had a skeletal-like body frame, and a white facemask with two green eyes that seem reminiscent to a doll's face.

"This is the Alexander, a prototype sixth-generation Knightmare frame. I trust you can use a machine like it."

"Don't worry about it. I have some Knightmare experience, but I don't think I ever seen a machine like that before." Lelouch said, being a bit truthful at the last part as he climbed up the ladder nearby and opened the cockpit.

He hopped right into the pilot's seat as Leila tossed him the activation key.

"There should be a pilot's manual inside the cockpit. I'll leave you to become familiar with the machine. I also expect you to load up with your comrades on the dropship in an hour. Am I clear, Sergeant?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lelouch responded as Leila soon left the area. The raven-haired teen started reading through the manual and actually started to seem intrigued regarding certain functions of the Alexander, especially certain modes.

Lelouch then looked around to make sure no one was looking at him before pulling out his Eternal Memory. He looked at it before looking at the console before shaking his head and putting the Memory away.

'Too risky, especially if these machines are monitored. Best save it for when I face the Dopant.' Lelouch thought as he then quickly started reading through the manual. So far, this type of machine seems to be an all-rounder, much like his Lancelot Club so piloting it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Lelouch smirked a little. If anything, he was a bit excited to try it out even if it's going to be for a bit. Lelouch continued reading before seeing that the machine lacks an ejection pod, most likely due to Japanese using these machines and not really counting as EU soldiers.

"Attention! All troops, please load up into the dropship! I repeat! Please load up into the dropship!" The speakers announced.

Lelouch just sighed as closed the manual and started typing on the console. Within a few moments, his Alexander started to fully activate. The cockpit fully closed as the Alexander's green eye lit to life. It started walking towards the dropship while Lelouch was getting a good look at his fellow pilots. They all looked like they were around his age and Lelouch's expression took on a neutral one. He knew one thing was clear about this mission; there's not going to be a lot of survivors.

Lelouch loaded up his Knightmare as others soon followed suit. When everyone seemed to be accounted for, the doors shut, and the sound of the engines starting up start to roar in everyone's ear. Lelouch took a deep breath as the dropship flew out of the hanger and started making its way to Narva.

(With CC and Orpheus)

The two had moved the loaded truck into the abandoned subways as discussed and it looks like they were the first ones to arrive. Orpheus looked around as CC parked the truck.

"Something wrong?"

"I was thinking that one of us should hide and take them by surprise in case anything about this deal goes wrong." Orpheus said before looking at CC and pointing a small information center nearby. "You hide over there and watch my back. I'll handle the deal itself."

"Do you honestly believe that this resistance cell is dumb enough to double cross you?"

"Anything is possible with the Japanese here, especially if they see a Britannian like me."

CC nodded in understanding.

"Just back me up if anything happens." Orpheus said and CC replied by just assuming position. Orpheus pulled out a remote as he soon heard footsteps coming his way.

Orpheus kept a calm expression on his face as he soon saw 3 figures before him. The leader had disheveled brown hair, black boots, a black leather jacket, and matching pants. The other male had short light brown hair and a blue uniform while the only female of the group had dark hair, a sailor jacket, a sleeveless white hoodie, black shorts with a red belt, and white belted boots.

Orpheus looked at the center figure and approached him.

"You're their leader?"

"Yeah, something like that. The name's Ryo and you're the dealer?"

"You see anyone else around?" Orpheus asked, getting no answer.

"So, you got it?" Ryo asked and Orpheus smiled as he took out the truck's key and remote. He pressed a button on it, causing the trailer of the truck to open up which revealed a Glasgow in pristine condition.

"It's already loaded up with everything you need." Orpheus explained as he then took out the Knightmare's activation key.

Ryo went and tried to take it before Orpheus moved his hand away at the last second.

"This is supposed to be a deal, right? I've shown you my end of the bargain, I need to see yours too."

"How much money are we talking here?"

"None, if anything, I may need your help with something else."

"Such as?" Ryo seemed curious with what Orpheus wanted, if he wasn't really interested with money for this deal.

