Hey all, sorry this took so long. Most of this chapter was finished almost 2 months ago now but unfortunately midterms, the flu, writers block, and SATs have gotten in the way of finishing. We'll try to keep the updates far more regular in future. We will probably update once every couple of weeks from now on. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed favrited and or followed, we really appreciate all the support! To the gust reviewer who said "too bad there's no cc..." well here you have your answer. Anyway I hope you enjoy ;) -Fearel

Disclaimer: yada yada yada the only characters we own are the original ones bla bla bla you get the idea ;)

Strike 7 The Witch's Way

"Zero, this is Chiba, there appears to be a large crater between us and the UFN building. Between that and the rubble I can't get a good view of what's going on over there."

"Very well, R2 maintain that position."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to advance and engage the enemy units before they have a chance to target the hostages?! Zero? Come in! Zero!"

Damn that man! Chiba's fist slammed against the side of her Knightmare. Who does he think he is anyway?! He's as bad as the first Zero and about as trustworthy! If he doesn't order an advance soon I'll order it myself! I wish the general were here, but I can't reach him, or anyone else inside the building for that matter. Zero's the only commander left so I guess for now I'm just going to have to follow his orders, but if he's not going to rescue the UFN members I'll do it myself! General, I will save you! I swear it on the graves of the Four Holy Swords!

From the way in which she took them hostage it seems as though Morgouse is afraid to come in contact with them. She probably doesn't want to risk Kallen getting to a Knightmare. Nevertheless she can't stay there, so that means she's going to try to move the hostages. In that case she'll probably try to gas them before moving them. With all the exits closed off it would be easy for the gas to spread quickly but to get it into the building she has to create an opening s which means one of the knightmares is going to have to blast the whole and that could provide just the opening I need.

Still something prickled at the back of his mind, Nunnally! She was in danger, again. Grave danger. One slip up here, the slightest misstep, and after all he had done he could still lose her forever. The very thought was unbearable but he suppressed it. He told himself not to be foolish. This was after all Morgouse, not Schnizle, and he was still the Demon, still Zero. He would not, could not, lose. Not to her, Morgouse, especially not when so much was at stake. Still the fear gnawed at him, it ate into him, deep down where he couldn't reach it. What if, it seemed to murmur to him, what if? What if over this last year you've lost your touch? What if you lose here after all? What if they succeed in gassing Nunnally? What if they managed to escape with her? Stop it, he shouted at himself, I can't lose, not after everything, not her, not Nunnally! He was surprised to find a second fear had awakened deep within him, more subtle, but just as strong. This wasn't fear of his own failure, nor was it fear for Nunnally, this fear, which felt like by physical pain in his chest, this fear was for_.

"Lelouch?" He turned slightly startled to look over at Suzaku. His old friend had sunk into the nearest chair and was still somewhat whiter in the ghost he probably believe Lelouch to be.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, your skill piloting a knightmare is unrivaled except by Kallen. Going into battle would be" a slight smirk curved across his lips as he finished, "a dead giveaway."

Suzaku sighed, "I suppose you're right, I just feel so helpless…"

Lelouch thought for a another moment and then he had it, the beginnings of a plan. Plans had always come easily him. He turned back to Suzaku, "I need to borrow your phone." Suzaku stared at him blankly, "my phone?" "Yes, your phone." He smiled, although Suzaku would probably have called it a smirk.

"I need to contact someone it the UFN building. Morgouse's attack has knocked out the communications systems as well as the rest of the electricity. I hacked into your database yesterday and read though the details on the security plan for the UFN meeting. She's counting on that, and the fact that everyone in the meeting room was required to surrender all personal electronics and metal items including cell phones in the interests of safety before going in. However, as chief of security, Kallen still has hers."

