Been a while since I've updated, so I hope I'm still up to scratch with this story. We'll see, hopefully.

27: Narita Pt.4

Rematch

Euphemia Li Britannia watched in relief as her sister and her forces returned to the G-1 base to recharge their Energy Fillers, Cornelia's Pluton Custom bringing up the rear, the last to leave the battlefield. The young woman sighed as she surveyed the destruction of the area around Narita. Zero's forces had devastated their forces on a higher scale than Cornelia or herself could have imagined. The area surrounding the mountain was nothing but forest, and made for sloppy maneuvers in a Knightmare.

That being said, Zero's Z-frames were far more mobile than the Vincents were. With the loss of the Cardinal, grateful as she was to see him bested, she was beginning to see him as their only chance of taking this battle. The only other option they had at the moment was a longer drawn out battle, or sending out the Lancelot. An idea which Euphemia did not like at all.

Her Chosen Knight was rather reckless when he fought, especially when it concerned Zero. The two of them would eventually face each other, she knew she couldn't stop that, but still she selfishly wanted to keep him from fighting the masked man. His words to her Knight still rang in her ears, promising not to hold back when they fought.

While she didn't doubt his skills, having boasted about him several times, she wasn't confident enough to think that Zero would take him on in a one on one duel. No, he would likely have the aid of that Red Lion, or its pilot, given that the beast had been felled by the Cardinal just before he was brought down by the newest fly in her sister's ointment. It had to be the same pilot. This new Red Demon, as the men were calling it, was fast, and agile. Just as the Lancelot was.

And it had proved its power in defeating several Vincents within a short amount of time.

"Those Tigers aren't helping matters, either," she muttered quietly as she watched the new machines prowling along the treeline, but not moving beyond them. They were damnably similar to the very first one seen in Shinjuku, Zero's fabled Black Tiger, brought down by sheer luck at the hands of Villetta Nu two and a half months ago.

Behind her, the doors opened up, revealing Cornelia herself. The girl beamed as her sister came onto the bridge. "Sister," the girl stepped forward to embrace her sister, "You're not injured, are you?"

Cornelia snorted, "Of course not," the woman said, smiling at her favorite sibling. "How many have we lost so far?"

Euphemia sighed, "Too many," she frowned, "The good news is that only those that have faced that new Knightmare have been killed, making the body count ten," she said, "The real casualties are from the ground troops. Whoever Zero has on the ground is showing no mercy."

Cornelia frowned, "I know, we've been getting reports from the ground commander about their new weapons."

"Wouldn't it be better to cut our losses, and retreat for now?" Euphemia asked.

Cornelia shook her head, "As much as I hate to admit we're slowly losing, Euphemia, we must keep at it." The Goddess of Victory growled, "Call back all the ground troops, and have all the remaining Knightmares recharged, and equipped for battle!" She commanded the personnel, "You have half an hour!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Cornelia then turned to her sister, "Euphemia, I'll need to borrow your Knight for the next round of battle," she said, smiling slightly at the girl's obvious ire, slight as it was. "Will that be a problem?"

Euphemia sighed, "No, of course not," she said, but gave her sister a rather cold look, "Just be sure to return him to me safely. He is my Knight after all, since you already have Guillford."

Cornelia felt her left brow twitch. 'I swear that if I catch that Honorary Britannian twerp sporting with her, I'll - '

"Viceroy, Subviceroy," one of the men said, "We're getting a distress call from one of the ground troops. He claims to be the only one left."

Euphemia gasped, "Patch it through, immediately!"

"Patching it through, now."

"Zzzt...Hello, can anyone hear me?"

"Kewell?" Cornelia frowned.

"Yes, we can hear you, Soresi,"Euphemia spoke out kindly, "What's happened out there?"

"Dead, M'lady, all dead," the man rambled out, "We never stood a chance out here. They even had anti-Knightmare equipment that shut them down with one shot!"

Darlton, who had come in in the middle of the man's ramblings, frowned, "How is that even possible?" He asked, "A single shot taking down a Seventh Generation Knightmare from a ground force weapon is unheard of unless it's some sort of heavy ordinance, or an armor piercing round."