"I need a…smuggle operation to Narva." Orpheus said, shocking the three Japanese teens.

"Narva!? You know how far that place is and how close it is to Britannian territory? No way in hell that we can get you there."

"Do you know anyone that can?"

"Hmmm…There is the mafia, but we have unfinished business with them."

"That so? Then I'll just take the machine to them as payment." Orpheus said before noticing Ryo pulling out a handgun.

"Wait a minute, do you honestly think we're just gonna let you haul that away?"

"Well, I gave you a job. You refused, so what else has to be said? You must be pretty dumb to think that I'm gonna give you an operational Knightmare Frame for minor info." Everyone can tell that the atmosphere was getting intense as the two guys seemed ready to kill each other.

Ryo then tried to shoot Orpheus, only for the latter to dodge the bullet and grab onto Ryo's wrist. He twisted it, making Ryo drop the gun before the girl tried charging at Orpheus with a wakizashi.

A hooded CC emerged from her hiding spot and kicked the girl away, making her drop her blade.

"Ayano"

Ayano was about to get up before CC stomped on Ayano's stomach with a handgun aimed at her forehead.

"Try it." CC plainly stated, causing Ayano to grit her teeth in frustration.

Ryo seemed aggravated before smirking.

"Fine, I didn't want to use it, but I guess I have no choice." Ryo then bit his right-hand glove off before using his free hand to pull out…

"TRIGGER!"

Orpheus's eyes widened while CC just seemed mildly surprised. Ryo threw it away before it came back to him and flew into his right palm. Ryo roared as blue energy overtook him and transformed into a blue monster with a rifle as a right arm and a white and blue helmet with a blue crosshair over the white faceplate.

"A Dopant-!?"

Orpheus was then punched away, making him drop the Knightmare key. The Trigger Dopant picked up the key and tossed it to his male comrade.

"Yukiya, get into the Knightmare and get out of here with Ayano! I'll make short work of these guys. We have a schedule to get moving after all!" The Trigger Dopant said as Yukiya nodded and rushed towards the Glasgow.

CC tried shooting at him, but the young man dodged all the shots before getting into the cockpit. He inputted the key and connected his tablet into the console. Yukiya started hacking into the Knightmare before activating it.

The Glasgow got out of the truck and pulled out its assault rifle, shooting CC. The green-haired girl was forced to back up, freeing Ayano. The machine picked up Ayano and left the area, leaving the three alone.

The Trigger Dopant then tried shooting at Orpheus with the latter barely able to dodge the shots. Orpheus quickly placed on his LostDriver and took out his Skull Memory, surprising the Trigger Dopant.

"That's a…!"

"You think you were the only one to have one of these?" Orpheus asked as he took off his hat. He quickly pressed it and inserted into the device.

"SKULL!"

"Henshin!"

"SKULL!"

Orpheus transformed into Skull, placing back his fedora to complete the transformation.

"You're a…Kamen Rider!"

"Not just him." CC said, getting the monster's attention as he noticed a similar device on her waist.

"CYCLONE!"

"Henshin."

"CYCLONE!"

CC quickly transform into Cyclone, surprising the Trigger Dopant even further.

"You two are Kamen Riders!? Then the Black Knights have business in the EU!?"

"Do not mistake me." Skull replied first. "I may be a Kamen Rider, but I'm certainly no Black Knight. Anyways, that's not important. Though, what is this important is that you give me the device you used to transform with…now." Skull emphasized as the Trigger Dopant just readied his rifle.

"Like hell I'm giving you my power. With this, we can finally achieve our dream! I won't let you take it away, not when we're so close!" The Trigger Dopant then immediately opened fire on Skull, pushing him back a bit. In retaliation, Cyclone rushed at him, managing to land a few good punches while Skull recovered.

The female Rider was soon swatted away before being shot directly in the chest, causing her to fly a few feet away before crashing into the wall. The Trigger Dopant then had his rifle fire multiple times at Cyclone, not even giving her some breathing room before a completely recovered Skull rushed at him and grabbed onto the rifle arm.

