Black Knights

Lelouch p.o.v.

After borrowing the media van from the camera crew monitoring the Hotel hostage situation I was standing onto of the van with Ohgi and the others inside to try and meet with the JLF to rescue the hostages for my own purpose.

The only obstacle in the way of my plan was Cornelia.

Would she let me pass or gun me down?

It all hinged on my sister Euphemia being among the hostages.

As the van slowly made its way towards the Britannian blockade, Britannian troops, knightmares, and lights surrounded us.

There was no escape; the only way to get out of this was to go through with my plan.

As the van reached the remaining bridge a group of Gloucester's moved to block the bridge.

Emerging from the lead machine with the elaborate headpiece was none other than my older sister Cornelia Li Britannia.

Cornelia as much as I would love to get you back right now, you're more useful to me alive.

If you do what I predict, I won't even have to use my geass.

"Well, we meet Zero again. Are you a member of the Japan Liberation Front or are you here to help us, regardless our concerns take priority over yours at the moment. And so for the death of my half-brother Clovis, I shall take me revenge right here!" Cornelia declared as she raised her gun-sword at me.

"Cornelia, which would you choose? Clovis, who is dead or Euphemia who is alive?"

My question got a response at mentioning Cornelia's little sister.

It seems my suspicions have been confirmed; the first task at hand has been completed.

You've always doted on sweet little Euphemia, that's why you won't take aggressive action.

"It's in my power to rescue her."

I was going to repeat myself when I heard movement from behind me

"Come now sister let the man pass."

I felt a chill go down my spine at hearing a familiar voice say those words.

Looking behind me I saw the source of the voice coming from the top of another knightmare.

This one I recognized as my brother Claudius' personal Knightmare Merlin flanked by two Gloucester from presumably his own forces.

Standing out of the cockpit in his blue and gold pilot suit, he peered down at me.

His gaze was piercing and seemed to pass through my mask and looked like he was peering into my very soul.

The strange thing was that his expression wasn't full of hate and anger like Cornelia. He had a scrutinizing look, as he seemed to analyze everything he saw.

"Claudius, what are you doing?" Cornelia broke my brothers stare as he shifted his judging eyes towards our older sister.

"I heard the infamous Zero had shown up and I wanted to see him for myself, and if he offering to negotiate for the release of the hostages then why not let him through."

What's his game, I expected some resistance by Cornelia, but assistance from Claudius.

Cornelia was quiet for a while then lowered her gun-sword and told the Britannians to stand down.

As the van moved forward towards the hotel over the bridge, I kept looking forward to keeping my composure while I had broken into a cold sweat over meeting Claudius again.

I couldn't quite explain it, but the feeling I got from my older brother Claudius was unnerving.

No matter Claudius and Cornelia will be dealt with another time.

The guards at the gate began opening the gate.

Excellent, now the JLF will accept me as their ally or treat me as nothing more than a nuisance.

But I don't think they can resist a meeting with the infamous Zero.

Suzaku p.o.v.

I was in Lancelot's cockpit watching the hotel on Lancelot's fact spheres.

Although I wasn't paying much attention to the building, instead I was thinking about what Prince Claudius said.

His words held wisdom and made sense to me.

But ever since I saw his men chasing Euphie when I first met the princesses I had a suspicious feeling about the enigmatic prince.

It was like he was always hiding something.

And even if the JLF is fighting to help the people and those they love nothing will change if they go about it like this.

Especially when they kill innocent people, by throwing them from the roof of the hotel.

Though the prince seems genuine in his words and beliefs. The way he speaks of changing things for the better, I had a feeling that he won't compromise his beliefs for anything or anyone.

I knew that kind of thinking was dangerous, but I couldn't deny that what he spoke of sounded appealing, but for now I have to continue along my own path and when I've exhausted every possibility then maybe I'll help the prince change things.

"Ah ha, I want to thank you for that wonderful order! Good news Lancelot your orders are to charge right into that linear cannon." Lloyd said gleefully.

"Wait you can't be serious, Suzaku could get killed!" Cécile was quick to voice her displeasure.

"Miss Cécile please, if it will give the hostages any chance to be rescued then I'll do it."

Not soon after my statement, the Lancelot was lowered into the tunnel to charge the linear cannon and take it out along with the hotel's supports with the new rifle from Prince Claudius called ARES.

As I prepared to launch, I was thankful that my friends were not caught up in this mess, but I still had to focus to save the hostages.

"Lancelot M.E. boost, now launching." I shot off, charging the linear cannon hoping that I could help save the people held hostage before its too late.

