Deal

"Why did you join us? Aeroplane?"

The man looks at the child. Still in his teenage years, hiding his face in the darkness of the attic. It's appearance hardly maintained with cobwebs and dust accumulated around the house. Falling apart with the peeling mouldy paint. The furniture seemed antiquated, rather dated for 2104 amongst the electronics that laid dormant from the 2090s. All purposely broken and taken apart with nothing but broken panels remaining. Around the room laid the traps of his own making. Explosive detonators attached to the door. A precaution of medieval origins.

He turns to his issued walkie-talkie, hardly ignoring the giant experimental weapon he had been assigned with. Fitted with an explosive shell and a small laser cannon. Designed to look like a boxy grenade launcher with a slim design and stings without being seen or heard. A sniper rifle that could only be used once. He sighs, shaking his head at the gun with white panelling and black lining. Unable to understand why the weapon is to be used. But then again, he could tell it had been stolen. Just like all of their equipment the terrorist organisation, Lelouch.

"Just trying to find purpose..."

His smile waned, frustrated at himself after all he had done. Escaping to Britain and revoking his own identity to hide from the slaughter of his parents. Unable to prove to them why his sister is taken. Why is he not accepted into the family just as much as his sister. Still unseen till this day. He is worried, he could hardly do anything to save her in a country of dirty secrets. Perhaps his answer would be found with the deaths with the death of their ambassador right in London. Constantly hiding amongst their masks like clowns.

"The target is arriving. Do what you gotta do."

Within his scope, a crowd gathered around the town hall. All wearing fancy clothing and news equipment. Awaiting the men arriving out of the building like a pack of hounds, only held back by the large number of armed guards that stood by the group. Ambassadors to multiple nations alongside their target. Still murmuring among themselves with the files on their hand. From what he knew, they had finished talks regarding the distribution of resources around the European nations. Gathering a bunch of armed personnel and snipers across the district. People who would kill him in a heartbeat if not from his spot, 20 kilometres away.

He looks at his palms, adjusting his aim. Gulping beneath his breath. He is not skilled with a sniper rifle. Hardly able to use melee weapons if not for his surroundings. Though he couldn't help but remember how his rifle functioned, so easy to use that even a child can handle it. If what they said was true...

"Oi! Shoot the target! He is about to enter the vehicle!"

He jumps slightly, pulling his mind back to speed. Spotting his target moving ever closer to the giant armada of armoured vehicles which had arrived in droves. All with the flags of their respective nations amongst the bright blue and red flashing lights. Blindly following orders like a puppet. Just like the rest of the people in his country. Just like his parents. He fumed, nudging the trigger as he began his rampage, closing in on his target. A young blonde man with friendly mutton chops. Still a buff horse from the military with his side swept hair cut. A man with a plan. But yet as he looks amongst the crowd, he couldn't move his now trembling hand. Frozen from reality.

"W-What... is... this... feeling..."

Peering into the scope. He could feel his face fluster, breaking into cold sweat from his endeavour. Stuck to watch the man begin to enter the vehicle amongst the armed men, teasing at their superiority.

"Oi! OI!"

The man on the mike yelled on the walkie-talkie, slamming down in frustration as the mike screeched, left with only the murmurs of their peers and the beeping of a computer. Screeching the rifle to life with a nudge from the trigger.

"What the..."

The large shell propelled forward, disguising itself into the bright lights of the city like a bird in the night sky. Behind it, the fiery laser cannon exhaled with eagerness, though it seems to be firing nothing but a heat wave. He looks closer into the scope, trying to spot the laser but he only see the shell flying high like a bird.

"Unless..."

The shell tears itself apart, hardly making a sound upon it's designated range as it fell apart onto the top of the building. Ignored by the snipers stationed there, still ignorantly watching the usual successful events. He raised his eyebrows, unable to understand what was going on. Wasn't it a weapon? An all powerful sniper rifle with incredible range?

"W-W-WHAT?"