The gun was firing all over the place as the monster and Rider fought for control of the gun. Skull then punched him in the face over and over and over again. After a few more punches, the Trigger Dopant shook him off only to be met with a kick to the back from Cyclone.

The sharpshooter rolled on the floor from that for a few moments before standing up to look at the two Riders.

"I have to admit; you two are pretty decent." The Trigger Dopant complimented. "Giving my team a Knightmare is all well and fine, but…to see Kamen Riders in action up close and personal…"

"What? You think we're gonna recruit you?" Cyclone mockingly asked. "Please, we'd have better luck recruiting dirt with more value."

The monster then laughed at the lady's remark.

"Oh please, that sounds like an entirely different hassle which I definitely don't need right now." The Trigger Dopant said as he looked at the belts. "Those devices you used to transform with, I think I'll be taking at least one of them."

"Like to see you try."

The Trigger Dopant laughed at that as he pressed a couple of buttons on his gun arm, which then transformed from a rifle to a gatling gun, much to the Riders' surprise.

"Your wish is my command!" He roared as he opened fire, letting loose torrent of energy bullets.

"Shit!" Skull cursed as he and Cyclone scattered for cover. While their armors were protective, they did have their limits and Skull would rather not have any bullet holes in his hat. "Well, you got any ideas!?" Skull asked.

Cyclone seemed silent for a few moments before looking at Skull.

"Just try to keep him distracted for a bit. That gun can only focus on one target."

"I hope you know what you're doing." Skull replied as he grabbed a rock and tossed it at The Trigger Dopant, hitting him in the helmet. "Come on, is that the best you got!?" Skull taunted as he stood up.

"A rock? You, a Kamen Rider, just threw a rock at me?" The Trigger Dopant rhetorically asked as he opened fire on Skull, getting him a few times before he made a break for it while Cyclone snuck away.

"Time to put your toy to the test." Skull said as he took out the Magnum prototype that he "borrowed" from Lelouch's lab when he was away.

Skull returned fire and while the shots did seem to push the Dopant back quite a bit. Meanwhile, Cyclone got behind and took out her Memory before placing it in the side slot of her belt. She pressed on it.

"CYCLONE! MAXIMUM DRIVE!"

A green tornado lifted the female Rider off the ground and the Trigger Dopant noticed this while Skull placed his Memory into the slot of his gun and pulling said slot compartment up, linking it to the nozzle and looking more like a pistol.

"SKULL! MAXIMUM DRIVE!"

Skull charged his gun and when Cyclone descended in a side kick position with her right leg charged with green wind-like energy. Skull pulled the trigger, unleashing several energized rapid shots while Cyclone landed her kick directly into the Trigger Dopant's helmet, both attacks resulting in the monster's explosion.

Cyclone landed on her feet as Skull caught up to her while an exhausted Ryo was thrown out of the fire with the Trigger Memory right next to him.

"Allow me." Cyclone insisted as she walked up to Ryo before the latter grabbed her by the ankle in a desperate last-ditch effort to prevent her from taking his power. "Pathetic." She remarked, easily kicking him off.

However, before she can pick up the Memory, the Glasgow returned and opened fire at the Riders, making them jump back while Ryo immediately crawled and picked up the Memory. He, in turn, was then picked up by the machine before escaping into the tunnels. Within a matter of seconds, some of the inside of the tunnel exploded, bringing down debris and blocking the entrance.

"Dammit." Skull cursed as he and Cyclone reverted back into civilian forms. "Do you think that was the monster spotted in Narva?"

"I doubt it. We may have just been lucky. Either way, we can't allow him to get away with that. It would appear that Lelouch is going to have to deal with the Narva Dopant by his lonesome." CC stated as Orpheus went to the truck.

"Well, lucky for us, I placed a tracker onto the Glasgow. It's standard procedure for Peace Mark to keep a track of our goods until the deal is finalized. And since our deal didn't go too well, I can still run a trace from my laptop." Orpheus said as he pulled out said device.

"Can you do it now?" CC asked, getting the young man to open up the computer and started typing before they started to hear police sirens.

