Story: Tainted Cube: The Power of Kings

Whew, ran this a little late this week. But here it is! I hope it turned out alright, let me know what you think. It looks pretty damn certain that Haruhi will win the vote this week, so discuss along those lines please.

It was perhaps a little strange that Lelouch didn’t notice the time delay. It was perhaps a little peculiar that he did not pay it any heed. His mind did work in a curiously circuitous manner with thoughts analysing thoughts analysing thoughts so it was something he really ought to have picked up on as soon as it happened, and it should have led him towards a more correct conclusion than the one he reached. Should have. But Lelouch was anything but infallible.

Consider the events in the order they unfolded for a moment to understand what I mean. Lelouch was facing down a rather sadistic squad of soldiers who were prepared to execute him under the misapprehension that he was in point of fact a terrorist (were we being charitable to them) or simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and hey, killing is fun and even more so when the target can’t fight back (were we being more realistic).

Then the next thing he knows the girl that just took a bullet for him starts whispering in his mind about the power of kings. Given his situation, Lelouch figures something roughly along the lines of “Fuck it. What do I have to lose at this point?” and agrees to accept this strange and wonderful power.

The very first thing he does upon regaining control over his senses is to activate that strange power. He looks the soldiers dead in the eye, while a birdlike insignia shines out of his pupil and then he commands them to die. Which they do with great big smiles on their faces. Acknowledge the command, laugh like maniacs, point a gun to their head and pull the trigger. Boom. Splat. And then there was but a single unarmed person standing in the room, clutching his eye in disbelief as all the possibilities washed over him.

At which point he found a strange cube, then was distracted from this fact when the wall opposite him ceased to exist and was replaced by a Knightmare Frame. That sort of thing does tend to grab attention.

Ah, but it was right about then that he ought to have noticed that something wasn’t quite right… But completely failed to. You see, let’s consider what Lelouch knew about his strange power at the moment.

1: He knew how to activate it.
2: He knew that anyone it was used upon would obey literally any command they were able to, even unto their own deaths.
3: It was called Geass, or the power of kings.
4: It was given to him by the green-haired girl just before she died.

And that was it. Not one single useful fact beyond that, like its limitations or how it worked or, hell, anything at all, really. Even so, he had confidently commanded the soldiers to kill themselves almost as though he knew they would do it, which meant that at some level acquiring the power of Geass must confer some basic information about it. Right? So it’s only natural that mitigating factors prohibited his awareness of a related fact: That the cube he had just pocketed was starting to glow, and as it did so further knowledge entered his mind about the operation of his strange new power…

And through the very act of observation, that power began to change quite considerably. Not that he noticed. Not that he particularly cared either way.

<hr>
Now, most people might have been a smidgen intimidated when a giant walking mech decides to take a stroll through a wall in front of them moments after that particular unarmed, unmeched person had caused the deaths of a squad of soldiers that happened to be part of the same military as said mech, particularly if that person happened to be a civilian. As anyone that knew him would attest, Lelouch was not most people.

Even so, this was not a simple situation to defuse. He had hoped he might be able to use this Geass ability to bring the pilot around to his side, or something. But no. Not any luck there, the idea was rather a foolish one considering that he required eye contact to make it work. Well, that was a minor setback at worst. All he had to do was -

“My name is Allen Spencer. My father is a duke. These soldiers were escorting me out of this dangerous place when they were ambushed. Luckily, I was able to hide until now. My identification is in my breast pocket, and once you confirm it I would like you to offer your protection.”

“Nobility?” the pilot spat. Oh, how interesting. Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice? “Stay there with your hands up. No tricks, or you’re dead. Got it?”

Lelouch simply grinned. Her entire tone was about to go through a rather significant change, if his estimations on his new power were accurate. The pilot hopped out, and he quirked an eyebrow in interest. A rather beautiful woman, he supposed. Tanned skin, elegant (currently angry) features, silver hair and a slim, athletic figure that would surely drive the imagination of boys like Rivalz wild. Well, it wasn’t as if Lelouch’s own wasn’t having a little fun as well right now, but he was hardly the sort to let such things distract him from what really mattered.