Dammit! Kallen let out a long racking cough. The rock dust was everywhere, in her eyes, her nose, her mouth, everywhere! All around her she could hear other people coughing and choking on the stuff, and that wasn't all. She heard screams, shouts panicked voices, thudding feet, people tripping, people falling, people crashing into each other with sharp exclamations or slamming with sickening thuds into the walls, but all she could see was blackness. She wandered blindly through the chaos, one hand brushing against the wall for guidance, picking up snatches of conversation as she went. "What the…" "Terrorists!" "It can't be!" "Morgouse?" "That's impossible!" "No, this can't be happening!" "What the hell is going on here!?" "Don't panic! try to remain calm!" That was Ohgi's voice. Kallen tried to make her way toward him but she stumbled, tripping over fallen bricks and cutting her knees against the stones jagged edges. As she stumbled forward and her fingers scraped against the ruff wall, she felt something slip from her pocket to clatter against the floor. Suddenly she could see something, a faint glow emanating from the floor. Perplexed she leaned forward, of course her cell phone! She bent to pick it up but for a fraction of the second she wavered, unsure which hand to use, the one brushing against the wall or the one holding her gun. Which was more important to hold on to now? In this darkness which did she need more? Then she noticed a slight wavering of the light, no not a wavering a vibration, a call. With a single desisive movment she shethed her gun and grabed the phone. She spared a glance for the name flickering across the screen. Zero II, "what's going on?" She was so focused on the problem at hand that for the 1st time in almost a year she forgot to be angry at Suzaku.

"Q1, I need you to find Nunnally. There is a homing beacon on her wheelchair. I'm activating it so it should start giving out light. When you find her proceed to the nearest exterior wall you can find. The beacon will alow me to locate you. Wait there and protect Nunnally till backup arrives. The Gurin is still by the back entrance, use the opening to get to it."

"Right!" Then she blinked, "Wait! Are you sure? I can find Tohdoh or Schnizle and they can help you figure out what to do. You don't have to do this alone! Well? Su-Zero?" Silence, Kallen glared down at the phone only to find that the call has ended. "Dammit!" Either Morgouse's attack had disrupted the server somehow or he had gone and hung up on her.

Now what was she supposed to do? Could she trust him to get them out of this mess? That was when the oddness began to hit her. Her 1st response had been an automatic one, an automatic response to receiving orders from the original Zero. Suzaku must have really worked hard on his impersonation skills. For a minute or 2 there his voice had been so similar to Lelouch's that she had actually almost forgotten that it wasn't him. He had sounded confident, like he knew what he was doing. Still, could she afford to trust him? Could she afford not to? "Hey what's that?"

"There is a light, but where's it coming from?"

The voices were coming from behind her. Kallen turned to see the faint red glow which must be Nunnally's wheelchair beacon. As she headed in its direction something else about the conversation sunk in. Since when has he called me Q1?

It was dark. Too dark.

Although that wasn't the thing that bothered her.

She had been in the dark for 11 years, but the fact that it was so sudden was frighting.

Nunnally heard the unmistakable sounds of knightmares outside the UFN building.

She sat up on the platform, the smell of the rubble filled her nose and she heard the sound of people coughing.

"Is everyone okay?" she shouted as loud as she could between coughs and the sound of people panicking.

"I'm okay." Kaguya said from somewhere near Nunnally's right side.

"Is anyone near you hurt?" Nunnally coughed.

"I don't know. I can't see anyone."

A wave of dismay covered Nunnally.

What are we going to do? We're trapped! Who is doing this?

Her thoughts were interrupted when a fluorescent red light glowed from her wheelchair.

"Wha-?" she said then Kallen was beside her.

"Nunnery are you okay?" Kallen asked.

"I'm fine. What's going on?"

"Morgause has attacked, but Zero- Zero has a plan."

She rode in her Gloster, the updated version with wings.

She had worked long and hard for her position as the personal knight to Princess Morgaust Gi Britannia, and was glad to have it, even though it had cost her an unmarked visage.

She stroked a strand of her short, dark hair back behind her ear, passing the long, crescent-shaped scar on the left side of her face.

She had gotten it protecting the princess in a raid. They had been ambushed, and the previous knight was killed. The Princess herself had almost lost her life… had it not been for Ursula.

She had jumped in the way, causing the enemy to knock into her knightmare, shattering the glass.