Lelouch p.o.v.

After being met by the JLF, I was ushered to meet the leader of the hijackers one Lt. Col. Kusakabe.

While I was distracting the JLF, Oghi, and the others would secure the hostages and plant the explosives according to my plans.

Upon meeting Kusakabe, I was far from impressed.

The man was truly a patriot for Japan. However, he also was an idiot.

He had accomplished nothing by taking the hotel, no prisoner releases, no tactical victory, nothing that could be measured instead he wanted to let the world know that the Japanese aren't dead yet.

Humph, not today but the JLF will be dead in not too distant the future thanks to you.

I'm sure my sister will not let the JLF get away with this, but back to the matter at hand.

"How stale, you people are obsolete."

My remark on the JLF's motivations didn't go over well with all of the men in the room, but Kusakabe was interested in my meaning so I elaborated.

"Your fight and struggle are pointless if you fight the Britannians like this. Terrorism can only take your resistance so far, and the moment you took over this hotel you doomed every man under your command to die."

"Why you!"

Kusakabe seemed to be turning red now because of how angry he was, all he needed was one push over the edge.

"When the JLF crumbles under the full weight of the Britannians they will curse the name Kusakabe as the man who destroyed the last hope for Japan."

"ZERO, there's no point in talking anymore!"

That had the desired effect as Kusakabe leaped at my with a sloppy sword strike.

Now I had my chance to geass everyone in the room, so I revealed my left eye from my mask.

"DIE!"

The command was simple but had the desired effect.

Kusakabe and his bodyguards all killed themselves either by seppuku or a gunshot to the head.

"Lt. Colonel!"

A soldier from outside came to check on things, I shot him in the shoulder to avoid him from opening fire.

"Calm yourselves, the colonel, and the others all committed suicide after realizing how useless this operation was."

I then noticed my younger sister Euphemia among the group of soldiers.

"Euphemia, you were willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of the commoners you haven't changed."

Suzaku p.o.v.

I dodged another barrage using Lancelot's agility and blaze luminous as I made my way down the tunnel.

My progress was stopped and go as I was made my way forward down the tunnel towards the cannon.

Another shot from the cannon was incoming so I raised the blaze luminous shielding on the left forearm of Lancelot to take it.

"Yes, it can take this level of destructive force!"

If the shields hold, I can get close enough to take out the cannon.

But as I neared the linear cannon the tunnel was getting narrower as I came upon the choke point where the cannon was placed.

To make matters worse, the cannon deployed its secondary guns to try and take me out.

"Miss Cecille its time for me to use the ARES."

"No, you could get killed."

She was right, it was risky, but I don't have much of a choice.

"There's no more room for me to evade I risk getting blasted to take the first shot!"

Coming out of the smoke from the last cannon shot I leveled the ARES rifle at the cannon's barrel.

I had to focus, as I would only get one chance for this to work.

So I aimed at the cannon as we both fired on each other.

Euphie p.o.v.

After seeing the soldiers starting to lash out on the hostages, I had to stand up and try and keep the rest of them safe.

So I told them who I was and told them to take me to their leader.

I was lead to a penthouse that their commander was staying in.

As I stood outside the door gunshots were heard from inside.

Inside was Zero standing among the JLF, who all seemed to have committed suicide or so Zero said.

To make matters worse, Zero wasn't alone.

A group of people in all black, most likely his accomplices had everyone at gunpoint.

Surprisingly he called me out by name and lauded my efforts to protect my fellow hostages.

Now I was face to face alone with Zero, the man who killed my brother Clovis, and the reason my sister and me came to Japan in the first place.

Please, brother, sister, let me be as strong and brave as the two of you as I face our brother's killer.

"I heard you're the sub-viceroy now your highness, Princess Euphemia Li Britannia."

Zero spoke casually standing among so many dead bodies like they weren't even people just a few moments ago.

"It's not an appointment I'm particularly happy with," I said in a guarded tone putting up a front to hide my emotions.

"No, that's because Clovis was murdered, that was my handiwork."

I flinched at his remark.

"He begged pathetically for his life till the very end, he pleaded with the same tongue that ordered the deaths of elevens."

I had to scowl to hold my composure, I wasn't made aware of what my brother did to warrant him being killed, but hearing the truth was painful.

"Is that why you killed my brother?"

"No."

"Then why?" I demanded.

"Because he an offspring of the Britannian Emperor."

I froze, is that why, then is he going to?

"You are one of his children too aren't you?"

Zero raised the gun to aim at me and I felt like time had stopped for me, Clovis it seems I'll be seeing you soon.