Once he was sure she was close enough he triggered the ability, and delighted in watching her entire posture undergo a rather dramatic alteration. It was like she completely forgot how to be angry. Her eyes took on a glassy, far-off tint, her posture relaxed, the gun was put away in its holster and she started to walk forward. Still every bit as aggressively as before, but in an entirely different matter.

“So, what’s a cute noble like yourself doing in a place like this,” she asked in a breathy tone. Oh, dear. That predatory gleam in her eyes was a little bit worrying, but no matter! “Why don’t we get you to a safer place and… relax a little bit.”

“That does sound like fun,” Lelouch said. She was completely under his power, too turned on to resist doing whatever he wanted. Just the way he wanted it. Sure, it would only work on a person once, and the effect would fade unless he gave them a whole lot of sexual encouragement, but… Well, there wasn’t much of a downside to it, really. At least when he used it on women. There wasn’t anything wrong with the other team, he just didn’t bat for them.

“Unfortunately, I’m going to find it awfully hard to relax while my own people gun down innocent civilians in the streets. That’s <i>such</i> a turn-off, don’t you think?”

“Whatever you say, big boy!” the woman replied. “Is there anything I can do to make things a little easier for you?”

Lelouch let himself enjoy a little chuckle as the woman draped herself all over him and started to nuzzle into his neck. “I can think of a few things,” he replied. “Here’s what we’re going to do. First, we -”
<hr>
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck and fuck some more. They were so fucking fucked by those fucking fuckers it was not fucking funny!

“Kallen, can the Glasgow still move?” Ogi asked over the radio. Kallen scowled at it, gave a little test to the controls and nodded to herself. Alright. She could do this. She could do this!

“Don’t worry, Ogi,” she responded, sounding a hell of a lot braver than she felt right now. “I’ll be the decoy, while you get everyone out of there. Only us resistance fighters should be caught by them.”

And killed by them. But for bringing this hell down upon innocent civilians, they kind of deserved it.

“I agree,” Ogi replied. “But they have us completely surrounded. There’s no way out.”

Damn. Damn, damn, damn! How the hell were they supposed to get out of this mess? It couldn’t end this way! It just couldn’t! Wasn’t there any justice in the universe? Wasn’t there such a thing as a miracle? No. Of course not. Miracles didn’t come from out of nowhere. Miracles didn’t just happen unless you made them happen, and right now they were in absolutely no position to force such an event. They’d fight to their last breath, and then they would die, and Britannia would loosen its hold on Japan by not one single inch. Kallen gripped her controls all the tighter in spite of that. Fine then. Let it be that way. Giving up solved even less than fighting on. Let their army come in for the kill, and let’s see how many of them walked away unscathed by the end!

It appeared out of nowhere. One of the upgraded Knightmare Frames, descending from the sky like a swooping eagle. Kallen barely managed to leap to the side and launched her counterattack immediately thereafter, but it was effortlessly blocked and her follow-through was dodged almost reflexively. “The bastard is playing with me! Just thirty minutes to go… Dammit!”

And then, despite all expectations… a miracle occurred.

“The west entrance. Use the tracks to reach the west entrance.”

A voice over the radio. Someone she didn’t know. Male. Young sounding. Very confident, a little cocky maybe.

“Who the hell is this? How did you get this code?” she demanded.

“Doesn’t matter right now. You’ll just have to trust me, if you want to win.”

The damning part was, mister mysterious was right. She really didn’t have a choice. If she stayed here, the outcome would be disastrous. Besides which - “To win?” That sounded impossible to her ears. To win? Hah! To survive had been her goal since this whole mess started. She ran towards the tracks at full pelt, and could almost feel the breath of the Sutherland pilot on the back of her neck as she did so.

“Now, leap onto the train!”

She didn’t need telling twice. Kallen willed her Glasgow to soar through the air, and so it landed atop the train. But even this would not be fast enough to ensure her escape, and she turned around just in time to see the lead Sutherland take aim -

Only to be tackled to the side by another Sutherland. Kallen gaped at the sight. What the hell?

“Don’t worry about my friend,” the mystery voice said. “They are more than capable of taking care of themselves.”

“How the hell did you get hold of a Sutherland?”

“I’m a very persuasive person. Now, since you trusted me, you’re gonna win!”