Afterward the Princess had honored her and had promoted her to personal knight, seeing her true loyalty.

So when the Princess wanted to restore the former Glory of Britannia, Ursula Stoneburger was very much obliged to assist.

She turned her turquoise eyes back to the screen, and turned her mind back to the task at hand.

"Hurry with setting up that elevator! We need to have this done now!" Ursula shouted into the radio system.

They were on a hurried schedule. They needed to get the large warehouse elevator positioned properly so that they could use it to transfer the hostages to the tunnel floor as quickly as possible. She had two Knights of the round with her and the guard of Sutherlands they had brought was fairly large but Cornelia's forces were stationed in Japan for the duration of the conference. If one of the lower-ranked Black Knight commanders who hadn't been inside the UFN building coordinated with them and ordered a charge then the shear mass of forces could still meeting trouble.

Suddenly a voice broke over the radio.

"*crackle* "there are knightmares on the other side of the building. The knight of two has just moved to engage them. They appear to be Gloucesters."

"The Glaston Knights, just as expected. The Princess said that they'd probably try something even without a leader."

"Ma'am Lady Grenwald's forces are being driven back!"

That bitch, how did she manage to become the knight of two anyway? Her skills are only average at best.

That idiotic knight of 12 could have beaten her.

"Send reinforcements. Sir Raymondson and I can cover this side ourselves."

"Yes ma'am."

"When will we throw in the gas?"

"I'm moving into position now."

Not but a minute later, the briefly silenced radio crackled to life.

"Ma'am it's Princess Cornelia!"

Cornelia? What is she doing here? She should be trapped inside the building with everyone else!

"Capture her alive!" Ursula shouted into the radio. The Princess would be pleased to see her greatest foe served up to her on a silver platter.

"Yes Ma'm"

A brief moment passed when suddenly the radio crackled again.

"Ma'am! Cornelia's forces aren't alone! There's a new knightmare over on the other side of the building! It's- *crackle*"

Who is it? the Black Knights should be too disorganized to attack! Zero is inside!

Isn't he? who was sent?

"Who is it?!" she screamed into the radio.

Static greeted her respond.

Ursula began to drive to the other side when suddenly, a knightmare entered her line of vision.

It was the Mordred.

Ursula attacked. The Mordred evaded her knightmare's first attack, then began to charge its hydran cannons.

As the first shot was fired, Ursula dodged sideways and was barely scratched… but just barely, another inch and she would have been dead. The building behind her however was not so lucky, debris fell from it's now shattered frame, and a large hole now was where a few offices once were.

"That's enough Anya. Remember your job is to keep the flight enabled models distracted and on the ground until Lord Jeremiah is ready to enact phase 3, that's all."

"Very well." Anya shifted her concentration back to the battle and Lelouch relaxed ever so slightly.

We can't afford an all-out battle here. There are too many civilians nearby not to mention the UFM representatives. Any or all of them could be killed if a stray blast accidentally hit the building. Far more importantly Nunnally's still in there, if this turns into an all-out battle there is a high probability that she could be killed. I can't take that chance. Besides I can't even guarantee that we'd be able to win. Cornelia and her forces can handle the Gloucesters and Sutherland easily but the problem is those flight enabled units. Two of them are Knights of the round and the third one's probably on a similar level. Whereas the only knightmare pilot we have on that level at the moment is Anya. Orange should also prove a match for them but, while he may be flying Rakshata's latest prototype it's far from finished. The basic systems running and she managed to hooked hope some of the other functions into his mechanical parts but the majority of the weapons are still in the development stage and they haven't even tested the new energy wings so there's no guarantee that it can remain airborne for any length of time. With Kallen and Tohdoh trapped inside the building we're at a serious disadvantage. That's why our goal has to be to end the battle quickly and before they can gas the hostages.

"Lelouch?" He turned back to Suzaku. "If I can't help, at the very least can you tell me what you're planning?"