"It was some sort of laser, Sir," Kewell went on frantically. "And there's something else. You may think me mad, but I swear that I saw with my own eyes, Jeremiah Gottwald was leading those troops!"

"What!?" Cornelia roared, "Impossible, I watched the man die right in front of me!"

"No," Darlton frowned, looking thoughtful, "We watched him get swallowed. There was no trace of blood, not even from a minor injury...there may be some sort of truth there."

"He wore an orange version of the armor Zero wears under his cloak," the foot soldier said, "I even saw that monster look straight at me from his chest while attached to him!"

Euphemia looked down at her feet sadly, "Lord Jeremiah...a traitor?"

Cornelia slammed her fist down onto the console, "Kewell, I want you - "

"Someone's coming." He spoke low, and hastily, "I have to go! I'll contact you as soon as possible!"

"Lord Kewell!" Darlton roared, too late, as the line went dead. "Dammit!"

"Sister," Euphemia said, turning to the Viceroy, "Why would Jeremiah do something like this?"

Cornelia, for her part, was boiling over on the inside with absolute rage at what had been said. Why attack someone, and then have that same person join the same side that attacked him? Unless...

"He knows who Zero is," Cornelia concluded, drawing all eyes to her, "It's the only explanation."

"Why wouldn't he tell us who he is then?" Darlton wondered.

Cornelia frowned again, her fists tightening, "Isn't that obvious? He was never loyal to the Empire in the first place!" She snapped, "Ever since the death of Lady Marianne, and her children, he hasn't been in his right mind. First he blamed our own family for her death, and then his rage fell upon the Elevens after the invasion. Now he's turned on us again! Only this time he's turned into a full traitor!"

Euphemia held her tongue. Some of what her sister had said made sense, but if Jeremiah was still loyal to the Vi Britannia line, then he must have known about Lelouch and Nunnally...

Her heart skidded to a grinding halt.

"My friend isn't fond of the nobility."

"No, he'd never do something like that!" Suzaku's words to her not so long ago.

'No,' the girl thought, 'It couldn't be.'

"Lady Viceroy," one of her men called out, "We're getting some movement from the treeline. It looks like a single unit."

Cornelia looked toward the screen, "Is it the red machine?"

"No, M'lady, it looks like it's one of the beasts," he said, pulling the feed up to the larger screen, and paled. "No...that's - !"

"Impossible..." Darlton breathed out.

Cornelia felt herself grow cold with rage once more as the gigantic form of the Black Tiger lopped into view. Upon its shoulder was a red cloth, signifying a claim for a challenge. "It seems that the beast has been repaired."

=x=

Zero's Base of Operations

Thirty Minutes Earlier

Lelouch sighed as the last of his forces moved into the camp, himself being the last to exit the battlefield. "Is everyone alright?" He asked, making sure the voice scrambler was activated. "No one was injured too badly, were they?"

Jeremiah's voice crackled over the line, "Aside from a few ricochet shots, no one from G-group was injured too severely." The former Margrave said, "All Britannian ground forces were routed and wiped out with the aid of the JLF, Lord Zero."

"No casualties on our end," Ohgi said, "P-group, reporting in."

"B-group, no serious damage."

"N-group, all good on our end."

"R-group, we're good, too."

Lelouch smiled in relief, but heard nothing from his own group member, "Kallen?"

"...Q-1, reporting one casualty. My red Blade Liger was destroyed in battle along with Ambient." Kallen said, and he could hear the sadness in her voice.

Lelouch nodded in understanding, "Take some time to get some food and water," he said, knowing that she would need to replenish her own energy before the Guren's. "Moonbay, take this time to evacuate as many civilians as possible. Use the Hammer Head to do so if you have to, but get them out of here. I want no losses."

"You got it, boss man," the woman said, "Contact from the Benefactor. He says he's bringing in your new unit."

Lelouch nodded, "Alright, I'll meet with him and Q-2 as soon as they arrive. ETA?"

"Five minutes, Sir," Ohgi's voice piped up.

"Any word from General Katase?" Lelouch asked, hoping to have heard something from the man, "We need to know if he's willing to evacuate."

"Negative, Sire," Jeremiah said, "I asked his field commander, and the man seems to be either waiting for Cornelia to knock on his door, or for her to just up and leave."