“What do you mean by win? How the hell can we win against these odds?” Kallen yelled. After a moment, there was no response. Silence greeted her, taunted her. Who the hell was this guy? And what was happening with that stray Sutherland?

“Kallen? What was with that radio call a little while ago?” Ogi asked. Well, at least he was safe.

“He called you as well?” Kallen said. “Did he say who he was?”

“No,” Ogi admitted. “But he insisted that we all convene here. I figure, given the superior numbers and technology Britannia has, it doesn’t make sense for them to set a trap like this. So, here we are.”

“Not bad reasoning,” the mystery voice intruded. “I suppose you must be in charge? Take the cargo in this train. If you do as I command, I shall lead you towards victory!”

The train opened up like a birthday gift, revealing state-of-the-art weapons and enough Knightmare Frames to induce drooling from Kallen and more than a few of the other resistance members. Well then. Who were they to refuse such a generous offer? To her ears it sounded like a much fairer trade than anything Britannia would offer them. Now they could really take the fight to them! If this mysterious benefactor was half as clever as he made himself appear to be, maybe they really could win after all!
<hr>
She wasn’t frustrated. No, sir! She wasn’t irate either. No, ma’am! What she was and all she was, was Shirley Fenette. Member of the student council and the swim team of Ashford Academy. She was smart, she was pretty, and she was most definitely not furious at Lelouch’s rude, self-destructive behaviour.

Then her phone rang, and she stared at the number as if daring it to be what it looked like. Oh, you’d better have a good reason for hanging up like that, mister! Then again, knowing Lelouch he’d be able to sweet talk his way out of hell with a single word.

“Lelouch, what in the world have you been up to?” she demanded before he could even say hello. “You’ve been gambling again, haven’t you? Where are you now?”

“Hello to you too, Shirley! Listen, I need you to do me a favour and it’s really important.”

“Well, if it was so important, you could have asked me earlier when I tried calling you! Instead of hanging up like you had no manners to speak of.”

Lelouch sighed rather obviously and she could swear she also heard him roll his eyes. Honestly, that boy! Why did she have to develop a crush on someone so troublesome, so rebellious and handsome and smart and… Oh yeah, right.

“How about if I make it up to you,” Lelouch said. “There was that movie you wanted to see, what if I took you to see that? Would it make up for my rude behaviour?”

Shirley swallowed nervously at the obvious implication. No way. Had he just asked her out on a date? A boy and a girl heading out to the cinema together to see a movie… Yep, sounded like a date to her! Even if the girl had already gone to see the movie with her family yesterday and it turned out to suck harder than a leech stuck inside a vacuum cleaner and the whole family had stormed out halfway through proclaiming the time and money spent on it the biggest waste of both since The Great Taco Festival of ’98. Shirley even remembered swearing up and down that she’d rather scoop out her own eyes with a rusty teaspoon than sit through that again.

“I’ll be there,” she said without a moment’s hesitation. Ah, young love.

“Good,” Lelouch said, and Shirley had to make sure she was stable where she was sitting lest she fall over. That charmer got away with it again. “Now, I need you to check the television for me. The news in particular. I want to know if there’s anything about Shinjuku.”

“Shinjuku…? Why there? You’re not gambling in a place like that, are you?”

“Please, Shirley, it’s urgent!”

Oh, fine then! She slipped to her feet, and approached the television. Apparently nobody particularly minded if she changed the channel, so she did just that. “I don’t see anything much. Just traffic restrictions.”

“I see. Does it say why?”

“I don’t know, there’s no information about that.”

Lelouch was quiet for a moment. Obviously he was thinking about something. It was honestly kind of distracting, and for a moment Shirley thought he had hung up on her again. But, before she could check if he was there, he did finally say “I see. Well, thanks for that. Tell my little sister I’ll be late home tonight. I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks again!”

And then he hung up for real. “Ooh, that jerk!” she screamed. “Not again!
<hr>
It was a strange thing to do battle with Jeremiah like this, but Villetta simply couldn’t help herself. At the moment her thoughts were filled with that boy’s face. His voice. His commanding presence that made her feel so wet even remembering it. She writhed in her seat and drew strength from her arousal. Her master wanted her to distract these Sutherlands, then retreat and hide to await further instructions. So that’s exactly what she did. Drew them away, then turned tail and fled. She normally hated running, but since that was what her instructions had entailed each step away felt like a giant dick pounding her pussy. The only reason she was even able to stay lucid enough to control her Sutherland was because to do anything less would disappoint him, turn him off, while continuing to advance in this manner… Well, it would turn him on even more and what turned him on turned her on a hundredfold!