"Damn it, they're probably heard that explosion. We got to leave first." Orpheus closed his laptop before the two got in the truck and drove through the other tunnel.

(With Ryo)

The Glasgow gently set Ryo down before deactivating. Ryo managed to get enough energy to stand as the cockpit opened, revealing both Ayano and Yukiya.

"I thought I told you two to leave." Ryo stated.

"We've sent you on a two-on-one fight against Kamen Riders. You honestly thought that we would leave you alone to that?" Ayano asked.

Word of the Kamen Riders and Black Knights have reached to the shores of the EU, with many of the Japanese looking at them like beacons of hope. Meanwhile, Ryo's saw them as just another resistance group doomed to fail. Wasn't the first time a group rose to power against Britannia only to fail in the end and probably won't be the last. Still, they do have to respect them for lasting as long as they did.

"Yeah, they hit hard and I can see how they're giving Britannia a run for their money." Ryo said as he pulled out his Trigger Memory. "I thought this was a weird device, allowing me to transform into that monster, but to see similar devices used by the Kamen Riders…"

"They seem to have much more power than you did, if they can beat you down." Yukiya remarked.

"If we can transform you into a Rider…" Ayano thought out loud before Ryo shook his head.

"We can worry about that later. Right now, we need to make sure our plan comes to fruition while making sure those Riders don't intervene like they did just now."

Ayano and Yukiya nodded in agreement as there were more things to worry about.

"I have an idea." Yukiya said, getting everyone's attention. "I found an active tracer attached to the Glasgow's control panel. We can use that to our advantage, get the jump on them."

Ryo smiled.

"Sounds like a plan. Right now, we have to pay a visit to our old friends at the mafia. They owe us for what happened to our other comrades."

Ayano and Yukiya nodded in agreement.

(With Lelouch)

Lelouch woke up from his small nap as he felt his dropship becoming more and more shaky.

"Alright, we're getting closer to the designated drop point. All pilots, prepare for drop!" The pilot intercom announced. Lelouch took a deep breath as he gripped the controls tightly. "Preparing drop in 3, 2, 1! Mark! Drop!"

All the Alexanders were ejected from the aircraft and parachuted onto the battlefield with a couple being taken out by AA cannons. However, a majority of the white machines managed to land safely on the ground before seeing the dropship fly out of view.

Soon all pilots received a message on their console, reminding them that their mission is to hold off enemy forces until main EU forces escape…and was encouraging the use of kamikaze attacks if necessary. Lelouch grimaced reading the second part of those orders. Were the Japanese really that expendable?

Lelouch snapped out of his thoughts as he saw a Sutherland rushing at him. He immediately responded by turning off the landspinners in his Alexander before dodging the attack and kicking the Sutherland from behind. The Britannian machine landed on its stomach and Lelouch's Alexander opened fire on the cockpit, bullets easily piercing through the metal plating. It stopped after seeing blood seep from the machine.

Lelouch then had his Alexander transform into its alternate spider-like mode, crawling on all fours with the guns mounted in front of the cockpit. Lelouch started firing on more Sutherlands before he noticed a fellow Alexander latched onto one of them and…

BOOM!

The Alexander self-detonated and took out the Sutherland along with the rest of the squad. Lelouch had a surprised expression to what he had just witnessed.

"He really did…" Lelouch then got an order on his console, which encouraged more and more kamikaze attacks. Lelouch then gritted his teeth in frustration. That was a reckless and pointless move, wasting resources such as a soldier and machine to the cannon fodder of Britannia.

Lelouch then vented his frustration as he moved his Alexander towards another Sutherland squad. He latched onto the squad leader and had his guns fire right into the machine, while the others tried to shoot white machine off. However, the panicking leader was moving his machine so much that he actually got shot by his comrades.

The Alexander leapt off before the machine can explode, transforming into its humanoid mode. It pulled out its bladed tonfa before charging on its landspinners, stabbing a Sutherland in the chest with the blade emerging from the backside of the cockpit.