Lelouch sighed in exasperation, "I can understand wanting an honorable death, but sacrificing your men like this is just pointless." He growled, "What of Colonel Todoh, any sign of him?"

"None," Tamaki's voice cut in, "I haven't seen hide nor hair of anyone coming or going from the field since this whole shindig started." Tamaki was on a hill over looking the battlefield two click out, and reasonably within range to fire his canon if he needed to put a scare into the Britannian forces. Tamaki wasn't happy about his sniper status, but couldn't argue that his Wolf had the best long-range weapon out of all of them to act as a deterrent.

Lelouch frowned, 'Katase should have called for him by now. What's he waiting for?' He wondered, noting that a large flatbed truck was arriving. A small smile grew across his face, "It seems it's time for our long awaited rematch, my old friend."

Typing in the release codes for the mother-box, Lelouch donned his mask, and exited the now empty Whitz Wolf. As he reached the ground, the soldiers around him snapped a salute, "At ease, everyone. Take rest while you can, for the battle is far from over," he said in passing, smiling as Kallen and Jeremiah took up his flanks, "How is Agate treating you, Jeremy? Any quirks?"

The Orange armored Knight smiled, "He is utterly amazing, Sire," he said, flexing his arms, both of which formed themselves into the forms of the long-range rifles. "I never knew that these little demons of yours had this much potential for battle!"

Zero chuckled, "What, and your fight with Shadow showed you nothing?" He said, reminding the former Margrave of his staged battle with the black dragon. "Has anyone gone to retrieve the downed Liger, and Ambient?"

Kallen looked slightly somber, "A small team was dispatched a little while ago just after the Britannian forces retreated," she said, looking up at the masked man, "I'm so sorry. I should've - "

Zero stopped for a moment, lifting his arm and taking the girl under his cloak, and holding her against his side, bereft of Shadow, for once, rubbing her shoulders gently, "The Liger was destroyed because it wanted to defend you, simple and clean." He told the girl as she gained a slight blush on her cheeks, "I once told you that these machines were more than just simple war machines. If they were anymore intelligent, I would daresay that they would have souls. Ambient adored you, as did your Liger. But if Ambient is still functioning, perhaps we could repair her, or install her as a mother-box of another Liger."

"I think I'd like the old Ambient back, please," Kallen said, tearing up at the thought of also losing the affectionate Saurian.

Zero chuckled and gave her one last squeeze before releasing her to give his attention to the arriving truck. He was surprised, however, to see that it was C.C. driving it instead of Reuben, or Milly. "What are you doing here, C.C.?" He asked as the immortal clambered out of the truck, and noted that she refused to meet his gaze. A fact he intended to rectify, and soon...hopefully.

C.C. crossed her arms, looking away from him, "The old man was caught up in some sort of business and couldn't get away," she said, making a point of examining her nails, "And your blonde strumpet is busy entertaining the little one."

Zero nodded in understanding, "I see, well, thank you for bringing my replacement." He said as he moved toward the trailer. As he moved passed her, she made it a point to turn her back on him. 'Okay, now she's just asking for it.' He thought to himself with a shake of his head.

C.C., for her part, was silently fuming at having to see the young man again so soon. She had resigned herself to waiting patiently at home for him to return...and continue ignoring him for the better part of eternity. But it seemed whatever divine beings existed out there had a sense of humor. Not only was she once again in his presence, but she could still feel how her body had reacted to his touch. And the incredibly tender moment she felt when he'd kissed her forehead after tucking her back into bed. 'Idiotic brat.'

The thought was barely out of her mind as she watched him start unlocking the chains binding his factory-fresh Z-frame than she caught the gleam of something across the camp. A cold chill ran down her spine as she realized that none of their weaponry actually used sniper scopes. Acting out of impulse, she dashed toward the masked figure, "LOOK OUT!"

Lelouch was stunned as the verdette slammed against him just as a burst of gunfire sounded across the area.

Blood flew through the air as he hit the ground, C.C. falling limp on top of him as her crisp white clothes became stained red. Jeremiah turned toward the source of the attack, his arm cannons primed as he roared with fury. A head of orange hair met his enraged gaze as the frantic man made for the edge of the camp.

"KEWELL!"