“Report your position,” his voice commanded over the radio.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t shake them!” she sadly admitted.

“That’s fine, that’s fine. What street are you on?”

“Third Avenue, heading west!”

“Turn south at the theatre, then find a good hiding place for the Sutherland. Then await further instructions.”

“Anything you say, my love!” she declared, leaping forward and in an act of dexterity that would have shocked her previously performed a perfect pirouette in her Sutherland that led her south just as she reached the remains of the theatre.

Moments later hell was unleashed upon the pursuing Sutherlands, providing her all the opportunity she needed to find a place to hide and await further instructions. It appeared that the resistance had taken quite the shine to the equipment provided to them by her master. Just as he predicted. He was simply too smart that way! They never stood the slightest chance, because he was so smart and handsome and brave and sexy, and - And Viletta couldn’t stand it any more. Her hand traitorously traced a line down her chest, down her trim stomach and eventually between her legs. She was so wet down there, and her fingers would never be enough to satisfy the fire burning, burning so brightly inside. Ever since she’d first gotten a good look at him this fire had been lit, and burned and spread and she simply couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to put it out, had to put it out, and so she began to masturbate, and -

There was a knock on the door. “Villetta, are you in there?” her master called. Her hand shot away like a snapped rubber band. She threw the door open and threw herself upon him, tackling his smaller body to the ground with her boundless enthusiasm.

“Did I do well?” she asked, knowing her voice was probably too husky to be understood properly but not caring one iota. “I did just as you asked! Did I do well?”

“Yes, my dear! You did spectacularly. But now, it’s my turn to pilot your Sutherland. You see, while you’ve been serving as a distraction, I’ve been rather busy putting my new talents to good use… And frankly, I don’t think we have time right now for me to fully explain. You seem rather ravenous, and - ah - have a fairly good grip on my penis, it seems.”

“Mmm…” Villetta responded, not particularly listening to him anymore. It was time for her reward. It was time for her to get what was coming her way. It was time to -

“Now, now. Hold on, my dear! Why don’t we make things a little more interesting!”

She blinked and stared through lusty, bleary eyes at him, noticing he was holding a rather sturdy rope. VIlletta blinked in understanding and shuddered. So kinky! She climbed off, held her hands behind her back and allowed him to tie her up. Ooh! She couldn’t help but squirm, especially when he spanked her.

“Are these tight enough?” he asked.

“Yes,” she responded after a moment struggling. “Yes, this appears to be tight enough. I can’t move my hands at all.”

“Tell me how to activate your Sutherland, and I’ll tie your ankles together with what’s left of the rope.”

Through gasps of pleasure she told him everything he could possibly need to know. The key is here, the activation code is this. Ooh, playing captured prisoner and sexy interrogator was such a kinky game to play! It was such a turn-on that she could feel herself growing more warm and wet with each passing moment. It was building within her, building and building until at last she couldn’t keep it in anymore!

“Oh, maaaster!” she screamed, though it was drowned out by the sounds of battle with bullets flying and explosions and screams raging through the air. Villetta’s climax drew out for what felt like forever, with her being peripherally aware of her master climbing into the Sutherland, and then -

And then.

And then.

“Where am I?” she asked. “H-Hey, what’s the big idea! Who tied me up? Let me out of here, right now! Ugh!”

She would spend several hours in this position struggling futilely against the chafing ropes. The weird part was - though she would not admit this even to herself - that something about being bound in such a manner was proving to be a serious turn-on for her.
<hr>
“Are we having a bad day?”

On balance? Any day when you get shot in the chest can’t qualify as a good day. You could win the lottery, find your soulmate, trip up over the answer to world hunger, discover the cure for every disease that plagued humanity and realise that your supposedly long-dead family were alive after all and tearfully awaiting reunion… but if that day ended with you being shot in the chest? Kinda negated all of that good with a squeezed trigger.