Claudius p.o.v.

After showing up and seeing Zero off in Merlin, I decided to pull back and allow Cornelia and the others to stand around waiting for something to happen.

Inside the hanger of the G-1, I was sitting inside my knightmare with the cockpit open.

Thinking always seemed easier when I was inside of a knightmare so it became a habit for me to reflect or meditate on things inside of Merlin.

I was reflecting on seeing Lelouch again after seven years.

I couldn't say our reunion had any special feelings.

After all these years of fighting on my own for this moment, I guess I've become jaded about waiting for him to make his move.

Following the script, as I knew it was exhausting, but my advantage would disappear the moment I go off it and I can't do that until I have enough power.

Which hopefully in the not to distant future I will have.

I just needed to play along with things until the end of R1 then I can make my move.

"Check."

Mary's voice brought me out of my conspiring thought as she had Naoto on the ropes in a chess match.

They were playing on a makeshift table in the hanger with many engineering personal betting on the outcome.

Strange as it was Naoto thought he could defeat her in a mental game since he lost the physical one not to long ago.

However, his plan to defeat my personal knight seemed to be backfiring as he was losing to Mary from what I can tell from my view of the chessboard from Merlin's camera.

I was never a fan of Chess, even if it as promoted and considered a national pastime.

Growing up I saw no point in trying to beat my brother Schniezel who was considered a master chess player.

I was more like Cornelia than my older brother, in the way that I was a man of action who had to be in thick of things but growing up the younger brother of Schneizel I learned the value of planning and politics.

So no matter the battles to come, I was ready to fight whatever fate threw my way.

"Checkmate."

A roar of cheers rang out as Mary claimed victory from a shocked Naoto.

I smiled as moments like these made the fighting worth it.

Small insignificant times where people could just be people and enjoy life instead of worrying about being soldiers, or in my case worrying about the fate of the world and the future of humanity.

BOOM!

The sound of an explosion shook the air and could be heard even from the hangar.

So Suzaku must have succeeded in destroying the cannon.

I got out of Merlin and made my way towards the bridge of the G-1 to see the events to come.

As I made my way up Mary and Naoto had abandoned any thoughts of a rematch and swiftly followed me.

Upon reaching the bridge, I saw Suzaku in the Lancelot as he used his ARES rifle to take out the supports of the hotel.

However, as the hotel was sinking explosions riddled the hotel as the explosives that Zero planted had detonated.

Everyone on the bridge was in shock over the hotels sudden explosion; even my normally stoic knight was caught up in the frenzy.

While I just waited for the dust to settle and watched for what I knew would come next.

Sure enough, a yacht crept out of the smoke along with several lifeboats with the hostages on them.

Then the G-1 picked up on a broadcast coming from the camera's he stole.

Zero's face lit up the main screen in the G-1 as well as many others all across Japan.

"My dear Britannians have no fear, all of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound, I Zero return them to you unharmed."

Sounds of relief and scorn could be heard in the air as people were glad that the hostages were saved and angry that Zero was the one who saved them.

As the yacht lit up, you could see Zero along with a group of people in black clothing and tinted visors.

"People fear us or rally behind us as you see fit, we are the Black Knights!"

"We of the Black Knights stand with those who have no weapons to wield, regardless if they are Britannians or elevens."

"The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took Britannian civilians hostage and brutally executed them, it was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore, they have been punished."

"Just as former Viceroy Clovis was punished for the slaughter of countless unarmed elevens, we cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out, so we made him pay for his actions."

"I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong, the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed!"

"Wherever oppressors use their power by attacking those who are powerless we shall appear again. No matter how mighty or how formidable our foe may be."

"Those of you with power fear us, those of you without it rally behind us, we the Black Knights shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"

Zero said as he stretched his arms outward in a sweeping motion.

As the camera feed was cut, I turned to leave having no interest in a wild goose chase after such a long day.

"Sir, are we not going to pursue Zero?"

I looked back at Mary, who had a raised the question.

"No, I believe we've done enough today, besides look on the bright side the hostages are safe that's all that matters right."

Mary merely nodded at my pragmatism.

I glanced at Naoto, who had been awfully quiet for the past few minutes after seeing Zero appear with the Black Knights.

While he tried to keep his composure I could tell that he was troubled.

I'm sure he recognized the Black Knights were the former core members of his resistance group, which included his little sister Kallen.

He must be worried about them now that they have placed themselves in the same crosshairs as Zero.

Also, he must be worried that Mary or I recognized the black knights as well from the intelligence we had on him especially Kallen.