His old friend looked as though he'd aged greatly in the past year. The cold determination that Suzaku he had exhibited throughout the Requiem had turned to a mix made up of equal parts pain and exhaustion. Unconsciously Lelouch's free hand to the spot between rib cage and stomach where Suzaku's blade had pierced him.

Despite the the mark I now bear, since we last met Suzaku, it seams that you may well have suffered the grater pain.

Allowed he said, "the enemy's main forces is massed directly in front of the building. They believe that all of upper-level military command staff are inside the UFN building. Nevertheless with Cornelia in residence Morgouse will no doubt be aware that the Glaston Knights are also in residence and will expect them to try and rescue their commander. In addition this happens to be the Black Knights mane base so it only stands to reason that they will also attempt a rescue mission. There for when the Glaston Knights appear on the west side of the building our enemy won't be overly alarmed. However they'll be expecting an unorganized mob and they won't be expecting Cornelia to be with them. Therefore she should be able to keep the majority of their units distracted. Her task will be to annihilate their forces while allowing Anya and Orange to commence the next stage of the operation."

WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?

You know very well what she's doing here, she's keeping you occupied!

I have to get out of this fight!

"Why you…." she muttered under her breath, she raised the knightmare's arm to strike, but then the Mordred stopped the arm and held Ursula's knightmare.

She managed to free her knightmare's arm when suddenly there was a blast from the other side of the building. Within seconds she saw people escaping the UFN building, led by none other than Kallen Kozuki, the pilot of the infamous Guren, and Zero's personal ace.

"Once Jeremiah blasts a hole in the west side of the building it's collapse should occurs slowly enough that all of its occupants can escape. The only exception to this will of course be Nunnally that's why I had Kallen locate her and position her by the wall. Cornelia's forces will of drawn the enemy away to the other side of the building so that when Orange breaks through he will be only a few feet away from Nunnally and will be able to shield her from any remaining enemys as well as the collapsing building. Since as far as he's aware my sister is the only remaining descendent of Lady Marianne he will consider it his duty to shields her at any cost."

"The fleeing UFM members will be heading directly to where Chiba's forces are located."

Lelouch nodded. "Precisely."

"You really do have this all figured out don't you?"

He smiled. "Oh, and one other thing."

"What?"

His hand reached across his chess bored for his most powerful piece. "With a castle to shield the White Queen, the Black Queen is free."

Kallen dashed for the rear of the building. Behind her she could hear the shattering crash of falling masonry, the shouts of the newly freed UFN members, and the clash and scream of battle. Questions buzzed though the back of her brain. Who was that pilot just now, the one who rescued us? That knightmare over there, that's the Mordred! What's Anya doing here? I thought she was in California with Orange. Suzaku, what are you up to?! You're not him! No matter what you do, I know you and you're not a schemer. That voice just now though, was that really Suzaku? It sounded just like him. How are you doing this? Did he leave instructions? Or are you just figuring this out on your own?

Kallen shoved all her questions to the back of her mind. Later, she could deal with her questions later, now it was time to fight!

She leapt into the Guren's cockpit and pulled the key from around her neck. Before she could so much as place it into the ignition however there was a thud as something slammed into the Guren. she was thrown sideways and the key was knocked from her hand. It flew upward and out of the still open hatch. Reflexively Kallen lunged sideways and grabbed it out of the air. Something about the spontaneous motion of her arm and the site of the key falling into her hand sparked a memory. "The Guren mark 2 is yours now Kallen."

She shook her head trying to clear it. Over the last few days the memories that had bin eating her alive over the past year had growing much stronger. Now she couldn't even close her eyes without seeing his face, without hearing his voice, without watching him die.

Frantically she tried to blink away the memory. Fool! Let yourself become distracted now and you'll only end up joining him! To which another part of her brain responded, so be it then. Maybe it's for the best. Maybe I'll be able to see him again.

"NO!" She thrust the key in the ignition and slammed the cockpit close around her. Not yet! You cannot rest yet! Not until everyone of these damned Britannia rebels are wiped off the face of the planet and his legacy is restored!