Suzaku opened his eyes and found that fact extremely surprising. So too was the momentary pain of his eyes adjusting to the bright light in the room, or perhaps that was the aftereffects of the bullet that knocked him out.

“It appears that you have missed your chance to enter heaven, Private Kururugi.”

Suzaku blinked and turned to focus on the source of the voice. A doctor, perhaps? There was something a little offputting about that grin. Almost like he was a beam of moonlight away from tearing open the nearest throat and lapping up the remains.

“Where? Where am I right now?” Suzaku asked, pulling himself into a seated position. How did he get here? How did he survive?

“Still in the Shinjuku Ghetto,” the doctor said.

“With Prince Clovis nearby, you’re safe as safe can be,” the doctor’s assistant said. “You know, you were pretty lucky. The bullet struck this watch, which was underneath your armour. It saved your life.”

Suzaku nodded solemnly. Alright. So he was alive. But - “Is Lel-” he stopped himself from finishing the question. No. If Lelouch was alive he’d be in hiding. For various unknown reasons he must want everyone to think he was dead, otherwise he would have come out in public and returned to his family. Probably to protect Nunnally. In which case enquiring about him would do nothing to help him if he was alive, and nothing at all if he was dead. Especially if they fell under the mistaken impression that Lelouch was one of the terrorists just because he happened to be in the area! Perish the thought! Lelouch, a terrorist?

<i>“I swear I will destroy Britannia!”</i>

To be a little bit blunt: Shit.

“What’s the latest on the situation?” he asked, trying to move his own thoughts away from the unpleasant possibility.

“It appears that the poison gas has been released,” the doctor said. “Many Eleven casualties have been reported already, and the number is likely to rise ever higher unless we put a stop to these terrorists.”

That much made perfect sense. Though come to think… wasn’t there a girl in that capsule instead of gas? In which case, where did they get the - No. It didn’t matter. They were causing the deaths of Britannians and Elevens alike. They had to be put down for the betterment of everyone. Suzaku knew he had to do something to help, but what could he do all by himself?

“Private Kururugi, have you any experience in piloting a Knightmare Frame?”

When you’ve survived being shot, the only place to go is up. And Suzaku Kururugi was about to fly.

<hr>
You know, it was kind of funny the way the little things get to you. The main force being employed by the Britannians were Knightmare Frames -  Sutherlands to be a bit more accurate - but they were by no means the only force on the ground. There were many, many more foot soldiers who had the vital task of finding unarmed civilians and shooting them in the head. And do you know what the funny part was? None of them had eye protection. None of them had sunglasses or visors. And by now a full third of them were walking around discreetly setting explosives in key locations with big dopey (or creepy) grins on their faces and giant erections in their trousers. It was a shame, really, but they only seemed to last about fifteen minutes before the urge to find somewhere private and rub one out overtook them. Alas, the damage would be long since done and none of them would even remember any of it. Behold, the power of kings.

And Lelouch was only just getting warmed up. While he might have been a little more cautious with Geass were he uncertain of its operation and limitations, given that he knew exactly what it was capable of… Why let a tactical advantage go to waste? Why not turn your opponent’s pawns into your own?

“Oh, Clovis. Your chess skills haven’t improved over the years at all, have they? So easy to lure you into traps just as it always was. Like leading a small boy around a garden by the nose, and making him stumble across every rake hiding in the grass.”

He laughed as the supposedly friendly Sutherlands opened fire upon their Britannian comrades, marvelling at how simplistically they’d been led into an ambush. Yes, that’s right! Not used to fighting on equal terms, are we? No. You just steamroll everything with superior technology without thinking about the tactics. Well then! Let’s teach you a lesson about why that’s such a lousy idea!

<hr>
“Sir, that’s another Sutherland team lost!”

Clovis was brooding. He didn’t like brooding. It was only ever done by those that needed time to consider their situation because it was not going well. Ah, but that was the story of the day, wasn’t it? All seemed fine at first, and then events kept getting worse and worse and worse until he could only look up in amazement at the hole entrance so high above his head. To begin with he lost the girl, and then -

“They have our codes! And our military equipment! Sir, what should we do?”

“This failure is unacceptable!” Clovis yelled. It was a stalling tactic for while he thought about the answer to that very question, but it was a good stalling tactic. Made him seem authoritative, made everyone work that little bit harder under fear of… something nasty they were probably imagining right this moment. “Bring those Elevens back under heel at once! Our codes or our equipment, they are still our inferiors in all other ways!”