Lelouch had his Alexander throw the dead machine onto a charging Sutherland before pulling out the assault rifle in its free hand. He fired at the rest of the squad, destroying them. The white machine then went back into its spider mode and started crawling, shooting any Britannian machine or soldiers that it could find.

BOOM!

Lelouch saw another massive explosion occurred nearby, which could only mean that it was another kamikaze attack by his fellow soldier. The raven-haired teen tried his best to not let it bother him before…

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Lelouch was being ticked off with every kamikaze attack that an Alexander performs as this speaks a few things about this unit. Whoever is in charge doesn't understand how to effectively use their soldiers and that said soldiers were so ill-trained that they're resorting to suicide attacks. It's no wonder the EU can be on a losing front with Britannia.

After dealing with more Britannian troops, Lelouch had managed to get some breathing room before getting new orders, which prohibited any more suicide bombings. He sighed in relief as command finally got some common sense. Lellouch then checked the roster to see how many are left and to his shock and disbelief; he was the only one left.

"You've got to be kidding me."

And to add insult to injury, Lelouch just ran out of ammo with his assault rifles.

"Guess I have no choice." Lelouch remarked as he had his Alexander dump its guns before noticing a new squad, being led by a Gloucester unit, coming his way.

Lelouch took out his Eternal Memory and contemplated using it before shaking his head. It was too risky and he couldn't give away the fact that Eternal was in the EU now. He'll have to do this himself.

He had his Alexander charge as the squad just noticed him, opening fire on the white Knightmare frame. The Alexander, in response, started jumping from tree to tree before landing in front of the squad, transforming into its robot mode with both tonfa out.

It then ran up to the Sutherland and pounced on him before whacking the machine multiple times before swinging a direct hit into the cockpit, immediately killing the pilot. It then started whacking the other Sutherlands and made short work of them before being rammed by the Gloucester.

The Alexander flew and landed on all fours before seeing the Britannian machine withdrew its MVS. The two clashed weapons for a bit before Lelouch saw an opportunity by having one of his tonfa go into a sickle mode, wrapped its blade around the MVS, and pulled it away. Before the Gloucester can even get another MVS out, Lelouch's Alexander pounced on it and stabbed the machine with both bladed weapons.

Confident that he has killed the pilot, Lelouch had the weapons removed before seeing more Sutherlands open fire near the lake. What perplexed Lelouch was that it wasn't at him. The teen had his Alexander quietly parked near the ruined trees to see what was going on.

His eyes widened as he saw the Fang Dopant latched onto one of the Sutherland's heads.

"Get it off me! Get it off me!" The pilot panicked over external comms before the monsters ripped off the head and tore into the cockpit. The pilot screamed in terror as it jumped and a few seconds later, blood started spraying from the inside.

When the destroyed Sutherland fell onto the ground, the bloodied monster emerged out of the wreckage and charged at the remaining two. They opened fire, but the Dopant was jumping around the area, effectively dodging enemy fire. It soon jumped onto the shoulder of one of the Sutherlands and clawed at the machine's joint, tearing the arm off.

The free Sutherland opened fire where the Fang Dopant was before the latter jumped off. This caused the armless Sutherland to be pelted with bullets before exploding, but the cockpit did manage to eject in time.

The Fang Dopant landed on the remaining Sutherland's cockpit before punching a hole through the ceiling of it, not feeling the pilot's neck in his claw.

"DIE!" The monster said as tightened his grip before…

SNAP!

The monster lets go before seeing a Gloucester charging at him after witnessing the scene.

"You monster!" The pilot said as the Fang Dopant readied for another fight. Just then a blade emerged from machine's chest before it went limp. Lelouch's Alexander removed its bloodied weapon from the dead Britannian machine.

"Looks like their pulling back." Lelouch remarked as he saw the remaining Britannian forces withdraw. He then emerged from the cockpit, facing a confused Fang Dopant.

"Who are you? I don't recognize you from the unit." The Fang Dopant asked as he recognized the Alexander and Lelouch's pilot suit.