The sniper staggered back, looking down below at the mortifying sight. Ambassadors, law enforcers and ministers dropping like flies from all different angles one by one. Frustrating the snipers who can't ascertain their attacker. Their blood sprayed into the air, staining their tainted innocence. Filling the floor in a pool of blood amidst the purple static lightning which tore apart the lights and tore open the pipelines with a loud explosion. Terrifying the civilians, scrambling to safety. Armed law enforcers stormed out in a yell and scream, their rifles and pistols at the helm, storming through the dark bloody streets with futile efforts in a bid to find their invisible perpetrator and enforce calmness amongst the violence. Irked by their sight. Looking upon the district now flooded with tainted blood and flesh. A historic failure.

He lowered his scope, falling back onto the ground. Horrified at what he had just done. He thought the weapon was to kill just one target. Not the others... He thought he could do this, the murderer of his own family who was hardly fazed by his actions. Yet with this, all he could do is take in the blame with a wide eyed stare. Knowing how in this situation, they would simply pin him as a scapegoat with it's data erased. What does murder really mean?

"It seems to be a boy... most likely related to one of the members of that project..."

He looks back at the scope, spotting a cyborg child moving about. About the same age as Sylvie, his movement was visibly clunky, seemingly not used to the setup he is in. Despite this he pointed directly towards his view, fully capable of spotting him. Acknowledging the man behind the scope with a hauntingly unfazed wink. Behind him, a middle-aged Japanese man wandered out, patting a girl by his side, possibly just as deadly as the cyborg with her cold emerald eyes. Though she seems to be looking away from the cyborg, filled with guilt amid her healing scars.

"Hmm... finding our perpetrator might be easy after all..."

The middle-aged man smiled, patting the cyborg as he looked back at Victor with a gleeful smirk. Staring back at him with an uneasy look in his eyes. A creepy blue trench of deep thoughts and dark secrets. He had been compromised. He is a murderer.

"Hey man! Sorry bout that, we don't blame you on this, such things usually happen! We'll teach you on this later. Call this a success eh? Aeroplane? Aeroplane? Josh Birmingham?"

He couldn't be bothered to hear whatever he has to say. If they really cared. Ditching his weapons, mike and footwear for boots, he clambered down into the sewers. Turning his back every moment in a dash to safety. He couldn't trust them anymore, for firing at their own terms. He is unsure what he is going to do. But with all of those men dead. Only one thing stands between him and redemption. War.

He was right.

"It's interesting you know?"

He looks back at his target, one of the machines Leroy claimed to be able to stop the invaders. Yet with all of the secrets spewing out of his bag, he could only look on and snarl. Attempting to hold back from attacking literally within Eddy who seemed to have a mind of his own. Laughing upon the truth of Phantom Pain. His painful secret.

"WOW. That is your secret? The fact that you are considered one of the supers surprises me! You are one very interesting guy to kill!"

He slouched back, moving away from the controls and hiding his face, panicking beneath his feet with sweat blurring his vision of the mech in front of him, hiding it's sword and crossing it's hand. It's face smug with evil glee. Happy it is playing right into his plans.

"But even then, I rather have a duel with you personally instead of a fellow stranger..."

His nerves calm, still unsure of his intentions which clouded his mind. Though as he looks at the monitor, he could tell his opponent seemed frustrated by his words. Gritting his teeth without remorse.

"E-E-EXCUSE ME! YOU DARE INSULT MY MECH, CTHULHU LIKE THAT?!?"

The Cthulhu ripped out a giant black sword from it's back, filled and charged with dark lightning surrounding it's grip. Lunging at the white knight without thought, watching his every move as a large silver medieval sword greeted him in defiance.

"Now Victor, I'll give you two options. Agree to my duel or I'll leave you with that mad Scary Beanstalk. I believe your sister would love option two isn't it?"

He gritted his teeth, sneering at the monitor in silence. He looks at his shaking palms, suppressed with fear. His only tools. His only lifeline after all of the trauma he made. His burden and his redemption.

"That is if the government allows you know... The deal is on."

Eddy's voice boomed in the cockpit, smug and happy at his response. Listening to the sighs of Victor who grabbed the helm of the controls of his mech once again, pushing the mech to the to the side. Readjusting the sword to face their opponent. Still staring down with contempt.

"Now then... lets get the show on the road..."

They charged, clashing with their swords, bursting the sky open with a gush of lightning and steam. Exerting so much force that the nearby Metal arthropods disintegrated from their battle. Splintering the peaceful sky into a burst of orange bubbles. Turning the sky crimson red. Leaving everyone in the vicinity awestruck. The battle of the minds.