“Please, sir, forgive the intrusion,” said a voice off to the side of the room. Clovis turned. Lloyd. Just what he needed. Doubtless come to ask for more money for his projects. “I believe I have the answer. Why not deploy our special weapon?”

“Not now, Lloyd!” Clovis snapped. “This is no time to test a new, unknown weapon when simple strategy will suffice. Now listen! This is what we’ll do. We’ll break formation here, and reinforce the area with my own troops….”

<hr>
Do you know what the real trick to chess is? It’s not strategy. Not really. It’s memory. You see, chess is a pretty damn old game. It has been played by some of the smartest people in history, some of the best strategists and generals and all-around geniuses ever. It’s one of the first games computers were programmed to play. There have been billions of games throughout history and those geniuses have run through damn near every strategy in the game worth considering over the course of that time, and in response to that their equally smart opponents have worked out counter strategies to employ along the way.

What does this mean? Well. It means that chess is not a game of strategy. It is a game of recalling the strategies employed by others. It involves remembering enough to guess at what your opponent is attempting to do, and block it. Or use that knowledge to lure them into a trap. Or perhaps lure them into misunderstanding what you’re really trying to do, and lure them into a trap of your own. All of these strategies have been thought of and considered over the years, and many of them have been recorded for analysis by serious players. Chess is not a game of strategy. It is a game of remembering what others have played before you better than your opponent does.

To illustrate this point a little better, consider any chessboard layout you might like. From that position, no matter which player’s turn it is, there are a finite number of legal moves they may make during that turn. There are even less if the given player happens to be in check that turn, for they are obliged to make a move that removes themselves from check in the first place just as they are unable to place themselves legally in check with any given move.

Ah, but real life was not like chess. An unwary tactician can so easily move themselves into a position equivalent to check on the battlefield. For example, by concentrating their forces onto a single point where they could be disposed of easily.

“A more foolish move than expected,” Lelouch said. He called the girl on the radio. “Do you have a map of the area?”

“Yes,” she replied, “but it doesn’t have any landmarks.

“That’s fine, that’s fine!” Lelouch laughed. “All you need to do is move into the positions I’ll indicate through code. After all, can’t be too careful when the enemy might be listening in.”

He could almost see it now. Clovis hunched over the map, glaring excitedly as he swept his pieces into position around a seemingly helpless queen. Lelouch could hear the baffled proclamation upon realising that the queen was in fact nowhere to be seen at all, but now all of his own pieces were in vulnerable positions where they could be picked off. One by one. Turn by turn. “Where are they?!” he would cry with a sudden crushing realisation that his sweeping strategy had inadvertently put him into check.

“I really can win!” Lelouch said. “Even without Geass, if this is the standard of my opponents then victory is all but assured! I can! I can defeat Britannia!”

<hr>
Clovis tried in vain to control his breathing. No point in seeming flustered at a time like this, no point in showing weakness in a moment like this. He could turn this around. He could maintain his cool and think of a way to win this battle. He could. He would. By day’s end he would have their balls roasted for supper and then all would be right with the world.

“Is your toy ready for combat?” he asked Lloyd without giving him the satisfaction of looking at him. “Can it destroy them?”

“Naturally!” the slimy scientist answered with a bow Clovis could see in the reflection of a window. “And please, my lord, be kind enough to call it by its name.

“Lancelot.”

<hr>
Another push was all it would take. Another push, and they’d be able to leave Shinjuku behind and let Britannia face a crushing defeat. It was just the first battle of a long war, but Lelouch was brimming with confidence right about now. And why shouldn’t he? This ragtag band of resistance fighters were being mauled before he sent down a hand and lifted them up like a guardian angel.

“They’ve sent in reinforcements!” the radio announced. “Four of us have been forced to eject already.”

Reinforcements, eh? Real battle wasn’t like a game at all, now was it? “How many?” Lelouch asked.

“Just one. But I think it’s a new model. It’s so fast, and, oh shi-”

Nothing but static. The noise crackled taunts at him. Thought you were a big shot, did you? Thought you could take down an Empire single handed? You know what cometh after pride, don’t you, Lelouch?