For the second time something slammed into the Guren, knocking it sideways. She turned toward her unseen attacker. The Knightmare she faced was red streaked with white and it bore a white float system. An 8th generation frame, a knight of the round! She lunged forward lashing out with the radiant wave serger. The knightmare dodged backward just out of her reach. A blade flashed out at her but her other arm deflected it easily. The knightmare opened fire and she raised the radiant wave serger to diffuse the blast. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another knightmare lunge forward, another flight enabled model. Still blocking the first nightmares fire, she turned to meet her new opponent but the Mordred intercepted it, driving it backward.

Ursula attempted to have her knightmare attack again, but once again she was stopped in her tracks by the Mordred. She was no match for the former knight of six, and it would take a while for the other knights of the round that had come on this mission to reach her.

She knew the princess would not be pleased, but she had no choice, she had to retreat.

"All Britannian Restoration followers! Retreat! I repeat, by order of Ursula Stoneburger, personal Knight to Princess Morgause, Retreat!"

The knight of 5 had come and begun to fight Lady Anya Alstreim, freeing Ursula of her battle, she began to speed toward the hole in the ground, when she caught a glimpse of a man running away from the crumbling building.

Any hostage was better than no hostage.

She snapped him up in her knightmare frame's hand. (her knightmare had gotten some of the newest advancements, including arms with hands) From there, she sent an urgent radio message to the other units.

"Catch any hostages you can on your way back to the hole. Be quick, as soon as we get a majority down there, we're collapsing the tunnels. If you aren't down there, expect to be a hostage."

She made the last part up, collapsing the tunnel was necessary, now that the Glaston knights forces were on them, as well as the black knights, it was a precaution to be sure that they weren't followed.

She carefully headed down the hole, with the blonde man in the knightmare's hand, carefully trying not to injure him, and delivered him to the small party of soldiers waiting down there who bound him.

The Princess would not be pleased, but they could always try again, Zero could not hold out forever.

She looked over at the man she had captured, illuminated in the beam of light cast by the underground flood lights attached to her knightmare. The light shone over robes of dark purple and white, white gloves and blond hair, before coming to rest on purple eyes that were oddly vacant.

She looked up at the sky as she sat in the local park. She had seen the explosion and heard the news, yet none of it was important to her.

Many of the people had deserted the park to go see the scene unfolding down the street.

She had come back with him. She was curious about what he would do. She knew that he wouldn't sit by idly and watch his sacrifice be in vain. But he didn't need her.

She had saved his life, and had bin far from grateful, telling her how it had ruined his plans. His anger eventually subsided. They had been moving from town to town recently. Every few weeks, they moved to a new location, never giving their real names. He hid his face well, whether it was wearing a hat or a pair of sunglasses, he was never recognized.

But since he had come back, she knew that he wouldn't be able to stay hidden for long. He would tell others eventually, despite the consequences, nothing could keep him away from his sister for very long, and despite her well meaning ways, she would tell the world who he was, and compromise his undercover life.

She loved him like a brother, if she'd ever had one. In the past year they had become even closer, and behaved more like siblings, but recently he had been growing distant. And she knew even if he wasn't revealed, he would never come back.

And if he did, she knew that one day, he too would die and leave her alone again. He would never fulfill their contract, and she would never ask to. She cared about him too much.

So that's what she was doing sitting in the park.

Waiting.

Waiting for another person to come and make a deal with her.

Someone else, who wouldn't break the contract, and would fulfill her greatest wish.

And there she spied him.

A young man with light brown hair, about nineteen years old, sat nearby. He was sitting and staring off into the distance.

She could feel his desperation and feel the ambition that he had, but she also saw the feeling of uselessness in his mind as the expression of hopelessness and defeat reflected on his face.

Perfect

Credits:
Nagisa Chiba- Fearel
Lelouch Vi Britannia- Fearel
Kallen Kozuki- Fearel
Nunnally Vi Britannia- ArtemisKey
Ursula Stoneburge- ArtemisKey
CC- Artemiskey

Next Time: Strike 8: The Princesses Court

So, any thoughts?