He fired a blast from each canon, blowing a hole right through the man as he was sent flying into the forest in pieces.

"Zero!" Kallen screamed as she rushed to her boyfriend's side, but blanched as she saw that it was C.C. that had taken the hit for him, "Oh, no...is she...?"

Knowing better than most that she would be fine in a short while, Lelouch himself was furious that he'd made the girl put herself in harms way to protect him. So he growled and scooped the girl into his arms, and made for the Hammer Head. "Unlock the restraints on my machine!" He commanded angrily, a trail of blood dripping in his wake. "And some one find a way to get that fence-sitting general on the line! Send out the word that if he doesn't answer me, then I'll come barging my way in after I've dealt with Cornelia!"

"Yes, Sir!" Jeremiah saluted, furious with himself for allowing one of his lord's beloveds to come to harm with him on duty. He turned around to the men, barking out orders for them to get to work on the transmission while Kallen hurriedly got to work unlocking the restraints on the large form sitting on the trailer.

She smiled in an almost feral glee as she thought about what her leader was about to do in the machine. And, to be perfectly honestly, it kind of turned her on.

Meanwhile, Zero swept into the medical bay of the Hammer Head, stripping off his mask as he slammed, and locked the door behind him. Laying the prone girl on the table, he started unbuttoning her restraining suit. "Dammit, of all the times for me to let my guard down!" He sneered at himself. Thinking of the consequences of what this would have meant if C.C. wasn't...damnably hard to get rid of, or the simple fact that it could have been Kallen or Jeremiah that took the bullet for him...he was enraged at himself.

C.C. groaned in slight discomfort as Lelouch watched in fascination while the bullet wounds on her body slowly pushed the bullets out without any aid on his part, and closed all by themselves.

Lelouch sighed, "You just can't stop surprising me, can you, Cheri?"

"Mm," the girl groaned, a small, genuine smile coming to her face. Lelouch, thinking that she was coming around, leaned in. What she said next floored him as he drew back, a massive blush on his face.

He took up his mask, and whipped out of the room like a bat out of hell. "Moonbay, make sure she's well taken care of," He snapped as he blew passed the woman, "And get this bird in the air as soon as you can. If one of Cornelia's men could get through, then I do not want to take anymore chances!"

"Yes, Sir!" Moonbay yelped, knowing exactly what kind of mood he was in after seeing the girl in his arms.

Zero strode out of the Hammer Head and made a beeline for his machine.

=x=

Narita Mountain JLF Base

"General Katase, I beg of you, please consider Zero's offer," one of the general's men said, "If we lose you, then what will become of Todoh? Without you, he won't see any point in continuing the fight!"

The general turned to the man sadly, "I am truly sorry, but I cannot, and will not turn my back on this battle," he said, frowning as he surveyed the battle that had taken place three quarters of an hour ago. Zero and his Z-frames had utterly owned Cornelia's forces in the forested areas, and his ground forces that had joined up with Zero's had triumphed, earning victory and honor for themselves.

"Zero, you have lit the fire in my heart once again," he muttered to himself as he watched a strange red Knightmare he had never seen before do battle with Cornelia herself. He turned to his men, "Muster the Knightmare pilots and move out! Zero will not be the only one to win this day!" He roared, "Members of the JLF, prepare for GLORY!"

.

Across the mountain where a truck sat in waiting, one Kyoshiro Todoh gripped his sword tightly, watching the movements of his general, and gave a small smirk, "The general is moving!" He called out to his men, "Four Holy Swords, mount up!"

=x=

Battlefield

The fearsome form of the Brastle Tiger stood proud and tall before the army of Britannia, the red flag of challenge clamped in its teeth. Like its former body, this Tiger was black, yet it was lined with silver instead of red. It also, to Suzaku Kururugi, seemed to be bigger than before, hinting at the possibility of a new arsenal.

The young Knight of the Round hopeful didn't wait for the order to launch, and sped out onto the field, his weapons not yet drawn as he didn't yet know of Zero's intentions.

The masked revolutionary himself stood atop his machine, his cape billowing in the breeze as he waited on his opponent. As Suzaku piloted the Lancelot out, he was quite certain that Lloyd was raging at him from the Camelot trailer, as well as being put on Cornelia's list of potential threats to her sister.