Look at it. You can see it now, can’t you? From your safe hiding position overlooking the street where it can’t reach you. A white Knightmare Frame dashing through the street like a streak of lightning. Bullets deflected, speed unparalleled. Completely unstoppable by anything at your disposal. You weren’t ready, were you? Look at it! A knight mowing down your rooks while you sit up here, safe and sound. So much for sending your king in first, huh? So much for -

…Sending the king in first…

He called the girl. “Listen to me! I have a plan to stop that monster in its tracks, but I need a distraction to make it work. All I’ll need is a minute, then I’ll take care of the rest. Got it?”

<hr>
A minute was a lot more than she could hope to give him, but damned if she’d give up now! The taste of victory was addictive and whoever that mystery voice was had given them a heaping hopeful helping of it. Whoever he was, he hadn’t steered them wrong yet. If he wanted a distraction, by god, she’d give him one!

That was the entire reason she’d decided it might be a good idea to dive through the building. While the momentum had been sufficient to knock the white Frame off its feet, it rolled with the tackle and soon wound up on top. Luckily for her a stray missile struck its shield, which provided enough of a smokescreen cover to wrench herself free - if barely - and try to swing a fist through the damn thing’s smug face. No avail there. It caught the punch effortlessly and crushed her Frame’s hand without even seeming to try.

While she struggled to free herself, another Sutherland attempted a sneak attack - probably where the missile had come from - and was kicked away so hard the pilot felt compelled to eject in desperation. Not a bad idea, particularly when the white Knightmare shot out a cable that sliced off the remaining arm.

“Hope I bought you enough time,” she whispered as she pushed the eject button.

But the funny thing was, while she sailed through the air she swore she could see a Sutherland standing defiantly facing the monster. It looked up to her and gave a thumbs up. No way! It couldn’t be, could it?

<hr>
Alright! With this he could end the battle in a second! It was so powerful! So deadly! Suzaku felt more than a little grateful that he was the one to wield this power. In the hands of anyone else, who knows what horrors they might choose to unleash? This was it. His moment to shine. He would save the remaining innocents by capturing the resistance members, and in so doing advance through the ranks. He would demonstrate that “Elevens” were worthy of equal consideration and change the system from within! He didn’t expect to be provided this opportunity so quickly, but he would not fail to take full advantage of it!

He saw the Sutherland give the escape capsule a thumbs up and somehow knew that before him was the leader of this operation. Come to fight at last, eh? Capture him, and he could easily save Lelouch and the girl! That’s all he needed to do, and then -

Huh. It was a little strange seeing a Sutherland flip him the bird. Even so, there it was. An obvious attempt to rile him up, but really it wasn’t necessary. Suzaku was already rather pissed off about all the senseless death and destruction caused by whoever was piloting that thing. He needed no further aggro, as there was plenty spilling out of him already.

And the chase was on! The Sutherland was fast, but Suzaku was that much faster. He was easily able to gain on it, dodging all of the bullets fired which instead tore into the buildings around him. “Bastard!” Suzaku yelled. “He’s tearing things up for no reason!”

Through the smoke and chaos, through the righteous anger and overwhelming desire to save his old friend there was a sound that struck Suzaku’s soul. It was the sound of a woman. Screaming. Falling just above where he was running. Without a second thought he turned in place and leaped into the air, catching her long before she picked up too much velocity to be suddenly stopped safely. Though admittedly landing on a metallic hand could not be particularly healthy for her either. With the same care one might give a newborn chick, he placed her gently on the ground, and wondered at the strange smile upon her face.

“Th-thank you, kind sir, I… Ooh… I w-wish I could make it up to you, and -”

“Please get to safety at once, miss!” he yelled through the in-built intercom. “This place is dangerous, and - “ And he’d lost sight of the leader. No, he couldn’t give up quite yet. That person had a lot to answer for. Ignoring the rather inappropriate way the woman was touching herself, Suzaku charged off down the street towards where he had last sighted the Sutherland. He had to be here somewhere! He had to -

A shadow fell over him, and suddenly Suzaku had a pretty solid idea where to look. It was a trivial matter to dodge the leaping blow, and even easier to ensnare its feet with his cable. It fired more bullets in a futile gesture of defiance, so Suzaku broke its damned legs. Then as expected the leader tried to retreat in an escape capsule.