"That is irrelevant right now." Lelouch replied as he took out and placed on his LostDriver. "What is relevant is that I'll be taking the device that made you this way to begin with." He then took out his Memory and pressed the button.

"ETERNAL!"

He placed the device in the slot of his belt and pulled it back.

"Henshin!"

"ETERNAL!"

Lelouch transformed into Eternal, much to the monster's shock.

"You're Eternal…?"

"Yes, I'm not surprised that words of my deeds spread to even this part of the globe. But now, it is time to head straight for business." Eternal said as he leapt off the Alexander and dove down with his knife.

The Fang Dopant leapt out of the way, allowing Eternal to splash onto the water. When Eternal stood up, he threw away his cape to avoid any drag from the water.

"I don't have anything against you, Eternal." The Fang Dopant calmly said, appearing very different from when he fought off that Britannian squad not too long ago.

"Nor do I. But you have something that I need and I'm afraid that I'm going to have to take it by force." Eternal said as he held his dagger in a reverse grip before charging again.

He slashes at the monster multiple times before the Fang Dopant managed to regain his composure and grabbed the white Rider's wrist. The monster then threw Eternal onto the shore and attempted to follow it up with a punch to face. Eternal quickly rolled out of the way at the last second, scooping up mud in his free hand, and throwing it directly at the Fang Dopant's face.

"Aarrrgh!" The Fang Dopant growled in frustration as he tried to get the mud off. However, Eternal seized the opportunity by rushing at him with multiple stabs before slashing him away.

"Time to end this…" Eternal was about to take out his Memory for a Maximum Drive attack but…

"D-Die…"

"Hm?"

"Die…" The Fang Dopant let out as he got up with mud gone from his face, revealing glowing red eyes. "DIE!"

The Fang Dopant tackled the Rider before grabbing him by the harness and throwing him in the forest. Eternal crashed through a few trees before his flight was stopped by the wreckage of a Sutherland.

Eternal shook his head before seeing the Fang Dopant rushing at him on all fours, similar to that of a rabid animal.

Eternal moved out of the way in time before the monster crashed into the cockpit.

'He's acting like a completely different person now!' Eternal nodded, remembering how the Fang Dopant was trying to act polite when they first met, even wanting to avoid conflict.

Soon the Fang Dopant emerged from the cockpit and eyed Eternal.

"DIE!" The Fang Dopant roared once more as he charged at the white Rider, only for the latter to stand his ground and ready himself with the knife. He took out one of his Memories and pressed on it.

"METAL!"

He then quickly inserted it into the slot of his blade.

"METAL! MAXIMUM DRIVE!"

The blade of the Eternal Edge grew into the length of a sword and glowed a bit while the Rider himself was readying to himself. Meanwhile the Fang Dopant leapt at him with claws and murderous intent ready.

'Now!' Eternal told himself as he slashed through the monster when he was close enough. The Fang Dopant felt intense pain as he stumbled back from the flash before Eternal followed up his original attack by giving him a serious of cuts and slashes.

Eternal then kicked him back as the blade returned to normal. The Fang Dopant flew a few feet away as his body started sparking from all the damage. He struggled to continue standing up before falling down and…

BOOM!

"Hmph." Eternal let out as the fires died down, revealing a new person worn out on the ground. It was a young Japanese man with blue hair and long blue hair tied in a ponytail. He was wearing a W-0 pilot suit, but it looked like it had some damage on it.

The white Rider walked up to the downed young man to see a new periwinkle Gaia Memory with a blue F on it next to the latter.

"The Fang Memory is mine." Eternal was about to grab it before the downed young man grabbed him by the wrist, surprising him.

"D-Die…" The young man said as Eternal noticed his eyes lit red. "Just die!"

"That's…" Eternal recognized this marking as someone who has been exposed to the powers of Geass. It perplexed him as he contemplated the chances of a Geass User in the vicinity and what are the odds if this user is a friend or foe. Originally Eternal thought about putting the young man out of his misery, but he genuinely wanted to know whose Geass power he was exposed to.