"Suzaku!" Euphemia's frantic voice came onto the line, "Just what do you think you're doing? Return to me at once!"

Suzaku bit his lip, and spoke softly, "I'm sorry, Princess, but it's obviously me he's calling out," he said, recalling his request for an honorable duel between them, "You know that as well as I do."

"That doesn't mean you have to put yourself in danger!" The princess yelled angrily, "Come back! Come back, please!"

Suzaku switched off his communications line, "This will be the first and last time I disobey you, Princess, one way or the other."

Euphemia could believe it. "He...he hung up on me!" She stomped her foot in anger at the boy, "Who does that to a princess?!"

Darlton, and Cornelia were just as surprised as the girl was, but for differing reasons. Cornelia was surprised that Suzaku was willing to risk himself so readily, given that Zero hadn't called out for the duel as of yet, but couldn't deny that she knew what he was after.

Darlton, for his part, was quite surprised as Euphemia was becoming more frantic over the Japanese boy, and had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at her as she stomped her foot in an infantile display. He hadn't seen her like this since...hell, he'd never seen her like this.

Back on the field, Lelouch smiled under his mask as the pilot of the Lancelot, and his old friend, came out to face him. "I'm glad the you remembered my request."

Suzaku nodded at him seriously, "I'll be honest with you, Zero, I don't want to fight you."

Zero gave a small shrug, chuckling, "Then surrender."

"I offer you the same choice," the young man smiled back.

The was a moment's pause between the two before both started laughing. Both of them knew that surrender was off the table as they settled themselves back into the respective cockpits.

Euphemia watched with baited breath as her Knight and the fabled Black Tiger began to circle each other in an age old dance of predator and prey. The gleaming yellow eyes were locked onto the Lancelot as it drew its blades.

"One blast from those cannons, and I'm toast," Suzaku said to himself as the pair circled, waiting for the other to move.

"I won't make the same mistakes again," Lelouch said to himself, watching his friend, "His attack pattern is obvious to me now."

Lancelot sped forward. Slashing down at the Tiger with his MVS, Lelouch bounded back, firing off a round from his back mounted cannons to warn him off as Suzaku retreated. Just as he predicted. He positioned his cannon for the next move as Suzaku maneuvered to avoid a counter attack, only to end up in a frantic dodge to avoid the blast sent his way by the Tiger.

And then the battle truly began.

The Lancelot recovered and sped forward, just as the Brastle Tiger roared and lept at him. The two closed the distance between each other with maddening speed, and clashed in a tangle of blades and teeth.

The Tiger feinted to the left of one of his swords, and clamped down on it with its teeth, wresting it from his grasp as he came down with the other. A quick shot from a shoulder missile launcher gave the Tiger enough time to roll out of the way of his strike as the Lancelot went on the offensive. On open ground, Lelouch knew that the Lancelot was faster than his Brastle Tiger, but he had more fire power in his arsenal.

As the white frame gave chase to the Tiger, Lelouch unleashed all of his missile launchers, homing in on the Lancelot. Seeing the onslaught coming, the white Knight dipped and dodged the missiles as the exploded harmlessly against each other or the ground as they collided.

Thoroughly distracted for the moment, the Tiger doubled back and bounded toward him at top speed, the fangs and claws glowing dangerously bright. Suzaku saw this and drew his Varis Rifle, unloading a shot from the barrel with barely any time to aim. Sensing the danger, the Tiger broke off, making quick use of its agility as the Lancelot tried to get a bead on him.

Forgoing the rifle, the Lancelot sped after the Tiger, the MVS primed for a downward slash as he gained ground on the beast. The back mounted cannons then turned about a full one-hundred-eighty degrees, and fired a blast just as the white frame prepared to strike.

Raising his arms at the last second, the shots slammed into the Blaze Luminous.

Lelouch skidded to a halt as he turned to face the Lancelot, his Tiger growling out a challenge as the smoke around the frame cleared.

Suzaku and Lelouch both gave out a roar as their machines launched at each other again.

The next chapter is the real conclusion of the Narita arc :p

And you guys are correct. The Cardinal isn't through yet.

Leave a review if you liked the chapter...pretty please -_-