“Not so fast! Get back here!” he yelled, whipping out with the cable once again to ensure the jet-powered unit did not flee him like the others did. Oh, sure, he could have probably captured them as well. He could have done that. But if this really was the leader, then he alone could bear the burden of responsibility for this day’s work. For all of this indiscriminate destruction, for all this chaos… He could carry it upon his shoulders. And Suzaku would be known for capturing him. Advancement was practically guaranteed for this day’s -

A gunshot rang out, echoing loudly. It could have only come from one place. The capsule was torn open with the Lancelot’s bare hands, and Suzaku winced at the sight that lay before him. A soldier. A Britannian soldier that had shot himself in the head. The blood and brains were everywhere, but the most disturbing part was the content grin upon his face. No, scratch that. The erection was the most disturbing part. Dear god, why were his trousers down in the heat of battle? The man was even more sick than he thought!

“Attention, all forces! This is Prince Clovis. I order you to cease fire immediately. I repeat. Cease fire immediately. I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area Eleven, hereby command you. All forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You will also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered, cease fire at once. I shall allow no further fighting.”

Cease fire? Did that mean it was over? Suzaku sighed as his shoulders sagged. There was little else to be done here save return to base and engage in the unpleasant task of a military debriefing. What would he even begin to tell them about his encounter with the leader?

<hr>
To say that the announcement of a ceasefire was a moment of joy for the resistance would be rather an understatement. After all, not thirty seconds prior they had been found and held at gunpoint by Britannian soldiers.

For Kallen there was little doubt in her mind. Somehow that mystery voice had gotten to Clovis. Somehow he’d managed to make him surrender. Whoever he was, he was a man of miracles.

“Hey, do we even know who that guy was?” Tamaki asked. “I mean, I have zero idea, you know?”

“I don’t know either,” Ogi said. “But he’s saved our butts today. Still, I don’t much care for the idea of owing our lives to a mysterious benefactor any more than you do. Keep on the lookout for anyone you think it might be, and report back to me when you get the chance.”

<hr>
It had been so easy. Really. Far too easy for someone like him, with a power like this. It was trivial to find someone willing to drive him here (a woman currently giving a pretty thorough blowjob to the guard that was supposed to prevent people like him from meeting Clovis. Funny how they were too horny to do anything but what he wanted.) and even easier to get inside for a little brotherly chat.

“Well, dear brother. I did as you asked. So, how about a friendly hug for all those years we lost?”

Lelouch didn’t shudder, but only because he had pretty good self control. There was something downright wrong about family talking about him that way. Especially with the way he was crossing his legs to hide what would otherwise be a very obvious… No, best not to think about that. Get on with what needs doing.

“You really did well, older brother!” Lelouch said. Clovis squirmed a little and tugged nervously at his shirt. “But there are two other things I want you to do for me.”

“Name them.”

“Tell me what you know about what happened to Mother.”

“I don’t know much. But Schneizel or Cornelia probably know something. Come on, Lelouch, let me take a look at that face of yours. You really did grow into a handsome young man, didn’t you?”

Okay, so there were a few downsides to this Geass thing. He could live with that. “There is one other thing you have to do for me first, brother dear. Close your eyes, and I’ll give you a great big surprise. Okay?”

It was so bizarre seeing a man moan in delight from the simple act of keeping his eyes closed. No matter. It would all be over soon enough. All he had to do was press the barrel of the gun against Clovis’ forehead and try, try so very hard not to enjoy pulling the trigger too much.

In that last regard, Lelouch felt that he failed. Just a little bit.

<hr>
Behold a new and twisted version of the power of kings. How will this affect Lelouch’s plans? How will he alter tactics to accommodate the new limitations of his Geass? Are there other details about it that are still to be discovered? We must find that out the next time we indulge in the <i>Code Geass</i> universe, but for now one of Lelouch’s own desires is about to wreak havoc upon another world entirely. The only question now: Which of these desires is it?

1: For his special ability to be stronger.
2: The safety and happiness of his sister.
3: Free everyone from tyranny.
4: Discover what happened to his mother, and exact revenge.
5: Make a better world.
6: Something else