Eternal shook off the man's hand off before the latter passed out from the attack and stress of having been the Fang Dopant. Eternal picked up the Memory before reverting back to Lelouch. Lelouch looked at the Fang Memory and something…felt off about it. Like there was a beast trapped inside, just wanting to get out. He was aware that this Memory in particular can turn any person into a wild animal, regardless of the wielder being a Dopant or Rider. It would require strong willpower to fully control this beast or any raw T2 Memory power.

Lelouch placed the Memory away as he picked up the unconscious man with the latter's arm around his neck.

"Come on, let's work on getting you out of here…"

(In the morning)

Lelouch was on the side of the main road, watching 132nd Regiment leave on the course back to EU territory while the Fang Memory's host was still knocked out inside Lelouch's Alexander. As trucks were passing by, one finally stopped by Lelouch as the driver's window rolled down.

"What are you doing here? You by yourself?"

"Not exactly. I have a wounded comrade resting in my machine over there. We'd appreciate any help you can lend us," Lelouch said, pointing back at his Alexander.

"A Knightmare? Never seen a model like that before. But, just to be safe, I need to see your ID." The soldier said as Lelouch complied by getting his dog-tags out. "Must be rough out there."

The man took it and activated the holographic interface, reading and verifying Lelouch's "identity".

"Sergeant Julius Kingsley, huh?"

Lelouch nodded.

"Alright Sarge, go ahead and load your Knightmare along with your companion at the bed of the trunk. Afraid I don't have much room here." The soldier said as he tossed Lelouch back his ID.

"Sure, also…" Lelouch then activated his Geass. "May I ask for a favor from you?"

Within a few moments, Lelouch deactivated his Geass and loaded his machine onto the truck while carefully getting his fallen former foe out with him and gently laying him down in front of the machine.

Lelouch soon at back down and started enjoying the ride for a while. The young man's thoughts were soon cut off when he started hearing groaning. He looked to see his former foe wake up.

"Where…?" The teen said before recognizing Lelouch and immediately got on guard.

"You have no reason to fear me. Actually, you should be thanking me. I turned you back to normal."

The blue-haired man's eyes slightly widened as he looked at himself to see that he was indeed human again.

"Yeah…Yeah, I am. I should thank you and apologize for my actions, Eter-."

"Kingsley. You can call me Julius Kingsley, for now anyways." Lelouch interrupted. "We're on our way back to the EU thanks to the 132nd Regiment. By the way, what's your name?"

"…Akito Hyuga." Akito replied as he sat up before recalling everything that happened beforehand. "The device that turned me-."

Lelouch took out the Fang Memory for Akito to see.

"Right here. It shouldn't be able to transform you into that monster again unless you allow it." Lelouch replied as he clenched the memory. "I'm honestly surprised that you managed to retain your mind long enough in that form, if you were with that scouting party that Malcal mentioned."

"…" Akito said nothing as he recalled his transformation and the damage he did.

"I do have a theory in regards to how you were able to hold onto your sanity, but we can talk more about that part later."

Akito then noticed how Lelouch was being casual about this, especially since he is Eternal and they were on an EU vehicle on the way back to said nation.

"You're not worried about being eavesdropped?" Akito asked.

"No, not at all. I've taken the necessary precautions." Lelouch said, looking at the driver's rear mirror. He had used his Geass to order the soldier to ignore anything that's been said between him and Lelouch. "So, don't be afraid to speak openly. After all, I expect this drive to be a long one."

"And you're just willing to talk about this? Me; a stranger?"

"I won't lie; I am taking a big risk by talking to you about last night. But I'm not afraid to take drastic measures. Besides, you should be thanking me for turning you back to normal…even though you were quite resistant."

"Yeah…sorry, about that." Akito said, looking at the ongoing road before staring right back at Lelouch. "I guess I owe you a few answers for helping me last night. What do you want to know?"

Lelouch smiled, satisfied that this wasn't going to be a boring trip back.

(Meanwhile in Euro-Britannia)

A squad of Sutherlands, painted silver and red, were surrounding a humanoid figure; the Nazca Dopant.

The Sutherlands aimed their weapons and opened fire, causing the Nazca Dopant to jump up. The monster flew around them as the Sutherlands frantically tried to shoot him down, but the monster was flying too fast for them. Nearby, a man was watching with a very satisfied smile. He had long grey hair, a sword attached to the side of his wait, a green and black Britannian military uniform, and a red cape. This was Michele Manfredi, the Grand Master of the Holy Order of Michael. Michele was watching the Nazca Dopant's performance, as if it was being evaluated.

Meanwhile, the Nazca Dopant flew onto a Sutherland and cut off its head, immobilizing it for good. He then quickly rushed at another one, cutting off its arm before slicing through its leg, and allowing it to fall to the ground. Another Sutherland fired its Slash Harkens from behind the Nazca Dopant, but the latter quickly noticed and cut through the cables before following it with cutting through both legs.

The remaining two Sutherlands, armed with an MVS and an axe-type weapon, charged next. The Nazca Dopant stood there silently as he readied his blade, charging it with blue energy. When the machines were close enough, the Nazca Dopant unleashed an energy wave in the form of a slash, cutting the two machines in half.

The Nazca Dopant sheathed his sword as all the pilots of the downed Sutherlands emerge, unharmed yet disoriented.

CLAP! CLAP!

The monster looked behind him to see Michele applauding him for what just happened.

"I must admit that you have performed quite admirably in that form, Shin Hyuga Shaing." Michele complimented as the Nazca Dopant reverted back to his civilian form.

"And I thank you for allowing me the usage of these devices." Shin admitted, as he held the T2 Nazca Dopant and the gray belt around his waist that allowed him to transform into this state. Several days ago, a package was sent to Shin with these two devices. There wasn't anything else to tell about the package, only that it was labeled for Shin, held instructions to keep these devices and their effects a secret outside of their Order…and had the Emperor's seal.

While it did seem suspicious at first, they wouldn't turn down a gift like this if it did indeed come from the Emperor. Imagine their surprise upon Shin's first transformation where they attempted to fire at him, only for the Nazca Dopant to be in complete control of himself. And that brings them to now, where they have been testing this form's capabilities for the past few days now in the form of combat trials for the past few weeks now. Not once has Shin lost, becoming more adept with each trial, much to Michele's delight.

"You have been truly getting stronger, Shin." Michele compliments as he placed his arms on Shin's shoulders with a content smile on his face.

"Thank you for allowing me the chance to be so, My Lord. Any word on the Emperor's verification?" Shin asked. While Shin knew the truth of his devices from the Weather Dopant, Michele has been insistent on verifying whether they did come the Emperor especially considering he used to be the Knight of Two from the Round Table, the Emperor's personal forces.

"Still no word. It doesn't surprise, I can imagine His Majesty being too busy with affairs of the nation; both internal and external."

"My Lord, I do request that this power be taken out of testing and be brought out onto the field."

"Yes, you have been cooped up for far too long and I think we have all the data we need." Michele nodded in agreement before thinking of a proper field test for Shin's powers. "Hmmm…our spies have caught wind of a rebellion forming by the local militia that once occupied this territory. Our sources have managed to track down their headquarters down by the docks."

"Understood, I'll take care of it." Shin said before Michele adopted a serious expression.

"A word of warning, Shin. The instruction of your package was clear; no one outside our Order must know about your powers. Make sure there are no witnesses. I'm afraid I cannot provide any further aid."

"It is enough. I'll depart shortly." Shin looked like he was getting ready to leave before looking back at his commanding officer. "After this mission, if I may make a request…"

"Hm?"

"When I get back, I propose a much more suitable opponent for my powers; The fabled Ghost of Hannibal."

AN: And there's my latest update for Code Eternal. I hope you've all enjoyed it. Originally, I was going to continue my own spin with the next episode from the series. But then I've decided to take it one step further by focusing on side content in the franchise; namely Akito The Exiled.

Anyways, please review or send PMs for questions, comments, or concerns. Don't be afraid to review this chapter, send questions, or look at my other fics. Alright, I'm done; goodnight. Stay safe and healthy.